Lucha Memes (Chairo 2): 2015-12-25 

Recapped: 03/10/2016

This was Lucha Memes second Chairo show, held last Christmas. There’s not many stories you need to know to watch these shows, they’re all intended to be indie dream matches. The main event lived up that ideal the most. The opener didn’t seem like as big names on paper but delivered big. There was some good stuff on the rest of the show, and some matches that – often thru outside circumstances – were a lot like you might see on an ordinary show. This card didn’t work out like it could’ve, but there were still worthwhile matches.

Match 1: Freelance, Mike Segura, Séptimo Rayo, Supermega vs Alas de Acero, Aramis, Demasiado, Iron Kid
Arena Naucalpan, 12/25/2015
Video: ENTRE SEGUNDA Y TERCERA, Estrellas del Ring, +LuchaTV

Winner: Demasiado & Los Kamikazes (Demasiado inverted crucifix powerbomb on Super Mega)
Match Time: 17:05

Review: [great] A really good match that went crazy after the four way high spot moment. Some of the stuff that preceded it (especially with Freelance) didn’t look great, but the stuff after it was great and the chaos of the fight brought a lot of excitement to the opener. The dive spots were crazy and they added on more intensity than you’d expect from an opener. Didn’t like the finish, felt like a spot just to do a spot, but Super Mega’s earlier superman topes more than made up for having to get the chair spots in.

Match 2: Arez, Belial, Impulso vs Decnnis, Toscano, Zumbido
Arena Naucalpan, 12/25/2015
Video: Estrellas del Ring, +LuchaTV

Winner: Guapos (Zumbido powerbomb Impulso)
Match Time: 11:25

Review: [good] A fun exhibition match for the Indystrongibles, who got in a lot of their bigger moves against a ex-major league guys and looked competitive before the loss. There were some not smooth moments, but I was just pleased they made it thru a match without Arez getting hurt. Zumbido seemed to be doing the most on the rudos team – Decnnis seemed like he disappeared at some point – as if he had something to prove here too. It was hard following the previous match but this was alright.

Match 3: Negro Navarro vs Virus
Arena Naucalpan, 12/25/2015
Video: tvluchadelpasado, Estrellas del Ring, +LuchaTV

Winner: Negro Navarro (hammerlock)
Match Time: 11:10

Review: [good] A very well done highly grappling match – they rarely touched the ropes, and they didn’t bounce off them until the end – very focused on the style they were going to do. They did what they set out to do as smoothly as they could (though there was a couple spots near the end that didn’t go great or just seemed to be aborted in mid sequence.) It also came off as if those involved had the same level of emotion in the match if it was happening as part of a training session in an empty gym. I guess the stoicism is part of the appeal and it’s on the viewer to get into it (or not), but it hurt the finish for me – neither man had sold any holds that much, and there wasn’t any obvious reason Virus was giving up to this hold instead of the many other ones. He didn’t visually seem to be in any danger, and he didn’t act as if he was in danger. I don’t remember having as much problem with that in the Virus/Cerebro match from the last show (though I do remember that varied things a bit more.) As is, this one is strictly for the people who like this style and specifically not for anyone else.

Match 4: Keira vs Dalys
Arena Naucalpan, 12/25/2015
Video: Estrellas del Ring, +LuchaTV

Winner: draw (double pin)
Match Time: 9:41
Notes: Dalys is a replacement for Marcela, who was supposed to put her title on the line.

Review: [ok] Didn’t work out. Dalys as a replacement for Marcela just wasn’t the right person. She didn’t seem strong at working with a luchadora she didn’t have a lot of experience with in a singles match, and it led to a very slow pace (including multiple chinlocks!) Dalys also tried to be very rudo to get the crowd reacting correctly, but it was unnecessary since the crowd was going to be behind Keira no matter what. Keira didn’t get to show as much as in previous matches with this group – this wasn’t in the neighborhood of the Zeuxis/Keira match, unfortunately. Finish was very flat. May have bene a situation where that’s the finish they had to do to get Dalys as a fill in, or what they had planned for Marcela, but they needed something stronger if they’re not giving the match they had promised.

Match 5: Negro Casas vs Dr. Cerebro
Arena Naucalpan, 12/25/2015
Video: tvluchadelpasado, +LuchaTV

Winner: Negro Casas (casita)
Match Time: 5:11

Review: [ok] Disappointing; I was well aware this wnt about five minutes when I watched it, and so spent the whole match waiting for it to end. There’s five minute matches who I’ve given higher grades and probably didn’t have as much to them, but those tended to be working with (artificial) restrictions and this one was one where they just set out to do a five minute match for whatever reasons. They didn’t do it as if it was a surprise it ended in five minutes – it was like the first 60 seconds and last four minutes of a fifteen minute match – and maybe pretending like there wasn’t anything strange about that bugged me more than the time. Casas & Cerbero tried really hard to sell it as an epic encounter after the match, but that felt so forced.

Match 6: Black Terry & Negro Navarro vs Trauma I & Trauma II
Arena Naucalpan, 12/25/2015
Video: tvluchadelpasado, Estrellas del Ring, +LuchaTV

• Trauma II hammerlock Negro Navarro (15:10)

• Black Terry Dragon Sleeper Trauma II (16:12)

• Trauma I Lo Negro de Negro Black Terry (18:20)

Winner: Los Traumas
Match Time: 18:20
Notes: Negro Navarro replaced El Dandy for health reasons.

Review: [good] A sound match that I had trouble getting into for whatever reasons, which may not all be due to a match. It’s another match with a slower pace; the show could’ve used something a little bit different in this spot. (Trauma I and Negro Navarro seem to go 9 minutes while to start the match.) It’s Negro Navarro again after seeing eleven minutes of him before, though they do try to mix in brawling elements to freshen it up. It’s really hard to get emotionally involved in a Los Traumas match this week. Still, all the work is solid and the crowd cares about the finish – surprisingly upset about Black Terry not winning. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for it.

Match 7: Atlantis vs Caifan
Arena Naucalpan, 12/25/2015
Video: tvluchadelpasado, Estrellas del Ring, +LuchaTV

Winner: Atlantis (Atlantida)
Match Time: 10:25

Caifan and Atlantis made mask vs hair match challenges to end it.

Review: [great] really was not expecting Caifan to go as strongly rudo as he went in this match, but it made for a kind of lead técnico goes against region rudo singles brawl that doesn’t happen much. Crowd didn’t totally want to go with the idea – Atlantis is CMLL, and therefore evil – but the fight itself was a pretty entertaining ten minute intense match. Caifan went all out in this match to make a memorable one, and Atlantis showed up willing to work. Caifan bleeding as the rudo was odd, but it did make the match stick out a bit more. It could’ve used a moment or two more where it could’ve seemed like Caifan was going t ow in, but they got more out of the match than I would expect. They left enough on the table to come back for another match (so it’s good they did.)