[1996-11-22-CMLL] El Hijo del Santo & Scorpio Jr & Bestia Salvaje vs Negro Casas & El Dandy & Hector Garza

[Loss]

[Loss]

I'm assuming this is where Santo actually turned? He comes out incognito before revealing himself and joining Scorpio and Salvaje. This is a fantastic, super-heated match with lots of rudo aggression. Santo just steps into this role like he's been doing it all his life. He takes no offense at all from the technicos for the first two falls, which is a smart way to build heat for future matches. Casas is a bloody mess and his selling of this mass destruction is off the charts. When Dandy gets a bulldog on Santo in the third fall, the building explodes. These two have some great exchanges and we get the most awesome War Games-like babyface comeback toward the end, with Casas getting a second wind while Dandy tries to rip Santo's mask off. But Casas' comeback gets cut off, and I can just hear Jim Ross freaking out in the back of my head, as this has definite elements of old school NWA or Mid South. Santo does a hate-filled promo to cap things off holding Casas hostage and continuing to destroy him. MOTYC.

 

The first time I've seen this. I've seen the rematch a week later before, and I'm excited to watch it again now having seen this.

[Tim Evans]

Real good match with Santo just being pure evil. The way he reacts to a fan throwing a drink at him is great. I think something like this is the only way he can actually return to CMLL.

[Zenjo]

A famous angle as Santo does the unthinkable. It all stemmed from his hatred of Casas, who he relentlessly targeted here. It wasn't until later on that he even engaged with the other opponents. The first two falls were all Negro being triple teamed which lends itself more to storyline development than workrate. The tecnicos fight back in the 3rd and Santo's mask is ripped. One of my pet hates but it's traditional I guess. This certainly had it's moments although brawling tornado trios aren't my cup of tea.

[PeteF3]

CMLL's answer to the Hogan turn, as Santo can't stand the fact that Negro Casas is a technico and sells his soul to do something about it. His fight is initially purely with Casas, and Dandy and Garza are too stunned to react to it. They milk and milk and milk this technico comeback for as long as possible, with Casas selling his ass off and Santo instantly becoming an unbelievable prick. When the technicos finally do take the gloves off, it's a comeback for the ages, including a bloody Casas re-emerging from the dressing room and Dandy and Santo chopping the shit out of each other. Of course, the rudos have had the upper hand throughout the entire match, with Salvaje having promised a surprise in his pre-taped interview, so the result is pretty inevitable. Alfonso Morales goes between shock, being nearly on the verge of tears, to practically ready to leap out of his seat and go into the ring himself to give Santo what for. A great match but an even greater angle makes for the best lucha segment of the year (at least possibly until next week).

[JKWebb]

http://placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-150-101/

 

#126

 

What a performance from Casas, and the turn seemed so cool here. I'll be looking forward to watching this feud build when I get to it someday. I just thought Casas delivered a major performance - great stuff. ****

[soup23]

Hate and betrayal. This is the story of what happens when one man can show you the darkness. Santo being in the cape and crotching down was great as he disrobed and started attack. I think El Dany sold everything the best as he was excellent in getting his revenge spots and going after Santo. ****

[tim]

Man, I remember the second trios being an all-time classic but this match, while being a wild angle, not exactly a great match in itself. Well, it's a wild angle and damn incredible match! Total chaos for the entirety of the match. This was like a back-alley gang beatdown with no remorse. And when the technicos finally get a comeback they're every bit as furious. Poor Hector Garza spends the first two falls trying to reason with Santo, but once Casas has Santo down in the third fall and is stomping away at his head, Hector keeps him from rolling out of the ring! Awesome spot. Just about every moment in this match is an awesome, brutal spot. I can't wait for the rematch.

[cactus]

Fun chaotic lucha brawl with zero down time. This is my first time seeing Santo work as a heel and he did a fantastic job. 

★★★★

[WingedEagle]

Was Santo a mystery partner here or teasing whether he'd work rudo/tecnico before joining the fray?