The Wild Youtube Ride!

[Goodear]

WHAM WHAM WHAM! 

 

I'm afraid I've got some bad news!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehPPQ3Osru8

 

Bad News Brown vs. Bill Mulkey

 

Bad News doesn't even get in the ring before he starts to whomp Mulkey ass.  Bad News is one of those brawling kick-punch guys who no one would ever dare complain about move set when talking about.  Mulkey is awesome just getting mauled before getting taken out with the ghetto blaster.  Of all the jobbers in the all the world, Mulkey reminds me of WCW's Larry Santo the most as both had really bad builds but could bump like freaks.  Now I need to search for Larry Santo... 

[Goodear]

Larry Santo double shot!

 

 

Big Van Vader vs. Larry Santo

 

Vader doesn't even bother with gloves this time out before smashing Larry with a torture rack samoan drop. Vader just powerbombed Larry so hard his family is now in a coma.  Harley comes in to paint Larry's face like Sting before Vader straps Larry to death.  White Castle of FEAAAAR.  Lost in this is that Larry Santo stands triumphant!

 

Can he keep the streak alive?

 

 

The New Skyscrapers (Mean Mark & Dangerous Danny) vs. Larry Santo & Rick Ryder

 

Santo and Ryder are like my personal Barry Hardy and Dwayne Gill.  Danny starts out by slapping Ryder and Ricky fires away!  And then gets tree slammed for his efforts.  He's like a head shorter than Danny like soooo much shorter.  Tilt-a-whirl slam and sidewalk slam for Danny before he tags out to Mark.  The Sky Mullets dominate like they should with Danny doing most of the heavy lifting with a powerslam on Larry.  Mark doesn't do a whole lot but drops the walk roping elbow for the three.

 

Did I mention my client Mean Mark conquered the streak?

[Goodear]

And now to stretch the muscles beyond three minute matches!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yKdbqc7isg

 

Stan Hansen & Danny Spivey vs. Misawa & Kawada

 

Great start here as Stan throws a title belt into the ring, Kawada grabs it and starts whipping Hansen with it as streamers fly in the ring.  Kawada is stopped cold as Stan just wraps his rope around by his throat and pulls him down.  Meanwhile Danny clobbers Misawa with a lariat and the nationals get knocked out of the ring.  Hansen stands tall in the ring as the streamers continue to fall and it is an impressive visual.

 

The ring announcers continue to do the introductions and this is so awesome as the two teams square off for about a second before Kawada throws the tag belts at the Americans and we are off again!  Spivey and Hansen win the brawl put Kawada is able to knock Danny down with a spin kick even as Hansen comes around the ring to pull Kawada to the floor.  Stan is so out of control here and its so good.  He holds Misawa in place for a Spivey big boot before getting back in the ring.  Hansen misses a charge and Kawada goes to the leg with mini kicks.  Kawada and Misawa are going to the lariat arm a bunch here but you get the sense they have the tiger by the tail.

 

Eventually though the work takes its toll as Spivey has to come to Stan's aid a couple of times.  The real turning point is when Misawa takes Stan to the outside and The Lariat just manhandles him up and throws him into the crowd!  Every time the match goes wild, Spicey and Stan seem to come out on top.  Spivey starts to work on Misawa's knee for some reason, I think I would have liked them to continue brawling but there be clock to fill.  Stan is in with leg kicks and a step over toe hold and I'm hoping this is to set up the Boston crab.  

 

All of a sudden Danny has a table on the outside and sets it up on the side of the ring so that Stan can use it to do a kneebreaker on Misawa.  That's a first for me, kids.  I've never seen that one before.  Danny drops the leg on ... the leg and puts on a figure four (!)  Misawa's selling face is him squinting occasionally.  Kawada makes the save and gets in against Stan and lays in some kicks including a enziguri to a kneeling Hansen before getting a rear naked choke.  Stan grabs the ankle to counter and Kawada has to tag out so they can hit a double suplex.

 

Misawa misses an elbow drop though and Hansen drops him with a powerbomb.  Kawada kicks Hansen in the face to break it up but Hansen is able to tag out to Danny.  Danny hits a reverse neckbreaker before he breaks Misawa's back and makes him humble.  Double slingshot suplex gets two before Hansen hits the POUNNNNCE.  Okay it was a shoulder but it was a good shoulder.  Hansen chops Misawa in the faces so Spivey can hit a Bossman slam... and mess up his shoulder?  HAnsen runs in to save with a backdrop driver but Kawada takes him down with a DDT on the floor.

 

Misawa gets the mounted cross face but Danny gets out to make a tag.  Hansen goes at it with Kawada but misses the lariat and Kawada takes him down with a Fujiwara arm bar.  Hansen gets out and manages to get the Boston crab on Kawada.  Kawada gets to the ropes but Hansen walks him away.  Misawa comes in to break it up but runs into the LARIATOOOOOO.  He loads up on Kawada, but he ducks, misses a spin kick and LARIATOOOOO!  for three.

 

Woof.  This is some wild fun with nothing over blown or overdone.  This was really the Hansen and Kawada show as they had unreal chemistry.

[Sky Blue Sam]

I love this thread. I tried to spend an hour chaining YouTube matches, but gave up when I found myself watching an awful Charlie Norris match from the AWF

[Goodear]

I could either go into the All Japan hole of awesome Stan Hansen matches... OR I could watch a match with long blond hair Hansen and Gorilla Monsoon as the referee.  

 

 

Ivan Putski vs. Stan Hansen 

 

Putski offers a handshake for a second before he just starts unloading on Hansen with punches in bunches!  Come on referee he is using the fist!  You clearly don't know the rules.  Polish Hammer ... hammers but Stan hits him back and forearms away but Ivan comes back with body shots.  Now Hansen fights back and hits an elbow off the ropes.  This is more of a fight than a contest and it works okay.  Gorilla dives into position to make a count and its the fastest I've ever seen him move.  To be honest, I don't think I ever did see Gorilla move at all.  The first hold comes at about 5:00 when Ivan slaps on a headlock and it is one legit headlock as he wraps that mutha in and Stan cannot throw him off.  Finally he works his way free in a corner but Putski gets a backdrop and goes back to the headlock.  And man does he work that headlock.  Seriously, they do the hand drop bit and it works because it feels legit here.  Hansen finally picks Ivan up and drops his groin on the top rope for a DQ.   Hansen tries to attack Monsoon for the call but gets run off by Gorilla and Putski.

 

Polish Power Polish Power Polish Power Polish Power Polish Power  

 

I thought Putski was supposed to be bad?  This was pretty great with a finish that kind of went with the story that Stan couldn't get off the blocks and was getting dominated with simple stuff as Ivan controlled the action.  He got disqualified somewhat by accident but was also sick of being in the headlock for a year.

 

This Putski thing requires more attention.

[Goodear]

Only one way to find out!

 

 

"Superstar" Billy Graham vs. Ivan Putski

 

Joined in progress as Graham lowers the boom on Ivan before tossing him into the ropes for a bear hug.  Putski emotes pretty well in the hold screaming and grabbing at his back before trying to pry Billy loose.  Putski tries to hammer out with forearms while prying Billy off under the chin.  He really torques Billy's head back but the Superstar maintains the hug as Putski slowly seems to fad.  In a last ditch he manages to get under Graham and push him back into the a corner.    Billy begs off and Putski is on him with an Irish whip into a bear hug of his own.  Putski manages to hold the taller Graham off his feet as Billy wildly flails away.  The muscularity  of Graham helps the hold as his veins are popping out everywhere as he gets squeezed.  Graham goes to the eyes to escape and backdrops Ivan over the top rope to the arena floor.  And that means he wins?  I'm watching this with no audio so I don't know what happened here.

 

Again, Putski makes a lot out of a little.  Bear hug sections can be really awful but these were well executed and performed.  Ivan Putski, super worker.  You heard it here first.

[Goodear]

The Ultimate Putski test!

 

 

Ivan Putski vs. Jessie "The Body" Ventura

 

I don't know where Jessie got these sunglasses but wow.  Putski gets in and meets Jessie on the apron with a shoulder tackle and stomps him dry.  Jessie is really, really bad.  Just amazingly so.  He takes a powder on the outside for a while, grinding everything to a halt.  Ventura's bumps look like he only ever learned to take a half a back bump so that is what he is going to do damn it.  Ivan kicks him out of the ring again and Jessie is making me sad about life in general.  Ivan does the headlock punches on him and glory me, Jessie does his half a bump again.

 

I'm going have to rank these matches at some point, this is competing with the Warlord/Gaylord match for bad.

 

Shouldn't Jessie's body actually look good?  Because it does not.

 

They fight over a keylock for a bit with Ivan doing a okay job again of working the hold.  He ends it with punches in bunches and Jessie again runs out before catching Ivan coming in with a short right hand.  He chokes Ivan with his wrist tape and Putski does a decent job selling it before the referee catches wise.  Jessie does an interesting take on the 'hide the stuff' but by putting it in his mouth during a search.  Ivan gets the tape as he must and goes to town with it.  Jessie does a really weird punch bump twice in a row and once would have been fine.  They fight on the apron and Jessie hits Ivan with something before he falls back into the ring for the count out victory.

 

Well.  Ivan didn't look bad.  I feel vindicated.

[Goodear]

Sometimes you have to do things you aren't proud of to keep things on a Youtube roll.   

 

 

Randy Savage & Jesse Ventura vs. These Guys

 

Randy is in full-on yell at Elizabeth mode here were she cannot do anything right even if she isn't doing anything.  Ventura and Savage actually tag in and out a bunch of times while manhandling the opposition.  Jesse is still bad of course and makes you appreciate the beauty of the Hogan legdrop before setting Savage up for the top rope elbow.

 

They say stuff after but I don't care.  I did this to get away from you, Jesse!

[Goodear]

WHAM WHAM WHAM

 

I'm afraid I already made this joke!

 

 

I don't think I've ever watched Bad News in a competitive singles match?  I remember watching him inevitably get punched by a partner in Survivor Series matches and walking out and being in Rumbles but never in a big singles match with an actual conclusion.  

 

Savage is in at the jump with the robe and glasses and everything on and it establishes he isn't here to fool around.  Savage beats Brown about the ring and back inside drops the top rope ax handle.  he rushes into a corner though and eats a Bad News clothesline.  Bad chases Elizabeth away and pounds Randy on the outside.  Ever notice Randy uses the entire ringside area during matches and spends as much time outside the ring as in it?  Bad News slams Randy in a corner before dropping in on his neck on the ropes.  Savage bumps for everything like he is getting shot in the face.

 

Brown seems to be trying to set the record for different ways to kick and punch a guy here to keep things moving without deviating from his roughhouse style (Bunkhouse Buck was also an expert on different ways to do the same things by the way).  Brown goes to the outside again and throws Savage into the crowd while putting the bad mouth to Liz.  Savage finally gets some space by posting Brown and knees him into a turnbuckle.  He sets too early for a backdrop though and pays the price.  But when Bad goes for a running ghetto blaster, Savage is out of the way.  

 

Savage then does a plancha...

 

What the fuck?!?

 

A plancha?  In the WWF in 1988?

 

News tries to piledrive Savage on the outside but gets backdropped.  Savage goes to the top and drops the ax handle to the floor.  Suplex back into the ring gets a two count.  Savage to the top again but Brown catches him with the fist.  News goes for the blaster again but head fakes Mach so when Savage ducks, Brown just punches him.  News hooks up a Russian leg sweep and gets a two and goes to the top himself.  Savage catches him and throws him down but misses the big elbow!  Bad News tries to capitalize with a slam but gets small packaged for the three.

[Goodear]

Why this is suggested here I have no idea, Black History month set of posts by the WWE?

 

 

Ron Simmons vs. Tony Atlas

 

Tony clearly believes this is an upper body business because he has some baggy sweatpants on here and I have no idea what is on his bung hole.  Ron be working a Jerry Curl.  Lock up and shoves!  Atlas with a series of shoulders and a big splash that will make you forget all about Kamala.  Ron hits some shoudlers and Tony takes a powder.  Test of strength called for back in the ring and like Brahma Bulls they collide!  Tony steps to Ron to get the advantage a couple of times before Ron powers out and gets a suplex.  Ron slugs away but misses a corner charge and Atlas starts to work the arm with a wristlock and a head butt.  Tony comes off the middle rope for a head butt but Ron dodges a second one.  Ron follows up with a powerslam for a lackluster finish.  It was a lackluster match so I guess that is appropriate.

[Goodear]

 

Diamond Studd (with DDP, with Fanny Pack) vs Ron Simmons

 

DDP brings out a huge tracks of land to take Studd's pants off much to the disgust of Jim Ross.  Ross' gushing over Ron is a bit much.  Seriously nothing happens for like 7 minutes beyond a lock up and hair pulling.  The pace of this could be called glacial by the uncharitable.  Studd finally gets some right hands after a long time wasted and Ron comes back with a really bad clothesline and...

 

Okay.

 

So the ref takes a bump.

 

DDP rolls into the ring and misses a charge.

 

Ron rolls him up.

 

The referee counts the pin.

 

So... that happened.

[Goodear]

It's WCW undercard guys before they became big stars somewhere else hour on WYR!

 

 

Vinnie Vegas vs. Robby V 

 

This was a match in the TV title tournament to face Erik Watts in the semis.  Vegas muscles through V with some basic stuff and drives in some elbows before chucking him with a body slam.  Vinnie just tosses V through the ropes to the floor.  V still has the same haircut today with a lot less hair.  Sheamus forearm and Robby bounces to the floor.  Robby rolls under a clothesline and hits a couple of kicks before taking him down with a cross body.  Vinnie comes back though with a tree slam for two.  Vegas goes to the middle rope and misses an elbow.  V keeps kicking away but Vegas only sways at the impacts.  Vegas reverses a whip and hammers away some more with the roughhouse.  Robbie just keeps kicking away and does the ten punch  beofre he gets reverse atomiced.  V misses a moonsault and Vegas rolls the dice... and it comes up Snake Eyes!

 

The best G.I. Joe.

 

Shut up Duke!

 

It's not even close!

[goc]

How is Jeff Gaylord so bad and awkward when all Marc Lowrance wants to tell me about is how he was such a highly recruited athlete coming out of high school.

[Goodear]

Did someone mention Charlie Norris?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7sjShGgd2E

 

Charlie Norris is probably better known for not existing.  Regal is in full Lord Steven with Sir William Dundee mode and does a fine insert promotion on Sting with their match upcoming on the Muthaship.  They lock up in an extended collar-and-elbow before Steven gets a headlock.  Charlie gets a shoulder and Regal sells it like a he was hit by a truck which Tony the Shiv and The Red Rooster play this off like Regal is baiting a trap.  Regal counters smoothly into a headlock but gets a hip toss for his troubles.  Regal pauses for a bit and retreats to the corner for a time out.  Terry Taylor talks about his upcoming match with Stunning Steve and it comes off nicely as an underdog getting ready for a match where he isn't favored.  One thing WCW did well at times was make things seem like an actual sporting competition and it shows well here.  This treatment extends to the match up as Regal continuously resets after any move from Norris like "taking a time out in basketball".  Really, Regal is walking Norris through this thing at a snail's pace and it does come off as a carry job but the commentary does a nice job of covering.

 

Regal goes to the wrist and uses it to counter a proposed tomahawk chop.  Regal steps on the inseam to break Norris down but Norris counters a whip with a backdrop.  He follows with chops but William grabs his leg and leads Charlie on a merry chase.  Regal attacks from behind and manages to take Norris down by the ropes for an assisted pinning combination for the win.  Regal did his best here to gingerly walk Norris through something but it wasn't something good.  The wrist control segment didn't go long enough to be interesting or play into anything.  Norris had Erik Watts level athletic ability and he drug this into a sewer of turtle crap.  He was a total blank slate of a worker who left me wanting more Tatanka.

[Goodear]

Tatanka vs. The Miz

 

 

I was looking for surly old man Tatanka and came across what appears to be The Miz's debut on Smackdown.  JBL buries him under a airplane tarmac.  He actually compared Miz to the Red Rooster and I had no idea that Terry Taylor would be the string that holds this entire thread together.  The Miz grabs the microphone and I fight the urge to fast forward through it.  I just hope Tatanka chops the flesh from his chest.  The Miz is desperately trying to get "Huu Rah" over as a catch phrase and boy is he even more annoying that you might have remembered.  He actually does an arm drag and does the robot.  

 

Miz follows that up by mocking Tatanka's heritage and gets his chest caved in as a response.  Miz tries to sucker him in and and gets chopped again.  A chop from Tatanka at this point may as well be a shotgun blast to the face.  Miz blocks a backdrop attempt with a knee to the face and a belly-to-back suplex for a couple of two counts.  Tatanka comes back with some nice backhand strikes and a mother of a chop.  Chop!  CHOP!  To the top he goes but Miz goes to the apron and gets.. CHOPPED.  Miz actually fans his chest its hurting so bad and its that kind of stuff that made me actually like Miz as a whiny brat heel.

 

Welcome home Miz.  Welcome home.

 

Miz gets knocked back into the ring but the referee gets in the way long enough for Miz to rake Tatanka's eyes and take him down with a backslide with the ropes for a three.  Surly, old Tatanka makes my cold, crusted heart sing.  Mmmm yes.  What a good effort brought about with not a damn thing but chops that would make a mother proud.

[Goodear]

Debuts are fun!

 

 

I honestly did not know Goldust was Dustin Runnels during he introductory vignettes.  He debuts here against Marty Jannetty who is probably best known as the guy who wasn't as successful as his tag team partner The 1-2-3 Kid.  The match starts fast here as Marty bounces Goldust around at the start.  Goldust actually does a Jannetty flip bump off a clothesline on the floor as Dustin slows everything down to crawl to restart.  Goldust rolls Jannetty up as his first move and rocks him with a right hand to follow up.  

 

Goldust just doesn't have the character down yet and doesn't seem to know how to stream things together.  There are no homosexual allusions to the character at this point.  There really isn't a character at all at this point beyond being in a weird outfit to be honest.  He's just a guy doing stuff and it doesn't work really well at this point.

 

Goldust clobbers Marty with a clothesline to take command and uses the right hand to nice effect.  Dust goes into a loose chinlock to kill some time.  A back body drop gets Goldust a two before going to town with punches in bunches.  Marty pulls Goldust over the top rope and slams him into the steps.  But Goldust reverses a headlock and sends Jannetty into a ring post.   Goldust goes back to the chinlock.

 

Marty escapes briefly but bumps himself over the top rope.  Goldust sets too early though and eats a rocker dropper.  Marty goes to the top rope for the fist but Goldust is out of the way so Jannetty lands on his feet.  Marty does some more stuff and goes for the fist again but lands onto a boot from the underneath.  A gourd buster later and Goldust gets the win.  This is pretty much a snore to be honest, I think Dustin gave Marty too much here and hadn't really found the groove yet working the new character.

[Matt D]

I wrote that up in december.

 

Goldust (debut) vs Marty Jannetty - In Your House - 10/22/95

Dustin had been on house shows for about a month and a half before this, mainly going up against Bob Holly so this isn't his first time in the gimmick or working heel, but it's definitely early on and the first time on TV/PPV. Marty explodes from the get go causing Goldust to hit the floor and stumble around the ringside area/ramp. It's not the worst idea since it let's the crowd get a look at him without his wig/robe for the first time. Just when Dustin is about to turn around and rush back in Mary nails him with a clothesline which Dustin does his twisting bump for, onto the concrete. Jannetty rolls him in but he slinks right back out and sort of highsteps away. The body language wasn't quite down yet. He stalls around the ring as Jannetty does the chicken dance in the ring. Weird way to debut a character. They do a little chain wrestling, leading to a roll up by Goldust. After the kick out, he's ready with a huge punch. Jannetty comes back with a flurry of their own ending with a Frankensteiner. This keeps on for a bit, spirited stuff with some good strikes and back and forth. It culminates with a huge Dustin clothesline which Jannetty does an even larger flip sell for. Not how I would have started the match if I was debuting him, but it was good action nonetheless. 

Goldust's control segment is strong for the most part. His offense is well paced and a grounded chinlock works here because Jannetty is good at working from the bottom and keeping it interesting. One thing that's coming out from watching these (as well as endless babyface Dustin matches) is that he's very good at pacing and layering hope spots. At one point Jannetty looks like he's going to clothesline Goldust on the top rope from the apron but actually snapmares him outside instead, which is a crazy spot. The cutoff here is that (apparently signature) Jannetty kidney bump into the post. After a suplex in, Dustin goes back to the chinlock base. Again, at the time, I could see why people might not have liked this element of Dustin's work, but against the right opponent it's tried and true and effective to lead into hope spots. They flub a Jannetty flip over counter to a back body drop, but then he misses a splash into the corner and you'd swear his face goes right into the post. Goldust follows up with a DDT for a two count, but Jannetty comes back with a rocker dropper. Instead of going for the pin he goes for the fist drop off the top. Goldust moves. Jannetty lands on his feet and hits a fun elbow drop on a kneeling Dustin. Three fired up clotheslines later, Jannetty goes for the fist drop again, only to eat a foot. Goldust gives him the thumbs down and a goardbuster for the three.

This was definitely good but way too competitive for a debut. Good match, wrong circumstance.

[Goodear]

"Good match, wrong circumstance" is probably the perfect way to put it.  Marty just wasn't anything in the pecking order at this point and Goldust worked even with him for the most part.  It was like he was trying to get his sea legs back after a lay off and decided to work out the kinks here and it just wasn't the place for it.  Not that Goldust should have squashed him like a bug or anything, but it was too much.

[Goodear]

It's Lucha Libre day on the Wild Youtube Ride!  

 

I don't shit about shit when it comes to lucha except I hate Blue Panther and love me some Rush and Negro Casas.  Apologies to everyone I am sure to offend especially you thecubsfan!  

 

Atlantis, Blue Panther & Volador Jr. vs. Gran Guerrero, Shocker & Ultimo Guerrero

 

 

The direction of CMLL as far as camera work is concerned is maddening, the cutaways can be especially jarring at times just like when Blue and Ultimo get started with some mat stuff.  The sequence is actually pretty good as they don't get too cooperative with the transitions from hold to hold.  Things break down and Atlantis grabs Gran (?) into a backbreaker for the first fall.

 

The second fall ends in short fashion which isn't a surprise for the style with Shocker hitting Volador with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a pin and one of the Guerreros hooking up a modified stretch muffler on Blue for a submission.  The timing of the second fall was a lot less on point here as Atlantis and Shocker seem to be moving so gingerly.  A corner clothesline on Atlantis was especially awkward.  The camera guy takes the opportunity to get a shot of a lady in a tank top hopping up and down in the audience because he's objectifying her.  

 

Fall Three sees the rudos triple up on Atlantis as Blue and Volador are still recovering from fall number 2.  The isolation stuff continues as the heels gang up on all the faces in turn.  Panther is not made to brawl and his segment here getting bounces on the outside is not great.  Volador turns the tide with a handstand elbow and the match settles back down to one-on-one.  Volador is super athletic but he gets lost on transition on occasion and flubs stuff that should be basic.  Atlantis and Ultimo go into going to the fans to see who is more popular which is an odd choice in fall three.  Ultimo makes up for it by taking a super bump to the outside after missing a knee in a corner.  Things break down for a bit with it coming down to Ultimo and Atlantis in the ring where Atlantis puts himself into position for an avalanche gourdbuster in a pretty weird way of getting to what could have been a good finish.

[Goodear]

Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr., Tigre Rojo Jr. vs Blue Center, Boby Zavala, El Cavernario

 

 

The first fall is almost entirely domination by the rudos as the wrestling caveman picks up the fall with a springboard splash that looks really bad.  I'm not sure I understand the lucha obsession with rudo referees or long sleeve tight shirts.  

 

The second fall goes the way of the first as the heels just gang up on any fresh technico that gets in the ring.  Finally the faces get something going and hit a trio of suicide dives.  Delta especially creams Cavernario and drives him two rows deep into the crowd.  The match sort of restarts though as Guerrero Maya and Cavarnario go at it with stuff.  Things just sort of break down as the referee shoves Tigre out of the ring and Cavarnario goes about blowing every forth thing he tries.  He finally uncles Maya with a backcracker submssion.  Blue Center completes the sweep by catching Tigre coming off a springboard with a powerbomb.  I want the audience member with the air horn to die.

 

A deviation from normal structure!  Instead of the usual two quick split falls, we get a more extended first and second segment.  Not that the execution was good or anything (because it twern't), but it helps to break up the usual routine.  

[Goodear]

Sky Kid & Smaker vs. Boby Zavala & Olimpico

 

 

What's a Smaker?  Long sleeve t-shirts are in full effect for the S&SK team as are strange parrot fin things on their masks.  First fall feels very by-the-numbers with all of the usual lucha stuff in effect with nothing surprisingly good or bad.  

 

The second fall is not so kind as Sky Kid gets very tentative in his running and he takes the world's slowest tilt-a-whirl backbreaker from Olimpico.  Sky Kid gets eliminated from the second fall with a pinning combination and Smacker is on his own.  But he quickly rallies with a pair of flying body scissors to even it back up.  Again, altering the formula is a good idea, but the rest of this is paint-by-numbers. 

 

The third fall begins with a quicker pace and Smaker tries to go back to the same well that won him the second fall but Olipico kicks away.  Olimpico tries to capitalize with a swanton but Smaker is out the way.  The energy here is virtually none as they do things with no heat at 9/10ths speed.  It's not bad, per say, just listless at times.  Olimpico is eliminated with a small package and Boby is on his own as the technicos go to work.  They double up for a while before Boby catches Sky Kid with a powerbomb to even the sides.  Smaker goes to the top for a splash and gets two.  Boby uses his powerbomb again and gets the win for the rudos.  This is ... well it totally exists that is for sure.

[Matt D]

I never mentioned this anywhere else but this note seems safe for it: I swear when watching 2014 Casas matches, you can sometimes see him trying to direct the camera to where he wants it to be from inside the ring.

[Goodear]

Negro Casas you say?

 

 

Negro Casas vs. Rush (Hair vs. Hair)

 

So.  

 

Lucha Libre huh?  

 

This is what if the world danced to the wishes of Mark "Goodear" Goodhart, what lucha would be.  No lie.

 

Here is what Rush and Casas get that some lucha guys don't.  

 

It's a fight.  

 

In the end its a contest where two guys are trying to beat each other and no amount of fancy stuff is going to matter when the other guy is willing to kick you in the mouth.  Rush and Casas strike and strike well with Rush getting the advantage because he's 20-30 pounds heavier (all muscle).  Casas is willing to go toe-to-toe to his detriment because he isn't going to take no guff from no whipper snapper.  But he is only really going to get ahead working the angles, picking his spots and taking the bigger man down anyway he can.  Even their high spots are grounded enough that they look like the most advantageous way of hurting the other guy as opposed to showing the world what they can do to be impressive.  But nothing got the response from me that Rush simply kicking Casas in the face while the veteran was coming into the ring did.  The arrogance from Rush and the disdain he has for Casas is palpable.  It's great character work.

 

Okay the second fall finish was a bit blown as Casas lost an arm during La Magistral cradle and Rush had to put it position himself.  That's the flaw in this one.  Its a shame but the hell with it.

[Goodear]

And then you have...

 

 

Black Panther, Blue Panther & Cachorro vs. Felino, Puma & Tiger

 

What a bunch of cutesy pooh "this only works because we're totally cooperating" dancing gibber jabber.  I feel like a high school English teacher going over a D- paper.  Circling spots in the second fall that belong in the third.  Reminding them that you need to actually transition from taking a powerbomb/backstabber into a powerbomb into getting the submission (7:30).  Reminding old people that they shouldn't do ... whatever the fuck Blue did at the end with the attempted plancha (10:00).  Like watch the spots at 4:00 and 11:20 and tell me how it could possibly be more business exposing.

 

Davey Richards saw that and was like "Cool spot, bro.  Maybe throw in a triangle choke."

 

The whole thing is poorly constructed with garbage transitions.  Just a completely weak effort at putting together anything close to a story or even the bare bones of a narrative.  

[bucky]

Try this one, same teams but more of a brawl. If you don't like this then maybe modern CMLL isn't your thing. If you weren't aware, Tiger and Puma are Felino's sons and Cachorro and Black Panther are Blue Panther's boys.