Lucha Worth Watching: El Hijo Del Santo is Turning 56 Years Old.

El Hijo Del Santo/A Fake Rey Mysterio vs. Fishman Jr./Super Comando Lucha Libre NY 7/13/19

ER: El Hijo Del Santo is turning 56 years old soon. Here he is in front of 400 people in New York, moving like someone much younger than 56. I actually kind of like fake Rey Mysterios, and this one was actually good. Fishman comes off like a tough guy and his trades with Santo were a highlight. Comando was a guy I dug when he showed up in early decade CMLL, but I haven't seen him since. This was all really fun and had a classic lucha feel to it. Comando and Fishman are very capable rudo luchadors, so they handle some complicated swinging spots from our tecnicos. Santo shows he has the core work of a 30 year old by lifting himself up and over Fishman into a sunset flip, they worked through Santo's great fireman's carry pendulum armdrag, Santo hits his still-best headscissors, launches Fishman into the ropes with a great monkey flip, throws kneelifts that are ALSO still the best kneelifts in wrestling, the guy is just incredible. He hits a cool in ring headbutt tope, and late in the match does his fantastic, impactful somersault senton off the top, then he stops short to shift direction, catching Fishman past the turnbuckle with a tope that is absolutely insane to be doing at 56 years old. I liked Fake Rey Mysterio's tecnico charisma, and though he strung together Rey-adjacent offense as well as most of the pushed young flyers in CMLL. He had crisp handsprings and nice execution, came off like an older pro at times (and maybe he is a older guy, for all I know). The rudo control section probably went on a bit too long. It was filled with cool stuff, and I really liked how all of Fishman/Comando's offense involves running Santo and Rey headfirst into things. Santo is amazing at it, actually. There's a spot where Santo gets run headfirst into a chair that had been set up in the corner, and this crazy old guy goes into it like it's 1996 ECW. Santo and Rey hit a chair right into Comando's balls, Rey gets run headfirst into Santo's gut, Santo takes a half dozen Irish whips hard into the buckles, all good stuff...but it probably needed to get to the Santo fireworks closer a little earlier. Still, this man is a true legend. Santo is God.