MLJ: Sangre Chicana vs La Fiera (Hair vs Hair)

1993-07-02 @ Arena México

La Fiera vs Sangre Chicana [hair]

Two of my favorite apuestas match workers up against one another in a hair match that hasn't gotten much play over the years (though both OJ and Paul Cooke have fairly positive reviews out there). It's up, in the last few months, on a youtube account with a few interesting things that haven't been posted before, including other personal favorites in lucha like Cota and Kamala.

This got a mighty 1 star in the quick Observer write up (no details except for that it didn't draw well). I'm not sure where that came from; maybe Sims? I'm not going to dwell regardless. I just thought it was funny to point out.

Structurally, it had what I wanted out of a hair match (especially one with these two), with a few weird wrinkles which both helped and hurt the match. Fiera was a recently turned tecnico and they started the match out like it was a title match, with wrestling, mostly even but with Fiera getting just enough of the advantage to justify Chicana cheap-shotting him in the kidneys. That wouldn't have flown quite as much in a 1993 title match (but more than in a 1983 title match, probably), but here, it was a great moment, thoroughly rudo. It mostly justified them starting a hair match off with wrestling instead of brawling as it helped establish the roles in the match, but it was also a little weird to defer the hatred like that.

My favorite style of hair match is in the MS-1 vs Chicana vain, lots and lots of heat and beating followed by a dramatic, triumphant comeback. This came close. Chicana was awesome on top, laying shots in to the kidneys, posting Fiera repeatedly on the outside, jawing with the ref and into the crowd, just a charismatic mauling. He took the first fall with a submission and the second was given to Fiera by DQ after Chicana slammed a drink into his head on the outside. I wasn't so high on that. It let the heat keep going, which was great, and it protected Chicana a little bit given he was going to ultimately lose, but I'm iffy on first or second fall DQs in apuestas matches. I would have preferred Fiera getting an early fall during the wrestling segment of things that they started with, which could have spurred on Chicana going to fisticuffs. That's nitpicking though.

The comeback went exactly as you'd expect it to with Chicana getting too cocky and Fiera hitting his spin kick out of nowhere. Sure, it's just a little goofy when he does it too much, but from a 1993 perspective, it's one of the best moves in wrestling. It's not quite as good as Chicana's comeback haymaker (which we didn't see in this match because he wasn't positioned as the crowd favorite) but I knew to look for it and popped when it came. He fought his way back, ending with the most insane tope suicida over the top rope. Chicana bumped huge into the chairs for it, but he didn't exactly catch it well and Fiera wiped out headfirst. Just brutal.

As you'd expect, both of them sold big to end, with each touch and attempt at a pin significant. I think it ended a little more on a whimper than a hugely dramatic moment, but some of that was made up for in the post match with Chicana, his hair cut into a mohawk, going after Fiera, only for Fiera to fire back as they disappeared  into the crowd. That's not the sort of post-match you see in apuestas matches often and it was a cool touch. I would have preferred a few structural changes, but this is well worth your time. I could watch Chicana punch Fiera in the kidney all day.