Lee B.

Enjoyable is the word. Brazo Del Plata stole the show. Everything he did was delightful. The elaborate six-man pinning/submission combinations were a lot of fun. It was unusual to see a lengthy figure four segment between Morgan and Oro. I definitely have this in my top half, although probably not in my top 30.

I can agree that the first fall was the worst I have seen on this set, or maybe most anywhere. Was anyone ever this out of it for a major match? I'm think of the Kerry v. Lawler match where Kerry sliced his arm open on accident, but Lawler totally saved that one. Cruz was not such a magician here, although I thought the match picked up in the third fall a bit with some memorable moments that saves this from being #100 for me, although I don't think it will get into my top half. The already mentioned Estrada wipe-out on the apron where he posts himself was something else, as was Cruz's super-nasty missile dropkick from the top turnbuckle to the floor, nailing Estrada in the mid-section. I also though the head-shaving was good, with all the money being thrown in the ring, Estrada working for the handshake, and then being a jerk and provoking Cruz to go after him.

I didn't hate this match nearly as much as everyone else so far. I thought Chavo and Satanico were great throughout, very intense and violent. I'd love to see a singles match with those two. I liked the moment where the two opponents were wrapped up in some sort of hold, and their respective teammates took turns stomping away at the opponent. I liked Jalisco's schtick in the first fall pretty well, but it was more contrived when he did it in the second fall. The third fall had a lot of crazy violence, including the rudo launching himself over the top rope to land on Lizmark as he is draped over the side of the ring. Chavo's bulldog is nice, as is the mask-ripping. Headlocks for all was kind of cool, as were the multi-person submission attempts. This is definitely in my top half. Maybe not top 20 as I initially thought, as the negative reaction from other viewers may temper my enthusiasm for this. But only slightly. I enjoyed this.

This is bottom half for me too, probably middle of bottom half or so. I continue to have no problem with Jerry Estrada. The first fall was pretty normal, fine stuff but nothing special, except for Espectro fleeing into the crowd, which is a fun spot. The second fall got pretty interesting with the cable breaking and the rudos working over All Star with the cable. Dandy's chase and out-of-control tackle of Estrada was pretty wild. The stereo dives were good enough. The unmasking attempts toward the end seemed to get the crowd fired up. The ending was pretty unique but a bit abrupt. This won't be super-memorable, other than the cable breaking and the unmasking.

I thought this match was pretty fun. The back-and-forth between Eddy and Rick was great, with Eddy's uppercut and Rick's backdrop and clothesline. Romero botched his first piledriver attempt at the end of the first fall, unless that was supposed to show a struggle. But it looked like a botch to me. I thought Estrada was a great heel ringleader, calling the shots throughout the second fall, wailing away on Cruz, and culminating with the stomp-fest on Cruz that resulted in the rudo DQ. It was a great moment at the beginning of the third fall when Cruz, on the floor, pulls Estrada's legs out from under him and drags him to the floor. The technicos-run-wild segment was great, especially Rick's bump over the top rope off of Eddy's dropkick. The final exchange of punches between Estrada and Cruz was effective, but I agree that the final pinfall segment left me flat. Still, this makes my top-half, although not super-far up.

I do have to give this match some praise for the improved video quality, but I pretty much agree with the other posts. This match had a few cool moments, including Astro's dive over the top at the end, and Espectro kicking away at Sagrada until the ref stopped the fall and awarded it to the rudos. But otherwise, this didn't really click for me. Although I have to say that I have no problem with Astro's funky chicken and strut that befuddles the rudos. That is always fun to watch, and it never makes any sense, ever. It is what it is. OK, I also liked Panther hitting Espectro on accident (?), but that went nowhere, unfortunately. I wanted a BIG ANGLE. The third fall did have some energy with the back-and-forth surges, but overall this lands a ways down in my bottom half.

I almost mistook Dandy for Dynamite Kid when I first saw him. As has been said, it was nice to see Eddy, and he had some nice moves. Romero was fun, especially his first-fall strut-off with Eddy. I also really dug Romero's shin kick to Dandy, which led to Dandy's pin by Morgan to end the second fall. I liked Dandy's falling headbutt to Morgan in the second fall, and Morgan's skittering on his back to the floor to take a breather. The third fall got to be a bit tedious, and the ending was just OK. No one tried to save Dandy when he was up for the tombstone piledriver for a long time. Again, as was said above, this ultimately will be rather forgettable. It's bottom half for me, and probably a little ways down.

This first fall is pretty one-sided, topped off by Atlantis pathetically sliding face-first through the ropes to the floor after being pinned. I like how Atlantis and Satanico really had to fight for their dominant portion of the second fall. It wasn't just an instantaneous burst of energy that leads to one team suddenly taking over. It really went in fits and starts until Atlantis and Satanico got the pin/submission win in the second fall. I wish I could have seen how Fuego came to be bleeding profusely in the third fall. Fuego and Satanico both do a great job selling the blood loss at the end. The third fall is indeed epic. I loved Satanico's near splash onto MS-1, where he has second thoughts and just drops an elbow or leg from the apron to MS-1 on the floor. Atlantis's second dive is pretty wild. I couldn't tell whether he hit his partner, but I guess he did, which is pretty dramatic. The submissions at the end are pretty amazing, including the gnarly double-submission Satanico gets caught in, only to be saved by Atlantis's double-dropkick, and Fuego's heroic fight of Atlantis's camel clutch. The unmasking and head-shaving was great. Fuego looked like he was about to cry, he was so mad. Everyone was amazing, although Fuego was perhaps a notch below the other three. Still, I had this as a top-15 match, although after Curt's verdict upon a rewatch, I think this could be top 10 pretty easily.

Very one-sided, but really, really spectacular. I loved seeing Atlantis accidentally giving the spinning backbreaker to Astro, and Sagrada's reaction. It seemed like one of those big angle U.S. matches, but they ended up being cool. The rudos were perfect throughout. I don't think I'll ever tire of watching Astro befuddle the rudos by spinning around, and then strutting back to his corner. The final sequence with all three technicos going over the top rope was incredible and launches this short match into my top-30.

I watched bits of this match over the course of a few nights and probably should watch it again as I wasn't quite as blown away by it as the other commenters were. The crowd was very hot, which was good, especially when Astro chased Charles into the audience. The rudo miscommunication spots were good, including Guerrera flying through the ropes to kick his partner in the head on the floor. Atlantis's three spinning backbreakers looked great. I also enjoyed Astro's successful attempts to befuddle all three opponents at once, and his subsequent strut to the corner. However, this seemed a bit one-sided. The rudo pin in the second fall was kind of sudden, as if they forgot that the rudos needed to win a fall and went to a finish fairly quickly (although Charles's hand-biting was a nice touch). The third-fall triple-teaming, assisted by the ref in the case of Super Astro, was good but didn't last quite long enough before the amazing dive by Atlantis and the cool backwards splash off the rope by Astro. Astro's flying backwards headbutt was really graceful too, toward the end. I liked Charles's strikes throughout also. So lots to like, but overall a lack of drama brings this down a bit. It is top half, but probably mid-rangey top-half for me.

Goodness, I got so mixed-up with this match, mistaking Satanico for Maskare throughout. I guess I just couldn't imagine Dandy and Satanico teaming. Despite that, I thought this was a fun, vicious match with an effective double-foule ending. I also liked that transition in the first fall where Dandy evades the rudos and ends up turning the tables with his partner. The third-fall moment of Dandy holding his opponent while Satanico bites away was intense. I thought this was plenty violent and can easily see this match in my top 30.

I though the matwork was pretty good in the opening fall, especially the bridge and headstand to escape the head-scissors, and Charles's bridging on his had to avoid getting pinned. Hombre's riding of Charles was a bit odd but memorable. Bala's flippy confrontation with Cruz was fun. There is some good aggression from the heels, but it was a little too much of Hombre getting heat and not enough of Cruz, as mentioned previously. I did like Cruz and Charles splashing their own partners toward the end for a pinfall, and then having to start over and splash their opponents. Foule endings work for me if they make sense, are done out of desperation, and it didn't make a lot of sense in this match. Overall, things seemed a bit disjointed, and I don't think this will get into my top half.

The pre-match weapon confiscation is kind of cute. Kato's opening offensive flurry, with the posting and mask ripping, is pretty good. I also liked Kato's rope-walking bit prior to the splash that wins him the first fall. Kung Fu's bulldogging of Kato on the floor is cool. Kung Fu's posting of Kato draws blood, which makes sense considering Kato's white attire. The ending is fine with a nice splash from Kung Fu to the floor from the top turnbuckle, and a quick jump back into the ring to beat the count. Fans toss some trash while Kato's head is shaved. This was pretty good, although the gimmicks are limiting. The video quality and camera work wasn't really great. Kung Fu is a fairly fun heel and enjoyable in that role. I think this could possible sneak into my top-half, but I'm not sure.

I thought the first-fall matwork was pretty cool, with a lot of quick reversals and some cheating by Espanto as he uses the ropes for leverage. The sequence that ends the second fall, with the quick Espanto headbutt on the apron, followed by Espanto's powerbomb-y move and submission, is great. Santo's selling of the arm at the beginning of the third fall is super. Things really got crazy as the kids started to fill the ring after Santo hit the splash to the floor off the top turnbuckle. The final submission with the ropes is mighty fine. I was thoroughly impressed, and I think this could end up in my top 20.

The video quality and abrupt ending hurt this a little for me, but the first fall was brutal and very effective, especially the way Azteca is tossed around and triple-dropkicked as he kneels in the ring. The crowd reactions do add a lot as the technicos make their comeback in the second fall. The rudo miscommunication and foule claims made the second fall quite fun. Atlantis's dive over the top rope at the end is one of the best dives on this set. If it wasn't for the problems I mentioned, this could be top 10, but as it is, I see this finishing probably in my top 30.

This was indeed epic. I don't see how this would fall out of my top 10. I thought the ref was not such a rudo in the first fall, but I did think Dandy was being a dope eventually, with all his jawing with the ref each time, allowing Charles to get the upper hand. Charles's fish-hooking and general abuse to begin the second fall was great. The last fall was amazing, with the missed moves from the top turnbuckle, the big splashes and dives to the floor, the insane posting and abuse of the wooden ring siding (actually during the second a third falls), and the final out-of-control brawling on the floor leading to and following the count-out. Good stuff!

The rudos start out strong with a lot of double- and even triple-teaming, but the technicos come back, with Dandy causing Charles to take a good, sliding backwards bump to the floor. Charles really goes after Dandy in the second fall, opening a cut and biting away at it. Charles does indeed bang Dandy into the wooden ring siding with gusto. The second fall ends with Morgan hits a splash off the top turnbuckle onto Atlantis as Blondy holds Atlantis down. Dandy comes back on Charles in the third fall, posting him several times and then biting and even head-butting him. Dandy chases bloody Charles into the crowd and posts him again. It's really is the Dandy-Charles show at this time, as they get some two-counts. Dandy misses a falling headbutt and Charles hits a tombstone piledriver for the pin. Before that, Atlantis hits a nice flip-dive onto Morgan. This was great all-around, easily a top 20 match for me. It does really make me want to see the Dandy/Charles hair match.

Although Bala starts out strong and vicious, Cruz comes back with a diving headbutt through the ropes and then beats Bala back in the ring to win the first fall. Bala comes back with some cool suplexes to take the second fall, but not before getting posted a couple of times in the early part of the fall. The third fall is pretty epic, with more postings and blood from both wrestlers. Cruz's dodge of Bala's dive before getting nailed by a second attempt is great. Lots of two-count pin attempts in the third fall before Cruz wins with that spinning over the shoulder chokey thing. I love how Bala gets slugged after throwing his first clump of shorn hair at Cruz. I thought this match was very effective and impressive and could see it possibly cracking my top 30.

Yeah, that rudo attack was sudden and effective in the first fall. Azteca takes a posting very well at the end of the first fall. Popitekus does end the second fall in a dominant fashion. Nelson's finishing sequence to take the third fall, along with Azteca's big dive, was nice. I liked the quick, decisive endings to falls 2 and 3. Nelson was used judiciously but was fun to watch. This was kind of the Popitekus show, but Charles was impressive as well, and Markus and Mascare held their own. This should barely get into my top half, but not very far up at all.

The good sportsmanship throughout wasn't super-compelling for me either, although I did like Popitekus going to the floor to help Morgan up after he took a rough tumble down. I did also notice the flub at the end of the first fall when Atlantis is submitted. Dandy's roll-up of his opponent to end the second fall is pretty cool-looking. Dandy and Morgan have a very smooth sequence at the beginning of the third fall. Popitekus has some awkwardness in the corner during the third fall, but his flip over the top turnbuckle to the floor is impressive. I don't know why I'm always surprised to see Atlantis lose a third fall. This match had smooth work from Atlantis and Dandy and some nice moments from Popitekus and Morgan, but overall it was mostly just OK due to the lack of heat. It will end up a little lower than mid-range for me.

Ox Baker was indeed very special. I'm sorry to read the last phase of his life was kind of rough. Back in 1991 I interviewed Ox at a wrestling fan convention outside of NYC. I should have bought one of Ox's t-shirts he was selling, which read "Ox Baker: Big, Mean, and Ugly." Ox was very kind to speak to me. Here is what Ox told me: "I'm from Waterloo, Iowa. I was 25 [when I began], 25 years ago. I'd been an amateur wrestler in high school, and I wanted to go on to a professional career, because I'd wrestled quite a few of the guys. I'd seen the profession, I knew I could handle myself, and so I got into professional wrestling. I really enjoyed wrestling. I got to meet hundreds and hundreds of people, and I enjoyed it very, very much. When you're in wrestling, you get to meet people, and if you like people like I do.... For five years I had actually been starving in wrestling, and one night I happened to hit a guy with my famous "heart punch," and he dropped over dead. And I was an overnight sensation. It was onward and upward after that. It was a shame that it happened, but the man actually was ordered never to be in professional sports. But he got in there, and me hitting him caused his heart attack. The fans turned–at that time I didn't know whether they liked me or hated me–but they turned overnight on me, and they started sending me hate mail. And I found out the fans are very, very vicious, and over the years they put lit cigarettes on me, threw pop in my face, did a lot of despicable things. So I started my legendary saying, "I love to hurt people," because you find out that you can't really worry whether the fans like you or dislike you. You've got to do your own thing. For 25 years I've been "the bad guy," and for 5 years in a row I was voted "The Most Hated Man in Wrestling" because the man who died in the ring was quite popular. The fans, not knowing it was not my fault, blamed me for it and really rode me for the longest time. I found out that it helped my career quite a bit, so in helping it, that was all right with me. I'm not proud about it, but it happened, and we just go on. I had a six-year run with the NWA around Florida and Atlanta that I enjoyed quite well. I've been trying for the last two or three years, maybe the last five years, to get into the WWF, and I haven't been successful with it. I'm still trying very, very hard, and one of these days I might make it. Vince McMahon–of course, who at the moment is the czar of wrestling–he can point to you and you can get in, or he can not point to you and you can't get in. So you have to be very, very careful, and I'm still looking for that moment or break. I have a boy in Texas, and I just recently got married a second time to a fine lady in Connecticut. My first wife got killed in a horrible car accident. A lot of times I'd come home a little scarred up, a little scratched up, and [my family] didn't like that. But we bought a 400-acre farm out of it, and a large herd of cattle, so it paid off in the long run. I wish I hadn't been injured as much as I was. It ended quite suddenly when the arthritis in my leg, which I had tried to fight for years, slowed me down to where I had to quit. I've had a couple of organizations talking to me about trying to sign me up. My future career is actually being a manager. I've been in security for quite a few years, and I like the security work. Right now I'm working for Wells Fargo. I've been with two or three security outfits. They're not high paying, but I'm trying right now to get into corrections. Twenty-five years ago you actually had to wrestle more. I think the athletes are a little better athletes at this time, but they don't have wrestling skills that we had, where we went long periods of time. In other words, [today] you have a whole card in an hour and a half, where in the old days, you had to wrestle one hour and a half. So it's quite a difference." Thanks for remembering Ox Baker with me. --Lee

This was an unusual match indeed. Chicana's short headbutt after Satanico's early feeling-out aggression was awesome. Satanico's dive into the ring to grab Chicana's legs and begin biting his head is excellent. The punches throughout are amazing. The Lawler-Mantell comparison is spot-on. Chicana's eye gouging and raking in the third fall is cool, as is Chicana's flurry of punches on the floor in the third fall. The finale didn't work as well for me as some other commenters because it was so poorly lit and I couldn't see what was going on. It seemed like mostly Chicana standing over Satanico with the ref trying to get Chicana to back off, until he calls for a DQ (or double count-out?). Anyway, that left the match a bit flat for me. With a clearer conclusion, and some blood, this would be top-10 for sure, but as is the match is still memorable and likely top 20 material.

I find technico-technico matches (that's what this was, right?) a bit of a challenge. My attention wandered a bit during this, actually mostly in the first fall with the constant matching up, doing stuff, shaking hands, rinse, repeat. I did like the submission finish to the first fall, where the announcers seemed to think it might be a choke, and it was good to see that repeated at the end of the match. I'm surprised Atlantis tapped twice. The Atlantis/Dandy exchanges were pretty impressively fast, especially a super-fast Dandy clothesline in fall 2 and the Atlantis dropkick to Dandy as he was climbing the turnbuckles in fall three, with Dandy taking a good tumble to the floor. And Dandy's huge monkey-flip into the ropes. Muneco was kind of compelling with the shrieking in the first fall. He didn't bug me too much. Texano had some good stuff too, like his nice shoulder-breakers in the second fall. Still, this didn't have a lot of crowd heat, and it meandered a bit toward the end, maybe while Azteca is in the ring for a while. I think this will land in my bottom half, although it was pretty decent with some fun moments.

I thought this was quite a bit of fun, with lots of heated, fast-paced brawling. Some of the offensive flurries, like Satanico and Texano at the beginning of the second fall, are breathtaking. The first fall did have some of that technico running in to make a save but just standing there until getting attacked, because this is the rudo domination fall, stuff that I find kind of annoying. Texano applies some nice submissions in the second and third falls. The mask-ripping and biting in the third fall was fun. I could see this in my top 30 or so matches.

Since I don't know lucha that well, I don't really know Blue Demon, so the significance and nostalgia is kind of lost on me. Although I can tell this is something special for him, with the carrying in and out of the ring, and the stooging throughout. The packed ring to start the match, and the flower girls, made this seem like a big All Japan match from the early 1980s. Ringo hits a nice DDT in the second fall. The triple-teaming of Demon in the third fall was fairly dramatic, as was the attempt to undo his mask. I liked Satanico going toe-to-toe with Demon and Ringo before falling to the floor. Demon Jr.'s inexperience didn't bother me too much, because I didn't really notice it. The great rudo team held this together nicely, but looking back, it wasn't a very eventful match, so it probably will fall into my bottom half, but not too far down.