This is not necessarily a 2015 lucha libre MOTYC list, but rather if I was making a match compilation of the year in lucha these are the matches I would put on it. Matches range from merely good to excellent but all are worth watching for one reason or another.
The You Tube playlist as every match or highlight (in chronological order) assuming the match/highlight exists for free. Every match that only has a highlight can be purchased from Black Terry Jr. which I highly recommend doing for any match that is of interest.
The list will be updated periodically through the end of 2015.
Last updated: 11/02/15
playlist
* Super Fly, Drago & Carta Brava Jr. vs. Fly Star, Rayo Star & Guerrero Mixtico Jr. (Cara Lucha – 01/01)
From the one show Cara Lucha ran run show with AAA luchadores instead of CMLL luchadores. The main event became contentious and that particular deal fell apart. This match makes me wish things didn’t go south. Super Fly delivered in a featured role and was awesome riling up the always CMLL/AAA unfriendly crowd in Arena San Juan Pantitlan by wearing the mask he just lost for the first few minutes. Guerrero Mixtico is also a very underrated tecnico and looked good here. The main event brawl from the same that got out of control has gotten more hype but I thought this was the superior match.
* Maximo vs. Negro Casas (CMLL – 01/11/15)
Not at MOTYC-level but still the best mano a mano match from CMLL TV this year. The leg work was a break from the norm and both guys looked good in their respective roles.
* Hechicero, Magnifico I & Ultimo Guerrero vs. La Dinastia de la Muerte (Negro Navarro, Trauma I & Trauma II) (Cara Lucha – 01/31)
Really great first fall and a fun match overall. Trauma II and UG paired up and their mat work was quality stuff. I liked this a little bit more than the 01/01 trios and it was a little more mat-centric than that one as well.
* Myzteziz vs. Perro Aguayo Jr. (AAA – 02/08)
A great bloody TV match that ultimately would have served as the first major step toward a TripleMania mask vs. hair match if not for Perro’s untimely death. This is short, compact and violent. They do a couple of garbage spots since after all it was a AAA brawl, but otherwise they mainly work a no-nonsense bloody lucha brawl. The idea was to build anticipation for the apuesta match and they certainly accomplished that.
* Delta, Dragon Lee & Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Kamaitachi, Puma & Virus (ALL ELITE – 02/08)
An all CMLL match from February’s ALL ELITE Arena Mexico card. All six guys were on and seemed extra enthused working in front of the bigger crowd. Virus plays traffic cop while the other five provide a lot of quality, high impact offense.
* Negro Casas vs. Fuerza Guerrero (ALL ELITE – 02/08)
Two old pros wrestle an entertaining match in front of a very enthusiastic crowd. Rare Arena Mexico appearances by Fuerza, Dr. Wagner Jr., and LA Park led to a bigger-than-normal Sunday evening crowd and they were really into this one.
* LA Park & Volador Jr. vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. & La Sombra (ALL ELITE – 02/08)
There is a really cool fan cam of this match on YouTube that is shot from the front row. It brings you right into the action (largely a big time brawl with some neat dives as well) and provides an up close perspective on
* Sky Team (Mistico II, Valiente & Volador Jr.) vs. Euforia, Niebla Roja & Ultimo Guerrero (CMLL – 02/13)
CMLL Trios title switch. They built well fall to fall. Everyone did a little mat work at the start with UG standing out the most. Nothing over-the-top great but a nice start to a match that was ultimately defined by its high flying. Lots of great flying from the new Sky Team. UG ran around like a mad man all three falls catching the tecnicos, adding in his own cool submissions, and generally being the glue that held things together. The match petered out towards the end in terms of crowd reaction as they went with a few too many kick outs without saves.
* Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr. & The Panther vs. Virus, Puma & Tiger (CMLL – 03/03)
Five of these guys are very good so a lot of was going to have to go wrong for the match to not deliver. Not the best trios of the year but the kind of match that makes you wonder why CMLL can’t roll out this sort of quality on a weekly basis. The rudos looked excellent.
* La Resistencia (Kilvan, Rey Lobo Jr., Shadow & Yoruba) vs. Los Tortugas Ninja (Leo, Mike, Rafy & Teelo) (Cara Lucha – 03/07)
I don’t know if this is a great match but it is a perfect intro to the Turtles in that it demonstrates that they are more than just an act with hipster appeal. Lots of fun lucha arm drags and a big balcony dive at the end.
* Blue Demon Jr. vs. Villano IV (AAA – 03/18)
A bit of a throwback match that started with what could be described as mid-range maestro style mat work before turning into a hard hitting brawl. There were some great punches thrown and both guys bled a ton. For the end they go back to working submissions and the finish was satisfying. The downside is both guys only move so well these days. The dives weren’t exactly pretty (and Blue Demon was not interested at all in safely catching Villano IV). This is the match that Meltzer panned with one his arguments being (paraphrased) “the match would be laughed at in WWE”.
* Myzteziz & Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Perro Aguayo Jr. & Pentagon Jr. (AAA – 03/18)
Perrito’s last big match and Rey’s triumphant return home. An ideal match for Rey’s return. He hits several signature spots ultra-crisply. Perro and Pentagon served as great bases and foes for Rey. Myzteziz and Rey felt like a true super team which was the idea.
* Dragon Lee vs. Kamaitachi, mask vs. mask (CMLL – 03/20)
The semi-main event from Dos Leyendas. This is a big move apuesta match rather than a bloody brawl apuesta match, so don’t go in expecting the latter. The match was basically Kamaitachi and Dragon Lee going all out what was easily the biggest match of their careers to that point. Lots of big bumps, some great dives, and a lot of high impact offense. I could see some people hating this and others loving it. If pressed, I would prefer to watch a more traditional apuesta match. However, I would not necessarily want to see these two attempt to work that style of match because it is not what they do best. All-out high impact matches are what they do best and they did a really good job with that here.
* Dragon Lee vs. Virus (CMLL – 04/05)
CMLL’s way of following up on Dragon Lee’s big mask win the two weeks prior. I didn’t like this match as much as Virus’ best stuff from 2011 (Guerrero Maya Jr. title match), 2013 (Guerrero Maya Jr. title match) or 2014 (Titan title match) but it was still a Virus title match which means it was still well worth watching. Dragon Lee was a little tentative on the mat and the third fall did not quite peak to the level of a classic title match but there was still a lot to like. If nothing else, worth seeing for the end of Virus’ title reign; a reign that allowed him to be featured more prominently than he had been before.
* Virus vs. Avisman (Chilanga Mask – 04/12)
A maestro match worked almost exclusively on the mat prior to the final 45 seconds. Avisman is sort of lost in the shuffle over in IWRG but he more than held his own against Virus. One of the better maestro style matches of 2015.
* Leo vs. Mike vs. Rafy (Cara Lucha – 05/02)
More Turtles, this time wrestling one another. Better than your average 3-way, at least partially because lucha lends itself better to 3-ways with all of the arm drags and sliding out of the ring. They were able to more naturally get one guy out of the ring at all times without disturbing the usual flow. Match turns ugly at the end with some Turtle on Turtle violence. The ending was smart and the match did not overstay its welcome.
* El Barbaro Cavernario vs. Titan (CMLL – 05/03)
Title match and a re-match between the 2012 & 2014 En Busca de un Idolo winners. They spent the first fall almost exclusively on the mat and continued working holds for submission attempts throughout all three falls. The mat work was not anything top notch but it was very good and I liked how they put their own spin on things. Usual big dives from those two as well. It was missing a certain something from going to the next level, but it is still one of the better CMLL singles matches of the year.
* Rey Horus vs. Flamita (Chilanga Mask – 05/17)
Flyer versus flyer matches don’t always work and both guys might be better off working with a solid rudo base, but they did well versus one another. Great flying spots. They go a bit overboard at the end but I didn’t necessarily expect anything different.
* Titan & Volador Jr. vs. Bestia 666 & Flamita (Cara Lucha – 05/30)
A match designed to set up a Volador Jr./Flamita singles match but it ended up being better than the eventual payoff. The Volador/Flamita exchanges – particularly to start the match – were legitimate high-end stuff. The first example that comes to mind is the Low Ki/Red exhcnages from 2002. Bestia and Titan were window dressing for the main attraction. Lots of good dives as you would expect. Worth watching for the Volador/Flamita stuff, particularly if you are predisposed to liking fast, crisply executed exchanges.
* Angelico & Jack Evans vs. Cuervo & Escoria (AAA – 06/14)
Hairs versus hairs cage match. Sort of a hybrid between a U.S. indie cage match built around athletic spots and traditional cage match brawl. Evans had a few excellent spots using the cage. All four guys bled, even if the blood on Evans was negligible. Better brawling than you might expect from the tecnico team. The La Secta duo bumped all around the place. One of the better non-U.S. cage matches of recent memory.
* Aero Star vs. Bengala vs. Daga vs. Drago vs. El Hijo del Fantasma vs. Fenix vs. Laredo Kid vs. Steve Pain vs. Super Fly vs. Super Nova (AAA – 06/14)
AAA does not do ciberneticos so officially this was a 10-way match. Unofficially, it was the best cibernetico of 2015. The match is dive after dive after dive, most of which are high quality dives. The match threatens to crumble apart late after Fenix is injured and while the match becomes disjoined for a couple of minutes as a result, they manage to keep it together. Dive-for-dive the best match of its kind in 2015.
* La Dinastia Casas (Felino, Negro Casas & Puma) versus Crazy Boy, Pesadilla & Super Crazy (Lucha Libre Boom – 06/27)
As great as Casas is and as good as Puma can be when given the opportunity, my expectations were relatively low since Team Crazy are not the best of opponents and 2015 Felino usually does not try all that hard. So while this was maybe not a great trios, it is definitely worth watching if for nothing else how it exceeded expectations. Felino worked hard. The Crazys ended up being suitable – if nondescript – opponents for Team Casas. The match – particularly the third fall – is structured in a manner where Puma gets to shine (including picking up the deciding third fall victory). He was booked basically as a tecnico and treated the win like a huge deal. The match serves as yet another example about how much CMLL is underutilizing Puma and his brother.
* Dinastia © vs. Mini Psycho Clown for the AAA World Minis title (AAA – 06/28)
One of the better mini singles matches of the last few years. They work a tight, compact one fall match that leaves you wanting more but still feeling like you got your money’s worth. That is rarely accomplished these days. Even the seconds get into the act with Super Fly taking a couple of great bumps and Aero Star pulling off the dive of the match to chase off his old rival.
* Felino vs. Guerrero Mixtico Jr. (Cara Lucha – 07/11) *no highlights/match on You Tube but available from Black Terry Jr. *
Felino gets by doing the bare minimum on CMLL shows these days but seems to be bringing his working boots to the indies. Don’t go in expecting prime Felino smoothness and you won’t be disappointed. Mixtico did really well in what was a big singles opportunity for him but Felino was the real surprise.
* Ultimo Guerrero vs. Rey Escorpion, hair vs. hair (CMLL – 07/17)
I didn’t think this was much more than an okay mid-level apuesta match (***-ish) but I know others thought more highly of it so I’ll stick it on the list. The early punching was awesome. Otherwise, this was Guerrero working his post-mask loss big match complete with the dive into the crowd. I thought this lacked the drama to be a really great apuesta match. There was nothing wrong with it and is easy to watch, but not necessarily next-level stuff.
* Trauma I & Trauma II vs. Caifan & Dr. Cerebro (Chilanga Mask – 07/19)
Trauma II spends the first third of this match determined to out mat wrestle his opponents on his own and its awesome. The action (and Trauma II’s frustration) boils over leading to a hard hitting, higher impact style the rest of the way with the usual great submission work from these four peppered in. Probably the best lucha tag match of 2015 up through July.
* Esfinge, Guerrero Maya Jr. & Negro Casas vs. Bobby Zavala, Disturbio & Virus (CMLL – 07/24)
The 2015 En Busca de un Idolo tournament was disappointing, especially when directly compared with the 2014 version. The annual coaches/contestants trios in between the first and second round did not disappoint however. Rather than work the match strictly as an exhibition and showcase for the contestants, the match is worked around Casas getting ganged up on and continuing to fight back. Casas is so great in the role of sympathetic but tough old guy here. It added an additional layer of intrigue to a match that already had a solid hook.
* Blue Panther vs. El Satanico (Cara Lucha – 07/25)
A good maestros match and that was not exactly guaranteed given Satanico’s presence. 2015 Satanico is far less reliable on a match-by-match basis than some of his older maestro peers. The good Satanico showed up for this one. The mat work was slow-ish given the combined ages but never ceased to be entertaining. If you can, grab the Black Terry Jr. recorded version of this match. Satanico and Panther appear to almost be working towards his camera which provides several great close ups of submission holds.
* Leo vs. Hombre Bala Jr. (Cara Lucha – 07/25)
For my money, Leo is the best of the Turtles and he seems to get booked that way. Several promotions have given him singles match opportunities that have not been afforded to the other Turtles. I am not sure this is a great match but Bala and Leo show of their tools and upside that sometimes go unnoticed. It is a fun, breezy match that would have made for a good En Busca de un Idolo match this year. Most disappointing part of the match is that Leo ditches his shell – no doubt for added mobility – which is just . . . unnatural.
* Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Myzteziz (AAA – 08/09)
Dream matches rarely meet expectations and Rey/Myzteziz was no exception. They got stuck half way in between working a dream match and working an angle around Myzteziz turning rudo. The match was still good – easily the best of what was a poor TripleMania – but well below the great expectations many had. Rey looked good again and is hitting his flying stuff amazingly well for someone with his injury troubles and age.
* Virus vs. Dr. Cerebro (Chilanga Mask – 08/16)
Virus and Cerebro have one of the best matches of 2015 anywhere. If like me you spent most of the year waiting for Virus to break through the “very good match” barrier to “great” match” territory, he did here with Dr. Cerebro. The mat work is incredibly fluid and both guys have a seemingly everlasting supply of interesting holds. Virus and Cerebro fill the 15+ minutes they are given without much in the way of downtime which is not very easy to do. If you like mat work – particularly lucha style mat work – then this is a match you will want to watch.
* Blue Panther vs. Trauma II (Chilanga Mask – 08/16)
Another good mat based match. This wasn’t as smooth as Virus/Cerebro and Panther moved slower than either of those guys. They make up for it though with a boatload of interesting holds and submissions.
* Guerrero Maya vs. Guerrero Maya Jr. (Chilanga Mask – 08/16)
Maya Jr. was not at his best facing his mentor (Black Terry). The match had an odd structure where they ran through a basic opening that didn’t draw much heat and wasn’t anything special. They immediately changed course – as Terry is prone to do – and went into a bloody brawl. That portion was okay but too long. They could also never quite recover from the tenuous start. The match felt a bit disjointed and as said Maya Jr. had an off night. Having said all of that, still well worth checking out if bloody lucha brawls are your thing.
* Hechicero & Ultimo Guerrero vs. Caifan & Avisman (Chilanga Mask – 08/16)
The second best match on a stacked Chilanga Mask card that would have been the best match on most other shows. Cool to see Caifan and Avisman receive this sort of spotlight against top shelf CMLL guys. As expected, they more than held their own. UG was a little more formulaic than in his best 2014/2015 indie appearances but even so performed at a level way above where he was in the few years prior to his mask loss. Quality mat work and a very solid build.
* Torneo Cibernetico: Blue Panther Jr. vs. Bobby Zavala vs. Canelo Casas vs. Delta vs. Disturbio vs. Esfinge vs. Flyer vs. Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Negro Casas vs. Virus (CMLL – 08/28)
The two best matches of the 2015 En Busca de un Idolo tournament were two matches that weren’t part of the tournament proper – the mid-tournament trios and this post-tournament cibernetico. Not a MOTYC by any means but they eliminated the dead weight relatively early and the guys you would expect to look good looked good. Virus/Casas was the highlight as expected but Maya/Zavala had some good stuff together as well.
* LA Park, Volador Jr. & Atlantis vs. Dr. Wagner Jr., Rush & La Sombra (CMLL – 08/28)
Wagner’s and Park’s returns to Arena Mexico drew a big and more enthusiastic crowd than usual for a Friday night Arena Mexico show. The match felt big and was wrestled big. Intense brawling from all six and well placed dives defined the long main event. Things never got boring. This felt fresh and exciting in a way 2015 CMLL rarely does. The match was one of those great build-up trios where you come away from it wanting to see every singles match combination possible. Too bad all of that was short lived by LA Park getting himself into immediate trouble.
* Dragon Lee vs. Kamataichi for the CMLL World Lightweight championship (CMLL – 08/30)
The best of the Dragon Lee/Kamataichi singles bouts from this year. Almost all of the sloppiness or goofy pop up stuff from the prior matches was gone here. Even more importantly, the built the match almost entirely around call back spots and variations of their normal spots which was perfect given how often they have squared off. I am not sure any other 2015 match (lucha or otherwise) did as strong of a job of building off of prior matches in such a transparent and fun manner. Likely the best singles spot fest of the year.
* Aero Star, Argenis & Bengala vs. Daga, Hijo de Pirata Morgan & Steve Pain (AAA – 08/31)
As Rob Bihari put it, this is the match (or type of match) that should have been booked for TripleMania in an effort to convert Lucha Undergound fans into AAA fans. I will go one step further and say this was better than any trios match from Lucha Underground’s first season. A tremendously fun fast paced match. Aero Star’s offense and Pain’s ability to take that complicated offense served as the match’s highlights but there were very few – if any – low lights. Ricky Marvin looked good and the ultra-brief opening mat work with Daga at the very least was well executed and something different.
* Chessman © vs. Psycho Clown for the AAA Latin America championship (AAA – 08/31)
I am not sure this is the absolute best match these two were capable of. I can come up with a couple of small things (like Chessman doing the spear through the ropes spot) and some larger things (blood) that would have theoretically improved on what they did do. However, it was pretty darn close to their best effort. Chessman worked hard, Psycho was way over like usual, and the match built really well to the conclusion. This was also a rare AAA match where the interference (Pentagon as Chessman’s second) was done in a way that enhanced the match rather than detracting from it. Not a top level 2015 lucha singles match but definitely a really well done TV main event.
* Australian Suicide, Super Nova & Venum vs. Carta Brava Jr., Machine Rocker & Super Fly (AAA – 08/31)
The opener of the second TV episode taped at the 8/31 set of tapings. I think I liked this match even more than the previously mentioned Aero Star one from the same taping. The rudo side is a veritable AAA low card rudo dream team while the tecnicos all have great flashy offense. Everything said about the other trios from this taping could be said about this one. Super Fly continues to be severely underutilized as he was once again great in this match.
* Rey Mysterio Jr. & Fenix vs. Myzteziz & El Mesias (AAA – 08/31)
Now this is more like it. After the semi-disappointment that was the Myzteziz/Rey dream singles match and the definite miss that was the Verano de Escandalo main event, Rey got back on track with a great match. Mesias looked better than he all year in AAA and channeled some of that intensity he’s shown on Lucha Underground. Myzteziz is a great rudo. Almost makes you wish this happened sooner. However, Rey was the key to the match working so well. His comebacks were well timed and if you didn’t want to see him kick Myzteziz’s ass after this match then I don’t know what to say. [As an aside, this entire 8/31 TV taping taken as one show is definitely a lucha – if not worldwide – show of the year candidate].
* Dragon Rojo Jr., Polvora & Virus vs. Angel de Oro, Blue Panther & Rey Cometa (CMLL – 09/11)
A solid mid card trios match highlighted by some incredibly fun exchanges between Virus and Blue Panther. Really makes you want to see an extended feud between those two. This match was also as good as I have seen Angel de Oro. He rolled out a ton of neat offense and executed it all cleanly.
11/02 update
Fenix, Psycho Clown & Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Brian Cage, El Mesias & Myzteziz (AAA – 09/13)
Rey has found his groove in AAA, at least in tags and trios. Singles matches have been and likely will continue to be more of a challenge. AAA not only has to find the right opponent for him but then the booking will have to stay out of their way which is probably asking for a lot. In trios like this one, Rey has looked really good. This was still a AAA trios in layout, which meant early brawling that almost always outstays its welcome, but Rey was really good at adding a few cool spots to that section to keep it from becoming totally monotonous. Rey is also one of the best babyfaces ever so his selling of an extended rudo beat down means more than when others were in the same role. Myzteziz & Rey continued to feud but ultimately this was just a fun TV trios that you get from AAA when they are hitting their marks.
El Barbaro Cavernario © vs. Triton (CMLL – 09/16)
It is a small sample size – just two title matches versus Titan and this one versus Triton – but Cavernario seems to have his own ideas on how best to work a CMLL title match. The touches he has put on his title matches are relatively small – we are not talking about style altering changes – but nonetheless noteworthy and positive. In this match (as in the Titan matches) the first two falls were not rushed like the first falls of many modern CMLL title matches are. There was mat work at the beginning but it felt like an extension of what Cavnernario normally does. In other words, it did not feel pigeonholed into the match in a manner title match mat work sometimes does. Canvernario and Triton also did not save up all of their bullets for the third fall. The third fall did have the majority of big spots, but they threw enough into the first two falls to make those falls feel important and not just a roadblock on the road to the third fall. Like with the Titan matches, it felt like you were watching a full match because of how they laid out the falls. This might have been Triton’s career performance. He had a some shaky moments but some spectacular ones as well. If you found the Dragon Lee/Kamaitachi title matches to be a bit too “spot-spot-spot” paced but generally liked the spots, then this match might be happy medium. The spots aren’t as good (partially because these two didn’t have a history to draw on) but the pacing and transitions in Cavernario/Triton are a little more thoughtful than in the Dragon Lee/Kamaitachi matches.
Centurion & Latigo vs. Fly Warrior & Mr. Leo (Cara Lucha – 9/16)
Despite Chilanga Mask having the lucha indie show of the year (probably) on August 16th, I still have Cara Lucha as the better promotion in 2015 because of mid-card matches like this one. We haven’t got as many – if any – quality undercard matches like this featuring all relatively under the radar wrestlers from Chilanga Mask. This tag is marked by a handful of innovative but believable spots, the highlight of which was a great flip over counter into a rear choke by Mr. Leo. Someone needs to steal that (or better yet, Mr. Leo needs a higher profile). I thought this was better than the trios match on the next show that this match set up. It was a little cleaner and the spots were generally better. Latigo is a good base with some flashy mat spots of his own, while Centurion looked good and Fly Warrior was okay. In another example of what sets Cara Lucha apart from the rest, this wasn’t some throw away undercard match even if it appeared that way on paper, as Fly Warrior joined with Centuiron and Latigo post match to form a new group.
Atlantis vs. La Sombra, mask vs. mask (CMLL – 09/18)
The 82nd Anniversary show main event was probably was one of those “too big to fail” type of matches. It would have been difficult to screw up a match of that magnitude, between two good workers, in front of a large and emotionally invested crowd. At the same time, the match owes it success to more than just his advantageous circumstances. The entire thing was laid out in a well thought out and vastly entertaining fashion. Rush added heat to the match better than any other second this year. The construction of the finishes were spot on. The first fall finish established Atlantis as the favorite, put heat on La Sombra, and paid off the need for Ingobernable interference (without weighing down the entire match) in a satisfying manner all in one fell swoop. The definitive nature of La Sombra’s second fall victory without any outside assistance and the fact that it did not come out of nowhere like many second fall finishes do was the perfect way to put doubt back into the outcome. Rush’s late third fall reappearance – after the wrestlers pulled off a couple of impressive false finishes on their own – threw the result back up in the air. The entire last two minutes of the match had all sorts of drama because of the layout and execution from all parties. I would rank La Sombra/Atlantis over Atlantis/Ultimo Guerrero – which had many of those same dramatic elements – for two reasons. One, I thought the layout was a bit stronger. Guerrero/Atlantis was laid out like a relatively normal match (save for a few memorable sequences) that benefited from the emotion of a major mask match. Secondly, the offense and execution was a little bit better here. Atlantis and La Sombra did not miss a beat the entire match. Having watched the match several times, there are no virtually no sloppily executed moves or noticeable miscommunication. At this juncture of the year, Atlantis vs. La Sombra is my favorite lucha match of 2015, my MOTY overall, and the best mask vs. mask match since Villano III/Atlantis from March, 2000.
Pentagon Jr. vs. Bestia 666 (The Crash – 10/02)
Full disclosure – I am not as high on Pentagon Jr. as most are. He has a great look and a strong presence but if I were to pick the best “Lucha Underground by way of AAA” guys, Pentagon would be solidly behind Fenix, Aerostar, Jack Evans, and Mil Muertes. This match was in Pentagon Jr.’s wheelhouse, however. He essentially got to beat up Bestia 666 for fifteen minutes using a variety of dangerous looking weapons (light tubes chief among them). He was fine in that role just like he has been when given the chance to show off that side of himself in Lucha Underground, but Bestia 666 was the star of the match. This is not a perfect analogy but it kind of felt like one of those Cactus Jack/Triple H matches (2000 Royal Rumble maybe?) where Foley killed himself but Triple H got put over a killer. The match wouldn’t have worked without Bestia killing himself on light tube shots to the head and back, dangerous chair shots, ect. He also made some spirited comebacks that helped pick up the action after Pentagon spent a little too long in setting up certain spots. Fans of lucha extrema and guys killing themselves with weapons will like this. Overall, I thought it was better than the bloodier but slower Wagners vs. Ninja’s cagematch from Monterrey in terms of recent lucha predicated on violent spots.
El Hijo del Fantasma, El Texano Jr. & Myzteziz vs. Garza Jr., Psycho Clown & Rey Mysterio Jr. (AAA – 10/4)
Another solid Rey trios, this time from the Heroes Immortales pay-per-view. The major fault of the match was not anything the wrestlers themselves actually did but was more of a booking issue. This felt like a good TV main event, not a semi-main event of a major PPV with two of the promotion’s major stars involved. I am not sure there was any way they could have worked the match differently to make it feel bigger. The match was Rey vs. Myzteziz with largely random partners and there is only so much that can be done to make that kind of match up stand out over a normal TV main event. Garza Jr. looked solid in his debut, sticking to mainly well-known Hector Garza spots. He was smooth in the ring and has a good look so along with the name, so it is not hard to see why he is someone AAA might want to push hard.
Shockercito vs. Demus 3:16, hair vs. hair (CMLL – 10/16)
A short but very good mini’s hair match. Shockercito is probably not an all-time great mini tecnico but I think in the current landscape he is the closest thing there is to an heir to the Mascarita Sagrada/Mascarita Dorada/Tzuki brand of spectacular flying mini’s. His multi rotation head scissors were as breathtaking as always and his tope was reminiscent of the great tope’s his namesake would often hit back when he gave a damn. The most impressive part of Shockercito’s performance was energy and fire. As an unmasked tecnico who is not small enough to illicit sympathy on the basis of his size alone, Shockercito gave an excellent babyface performance. Demus was a fine base and had enough interesting offense to get by. The first fall was nothing and the third felt a bit rushed, but they backed a lot into the 10 minutes of time they were given. It is a shame they were so rushed for time because I think the match would have benefited from two-three more minutes but as is, this is one of the better sub-10 minute matches of 2015.
