MLJ: Recent Uploads: Atlantis vs. Silver Fox [mask]

2000-06-18 @ Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
Atlantis vs. Silver Fox [mask]

Sometimes I'm tempted to leave these for (the award-nominated) Phil because he has seniority, but then I think better of that. Who the hell doesn't want to watch an uncovered Atlantis mask match from 2000 as soon as humanly possible?

This was just about everything I wanted it to be, not having any idea who Silver Fox was, and having managed expectations. Up until seeing this, he was always just another name on the list of people who Atlantis conquered, a list that's growing each and every year. Apparently he now still as Toxico and he might even be Antonio Pena's cousin, according to cagematch. Regardless, he had FIVE seconds out in matching red masks (Atlantis had Rayo), and there was awesome chaos in getting them to leave before the match so only one remained.

With apuestas matches like this, where you just know that the tecnico is probably going over, so much of the wonder is in the how they still manage to generate illusion that he might be defeated. That, more than his smoothness or anything is, is my favorite thing about Hijo del Santo, and they worked very hard to achieve it here too.

Fox started exactly as he should have, tearing at the mask, biting, getting blood going from almost the first moment. The primera felt really full. None of Fox's offense was all that great, but Atlantis was huge in garnering sympathy and had the crowd deeply into this. When he made his comeback, got his revenge (including mask ripping and a dive tease) and locked in a submission (right after a foul tease, the first smatterings of a rudo ref coming into play), I half thought that it was just a one fall match, because it felt just shy of being satisfying in and of itself.

They let the revenge settle into the segunda a bit before finally turning things on. In here was a massive back body drop bump outside by Fox (and while his offense wasn't great, he did some things well: play to the crowd, sell, and stooge, especially), and the second dive tease. The real heat and danger came in as the ref fully embraced his rudo leanings, holding Atlantis for a cheapshot which lead to a submission thereafter. The pressure intensified between falls as Fox's seconds returned to swarm Atlantis, only for other luchadores to burst out to stop them (including Olimpico and Emilio Charles). Great mob scene.

The tercera was full of the nearfalls you'd expect, with Fox having the advantage of the ref, getting quick counts against Atlantis, and Atlantis coming back but suffering slow counts. Generally, I love lucha bs. I want triple fake fouls and legs grabbed and masks tossed and all that. I like that stuff as much as crazy dives when it's done well, but I usually draw the line at rudo refs. This was pretty well done, though, since it pressed up against the sheer inevitability of Atlantis winning. It wasn't just to get cheap heat, but instead to get an obstacle in his way. Because of that they were able to do lead to a satisfying finish where, first, Atlantis decided he had enough and finally came back and hit the tope he was teasing all match. Then, when he made the pin, it was with Fox so tied up that you could count to thirty and the ref couldn't do a thing about it.

I wouldn't call this an all time classic. They didn't hit everything quite as well as they should and while the bs was functional and entertaining, there was probably a bit too much of it for it to really reach the next level. That said, an Atlantis mask match where he bled and came back and beat the odds is a hell of a thing. On top of that, this one was pretty smartly put together and build to a great climax. Watch it.