Author: homerjfong

There’s a new recap of older lucha that is up at Wienerboard. It is from February 1997, in particular, their tour of Japan. Highlights of it include yet another Santo vs. Negro Casas match, and a match between Black Warrior and Mr. Niebla that is as much fun as it sounds. Surreal surroundings, as it is strange seeing the Japanese clap after a hot move/chain wrestling segment from the audience that you wouldn’t see at Arena Mexico. I also do something that I rarely do – kinda compliment Rayo de Jalisco. Check it out.

I also have a new hobby – annoying Nigerian scam artists. You know, the folks that claim to be the offspring of a dead government official/general/farmer and need you to smuggle however many million out of the country, they just need your bank account info. This is on topic somewhat, as Shocker makes a guest appearance in the “Bast” Ion Booger vs. Wilson Evans scam.

And those looking to mix and match recent lucha from EMLL that are Galavision less should know that there is TV from up until late June in at Wrestleholics. Lots of Guerreros del Infierno in the recent mix that looks really tempting.

The editing you’ve been getting recently is strange. I didn’t get the hair match from Wrestleholics, but did get to see Felino vs. Juventud. Both have done better in the past, but it is good to see a Juvy match where evidence of some of his personal problems that plagued some of his work the previous year weren’t evident. Unless you count Juvy’s bright orange ring jacket that looks like it was made from the same material you’d see covering up the seats of a K-Car. The Vilanos/Tinieblas vs. Mephisto/Averno/Bestia match is filler. I can pull out my tape and write up summaries of those matches, for completeness’ sake.

As for writing, my latest recap from my tape collection is 3 episodes from March 99 of WWF Super Astros.

I got my grubby hands on the tape with the Shocker rudo turn on it from Wrestleholics. It lives up to the hype, and is worth making the effort to see. Vampiro is also very good in selling the whole schmoz to the crowd.

Meanwhile, there’s a new older lucha review up at the Wienerboard. It is generic early year broadcast from Coliseo, but the highlight is a Minis Cibernetica match that would see the winner get a chance to wrestle with the full-sized wrestlers. He fit in so well in the role that he stayed around at that level, not looking a bit out of place. You’ll have to read the report to see who that was (ain’t I the little stinker?), but as a hint, he was a top 100 placer in the DVDVR 500.

I’m not a Cubs fan, but I was so psyched to see Sosa in action at Skydome on Saturday. I hope the Carlos Delgado Celebriduck makes up for it.

Another recap of some older lucha has been sent to the Wienerboard.

The main matches on this one are a pair of excellent Psicosis tag team bouts. The first sees him team up with Halloween against Ultraman (Damian) & Leon Negro in a no-ropes barbed wire cage match from Tijuana (handheld) that is as nuts as it sounds. The other main attraction is Juventud/Psicosis against Volador/Mexicano in a tag team titles match. You can see Psicosis working two completely different style matches, and doing an excellent job of it.

It should be pointed out as well that the latest CMLL TVs from Wrestleholics are in. On paper, it looks kinda weak compared to their latest TV, so although I want to see the Mexico vs. Japan Torneo Cibernetico (hacked up as it was), I’ll hold off and wait for a more intriguing recent series of shows to combine them with.

I posted the newest version of my Older Lucha reviews to the Wienerboard. This one is is the Best of 1999 – Volume 2, which provides a good overall snapshot of some of the lucha that year, when combined with the other two in the series, even if the matches aren’t all *****.

Also, and exclusively linked here through the CMLL Blog, something I found when looking through the google Usenet archives. A 7-part “introduction” series to lucha posted to rec.sport.pro-wrestling as preparation for the AAA/IWC When Worlds Collide PPV back in 1994. (Only 6 parts are available). Of course, the When Worlds Collide show is the perfect lucha primer, with Mike Tenay doing an excellent job introducing one to the lucha style.

Part 1: AAA: The New Number 1

Part 2: What is Lucha Libre?

Part 3: Torch Talk interview with Konnan

Part 4: An analysis of AAA: Past, Present, Future by Dave Meltzer (Couldn’t find it through the Google archives archives)

Part 5: Wade Keller’s analysis on Triple A’s chances

Part 6: Comments from fans on Lucha Libre

Part 7: Final analysis, predictions

The Cubs Fan invited me to join up with the blog, as one of the other, OK, probably the only other luchamaniac over on the Wienerboard. I’d been going through all of my old tapes lately, really just as an opportunity to recommend some of the better stuff in recent lucha history. (1990 and on) To start, here is a link to all of the reviews so far that I’d posted on the weinerboard. I am linking to these and not the top 10/11 lucha matches list because these also include links on where one can get these tapes.

First – CMLL TV from 8/11/91 – Highlighted by Atlantis vs. Blue Panther

Second – CMLL TV from 9/13/97-9/15/97 – Highlighted by Mr. Niebla vs. Dr. Wagner

Third – CMLL’s 66th Anniversary show from 1999 – Highlighted by Niebla/Shocker vs. Atlantis/Vilano 3, in a parejes increible match, with the losers advancing to a mask match.

Fourth – Classic Lucha from 1993 – Highlighted by some of Rey Misterio Jr’s early work in AAA. No CMLL at all, so I’m probably violating the spirit of this blog with my first post.

Currently, I’m working on the CMLL PPV from 3/30/2001, but with a long weekend coming up this weekend, I may invest the time and do one of the longer lucha comps that I have around.