Bestia 666, Garza Jr., Mr. 450 vs Arkángel Divino, Astrolux, Black Boy
(The Crash @ Auditorio de Tijuana on 02/16, 15:18, good, via Lucha Libre De Tijuana)
An interesting idea. They wanted the Rebelion Amarilla to get a dominant win. It’d still be a poor idea to kill off the promising young guys in the second match. I think they find a good medium, with Arkangel Divino and team rallying nicely a couple times and feeling like they were close to winning for a moment. The match really picks up in the second half, after that first comeback. The first half might have been better from some of the ringside cameras (if you were in the right place), the brawling just doesn’t come thru as anything on a set camera away from the ring. It also seemed like they were stalling for time after Arkangel was taken out of the match to get his head wrapped, and it slowed the pace to a crawl. The crowd really got into the small guys getting in their dives and cradles, and felt bad when the Rebelion crushed them in the end. This is more a successful building match than it is one you really need to see out of context, but it worked at what it was supposed to do.
Willie Mack vs Black Taurus vs Hijo de Pirata Morgan vs Sharlie Rockstar winner gets a shot at The Crash Heavyweight championship
Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California, 02/16/2018
(The Crash @ Auditorio de Tijuana on 02/16, 10:53, good, via MegaKakashi619)
The MegaKakashi version shows some good spots and also a guy standing in front of the phone during the dives. The highlights look nice. Taurus & Willie Mack stood out, but they stood because they’re big and I could actually see them over people’s heads. I have no sense of how Charly Rockstar did in this match. This was probably fun but not a world beating match. Pencil this down to rewatch if The Crash ever releases their tapes.
CIMA, Extreme Tiger, Rey Horus vs Penta Zero M, Rey Mysterio Jr., The King
(The Crash @ Auditorio de Tijuana on 02/16, 15:25, great, Lucha Libre De Tijuana)
An all star match which the match ups you wanted to see. They went quickly to the Rey/CIMA dream match spots, but gave CIMA time against other people he might never face again, and threw in some Rey Horus/Rey Fenix stuff we haven’t seen lately. There were some iffy moments, especially in one Horus/Fenix exchange, but they delivered on the promise of this match. There was more teamwork spots than I’d have thought and a few more feelings of desperation in the end than you’d expect. This was a border line great match for me. It wasn’t an epic. It still felt big and was enjoyable to watch.
CIMA knee smash
Rey Horus vs Laredo Kid
(MDA @ Arena Coliseo Monterrey on 02/18, 14:33, great, via Luchamania Monterrey)
A high end action match between two of the better indie luchadors in Mexico. There’s not much técnico/rudo framework here. Horus yells “Viva Tijuana” before a legdrop and Laredo Kid responds with a cheer for Monterrey later on, but that’s the small distance they go. It’s all moves, and the moves are impressive and come off with no real problems. The Spanish Fly on the ramp was a neat use of the ropes, and their chop/elbow fight near the end looked painful.
Penta 0M vs The King (Rey Fenix)
(Team 1927 @ Rancho Grande, Mexicali, Baja California on 02/18, 17:22, great, via Lucha Libre De Tijuana)
It’s a really good Pentagon/Fenix match, as you’d expect it. Penta is doing more than just the high notes, and Fenix keeps his tricky moves working. There’s a spot where a stretcher meets an untimely end, but they mostly keep it stuff in and around the ring in a traditional format. (I haven’t seen their late 2017 AAW matches but, based on what I heard about it, this cuts out a lot of those issues.) This is one where it’s worth your time to watch the longer version because they’re only cutting out good stuff. The finish is done in a surprising and nice looking way. This was on the same level as the original touring indie match they were doing, just underneath the top matches of the year. Pro wrestling is Pentagon doing his dramatic glove removal toss spot, the referee failing to catch it, and everyone making fun of the referee.
Ángel Azteca Jr., Brillante Jr., Guerrero Azteca vs Gran Jefe III, Gran Jefe V, La Tarántula
(AMLL @ Arena Azteca, Torreón, Coahuila on 02/25, 17:17, good, via LUCHAMANIA AMLL)
I know no one in this match. I think I saw the Bandido/Tarantula match when he came to Mexico City once, and I’ve seen the names and photos on posters, but that’s about it. This is apparently a new Angel Azteca Jr., not the former CMLL guy. Gran Jefes is a long running gimmick; I’m working thru the 1995 lineups in another window, and it was Gran Jefe I, II and Jr. as the team at that point. Brillante Jr. is Sombra’s young cousin we think.
Guerrero Azteca is the guy in blue and white, and he jumps off the screen. The técnicos don’t really get to shine until the third fall. Angel Azteca Jr., like the last one, is smooth but not flashy. Brillante is featured as the star of the match. He’s trying hard, and is still needs years of experience. Azteca is spectacular, pulling off impressive springboard headscissors one after an each other and completely at ease on the ropes. The Worm in to the headstand headscissors is the one he does to get noticed. He looks more gifted with his less gimmick moments and his Triton style moonsault dive is impressive. The rudos are really good here, making their offense interesting with some good double teams and basing well for the técnicos. There are some glitches, and the triple moonsault takes way too long to set up. It’s still a trios match which would fit in perfectly on an Arena Mexico and be one of the standout matches most weeks.
