Lucha catch-all thread

[ohtani's jacket]

Cien Caras vs. MS-1 (hair vs hair, AAA 8/13/93)

This was a disappointment. Not because of anything the wrestlers did inside the ring but because of the booking. The first two falls ended in DQs due to the seconds and the third fall finished with some Tirantes fast count bullshit. This is the type of thing that made me hate AAA. They couldn't trust Caras and MS-1 to work a compelling and dramatic apuestas match on their own? Caras and MS-1 ended up working a bunch of holds that were more reminiscent of a title match than an apuestas but they were the only good thing about this shit show. 

[ohtani's jacket]

Hijo Del Espectro, Jerry Estrada & La Parka vs. El Cobarde, Picudo & Pirata Morgan (AAA, 10/1/93)

Fun little clip that sets up Pirata Morgan vs. Estrada. It looks like only the first fall aired on television (unless it was a one fall match.) There was a decent amount of action for a single fall. Pirata spent the entire clip wearing a pirate shirt. His exchanges with Estrada showed promise, but I have no idea how or why Morgan chose Picudo and El Cobarde as his partners. Such an odd trio.

[ohtani's jacket]

Cien Caras, Jerry Estrada & Mascara Ano 2000 vs. Fishman, Pirata Morgan & Satanico (AAA, 10/22/93)

This started off with Morgan and Estrada brawling, but it was somewhat uninspiring considering they had a match the following week. Things didn't pick up until Masacara Ano 2K and Satanico remembered that they hated each other. That led to a miscue between Morgan and Satanico, planting the seeds for their hair match. To be honest, their scuffle after the bout was more interesting than anything that happened during the match. I was kind of bummed that they dropped the Estrada issue cold. It wouldn't surprise me if their match is used to advance the storyline between Pirata and Satanico. 

 

[ohtani's jacket]

Pirata Morgan vs. Jerry Estrada (AAA, 10/29/93)

Satanico didn't interfere in this after all. It was a mano a mano, which is a low ceiling to begin with, but for some reason they chose to work painfully slow. The holds weren't bad, but by the end of it, Estrada had been carried off and they just beat up on his mini instead. Ah, who am I kidding, this not what you want from a Pirata Morgan/Estrada match. 

[cad]

So it looks like you passed on the Lizmark vs Satanico match from September, one of the best filmed demonstrations of your numero uno's technical skill, for a 1993 WMOTYC. I realize you were trying to be tactful, especially by not mentioning the appearance of one Konnan, but that's an all time bad match. If this were a Choose Your Own Adventure book, you would have turned the page to see yourself fall off a ledge, break your leg, and get picked apart by a bunch of ravenous rats or something. Or since you're from NZ I guess it would be those horrifying parrots over there that eat sheep.

[ohtani's jacket]

I'm jumping about depending on what takes my fancy. I might go back to that. 

[ohtani's jacket]

Angel Azteca, El Mexicano & Solar vs. Espectro Jr., Pirata Morgan & Satanico (AAA, 11/5/93)

This started off with an exchange between Satanico and Solar. Of course it was good. How could it not be? Every time I see Solar work like this, it reminds me that he doesn't get his due. At least not as a trios worker. The jury is still out on him as a singles worker. This was an entertaining bout. Espectro Jr was a workhorse. There was no reason for him to work as hard as he did here. What a champ. The match broke down when Satanico hit Pirata by mistake. That error ended up costing Pirata's team the bout. Up until then, Pirata had been trying to play peacemaker, but this time he attacked Satanico, and let me tell you, there are few things in wrestling better than Pirata Morgan and Satanico punching each other.

Pirata's work in the bout was an improvement over his stuff with Jerry Estrada, but I wonder if he was carrying some sort of niggle at the time. He wasn't moving or bumping like the Pirata we're familiar with. I'm not entirely sure when he stopped working like that. This may have been when he started slowing down. 

[ohtani's jacket]

Latin Lover, Lizmark & Solomon Grundy vs Angel Blanco Jr., Pirata Morgan & Satanico (AAA, 11/12/93)

Man, Lizmark has his work cut out for him carrying that trio. Mind you, with the amount of bickering Morgan and Satanico are doing, he probably could have chosen anyone to be his partners. Angel Blanco Jr is the man who has been given the unenviable task of keeping Morgan and Satanico from killing each other. Satanico smartly has his hair slicked back. He knew the right signals to send to the audience.

Blanco and Lover start things on the mat, which surprises me, and you know what? It's not bad. Blanco works a few holds, and if you squint a bit you could almost mistake him for Dr. Wagner Jr. Satanico and Lizmark work a rapidfire exchange, and Pirata takes some decent bumps for Grundy. They switch it up in the segunda caida, and Pirata and Lizmark put on a show. Man,  I wish we'd gotten that match during Lizmark's AAA run. Lizmark and Blanco wind up having an exciting exchange where it's hard to tell if Blanco was always this good or if it's Lizmark bringing it out of him. 

It's a two fall bout that leads to some divine Satanico/Pirata brawling, but the tecnicos work together smoothly and are extremely effective. Never judge a book by its cover. The brawling is mana from heaven. Their hair match was always one of my favorite matches of the 90s. I've been afraid to revisit it in my current state of mind, but if you're like me and you've never seen the lead up to it, find the matches. You won't regret it.