Uprising: Lucha Libre Workrate Report 11/24/13

The main event of the 5/30/09 Milpitas show. This one actually looks really fun on paper.

1. Super Crazy & Hijo de Rey Misterio vs. Incognito & Vaquero Fantasma

A bunch of kids in the crowd are chanting "619" as this starts, which again, what they don't know can't hurt them. When I was young my friend Brigit's dad worked as a mall santa around the holidays for extra cash. He was a supervisor at the Sears auto department by day, and did some Santa stuff by night and weekend. I did not know this. So when my parents took me to see Santa, Santa knew my name and  all the stuff I wanted before I even began to speak. My mind was blown. I'm pretty sure I believed in Santa longer than any of my friends because of that. So you know, the kids here think they're seeing Rey Mysterio at their older brother's high school gym, and it's completely awesome for them. But I bet some guy in the crowd that night just had to tell some of them "you know that's not even the real guy".

I thought this match really delivered, maybe the best PWR match I've seen. I dug the Mascarita Dorada/Pequeno Pierroth and Mini Halloween matches, but I've seen matches very similar from those workers elsewhere. This match felt more unique to this specific fed, and was absolutely crazy. Super Crazy is super chubby (Super Carby?) here but it doesn't slow him down much and god bless him for doing a bunch of nutty spots in a high school gym. Misterio isn't really great, but Incognito and Fantasma are two good guys to base him, as they whip around ultra fast SUWA style on his ranas, and catch him on a couple lunatic spots that are wilder than anything else I've seen him do (including a legdrop to a prone Incognito, from the top rope to the guardrail on the outside!). Crazy hits a mammoth flip dive over the ref to the floor, sending guys flying dangerously into the front entrance ramp. Incognito looks really great here, tying up Misterio with a couple really cool mat sequences, and leaning way into stiff shots from Crazy. This is the first "all lucha" match I've seen Vaquero Fantasma (one of PWR's trainers) in, as usually the matches have some non-luchadors, and he really shines in this setting. Bunch of big bumps (which look fantastic with all the fringe on his gear). Again, big props to Crazy for working up a sweat on a tiny show like this, but really everybody was going balls out. This is the kind of wild main event type stuff they need to be showing on the reg, not their 12 for 10 cents opening card stuff. This stuff actually sets them apart from most other feds and presents a unique feel. I need more.

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Uprising: Lucha Libre Workrate Report 10/13/13

Looks like we're back to 2009 matches this week. I'm not sure why nothing from 2010-2012 is being shown here, as some of the matches they've shown from 2009 have been pretty uninspiring (the Mr. Wrestling IV match especially standing out as a poor use of air time). I mean, they have 5 years of shows to cherry pick from, you'd think that would mean some pretty strong material

1. Cheerleader Melissa vs. Christina Von Eerie

First few minutes are mostly Melissa domination which is fun. Von Eerie gets some counter roll-ups but mostly it's a Melissa stomping. She grabs Von Eerie in a wheelbarrow lock and walks around the ring, swinging her into the guard rail on every side of the ring numerous times. Awesome. Melissa also bends her in half with a neat modified Texas Cloverleaf. Ladies always make submissions look cool with how flexible they can be, really getting contorted while in a move. Melissa hits a hardway pump handle slam, looking like Von Eerie sandbagged her the whole time. Von Eerie is tiny but Melissa still looked like she had some Backlund strength there. I dig Von Eerie struggling out of a DVD attempt by Melissa and planting her with a DDT (Melissa really took it great, too). CVE sets up a chair in the ring to vault off of into the corner, but Melissa catches her and plants her on the chair with an Air Raid Crash. Melissa looked really great here, but it was pretty clear she was holding CVE's hand through this, even having to do moves to herself.

2. Vaquero Fantasma vs. Hijo de Rey Misterio

Again, they have 5 years of matches to cull from, so not sure why they seem to be showcasing fake Rey Misterio. I fully understand having fake Rey Misterio on your live shows, but don't understand the purpose of showcasing his 4 year old matches on their valuable air time. Is their goal to trick new viewers into thinking they're watching a Rey Mysterio match? Or is their goal to bring new viewers to their live shows. The former seems odd, as it won't bring them new business. I'm pretty sure the fake Misterio no longer even works. The latter would make more sense, except this match is showcasing a guy who no longer works, and I've yet to see the TV show advertise any upcoming events. They advertise the training academy, and I believe Fantasma is the trainer...but they don't specifically mention that in the ads. So...I'm really wondering what the goal of this TV show is supposed to be. I'm trying to remember if they even advertise the website, and I'm drawing the blank. All I remember seeing ads for each episode is the training academy, and the Killers-meets-Dashboard Confessional theme song.

This match is basically all Misterio, with Vaquero Fantasma tasked with getting into proper position for Misterio's random move generator offense, and attempt to put it into some sort of structure. It's not much use though. Fantasma bumps around nicely, and Misterio's moves look mostly fine, but they're all fairly meaningless. It's the type of moveset that works really well when making a 3 minute youtube music video, but doesn't do a whole lot for me watching it in full. Every time I see a Hijo de Rey Misterio match he's added one or two "hey that move looks cool I want that!" This time it was the Code Red. His aresenal really is a greatest hits of the last few years of indy lucha. I was stunned he never went for a Backcracker. Hats off to Fantasma for making one of the more contrived spots look killer, as Misterio took a while setting up Fantasma seated on the apron, holding a chair in front of his face (similar to that old Scoot Andrews spot where a guy has to balance himself on the ropes as if he's stuck, so Scoot could do a legdrop from the middle rope), so Misterio could do a baseball slide into him. Well Fantasma leans all the way into it and take an incredible Hamrick-esque bump from the apron back-first onto the floor. Awesome bump, above and beyond what he needed to do (and for that, we thank him). In summary, Misterio getting the pin was never in question, match was worked as Misterio moves exhibition, Fantasma gets full point for trying to string it all together.

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