Mistico

[Grimmas]

Discuss here.

[Timbo Slice]

His candidacy really only works with his run during the boom. If you enjoyed it, there's a good chance the argument works. If you thought it was overrated, like many I know do, then you're probably gonna think it's a joke he's nominated. I will say this, though. At the time, he was a shot in the arm for people looking for a new hot wrestler to follow since the numbers he was doing made the WO and others have to look at him a bit closely. I don't think he has enough for a list like this, because even if you do like what he did during the boom, I don't think it's enough to put him in a Top 100.

[Matt D]

I'm generally high on his 2010 rudo work, so long as he's not in a singles match with Volador, but that's really just a blip in his career.

[Jimmy Redman]

I nominated him, again in a kind of "tell me more" kind of way.

 

The impression I get from his run on top is that he did super box office but people don't think his matches are great, or think he's been carried to them. Kind of like the Cena argument.

 

Maybe it's because I am a fan of Cena types, but I've really enjoyed a lot of his stuff from that 2005-07 boom period. Good stuff with Casas, Averno, Perrito, etc.

 

So I guess I'm asking for more thoughts, and what there is to his career in Mexico post-boom. Obviously the Sin Cara run is what it is, and he seems like a total fuckwit, but yeah I think his run on top is worth exploring.

[goc]

So can someone tell me if his rudo turn was a result of the crowd starting to turn on him and CMLL deciding to just go ahead and run with it? I just watched a 2009 Mistico vs. Liger match where there is definitely a split crowd with a significant portion of the crowd booing Mistico which is a very different dynamic from the 2005 match I watched a few weeks ago against Perro Jr. where the crowd was solidly in Mistico's corner.

[El McKell]

Undeniable charisma, I love the Ameno entrance music, great vibes in almost everything he does. I voted for him in the 90s last time but I’ll probably end up leaving him off this time around. Is there anything really good outside of his peak CMLL run that’s really worth watching?

What I watched for this so far and my match ratings
Mistico vs Averno (30/01/05) ****
Mistico vs Ultimo Guerrero (25/02/05) **¾
Mistico vs Dr Wagner Jr (27/07/07) ****
Carisitco vs Volador Jr (20/10/17) *½
Caristico vs Penta El 0 M (28/12/18) ***

[Grimmas]

I recently started watching CMLL again and Mistico is back under the Mistico name seems to have got even better and is still massively over. Probably someone we should all consider.

[EnviousStupid]

I wasn't impressed with the recent Rampage match against Rocky Romero, but I'm not sure if that's a good representation of his work since rebranding as Mistico. Does anyone have a list of great matches from him over the last couple years?

[Control21]

2 hours ago, EnviousStupid said:

I wasn't impressed with the recent Rampage match against Rocky Romero, but I'm not sure if that's a good representation of his work since rebranding as Mistico. Does anyone have a list of great matches from him over the last couple years?

vs Templario 10/13/2022

CMLL Grand Prix Cibernetico 8/19/2022

vs Soberano Jr 9/1/2023

vs Titan 6/16/2023

vs Atlantis Jr 2/28/2023

vs Virus 9/29/2023

[HeadCheese]

Maybe the biggest star in wrestling right now (in terms of connecting with live crowds) in modern wrestling. I think he is very fun tag worker and kind of hit or miss with singles especially with lack of blood/crowd brawling in Arena Mexico. The MJF match is AMAZING and is my the best match I have seen from both.

The Sin Cara is has some fun stuff especially the Evan Bourne matches and knowing the had to wrestle in the dark, with his eyes covered, against non Spanish speakers mostly, and told despite being one of the biggest in wrestling that he was wrestling incorrectly.

He is someone that I might consider in the 80s-100 part of my list but, can see going him going higher for others that connect with him more.

[josephweirdness]

Mistico over the last 4 years has been undeniable as the top star in Mexico. He's a great trios worker with his comebacks always feeling electric, and I think his challenger-of-the-month style singles matches have only improved in recent years. On first glance, he's a formula worker, using the classic shine/heat/comeback structure we know and love but that actually overlooks some of the nunaces he's introduced over the last couple of years especially. Take note of how well he protects the La Mistica and has incorporated the attempts for that move and subtle adjustments to get around it against opponents like Cavernario, Soberano Jr, or Virus. He benefits greatly from being the top dog in a company that just regularly churns out great matches by virtue of playing the hits (the CMLL house style trios match is maybe the most consistent match style of the decade). 

I've only just begun combing through the original run in the 2000s and it is certainly flawed. The high flying is spectacular and the connection to the crowd is there, but I think you can tell Mistico hasn't quite learned how to make the most of all that raw talent quite yet. I would argue his 2020s has presented much more refined and smarter version of all this.

I don't know if I'll end up voting Mistico, if I do, he'll be a lower end pick, but he certainly deserves more scrutiny now than he got in 2016.

[WingedEagle]

Is there a solid Mistico playlist out there or is most of his work accessible by seeking things out individually? I've always found it hard to tackle the earlier part of his career.

[HeadCheese]

3 hours ago, WingedEagle said:

Is there a solid Mistico playlist out there or is most of his work accessible by seeking things out individually? I've always found it hard to tackle the earlier part of his career.

LuchaDB is great at linking with clicking 

include only matches with uploaded videos? 

https://luchadb.com/roster/matchfinder.php

Theres spoilers though 

 

[WingedEagle]

59 minutes ago, HeadCheese said:

LuchaDB is great at linking with clicking 

include only matches with uploaded videos? 

https://luchadb.com/roster/matchfinder.php

Theres spoilers though 

 

Thanks!! Much appreciated.

[InYourCase]

I am a little disappointed that there isn't more discourse around Mistico for this project. He's one of the wrestlers I've spent the most time with since the last time I did my rankings in 2021. 

It’s clear now that Mistico, during the first go around, got over just as much because of his ability to get throttled as his ability to fly through the air. The idea that Mistico was a careless, spot-happy wrestler is a narrative that has subsided some over the last decade, but going back and watching him from his debut through the Black Warrior feud, that's a patently absurd talking point that needs to be fully debunked. I especially enjoy his all-too-short partnership with Santo. All of Santos' best characteristics rubbed off on him during that time period.

He has a King’s Road-like ability to peak a match at just the right time. In multi-mans, both then and now, he possesses one of the most beautiful tercera caida comebacks known to man. He really only trails Santo in that regard. I'm floored by the fact that we don’t look at this guy as a Kikuchi or Darby Allin-level bumper. He’s fearless with his body, beyond giving to his opponents when the time calls for it. The way that he's able to make the most out of his opponents, whether it be Averno, Atlantis, UG early on or Hechicero, Stuka Jr, or Volador in more recent years, he's strung together a rather lengthy list of "the best match of their career was against Mistico". He is on par with Misawa for understanding what it means to be the ace of your specific promotion. He has one of the most innate understandings of who he is as a wrestler that I’ve ever seen. Watching him during his second boom, which helped transform me from someone who tolerated lucha (at best) to someone who now watches almost exclusively lucha, has been one of the more rewarding experiences I’ve had as a fan. The Jericho Debacle notwithstanding (not Flair nor Kobashi nor God would’ve carried Jericho on that night), it’s amazing that he routinely has to the ability to turn it up to the highest degree possible when the lights are shining brightest.

It’s so rare in any art form that someone’s commercial appeal matches their critical praise, but with Misitco, we’re getting that. I'm currently charmed by the fact that his typical Friday, Sky Team trios matches have such a high floor. He's formulaic now in a way that many all-time greats before him were. Every Friday night, if Mistico is on the card, I know I'm getting a 3.5 match at minimum. He, Dorada, and Neon are a brilliant trio. I think they're doing such incredible work. I now feel comfortable saying that he should’ve been a top 100 guy based on his pre-WWE work alone. I also would’ve had him in the top 100 just based on the last few years. When you put those two runs together (his time in AAA is a blind spot that I currently have no interest in fixing), this is a Top 50 guy all-time, with ease. 

Mistico Match Recommendations That Haven't Been Mentioned In This Thread: 

1. Mistico vs. Perro Aguayo Jr, 5/14/05

2. Mistico, Dr. Wagner Jr, & EHDS vs. Atlantis, Ultimo Guerrero, & Tarzan Boy, 10/7/05

3. Mistico vs. Atlantis, 9/15/06

4. Mistico vs. Averno, 1/5/07

5. Mistico & Negro Casas vs. Dr. Wagner Jr & Ultimo Guerrero, 7/20/07

6. Mistico vs. Stuka Jr, 1/24/23

7. Mistico & Brillante Jr vs. Mascara Dorada & Neon, 2/2/24

8. Mistico vs. Hechicero, 11/29/24 (my favorite Mistico match) 

9. Mistico, Atlantis Jr, & Titan vs. Averno, Barbaro Cavernario, & Volador Jr, 2/14/25

10. Mistico vs. Averno, 5/27/25

[Reel]

On 10/30/2023 at 10:59 PM, Control21 said:

vs Templario 10/13/2022

CMLL Grand Prix Cibernetico 8/19/2022

vs Soberano Jr 9/1/2023

vs Titan 6/16/2023

vs Atlantis Jr 2/28/2023

vs Virus 9/29/2023

I've probably seen less than 100 current-day matches, total, over the last 3 years, but it strikes me that this list of Mistico's best matches is exclusively against a list of guys who were the best guys in the promotion when I quit watching. 

[highflyflow]

Would not call Titan one of the best wrestlers in CMLL whatsoever, but aside from that…yeah, the biggest star in the company is usually gonna wrestle the best rudos on the roster, no?

[Reel]

Sure. Really what I was saying is that a guy moving from not really being a factor to a top 100 guy because he had good matches with Templario is not the same as having good matches with, I dunno, Niebla Roja. 

[InYourCase]

18 minutes ago, Reel said:

Sure. Really what I was saying is that a guy moving from not really being a factor to a top 100 guy because he had good matches with Templario is not the same as having good matches with, I dunno, Niebla Roja. 

From my notebook: 

Mascara Dorada, Mistico, & Templario vs. Angel de Oro, Flip Gordon, & Niebla Roja - 5/3/24, ****

Mascara Dorada, Mistico, & Neon vs. Angel de Oro, Barbaro Cavernario, & Niebla Roja - 10/10/25, ****

Does that do anything for you or do you have more irrelevant commentary to add? 

[Control21]

2 hours ago, Reel said:

I've probably seen less than 100 current-day matches, total, over the last 3 years, but it strikes me that this list of Mistico's best matches is exclusively against a list of guys who were the best guys in the promotion when I quit watching. 

I mean, the top guy in the company wrestling the best members on the roster isn't unheard of for any style or promotion, I think?