MLJ: Atlantida Rising Final: Ultimo Guerrero vs Dos Caras, Jr.

Aired 2006-07-29
taped 2006-07-23 @ Arena Coliseo
Dos Caras Jr. vs Último Guerrero

So with this, we leave 2006 CMLL and head somewhere else for a while. I really wanted to go out on a higher note than being disappointed by Rey in his two big singles matches. This was a Dos Caras, Jr. match, so it can't be that good of a match, but I do think it was effective and a very solid performance by Ultimo Guerrero with super strong layout. There was more that I could have seen in 2006. Just looking at my list of GdI matches that we have online towards the end of 2006, another Santo trios, a chance to see more Black Warrior, to see Leono, more Perros del Mal, some younger Volador, Jr., and a few other guys. There were some big gaps, though, and not quite as many big matches to be built to for the sake of this project. There are a couple I might bounce back to at some point, and I do want to focus on Perro, Jr., later on in the project too so we'll see. For now, though, let's take a look at this mano a mano match.

One of the real joys of this series of matches has been to see Ultimo Guerrero at his prime. I think he was a great rudo both in physical positioning and timing and in having a presence and a character to him. Sometimes, he took the bandit mentality a bit too far and ate up cheers, but I haven't seen that to be the case as we moved into the summer here. Maybe it was just that the crowd was more behind Caras but he was more than willing to do all the stooging necessary here. Caras was a bit of a mess. He had size and the lineage and the crowd, but in general, he'd ham it up at the cost of the emotion of the match. I like crowd interaction twice as much as the next guy but there were places to do it and places not to. Here, the primera was pretty gritty with a lot of mask work from UG before he got cocky and Caras got a quick submission with the armbar. The segunda ended with UG's feet on the ropes after a powerbomb which infuriated the announcers. After that, the tecera probably shouldn't have started with a hammy pose off, especially when a lot of the premise for this match up was how Caras was excited to get in there with UG without his back-up.

That concern aside, I liked this more than either of the title matches I've seen in the last couple of weeks. The stakes weren't there, but past the errant posing there was intensity, and the call backs and moments of anticipation were a lot of fun. There was a real escalation, the sort that allowed for some of those longer selling moments in the tercera. In this match, they felt more earned and meaningful. The 'rana attempt that UG turned into his pinning-with-the-ropes finish for the segunda paid off with a 'rana in the tercera. Likewise the dive that was just teased earlier. They repeated the power bomb spot, with the ropes, this time just for two. They teased a nearfall on Caras being rolled up while complaining to the ref. UG kicked out a giant super powerbomb reversal. Then, after Caras hit the press into the German, only to have UG's foot on the rope, he complained again, was attacked from behind again, but this time, ready for it, blocked a corner roll up and got his hands on the ropes for a revenge three count. Lots of build and parallel spots here which can make up for little execution issues (like Caras barely making the final pin work due to his positioning) or a lack of ring presence from the tecnico.

When people ask what Dos Caras Jr.'s best match in CMLL was, I think this could be a safe choice. There was a decent amount of heat to begin and they worked both hard and smart to end it. Therefore, it makes a good ending point for 2006 for me. Obvious now, many years later, Caras is back in Mexico and making huge waves for AAA. Ultimo Guerrero continued to team with Altantis for another couple of years and really, they've been fueding since, with the mask vs mask match finally on its way. After that, you have to wonder if UG isn't going to be the big rival to Rush that will take CMLL into the new year. All in all, I don't regret going back and watching these matches. The promotion was a pretty fun place in 2006 and I got to really expand my knowledge through watching. Next week, after our Santo vs Panther Monday, we're going to jump forward to right after the last of the Rush vs Shocker series to chronicle Rush vs Negro Casas on the road to their hair match.