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Jerry Estrada vs. Javier Cruz (10/20/89)


Phil Schneider

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  • 2 months later...

So this match, where Estrada is supposedly high off his ass.  First two falls were pretty dull but it starts to get crazy in the third fall.  They bleed a ton, hit some big dives, Estrada takes some big bumps and of course the famous spot where he slips off the apron and smashes his head against the post.  But really I don't see the fuss.  The third fall is fun, yeah, and has some cool dives and blood but there are a lot of matches that have just as cool dives and just as much blood but are worked around much better matches.  Seeing Estrada fucked up wasn't even really bad enough to give it much of a rubbernecking factor, he was just sloppy more than anything.  Though I do like the one spot where Cruz kicks him out of the ring through the ropes and he lands on his feet just standing there, looking to the side like "how the fuck did I get down here?"  I guess the one big top rope kick from Cruz that looked like it hurt Estrada real bad was pretty wild though.  Good final fall with some crazy moments but I don't see the hype with this.

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  • 4 weeks later...

So, going into this I'm not a fan of Jerry Estrada from everything I've seen but I've heard people speak highly of this match. I've also read OJ and tim's reviews so I'm not exactly expecting to be sold on him either. The first two falls feature some solid brawling though there are moments that hint at just how fucked up Estrada is. As this thing goes on it just gets so fucking weird. That does lead to some crazy moments and images. I like how gross and violent and fucked up wrestling can be and those images definitely make this match worth watching. Jerry accidentally posting himself is kind of funny but kind of tragic as well. The way he just stands around every time he's knocked to the floor is kind of creepy. He does some really dangerous stuff too like that nasty victory roll counter. On the other hand some of those dangerous moments take away from the match like how he ends up in the wrong position for dives and flying moves but corrects himself at the last minute or doesn't even capitalize on his opponent's "mistake." So in the end the most memorable images are not enough to save this one. I'm going to watch this again but this feels like a bottom half match at best. At the same time this is a unique spectacle and I'm glad I watched it.

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  • 4 weeks later...

This match won't figure into my ratings, it will be a "?" because Jerry is clearly too impaired to perform. Not that Jerry isn't there all the time, he is, but the moments where the somas and cheap whiskey drive this into the ground are too huge to ignore. Monarca tries to hold it together, and admirably Jerry does too because you can tell he knows he's fucked and is trying to, but I don't know where I could rate this. I don't even think the crowd knows how to, despite them throwing money.

 

EDIT: Fuck it, I'll be game with this. It'll go low but I refuse to give it a bump up the ratings because of the trainwreck aspect. I do things like Jerry does on a weekly basis, but I'm not going to give him points for such in a wrestling match.

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  • 11 months later...

Ok glad it wasn't just me that thought Estrada looked fucked out of his mind in this. This match is going to be my #100. Too much shit in this that just really pissed me off, all of it Estrada working half speed and looking like he was barely there. The first fall in this is probably the worst fall on this entire set. Just bad timing, a botched bodyslam, half speed rope running, shitty strikes etc. It did get better but not by much. The spot where Estrada goes out of the ring and then just stands there...and stands there....and stands there waiting for Cruz to dive on him was SO frustrating. I would have thought it was stupid even if it was just Estrada baiting Cruz into missing a dive but actually getting hit with it was even worse.

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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. 

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