Better write this before I completely forget.
GALLI made their Aurora debut this past Sunday at the Sierra Restaurant. It was a nice setting – it’s a lot more of a club than a restaurant, and the ring was set up on the main dance floor. Beside the normal lights, this meant the ring was constantly light by some random colorful lights and a couple disco balls, but the sound bounced off the walls pleasantly and the building sounded loud all night. The horns they were selling helped; I think I ended up near most of them.
Since the last time I’ve been to a GALLI show, they’ve changed things around – less matches so the shows don’t go so long (5 on this one), and they’ve gone to all one fall matches except the main event. I don’t know if this was just a coincidence, but most of the trainee types and Chicago normal indy guys were not on the show, where they’d be a all over it previously.
Show started a few minutes after 6:30. I’d guess attendance to be around 100, maybe 120. Referee for all matches was LA VACA.
1) Golden Star & Chiva V b Resistencia & STIGMA – if it looks like a CHIKARA worker’s name, it probably is. Lots of horn based comedy, much STIGMA yelling “Chiva – NO!”. I have this sneaking suspicion this may have not an authentic soccer playing goat come to life, because he had yellow soccer socks on. What a fashion no-no. Anyway, it was an entertaining if not always technical sound match, both tecnicos beating both rudos with bodyscissors cradle for the win.
2) Flip Kendrick & Louis Lyndon b Amasis & Ophidian – who are the Osirian Portal, and not the Neo Solar Temple. I know this, quiz me. Moving on from my emotional scars to other jokes, someone at GALLI must’ve really enjoyed the last Dragon Gate show! This was actually a match that would’ve been better received in front of that sort of crowd than this one. Crowd still liked it, but it was US indy style match in front of an audience expecting something a little bit different.
Crowd did dig the snake luchador, and Amasis did his usual fine job of interacting with the crowd in amusing ways. When I saw Lyndon at the Dragon Gate show, I thought his faux-Bruce Lee gimmick would be great in a lucha setting, so I was disappointed when he wrestled this straight for the most part. Didn’t even wear the afro until taking picture later. Both tecnicos were super athletic, and the crowd was awed at the dive sequence.
Finish here was – well, Amasis put Lyndon in a cristo, Lyndon reversed into a bodyscissors cradle, La Vaca slapped the mat one two three, and the crowd cheered huge for the win. Except, the match kept going for about ten seconds, then the promoter asked if the match was over, and La Vaca decided it was. You think it’d be tough to convey emotion while wearing a giant snake mask (er, being a giant snake), but Ophidan (who broke up the pin late) was so clearly unhappy with that turn of events. I’m pretty sure I saw Amasis not moving at all until just before the three count, but definitely getting his shoulder up. I think La Vaca meant it to be two, but really ought to have indicated it was only 2 right away, instead of letting the crowd make the call for him. It’s tough being a referee.
The other comedy here is the DJ had no idea who’s music went with who here, so the entrances were messed up and the tecnicos celebrated to Walk Like An Egyptian. How can you actually get that one wrong? It’s right there in the name!
free suggestion no one asked for: next time lucha fans tart chanting MEXICO MEXICO at the Portal, start chanting EGYPT EGYPT right in rhythm. It makes as much sense as the Mexico/Japan stuff.
3) Guardian del Amor & Lince Dorada (w/mini Lince) b Emperador Azteca & Venom (w/Mini Vemon)
Not as much to write about here, more of a standard lucha match. The minis are the usual deal of kids dressed up like their partners. Lince, despite looking quite off in his first big run of this match, was way over with this crowd. Again, tecnicos win clean. Lince hit a SSP on Venom, Dorada did a swanton on Azteca.
The mini kids hit the ring after the match. The tried one clothesline. It did not go well. La Vaca counted that pin too anyway.
INTERMISSION. Everyone from the undercard came out to take photos. Lince seemed to have the biggest line, but the Portal were popular too. Nice of GALLI to set up the lineup so the east coast guys could all take off after this point (not even 8pm)
4) Negrotistico Fantastico & Joey Marx b Victorous Secret (Mason Conrad & Cameron Salem)
Conrad & Salem are doing the super effeminite bit. I was worried the act would seem as played out as their Backstreet Boys entrance music, but they really threw themselves into it, Salem especially, and it was fun. Fantastico & Marx’s gimmick appeared to be “The Coolest People In The World”, and you could tell the moment they started dancing to the ring. They were way over, and deserving so. ATTENTION PROMOTER OF DRAGON GATE USA: I know you’re reading this, because you’re totally a renown fan of lucha libre and people outside your company discussing what you should do. Please, please book Joey & Negrotistico (under that name, even!) on the next show. It doesn’t matter if it’s the dark match, they both deserve to have a much higher profile. Since Gringo Loco has gotten himself an actual job in lucha libre (if IWRG counts!), I think it’s I need to start relentlessly hyping these two now.
A lot of schitk early, but it was good stuff so no complains. When they got going late, it good stuff (so much that I don’t have notes for it.) Conrad & Salem were taking some big and sometimes extra pinful looking bumps. I think it was Conrad who took the huge German suplex out of the corner. I know it was Salem who took a backdrop, and hit hard on a ring that wasn’t giving all that much. He looked to be hurting a bunch the rest of the way.
Marx hit a shooting star press on Conrad for the win. And then everyone danced! HOORAY.
5) Samurai & Huracan Ramirez Jr. b Amenaza del Siglo & Chilango
Since I’ve last been to GALLI, Chilango not only grew his hair back, but has the GALLI championship and a valet. That right there is a productive summer. Between his frilly cowboy hat and gear, Amendaza del Siglo walked to the ring looking like crazy masked Mexican Randy Savage. (Didn’t really need crazy there.)
This was three falls. Liked some of the other matches better, but fell in the same ok->good range. Tecnicos won the first fall with ‘ranas on both guys. Rudos came what with a Silgo top rope ‘rana on Huracan, and Chilango spearing Samurai and putting his feet on the ropes. Siglo got Huracan’s masked untied and pulled it off between falls – I didn’t recognize him! – and they ended up doing crowd brawling. Tecnicso makes their comeback in the third fall, including Huracan sending Siglo into and on top of the bar for some revenge, then Samurai splashing Chilango with a 450 for the win.
There was a lot of post match work with Siglo and Huracan teasing a mask match, Siglo deferring. There was a lot less time spent on it, but the match was for sure set up was Samurai vs Chilango for the title, which makes enough sense. And that was it – or that’s when I left.
Show ended about 9:15, so I think they were still a little longer than they wanted, but 9:15 is still pretty good. There was no bad matches on the show, and only one unexplained intermission (between the last two matches), so I didn’t feel like my time was being wasted as much as usual. All the tecnicos won and all the matches were clean, both nice to see. I’m glad I went.
GALLI is back in Addision on Sunday, with the main event of Cameron Salem, Samurai, Negrotisico, and Joey Marx against all four Soul Touchas. That’s kinda intriguing, so I may make it out. Didn’t catch when the next Aurora show is, but I’ll mention it when I see it.