The Invaders vs. Los Pastores (Barbed Wire Match) (9/21/85)

[El Boricua]

The Invaders vs. Los Pastores (Barbed Wire Match) (9/21/85)

[elliott]

Expectations to high. OH wow the MUSIC. Holy shit what is this song? I love it. Sheepherders in the ring to start with people already throwing shit at them and this whole thing with the music, stuff flying in the ring, the barbed wire, the Herders in fatigues etc leading up to the Invaders being shown for the first time just makes a really compelling opening few moments of this segment. This starts off pretty much as you’d expect with both teams just trading shots and trying to throw each other into the wire. Invader 1 is the first guy to really taste the wire as he gets caught in between the ropes and the barbed wire and just gets destroyed. Herders continue to dish out the punishment in the form of punches and stomps. Invaders manage to come back using chops and slaps and star getting some payback by throwing the Heders into the wire and rubbing their faces in it cutting them up. Invaders take a turn beating the crap out of the Herders and it is pretty damn fun before they get cut back off briefly before taking this. I liked this and thought it was good but found it pretty disappointing after the amazing Youngbloods match right before. Still good though.

[KB8]

This just FEELS like Puerto Rico to me (Puerto Rican wrestling, I mean. I'm not suggesting guys running around dicing up other folks' foreheads with barbed wire is customary over there). I've barely seen any wrestling from Puerto Rico, but this is the setting most familiar to me based on my hazy memories of the few matches I watched years ago. I don't really know why but there it is. Anyways, this was fulla blood. As a match it wasn't mindblowingly amazing, but there were several close-ups of guys getting their foreheads carved up with barbed wire and the Sheepherders bleed everywhere. Luke Williams was really fun in this. His big, exaggerated bumping looked pretty gnarly considering he was often doing those big, exaggerated bumps neck first into barbed wire. It felt like the Sheepherders took a ton of this and the Invaders would take over for spells a little out of nowhere, like a switch just went and it meant it was their turn to go on offence. I should probably try and figure out which Invader is which. Right now I have no idea.

[WingedEagle]

Baseball stadium show. These always look like great, incredible atmospheres in Puerto Rico. Lots of brawling in close quarters as everyone wants to avoid the wire. Finally we get blood, but then also the absence of any meaningful transitions. The Sheepherders are bleeding a ton, and that is a good thing in a barbed wire match. Points for the blood here, but not a whole lot else to speak of the finish wasn't what you'd expect from this type of match.

 

**1/4

[Migs]

They really use the wire a ton - props for not covering up, but maybe the barbs aren’t that sharp? They seemed very willing to roll in them. Bloody brawl. They do use the ropes a bit, which helps the actual wrestling aspect as compared to other barbed wire matches. Not a ton to it other than the blood. **1/2

[dawho5]

Good, bloody brawl with little else to it. I almost think they are on the right track for a barbed wire match. Pretending it is anything but trying to avoid the wire and send your opponent into it seems like you're not using the stip. It's not pretty or anything that's going to win awards for great wrestling psychology, but it just fits.