MLJ: Rush vs Negro Casas 14: Atlantis, Máximo, Rush vs Felino, Negro Casas, Rey Escorpión

Aired 2014-06-08
taped 2014-06-08 @ Arena Coliseo
Atlantis, Máximo, Rush vs Felino, Negro Casas, Rey Escorpión


Atlantis, Máximo, Rush vs Felino, Negro Casas...

This was pretty refreshing. I think I've said it before but there is some feeling of diminishing returns in watching these matches in a row. I think if I was going to have someone see just the essentials of the feud, I'd point them to the Arena Mexico matches. Any sort of innovation they introduced elsewhere showed up in those matches and they just feel more important. That said, the throwaway stuff you get elsewhere can be more fun since there's more chance to have random pairings or partners, or, in the case of match like that, a fairly refreshing set up where Rush was more or less a tecnico and the rudos got to be rudos.

Basically, when you're teaming with 2014 Atlantis and Maximo, there's only so much of an Ingobernale you can be. This was a fairly standard beatdown-comeback-reset with tecnico advantage match, and frankly, that's a fine thing to be. The pairings were Casas/Rush, Felino/Atlantis, and Rey/Maximo, so no big surprises there either. Atlantis and Felino was a little bit interesting since Atlantis wasn't about to put up with much of the grossness, but everything else was old hat, if not very clean and crisp. Rey and Maximo have worked each other a ton over the last couple of years and it shows.

Rush did well as a tecnico, eating a lot of punishment in the primera (getting tossed into the chairs repeatedly). I've said it before but it bears repeating: he's excellent at getting stuff in while he's getting beat down. He'll fight back as much as he can without it actively taking away from the match and he's good at drawing that line, so in the end, he looks tough and his opponents look tough and everyone ends up looking better than if he just limply took the beating. The moment of transition was him coming out of the corner with the dropkick. After that point it was more of the Rush we're used to, biting and choking Casas, pounding on him on the outside, and even sulkily walking towards the back after his team took the caida. I'd say he was a little more over in a positive way than usual, but that might have just been a higher female presence in the crowd.

I'm not sure if it's the Terra production or Arena Coliseo, but there's a more intimate feel to this setting too. Before the match they had the rudos on the ramp for an interview, then they interviewed a female fan (apparently of Fuego), and when we saw Zacarias, he was in the crowd with one of those clapper gimmicks. There was also more interaction with the cameramen, with Rey, Casas, and even Maximo harshly pushing him out of the way.

The tercera was a nice brisk bit of sequence, with a run through the pairings. It should be noted, as part of the role reversal, Rush was the one who got to clap and rouse the fans for his section against Casas. In Arena Mexico, it's usually Casas who does that. Maximo always looks really good in his exchanges though, like I said, having Rey to work probably helped. They finished it off, with Rey breaking up the Atlantida but eating (literally), the oft teased Kiss of Death. Casas tried to break it up, but Rush caught him in his Saito style suplex for three. Post match he shifted back to regular Rush fully, taunting him on the mic and stomping away. Fun, little match with a slightly more classic feel.