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(PHIL
SCHNEIDER)
So
I am on this mysterious trip to Black Butcher + Payosito + random Luchadora v. Super Muneco + La
Parkita + random Luchadora
This was your basic AAA midget/luchadora/regular wrestler comedy
match. Work was bad, with pretty much everyone in it working really light
and sloppy, but watching a match on a small town basketball court surrounded
by little kids was pretty great. Ran through every lucha shtick in the
book, the heel ref, the star, rudos accidentally hitting each other, fake
fouls, the whole deal. It is really good shtick and can work even with
wrestlers who stink. Black Butcher did have a really great mask and outfit
though.
Luckily I was able to get to the big year end Arena Tzuki + Ultimo Dragoncito v. Espectrito + Mini Pierroth
I was amped to see Espectrito as he is my all time favorite mini.
This was the match that they have done a thousand times, really fun, although
nothing mindblowing. Espectrito doesn't bump like he used to, but his stuff
looked really great, including an awesome looking punch. Mini Pierroth
took some big bumps, including the ringpost Psicosis bump, and Tzuki and
Dragoncito did their armdrag and dive spots, including a double somesault
tope (with Tzuki going through the first and second ropes) and Tzuki getting
catapaulted into a rana on the floor. Dragoncito actually seemed a little
off as he blew a couple of spots, but he rebounded nicely.
Dr. X/Hooligan/Nitro v. Safari/Volador Jr./Felino
I wasn't particularly excited about this rudo team, but the champions
are really good, so I was amped for this match. The rudo team stepped it
up big though and this ended up being really good. Nitro especially who
was a guy I never thought much of, he ended up being the best guy on his
team, working stiff, taking nice bumps and throwing a big tope. Match opened
with some nifty mat wrestling between Dr. X and Safari, which looked less
like smooth lucha matwork, and more like a struggle, with both guys working
really hard for holds. Volador Jr. was flying all around the ring, hitting
three dives including his beautiful quebrada. I was able to watch the match
on TV the next morning (UNCUT! SOMEONE GET A Shocker/Dos Caras Jr./Atlantis v. Olimpico/Rey Buccanaro/Ultimo Guererro
Probably the biggest disappointment on the show, as this was really
focused on setting up Caras v. Olimpico and thus wasn't much of a match.
Some nice triple teams by Guererros Del Inferno, and Olimpico fits well
as a third member. Caras Jr. is really tall and hit a pretty crazy tope,
but he is a ways away from being good. Shocker also his a crazy Shocker
style tope, but most of the rest of the match was Alushe stomping and mask
ripping. One thing I noticed in this show, which kind of bugs me about
lucha, is that in trios matches there is often one technico getting triple
teamed in the ring, while his partners are outside drinking water or standing
around. This happened alot in the post match here, Caras Jr. is getting
stomped and his partners are just kind of standing around.
El Hijo My match of the night, and right up there with the best live matches
I have seen this year. Santo has such an aura and watching him live is
like seeing Johnny Cash or Nolan Ryan. He works hard here, like he always
does, hitting all of his signature stuff clean, but as great as Santo is,
Negro Casas is on another level. Basically everything he does is pitch
perfect, there is a headbut in the crowd brawling section that made me
jump out of my seat. The opening section of the match has Terrible putting
Casas in a standing side headlock, Casas tries about four different escapes,
with Terrible using his strength to hang on, Casas finally gets out by
hooking both of his legs around Terribles right leg and forcing him down.
Of all the crazy dives and awesome armdrags on this show, that was my favorite
moment of the whole show. Mistico is really over with the crowd, and is
clearly a guy they are trying to make into their Rey Jr., he isn't nearly
as smooth as even young Rey, but he has some fancy spots, and is alot of
fun in a trios match. Furia Del Norte are a great rudo trio, Terrible has
shown me very little before, but he was really good here as a Emilo Charlesish
brawler, stuff looked good and he played a power guy well. Tarzan Boy was
more solid then spectacular, but was a great base for Santo's stuff. I
have no idea why TNA is using Garza as a face, he is such a great smarmy
heel, he has such great shtick, that is insane to use him as a bland face.
Alot of Mistico's heat came from how bad the crowd wanted to see him kill
Garza. This really is a match all lucha fans will want to track down if
it ever hits tape.
Universo 2000 v. Perro Aguyao Jr.
This was pretty great, Universo was as good as I have ever seen him,
he just beats the shit out of Perro in the first fall, totally squashing
him with really stiff tight stuff. Great looking punches, great looking
clotheslines, super nasty axe bombers. He takes him to the outside and
gets in Perro Sr.'s face and starts beating on the old man, allowing Perro
Jr. to make a comeback. It seemed like they were trying to turn Perro Jr.
technico here but the crowd wasn't booing the Capos tonight. Second and
third falls were a little more even, with Universo taking the crazy bump
of the night, flying into the ringpost with his shoulder. The finish was
odd as a guy comes out in a Capos mask and bullrope (Dusty? Garza is TNA
now) distracting Perro and allowing Universo to get Perro up for a tombstone,
which Perro Sr. saves him from leading to the DQ. Seems like a total technico
move, Perro saving his son from the move which ended his career, but the
crowd still booed. Aguyaos beat on Universo until his brothers come out
to a huge pop to make the save. While the Dinamitas are celebrating, Pierroth
and Vampiro run out from the crowd to start the hair match
Mascara Anos 2000/Cien Caras v. Pierroth/Vampiro
This was Cien's final Arena Awesome show from top to bottom, even the main event which isn't
something tape traders will be tracking down, was a fun spectacle live