Black Terry Wove a Red Cloak So Regal to See

Black Terry vs. Chico Che IWRG 1/29/12 - GREAT

PAS: It's odd that this match escaped me for so long, it's hair match featuring two of my all time favorite wrestlers, during one of my favorite wrestling vintages early 2010s IWRG. How didn't I see it in 2012? How has it been on Powerbomb for two years? How did I review the set up match and not the apuestas? Well I am watching it now, and while booking kept this from being a super high end Black Terry match, it was still pretty awesome stuff.

Chico Che is full rudo in this match, which isn't a role I have seen him in before. He doesn't do his awesome rope running sequence and focuses more on chops and punches, but he has great looking chops and punches so it works good. We get a bunch of gruesome cinema verite close ups of bloody bruised faces getting punched and headbutted. There is an amazing BTJr. shot of both guys smashing their foreheads against each other, while blood sprays off. There was a lot of interference by the seconds (I want to say Dynamic Black and Commando Negro, but I admit my ability to ID IWRG guys from a decade ago has wained), and the third fall was basically all interference and a pretty mistimed ref bump, if they had kept it a gore fest brawl it would have been an easy epic, but I think the set up match is the better of the two. Still this is Chico Che and Black Terry in an Black Terry Jr. filmed HH, so incredibly worth watching.


COMPLETE AND ACCURATE BLACK TERRY

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Lucha Worth Watching: Dinastia Villano! Traumas! Chico Che!

Villano IV/Villano V Jr./Rocambole Jr. v. Trauma I/Trauma II/Sharly Rockstar IWRG 12/3/17

PAS: Big old fashioned Villano brawl. The two baby Villanos (Villano V Jr. and Rocambole Jr. are the sons of V5, formally Kaving and Kortiz) look exactly like their father and uncle and wrestle just like additional Villanos (they really dropped the ball, by not just naming the Villano VI and VII). They dominate early eventually getting DQed for ripping off T2's mask. The second fall has the Traumas and the former Charley Manson (RIP) firing back and smashing the Villanos with chairs. Rocambole starts leaking and it gets more frantic. I think a slightly better finish would have gotten this on a MOTY list, but it was a bunch of fun nonetheless.

Hair vs. Hair: Chico Che vs. Ovett IWRG 1/1/18

ER: For some reason IWRG thought it would be a cool idea to do their whole new years show in a cage. It's probably because they just didn't want to assemble the cage for the main event, which makes sense because sometimes I just drive home from work with my emergency brake on because I know I'll just be using it when I get home anyway. Brother, you ain't seen dumb until you've seen the annual Reyes del Aire...inside a cage. I would prefer to see literally any match on this show not inside of a cage, but this one probably works the best within the stip. The cage match does spoil the winner, as one look at Ovett and you can bet when his choices are between "get a haircut" and "climb a tall cage", dude is not climbing that cage. The cage means that we don't get a classic Chico Che dive, but you get classic Che stiffness, big headbutts, big bleeding forehead, big overhand chops, and his huge torpedo splash. Ovett made this a garbage match, literally, by going for a chair, twisting off some sharp metal piping to stab Che in the head with, and dumping out thumbtacks. Ovett hits a huge fat guy senton, and later misses a fat guy moonsault right into those damn tacks. Match hits peak gross when Che stomps on the back of Ovett's head, right into the tacks, and Ovett comes up with a forehead full of thumbtacks. That's a flat out dumb and bonkers spot. While getting his head shaved the barber attempts to pull a couple tacks out of his hairline and Ovett understandably does not look like a happy camper.

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2017 Ongoing MOTY List: Chico Che and Motocross Fight for the Hairs

72. Chico Che v. Motocross AAA Sanchez 9/16

PAS: So glad to see out boy Chico Che showing up again, he pretty much vanished after his last epic IWRG run, but has resurfaced. This is a hair v. hair brawl and is pretty much a one man Che show. Motocross bleeds and throws chairs, but doesn't bring much else to the table. Che is still really agile for such a chub, and his a beautiful elbow suicida to open the match. We also get some great Che thudding headbutts and a great top rope splash. Finish has a bunch of BS which keeps this from being a real top of the list contender, but still a treat to see Chico Che do his thing.

ER: This is a really really great "Oh yeah, THAT Chico Che!" performance, from a guy that I'm not sure I've seen since 2013. That 4 year gap vanishes as Che looks exactly the same and wrestles as great as you remember. Within the first couple seconds he hits a huge tope that crushes Motocross into the barricade, and in the first couple minutes he's already dropped him vertically with a seated double underhook piledriver, punched him across the bridge of the nose, and punted him in the jaw. Chico Che is the fattest Kurisu and it's great. I don't totally understand the finish of the segunda, as Che hits a full force crossbody and rolls away, and then just gets pinned. And that's a continuing theme, as I don't totally get Motocross here, but some fans in the back have a giant sign for him, and he takes some of the nastier chairshots you're going to see in modern wrestling, and lets a fat dude in overalls jump on him a bunch, so there's just a lot I'm not going to understand about Motocross. The violence keeps ramping in the tercera as both brawl around ringside and have a contest to see who can hit each other harder in the face with a chair. Neither win. Che takes some mean shots, but then gives it back to Motocross twofold, at one point wrapping a hard plastic chair around his neck and headbutting him. Both are bleeding, and we get some good nearfalls back inside. Che drops him with a nasty double underhook slam and splats him with a huge splash, but yeah we get some silliness with the finish, and I didn't think Chico Che should have gone down from just a nut shot, but this was a great Chico Che match.


2017 MOTY MASTER LIST

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Flesh and Blood Needs Flesh and Blood and Black Terry is the One That I Need

Black Terry vs. Chico Che IWRG 1/22/12 - EPIC

PAS: There are few things in wrestling I love more then a Arena Naucalpan punch out, and Black Terry is the Mozart of the bar fight. This is like something out of Oldboy, with both guys saturated with blood pounding on each other. Che has these great meaty punches, his hands look like hams and tries to put them through Terry's head in this match. Terry has one of his great old gunslinger moments in this match, where takes over on Che, and as Che is begging off Terry wipes his blood on his hand and shows it to Chico, "This is what you did, now here is what I am going to do" and unloads with chairs, and fists until Che is swimming in his own blood. Near the end of the match Che unloads his trademark rope running sequence, but Terry just sidesteps the backwards headbutt and kicks him square in the head. So many great cinematic BT Jr. filmed moments, post Che's tope we get a close up of both guys drenched in gore, smashing their heads into each other like old half dead rams. Worth a Powerbomb.tv subscription just for this classic.

COMPLETE AND ACCURATE BLACK TERRY

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All Time MOTY List HEAD to HEAD: FUTEN War V. IWRG bloodbath

Black Terry/Dr. Cerebro/Chico Che v. El Hijo Del Diablo/Avisman/Gringo Loco IWRG 3/7/10

PAS: Black Terry Jr. HH are one of my favorite things in the history of wrestling, and this was one of my favorite examples of the art. His filming style is so great, especially for this kind of out of control bloody brawl. You get these great close ups of bloody faces, with each shot looking like it could be a pullout in one of those grittier non-Apter wrestling magazines I used to read at DeLauers newsstand in Downtown Oakland. The Gringo team dominates the first part of this match bloodying up all three luchadores. Nasty stuff including pulling out cacti and digging them into the open wounds. We get a great fired up technico comeback with Chico Che looking especially awesome. He had this one year or so run in IWRG where he was incredible, and then he disappeared. It was right up there with Hiroyuki Ito's U-Style run as one of the great short periods in wrestling history, he was like lucha John Cazale. Che has these super heavy right hands that look like he is putting all of his considerable weight behind each shot, he also ran through this incredible signature run of headscissors and armdrags, nothing I love more then fat luchadores who can fly. This was another awesome Terry performance as well. He is so emotive in brawls, he is amazing as the old broken down warrior who keeps fighting because that is all he knows.

 I can just see him retired on a ranch somewhere, and Dr. Cerebro showing up "we have some American's down here causing trouble", "I don't do that anymore Doc, I am done", "They are calling you out Terry, saying you don't have the guts to strap on the boots, I came down here looking for a legend, I guess an old story is all I found, I leave you be." "Wait Doc, you bastard, let me get my trunks."

ER: This is a flat out lucha classic, a true gift to the community from BTJr. His handheld work is majestic and makes this feel more out of control than it even was, and it was plenty out of control. To use an already sadly dated reference, the whole match felt like that amazing chaotic tracking shot from season 1 True Detective, just chaos and brutality lurking around every turn of the camera. When I hear people say they don't get lucha, or just don't like lucha, I have to assume they haven't seen matches like this. Bloody brawls are like the universal wrestling language and this had it all. The disrespectful foreigners, valiant hometown heroes, a fat guy, an old guy, and blood. If you take any 3/5 of those things and throw them into a match, I'm probably going to love it. My favorite in this was Dr. Cerebro. Chico Che brings the awesome fat guy moves, Black Terry brings the old man grit, but there's Cerebro having the best brawling segments, gluing all the transitions together. Every time the camera would pick up Cerebro brawling with Loco it looked like some of the best wrestling brawling you've seen. There was zero light between their shots, and they always mixed them up in cool ways; you wouldn't just see turn taking punches, you'd get punches and slaps and kicks all thrown at different angles at odd timing. PLUS, he gushed twice the blood as his partners. But Terry was great at rallying the troops and bringing every awesome thing he always brings to these matches. To think even just 6 years ago that he would still be having these wild brawls today would have sounded nuts. Chico Che was real unique, and this match was a great example of his peak. He really moved differently, didn't throw punches like anyone else I've seen, and had some great agility. His missile splashes were both painful and gorgeous; seeing him get launched off the top with his arms by his sides was an amazing visual. The rudos could have really coasted here and the match still would have come off pretty classic due to the strength of the tecnico side, but none of these rudoes coasted. Diablo came off like a lanky cheapshotting creep, Loco turned in an excellent brawling performance, and Avisman brought great execution to even the most basic things. The match didn't necessarily need them to be this great, but a great rudo performance in something like this just elevates it sky high, and we got three of them. A true gem for lucha and wrestling fans.

FUTEN Review

Verdict: 

PAS: I loved this match, bloody brawl lucha is one of my favorite things, and this a great example of it. However the FUTEN match may be one of the few matches I would give 5 stars to, it is pretty perfect and will be damn near impossible to beat.

ER: Sadly this match is a victim of our calendar endpoints. If we were doing half years, this would likely win for the first half of 2010, with FUTEN tag winning the second half. If we were doing March to March, this match would likely win March 2009-2010. But we use calendars and it drew just a brutal opponent. I could see this match eventually winning, if we revisit this in a few years. Who knows, Ikeda and Hashi could die of concussion related causes and we'd feel super bad watching them clunk their brains together in gross ways, and a straight up bloody war would make us feel better about vampiric selves. As it is, it's easily good enough to be #1, just drew a brutal opponent.

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MLJ: Black Terry Boot Camp 10: Black Terry, Chico Che, Dr. Cerebro vs Avisman, El Hijo del Diablo, Gringo Loco

2010-3-14 @ Arena Naucalpan
Black Terry, Chico Che, Dr. Cerebro vs Avisman, El Hijo del Diablo, Gringo Loco


Terry, Chico Che, Dr. Cerebro vs Avisman... by thecubsfan

Phil pointed me this way. Granted, he pointed me to things not currently online, and then pointed me to this as a consolation prize. I might have to dive deeper into this feud though. You get a sense of it from this, which was a TV match. If Terry had the Dinistia Navarro feud that would be enough for 2010 but he had this too.

It's my first look at Gringos VIP, though I'd seen Avisman once or twice before. They had a great act. It was low rent in all the best, sleaziest ways, with them flaunting the US colors and sunglasses that made them look like the unabomber. It's good that they had a great act too since they took most of this match. I'm okay with that. I'd much rather see a match that was 70% beatdown than 70% tecnico clowning. That said, it has to be a good beatdown and this definitely was. The Gringos had a lot of tandem offense, played crowd control well, and were pretty brutal in their execution. Just as important, there was a great hope spot-ish comeback to end the primera, and a lot of heat in the finish.

Terry's side didn't have a lot to do, other than get beaten up, which was a shame because this wasn't a great look for me at Chico Che. What they did do was great, however. Cerebro was a bit delayed in making it out, which lead to the initial numbers game allowed beatdown. When he finally got into things, however, it was with a big dive from the crowd and a comeback, even so early into the match, that felt triumphant (even if it was cut off, both for a flash rudo finish and to lead into the segunda).

Terry's so good at so many things, but I'd yet to really see him on this side of a rudo beatdown in a trios brawl. He shined at that too, doing a great job at fighting back not just valiantly but violently and getting overwhelmed to build sympathy while still looking strong. How can someone who throws headbutts around like that not look strong? The little I got to see from Che looked great too. He was the babyface part of this equation which allowed for the heat to be actual heat, as Terry and Cerebro were rudos. He was the heart of things in that regard, but also had some killer big guy offense when he got to show it (and a great headbutt too).

When the comeback finally came it was goofy but solid, with extraneous objects that were meant to embarrass and were sold like death. That was pretty goofy, and the indy heel ref stuff was frustrating, but this was good enough to make me want to see more.

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2013 Lucha Roundup

Chico Che/Saruman/Freelance v. Eita/Tomahawk/Imposible IWRG 3/21

Pretty mediocre match. The DG guys didn't do anything as bad as they have in previous matches, but this was a really subdued Freelance and Che performance. No real crazy dives, Che threw some nice headbutts but didn't fly around or anything. More forgettable then bad, but pretty forgettable.

El Hijo Del Santo v. Oliver John TXT 4/7

Great to see a Santo singles match show up. Haven't had much of an opinion of John before but he definitely worked hard here, he took some big bumps including doing a diving headbutt directly into Santo's feet and flying to the floor. I also really liked his piledriver counter. Santo did cool Santo things, headscissors, headbutts, mat counters, topes. Built to a pretty exciting finish run and a satisfying finish. Very good match better then I was expecting

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2013 Lucha Roundup

Apollo Estrada Jr./Eita/Tomahawk v. Black Terry/Chico Che/Freelance IWRG 2/28

Man that is a murderers row of technicos, three of my favorite wrestlers to watch ever. Too bad a really weak rudo performance keeps this from really getting going. Your Dragon Gate rookie pair are really bad here, blowing some spots, wandering around hitting weak chops and doing hack comedy spots. Freelance is nuts as usual hitting a great Orihara moonsault to end the second fall and bisecting Eita with a spring board splash. Che does his thing and entertainingly blasts Tomhawk in the mouth with a forearm when he blows a spot, Terry is pretty muted so this was a two man performance, between the DG guys and the Clowns Che and Freelance have been stuck with some chumps lately.

Black Terry/Eita/Tomahawk v. Chico Che/Saruman/Freelance IWRG 3/7

This is a better match then the week before. Terry is almost enough to carry a rudo team on his own, even while being saddled with the stinky DG guys. Still sort of a disjointed match, with several moments where Eita and Tomahawk just can't keep up. Still Terry nearly rips Saruman's arm off with a kimura to end the first fall. Terry and Che open up tiny cuts on their heads with potato headbutts and, Chico Che hits the dive of the year with an insane elbow suicida which looked almost Ciclon Ramirezesque. Plenty to love here and the post match attack by Silver King students was fun and chaotic. Please let Dragon's Gate retake their boys though, or at least have them feud with Veneno or someone else I don't want to watch

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2013 Lucha Roundup

Shocker/Blue Panther/Mascara Dorada v. Negro Casas/Felino/Mr. Neibla CMLL 2/12

The Panther v. Casas rivalry has been one of the true treasures in professional wrestling in this decade. For a while leading up to their mask match, we would get weekly trios matches were they would be beautifully beating the piss out of each other. This is quite a throwback, awesome kicks and punches square in the mush sold wonderfully, along with the nifty twists they always throw out against each other. Here I especially dug Casas using the ring rails to mangle Panthers arm, and Panther using the stage to brutalize Casas's leg. Would really like to see them have an IWRG style around the arena brawl. Your other guys were more hit and miss, Dorada had a very fun headscissory, armdraggy and divey performance including a lunatic tope con giro. The washed up guys were mostly washed up, although I did dig Felino and Neibla's doomsday device variation at the end.

Chico Che/Freelance/Centvrion v. Dave the Clown/Niko/Rothen the Clown IWRG 2/21

Not as bad as the clown match a week later, but the Clowns are still about the worst luchadores in the world. Still Freelance doesn't really need a live opponent to do his thing and as usual there are some sweet Freelance flips and dives. Chico Che looks lively too, as he busts out his awesome shoulder block. More of a slightly below average match, then a stinker.

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2013 Lucha Roundup

Chico Che/Dinamic Black/Saurman v. Niko/Dave the Clown/Rothen Clown IWRG 3/3

About as bad a Chico Che match as your are going to get. Your fake Psycho Circus are really bad, brawling stinks, they are in the wrong place a lot and can't even seem to catch basic offense, Saruman almost dies as one of the clowns doesn't catch him on a tope and he flies into the seats awkwardly. Chico Che does some Chico Che stuff and there is one fun spot where Dinamic Black topes a clown while he was holding a midget, but this sucked.

Angel v. Trauma 2 v. Oficial 911 IWRG 3/3

3 way section

TV Version of mask match (with finish missing)

HH version of the last 5 minutes with finish shown

This was better then last weeks very good and violent 3 way, although a step below a truly elite match. 3 way part was a bit wanting, had some fun violent parts, this was a match full of nasty stomps to the head by all three guys, but I thought the 911 v. Angel part was a little draggy. This didn't need 911 and they should have gone for the straight mask match. The one on one portion was pretty gruesome and great. Angel is a damn good brawler, as everything he threw was violent and nasty. El Angel braining T2 with the bottle is lunatic, and I really like the Fujiwaraish way T2 catches him when he goes for another bottle shot. Still they didn't have nearly enough time to square off mano v. mano for this to go down in history. Well worth checking out though

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2013 Lucha Roundup

Angel del Amor/Chico Che/Freelance v. Danny Casas/Imposible/Alan Extreme IWRG 2/14

Not at the level of the match later in the week, but house show Che and Freelance is still well worth checking out. Your other four here were solid but didn't really stand out, Alan Extreme had a fun tope con hilo, but I have seen him do better. Freelance and Chico were the stars and they brought the crazy shit, Freelance broke out a bunch of his crazy flipping counters and a couple of nutso dives including a rana to the floor which chuck Alan into the third row. Chico Che didn't break out the brawling, but his exchanges were as graceful and athletic as always, his top rope splash is just awesome looking. Undercardish style match, but I am some glad we got the real killers back making these undcard matches such a treat

El Angel v. Trauma 2 v. Oficial 911 IWRG 2/17

Had some 3-wayish issues early, but once this got down to violence it got really awesomely violent. Trauma was just smashing his head into Angel's bloody skull and cracking him and 911 with chairshots. There is a point where T2 and Angel are lying in the beer and blood and the mud just pummeling each other while 911 crawls to the ring to win the match. One of the cooler finishes in recent memory. Very exited to see these guys amp it up even more for a mask match.

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2013 Lucha Roundup

Chico Che/Freelance/Hijo del Pantera vs Apolo Estrada Jr./Avisman/Eita IWRG 2/17

Man alive was this a blast, easily my Lucha MOTY (although I have some catching up to do.) A bunch of awesome IWRG guys we have seen intermittently in the last couple of years reminding us why we love them. It felt like they were out to steal the show as everyone was breaking out there entire bag of tricks. Freelance does 8 things you can't believe, including the fastest rope run front flip I have seen and a nutty plancha to the floor. Avisman comes out of hiding and eats all of the fancy technico offense like a champ, along with busting open Chico Che with Regal shoot headbutts. El Hijo Pantera was pretty garbage last time I saw him, but he got pretty awesome quick. Looked good on the mat, hit the most psycho dive in a Freelance match, and even brawled a bit. Chico Che was a mix of Super Astro, Dusty Rhodes and Genichiro Tenryu, and Eita and Estrada were solid character actors. Couldn't recommend this more.

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My Name is Black Terry, an I Hate You One and All, I Hate You One and All, Damn Your Eyes

Black Terry/Black Thunder/Captain Muerte v. Freelance/Chico Che/Turbo IWRG 3/26/09-GREAT

PAS: Any match with Freelance on one side and Black Terry on the other is going to kick ass, right there are two of the top 10 wrestlers in the world, they are going to deliver, and all you really need to make a lucha libre trios is one good technico and one good rudo. Luckily for us, the other four were bringing it too. Chico Che is a guy I remember enjoying in last years Battle Royal, but I figured he was just an opening match dude, a guy who could work an exchange or two with Judas El Traitor, but not some one you want higher on the card. Here though he looked damn good, agile, fun arm drags, nice fat boy tope, he looked like good tertiary Brazo, lets say Brazo de Bronce. I was also shocked at how awesome the Turbo v. Black Terry mat section was, as that is not something I imagined Turbo had in him, although that was clearly a bunch of Black Terry. I imagine that every week will be a running battle between Black Terry and Freelance for IWRG god hood, and I think Terry takes week #1. Freelance was great, his flipping Fujiwara to end the first fall was fucking awesome.

TKG: I’m not really comfortable with running battle analogy. Lucha trios are about how guys are positioned in the trio. There are captains and secondary guys, sometimes those secondary guys are the featured guys with an important story in the match and sometimes they are secondary figures who are there to shine the light on the guys in the important story. The real story of the match is that Turbo comes in with the new NWA lightweight belt and Black Terry wants to challenge for it. Everything else is filler. Chico Che and Capitan Muerte were the captains. For guy who by design isn’t supposed to be featured performer Freelance still is pretty great. Freelance has the coolest finisher to first fall, eats the nastiest finisher for second and does a large FIP section in third, still the match is built around highlighting Terry and Turbo. This is a pretty classically constructed match with some neat twists. First fall is all about Turbo v Black Terry technical mat sections that make you stoked for possible title match. They do some Black Thunder v Freelance technical exchanges where everytime Freelance gets Thunder in a hold Captain Muerte comes in to break it up leading to Chico Che coming in to stop Muerte. Thunder is a guy who works with Turbo a lot and is a guy who eats Turbos stuff pretty spectacularly (there is an amazing multiple Tijeras thing Turbo does around BlackThunder). He’s got some interesting ideas for offense that aren’t quite worked out. Captain Muerte looks like a world beater here as trio captain. He’s been through maybe four gimmicks since last time I remember seeing him look this bad ass. Your opening technical stuff is eventually broken up by an absolutely nasty Muerte mafia kick to Freelance’s back and a bunch of rudo two-on-one and three-on-one ass-whooping. You get a last minute change of momentum with Che taking out Muerte and technico comeback. Second fall is your faster fall starting with faces taking turns besting each of three heels in one-on-one match ups, which leads to more rudo two and three-on- ones. Third fall is all nasty brawling with Turbo and Terry matching up again, Freelance ends up working an extended 6 minute or so FIP section as the rudos go all Anderson bros quick tags on his arm and Chico Che gets super Robert Gibson indignant only to eat a face destroying second rope Alabama Jam when he finally gets in the ring. Still Freelance and Che were all secondary, everything about this match made me want to see Terry v Turbo for title.

Black Terry/Cerebro Negro/ Dr. Cerebro v. Negro Navarro/Trauma I/Trauma II IWRG 4/23-EPIC

PAS: We get yet another really fun match up between these two teams. This started with a matwork fall, but really kicked into gear when they got to the brawling. Dr. Cerebro was running around throwing bombs, he has a great looking right hand and was drilling people with it, this is the best he has looked in any of their matchups. I also loved the spot where Trauma 1 superkicks Black Terry and they do the KO spot. It was a fine superkick, but man was Terry's selling off the chain. I wasn't sure whether he was legitimately stunned. What made this match though, was the fact we finally got to see Navarro and Terry really square off, and it was as glorious as you would expect. Navarro is so fierce when he gets fired up, when he sinks in the choke it like Fedor on your back.

TKG: On the 4/16 show I compared Navarro to Hashimoto, but you watch this match and that feels like an understatement. I can’t think of a more menacing bad ass babyface performance to compare to Navarro here. Not face Brody or Missing Link, there is nothing “crazy” or gimmicky about Navarro’s performance. Navarro is a beast and we finally get to see him fully unload and destroy motherfuckers. . Terry is pretty great here coming off even more like desperate Tully outmatched. He comes across even more outmatched, even more desperate and as a result more dangerous. Cerebro Negro and Trauma 1 also have a lot more to offer in a standing match than a technical one. I think there was some timing problem during the dives as anyone who has seen the Megas v Dr Cerebro series knows that no one eats a tope better than Dr Cerebro, instead the dives were just there. I’m a little less sold on the Naucalpan revancha than some other folks. We don’t get the full Xochimilco revancha match but I preferred that one. Structurally I think all the non Navarro/Terry brawling in Xochimilco came off tighter, and I preferred the whole fake foul set up. Still getting to see Navarro unleash at full force was awesome but this didn’t leave me with the high that I had after the first Naucalpan match.


Black Terry/Solar v. Negro Navarro/Rocky Santana NWA Mexico 7/23/10-GREAT

This is a damn entertaining maestro exhibition match. I didn't get the sense a ton was at stake, pretty much a chance for guys to show off their skill. Rocky Santana and Black Terry were matched up exclusively (as were Solar and Negro Navarro obviously), it isn't a match up I have seen before and was pretty swank. Terry did a bunch of very cool take downs, using leverage with both arm and leg locks. Santana isn't a guy I have had a ton of love for in the past, but he looked perfectly comfortable in this setting, didn't bring a ton of extra stuff, but he certainly didn't drag the match down. Navarro v. Solar is the classic match up and it is always excellent, it looks like the older they get the faster they get as some of this stuff looked like it was in fast forward. I especially loved all of Navarro's tricky quick roll ups. It was only one fall, and it always bugs me when Navarro and Terry are on opposite teams but don't match up, still a great little match and I was pretty excited to see it show up.

COMPLETE AND ACCURATE BLACK TERRY

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IWRG 3/7/10

IWRG on Segunda Caida
Black Terry Jr.'s Youtube page COME BACK SOON

Heros v Alan Extreme

TKG: The really awesome thing about watching these rookies workshop their match is you get to see them try things and fail then try again and succeed. Last show Alan Extreme and Heros tried to work a slower more deliberate version of their opening technical exchanges and they really failed. This week they totally pull it off. Some of this is helped by Eros’ awesome selling which really puts over the deliberate submission work. I think starting with the big throws and working into submissions also helped get across the sense that these things weren’t cooperative/required force. Also there was a sense of guys actually breaking submissions instead of letting go. They also do a nice job of changing speeds as they move form the slow technical stuff to the faster technical armdrag section. Also Eros does an amazing job of selling for Alan Extreme’s signature “toss opponent in air and then do seated double kick as they fall”. Just a super solid first fall. Second fall has a huge Alan Extreme tope and Eros tope eat. But Eros blows a move and looks to tweak his shoulder and struggles not to botch stuff after that.

PAS: Yeah I am with Tom, the first fall was pretty solid, although I am not sure that these two are best served by long matwork sections. Probably better off going with armdrags and rope running. I understand that these guys are rookies working things out, and in 2010, I am not going to complain about matwork. Alan Extreme's tope into the stands was a legit "HOLY SHIT" moment (you can see Dhani Jones in the crowd looking pretty surprised), and the match was cooking along at a nice pace. Unfortunately the third fall was pretty sloppy and brings down the match quite a bit.

Oficial 911/Trauma I/Trauma II v Freelance/Jack/Ultraman Jr

TKG: This is one of the bigger Freelance performances of 2010. I haven’t seen an IWRG first fall worked like this in a while, where everyone matches up doing their own specialty (Coco Blanco works old school mat stuff with the mat worker of opposite team, Coco Rojo works powerhouse exchanges with opponents powerhouse, and Coco Verde does his green highflying with the highflyer on opposite team). This is how I would have liked to have seen the Eragon, Suicida, Freelance v Gringos VIP worked. I guess all three technico’s could have worked the technical exchange section but Jack isn’t a guy who you want in the brawling section (part of me would have liked them to have switched Ultraman and Jack’s role) and you want Freelance in your fast exchanges. So you get 6 minutes of Yack and Trauma II doing technical exchanges (about four minutes of them working and selling the legs and then two minutes of them switching up to working the arm/shoulder) with Trauma controlling the majority. This is followed by Freelance and Oficial 911 doing their fast exchange stuff followed by Trauma I lariating Ultraman jr dead. Trauma I also gets to do a nasty Argentine backbreaker into military press into quebradora drop on Freelance. Second fall is the rudos streetfight into isolating and double/triple teaming one tecnico at a time. Freelance is of course a guy who will fly around for this type of stuff. The big tecnicos come back spot here is supposed to happen when 911/Trauma I whip Ultraman Jr into ropes and he turns it into a tope to Trauma II. It is a super “HOLY SHIT” awesome spot. Unfortunately Ultraman Jr busts his jaw on the guard rail in the process. Third fall has tecnicos man down but Freelance calls for one on one matchup and the rudos are good sportsman, so Freelance gets one on one matches with each rudo where Freelance just hits everything at full blast. The Traumas win with a ridiculously nasty double team on Jack. Post match the Traumas beat up 911.

PAS: The way the acting category Emmy awards work, is that actors will submit individual episodes for consideration. If wrestling awards worked the same way this would be Freelance's submission for Flyer of the Year and Wrestler of the Year. Just a balls out awesome show. The difficulty, speed,height and agility were pretty much off the charts. Especially when he was matched up with 911, who felt like the Psicosis to his Rey in this match. I was also really impressed how well Freelance took over the match when Ultraman Jr. broke his mouth, I have seen plenty of trios matches collapse when a guy goes down, but the third fall was as on point as the first two. Freelance hasn't really had the kind of showcase matchups in 2010, he has disappeared for a while, his matches haven't always been recorded, but this was why you are excited to see him show up.

Dr Cerebro/Black Terry/Chico Che v Avisman/Hijo del Diablo/Gringo Loco

TKG: The booking to add Chico Che to this feud was super smart and really well executed. Adding a tecnico to this feud totally changes the dynamics and Chico Che was really the right tecnico. The feud went form being a rudo v rudo feud (which IWRG is great at running) into a native v foreign team feud (where nationalism unites heels/faces). That change effects the way everyone works. There is a fun vibe that adding a tecnico brings, and you really got the sense that Black Terry/Cerebro were actively enjoying having Chico Che with them. There are these awesome moments where both of them stand back with shit eating grins and direct Chico Che into abusing the foreigners. There is a point where Terry is punching Gringo Loco on the floor and then Chico Che lands a punch of his own on Gringo Loco. Terry lights up “hey you got this, let me do something else”. First fall is mostly Gringos dominated as they leave Cerebro, Terry and Che all bloody, this stretches into the second fall which develops into a real isolate and triple team one guy while keeping other faces away from action fall (except done on the floor instead of in the center of ring) until the tecnicos see an error and take advantage bloodying Avisman and Diablo and then a third fall which starts with tecnicos beating rudos in one on one exchanges (with Che beating the shit out of Avisman on floor, Cerebro really laying into Diablo and Che running through his big spots) back into a section where rudos try to remount control. Part of what makes this kind of classic lucha fight work is that there are not a lot of changes in momentum. Just long periods of one sided action where both teams look strong (for both dishing and eating beating). I imagine if you were to watch this match with a stop watch and a calculator, the heels would have taken more than 75% of the offense in a match where the heels win clean. But this is the furthest thing from a competitive squash. Part of that is the selling which is all about guys toughing it out by taking a giant beating waiting out an opening Chico Corrales style. When it works it works and here it really worked. The actual match finish with everyone but Diablo and Cerebro taken out by dives and Diablo reversing a rana into a desnucadora/slam was also a super cool clean finish that still left you wanting more.

PAS: Man was this filmed spectacularly. This is a gruesome gritty fight, and pretty much every camera shot looked like the cover of a 1987 issue of Wrestling Eye. Black Terry his great exhausted beaten bloody facial expressions. He looks like William Munney at the end of Unforgiven. This is a match with six great performances, Gringo Loco is on fire, beating people, bleeding and taking one of the craziest corner post bumps I have ever seen. It is the kind of thing Cassandro would wince at. Diablo is also great as kind of the rudo glue. He has been in a million seedy Tijuana brawls in his career and this kind of thing is right in his wheelhouse. Then we have Chico Che continuing his June '09 to June '10 run as one of the five best wrestlers in the world. He is just stupendous in this match, as the victim and the deliverer of beatings, and his signature rope running is a little bit of beauty in the ugly.

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Where the Miles are Marked in the Blood and Gold I'll Meet Black Terry Further on up the Road

Black Terry/Shu El Guerrero/Jose Luis Feliciano/El Texano/Ricky Boy v. Robin Hood/Los Ninja Turtles UWF 9/12/91-GREAT

This was just a totally entertaining match. This was 2/3 falls unlike a lot of Hamada UWF matches, so we got a nice long extended match. Very similar to the classic MPRO 10 man tags in the mid 90's, with a group of flashy technicos working fast and crazy spots with big bumping skilled rudos. All of the rudos looked really good, Terry works a couple of nice fast exchanges with Turtles, and we get to see a little asskicking as well. Robin Hood was a total standout on the technico side, he did similar spots to the Turtles, but everything was a little faster, a little slicker and with a little more height. I am a big Alverado family fan and he is definitely a guy I need to see more of. This is the kind of match pretty much everyone who likes wrestling would dig, if you are looking to dip your toe into lucha, this is pretty much perfect.

Black Terry/Pirata Morgan/Tóxico v. Brazo de Plata/Chico Che/Suicida IWRG 10/22/09-GREAT

TKG: Man! Man, this was the good stuff! So I was kind of expecting this to be guys doing a match of nothing but comedy spots and charisma but not expecting anything near this good. We saw Brazo de Plata live around the same time and he was enormous, I didn’t expect him to be able to leave his feet let alone do the flying take down of two heels spot or eating a ridiculous slam from Pirata (where Porky looks to go up rotate so he looks like he is falling head first and then follow through to land on back). Plata is a guy who knows how to work comedy but also knows how to work in and out of that comedy. Chico Che hurt himself in the ropes on a dive in the first fall, which leads to Black Terry spending the second fall blading him and working him over on the floor. Third fall is built around Chico Che bleeding like a stuck pig and fighting three on ones trying to get the tag. Lots of near tag spots with the refs missing the tag and lots of heels cutting off ring till Chico Che can get off his in ring shoulder tackle tope and every one goes at it. Really elaborate finish that makes you want to see a revancha.

PAS: Yeah this was a totally great match. Chico Che has a huge shit eating grin during the opening Porky dance, you can tell this is a dream come true for him. We start with some really slick Black Terry v. Suicida matwork. They are a pair of guys who have worked against each other for years, and they clearly have their stuff down pat. This is by far the best Toxico has ever looked, he is a guy who clearly spent a ton on his gear, but nothing on his training, but he looks perfectly mediocre brawling, and beat Suicida with a sick looking lifted flatliner. Third fall is truly awesome as Porky and Pirata start brawling, and Chico Che continues to be one of the best sympathy sellers in the world.

Black Terry/Dr. Cerebro v. Gringo Loco/El Hijo Del Diablo IWRG 2/7/10-EPIC

PAS: I am not usually a fan of lucha cage matches, but this wasn't worked like a normal lucha cage match. This was Slaughter/Kernodle v. Steamboat/Youngblood, four guys locked in a cage trying to beat each other to death. All four guys bleed a ton. Loco breaks out the cactus again, and they were really used like barbed wire boards, as people were taking nasty back bumps on them. Loco escapes first and comes back with a steel chair and all of the guys eat some nasty chair shots. The match ends up with Diablo and Terry, Diablo hits a martinete on a chair which is a finish to match.

TKG: I like lucha cage matches more than Phil. Once they get down to few enough people, I like the dynamic where participants are forced to choose between the loyalties to allies and the need for self preservation. At their best I also like the change in strategy from first ten minutes where participants are not allowed to escape and that ten minute mark where they can make a run for it. I thought they played into that really well here. The first ten minutes had Dr Cerebro working at (RIP) King of the Cage Rusher Kimura speed. He would stoically eat stuff and attack opponent with real slow deliberateness. No fast exchanges or speedy explosiveness. Just deliberately walking over and blasting guys. The ten minutes end and the race is on. He shifts up in speed but he can’t move at his normal full speed as he’s selling damage of first ten minutes. Sense that you are watching beat down marathoner trying to pick up speed to race for the finish line. I have watched a ton of lucha cage matches and this is the most I can ever remember that ten minute mark announcement and the shifts that result from it contributing to building the drama. Once guys finally do escape and it comes down to Terry and Hijo del Diablo, all the various attempts at outside interference are done really well and just raise the tension of the whole thing. But when it comes down to it, what matters is the final battle between Black Terry v Hijo Del Pirata. Everything else contributes to the drama but these guys needed to deliver, and fuck do they deliver.

COMPLETE AND ACCURATE BLACK TERRY

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Black Terry Was Tops in All They Said, It Never Once Went To His Head

Black Terry/Kai/Yamato/Masada v. Freelance/Multifacético/Ultramán Jr./Veneno IWRG 12/20/07- FUN

Pretty amusing match worked sort of like a ROH scramble match with everyone flying around. We even have a ridiculous Veneno tope con hilo. Freelance is perfect for these kind of matches as he is going a million miles an hour. They also did a nice job of hiding your green All Japan workers who were really the Lit and Hijinx of this group. Black Terry isn't showcased in this match, but he does do some does some cool shit, including a nasty crossface on Multifacetico. There was a run in finish which I didn't understand.

Black Terry/Cerebro Negro/Dr. Cerebro v, Barba Roja/Pirata Morgan Jr./Hijo del Pirata Morgan IWRG 8/6/09-GREAT

PAS: Really fun trios match. The Jr. Piratas look a little outclassed during the opening mat sections, as their was some nice looking stuff, but they were clearly being led by Terrible Cerebros. They were definitely more comfortable in the second and third falls when they stood up. I really liked all of their triple teams, as they looked more like classic lucha trios moves, as opposed to the more Young Buckish shit that many current lucha teams will do. I also dug the finishes of the second and third falls, as the rudos attempted to out rudo each other. That is one thing I love about lucha, when you match up two rudo teams, their isn't a de facto techinco, they just battle to see who truly represents the spirit of rudismo.

TKG: I get the sense that the Piratas v Officiales is the match up that would play to their strengths better. Still kind of neat to see them forced to work this type of matchup. They seemed really out of sorts as to what to do with the first fall. but they never embarrassed themselves and hung along for the ride. Also amazing how much Terry felt like the real general/anchor of this matchup. One of these days I'd love to write up something on the period of EMLL between the crowd turning on the attempt to make Tarzan Boy a top face at turn of century and the beginning of the success of making Mistico. The real engine of EMLL booking during that period was these rudo v rudo feuds that were anchored by veteran rudos. The IWRg crowd was packed with kids from either the local Buccaneers youth futbol team or the youth booster club for a Buccaneers futbol team. Either way promoting a trio to local youth group with similar name is cool way to sell more tickets and get involved crowd.

Black Terry/Alan Extreme v. Chico Che/Dinamic Black IWRG 1/1/10- GREAT

PAS: This was part of a tourney which was pretty much a testing ground for rudos. Each match basically tests how your veteran rudo can run a match, and as you might have guessed, Black Terry throws off the curve. This was a virtuoso one man show, as his carry job of Dinamic Black may have been as good as what he did with Multifacitico in 2008. Chucked him around the mat, kicked the shit out of him, and then bumped and put him over when he needed to. I liked everyone else a fair amount too, and this was the match of the show and goddamn is Black Terry spectacular.

TKG: Alan Extreme is now a rudo. Not sure when that happened. He also now has the star with tassels on his belly and not his buttocks. Still don’t know what his gimmick is. Is he supposed to be an Extreme version of Alan from the Barrio Boys? What is more extreme than an underage boy prostitute? Does Alan Extreme insist on bareback, only work for IV drug users, have no safe word? With Extreme Barrio Boy working rudo, I’m assuming Dinamic Black is part of some type of face version of the Black Family. Was there an episode of the Munsters where they tried to rid the neighborhood of the child street whore menace? Both Alan Extreme and Dinamic Black have some entertaining multiple springboard armdrags.

COMPLETE AND ACCURATE BLACK TERRY

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Black Terry Ain't Got no Ills, Black Terry Don't Owe No Bills

Black Terry/Pierroth II/Arlequin vs. Chico Che/Fantastik/Multifacetico IWRG 3/19/09-SKIPPABLE

TKG: Aw man this was an awful mess. What the fuck? IWRG shelled out the money for Dr Wagner Jr and didn’t pay anyone else? These guys looked like unpaid trainees. Maybe Dr Wagner Jr has access to the good drugs and partied with the roster preshow. I haven’t seen Fantastik in ages and he looked barely trained. No one but Black Terry and Multifacetico looked like they knew how to run the ropes. Arlequin looked like Jim Belushi disinterestedly brawling in a fight scene in a shitty direct to video action movie. There is a point where Arlequin and Fantastik try to do fighting spirit chop exchanges…I don’t know if Arlequin was doing a Kawada sell, but he sells the pain and then goes to fighting spirit sell by doing push ups but is in too much pain and does girl push ups instead.

PAS: The thing you love about IWRG is that they will give great matches enough time to really be great, the flip side is when you get an abortion like this, it will be a long drawn out abortion. Tom talked a lot about how bad Arlequin was, and he was really bad, but man alive did Chico Che and Pierroth II look like crap. They kept matching up with each other in long rope running sections, where neither guy looked like they had run ropes before. He tried, but Black Terry wasn’t able to do anything with this.

Black Terry/Dr. Cerebro/Cerebro Negro v. Trauma I/Trauma II/Ultraman Jr. IWRG 10/29/09-EPIC

TKG: This starts with Dr Cerebro and Ultraman Jr doing technical exchanges built around trading nasty arm wringer variations. Then Black Terry matches up with Trauma I and Cerebro Negro matches up with Trauma II doing exchanges of submissions. Trauma puts on a submission that hurts the opponent can’t escape but won’t tap to, and then opponent slaps on submission that works the same body part. This whole thing is really made by both Terry and Cerebro Negro’s selling. Second fall is the fast exchange fall and these are superfast Gods Must Be Crazy stop motion animation fast exchanges. Black Terry and Ultraman Jr look to blow a bunch of things but they keep going and the awkwardness gives a real violent feel to the fast exchange section as they look to be forcing each other into stuff. That’s the sense you get throughout this fall as it’s super stiff and super fast. Things may be moving so fast that these guys can’t perform as smoothly as you normally see in most “quick exchange” caidas. Third fall also has some rough moments but these guys are professionals and know how to make that add to the feel of an actual fight. Like Tina Turner these guys can do nothing nice and easy, they’re all about the nice and rough.

PAS: Dinastia De La Muerte v. Terrible Cerebros was the feud of the year in IWRG in 2009, this was that match up with Ultraman Jr. replacing Negro Navarro. That is a huge step down it talent, as Ultraman Jr. is slightly above average and Navarro was the best wrestler in the world in 2009. It kind of works in this match though, as Navarro's absence forces the Traumas to step up huge and really become the focus of the match. The opening mat sections were long and awesome, that kind of machismo mat wrestling, where guys show their skill by tying up and then releasing their opponent can be overdone in IWRG, but it is really great here. Everyone sells pain and frustration tremendously, and you really buy this as a test of machismo, no one is going to tap and they are all desperate to prove the more skilled luchadore. Tom was right about the ragged awesomeness of the second and third falls, it gets faster and more violent and more reckless and it feels like it is going to spiral completely out of control. I have no problem with a low blow finish, but this felt like it should have built to a total explosion, and the finish deflated it a bit. Still a tremendous match, right up there with the best matches of 2009.

Black Terry/Dr. Cerebro/Negro Navarro v. Solar/Sucida/Zatura IWRG 1/28/10-EPIC

PAS: Great, great stuff. These are six of the greatest wrestlers in the world given some time to have a wrestling match. We start out with Solar v. Negro Navarro which is the best match up in wrestling today. They are playing a variation of the same notes, but this was less of an exhibition and more of a struggle. They didn't do the hold, release, hold style, things were being countered and reversed. The tapatia reversed into a tapatia was especially awesome looking. The youtube revolution has allowed us to see this match up a bunch in the last couple of years, that may be seen as a bit of a downside, but it is a weird criticism. They are traveling around the country and the world doing their thing, and they still mix it up a bunch. This isn't 80's WWE guys doing move for move replications of the same house show match, it is two maestros locked in a decade long battle of one upsmanship and I am eager to catch every installment. Next we get a long completely awesome Zatura v. Black Terry mat section, it may be the novelty of it, but this felt as good as the Navarro v. Solar section. They did a lot of battling in and out of leglocks which really felt like a Imanari fight, I also loved how Terry would use wrist locks to transition into throws. A singles match between those two would be unbelievable. The first fall ends with a really great speedy exchange between Suicida and Dr. Cerebro, with Segura flying all over the ring and Cerebro bumping like a king. Just an awesome first fall, as good as any opening caida I can ever remember seeing. Unfortunately the second and third falls were both about four minutes, good but really too abbreviated for this to truly be a classic. Both falls had great shit in them though. The second fall, had more Navarro v. Solar, with both guys jockeying for big throws. The third fall had Cerebro taking Suicida to the floor and beating the shit out him, it added a bit of violence to the artistry which was welcome. Honestly add three minutes to each fall and we have the match of the year, even as is, it is a beautiful piece of wrestling

TKG: Holy crap this was great. Solar and Navarro aren’t just guys exchanging technical holds but there is this real sense of escalation in their exchanges. They start off with arm drag exchanges which lead to arm locks and immobility knots which build into arm locks that can’t be reversed forcing rope breaks. From there they move into this amazing boxing in a phone booth section of mat wrestling (perhaps wrestling in a dumbwaiter) that transitions into both guys trying for ceiling stretches. Each of these sections is given its own weight and there is this real feeling of escalation to this whole exchange. This is followed up by Black Terry v Zatura, and I’m not a guy who particularly cares for shoot interviews and don’t believe in using them as source for actual facts. But listening to self aggrandizing stories told by professional liars gives you some insight into the value system of those liars (the values and morality of the stories). And watching Terry v Zatura after Solar v Navarro really reminded me of all the tales of shooters where there are two schools “yeah I’d stretch a guy see what he had, but I wasn’t a ripper those guys are assholes”. And you have this escalation from Solar v Navarro as pros stretching each other to Terry v Zatura “ripping” which leads into Cerebro and Suicida just wanting to beat each other up. Solar watches all this and goes “Oh this is how we’re going to play” and comes in and just goes at Navarro with added violence. Second fall we get a small little bit of Solar v Cerebro which ends with Solar doing a pretty cool deadlift into armdrag and backbreaker. I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth but it’s kind of a shame we don’t get to see some of the Solar matches where he isn’t paired opposite Navarro, one of the people who taped the Angelico v Navarro match showed clips of Solar’s match on the 1/21 show which looked fun. But it’s back to Solar v Navarro trading big throws. Third fall is all about Cerebro and Suicida having unfinished business. This match just keeps on building and building, and is easily the best thing I’ve seen thus far in 2010.

COMPLETE AND ACCURATE BLACK TERRY

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IWRG 2/28/10

HH of opener at http://www.youtube.com/user/tvluchadelpasado

Rest of show from Teleformula Tv show can be seen at cubsfans dailymotion page

http://www.dailymotion.com/search/IWRG#hp-h-9

IWRG on Segunda Caida

Alan Extreme/ Avisman v Eragon/ Pegasso Kid

TKG:First fall had a nice long section of Eragon and Avisman fighting for submissions, for pinfalls, for top wrist locks, etc. They really cranked in their stuff (including an awesome spot where Avisman cranked a ceiling hold) as they really got across the idea that they weren’t just putting on cool looking things but actually fucking with each other. Unfortunately, their opening fall interaction is really all you need to watch. Avisman had some nice stuff in the rest of the match too: his elbow drops were better than I ever remember them being; his stuff working over Eragon in corner was nice; the techincos do the second rope dropkick to taint double team (this time not as a receipt spot but as comedy one) and Avisman is really amusing doing the MX style rubbing of partner’s hurt ass to elicit anti-gay heat. But you got to slog through bad messy couple falls to find those couple bright spots.

PAS: In this match Avisman is back in his traditional role of veteran rudo to work long mat sections with younger guys. He has spent most of 2010 as a Gringo VIP working brawls, which he is fine in, but this is the best of Avisman. He and Eragon absolutely rip the mat to shreds, so many cool twist as both guys very realistically twist their opponent into ludicrous knots. You can safely stop watching after the first youtube section, as none of the rest of the match is worth watching. There is a long tradition in lucha libre of elaborate gimmicks and names, however for them to work I have to buy the wrestler really personifies his gimmick. At his best Satanico can truly feel like Satan himself has come to the ring to wreck havok, Blue Panther wrestles with the lithe speed of a jungle cat, if someone is going to work as Pegasso Kid in 2010, you had better make me believe you are crazy enough to choke your family to death, maybe prime Emilio Charles Jr. could pull it off, not the chump under this gimmick.

Chico Che v Gringo Loco v Tinieblas Jr v Zatura v Scorpio Jr v Hijo Del Signo v Veneno v Hijo De Pirata Morgan

TKG: This type of cage match is built around guys brawling and slapping each other around for ten plus minutes until the numbers get low enough to create some match structure. For 15 + minutes of guys smacking each other this was a good group of guys. Tinieblas Jr was once a guy whose appearances I used to absolutely dread. Some point around 02/03 he briefly worked heel and became a fun heavyweight who I look forward to seeing. And he’s pretty fun in the first ten minutes of pre-escape brawling. Just all of his offense looks good (well there is one awkward quebradora), a great drop kick, and has fun interactions with Veneno, Zatura, Scorpio Jr, Hijo del Signo and pretty much everyone in the ring outside of Hijo del Pirata (who spent huge chunks of match gently unlacing opponents masks). They did two sections of guys standing on top of third rope exchanging blows (one with Zatura v Hijo de Pirata and one with Veneno v Chico Che) and for a spot that can often come off contrived and awkward, I liked both of those sections. Eventually half of participants escape and we get two tecnicos and two rudos.

PAS: Really fun Chico Che performance, he was losing the match so he was going to take a beating, fight the odds and come close to escape before failing. He did all of those things well. His brawling with Veneno is some of the better Veneno in recent memory. I loved how they would exchange headbutts, and smacking the back of each others heads into the steel. Finish came down to Gringo Loco v. Chico Che, which is a long running feud and it was a pretty great finish run. I loved how Loco got beat around in this, even other rudos weren't going to team up with a guy in American flag pants.

Hijo Del Diablo v Oficial 911 v Angelico v Arlequin Amarillo v El Angel v Pirata Morgan v Jack v Mascara Ano 2000 Jr.

TKG: We don’t get the first ten minutes of this and well this isn’t a group of guy who you want to see trade blows as much as the last one. Well let me rephrase that cause I did enjoy Pirata and Oficial 911 trading blows. There are three tecnicos in this match (Angelico, Angel, and Jack), none of whom are particularly good brawlers. And for a match with eight guys squeezed in a small space there was way too much irish whipping and running exchanges. It’s an ugly mess. It eventually forms into something watchable once we’re down to three rudos and one tecnico. And then it becomes pretty awesome when it’s down to 911 and Hijo del Diablo. We get about six minutes of those two having a cool cage singles match filled with stiffness, mask ripping, blood, finish teases and big cage bumps.

PAS: I think I liked this more then Tom did. Angelico is awful here, but I think the match is pretty great when he gets eliminated. I like Jack in the role of the fast technico darting around avoiding the brusiers, and I also really dug the Pirata v. MA2K Jr. exchanges. Pirata wrapping his fist with Mascaras mask was a totally awesome little moment. This was another great performance by El Hijo Del Diablo as the last violent mini match with 911 was truly tremendous. I like how they weaved in the Cerebros v. Gringos Locos VIP feud by having Cerebro interfere.

Chico Che v Hijo del Diablo

TKG: This is a weird heel/face match structure. As Chico Che has had plenty of time to recover while Hijo Del Diablo is coming into this a bloody mess. So Hijo del Diablo works desperate underdog while Chico Che just whoops on him. Chico Che just hits Hijo Del Diablo with one big unanswered offensive move after another and then Hijo Del Diablo scurries desperately to fight to keep Che in the cage. Hijo del Diablo is struggling to get off the floor and then just digs deep to attack Che’s legs as Che tries to scurry out. Diablo tries to get the martinete on Che but doesn’t have the strength. Che goes for a martinete of his own but Diablo on his last legs wills himself to fight out. Diablo smartly gets Che next to ropes and uses the ropes to help lift and prop up the big Che for a martinete and then has to evade the outside interference of Dr Cerebro to escape. It is an a really dramatic "man fights against the odds to keep his hair" performance, although weird one for a rudo.

PAS: Don't get the booking at all, but it was pretty great stuff. Chico Che is awesome as a guy laying in a beating, and he really pummels the bloody Diablo. There is one point where he soccer kicks him in the face and you see the blood spray which was just a great visual moment. All the fighting for the martinete was really cool, and I would love to see these two guys in a longer proper hair match.

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IWRG 2/18/10

http://www.youtube.com/user/tvluchadelpasado

IWRG on Segunda Caida

Guizmo/Heros v. Carta Brava Jr./Alan Extreme

TKG: Yuck. This was a mess. There were a couple moments of nice Heros underdog selling, a couple moments of nice Carta Brava Jr stiffness ( and even that occasionally looked ill timed), and the Guizmo top rope rana set up and eat was cool. But everything else was a mess. Guizmo and Alan Extreme never seemed to click. They had this one chop exchange where the two would do bigger and bigger wind ups only to hit weaker and weaker chops. And Carta Brava Jr was either standing around arms out 30 seconds too early to catch stuff or out of place 30 seconds too late.

PAS: I actually thought Heros was actively good in this, really enjoyed his opening Carta Brava Jr. matwork, liked his dives, thought he took some nasty shots. Still his perfectly fine performance was overshadowed by the crappiness of Alan Extreme and Guizmo. Yikes were they a mess, lots of their exchanges had that 3/4th speed pre match run through feeling to them. Like when we got to see them do it later at regular speed it was going to be fine. Alan Extreme did hit his Matt Sydal clothesline well, and had a decent Orihara moonsault, but otherwise this was probably his worst performance.

Trauma II/Avisman/Gringo Loco v. Brazo Metalico Jr/Fishman Jr./Chico Che

TKG:I don’t seem to see a part one to the first fall here. So we only get the last minute of the first fall where Chico Che looks to legit fuck Avisman up with a face slam. Second fall starts with Chico Che running through all the heels in succession. It's Chico Che and that's always fun to watch. Then Trauma II comes in with his fast hands and works over Fishman Jr. And pretty much that’s the whole match. Trauma II spends the next two falls just destroying Fishman Jr and Brazo Metalico Jr. An absolute beatdown. Just roughing both guys up. I am assuming Fishman Jr isn’t the Fishman Jr who became Blackfish. Fishman Jr has a real lumbering moose-like awkwardness to him that made his mauling seem even nastier. The maulking was so thorough that I have a hard time calling the eventual face comeback a comeback. Barely even a moral victory. Chico Che kind of gets in a comeback. Trauma II just backs away from the faces while they appear to be on a potential roll then just returns to beating them, Metalico Jr asai’s himself on the ring barrier and Trauma II and Fishman Jr. have a post match pull apart brawl where Trauma II looks to block all of Fishman’s shots.

PAS: There is some pretty nasty beatings laid down by Avisman and Loco too, both top rope moves which finish the second fall looked like they landed in injurious ways. Avisman also lays in some nasty short headbutts. This was Trauma II's show. In DC their is a pair of very good pro prospect fighters the Peterson brothers, Anthony and Lamont (one of the guys I trained with actually got matched up with Anthony in his first ever amateur bout, it didn't go well). They have a pretty compelling story growing up homeless and basically being adopted by their trainer, and largely because of that story they have been on a ton of ESPN and HBO fight cards. The Traumas remind me of the Peterson brothers, Trauma I is like Anthony a bigger bruiser who uses power and force to beat on someone, Trauma II is more like Lamont, he uses speed, angles and combination punching to lay his opponent out. The Puncher and the Boxer, this was a pretty masterful Boxing performance by II.

Los Officiales v. El Angel/Angelico/Freelance

PAS: This match had some moments of excellence mixed in with some real moments of crap. Freelance is spectacular as usual, looking really good in the brawling sections, and breaking out some spectacular highspots. Two crazy dives including a rana which sent Fierro flying into a bunch of fans. He looked really, really sharp here, and I hope he gets some more chances to showcase himself. Angel and Angelico however are a different matter, we have talked a ton about Angelico's shittiness, but there is a section near the end where he rips off his big offense which nearly made me cover my eyes in embarrassment. El Angel was pretty bad too, this match was a pretty big brawl through out, including AK-47 bleeding badly, and in the third fall Angel starts whipping out his comedy spots. It was just terrible and killed the match dead. Worth watching for Freelance v. Oficiales, but anytime the camera isn't on him, move along.

TKG: No real reason to move along. Given the tecnicos there were suprsingly few“moments of crap”. This is a 25+ minute match with both Angelico and El Angel where the only time I cringed was in that last minute and a half Angelico run. And this is the best Angel has looked in his IWRG run thus far, and probably the longest Angelico has been kept from embarrassing himself in a trios match. I mean Oficiales have been doing matches opposite Freelance and two schmucks for over two years now and they have this formula down. Watching this I did get the sense that Freelance deserves better. IWRG has a bunch of neat rudo teams: Traumas/Dinastia Navarro, Terribles Cerebros, Jr. Piratas. Ola Maldita, Gringos VIP, hell I’m sure I’m going to enjoy the Comandantes de La Muerte too. IWRG will move rudos around for matches but these guys have team affiliation. But your faces (Freelance, Chico Che, Zatura, Suicida) are kind of thrown around willy nilly. Freelance deserves a regular partner.

Hijo Del Pantera/La Pantera/Zatura v. Trauma I/Black Terry/Dr. Cerebro

PAS: Merciful Mother of Fuck is Black Terry awesome in this match. This was pretty much a three fall brawl, and I don't know if there is a better brawler in the world. He is just kicking everyones ass here. There was a moment in the first fall where he is faced off with Pantera and yells something at him and just cracks him with a headbut. It was a total barfight move. There is also a great point in the post match, Zatura is protecting a downed Hijo Del Pantera and Black Terry lifts his had as if to say "OK the match is over, we are good" and then he just sneak shots Zatura in the chops. I am reading a biography of Gene Tunney and Terry reminds me of the Pittsburgh Windmill Harry Greb. Greb was the master of dirty fighting, he is described as a guy talented enough to win cleanly but his temperament caused him to take every advantage in the ring. That is how Terry felt to me here. For this kind of brawl, Trauma I is a way better third rudo then Hijo Del Signo, he is such a nasty bruiser and totally the guy you would want watching your back in this kind of bar fight.

TKG: This was a blast. Pantera is a guy who normally does lots of Walking Tall selling, here he did more Dusty beat down struggling to walk tall selling. He constantly had this “what the hell did I do to deserve this” look on his face. After he had already been isolated and triple teamed in the ring and forced to roll to floor to try to regain composure, Pantera crawls back in a second time to go through whole process again. Pantera’s selling of the whole Sisyphean nature of reentering a brawl after you’ve taken a beating is awesome. I have mixed feelings on the Hijo del Signo v Trauma I question here. This is a superlibre match and yeah you want Trauma I in a no DQ match beating people down. And he did a ok job (although not as impressive as last time) at selling for Hijo Del Pantera’s flying. But there were moments where I though we missed the Hijo del Signo/Hijo Del Diablo “young guys as equals dynamic”. As I had a hard time buying Hijo del Pantera when he wasn’t playing victim role. Pantera trades punches then headbutts and posts Dr Cerebro. And it’s only after that, that Hijo del Pantera gets in his offense run against Cerebro. And Hijo del Pantera as a guy who can only get in cheap shots on a hurt opponent makes for a weird baby face. Oh yeah let me echo Phil here: Merciful Mother of Fuck is Black Terry awesome in this match.

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IWRG 2/7/10

Show can be watched at http://www.youtube.com/user/tvluchadelpasado.

I would also recommend IWRG fans to check out the interviews at http://www.youtube.com/user/amolaluchalibre

IWRG on Segunda Caida

Alan Extreme v. Imperial

PAS: This really felt like two training partners debuting their touring match on an IWA-MS show. I almost expected Pirata Morgan to come out with a microphone and put over these two youngsters as the future of the business. For that match it was really well done, both guys have cool spots which they execute well with each other. Alan Extreme really broke out some nasty power moves, and landed the stiffest Matt Sydal/Miz corner clothesline I have seen.

TKG:Dinamic Black is Alan Extreme’s indy touring partner. This wasn’t as polished but still worked well together. Alan won this in two straight falls and worked a real tough (almost bruiser) heel cutting off underdog babyface. Phil mentioned the Miz/Sydal lariat in the corner but at different points in the match Alan also cuts Imperial off and wastes him with a nasty kick to the chest, does a thigh slapping face cracker where he launches his shins through Imperial’s face, and lariats Imperial’s legs off the apron. I’ve said before that Imperial is really good at charismatic underdog eating a beating and worth rewinding all these bits to see how Imperial sells them. I’m not sure if Alan Extreme v Guizmo would be as effective.

Avisman/El Hijo De Signo v. Heros/Eragon

PAS: This was a pretty awesome one man Avisman show. He is married with Heros who is game but lacking. First he leads him through a nice looking mat section where he twist and turns him all over. Then he kicks the shit out of him for the next couple of falls, while nicely eating all of his comebacks. Subpar performances by Eragon and Hijo Del Signo, both of whom I am souring on, but this totally worth checking out for kick ass Avisman.

TKG: At one point the complaint about Avisman was that he was really great at first fall stretching rookie, but not as good at second/third fall brawling and eating hot face offense. That is no longer the case. As he is really great in the second and third fall here. Eragon and Signo have a hard time moving from feeling out mat work straight into quick exchanges in first fall. But I liked what I think was an Eragon reversal of Avisman F5 thing in first fall (2:45 into second part) and Signo is good through most of the heel beating up faces falls. Eros may replace Imperial as my favorite Novato when it comes to selling a beating. I especially liked the point in the third fall when he is being lifted for the double team (2:50 in third) and he just goes scarecrow limp.

El Hijo Del Pirata/Trauma I/Trauma II v. El Hijo Del Pantera/Chico Che/Angel

PAS: Fun trios match, Traumas are pretty much unimpeachable at this point. They are just delivering every week. El Hijo Del Pirata is also on a big run of great matches. Not the strongest technico performance. Angel is pretty worthless, and Trauma II was stuck trying to work him on the mat. Both Chico Che and Hijo Del Pantera had fun rope running sections in the third fall, but didn't do a ton in the first two. Still the rudos are strong enough that you want to watch them wrestle.

TKG: The “Rudos get the better part of a street fight which leads to them isolating and triple teaming tecnicos., which gives other tecnicos time to recover and mount a comeback” match isn’t a match that demands a ton from the tecnicos. At best they should sell and be able to hit their third fall spots. Hijo del Pantera isn’t any good at selling but the Traumas are guys you want to watch in a streetfight and beating folks up. I was super impressed with Trauma I here. I expected him to match up in the end opposite Chico Che in a battle of powerhouses. Instead they match him up with the most juniory of opponents in Hijo del Pantera. Trauma I does a really good job of credibly selling for Hijo del Pantera potentially dainty looking offense.

Gringo Loco/El Hijo Del Diablo v. Black Terry/Dr. Cerebro

PAS: I am not usually a fan of lucha cage matches, but this wasn't worked like a normal lucha cage match. This was Slaughter/Kernodle v. Steamboat/Youngblood, four guys locked in a cage trying to beat each other to death. All four guys bleed a ton. Loco breaks out the cactus again, and they were really used like barbed wire boards, as people were taking nasty back bumps on them. Loco escapes first and comes back with a steel chair and all of the guys eat some nasty chair shots. The match ends up with Diablo and Terry, Diablo hits a martinete on a chair which is a finish to match.

TKG: I like lucha cage matches more than Phil. Once they get down to few enough people, I like the dynamic where participants are forced to choose between the loyalties to allies and the need for self preservation. At their best I also like the change in strategy from first ten minutes where participants are not allowed to escape and that ten minute mark where they can make a run for it. I thought they played into that really well here. The first ten minutes had Dr Cerebro working at (RIP) King of the Cage Rusher Kimura speed. He would stoically eat stuff and attack opponent with real slow deliberateness. No fast exchanges or speedy explosiveness. Just deliberately walking over and blasting guys. The ten minutes end and the race is on. He shifts up in speed but he can’t move at his normal full speed as he’s selling damage of first ten minutes. Sense that you are watching beat down marathoner trying to pick up speed to race for the finish line. I have watched a ton of lucha cage matches and this is the most I can ever remember that ten minute mark announcement and the shifts that result from it contributing to building the drama. Once guys finally do escape and it comes down to Terry and Hijo del Diablo, all the various attempts at outside interference are done really well and just raise the tension of the whole thing. But when it comes down to it, what matters is the final battle between Black Terry v Hijo Del Pirata. Everything else contributes to the drama but these guys needed to deliver, and fuck do they deliver.

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