[1989-05-26-EMLL] El Satanico vs Sangre Chicana

[Microstatistics]

The best pure brawl of all time, IMO. One of the big reasons is that it is so different, completely rejecting the standard structure and themes of 2/3 Lucha brawls and 80s US bloodbaths.

 

This was all about Satanico willing himself to stand up to master brawler Sangre Chicana. Satanico is working from underneath but he is still a rudo and doesn't hesitate to resort to dirty tricks including an awesome eye hook. Chicana uses cool psychological tactics to gain the advantage. Felt like an incredibly gritty yet strategic fight and where they are trying to claw and maim each other but remain somewhat cerebral in their approach even as the intensity ramps up. Includes the best punches ever thrown in wrestling, out of this world great selling from Satanico and the best use of a non-finish ever.

 

Satanico is THE wrestling genius and Chicana is an all time great brawler and so they were able to construct something so unique and great. A breath of fresh air and a big middle finger to the formulaic American and Lucha brawls we keep seeing a millions times. ****5/8

[Rah]

Traversed back in time after seeing a 65 year old Satanico take it to Blue Panther; guy is just ageless. Brilliant build of hatred between these two, with Chicana getting into Satanico's head from the opening handshake and slowly driving the devil mad. Meat of the brawl comes in the third fall, when it looks like they just binned the script and starting duking each other for real. Satanico's got a great quick jab but holy hell does Chicana potato the stroppy bastard with some of the best hooks I've ever seen in wrestling. That's just one moment in an entire fall of spots that I feel like making a gif of the next time someone says that wrestling needs blood to feel real. Nothing is more real than Satanico stomping Chicana's head into the hard floor after a vicious takedown. Nothing. Bless these two, because that third fall was the tits.

[cad]

I actually thought the third fall felt like it needed a big explosion that never happened. There was that cool moment when Chicana was banging punches off Satanico as he covered up, and soon after they went back to doing spots that felt like they were from the first two falls. Same pacing, same intensity.

 

On the other hand, when I was trying to do top tens for each year with comprehensive TV from Mexico, this match ended up being a late cut for 1989. After this watch, it would make the list if I redid that.

[dawho5]

I loved how they actually pretended like they were going to wrestle at first. Then Sangre headbutts Satanico after being backed into a corner. I liked it coming from the guy in the corner, esp. when you think Satanico is going to be the one to start it. Second caida starts awesome with Satanico begging Sangre to punch him and then acting like the punch damn near knocked him out. Have I mentioned the punches they throw in this are off the charts great? And yeah, Satanico's selling is top notch. Sangre good at selling the damage, but he can't compare to Satanico. I've read several times that selling is what makes a great brawl and this match should be front and center in that conversation. I also loved how Satanico had to work to get his comeback. You think he's got it once, but Sangre comes roaring back with more great punches. Third caida sees both wanting to box it out on the outside and the ref is kind enough to not count them out. Satanico's attack on the eyes is just awesome. I really liked the pace they kept up. It wasn't super slow, but slow enough to where when they both got inside and started throwing and things sped up it felt like a high spot. The ref has about enough when Dangre won't let Satanico up in the crowd and starts talking about a countout. Once he starts counting the fans get a little restless and start throwing things as Sanger and Satanico brawl around ringside. I formed this idea that these two had a big match this match was building to that had blood involved. Because I would pay to watch that match. If this was actually supposed to be a blowoff, yeah it didn't work.

[cactus]

This was a good lesson on how to brawl, but I didn't find this particularly great. The finish blows and there's too much downtime for a fairly short match. After they react a stalemate when they try to actually wrestle, Chicana headbutts Satanico and the brawling begins. The final fall felt like they were building to something much greater than a countout draw. I'm starting to think lucha brawls aren't for me. 

★★★¼

[Mr JMML]

Sangre Chicana vs El Satánico 5/26/1989
EMLL

Who said draws were boring? El Satánico and Sangre Chicana had a draw for the ages, El Satánico lost his hair a few weeks ago against El Dandy, that’s why he’s almost bald in this one, Daniel López (El Satánico) was a heel as usual, Sangre Chicana is also a heel, he’s best work came as a babyface but he wasn’t bad as a heel, he’s just not as convincing as he is as a heel, Andrés Richardson (Sangre Chicana) was a great brawler if you have been following my lucha journey you already know that, Satánico is a wrestler that has always connected with me, if you’ve seen the 1984 reviews you know how much I like him, he’s still in his prime even tough he had been wrestling for 16 years in 1989 so he was already a veteran by then, the announcers were also aware of that, they said that Satánico was already a veteran, they said that he wasn’t a young wrestler anymore, he wasn’t old man Satánico yet but we are getting there, they also said that Sangre Chicana was the kind of wrestler to make a comeback when you least expect, this one is a match whose appeal is pretty clear from the get go, they are two guys hitting each other very hard, both of them are great in this environment and they proved it, this match is wild, at some point near the end of the match they start brawling in the stands, the announcers had to explain the basic rules of lucha during the first fall because it was so unorganized and crazy that you had to make it clear, it’s a lucha brawl a great one, it’s a match I’d recommend to every lucha fan, even for the non-lucha fans the match is short enough for them to give it a chance, anyway everybody gets a good lucha brawl, Sangre Chicana and El Satánico are the perfect lucha introduction.