Jump to content
DVDVR Message Board

Centurion Negro vs. Gran Hamada (2/14/82)


Phil Schneider

Recommended Posts

I didn't think the first two falls were very good (though Centurion holding onto the chicken wing off a double underhook suplex was awesome) but the third fall picked up some with some big spills to the outside and dives onto the dirty ground.  Ending was cool but the crowd didn't know what the deal was until the ref raised Hamada's hand.  Some good stuff here but I don't think it was a particularly good match.

 

And what's the deal with these shows, why does it look like the leaders of a military coup stopped off to provide arena security?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really enjoyed seeing Lou Thesz ref this match and both guys upping their matwork game to impress them.  That was something Phil talked about in the podcast previewing the set and I agree.  How much Centurion Negro is out there?  He looked really good here I thought being dominant but interesting and feeding into Hamadas underdog tendencies. Only saw a 6 man of him opposite black Terry on youtube.  The opening fall with the leg work he was doing I thought was really good and interesting variations on some stuff.  Everything looked very firmly applied and not relinquished.  The double underhook suplex being utilized by him as  neutralizer was also one of my favorite themes of the match.  The third fall ratchets everything up with dives to the outside and multiple pin attempts and positioning but this would have seemed pretty hollow to me if they hadn't laid the grown work on front end of the match.  Overall very enjoyable and I dig Hamada as the best underdog in the footage we have seen.B (***3/4)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to preface this by saying COCK SPARRER -- FUCK YEAH. Will, you never let us down on the music!

 

If this match is a preface for the big technico title matches on the rest of the set then my mouth is watering for more. Lou being the ref shocked me and luckily this didn't suffer from "great wrestler/bad referee" syndrome. I skipped ahead a little after this one so it's one I'm gonna have to come back to for sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lucha 1.3
Centurion Negro vs. Gran Hamada (2/14/82)

Now hold the tape. Someone tell the ref it's vertical stripes for wrestling, he can't be much worse than Fester from the last match. He looks a hell of a lot like Lou Thesz if it's not him, but I feel like I'm seeing Thesz everywhere at the moment (see Titans 4 podcast fans). Negro controls with matwork to start. I am drawn to the dude wearing all black in the crowd sipping his coffee. He sees someone he knows across the way and gives them a "cheers" with the coffee. Awesome guy. That same Japanese fan seems to be back: he's wearing a scarf today and seems to have brought a hot date with him.

Hamada finally breaks free only to fall prey to an arm wrench and a head scissors. I notice that several people in the crowd are drinking that coffee: there's a vendor at this arena making a killing somewhere. Cameraman is wearing a bright luminous yellow jacket. Fine moustache sir.

Things heat up now and this has been a pretty compelling mat sequence from Negro. I say that, I spent most of the time looking at the crowd. It's enough to get him the first fall. Hamada has been out-wrestled so far. Negro goes back to the arm. Makes sense. Explosive dropkick by Hamada sends him bailing. I have to say, Negro has a great colour scheme going on with the yellow and black.

Hamada takes over control now with some matwork of his own. Arm drag, Hamada eats a backdrop. Flying bodysplash from the second rope. Back suplex. That's enough for 1-1. Thought the matwork in this fall dragged. Pin felt like it came too soon.

I hope the pace picks up for this third fall. Negro switches up now to focus on the leg for a bit. Double underarm suplex! Keeps it locked in and goes into a birdge. That was quite neat. Snapmare. NASTY variation on the chickenwing now. Now idea how to call what Negro is doing now but it looks painful. Couple of nearfalls now. Yet another crazy submission hold from Negro. This stuff is cool.

Hamada takes a big backdrop to outside and Negro jumps out after him. Dropkick gets 2 but Hamada has hit foot on the rope. Another backdrop. Some awkwards spots now as Negro seems to fluff a buritto of some sort and then takes a strange bump to the concrete. Hamada dives out after him now. Huracanrana. Belly-to-back suplex. Still only 2. Negro comes back with a dropkick and a huracanrana of his own. Interesting bridging suplex now from Negro, risks pinning himself with that!

Sunset flip from the top by Hamada gets the 3. Hmmm, I was hoping the third fall would heat up a bit more than that. I liked a lot of Negro's matwork here but he had some awkward moments in the high spots. Second fall wasn't very good.

On balance ...

B-
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was half dreading some cheesy Mexican hotel entertainment music. Cockney Punk Rock - Lucha Libre is way out there but somehow you've pulled it off Will.

 

Lou Thesz was referee, which was also random. Quite a fair match, although somewhat dated. Yeah I know it's all very old but some things hold up better than others. Lots of dry matwork that passed the time, but didn't engage the viewer or lead anywhere. They just went uptempo before the finishes. There was some move repetition too. Improved in the tercera with more urgent action and some near falls. Centurion strikes me as a solid midcarder at this point in time. Fundementally sound though not too flashy or charismatic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This was a solid match. The matwork was interesting but not incredible. On PWO there was some talk about the matwork in this match not going anywhere and Will said that the matwork in lucha doesn't always go anywhere. I've heard people say that before and I usually think they are focusing on the wrong things. If you've been conditioned to believe that matwork should be built around wrestlers working over a limb to set up a submission I could see why you'd think that lucha matwork doesn't lead anywhere but that seems myopic to me. I think of lucha matwork as being more like UWF matwork in that just about any submission could end the match as long as the wrestler in the hold doesn't find a counter or an escape. I'm not sure if that's what Will is referring to but I could see some folks reading it that way.With all that said, this is lucha matwork that feels like it's going somewhere and it never does. Centurion Negro spends most of the first fall applying holds to Hamada's leg. It's something that keeps coming up and starts to feel like the focus of the match. There are a few moments where CN cuts off Hamada and goes back to the leg. There's even a moment in the second fall where Hamada maintains control of the match by sprawling to avoid CN's attempt at grabbing the leg again. CN works the holds in a way that looks more like Bockwinkel grabbing a hold and milking it as long as he can than it does like most lucha matwork (in fact it reminded me of the long wristlock sequence in one of those Bockwinkel vs Lawler matches). Hamada favoring the leg could have been compelling but it just gets shrugged off here. There are some good looking spots sprinkled throughout the last fall but it's not enough to elevate the match above solid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems like I liked this a lot more than others, which kind of surprises me. I liked how each fall kind of picked up the pace a little bit, until the 3rd fall had the topes into filth and both guys really cutting loose with their offense. Hamada moving from a crossbody into a sunset flip at the end was really smooth and impressive. I liked the pace, with each guy kind of wanting to go fast, but afraid to make a mistake and get caught. I didn't think the matwork "didn't go anywhere" as much as Centurion Negro was trying to keep Hamada grounded, but couldn't and lost.

 

Lou Thesz's shirt looks like he bought it at the Boomtown Rats' garage sale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This match was really all about the fashion choices.  The tasteful tassels on Centurion Negro's boots and wrists, Thesz's ref shit that wouldn't look out of place on Blondie's Clem Burke, and last (but not least) the AMAZING jacket Negro's second is wearing. I'll take one in every color!

 

I liked this match quite a bit too.  Really nice matwork to start.  Guys jockey for position for the first fall.  Second fall picks up a little with Hamada working in some slams and stuff.  Then the final fall gets moving even more.  

 

Hamada gets knocked outside and Negro tope's him into a mud puddle like a dick.  Then Hamada gets him back, and I'm all yelling at Centurion's second, "DON'T GET ANY OF THAT FUCKING MUD ON YOUR JACKET!"

 

So, yeah.  Good stuff.  I like these kind of matches that escalate as they go.  Not going to threaten for the top spot or anything, but this could be upper half.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UWA Middleweight Title - SR: Lou Thesz: Centurion Negro © vs. Gran Hamada (2/14/82)You know Thesz had to be loving all the matwork here as both men really went at it. Negro hit a great butterfly suplex where he held the arms to apply more pressure and not going for the pin. The action picked up in the 2nd fall as Hamada was bumping around for Negro before making a fun comeback where he evened the odds. 3rd fall was great as you got everything here from matwork to bumping to highspots including dives in the mud to fun pinfall exchanges which had the crowd in a frenzy leading to a fun finish. This was a helluva match

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really liked this one. I could watch Lucha matwork all day and this definitely didn't disappoint. I liked the early leg work and Negro's pinning holds in the 3rd caida. I totally didn't realize Thesz was the ref until about 5 minutes in.

 

A very solid match. My affinity for lucha matwork will probably raise this higher on my ballot than others.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the first match on the set that really grabbed my attention. People above have said that the first two falls were slow, and I agree, but I felt like they built on each other in a really cool way. The first fall really felt like Centurion Negro making sure to keep Hamada slowed down, and I thought had a really interesting finish. The second fall led to Hamada picking up the pace and taking it to Negro, with a really sick looking backdrop finish that looked like Hamada had to deadlift Negro to get him up.

 

The third fall was fantastic with callbacks to the first 2 falls (Negro trying that hold-on german and Hamada with another backdrop) and then the dives complete with filthy mud covering their backs. Hamada's miss on his dive looked brutal and I really thought would lead to the finish, which left me a little underwhelmed at the actual finish (felt tacked on instead of logical). That is the only thing that will keep this from a top 25-level placement for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Loved the matwork early on. Pretty sure both guys were trying to impress Thesz. Problem was after the matwork neither guy had much offense to go to rather than repetitive backdrops. Both tope's in the third fall were great and I was excited the match was heating up but then we had a sudden finish that I wasn't even sure was the finish but Thesz's counts were super quick. Poor crowd not realizing the Mexican had lost until it was too late. It's very likely this wasn't the planned result either since Centurion got the belt back a few months later.

 

Not a match I'll remember by the end of the week and certainly not one I'll be looking to re-watch but it wasn't offensive or anything of the sort.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This was fine. The matwork at the start was solid, but nothing you wouldn't see done as good/better in a thousand other matches. I'm not sure how Negro would look in a regular trios match: he didn't measure his steps when running the ropes and had they done more of it it would've been distracting. He also should've realised he couldn't bridge high enough to hold the butterfly suplex. And I'm not sure if the finish was planned but, whilst Thesz' counts were quicker than normal (for Mexico at any rate) they were consistent, and had Negro not known in the first fall, he certainly did by that point. Then again, why were the Japanese crew filming the show if Hamada wasn't scheduled to win? Was there another (bigger star) fly-in on this card? 

 

Anyway, as Rob said, this was a perfectly-inoffensive match. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Then again, why were the Japanese crew filming the show if Hamada wasn't scheduled to win? Was there another (bigger star) fly-in on this card?

 

You could say that.;)

 

UWA “7th Anniversary Show” at El Toreo De Naucalpan 2/14/82
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Mano Negra/Enrique Vera/Blackman beat Scorpio/Rudy Rena/Babe Face
2.Gran Hamada defeated Centurion Negro to win the UWA Middleweight Title
3.Canek beat Don Corleone to retain the UWA Heavyweight Title
4.Perro Aguayo and Abdullah The Butcher defeated Antonio Inoki and Tatsumi Fujinami by DQ
Link to comment
Share on other sites

CN holding on  with the double underhook suplex into a submission was probably my personal highlight for the match. Enough so that it had me hoping for more of his stuff on the set. Alas, this was his only appearance. I guess you take what you get when it comes to early 80s lucha and availability.

 

As for the match, the matwork was more than competent. Well-done lucha matwork never really seems to drag down into the territory of restholds - it always seems like a struggle. Here, it does. It is always a challenge to figure where the early stuff will rank.This felt like a middle of the ballot kinda match, with an outside chance of making my top 30.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I loved this match, the matwork was classic and I was impressed with Centurion while already knowing Hamada was great. The ending to all three falls were really solid and it was fun to see Thesz as referee.  It's the best match so far and I hope a good indication of things to come.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I liked this a lot. The first fall was really strong with some great mat work. Hamada’s arm whips were killer. Negro did a good job of working over Hamada’s leg and Hamada sold it pretty well throughout the match. The second fall picked up the pace a little bit with Hamada fighting back and withstanding Negro’s further attacks to his leg. The third fall was great. I loved Negro’s wacky cradles and holds. The double dives were great especially with the filth or whatever the fuck it was beyond the mat outside of the ring. The back and forth stuff in the finishing stretch was really strong too with some nice near falls. I liked the finish a lot too as I thought they designed it well.

This reaches the four star range. B+ for sure. Hamada’s been in a really fun tag brawl and a fine lucha title match. That’s some good variation from him.    

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First title match on the set and the first fall is a really good showcase of what I like about lucha matwork. Just two guys getting down and rolling, plenty of quick explosions, reversals for reversals with the occasional hold that is wrenched in. After that it turns into Centurion chucking around Hamada and locking in tight holds, building to Hamada's big comebacks and a pretty exciting finishing run with some great nearfalls. Both guys kind of botching their spills to outside, Hamda landing on the rope then falling outside anyways and Negro kind of hitting the rope with his face aswell as the dirty floor really added to the grittiness. Good match, brilliant formula and a foreshadowing of things to come.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The opening fall was slow and hard to get into. I can appreciate matwork, but this just wasn't doing it for me. Things picked up in the 2nd and 3rd falls and there were a couple fun dives. It was a nice visual when both guys got covered in mud/dirt. Overall no huge complaints, just wasn't a fan of that opening matwork.

 

C or **1/2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...