Emilio Charles vs. El Dandy (7/28/89)

[Phil Schneider]

Emilio Charles vs. El Dandy (7/28/89)

[tim.]

This is one of the most epic matches on the set.  That isn't necessarily to speak of its quality, though it is a great match, but by the end of this this really felt like a match where they both threw everything they had at each other until they had no more and brought all they could to the big apuesta.  This doesn't reach the highs of the real high end stuff on this set but it's still a damn good brawl with some great moments and a heck of a third fall.  The first fall I didn't much care for with the rudo ref stuff; I don't want to see that kind of schtick in an apuesta, especially one set up as hot as this was with the preceding tag, I want to see two guys beat the shit out of each other with no funny business.  Still this gets real good in the second fall with Dandy launching and awesome comeback and really taking it to Charles.  The third fall is the real gem of this match, as mentioned they throw everything they can at each other, are both bloodied and beaten and it feels like a cabellera contra caballera should feel.  Ending is really cool with Dandy hitting a big dive and them brawling with each other on the outside til they get counted out and hair comes off all around.

[Graham Crackers]

I'm fucking loving this feud and I'm pretty excited just knowing that it ain't over yet. This was a step below that last trios match but still incredible. They redid the finish of the Dandy vs Cruz match but this was executed so much better as we had a few really great false finishes just before the brawl on the floor which also looked much more out of control in this match. tim really hit the nail on the head about how this felt like both guys had unleashed everything they had and they still couldn't finish their opponent off. I wasn't bothered by the ref stuff in the first fall all that much and I'm not sure if that was a rudo ref as much as it was the ref distracting Dandy and Charles taking advantage.

[Curt McGirt]

Charles comes into this sporting a fro that isn't quite Mocho Cota level but is still pretty rockin'. When you beat out El Dandy's hair in a hair match then you're doing pretty good for yourself. It's funny seeing all the Alabama Slams on this set since Cody Rhodes just brought that one out of mothballs. Dandy sells so good (including a Johnny Valentine face flop) and his punches are just vicious. Charles will just not let up on him after the huge splash that ends una caida: full-contact stomping his head, biting him, fishhooking him. Of course this is Dandy we're with so in moments he's drizzling blood all over himself. He comes back with some sick baseboard postings where Charles get blasted and is just hanging there kind of convulsing. Then we get the Majistral of all Majistrals, El Dandino, to end segunda caida. There's a great moment where Dandy gets posted and flies toward the camera, which then gets a good closeup of his bloodstained white trunks. By this point both guys are just throwing everything they can at each other, Dandy misses huge on a diving headbutt, hits a German, misses a senton, both guys dive bigtime. Finally they're just duking it out until Dandy kicks Charles right in the back of the head and hits a CRAZY no-hands tope completely clearing the top rope. They start duking again but the ref abruptly stops everything and says "you both lose!" I thought it was lame until I saw the replay with him clearly counting them out from the time Dandy hits the floor. A fan actually tries to pull him to the floor to avoid the cueballing. 

 

Damn this was good. All three falls end huge and they literally pull out all the stops on each other. I didn't really notice any rudo ref stuff either. Going high, this one.

[Lee B.]

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!

[goc]

This MIGHT make my top 10 if not for one fatal flaw. No, not the finish but the fact that El Dandy decides to work the first fall as the dumbest fucking babyface EVER. Sure, why not stop and argue with the ref who is barely admonishing you EVERY SINGLE TIME you throw a punch allowing your opponent to come back and attack you? The last time he did it in the first fall sealed it for me as he spends about 10 seconds just staring at the ref to allow Emilio Charles to get back up and attack him again. I found this an irritating transition to rudo offense in the Pirata Morgan match and here I found it infuriating. Dick Murdoch vs. The Nightmare it was NOT.

 

But trying to wash that awful taste out of my mouth, the second two falls rocked especially the 3rd fall with both guys bleeding and just throwing absolutely every kind of bomb they have in their arsenal at each other. The dives in this one looked fucking ace and I liked the finish with the ref finally counting them out and calling it a draw after previously leaving the ring to break them up and get them back in to continue. This should finish in my top 20 but I'm kind of souring on Dandy as a babyface after the way he keeps doing that schtick with the ref.