[1996-05-21-CMLL] Felino vs Mascara Magica

[cad]

This was a pleasant surprise, as I'd actually listed this match in a thread about videos you hope surface some day. It's nice when your hopes get answered but even better when what you hoped for more than lives up to your expectations for it. El Felino and Mascara Magica got over thirty minutes at Arena Coliseo to have a great match. That was it--no clipping, no rushing, and the promotion actually gave them a bit of controversy to help the match feel bigger. It was one of those title fights where they actually set out to hurt each other. The holds in the first fall were tough and hard fought, in addition to being technically very good, but it was afterwards that they turned things up. Fans of working a body part even got the kind of payoff they love when Mascara tried to catch Felino in the same hold he'd won the first fall with and couldn't lock it in because of the damage inflicted on his arm. Eventually Mascara wiped out Felino with a somersault tope and just barely made it in the ring before the ref got to twenty, but he got counted out on the most technical of technicalities: he didn't get his foot back in under the rope. It was a brilliant screwjob. Mascara threw a tantrum (and continued to complain even after the match had ended and it was well past the point of being inappropriate), and the commissioner decided to settle things with a fourth fall. This brought out the big Felino spots that I'd been dreading--they're a lot like what you hear about Kurt Angle's big spots--but after twenty plus minutes of intense technical wrestling, they were tolerable and maybe even kind of good as the finale to a contest like this one.

 

The Youtube description calls this the best performance of Mascara Magica's career, and I have no dispute with that (although I do think he's pretty underrated), but this is the most I've ever liked Felino, too. Usually he annoys me, but he was great as the veteran of the match. He was better than usual working holds and he seemed so poised. Even the cheating, which often feels like cheap heat when in a title match or coming from Felino, felt like desperate moves that he had to sneak in. Top five match for 1996 CMLL, in my opinion.

[alexoblivion]

 It's a shame robviper's YouTube channel got taken down, as this match is pretty much impossible to track down from the usual sources. Just as good, if not better than the Rayo/Apolo title match that took place a few weeks later.