2022 Ongoing MOTY List: Arena Naucalpan Madness/Normalcy

27. Hijo del Fishman/Hijo del Pirata Morgan/Tonalli vs. Toxin/Relampago/Aster Boy IWRG 2/13

ER: Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a specific kind of Arena Naucalpan trios match. It's the kind of trios that surely happens several dozen times a year there, but they don't always have every element of what I'm seeking. I need: crazy dives, guys falling painfully into the crowd, guys getting brained by chairs that look like they came from a parent-teacher conference, blood, and at least one guy fucking up half the stuff he tries (without it slowing down any attempts at him doing and/or fucking up other stuff). This match had all of those things. 

Aster Boy bled so much (from too many edge chairshots from those rec center chairs) that he needed a full mask replacement 8 minutes in, and that didn't stop him from doing a crazy double rotation tornillo. Relampago fucked up like 3 spots in a row, including not hooking any part of his legs on a huracanrana off the apron that sent him crashing to the floor, triumphantly springing to his feet as if he stuck the landing. But he also hit a great flip dive and a crossbody off the 2nd tier, got bieled with only painful chairs to break his fall. Relampago spammed terrible looking superkicks whenever he wound up out of place, like this backyarder dude I used to know who would always panic in matches, forget what to do, and just hit DDTs. But, Relampago also hit a sick spin kick into a huracanrana that I rewound three times. Fishman and Tonalli hit a pair of crazy "don't let go" death valley drivers into the crowd, Toxin hit a sleek tornillo, Fishman - my stout king - was there to catch every dive and misplaced rana Relampago could through, and glued this all together by landing all his punches and elbows with real wallop. This is all standard Naucalpan business, but I was craving their kind of normalcy. 

2022 MOTY MASTER LIST

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2015 Ongoing Match of the Year List

Aerostar/Australian Suicide/Fireball v. Hijo De Pirata Morgan/Steve Pain/Daga AAA 11/6

PAS: Totally lunatic spotfest, the best crazy lucha spotfest of the year. Steve Pain and Aeorstar have just crazy chemistry, breaking out some super awesome next level spots, felt like nuclear powered Rey v. Psicosis, Dick Togo v. Yakushiji stuff. Aerostar also breaks out an insane tope where he goes fully vertical. Daga and Australian Suicide were fun potato shotting each other, and all the other guys broke out some cool spots. Still you have to watch this for Pain v. Aerostar

ER: When you're going to do a spotfest, do a spotfest! And this right here was a good spotfest. And while you would rightfully come for the Aerostar vs. Pain match-ups, the rest of the guys all had value as well. Hijo de Pirata Morgan is not a guy I watch much, and after he took the safest bump possible on an early rana I already had him as the weak link, but after that I thought he looked good. He's a nice power wrestler, stands up to dives, hits a really nice vertical suplex, hits a really great moonsault and handles some basics very nicely. He was a pleasant surprise. Daga is not a guy I love, but a guy who certainly works far better as a rudo. And he was a total dickhead in this match. That was a major strength of the match, not just Daga being a dick, but the rudos feeling like rudos. And more than that, the rudos felt like a TEAM. Not just three assembled rudos, but they felt like three like-minded dickheads. That adds sooooo much to a match like this. The tecniocs all had fun stuff, with Fireball dying on a dive and breaking out some nice ranas, and Australian Suicide flipping out post-match as he and Daga beat the absolute shit out of each other. I have no idea what happened but it was a couple seconds away from the post match of an Onita vs. karate guy match. For whatever reason that start rapidly and violently teeing off on each other, in a way that immediately screamed "we are actually punching each other's faces". They get split up and Daga has a brutal cut under his eye that's gushing blood. Holy shit. But yeah you want Aerostar and Pain. Pain is a classic rudo base, working almost like a larger version of a great mini base like Demus 3:16. He does really vicious power offense and then hangs in for the ride on some of Aerostar's nuttier armdrags. These two clearly know each other and bring out some magic. The Aerostar tope is an easy contender for spot of the year, as he plows through Pirata completely vertical and then flips into the 4th row. AAA does the opposite of AAAing the shot, as they get a couple great shots of the tope and show it several times in all its glorious detail. This was too much fun.


2015 MOTY MASTER LIST

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Cassandro Could Show You Everywhere You're Wrong/But He's Never Talking to You Again

Cassandro/Hijo de Pirata Morgan vs. Villano IV/Ray Mendoza Jr. - GREAT

ER: CASSANDRO! is back wrestling after a long layoff, and finally a couple matches of his have started popping back up.

This all starts as Texano Jr./Super Nova  vs. Mendoza/V4, in some sort of show-long mask/hair tag tournament on Mendoza Jr.'s retirement show. Losers advance to the next round and here we are, with both Villanos (Mendoza is the former Villano V but I assume most people reading a specialty column on an obscure lucha star would know that already) beating the hell out of Nova/Texano (posting Nova and hurling chairs, Mendoza dishing some sick punches, and doing more of their classic legdrop/elbow drop double teams). Things really ramp up when V5 accidentally clotheslines V4 over the top (with both spilling out in spectacular ways) before eating great dives from Nova/Texano. V5 goes spilling into chairs and V4 splats on the floor. Back in the ring and V5 is soaking it all in, working over Nova's cut and torn mask with punches, then biting the cut!!! And then spitting out blood!!! But then they lose moments later and....

Cassandro and his partner hit the ring with his partner. This is the finals. Either Pirata loses his mask and Cassandro loses his hair, or Villano IV loses his mask and Mendoza loses his hair. V5 gets worked over pretty nicely by Pirata, bumping around the floor for him and letting Pirata blast him with a chairshot. I woulda liked to see what Cassandro and V4 were doing on the other side, but what we got wasn't bad. Cassandro is limping pretty bad (possibly from an earlier match?) but otherwise looks to be in incredible shape. He starts breaking out awesome JYD falling headbutts that I have NEVER seen him use before, and wouldn't you know that he does them better than anybody I've ever seen attempt them, really whipping his head into V5. His stomps are epic too, but he's always had incredible stomps, where he coils up and really gets full extension on his leg, right to the back of chumps' heads. When the tables turn Cassandro shows that he eats offense better than just about anybody, bumping viciously for a V5 clothesline (really whipped his head back into the mat) and then leaning in chin-first for V4's jabs. V4 hits him in the back of the head with a chair and good lord Cassandro is as insane as ever. He decides he hates his brain and whips his head into the mat again off a brutal V4 powerbomb, and then eats a brick wall clothesline from V5.

It should be noted that Los Villanos are just great here as well and it's incredibly fun seeing them stiff Pirata's son, but Cassandro keeps stealing the show from them (which is what we all expected going in). Cassandro can make a sunset flip look painful. I was hoping we'd get a Cassandro dive and we were not let down with Cassandro plowing through both Villano IV and the first couple rows of chairs.  Cassandro eliminates V4 with a beautiful rana, V5 eliminates Cassandro with a slick sunset flip, and I suddenly don't like Cassandro's hair's odds. Pirata does a couple aesthetically awful moonsaults on V5, but they work since even though sloppy they look painful as all hell, landing knees first on V5.

Cassandro even knows how to sell a haircutting properly, snatching the scissors away and forcefully snipping away while crying. Crowd totally gets behind him at this point and begins chanting his name. Awesome match that goes by in a flash, hopefully more and more Cassandro stuff keeps popping up. Hopefully we get some sort of revanche?

PAS: Very good match, up there with the best stuff anywhere this year. V4 is incredible, he is brilliant as a wild old brawler clearing out a bar. Rey Mendoza Jr. has put on the pounds but he can still move around and brawl. Hijo Del Pirata isn't much and his performance keeps this from being the MOTY. However Cassandro comes limping in and we all remember why we love him, wild, violent and brilliant. I hope that leg injury isn't more serious, because with Finlay, Rey, Lawler and Dick Togo all stepping away last year wrestling needs Cassandro.

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Between Heaven and Hell Black Terry Fell In The Deep Crimson Dew

Black Terry vs. Matematico vs. Ultraman vs. Kahoz vs. Cuchillo vs. Astro Boy Jr.vs. Brazo de Plata Jr. vs. Daisuke Haonaka vs. Hijo del Fantasma vs. Toshiya Matsuzaki Toryuman- GREAT 5/3/06

PAS: Ridiculously fun match which was a total train wreck but in a really entertaining way. You got to see a bunch of old luchadores who never see the light of day. Black Terry had an awesome punch exchange with Ultraman. For an ex-high flyer Ultraman has really turned into Jose Luis Castillo in his old age. Cuchillo and Kahoz are guys I haven’t seen in years, and they looked like guys I hadn’t seen in years. Kahoz especially looked shitastic, as he was completely unable to bump over the top on his first attempt, so he has to run to the other side of the ring to bump to the floor Also that actually looked like the real Matematico who must be 70. Total blast.

TKG: Black Terry looked to be guy holding this entire thing together working fun sections with Hijo del Fantasma, Matematico, and Ultraman and one of the Japanese kids. Gran Cuchillo comes out and stretchers the other Japanese kid just smacking him around with the butt of his gun, suplexing him on the ramp and then dropping elbows. Cuchillo hitting opponents with the butt of a pistol may expose the business more than Tiger Jeet Singh hitting opponents with butt of sword. But Cuchillo is way more fun. Cuchillo and Kahoz are really too old to pull off their miscommunication heel double team stuff. But fuck all that other shit: BLACK TERRY~!!!

Black Terry, Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro VS Trauma I, Trauma II, Zatura IWRG 6/4/09-FUN

TKG:I dug this a lot although I don’t know how good it actually was. I left this thinking these two teams match up really well and have a really good match in them, this has hints of it but isn’t it. That’s the same feeling I have leaving every Jumbo v Billy Robinson or Backlund v Adonis. I may have ridiculously high standards. It’s kind of ridiculous to say I liked this match for its sloppiness. I don’t know if Trauma I legit busted his arm up or if he was just selling over the three falls. Don’t know if Trauma II legit fucked up Cerebro Negro’s neck or if that was a match element. Either way the match was constantly broken up by medical staff checking on guys pulling them out of the action and eventually letting them back in, while the rest of the luchadors had to continue to work ignoring the downed guys and medical staff. I’m assuming that this was all guys getting legit tweaked but I really enjoyed the weird pacing and general dynamic (of guys getting pulled out and reinserted) that it created. Not a dynamic that I think they’ll ever be able to recreate. I imagine if they rematch these teams, the rematch will be smoother and not sure if that’s necessarily for the better. Anyway the real shocker of this match was how good both Cerebro Negro and Zatura looked; and how well they matched up opposite each other. Cerebro Negro was a guy who I enjoyed a bunch in 08 as kind of the best of the “flashy innovative offense” IWRG rudos. But he’s really underwhelmed in the Terry/Cerebros v Dinastia Navarro stuff. And well Zatura is a guy who always struck me as being nothing but insane out-of-control dives. But here the two match up shockingly well and felt like working spotty highflyer lit a fire under Cerebro Negro. I get the sense that people are starting to get a better sense of what they can do with Trauma I and really liked both all the Terry work on Trauma I’s arm and how Terry set up and sold all the Trauma I comebacks. The Trauma II v Dr Cerebro interactions were really the least version of that match up and shockingly the most uninteresting part of the match.

PAS: I don't think anyone would look at this match up on paper and think that Zatura and Cerebro Negro would come out looking the best. Their long mat section was very cool, I especially loved all of the countering based around Zatura's arm. Zatura also broke out a great looking dive, and Negro was probably the top brawler during the brawl section. There is a moment where Trauma II is on his stomach and Cerebro Negro is just unloading with right hands, it really looked like a guy violently finishing someone in MMA. There is such a great mix of trios right now in IWRG, now that it looks like the Trauma's turned on Zatura, I hope we get Negro Navarro back soon, because Dinastia De La Muerte v. Officiales, Juvi/Fuerza/Pirata or Zatura/Chico Che/Freelance all could be incredible

Black Terry/Cerebro Negro/Dr. Cerebro vs. Barba Roja/Hijo de Pirata Morgan/Pirata Morgan Jr. IWRG 8/27/09-FUN

TKG: The Piratas really felt out of their league here. First fall has Dr Cerebro matched up opposite Jr, ,Black Terry matched up opposite Barba Roja and Cerebro Negro opposite Hijo. Black Terry strained his arm on an armdrag had a doctor check it out and then had Barba Roja work over his arm. Terry is really good at the wounded tough warrior stuff and that may have been the best first fall interaction. The other Piratas looked completely lost working technical mat based offense. Second fall was rope running move fall where everyone switched up partners and third fall was all about the big moves where member of team runs in to prevent the fall. Piratas were way more comfortable in those settings. The second fall where they were most comfortable was short, and the third fall felt kind of mechanical.

PAS: Black Terry cuts a post match promo basically saying “It is good for young guys like that to get experience against wrestlers like us.” The match really felt worked like that, with Cerebros being polished professionals, carrying some green rookies through a match. There was individual moments of competence from the Piratas, but this match was 90% Cerebros

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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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 2/7/10

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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IWRG 11/5/09

Ruleta de la Muerte – Quarterfinals: Capitan Muerte & Miss Gaviota vs. Ultraman Jr. & Arlequin Negro

TKG: This a ruleta de muerte tag tourney where each tag team is made of one face teamed with one heel. The loosing team has to face each other in a singles match with the hair/mask on the line. This match was pretty long and not very good. It had a couple moments with Ultraman hitting a big tope, some stiff clotheslines, and Miss Gaviota reversing amateur riding sections with his eagerness to be rode.

PAS: The problem with these lucha tourneys normally is that all of the matches are too short, may not be an issue in IWRG as this actually goes way too long. Not as much cool Captain Muerte as one would hope.

Ruleta de la Muerte – Quarterfinals: Pendulo & Barba Roja vs. Chico Che & Gringo Loco

TKG: First quarterfinal was mostly worked with faces working faces and heels working heels. This one was done for he most part with the face on each team working the heel on the opposite team. This was all quick exchanges. Some really brief Che v Pendulo exchanges but everything else was face/heel and all four are guys who can do this stuff well.

PAS: Yeah this was pretty solid, Chico Che is worth watching even in short throw away matches like this. Barba Roja's finishing DDT was really nasty.

Ruleta de la Muerte – Quarterfinals: Eragon & Menfis vs. Cerebro Negro & Exodia

TKG: Never seen Menfis before but he really looks like a garbage wrestler with Slipknot mask, Pantera shirt and ill fitting baggy jeans. I kept on thinking he was going to step in his own hem. This was mostly a one man show with Cerebro Negro throwing out a huge tope on Menfis before match starts, teaching Exodia how to throw a chop, taking a giant posting, eating Eragon's too short tope,and going two on one against Eragon and Menfis (after his partner was eliminated) and only loosing in a really lucky BS fashion.

PAS: This was only about five minutes and everyone threw way too much stuff at the wall, there was four dives, crazy headrops way too much shit. You would think Menfis would be a slow starter who did some stalling and built to hot finish, but I guess not.

Ruleta de la Muerte – Semifinals: Ultraman Jr. & Arlequin Negro vs. AK-47 & Hijo del Pirata Morgan

TKG: We didn't get to see AK47 and Pirata's quarter final. They are the only team with two rudos (although feuding rudo factions) and weirdly they are the only team where you get the sense that partners don't get along, like they actively want to have a mask match against each other. Most of the match is Ultraman Jr and Arlequin Negro double teams and they team well. Arlequin Negro hits a huge tope. And there is an elaborate finish. Depending on where the ref was standing he could have DQd either team. The ref instead notices no chicanery and counts the pin straight. AK-47 and Pirata loose and unfortunately I don't think we ever get to see Arlequin Negro again. It is a shame as I enjoyed his work and imagine he would have allowed for long digressions into the relationship between Comedia Dell Arte and Minstrelsy.

PAS: In his brief appearances in this tourney Arlequin Negro looked like the best of the Arlequins, although he is pretty far down the list of lucha Negros. I really enjoyed the AK-47 and Pirata team as they were one of the few teams actually working the feuding partners gimmick. You knew they wouldn't end up in a mask match (having only one team put up their hair kind of telegraphs the booking), but you wanted to see it.

Ruleta de la Muerte – Semifinals: Cerebro Negro & Exodia vs. Chico Che & Gringo Loco

TKG: Chico Che comes into this match like he's Tenryu just absolutely beating the shit out of his opponents. Just hitting them crazy hard and tossing them recklessly. Even normal comedy stuff looked super violent. He does a bronco buster where it looks like he penetrated through the back of Cerebro Negro's skull. He hangs Exodia in a tree of woe and then he and Gringo spilt Cerebro Negro's leg around Exodia's face and the post which should be a "Ha Ha, we made you suck his dick" RnR Xpress v MX spot"s but instead is super violent. Post match Cerebro Negro slaps Exodia arond for stealing his pin, and Exodia stomps on Chico Che for no reason.

PAS: Exodia stomping on Chico Che was pretty weird considering they are both faces. It really felt like Exodia was legit pissed off at being chucked around. "Motherfucker you know I am fragile like a crystal vase, stop potatoing me." I cannot emphasize how awesome Chico Che was in this match, we already know what an awesome face brawler he is, great at bleeding, great at fiery comebacks, can go toe to toe with anyone. This match is the first time I have ever seen him brawl like a rudo and it was totally mind blowing. He is just vicious, running through both guys like a buzzsaw. This Chico Che Run in the end of 2009 was eye opening, he really looks like a top ten guy in the world.

Ruleta de la Muerte – Finals: AK-47 & Hijo del Pirata Morgan vs. Chico Che & Gringo Loco

TKG:This wasn't a ton. Ak-47 and Hijo del Pirata are still feuding but both willing to beat on Chico Che. Chico Che apparently decided to work each tourney match like a different fall. We've gotten to see his fast exchange fall and his stiff brawling fall. This was the sympathy selling into elaborate finish fall. And the elaborate finish is an awesome one. The heels move out of the way of a huge Chico Che in ring shoulder block tope where he accidentally topes his own partner. Chico Che then goes for the top rope to hit the big splash only to be hit by a AK-47 seated dropkick in a "HOLY SHIT!" finish.

PAS: Yeah the finish of this was really good, but the match was a little disappointing, they built the tourney really well, and made me desperately want to see this match, but the match itself was a little short, and didn't have the crazy brawl feeling I was hoping for.

Caballera contra Caballera: Gringo Loco vs. Chico Che

TKG: HOLY SHIT!! So this starts with Chico Che still selling the finish from last match and being unable to fight back against Gringo Loco. Loco busts him open on the metal container that holds the sodas in back of arena. When Chico Che regroups he again turns into Tenryu and just beats the absolute shit out of Gringo Loco. Busting him open, hitting him with stiff clotheslines, throwing Hotta style indifferent kicks, reckless slamming and kicking him on the ring ramp, and hitting the stiffest face wash I've ever seen. The two fight to apron where Che unsuccessfully tries to fight off a nasty powerbomb from the apron to the floor.

PAS: This was tremendous, both guys totally bring hell. This was violent in the way truly great violent lucha matches are, but it also had a really puro violence feel to it as well, with Chico Che facewashing and soccer kicking the living fuck out of a bloody Gringo Loco. Loco needed huge nasty offense to fire back from that, and he really did with a martinete and the apron powerbomb which Chico Che took like Foley. Loco was pretty great in this match, as this was his first really great performance of his IWRG run, but Chico Che motherfucker CHICO CHE!!

IWRG LIST

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IWRG 10/29/09

Pendulo/Mascara Magnifica v. Maldito Jr./Samot

TKG: This starts with some really fun Samot v Mascara Magnifica exchanges, some real pretty arm drags, then we get two on one beatings of Magnifica while keeping Pendulo out of the ring. Pendulo is fun as fired up babyface trying to get into ring, trying to attack against the odds, etc. But outside of the fire he doesn’t get to do much and looks off in a couple points.

PAS: I really like the Samot and Maldito Jr. team, they have really gotten good at the fat heel tag team. They remind me of a lucha Don Bass and Dirty Rhodes. They just kill the technicos in the first fall, chucking them around and hitting them with big throws and clotheslines. The second fall was like that too, although I liked how the technicos got their comeback with Magnifica hitting a really fast crazy dive, and Pendulo getting a trip and an armbar. Third fall was a little more back and forth which isn’t as good as when the heel dominated, but still fine. Solid stuff.

Avisman/Gringo Loco/El Hijo Del Diablo v. Bushi/Chico Che/Suicida

TKG: Not a ton happens in the first fall here. Avisman has some nice sections opposite Buschi and it’s kind of shitty that after all their work together All Japan hires some other luchador to work Buschi in Japan. Avisman could use a Japanese payday. Second fall Avisman looks to shoot headbutt Chico Che open and the match moves into a higher gear. Chico Che starts chasing Avisman to give him a receipt and then destroys Gringo Loco. Third fall has Chico Che doing some crazy Mascarita Sagrada level fast headscissors and exchanges with all the heels and we have crazy multiple dive trains from all your tecnicos.

PAS: Chico Che was an absolute superstar in this match, just a tremendous performance. I have talked a bunch before about how great he is selling as a bloodied babyface. Avisman is just vicious ripping him open and when Chico Che sees red he goes off. His opening exchanges in the third fall was some of the most spectacular, fast and beautiful lucha I can remember seeing and he does it all perfectly in the context of a bloody brawl. Che has had a great 2010 so far, and it looks like his 2009 might have been just as special

Dr. Cerebro/Cerebro Negro/Black Terry v. Trauma I/Trauma II/Ultraman Jr.

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.

Pirata Morgan/Toxico/Hijo Del Pirata Morgan v. Brazo De Plata/911/Fiero


TKG: So it's Pirata Family and Toxico v Team Pig, which is an odd match up as you wouldn't expect Porky and the Oficiales to work as a team. But Porky and Pirata have issues and Oficiales having issues with Jr Piratas and somehow the whole dynamic of Super Porky as Commando Zero with Oficiales ends up working. Brazo again goes up for the big slam from Pirata and does a splash from apron to floor. Him and 911 do an amusing comedy spot built around them stopping the match to preplan how they will handle being irish whipped into each other (heels do same thing only to both go for leapfrogs and crash). Fierro is also really fun in this, fighting back from three on ones, doing an in ring baseball slide to avoid a clothesline, hitting a big tope, throwing some nasty clotheslines and covering for Toxico's more creative nonsense.

PAS: This was the least match on the show which is really no slur considering how great this show was. Toxico doesn't even come in with his spark shooting gimmick, so he serves zero purpose. Porky as the third Oficiale really is great, you get a sense you could stick Porky in a trios with any two good luchadores and he can tailor his shtick to make it work. Hijo Del Pirata looked better then usual too, as he executed all of the horseshit well and was cracking people with his superkick.

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IWRG 8/27/09

More Slambamjam IWRG, god love Alfredo

Miss Gaviota/Star Boy vs. Carta Brava Jr./Vampiro Metálico

TKG: I dug the first two falls of this a bunch. Carta Brava and Star Boy match up really well as did Gaviota and Metalico. The crotching of StarBoy into heel offense was a fun transition spot. These opener tags sometimes fall apart either during the heel double team section or when the faces comeback from those double teams. It didn’t here as Metalico/Brava team have some nice heel double team stuff and both of he faces are guys who can do comebacks well. Unfortunately, it did fall apart during the third face dominated fall as a lot of stuff felt off.

PAS: This was the best I have seen Miss Gaviota look, I am not sure she is much of a wrestler, but this had a ton of really amusing well worked exotico spots. I loved the octopus which forced her opponent to wave effeminately, and all of the showing of ass and kissing was timed really well. I am with Tom on the first couple of falls being good, and the third fall not being good, although in the second fall Star Boy does blow a kip up about as badly as I have seen. It looked like if I was taking a Pilates class and tried to kip up to impress a divorcee.

Bushi/Chico Che/Freelance vs. Avisman/Fantasma de la Ópera/Gringo Loco

TKG: The announcer describing all the participants in the match says that Gringo Loco reminds him of the great touring artist of the seventies Kris Kristopherson. I didn’t know Kristopherson was a country icon in Mexico. And really never really associated him with Gringo Loco. But now I can’t separate them in my head. He mostly does a bunch of Alice Doesn’t Live Here any More heel shtick here although he and Avisman have a bunch of neat double teams including The Sunday Morning Coming Down double leg drop. Somewhere in the long first fall Freelance absolutely concusses himself performing a top rope leap into a rana. Fantasma does a swanton type headbutt to Freelance prone head. And the whole thing is absolutely scary. Freelance looks completely loopy and you expect the whole match to fall apart. Instead he gets back in for another two falls takes every bump for a chop on the back of his head and does a ton of crazy suicidal dives. I mean I think this was a good match but I really couldn’t pay attention to anything but Freelance’s toughness and insanity.

PAS: Yeah this was really hard to judge as a match, as the second and third falls are completely judged through the lens of Freelance being the badest motherfucker on earth. Minutes after spiking himself on the top rope diving rana on the mat, he decided to do the same move to the floor. He also does an Asai moonsault which landed really nastily into the crowd. Chico Che looked really great too, as he has some really great moments of graceful flying. Freelance wins the match and does some post match mike work which I assume was something like “I want to thank the fans of El Salvador for the welcome, Pineapple, Wheelbarrow, Turkey Sandwich”

Black Terry, Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro vs. Barba Roja, Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Pirata Morgan Jr. [EdM Trios]

TKG: The Piratas really felt out of their league here. First fall has Dr Cerebro matched up opposite Jr, ,Black Terry matched up opposite Barba Roja and Cerebro Negro opposite Hijo. Black Terry strained his arm on an armdrag had a doctor check it out and then had Barba Roja work over his arm. Terry is really good at the wounded tough warrior stuff and that may have been the best first fall interaction. The other Piratas looked completely lost working technical mat based offense. Second fall was rope running move fall where everyone switched up partners and third fall was all about the big moves where member of team runs in to prevent the fall. Piratas were way more comfortable in those settings. The second fall where they were most comfortable was short, and the third fall felt kind of mechanical.

PAS: Black Terry cuts a post match promo basically saying “It is good for young guys like that to get experience against wrestlers like us.” The match really felt worked like that, with Cerebros being polished professionals, carrying some green rookies through a match. There was individual moments of competence from the Piratas, but this match was 90% Cerebros

Head Hunter I & Sangre Chicana vs. Scorpio Jr. & Villano III

TKG: This is a bunch of old guys stabbing each other and bleeding. Head Hunter I is a guy with a lot of Japanese experience and really plays to the ring side cameras, there were moments where he really delivered a great Pro Wrestling Gold Abby v Austin Idol cover shot opposite Scorpio. The Villano III comebacks didn’t involve any DDTs and really weren’t as energetic as his comeback run in the trios match. Heels win two straight falls which is kind of an odd booking for a show built around celebrating 25th anniversary of Scorpio Jr in wrestling. All four do mic work post match and all four are really good on the mic and make me want to see the matches this set up.

PAS: Scorpio Jr. spent most of those 25 years as a rudo, so it is appropriate to have the rudos dominate. Chicana was truly the standout here, as he was pretty energetically running around stabbing dudes in the head. He really has an expressive forking. Lots of gory headwounds from old dudes, which is what you want from this match.

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IWRG 7/30/09

More Slambamjam IWRG

Eragon/Sexy Gladys v. Carta Brava Jr./Heavy Boy

TKG: Eragon is a guy we’ve seen before and looked pretty green. Sexy Gladys is an exotico who I assume must have blown all his spots in the only other IWRG match I’ve seen with him in it (as they edited him out completely). Carta Brava Jr is a solid if unspectacular rudo and Heavy Boy is a guy who does lots of innovation. Eragon looks to have developed a ton. I really liked him throughout this. Him and Heavy Boy work a mat section in the first fall that felt almost like boxers infighting as all the exchanges were moved in and out of in really tight space. I just liked the way Eragon would get up off the mat after executing a rana would do a leg trip or push down opponent’s head in sub. He’s just gotten really crisp. Carta Brava is able to walk Sexy Gladys through some basic stuff, Gladys and Heavy Boy can’t do as much with each other. In the end they try to do a finish that seemed out of place in the undercard.

PAS: There were more good parts in this match then most undercard matches, but also had some awkward shit. Sexy Gladys is not very good at all, and with a mask and short hair he looks nothing like an exotico. I don’t understand the point of an exotico on the down low. Finish was super complicated for an opener, as they did a double pin and a final showdown Eragon and Carta Brava Jr. It the kind of finish you expect in a mask match not a random fourth from the top tag.

Chico Che/Rigo vs. Bushi/Fantasma de la Opera

TKG: This was surprisingly short for an IWRG match. Three quick falls filled with action. Almost a spot fest by IWRG standards. A lot of those spots where really cool. I especially dug Chico Che’s missile shoulderblock. They were running a goofy Fantasma de La Opera is feuding with his tag partner angle which almost overshadowed the match. The angry forearm exchange between the two was really ugly looking. Still RIGO~!!!

PAS: Fantasma de la Opera is one of the more problematic guys in IWRG, he does some things really well, he has nice timing, bumps good, pretty tope, will bleed,.However sometimes you get stuff like his awful elbow exchange or his incredibly terrible looking missed clotheslines. He was 50/50 in this match, the greatness of Rigo and Chico Che made the match entertaining. Rigo has preposterous hops for a guy who looks like he does, not a guy you would choose in a pick up hoops game, but just flies around the ring.

Barba Roja/Hijo de Pirata Morgan/Pirata Morgan Jr. vs. Oficial 911/Oficial AK47/Trauma II

TKG: Is Juvi booking this show? Feuding tag partners explode in third from top. Second from top has a face reluctantly coming into a match with an injury and reluctantly tagging with heels, a heel run in (by Fierro)and a heel beat down on the face partner which leads to a face run in (by the Navarros) which leads to match challenge (Dinastia Navarro v Officiales) interrupted by faces getting jumped by the Guerreros starting impromptu brawl leading to match. And then the lights go out and Sabu points to the sky, WTF??? Just ridiculous ECW booking in IWRG. I blame Juvi. Who else can I blame. Is Gertner in the Sexy Gladys mask? Match itself was kind of underwhelming. I think Officiales v Piratas could be something fun, but it really wasn’t much of anything here. AK-47 continues to be the 2009 Officiale MVP, as he is really fun and flamboyant in this. Does a great job of selling for all the elaborate Pirata stuff (flying crotch to face, double arm bar, etc.)

PAS: I think the Piratas might not be very good, I have enjoyed them as bases for flyers, but if you are fake sons of Pirata Morgan you should be able to fucking brawl. This had a some triple teams, some looking good, some looking not so good. Trauma II had some nice headbutts and punches, but this wasn’t much.

Fuerza Guerrera/Juventud Guerrera vs. Negro Navarro/Trauma I

TKG: We are middle of IWRG v SUPER X. The first two falls are really underwhelming, Juve wrestles the first fall in Kanye West style plastic Venetian blind sunglasses, and he second is very rudo ref heavy. The third fall really kicks in with a cool Juve v Navarro section built around Navarro being a bad ass and Juve being an amusing pussy. Nice Fuerza v Trauma I, and surprisingly entertaining Juve v Trauma I sections leading to final face off between Navarro and Fuerza. Really fun third fall. Post fall challenges are laid out. Navarro thinks the Guerreros are only good at talking should go back to the US and just be “[US style]SHOWMAN” but if they ever want to try actual lucha he or his son will take them on in singles.

PAS: This was a pretty disappointing show overall and the whole show really only got going during the third fall of the main event. Navarro looked amazing in his exchange with Juvi, smacking him around like a punk. I could see those two having an amazing singles feud at one point. Still more booking then wrestling, and overall I think IWRG probably improved when the Super X guys left.

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IWRG 6/18/09

TKG: Boo! We missed a week. I was stoked to see Black Terry opposite Fuerza, Trauma II v Zatura in a superlibre and if Pendulo was as charismatic when teamed with heterosexuals. Instead we get a week of IWRG with no Negro Navarro, Black Terry or Freelance. Thankfully everyone else stepped up their game.

PAS: Apparently the station showed a repeat, so that stuff may be lost in the mists of time. As always the goodness is provided by the amazing

Lucha Libre Nation

PAS: Folks should check out the two opening matches from this weeks Puebla show too, good shit.

Azoka/Sauron v Jack/Exodia

TKG: I assume Azoka and Exodia are Ultimo trainees. They announce this as Exodia’s debut match and he really had the feel of guy in a ring for the first time. I don’t think Sauron’s really the rudo who is going to elicit the best out of this type of green rookie. Where is Paramedico? Azoka is now working heel and he is still really green but still a guy who I kind of like as sells guy struggling out of mat work and submissions well. Surprisingly Jack does a nice job of walking him through some violent mat work. Selling struggle isn’t a skill that’s particularly in demand among Japanese lucharesu feds, and I imagine when he goes to Japan it will be drilled out of Azoka, but it’s nice touch in actual real lucha.

PAS: Sauron seems like he is on enough roids that he should be in AAA, rather then stuck working IWRG openers. He isn't even mediocre, but still better then Groon XXX. Too bad Growth Hormone can't make you grow. He looked decent taking an armdrag or two, but throw those awful looking Davey Boy Smith "trying to avoid a bicep tear" clotheslines. Despite the matwork Yack's fake La Parka is still painful. This was one of those matches where the IWRG willingness to give everything 25 minutes bites you in the ass a little.

Chico Che, Rigo, Trauma I v Barbra Roja, Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Pirata Morgan Jr.

TKG: RIGO~!!! OK this is hilarious. Rigo is a guy working a Rigo Tovar (70s Mexican Cumbia star)look alike gimmick. I’m really bad at explaining music nerd jokes and this requires alot of context. Chico Che is also a guy working a 70s Cumbia musician look alike gimmick. His new short hair hurts the gimmick but on some level he's always been a guy who dresses like Chico Che doesn't so much look like him. Still there is something really amusing about the guy who hands out gimmicks in IWRG doing this type of Cumbia look alike gimmicks. As though the WWE had a Deep South tag team with one guy working a Giorgio Moroder look alike gimmick tagged with a Barry White look alike with neither working a musical gimmick. I can’t come up with anything better than the disco comparison. Part of the weirdness is that while a really popular music in Mexico, Cumbia is a genre whose roots are foreign (Columbia and Panama). It doesn’t have the volk kultur connotations of Los Folkloricos in AAA.
http://www.cuarteto-continental.unlugar.com/cuartetocontinental/cumbiamexicana.html has a nice history of cumbia in Mexico plus youtube link to Conjunto Africanos singing "Los Luchadores". So all that contributes to the humor of the Rigo lookalike gimmick, but really what puts it over the top is the degree to which Rigo actually has the emaciated look of a 70s musician who has shocked everyone by living into the new century.I don’t know how old Ringo is but he doesn’t have the emaciated look of 70s era Joe Perry, Dee Dee Ramone, Ozzy or Iggy so much as he has the emaciated look of late 90s era Joe Perry, Dee Dee Ramone, Ozzy or Iggy. I really liked the way Riggo sold for the Pirata Family’s stuff and liked his tough brawling offense. He had a dive and a couple of rope assisted flashy spots that had a real tough awkward look to them. It’s possible that against lesser opponents, that stuff would have just looked blown. But for now I am a Rigo fan. Trauma I is getting the hang of his bruiser gimmick and I liked the whole three tough brawlers as a face team deal they had going.

PAS: I am still a little unsold on the Pirata kids, they were guys with lots of nasty triple teams, but also some not so good looking triple teams. Came off a little Thomasellish at times, however I still dug this match and will certainly be willing to give them a bunch more chances to impress me. I am amused at Tomk's explanation of the Rigo gimmick because I was on the phone with Dean when I first watched this, and described him as looking like current Gene Simmons. He kind of wrestles like you might imagine Gene Simmons would wrestle if instead of starting a rock band he moved to Mexico and became a luchadore.

Zatura VS Trauma II [Campeonato Mundial Peso Ligero]

TKG:This wasn’t an organic match, it was very much a match of guys who had “ideas” they wanted to try out, but the ideas were really good ones and left this enjoying the match and thinking both guys are smart and have more promise than I thought going in. I mean this wasn’t Pareja Toxico lots of “innovative” spots, so much as smart ideas. Match still exists very much in the world of matches between guys who watch a lot of tapes and have a bunch of “innovative ideas” that they want to work in. While that often can lead in bad directions, I really enjoyed it here. Trauma II and Zatura are young guys who have good execution and timing on this stuff, the actual ideas they have are actually really smart and creative, they understand how to fit them into the title match structure well, and you get the sense that this will become organic for them pretty quickly. Both guys come in with taped shoulders and Zatura does some nice arm selling in first fall with Trauma working it over well, while Trauma tweaks himself leading to nice selling and work later, first fall had lots of rolling into locks with lots of stuff put on near ropes setting up escapes that felt like someone had watched some PWFG Shamrock with lucha eyes and really understood it, they worked in a smart handspeed exchange section that made sense in context, some huge spots including a powerbomb into corner followed by a top rope dive that again didn’t feel back and forward so much as everything set up well. My favorite thing was the way they moved from one body part to the next. First fall starts with both guys working extremities (leg locks followed by Trauma moves up to work the arm of Zatura) with both guys being able to either reverse the holds or reach the ropes with extremity that isn’t in a lock. Zatura wins the fall by putting Trauma II into essentially a neblina variation. As soon as he did it, you knew he had won the fall. Neblina isn’t a move that I think of as an answer to reversals or rope breaks-being a way to capture and put pressure on all the extremities at once. But they made it make sense. Second fall has Trauma II use a sub with a choke as the answer to not being able to tap opponent by working arm or leg. Third fall has Zatura put Trauma II in a Romero Special and fuck you pop for the Romero Special cause he’s got all the extremities locked up, and then II slips out and grabs the Romero Special with a choke and you want to get up and do dance with noisemaker. The “innovative idea” was a way to build a match to set up and get you to pop for a Romero special. So smart. Face v face title match isn’t the easiest thing to pull off to begin with, that they were able to workshop this many outside ideas into it was pretty impressive.

PAS: This kind of felt to me like the ECWA Low-Ki v. American Dragon matches or the AAA Juventud Guererra v. Rey Mysterio series. You were watching a pair of really talented young guys work out a different way to wrestle. This didn't look like a traditional lucha title match, or a bad US Indy style current CMLL title match. It felt like they were trying to find a third way to do things. Trauma II is the son of Negro Navarro who is currently the best wrestler in the world, but one who really works in an archaic style. As much as I dig what he does, Navarro doesn't wrestle like current lucha libre stars. Which is good because current lucha libre is pretty terrible, this match felt like Trauma looked at what was present and now, and said "How can I do this and still be a Navarro." The take downs in this match weren't as slick as your Maestros, but they were neat looking and the execution of the holds was very violent looking. This also had some slick reversal stuff although some of it looked like it needed to go a beat faster. I was pretty blown away by Zatura here too, look back four or five reviews ago and I was dissing him as a guy not worthy of a third spot on the Chico Che, Freelance team, now he is more them holding his own in a tremendous title match. Just a huge leap in my estimation of him. You can never really tell in lucha, as I remember a point where both Shocker and Rey Buccanaro finished top five in a DVDVR 500, but I do get the sense that these two are going to having matches this great for decades to come.

Juventud Guerrera VS Dr. Cerebro

TKG:CEREBRINA DRIVER!!!!!! Holy fuck. They follow the face v face match with this heel v heel one. And really no one does heel v heel better than lucha. Juvi is great as really strutting pretty sissy style heel while Dr Cerebro at this point is a complete vicious bull who will bowl right through people. Juventud’s execution was really questionable the last time we saw him in IWRG but his stuff looked good here and he sold in ways that reminded you of how great Juvi can be. For this type of tough heel vs sissy heel who can still fuck you up, this wasn’t anywhere near as good as the best Shocker v Tarzan Boy stuff from the beginning of the decade. But it’s been a bunch of yeara since then and no one is really doing this these days and I am stoked for the hair match.

PAS: I really dug this, Juvi is so hateable as a sleazy little prick. You really want to see Cerebro kill him, and he totally does. This had the feel of a hypothetical Manny Fernandez v. John Tatum match, and was as good as you would expect that to be. Juvi must have been on a different combo of drugs here vs. the last match, he actually looked like he belonged in the ring, and wasn't just the worlds greatest Johnny Fairplay. And holy fuck was that finish a finish. With the spotty broadcast of IWRG lately it would be a tragedy to miss this hair v. hair match.

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