EMLL in 1990 #4 - 1/26/1990

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Super Gallo & Remo Banda vs. Panico & Simbolo, CMLL 1/26/1990

Rather skippable match that was largely dominated by rudo shenanigans. Gallo is a fun character and got in some nice sequences, but the rest of this was cheap shotting. Both technicos took some nice bumps for the rudo beatdown and at least got the win in the end. Poor Banda seems to be unable to look blowaway good despite being clearly talented.

Ciclon Ramirez & Rafaga Azul & Octagon vs. Canelo Casas & Fuerza Guerrera & Jaque Mate

This started out with two really nice mat sections, one between Octagon and Canelo and one between Ramirez and Jaque Mate. Soon rudo tactics crept in though and Fuerza was punching people in the face. The rudo beatdown went a bit long, but they picked up the pace quick with some really fast rudo stooging and sequences. I‘m not sure if Octagons weird bottom rope dive was a mess up or he just kind of didn‘t feel like busting out a huge dive. Faces ended up winning 2:0 on kind of a fluke which felt a bit pointless even though it was a solid match.

Pierroth Jr. & Ulises & Gran Markus Jr. vs. Popitekus & Javier Llanes & Huracan Ramirez II

Really really good, long slow building match that was full of good exchanges and told a story. As usual we get two very good opening mat sections. Really enjoyed Ulises/Ramirez, there even was an UWF leglock, and Pierroth Jr./Llanes was good in a different way. Pierroth Jr. Really deserves to be considered up there with the likes of Fit Finlay when it comes to vicious badasses. He really worked over Llanes face in nasty fashion, who shot back by handling Pierroth by the mask. Popitekus/Gran Markus Jr. Was a heavyweight matchup and also really good, these two work their stuff in a way to really make themselves look like behemoths. Markus initially upset Popitekus by pulling his hair and tagged out, so the crowd was buzzing when they faced off for the second time. First fall was really long and developed as they really go deep on each matchup, which was really nice to see. They switch up the matchups in the second fall, with Popi engaging in some really cool quick exchanges. The eventual rudo beatdown was really good, as they kept mixing up the violence. First you got guys getting punched in the face, then getting booted in the face, finally Llanes got his kidney worked over in nasty fashion. Technicos seemed to be making a comeback but then the rudos made Popi take a gigantic bump over the rope, dispatched Ramirez and submitted Llanes. Pretty badass showing and got me excited for the bigger matchup of the rudos facing Los Brazos the next week!

Angel Azteca & Apolo Dantes & Cesar Dantes vs. Pirata Morgan & Verdugo & Hombre Bala

This started out with some comedy and shtick, but once they started wrestling, holy fuck they started wrestling! Plenty of tricky, unusal exchanges. Clearly Los Infernales are all timers at working a lucha trios. They probably lightened up their act a bit here, doing a lot of stooging and bumbling acts to send the fans home happy, but they still hit a lot of freaky triple team moves, including one where they gorilla pressed the other guy to the outside. 3Rd fall had more oddly coordinated multiman sequences and some really great stuff built around the STAR, including the Dantes brothers putting the REVERSE STAR on los Infernales. I‘m a sucker for a good star so I enjoyed al that. This was my first time seeing the Dantes brothers and they looked pretty good and decently athletic, but this was largely the Infernales show.

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EMLL in 1990 #3 - 1/19/1990

 

Martha Villalobos & La Diabolica vs. Pantera Surena & Zuleyma

Rarely do you see the ladies get +20 minutes in a CMLL TV match. The result was basic but a good match. Diabolica and Zuleyma did some fun wrestling to start. Villalobos was cool here, looking scuzzy and immediately using her size to squish people. They move to the beatdown section pretty fast. I know Surena as a kind of a superworker from her matches in AJW, but she didn‘t get to do a ton here. The 2nd fall had some really great, elaborate stooging spots. They did some more good wrestling in the 3rd before escalating the brawling again as Diabolica had apparently done something that really pissed off her opponents and they tried to unmask her. Some biting and hair pulling ensues. The rudas get the win even though it looked like excessive violence to me. Will be interesting to see what else we will get from the ladies in 1990 as this felt more like a taste of what they can do.

Canelo Casas & Panico & Comando Ruso vs. Remo Banda & Rokambole & Rafaga Azul

Canelo Casas – so young, so talented. Already really dedicated to being evil and bumping his ass off, but also looking like a talented wrestler on the offense. He was the standout in what was otherwise a quick undercard match. I mean, the video was well over 20 minutes, but it felt like a breeze. All the technicos got to do quick standing exchanges in the opening fall where they one upped the rudos, then we moved right on to the beatdown. Banda tries to be spectacular but had one slip up, and Rafaga looked quite graceful and cool. Comando Ruso is a short stocky guy who doesn‘t look like much at first with his Zbyszko stalling, but he is an effective rudo. I dig any wrestler who will take a flip bump when he misses a punch, and he hit a really, really pretty dropkick at one point. The 3rd fall could have been better as the rudos took the match quite easily. I look forward to seeing more Canelo Casas.

Javier Llanes & Americo Rocca & Huracan Ramirez II vs. Ulises & Pierroth Jr. & Super Halcon

This was one of those matches that makes you go „Man, Lucha Libre is beautiful.“ It wasn‘t some kind of grand classic but it was chock full of wonderful wrestling. The previous match mostly had standing exchanges, so here they start with some matwork and more story driven wrestling as Llanes and Pierroth went at each other, immediately teasing a brawl but going back to wrestling. Llanes looked really good here, like he could do it all. Super Halcons section with Americo Rocca was also quite beautiful and classical. Ulises and Huracan kept it simple and effective, with Ulises triumphing initially by hitting 3 really fast and pretty hip tosses, and then Ramirez retaliates by hitting 4 really fast and pretty hip tosses. Pierroth Jr. Is a monster rudo here, as he catches Llanes flying at him with a big punch, later he drags him over the ropes by the hair, just working exchanges in really rough fashion while stooging beautifully for everything the technicos did. The rudo beatdown starts in a really cool way, Halcon swings at Rocca and catches him in the face, it didn‘t even feel like it was a blow that was intended to hit but it caught Rocca by surprise, so Halcon shrugs and commences the beatdown. He had the feel of a guy who didn‘t mean to be a rudo, but god damn it he‘s old and lost his mask, he doesn‘t give a fuck anymore, he‘s gonna kick some ass. Ulises kicking Rocca in the face and in the nose was also quite Fuchi-like and unexpected. The third fall was quick as the technicos seemed to stage their grand comeback but then Halcon just kicked Llanes in the balls and pinned him casually. No rudo theatrics to that at all, just took advantage of the ref looking away and collected a pin.

Super Astro & Angel Azteca & Mascara Sagrada vs. MS-1 & Tierra Viente y Fuego & Herodes

This was a match that was buzzing from the get go. The faces wanted to throw hands with the rudos immediately and guys were attacking guys on the apron as if it was a heated AJPW 6 man. They worked some fast exchanges, but the animosity was always there. Astro as always looks incredible and the other two also got to look really good. Rudos were excellent stooges as you‘d expect. The match seemed to be building to a big cathartic ending but then it just ended, which was a bit of a weird choice for a main event. I expected the technicos to give the rudos an epic comeuppance but it just wasn‘t. Slightly disappointing although the first half or so was really good.

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