Arena Coliseo Monterrey (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico)
Pro Wrestling history is littered with examples of very good wrestlers whose period of highest mainstream exposure coincided with a weaker portion of their careers. These guys are usually remembered (fondly or not) for a body of work in their career that paled in comparison to their truly worthwhile contributions. Jerry Lawler might be the poster boy for this phenomenon. El Dandy is not far behind. El Dandy is somewhere in the top tiers of all-time great luchadores, but his place in American wrestling history will always be as the nondescript WCW luchador who Bret Hart warned us not to doubt.
Now 51 years-old, Dandy is on his retirement tour and hooks up with his longtime and storied rival, Satanico, for a match in Monterrey. The match certainly had the feel of a retirement tour bout. Dandy and Santico embrace at the beginning and start the match laughing and smiling. The match starts at least with a celebratory tone more than anything else.
They exchange holds and work the mat, both wrestlers certainly moving in a way that reveals their age. Neither one is exactly Negro Casas in that regard. However, to call the match slow might be misleading. Their movements are deliberate and careful. I’d even go “slow” for that. However, they got a fine pace and keep things moving along just fine. To me, that’s more important than the fact that two 50+ year old wrestlers are moving like two 50+ year old guys.
The joviality of the match goes away mid-contest. Dandy starts to toy around with Satanico on the mat and in releasing holds, until Satanico has had enough. He pouts and retreats to the ramp, where he teases leaving the match altogether. It was such an old-guy move. It reminded me of my grandfather and father were you can joke around with them but there were (are) always these undefined limits where they suddenly do not find it funny anymore. Satanico no longer found Dandy to be funny.
When the match picks up, it is more of the same with perhaps a bit more intensity, a little more striking, and a little more bumping. Dandy steals the pin, just barely keeping Satanico’s shoulders down long enough for the 3-count. Satanico protests – they will meet again during the Dandy retirement tour hence the quick pin – but the two rivals shake hands afterwards.
Fun match that wasn’t too slow as too cause any issues. Dandy looked like a wrestler here who is getting out at the right time. He can still go, but not at anywhere approaching a very high-level. It is best to just let his legacy speak for itself now, even if that legacy will be something entirely different in the US then it is in Mexico.
Lucha Singles | Worthwhile | El Dandy Retirement Match
