All Time MOTY List Head to Head 1991: Fujinami vs. Vader Vs. Santo vs. Brazo

Brazo de Oro v. El Hijo Del Santo UWA 1/13/91

ER: I wasn't expecting the primera to be such a Brazo mugging, but he destroys Santo. Santo is always great at taking a beating. He always falls around in dramatic ways and always seems like he's just trying to get to his feet, knowing right when to lean into a punch to send him another way. He's always great at showing that desperation, shooting in for a single leg that Brazo just rolls into a crucifix before continuing the beating. One glorious 10 second run has him throwing a brutal left to the body, attempt to run Santo into a ringpost, Santo blocks, then gets paid back with a straight right hand and a headbutt. 

They do a bunch of really engaging stuff around avoiding that ringpost, better than any "avoid the barbed wire" stuff you've seen, really treating that ringpost like death. Both guys threw violent strikes, Santo punching to the neck and Brazo headbutting away. By the start of the segunda Santo's mask is filling with blood and brother there are few things cooler in wrestling than bloody masks. Santo does on of his classic snap Santo comebacks, catching Oro with a knee, dropkicking him to the floor and hitting a huge dive. Back in Santo locks in the grossest camel clutch you've seen. And now Brazo is busted wide open from hitting the rail and he's spurting blood, and Santo is throwing huge bombs, fighting over submissions, a couple big dives, the best victory roll ever, a mean double stomp to Oro's stomach followed by his always nuts rolling senton, a great momentary Oro comeback and a beartrap rollup for the Santo win. Gorgeous match, with every little thing I love about lucha.

PAS: Man alive is Brazo a killer in this, most of the classic Brazo stuff is really great comedy wrestling, with the two older brothers working around Super Porky, but they started out as Los Mosqueteros del Diablo (The Devil's Musketeers) and the Devil was back for this match. Brazo was throwing these headbutts to Santo's neck which were just vicious stuff and he had great liver lacerating body shots.. I always love the rudo domination first fall and this was a dominating first fall. Santo's comeback was awesome too, I love how he can explode with big dives and attacks and his tope is one of the most gorgeous moves in wrestling history. That caballo to end the second fall may have been nastier then the famous one in the Dandy hair match, gross river of blood and a true chiropractic destruction. Finish run was really exciting and the finish felt like a finish.

Verdict:

ER: This match has it all and wastes no time giving it to us. Blood, brawling, drama and tremendous execution. This one takes it for me.

PAS: Fujinami v. Vader is a really fun discovery and a great brawl, but the added stakes of mascara contra cabellera and the all time legendary Brazo De Oro performance give this the nod


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