The Event: CMLL TV 2/26/05
Date: Taped 2/22/05 and 2/25/05
Location: Arena Coliseo
Here we go, my first ever Lucha Libre review. I am already mentally prepared for this to take a really long time to type up, because I want to be as accurate as I can in naming the moves of the wrestlers. This show has the much acclaimed Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero match that has been raved about on many different message boards. There are also a few other names that American fans might recognize, such as Shocker (who currently wrestles in NWA:TNA) and Hector Garza (who used to wrestle in NWA:TNA). Here is the complete card:
Virus, Tony Rivera, and Texano Jr. vs. Nitro, Hooligan, and Loco Max
Satanico, Black Warrior, and Negro Casas vs. Rey Bucanero, Averno, and Mephisto
Shocker, Atlantis, and Blue Panther vs. Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Tarzan Boy, and Hector Garza
Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero
The rules in Lucha Libre are a little different then American wrestling, so while I plan on explaining as things happen, first I will quickly go over the major points. First off all, most Lucha Libre matches are out of three falls. Also, a wrestle does not need to tag his partner in order to switch out, but if he exits the ring it allows one of his partners to become the legal man. Another important note is that in order for a team to win a fall in a trios match, they must either defeat the captain or both of the captain’s team mates (pinfall or submission). Finally, in the matches, the teams are labeled “Rudos” and “Tecnicos.” In simple English, Rudos are bad guys and Tecnicos are good guys. So I will use those terms frequently when referring to the teams. The rest I will explain as we go along, for it is best to learn by examples then me listing differences for you to memorize.
As is my usual problem with non-American events, I don’t speak a lick of Spanish and thus don’t understand the commentary. Luckily, after watching so many Japanese tapes it really doesn’t bother me at all to not be able to understand the play by play and color. Really, just hearing the tone and emotions in the announcer’s voice is sufficient and is actually better then some commentators in the States that annoy me so much it takes away from the match.
Virus, Tony Rivera, and Texano Jr. (Tecnicos) vs. Nitro, Hooligan, and Loco Max (Rudos)
First Fall: Nitro and Tony Rivera start things off. Waistlock by Nitro to start, but Rivera reverses it. Nitro slaps on an armbar, as they kindly remind us that this is the first fall. Already learning some Spanish. Awesome. Anyway, tie-up again, waistlock by Nitro and he takes Rivera down, but Rivera flips back up quickly. A hammerlock by Nitro is applied, but Rivera snapmares out of it and sweeps Nitro’s legs out from under him. Nitro is up quickly however and returns the favor, but Rivera doesn’t stay down long and both wrestlers are back on their feet. Nitro tags in Hooligan as Rivera tags in Texano. After circling each other they tie-up, waistlock by Hooligan, reversed into a hammerlock by Texano into a side headlock by Hooligan, but Texano armdrags him down and both men face off once again. Texano gets Hooligan to the mat, Hooligan gets back to his feet, but Texano armdrags him down once again. Texano goes to work on the arm, Hooligan rolls over, but Texano rolls him up for a quick two count. Back to their feet, Hooligan snapmares Texano down but decides to jaw to him instead of capitalizing. That’s confidence. After another exchange, Texano tags in Virus and Hooligan tags in Loco Max. Virus goes for a quick dropkick, but Loco Max sidesteps it and kicks on Virus’s back. Back up, the two exchange chops before Loco Max Irish whips Virus into the ropes. Virus manages to avoid the dropkick however and sends Loco Max sailing under the bottom rope with a headscissors. Hooligan is quick to come in and take his place however (remember, no tags are needed, a wrestler only needs to exit the ring by any means) and kicks Virus down. Virus ducks when Hooligan charges however, and Hooligan goes over the top rope down to the floor. Nitro then runs in the ring to become the legal man, but Rivera and Texano come in also and back bodydrop him to the mat. Rivera and Texano then bounce off the ropes and hit dual tope suicidas on Loco Max and Hooligan. This leaves Virus and Nitro still in the ring, as Nitro chops Virus against the ropes. Irish whip by Nitro, reversed, Nitro goes for a roll-up pin, but Virus rolls through it and applies an arm submission (if you know the “official” name of it, shoot me a line). Nitro quickly cries uncle, as his partners were no where to be seen since they were laid out by topes. First Fall: Tecnicos
We get a short break, and highlights are shown of the action that has taken place thus far.
Second Fall: Nitro and Rivera square off first. Rivera goes for a quick dropkick, but Nitro easily avoids it. Nitro then goes for a dropkick, but has as much success as Rivera did as Rivera side steps it as well. Irish whip by Rivera to the corner, reversed, but Rivera springboards off the top rope back towards Nitro and hits a crossbody.
Rivera goes for a sunset flip, Nitro rolls through it, but Rivera kip ups before Nitro can capitalize. Rivera hits Nitro with a savate kick, leading to Nitro rolling out of the ring and Loco Max coming in to take his place. Loco Max misses a dropkick upon entering the ring and Rivera monkey flips him to the mat. Off the ropes goes Loco Max and Rivera monkey flips him again, sending him outside of the ring. Satisfied with his ring work for the evening, Rivera exits the ring and allows Texano to wrestle instead. Hooligan comes in as well for the Rudos. Chops by Hooligan on Texano and he applies a side headlock. Irish whip by Hooligan, Texano does a nice flip to get over the crouching Hooligan, but Hooligan chops him down anyway. Hooligan bounces off the ropes and clubs Texano in the chest, but when he charges again he misses Texano and goes over the top rope. He lands on his foot on the apron however, but when he turns to taunt the audience he is dropkicked in the back by Texano. Nitro runs in for the Rudos and chops Texano hard to the mat. Irish whip by Nitro and he hits a back bodydrop on Texano. Loco Max and Hooligan suddenly re-enter the ring and both men hit sentons on Texano before he gets a chance to get up. Irish whip by Nitro, and he along with Hooligan hit a double boot on Texano. Texano goes out of the ring as the Rudos gain control in the ring. Double Irish whip on Rivera and all three Rudos toss him down to the mat. A splash by Loco Max follows, then a senton by Hooligan, and finally a senton by Nitro. Nitro covers Rivera with Hooligan and Loco Max helping and he gets the three count pin. Rivera is not the captain though, so the Rudos still have to defeat either Virus or Texano to win the fall. Virus tries to come in the ring, but Loco Max cuts him off. Irish whip by Nitro and Hooligan on Virus (as Rivera rolls out of the ring) and they hit a double back bodydrop. Loco Max hits a quick senton, and Nitro applies a submission hold. Virus yells No Mas!, and the Rudos tie things up. Second Fall: Rudos
A few quick highlights are shown from the second fall, as the wrestlers prepare for the final fall.
Third Fall: The third fall quickly starts as Loco Max and Nitro Irish whip Rivera and hit a double elbow to the face. Again they Irish whip Rivera and this time hit a double kick to the stomach. As Rivera rolls out, Texano comes running in, but he is met with a shot from Nitro. The Rudos work over Texano in the ring, as all three hit running clotheslines in the corner. Virus comes back in to help, but he is chopped by Hooligan while his arms are being held by Nitro and Loco Max. Nitro shoves Virus out of the ring and Rivera comes in the ring in his place. All three Rudos stay in the ring as they assault Rivera in the corner. Double Irish whip by Loco Max and Nitro and they hit a double back bodydrop. Rivera rolls out of the ring as Texano makes his return, and finally we are back to a 1 on 1 encounter as only Loco Max stays in the ring for the Rudos. Texano kicks Loco Max down, but Hooligan comes in to take his place. Hooligan and Virus exchange chops, but Virus gets Hooligan down with a spinning backbreaker. Virus tags in Rivera who punches Hooligan into the corner. Irish whip by Rivera, reversed, but Rivera hits a double springboard dropkick out of the corner. Hooligan rolls out, Loco Max comes in and kicks Rivera out of the ring. Loco Max bounces off the far ropes, but Texano runs in and cuts him off with a spinning backbreaker. Texano holds Loco Max for Rivera, but Loco Max moves and Rivera accidentally dropkicks Texano. Texano falls out of the ring, and as Nitro runs in to hit Rivera, Loco Max hits a somersault tope suicida on Texano. In the ring, Nitro and Hooligan are double teaming Virus, but Virus manages to dropkick Hooligan out of the ring. Virus goes for a submission hold on Nitro, Nitro quickly rolls through it, Virus tries for a fireman’s carry takedown, but Nitro spins him around and hits a blatant low blow. The referees both see it, and award the Tecnicos the third fall and the victory. Your winners by DQ: Virus, Tony Rivera, and Texano Jr.
Match Thoughts: Well that sure was crazy as hell, don’t have to worry about slow spots or long rest holds in trios matches. While the ending was a little disappointing, considering that it was not a main event and the show was televised (not PPV), it isn’t that big of a deal. Of the six wrestlers, Rivera really showed the most here and hit quite a few nice spots. Nitro and Hooligan seemed to be a step behind at times, but generally the pace stayed fast and there was always something going on. A few sections of the match were rough though, and with the constant in-and-out (which is the lucha libre style) of wrestlers there really wasn’t a big focus on psychology to say the least. But all in all the match was fairly entertaining although far from spectacular. Score: 5.0
We now jump to the 2/25/05 card for the rest of the matches.
Our old friend Vampiro is interviewed and he has some very insightful comments.
Satanico, Black Warrior, and Negro Casas (Tecnicos) vs. Rey Bucanero, Averno, and Mephisto (Rudos)
First Fall: Two things: First of all, Mephisto has the most badass mask I have ever seen. Secondly, the music that these wrestlers come out to is incredible. I have gotten so used to listening to B-Rate Semi-Popular Musicâ¾Ã‚¢ such as Motorhead and Rob Zombie that I had almost forgotten what real entrance music was like. Anyway, Mephisto and Casas start things off. Waistlock by Casas, Mephisto reverses it into an arm wrench, but Casas quickly kicks him off. Damn Mephisto’s mask is cool looking. Mephisto gets a double leg takedown and applies a leg submission, but Casas reverses it into a cross armbreaker. Mephisto rolls out of it, but Casas headscissors him down. Casas then applies a front facelock, Mephisto grabs Casas’ leg, but Casas sweeps his legs out from under him. A stalemate ensues, so they tag in Satanico and Bucanero. Satanico and Bucanero tie-up and Satanico tosses Bucanero down. Drop toehold by Bucanero into a front facelock, but Satanico arm drags out of it. Satanico goes for Bucanero’s arm, but Bucanero reverses it into a reverse chinlock and armdrags Satanico. Both men back up, arm wrench by Bucanero, but Satanico reverses it into a hammerlock. Bucanero gets Satanico to the mat, but Satanico armdrags him once again. With that set completed, Satanico and Bucanero tag in Black Warrior and Averno. Averno clotheslines Black Warrior down, but Black Warrior avoids the next Averno attack and delivers a belly to belly suplex. Irish whip by Black Warrior, reversed, and Averno leg sweeps Black Warrior into the ropes. Black Warrior is up quickly however (including a little dancing), he goes for a German suplex, but Averno lands on his feet. Averno goes for the front bodyscissors, but Black Warrior grabs him around the waist and hits a German suplex. At his point Satanico and Mephisto run in the ring and start to wrestle as well. Satanico gets a quick backslide on Mephisto and he gets the three count. At the same time that this is happening, Black Warrior has Averno rolled up and the other referee counts the pinfall for him as well. With the captain’s two team mates getting pinned, this awards the first fall to Satanico and his crew. First Fall: Tecnicos
Before the next falls start, we get a quick interview at ringside and the end of the match is replayed. Which is good, since before the replay was shown I had not noticed that Black Warrior had Averno rolled up for the second pinfall. This is why they have two referees.
Second Fall: Mephisto and Satanico begin things for the second fall. Mephisto bounces off the ropes, but Satanico gets him down with a high armdrag. Mephisto blocks the clothesline attempt and applies a hammerlock, but Satanico snapmares him to get out of it and Mephisto slides all the way out of the ring. Averno takes his place in the ring and chops Satanico against the ropes. Irish whip by Averno, reversed, and Satanico hits a back bodydrop. Satanico charges Averno, Averno catches him, but Satanico flips him down to the mat anyway. Averno rolls out as Bucanero comes in. Bucanero and Satanico exchange chops, and Satanico punches Bucanero to the mat. As the referees yell at him for using a closed fist, Bucanero recovers and gets Satanico to the mat, but Satanico lifts him with his feet up and over the top rope down to the floor. Having conquered all three men and successful asserted his dominance, Satanico tags in Casas. Mephisto re-enters the ring and immediately chops Casas down. Irish whip by Mephisto, reversed, and Casas hits a drop toehold. Casas bounces off the ropes and dropkicks Mephisto in the head while he is still on the mat, sending him rolling out of the ring. Bucanero runs in the ring to take his place, but he is met with a tornado DDT from Casas, and he goes sailing out of the ring as well. This brings in Averno, Casas goes for the tornado DDT again, but Averno tosses him off. We get a quick view of the outside of the ring, where Bucanero is beating the hell out of Satanico on the outside and Mephisto is pummeling Black Warrior by the apron. Bucanero brings Satanic into the ring, and Averno and Bucanero Irish whip Casas and Satanico into each other. Averno sets Casas on the top turnbuckle and swings him down into the tree of woe. Bucanero runs over and chokes him, while Averno and Mephisto take care of Satanico on the other side of the ring. Mephisto, Averno, and Bucanero then all hit simultaneous dropkicks on Casas, who is still in the tree of woe in the corner. A referee declares that Casas has had enough, and the Rudos are awarded a fall. Black Warrior wonders back into the ring (foolishly), and promptly gets triple powerbombed twice and covered for the three count. Second Fall: Rudos
Multiple replays are shown of the second fall as we prepare for the third and final fall of the match.
Third Fall: By the time we cut back to the action, all six men are brawling in and out of the ring. The Rudos get the better of things, and all three enter the ring as the referee begins a 10 count. Satanico recovers first and joins them, but he is triple teamed and kicked to the mat. Black Warrior then comes in, but is greeted with chops by Bucanero. Bucanero and Mephisto double Irish whip Black Warrior to the opposite corner as Averno jumps off the top turnbuckle, but Black Warrior catches him with a dropkick as he is coming off. Suddenly the Tecnicos are up and ready to go, as Satanic lays into Bucanero in the ring as Black Warrior chases Averno outside of it. Satanico tosses Bucanero out of the ring as Casas sets up Mephisto sitting in the corner and hits a running dropkick to the head. Finally we are back to normalcy, as the ring is cleared and Casas faces off with Averno. The two exchange chops and punches, but Casas kicks Averno down. Bucanero hits a cheap shot on Casas from the apron, but Black Warrior comes running across the ring and boots Bucanero down to the floor. Averno comes running over at Black Warrior, but Black Warrior hiptosses him over the top rope. We then get out first dives of the match, as Black Warrior hits a running somersault plancha tope on Averno while Casas jumps down on Bucanero from the apron. Satanico and Mephisto battle in the ring, double leg takedown by Mephisto, and he first wraps his legs around Satanico’s and then grabs his arm, holding down Satanico in a pinning situation. Satanico can’t kick out, and Mephisto gets the three count victory. The winners of the third fall and the match: Rey Bucanero, Averno, and Mephisto
Match Thoughts:  It’s all about Mephisto’s mask. Beyond that, the first fall was a little slow but the second two were very fun. Maybe it is the Rudo in me talking, but the way that they dismantled both Casas and Black Warrior during the second fall was great to watch. My only real complaint is that it seemed like the ending came out of nowhere, perhaps I am just not completely used to the Lucha style yet. None of the wrestlers noticeably lagged behind, and I enjoyed the work of Casas and Black Warrior in particular. Overall the match was quite entertaining and it was very solid all around. Score: 6.0
Shocker, Atlantis, and Blue Panther (Tecnicos) vs. Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Tarzan Boy, and Hector Garza (Rudos)
First Fall:  Shocker and Garza start things off for their respectful teams. After Garza stalls for a bit and Shocker chases him around, they both tag out, so Blue Panther and Tarzan Boy end up starting the match. Tie-up, waistlock by Tarzan Boy into a front facelock by Blue Panther, and Blue Panther arm wrenches Tarzan Boy to the mat. Cover, but Tarzan Boy quickly kicks out and both men get back to their feet. Tie-up again, waistlock by Tarzan Boy, but Blue Panther reverses it into an arm submission/headscissors combination. This brings both teams in the ring, as the submission hold is broken and a melee ensues. The Rudos get the better of things (as they usually do), as Tarzan Boy chokes Blue Panther in the corner and Garza slams Shocker into the turnbuckle. Aguayo beats on Atlantis on the outside as Garza kicks Shocker in the corner back in the ring. All the Rudos gang up on Shocker, as Aguayo and Garza both hit dropkicks. Chop by Aguayo, and he leaves the ring to take care of Atlantis. Tarzan Boy hits a clothesline on Shocker and tosses him out of the ring. Garza comes in with Atlantis, double Irish whip, and they nail a double vertical suplex. Aguayo then hits his La Lanza (double stomp), Garza covers Atlantis, and he gets the three count. One down, one to go. Tarzan Boy hits a delayed vertical suplex slam on Blue Panther, and he also gets a three count. First Fall: Rudos
Second Fall: The Rudos brawl with the Tecnicos around the ring as we get a replay of the first fall. As we come back, Blue Panther is being double teamed by Garza and Aguayo. Aguayo leaves the ring to beat up Shocker as in the ring Tarzan Boy delivers a missile dropkick on Blue Panther. Now it is Shocker’s turn, as he is double Irish whipped towards the corner. Garza charges him, but Shocker side steps it and Garza goes chest-first into the turnbuckle. Aguayo and Tarzan Boy then come charging at Shocker, but Shocker gets his feet up and knocks them both down. Shocker then runs towards them, does a flip, ducks a double clothesline, and finally punches down Garza back on the other side as Atlantis and Blue Panther come back in the ring to knocks down Aguayo and Tarzan Boy. All six men go to the outside, as the Tecnicos continue to have the advantage. Eventually, Shocker and Garza get back in the ring, and Garza politely asks for a handshake. Shocker stupidly turns his back on Garza, so Garza kicks him in the leg, knocking him down. Garza slaps on a side headlock, but Shocker grabs his hair and throws him to the mat. Garza responds with a slap, Irish whip from the corner, and Garza hits a running clothesline. Kick by Garza while Shocker is in the corner, Irish whip again, but this time it is reversed by Shocker and he hits a clothesline in the corner and follows up with a running bulldog. Garza pulls Shocker’s legs out from under him, but Shocker monkey flips Garza out to the apron, slides out of the ring, and pulls Garza down to the floor. Atlantis and Tarzan Boy enter the ring, Tarzan Boy holds Atlantis so that Aguayo can hit a dropkick, but Atlantis moves and Tarzan Boy is hit instead. Atlantis puts Aguayo in the La Atlántida (spinning torture rack), and Aguayo quickly submits. Blue Panther also had the El Nudo Lagunero (unexplainable) applied on Tarzan Boy, but since Aguayo is the captain it wasn’t completely necessary. Still fun though of course. Second Fall: Tecnicos
Third Fall: After highlights are shown, we are back to live action as the Tecnicos still control the ring. Tarzan Boy and Blue Panther start us off, Irish whip by Blue Panther and he delivers a spinebuster. Tarzan Boy rolls out of the ring and Aguayo takes his place. Irish whip by Blue Panther on Aguayo, reversed, but Blue Panther sneaks in a sunset flip for two. Tarzan Boy comes back in and gives Blue Panther a scoop slam. He climbs up to the top turnbuckle, but Atlantis comes running into the ring and dropkicks him from the top rope down to the floor outside the ring. Blue Panther follows him out with a tope, as Atlantis hits a spinning backbreaker on Aguayo in the ring. Another spinning backbreaker by Atlantis and he tries to roll Aguayo up, but Aguayo squirms away from his grasp. Undaunted, Atlantis whips off a hurricanrana, but Aguayo kicks out at two. Irish whip by Atlantis in the corner, but when he charges he is flipped by Aguayo out to the apron. Aguayo quickly knocks him to the floor with a springboard dropkick and then jumps down on Atlantis from the apron. This leaves Shocker and Garza, as Shocker hits a spinning backbreaker on Garza. Hurricanrana by Shocker, but Garza manages to kick out at two. Irish whip by Shocker, reversed, and Garza kicks him in the stomach. Irish whip by Garza now, Shocker goes for a front bodyscissors, but Garza flings him behind his back. Garza then applies a Rocking Horse (Boston crab with arms being held) on Shocker, and Shocker has no choice but to quit! The winners of the third fall and the match: Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Tarzan Boy, and Hector Garza
Match Thoughts: Even though I feel that this match was somewhat formulaic, it still did what it set out to accomplish and kept things interesting from start to finish. While I firmly believe that the wrestlers in this match were more skilled (Atlantis and Garza in particular I know for a fact are extremely talented) then those in the last match, a good percentage of this match was brawls on the outside and triple/double teams. As I have said before, this style isn’t uncommon in Mexican trios matches, but still I personally prefer in-ring action to outside brawling, which is probably the fault of watching the WWF from 1998 – 2001. There was certainly a strong feel of the match slowly building to a climax, as each fall was more exciting then the last. When the action was one on one in the ring, I thought it was very well done, and I thought the third fall was a suitable ending, with Garza getting the better of Shocker (even though Garza had been avoiding Shocker most of the match) and getting the win without the help of his teammates. If the point of the match was to build to Shocker/Garza mano a mano, then I feel they did a good job of moving in that direction. Overall the match was solid, I would have just liked to have seen a little more in-ring action out of these wrestlers. Score: 6.5
Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero
First Fall: You’d think that Mistico could get one of the better looking women to come out to the ring with him. He apparently agrees with me, as he quickly ditches her and charges down the ramp at max speed to get to Ultimo Guerrero. Ultimo Guerrero greets him on the ramp, however, and clotheslines Mistico hard to the floor. Chop by Ultimo Guerrero on the ramp (as the announcer finishes announcing the match), and he tosses Mistico in the ring. With the match finally “officially” started, Ultimo Guerrero picks Mistico up and powerbombs him to the mat. Ultimo Guerrero immediately begins ripping on the mask of Mistico before tossing him out of the ring. He quickly jumps out himself and press slams Mistico into the apron before throwing him back in the ring. Feeling cocky, Ultimo Guerrero picks Mistico and tosses him back down. Irish whip by Ultimo Guerrero, and he launches Mistico into the air, sending him crashing to the mat. Again Ultimo Guerrero Irish whips Mistico, and again he throws him high in the air and watches him land. Ultimo Guerrero helps Mistico to his feet and gives him a vicious chop. Not done with his slow dismantling of the smaller Mistico, Ultimo Guerrero Irish whips Mistico into the ropes and tosses him into the air a third time, but this time Mistico lands on Ultimo Guerrero’s shoulders and moonsaults off of them, landing on his feet in front of Ultimo Guerrero. Mistico bounces off the ropes, Ultimo Guerrero goes for a spinning backbreaker, but Mistico reverses it into a hurricanrana and Ultimo Guerrero goes sliding under the bottom rope to the floor. Mistico goes for his running corkscrew plancha suicida, but Ultimo Guerrero moves and Mistico splats hard onto the floor. Mistico stays motionless as Ultimo Guerrero plays with the crowd before finally throwing Mistico back in the ring. Mistico motions with his hands to the referee that he has had enough and wants to give up the fall, but Ultimo Guerrero ignores the referee trying to end the match and puts Mistico on the top turnbuckle. With the referee continuing to wave his hands and yell at Ultimo Guerrero, Ultimo Guerrero goes up top and hits a beautiful moonsault fallaway slam on Mistico, officially killing him. The referee doesn’t appreciate Ultimo Guerrero ignoring his attempts to stop the fall, however, so instead of awarding the fall to Ultimo Guerrero he awards the fall to Mistico. Ultimo Guerrero complains (naturally), but the referee will not change his mind. First Fall: Mistico
We get numerous replays of the moonsault fallaway slam (which can be seen from a different angle in the Moves Dictionary) as they get set for the second fall.
Second Fall:  Ultimo Guerrero is still so upset with the referee (it should be noted that Mistico is still laying on that mat looking out of it) that he has walked all the way up the ramp to the entrance way as the next fall begins. The referee begins the twenty count, and Ultimo Guerrero returns just in time so he is not counted out. Ultimo Guerrero immediately pounces on Mistico, clubbing him in the back and kicking him in the head. Ultimo Guerrero tosses Mistico in the corner and chops him to the mat. After kicking him some more, Ultimo Guerrero Irish whips Mistico to the opposite corner, but Mistico moves out of the way when Ultimo Guerrero charges. Mistico hits a trio of dropkicks on Ultimo Guerrero and begins ripping on Ultimo Guerrero’s mask. Perhaps not the wisest move for Mistico, however, as this gives Ultimo Guerrero time to recover. Ultimo Guerrero Irish whips Mistico, but Mistico ducks the clothesline and spins up on Ultimo Guerrero’s shoulders. Ultimo Guerrero shoves him off, but Mistico lands on his feet and hits a running full side rotation armdrag (these moves don’t have names, honest), sending Ultimo Guerrero out of the ring. Mistico quickly jumps up to the top turnbuckle and dives off, arm dragging Ultimo Guerrero to the floor. Mistico works on un-tying Ultimo Guerrero’s mask before getting back in the ring. Ultimo Guerrero soon follows him, Mistico snaps off a hurricanrana, but it only gets two. Mistico bounces off the ropes and nails the Manami Roll, but Ultimo Guerrero kicks out. We get a good shot of Ultimo Guerrero’s back, which is marked up from the armdrag to the outside done earlier. Both men slowly get to their feet and Ultimo Guerrero chops Mistico down. Mistico returns with his own chops, puts Ultimo Guerrero on the top turnbuckle to attempt a hurricanrana, but Ultimo Guerrero will have none of that and powerbombs Mistico from the top turnbuckle to the mat. Ultimo Guerrero pulls Mistico onto the top turnbuckle with him and this time hits a sit-down powerbomb. Ultimo Guerrero seems to have hurt his leg with the move however, and as the doctor checks it out, Mistico recovers and starts kicking Ultimo Guerrero in the leg. Mistico bounces off the ropes, but while he rotates around Ultimo Guerrero he accidentally bumps the referee. Confused, Ultimo Guerrero takes a step towards the referee to check on him, and as he turns around, Mistico rips his mask right off and rolls him up as the referee recovers and counts Guerrero’s shoulders down for the three count. Your winner of the second fall and the match: Mistico
Match Thoughts: While I wouldn’t go as far as to say that this is the best match of the year, Ultimo Guerrero and Mistico were near perfect here in their roles and put on a very entertaining match. Ultimo Guerrero was the ultimate badass in this match, tossing Mistico around like a rag doll, hitting two powerbombs from the top turnbuckle, and nailing the nicest moonsault fallaway slam you will ever see. Mistico… well, what can be said about Mistico? While it is too early to make any large predictions, he has the skill and agility to wrestle in any promotion in the world. I still don’t know what to call the move where he did a full rotation, not around Ultimo Guerrero’s head and shoulders, but around his arm instead. Mistico here was as sympathetic a character as one will ever see in the ring and he had the crowd in the palm of his hand from the first clothesline to when he had to use desperate (and somewhat devious) tactics to pull off the upset. Also, the feud is obviously far from over, as Ultimo Guerrero can not only claim that he got cheated out of the first fall but that Mistico only won because he hurt his leg on the top rope powerbomb. This, gentlemen, is how you build a feud and get the crowd hyped about wrestling. Score: 8.0
Final Thoughts:
With three solid trios matches and one great singles match, there is certainly no reason not to get this event if you are interested in Lucha Libre. While none of the trios matches really stand out and will probably blend together in your mind about 32 hours after viewing, Ultimo Guerrero/Mistico is the match that makes this event worth getting. While I liked the Mistico/Averno match that took place before this one better, that doesn’t change the fact that Ultimo Guerrero and Mistico put on a great show. If you are new to Lucha Libre, this event would be a good one to pick up since it would allow you to see if you like the trios matches (which most Lucha Libre matches are) while still having a great singles match to justify the purchase regardless.
Recommended
Select moves from this event can be seen at www.wrestlingencyclopedia.com. Feel free to email me at wrestlingencyclopedia@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments, or snide remarks.
