ALL TIME MOTY LIST Head to Head 1997: Santo vs. Casas VS. Panther vs. Atlantis

Blue Panther vs. Atlantis CMLL 12/5/97

PAS: Just a tremendous match, arguably the best Panther match I can remember, and right up there with Atlantis vs. VIII for Atlantis's career match. The stips of this match were a little strange it is the finals of a tournament where Panther need to win one fall, but Atlantis needed two straight falls. The match was worked mostly on the mat and is a true clinic. So many nifty adjustments by both guys. Atlantis wins the first fall with an awesome Fujiwara armbar takedown, when he goes for it in the segunda, Panther has multiple counters and blocks to keep him from executing it. There is another great spot where Atlantis applies an Octopus hold, Panther is able to free an arm, but Atlantis immediately locks on a kimura while keeping the Octopus. The fast sections of this were great too, Atlantis has some of the coolest armdrags in wresting history and Panther is a great base for them. Really exciting down the stretch too, with multiple holds and roll ups which I thought might end the match. Such a cool example of maestros wrestling and a great chance to see two legends at their best

ER: What a great match, truly embodies the grace and sudden violence that made me fall in lucha, well, not too long after this match took place (the first time I found lucha on Galavision was a Virus/Oriental match that would have had to be some time in 1998). Both men are in their physical prime and snap off several unexpected sequences, and at one point in the segunda they are hardly separated for 9 minutes. It's filled with the beautiful fluid grace of lucha: a roll up that gets rolled through into a counter roll up, arm drags held onto and reversed, Panther breaks out a couple different headscissor variations I've not seen him use, arms get bent behind necks, really the whole primera is great lucha rolling, ending with an awesome Atlantis Fujiwara armbar that should certainly win a fall. And that makes for an intense segunda (Phil mentioned that Panther just needs to win one fall, so now they were essentially evened up) with Panther absolutely going for broke on submission holds. Atlantis catches him in an armbar that looks like it may finish, and Panther just starts taking Atlantis apart at the joints, not just locking on great subs but also selling the fatigue that comes with using all of your muscles to hold a submission. It's part of what makes the ending so great, with a tired Panther trying to rally the troops, while Atlantis sneaks up behind him and lifts him up into La Atlántida for the win. Panther didn't even see it coming. Beautiful, wonderful match.    

Santo vs. Casas Review

Verdict:

PAS: This is tough. I loved Panther vs. Atlantis, really no complaints about the match at all, thought it was beautiful. Santo vs. Casas has a real argument as the greatest match in wrestling history though, and the violence delivered by that match edges it out for me.

ER: This was a great match that I had not seen before, and I'm not sure I've seen a lucha match structured this way before, let alone by two masters in their (young for great luchadors) mid 30s (we'll need to do Dandy/Navarro as a MOTY challenger for more mat lucha). But as much as I dug this, Santo/Casas is truly unique, just a total dogfight filled with nasty upkicks and general meanness. This was great, but Casas/Santo is truly incredible.