Invader I

[W2BTD]

I always forget that there is a Jose Gonzales match on the WWE Network, vs Jan Nelson from the 6/27/77 MSG show in the Old School section.

 

It's not much of a match, a 9 minute opener which is about 6 minutes of Nelson working an arm bar with fiery young (actually I think he was 30 or 31) ethnic babyface Gonzales hope spots tossed in every 60 seconds or so.

 

Probably isn't anything that would sway a ballot, but it's a quick watch.

[ohtani's jacket]

The Invader/Muta street fight was another good Invader match. I love how Muta showed up to the fight in street clothes. That was a swank belt buckle he had on. Nice pair of jeans too. Went a bit long for what it was, but Invader's blade job was commendable. The post match made me want to see Invader/Jaggers.

[Childs]

Invader is one of the last guys I'm watching as I finalize my ballot and man, what a brawler he was. He had this incredible way of staggering around under the other guy's attack and then lunging forward with a punch or headbutt (or kick to the nuts) at exactly the right moment. He just had the crowd on a hook. I want to vote for him, but I'm not sure I have a good enough grip on his case to justify it. The Embry and Al Perez matches sure have me on a high at the moment.

[Dylan Waco]

Have you watched the Ron Starr and Ayala TV matches or his tag work? I'll rate him obviously, but later tonight I was hoping to write some about Dundee who I see as very comparable to Invader in a lot of ways.

[Childs]

I'm watching him and Ron Starr right now. Also great. I guess the difference between Invader and Dundee is just that I've seen more shades of Dundee--studio and arena, face and heel, brawling and a little more technical. That's not to say Invader lacks those shades. I'll watch some tag matches next.

[Dylan Waco]

The studio element is one of the bigger points of comparison. Invader was the guy who carried the tv in the ring in my view

[elliott]

Responding to El Boricua's post:

https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/topic/28666-carlos-colon/?do=findComment&comment=5947217

Because this was the appropriate thread for what I wanted to say. 

I'm glad El Boricua brings this up. Invader's 1986 is an all time great year. Folks should really give it a look. Any fans of Sangre Chicana, Perro Agauyo, Roddy Piper owe it to themselves to check out Invader I if they haven't. He has all time great performances against Ron Starr 9/19/86 and Al Perez 10/26/86 just to name 2 absolute must see matches. WIthout exaggeration, Invader I vs Al Perez is at the top of the shockingly great matches list. Imagine Al Perez in possibly the greatest brawl ever. You can't. Its impossible until you see it. But it happened and its just out there waiting for you to watch it and bask in the greatness.

[Phil Schneider]

That Al Perez match is in my book, it really is incredible. It is such a career outlier for Perez, he is this match which is in the upper echelon of all wrestling, and then everything else is right in the middle. Like what is the second best Perez match? Can anyone even name it?

[elliott]

I put up the Al Perez match in the Google Doc for recommendations under Invader 1. Really a must see match. Added some other really good Invader 1 stuff as well. Anyone who is a fan of brawls should definitely check him out. 

[elliott]

I added a few matches to the Match Recommendation Google Doc linked here

https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/topic/52874-links/

The 9/86 match against Ron Starr is another must see Invader 1 performance. That was the match that really convinced me I was watching an all time great wrestler and then the Al Perez match was the sweetest icing possible on that cake. I saw your comments about Perro Aguayo in that thread, and when I first watched Invader 1 the folks I thought of were Sangre Chicana and Perro Aguayo. More so Chicana, but that's the family Invader 1 is in. 

 

[Reel]

So Invader 1 made a comeback this year, and I just watched him hit a tope suicida at the spry young age of 76.

[EnviousStupid]

On 4/19/2021 at 1:11 AM, elliott said:

I added a few matches to the Match Recommendation Google Doc linked here

https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/topic/52874-links/

I've just finished watching all the matches recommended there for Invader 1 and now view him as maybe the only wrestler from Puerto Rico that has a chance of making my list. Superb brawler and willing to put himself in extremely risky situations in one of the wildest promotions at the time.

[Mr JMML]

I'm seeing the Puerto Rico DVDVR and he is the 2nd best wrestler of the pack behind Carlos Colón and his tag team with Invader III was great.

[elliott]

Invader I is an amazing wrestler. Top 25 candidate

[Mr JMML]

 

15 hours ago, elliott said:

Invader I is an amazing wrestler. Top 25 candidate

The more I see the more I agree with you.