Los Pastores vs. The Invaders (8/2/86)

[El Boricua]

Los Pastores vs. The Invaders (8/2/86)

[elliott]

This starts off with the Herders saluting the NZ Flag which is always fun. Slugfest to start with Invader 3 getting the advantage over Luke Williams and some fun babyface shine armwork. The Invaders are a really fun tag team. Again their early babyface in and out tag work is about as fun as anything you’ll see from the top babyface teams of this era. The arm work, the distraction of the ref etc is all just fantastic. Cut off by the Herders is AWESOME as Butch hits a knee to (I think) Invader I’s back as he hits the ropes too close to the Herders corner. I actually like the Herders more in these sort of classic southern tag style matches than things like the barbed wire match earlier. Well, I’ve liked lots of their more brawling matches too. So maybe I just didn’t like that barbed wire match from disc 1 because this is another great match by the Herders. I want to see some Herders vs Rock n Roll’s matches. I’m excited to rewatch/watch for the first time some of their stuff on the Portland set. This really picks up after the hot tag and the run towards the finish is really fun. This set is really living up to its billing at this point.

[KB8]

For a tag team I would never have thought of years ago as being a "workrate team," the Sheepherders could cut a real pace when they wanted to. I mean, they don't do a ton of stuff, but this was fairly lengthy and they went absolute hell for leather all the way (I don't have anywhere close to a complete picture of the Invaders, but those guys being able to work at this pace isn't surprising at all). The early shine period was a hundred miles an hour, the Invaders going after Luke's arm and working constant quick tags. There were some cool bits where Luke would make it over to his corner only for Butch to be jawing with a section of the crowd, thus missing the chance to tag, or maybe he would tag but the ref' would be distracted by the other Invader. It all got Butch Miller ranting and raving on the apron. When they eventually take over the pace doesn't dip, so we get a nice, frantic heat segment on Invader I, which was a cool change of pace from Invader III playing FIP. The last few minutes were pretty great as well. They do another semi-extended run after the hot tag with guys brawling in and around the ring, and there's an awesome spot where Invader I tries to hit a double bulldog, but the Pastores pick him up and crotch him over the top rope before hitting a spike piledriver. I think the match gets thrown out at this point but we get another few minutes of brawling and Invader III wrapping handcuffs around his fist and clocking folk. The Pastores trying to break Invader I's arm with a flag pole at the end looked brutal as well. Really good tag. It had your traditional southern style structure, but it still managed to feel plenty hectic even before things broke down at the end (then it felt REALLY hectic).

[WingedEagle]

Love the Invaders again working quick tags and in very un-WWC fashion this is some basic, straight wrestling at the start with wristlock and arm action on the heels. They eventually build heat on #3 to set up #1's hot tag before a screwy DQ finish. Fun sprint.

 

**3/4

[Migs]

Standard tag match, but worked reasonably well. Ending stretch was pretty fun, except for the weak DQ finish. Miller really visibly blades after the shot with the "brass knux" which were visibly duct tape.

 

**1/2

[dawho5]

I thought Miller's blade job was pretty good given the circumstances. I dug both the heel in peril and face in peril sections. That flag shot looked brutal post-match.