Puerto Rico Wrestling

[rzombie1988]

Ah hey what do you know, the pictures I posted are of that Loser Leaves Town match with Ayala.

[rzombie1988]

Huracan Castillo Jr. v. Miguel Perez Jr. - Dog Collar Match 1991

These two were so wasted in WWF. Shit, it was the time of blood and gimmick matches, they could have done so much with Los Boricuas. Give them a hot latino valet to help them get some attention, put them into feuds with valuable players, book garbage matches with bucket of bloods on PPVs.

 

This thread seriously gives me the urge to watch that batch of WWC I have on some DVDs. Once I get done with my own WCW cross to bear.

 

Miguel Perez was really awesome. One of the most wasted workers of all time. He totally could compete with the crusierweights of WCW for highflying as well.

[Dylan Waco]

Ah hey what do you know, the pictures I posted are of that Loser Leaves Town match with Ayala.

Yeah I noticed that right after I saw it. Total bloodbath.

[Dylan Waco]

Harley Race v. Invader 1

 

 

This is not much of match really, but it's fun while it lasts. Harley is older than dirt here and the venue is really bizarre as it looks like WWC has downgraded to a little league field. Race brings tons of offense and takes a big bump over the top to the floor. I assume there is a double countout at this point as the match cuts off as they brawl away from the ring on the floor.

 

Ricky Santana/Rex King v. The Heartbreakers - Street Fight 1992

 

 

I keep referencing 90's Worldwide matches as reference points, but this was literally a battle of 90's Worldwide stars. Actually not sure if Cooley ever worked Worldwide, but pretty positive the other three did and Ricky Santana and Frankie Lancaster were two of the stars of the show. This is come as you are, craziness from the jump. I have no clue what is being used as a primary weapon but it looks like an actual piece of steel and some of the shots with it look really stiff. It's funny watching Lancaster work as a Bob Holly type, stiffing guys, crushing them, et, but sure enough here he is doing it. Santana is completely covered in blood and it's matting his hair and it is pretty damn vile. Santana wins off a leapfrog and a quick shot with a boot, but the heels fucking destroy them post-match including a hanging with a chain on Santana. This was violent and sleazy as anything I've watched so far.

 

Invader 1/Ricky Santana v. The California Studs - ?

 

 

I really liked the opening shine in this as Lee/DWB are great chickenshits even despite their size advantage and Invader/Santana are really good at working quick exchanges and simple attacks. Santana in particular has a really sharp elbow and throws a pretty brutal looking lariat at Lee. Santana gets cut down and the heels take over and they are just really excellent. DWB crushes Santana with an elbow drop and they go to this great spot where Santana gets posted on the floor and Lee and DWB surround him. Invader 1 tries to make the save and it just opens up the free heel to smack Santana into the steel again busting him open. Then Anthony takes him into the ring and throws the most deliberate punch ever right to the cut. It's a single punch and it had the effect of about twenty because of the way he positioned it in front of the camera. God the heel offense in this is both simple and outstanding. Both guys unload on punches from every angle - fistdrops, diving fists off the ropes, combo fists, straight punches, et. all thrown right to the cut. Santana for his part is awesome trying to fire up and just backing into the heel corner a bloody mess, running right through a DWB clothesline and then timing the hot tag perfectly off of Anthony's airballing a middle rope clothesline. Invader comes in on fire and the crowd explodes, but he quickly gets cut down with a foreign object shot and holy fuck does he slice himself up. This is an epic blade job as his blood completely covers both his torso and most of the upper body of Brian Lee. Again the heels attack the shit out of the cut. Meanwhile Santana is laid out in a heap on the floor totally out of it. This leads to some cool hope spots with Invader hopelessly stumbling around to every corner with his hand out practically begging to get the fuck out of dodge. All the sudden Invader's original partner for the match, Bronco, shows up in a suit and runs to the ring taking the place of Santana on the apron. I love the fact that Santana is still laying on the floor scrambled, meanwhile Bronco is now shedding his clothes and the crowd is going bananas for Invader to make the tag. There are about ten near falls, then Invader is finally able to make a tag and we get the heels bumping around like crazy. Akbar has had enough of this and slides a chair into the ring and The Studs spike piledriver Bronco on the chair, leaving him laid out in his dress pants and his partners blood. What do you know, WWC does it again

[Dylan Waco]

Ricky Santana v. Mr. Pogo - 9/10/88

 

 

It's really weird to see Pogo without his sickle, in a match without sharp objects or blading. This was basic, but in good way. Solid, well executed match. Pogo isn't super mobile here, but he comes across as a guy who could deliver big shots when he needed to and his offense is more varied than I remembered. Santana is a good babyface, with the right look and style for the era. Highlights were Pogo and Santana splatting on splash attempts, and Pogo's attempted senton where he landed nut first on Ricky's knees. Sunset flip finish is so 80's. Wrestling needs more matches like this.

 

Rock N Roll Express v. Ninja Express

 

 

Ninja Express is Pogo and Nagasaki. Technically there was nothing wrong with this, and individually everyone looked fine, but this was as heatless and boring an RnR's match as I've ever seen. I think the highlight was watching Ricky Morton use the a karate stance-backfist several times, presumably because he was wrestling Asians. Hot tag was weak and the finish was trash too. One of the worst things I've watched so far.

[Phil Schneider]

And one of WWC's most bloody matches: California Studs( Brian Lee and Dirty White Boy) vs Invader 1 and Ricky Santana:

Is this from the 80's or 90s?

[KrisZ]

1991.

[Phil Schneider]

Too bad that would have been a fun 80's set match

[KrisZ]

There is a lot of fun 1990-91 stuff that is on the WWC TV discs.

[Dylan Waco]

Carlos Colon v. Jason The Terrible - Barbed Wire Match 1989

 

 

There is no date listed other than 89 which may or may not be right. I have enjoyed Jason in the Stampede I've watched, but he annoys me early in this with some really weak looking strikes. Thankfully this picks up because Colon is Colon and he will bleed and sell his ass off to get a gimmick match over. He takes some headbutts from the mask, barbs in the head and there is a great camera shot of the barbs pressing into his back. Still I was fairly lukewarm on this until the big Colon comeback. He just unloads on Jason with these really stiff looking forearms, then rips his mask off and crushes him with masked headbutts until he busts him open. To Jason's credit he takes a lot of bumps into the barbed ropes, including a cool spot with Colon dropkicking him into the wire. Colon also threw a dropkick with the mask on which was fucking hysterical to me for some reason. Jason has another flurry, including a nice diving knee, but this is all about Colon fired up as hell, the crowd going batshit and Chicky Starr being chased to the back. There was also a super clever spot out of the figure-four with Jason reversing a really cinching in so Colon reaches up and pushes off of the ref to rock him back into position. Jason's face looks like the cover of a Fangoria magazine by the time this is over and despite starting slow this delivered.

[Dylan Waco]

Chicky Starr v. Invader 3 - Axhandle On A Pole 1988

 

 

This was nowhere near as good as their scaffold match, but I wouldn't hesitate to call it good. In some ways this reminded me a lot of an Assassin v. Curt Hennig Coal Miner's Glove match from Portland which is built all around pole climbing spots. On one level I can see some finding that tedious, but on another it makes sense and as is always the case with PR it gets over the gimmick. Really loved the spot with Invader trying to use Chicky as a jungle gym apparatus to get a shot at the stick. I thought the spot with Chicky getting the stick and then having it wrestled away from him was well done. Finish wasn't satisfying but based on what I'd seen others say about it I was expecting a lot worse.

[jdw]

We need more Brody in this thread. Perhaps save up the rest that you haven't touched on yet for a major Brody-a-thon at some point.

 

John

[Dylan Waco]

TNT v. Terry Funk -1988

 

 

I enjoyed this, and it was a fun match, but I'm not sure it was really any good. This is all about the PR version of Funk which is over the top bumping and chickenshit chaos. He takes about three or four totally absurd bumps in this, spends the whole match running around and then it gets tossed out right at the five minute mark. Funk selling by dry humping the ground was highly amusing and kind of worked - Terry really obviously telegraphing another bump? Not so much.

 

The Kansas Jayhawks v. Huracan Castillo Jr./Miguel Perez Jr. - Double Dog Collar Match 10/88

 

 

Man this was really short and in some ways disappointing. In my head I had built this up as a wild, crazy, out of control brawl. Instead it was a five minute match that took a couple of minutes to get started. On the other hand when this did get started it was exactly what you want - four guys punching each other, bleeding and looking utterly helpless when on the defensive. I also thought the finish with the chain being used to assist a cradle was clever in the good way and the look on the Jayhawks face post-match was pretty great.

 

Super Medico v. The White Knight - 9/19/86

 

 

This is a match between two guys in long white trunks and completely white masks with totally different gimmicks. Kind of a strange match in that there wasn't a lot that was done and a few restholds that lasted for while, but the atmosphere remained electric throughout and the hope spots and cut offs were a lot of fun (and simple). The highlight of the match might have actually been the opening punch exchange which sounds like light praise, but it was pretty awesome. There were a couple of cool rope running spots and I actually thought this was one of the better executed multiple ref bump sequences I've ever seen. In many ways this is very subdued match, but I really enjoyed it.

[Dylan Waco]

We need more Brody in this thread. Perhaps save up the rest that you haven't touched on yet for a major Brody-a-thon at some point.

 

John

I'll bite that bullet sooner or later

[jdw]

Yeah... no hurry. Just in a week or so when the feeling is right, just have a Brody-a-thon.

 

I've just gotten a big batch of stuff in to motivate me back into my WWF thread, but among the things I'd grabbed in the mean time was a bunch of Hogan. So I'd planned on doing a massive block of non-stop Hogan like starting at Match A-200. It's like 120+ (and I probably have a few more on WWE commercial dvd's). I want to really put my "Hulk was an effective worker" meme to the test and see I keep that... or lose my mind watching 100+ straight Hogan Matches. Good lord... that No Holds Barred cage match is actually the last one on the list: 12/12/89.

 

I plan on watching to of my WWF favs (Backlund and Savage) for most of the 100 prior to that.

 

John

[Dylan Waco]

Would love for you to get back in the groove of things watching the WWF stuff John. That thread is great reading and a very good resource tool. I'm not nearly as detailed here, but hopefully this can serve a similar purpose.

[Dylan Waco]

The Funk Brothers/Ron Starr v. The Invaders/Mil Mascaras - 12/86

 

 

This is a completely absurd match that somehow works. The babyfaces take about 80% of this. The opening arm work on Dory Funk is actually pretty good and Dory takes some nice bumps but he has the shittiest facials I've ever seen in wrestling. He looks absolutely bored by everything that is going on. Still you've got Terry complaining from the apron as the faces work heel tactics. Then Terry comes in and demands a boxing match. He alternates between stalling, positioning the ref in the corner and dancing around in his boxing stance, then gets punched a few times and takes this twisted delayed bump to the mat. He is in 100 percent cartoon mode and I love it. The heel team consists of two former NWA World Champs and the first guy to get any offense is former Richard Simmons look-a-like, now "Rambo" devotee Ron Starr. Unbelievable. Then Dory actually sets up Terry's offensive contribution, which consists entirely of choking with his wrist tape. The faces make their big comeback after maybe two minutes of heel offense and chase the heels around, including Funk getting strangled with his own tape as the match gets thrown out. I have no clue how this worked but it did.

 

The Invaders v. The Sheepherders - Barbed Wire Match 8 or 9/85?

 

 

The Invaders get this insanely grandiose entrance and it's like the crowd is almost annoyed by it. I have never seen a PR crowd more lukewarm to their heroes than this. I guess it could be the mic'ing, but it actually hurts the match some as it's a pretty insane - but messy - brawl that needed a bit more pop to be a truly great match. Having said that, after a somewhat iffy start, I really liked this. I really like the way the PR barbed wire matches are set up as it allows for simple, but brutal looking spots like the faces getting caught between the ring ropes and the outer layer of wire, but also allows for the heels to stooge/sell the gimmick by bumping into the ropes and giving these big expressive responses to everything. There are some really nice little touches in this including a sick camera shot of an Invader mask/head being barbed to death, an Invader getting tied into the tree of woe, with one leg tucked under the wire as a means of isolation and a cool moment where Butch Miller is about to eat a fall and Luke Williams who is on his knees getting his ass kicked also just reaches over and decks Invader in the face to break up the fall. Plenty of blood, violence, trash getting thrown in the ring and a decent pop when the Invaders win.

 

Ricky Santana v. Bobby Jaggers - Bull Rope Match 10/8/88

 

 

Apparently Ricky Santana almost bleeds to death in every match. You would not know that from watching Cuban Connection v. Nasty Boys matches, but there you go. This was actually a really fun little Bull Rope Match. Nothing super spectacular, but both guys bleed, there is some skin carving with the bell, some belt shots and some choking. Santana making his big comeback via nutshot is as Puerto Rico as it gets. I really liked Santana's desperation resistance spots when Jaggers was going for the corner touches early on. I also thought it was fucking hysterical that Jaggers won via nut shot and then kicked the shit out of the ref so he could hang Santana post-match. Maybe a little on the short side, but thoroughly entertaining.

 

Ricky Santana v. Bobby Jaggers - Texas Death Match 1988

 

 

For a ten minute Texas Death match, that was relatively timid in terms of violence, and had a weird finish, I liked this an awful lot. It's really the inverse of the bullrope match as Santana shocks Jaggers seconds in, winning a punch exchange and then scoring a quick fall with a sunset flip of all things. This is silly in theory, but it was cool as it set the ton of the match and Santana taking a fall wearing that Balki style jacket was awesome. Then he takes another fall with a big piledriver. Jaggers fights up and he bloodies Bobby badly and takes another fall. You start to see that Jaggers is on the ropes and he makes a big comeback with some great punches. This is basic stuff, but very well executed and Jaggers has a variety of nasty shots he delivers. He eventually takes a fall on Santana. Santana fight his way back up and Jaggers goes for the killshot off the ropes, but gets caught with a punch and a neckbreaker for a quick fall. Both guys fight back up and then it's double lariat time. This is sort of the opposite of the awful finish to La Fiera/Estrada, in that they milk the double knockdown and Ricky slowly makes his way up, holding onto the ref for balance to win. Really good match.

 

Rock N Roll Express v. The Kansas Jayhawks

 

 

Pretty good, but fairly short, Southern tag. Kroffat with blonde hair is hard to get used to, but I thought he added a lot to this as "flashy heel, who gets outclassed by flashier babyfaces" is one of my favorite things in wrestling when done well. Really both heels were really good playing the fool for the face shine and Morton in peril is almost never less than solid. This lacked the super high tension you want out of a truly great tag match, but there were several good spots and it was well structured. On the other hand the finish pretty much sucked.

 

The Road Warriors v. The Funk Brothers - 9/30/87

 

 

This was a tremendous spectacle. The Funks come out to a ludicrously overdubbed "Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" and Terry is completely out of his mind. He's running up in the crowd trying to fight fans, egging them on as they throw shit, heaving chairs into the ring, et. Roadies come out to Iron Man and the fight is on. It's actually surprising how giving Hawk was as he actually worked in peril for a while, took a couple of big bumps and even pulled out a Ricky Morton style hope spot on the floor. Terry ended up ripping the string out of his tights to choke Hawk, who reversed it to turn the tide. Animal came in and hit his big athletic spots, then old ass Dory took a modified Devastation Device, but Terry crushed them with a chairshot to break it up and get the match tossed out. Post-match we got an awesome dueling wood chairs spot with Hawk and Terry. This isn't a great match, or even close to it, but it's the sort of match that I could watch a hundred times and never get sick of.

 

Ricky Santana v. Eric Embry - 1989

 

 

This was respectable but disappointing. Both guys were better workers at this point in their careers than this match lets on, though to be fair Embry looked really good. Santana was more or less going through the motions I thought. Embry's offensive run, with the brawling on the floor and the diving clothesline was probably the best of the match, though there was nothing bad. Perfectly fine match, that could have been better.

 

Super Black Ninja v. Invader 1 - Cage Match 1988

 

 

This is brief, but very effective over all. Super Black Ninja is Muta and you pretty much get the Muta you expect from this era, sans a moonsault. Invader gets bumped big into the cage early and works virtually the entire match on the defensive, with his mask ripped awkwardly and a bloody head peaking out. There is one really awesome hope spot early where he fights all the way back and delivers one huge chop, but has absolutely nothing left to follow up with. Ninja keeps trying to escape to win and Invader makes these desperate saves clutching at his feet. Invader finally makes his comeback and bumps Ninja big time into the cage busting him open. Ninja even ends up crotching himself on the top rope. Ninja is able to counter with a dropkick, but it drives Invader out of the ring door and he wins the match and the title. Not long enough to be great, but this was both novel and good.

[Exposer]

Goddammit I love the internet. The Funks vs. The Roadies!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tomk]

Feel free to recommend matches tom or anyone else. I was not a total PR virgin prior to this, but the vast majority of this stuff is stuff I'm watching for the first time.

 

#1 recomendation would be to watch all the rest of the Texas Hangmen in Puerto Rico matches you can find. It is a super hot feud.

I think it also might be worth taking a look at whatever Pierroth in Puerto Rico you can find.

 

That sounds right. I believe Garvin went back to PR after the WWF run was over and then had that cup of coffee in SMW.

Garvin has two PR title runs one at end of 80s and next at end of 91 begining of 92.

 

The other super fun match from first run is Garvin v Orton.

The one I like the most from second run is Garvin v Invader

 

This is not much of match really, but it's fun while it lasts. Harley is older than dirt here and the venue is really bizarre as it looks like WWC has downgraded to a little league field. Race brings tons of offense and takes a big bump over the top to the floor. I assume there is a double countout at this point as the match cuts off as they brawl away from the ring on the floor.

Favorite absurd match from Race's 1990 Carribean Heavyweight Title run is Race vs highflying baybyface Gary "Air" Albright.

It may have actually been Jumping (Gumping) Gary Albright either way not good match but we all need more Albright as blowjob babyface.

 

Rock N Roll Express v. Ninja Express

I think there are a couple matches in this series don't remember any of them as much as I remember the great fired up Morton promo "You may know Kay-rate and ty-quandoe, but we do know ka-two-by-four and tire-iron-do"

[jdw]

Goddammit I love the internet. The Funks vs. The Roadies!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They have at least one in AJPW, in 1985. Might have had more... just not recalling them.

[JerryvonKramer]

I have to watch that match right now.

[JerryvonKramer]

Very amusing ring announcer, he's not Gary Michael Cappetta, but I liked him. He calls Dory "Dory Hoss Funk". I like him in the spangly jacket and cowboy hat. Terry is looking quite ripped here as he threatens members of the crowd. Awesome. I like that the Puerto Rican rubbish is different from the usual American trash. Did I see one person throwing a potted plant? Y'know for perhaps the first ever time, I kinda like the idea of Dory as the "iceman" to Terry's total nutter -- makes for an interesting contrast of characters and styles. He also, weirdly, looks in better shape here than he did in the early 80s in All Japan and in WWF in 85. He looks better with more weight on.

 

Dory bails early and tags in Terry from outside the ring. Is that allowed? Hawk's chops are unusually stiff for him. Say what you want about Dory, his European uppercuts aren't bad.

 

Spike Piledriver! Albeit not a great looking one.

 

Thought this was fun with the Funks getting way more of this that you might expect in 1987.

 

I like dthe commentator shouting "Ave Maria" at one point. I didn't think I'd be interested in PR at all, but this match has made me think otherwise.

[goodhelmet]

Jerry, anyone who wants to know if they will like Puerto Rico needs to answer two questions....

 

1. Do you like blood in your wrestling?

 

2. Do you like gimmick matches?

 

 

If the answer is yes to both, you will love Puerto Rico.

[Cox]

I like both of those things. But the one thing I really like is batshit crazy fans who throw piss at the heels. Does Puerto Rico have that as well?

[Dylan Waco]

The Sheepherders v. Carlos Colon/Invader 1 - Ambulance Match 8/86

 

 

This is just totally crazy. I've seen a shitload of matches from all styles of promotions from all corners of the earth. Not sure I've ever seen anything like this. It was almost as if they took some of the more ridiculous elements of WWE Attitude Era, mixed them with Memphis and then held the match in a giant stadium in front of 80's era Texas fans. Historically I have been indifferent to the Herders, but this is there sort of match as this is just a burst of energy and blood and guys getting hit with foreign objects that look really dangerous and silly at the same time and yet I have no clue what the fuck they are. One of them looked like a bar of soap. Another looked like a solid roll of duct tape and that's what busted Invader open. Well that are the post shot he took which looked amazing. Colon decides to hit a picture perfect dropkick of all things in the middle of this and later smashes the head of one of the Herders on a table. About a half dozen fans reach over and slap at the heel, almost like they are doing a localized version of the wave, with the end game to tsunami crush the head of a Kiwi. Of course they are nearly beaten by one of the PR's resident shock troops. Somehow the lesson to be learned here was that they needed to brawl into the crowd, which is about one wrong move away from turning into a massive stampede/multiple deaths. Meanwhile during all of this Miguel Perez Jr (I think) keeps running into the ring with a glove and throwing kidney shots at Luke Williams. I have no clue what the glove is supposed to represent as it doesn't look particularly dangerous, but does look like something a trash collecting beekeeper would wear. Apparently it is made of steel because Luke Williams is near dead and a doctor gets called in to check on him as the faces continue to kick the shit out of him for several more minutes. They finally drag him out on a stretcher, through a crowd that is totally out of control and looks to be attempting to tip the stretcher at some points. The ambulance is pulled up in the in field and the faces look like they are still trying to get into it for more shots, when it pulls away while fans climb/ride it. Anyhow, this was completely awesome.