LUCHA SET DISC 1

Satoru Sayama y Gran Hamada vs. Perro Aguayo y Baby Face (4/13/80)

One thing that needs to be noted: don't get used to the camerawork on display here cause that shit is right out the window when we get a Spanish announce team. It's almost a treat going back and watching this after trying to make out who is who in a tag on the fourth disc. I say "almost" because those matches still kick ass. Initially Baby Face kind of wants to wrestle (busts out a cool STO too) but the will of evil Perro compells him to kick Sayama right in the ribs with a resounding *THWACK*. It is really funny hearing Perro yell "AYE YAI YAI YAI YAI... BABEEEEEE! BABEEEEE!" after Sayama crushes his leg at 100 MPH. This is a great showcase for Sayama and Hamada who get to show off all their tricks instead of having to do matwork. They are also really good at getting beat up by rudos as the second and third falls show. The cops literally swarm whenever Perro goes into the first row which is weird. God, the foule in this is so brutal, then Perro tries some kind of sugar hold on Hamada until the refs peel him off. He keeps coming back to choke him against the rope and stomp him and it looks like the start of a blood feud. Speaking of blood, this is only the first match and we get three bladejobs -- not huge ones, but it's enough. Damn good start to the set.

Andre the Giant & Cien Caras vs. Alfonso Dantes, Herodes y Sangre Chicana (1981)

Andre getting asked about the shiner and saying "whatever happen today or tomorrow, you never know" is so dark. I don't even want to know what happened to the dude that decided to punch him the night before in whatever sleazy Mexican dive Frenchy and him were at. I imagine it was something like the beginning of this match but the dude who would be Chicana had his head hit the cement and open up like a watermelon dropped from a great height. To emphasize my point there is a completely coincidental crowd fight! Nice. Andre was clearly having fun tonight, cornering Sangre (which looks terrifying), pulling him up by his tights, soaking in the crowd. Things to learn: 1. You can not sneak up on Andre. 2. Andre will tag in when he wants to tag in. 3. Andre's ass is made of steel. Everyone is bitching about the length and maybe this could have just been one fall but it wasn't that bad. Andre decided to go home when he wanted to and start the party back up. Some of the best schtick you will ever see is here and I don't blame Will for making it a personal pick.

Centurion Negro vs. Gran Hamada (2/14/82)

I'm going to preface this by saying COCK SPARRER -- FUCK YEAH. Will, you never let us down on the music!

If this match is a preface for the big technico title matches on the rest of the set then my mouth is watering for more. Lou being the ref shocked me and luckily this didn't suffer from "great wrestler/bad referee" syndrome. I skipped ahead a little after this one so it's one I'm gonna have to come back to for sure.

The speed at which Centurion takes it to the mat is really cool. Unfortunately Thesz has to remind Hamada to sell the leg after the initial onslaught, which is sad. I don't know if Daniel Bryan ever used the butterfly suplex-into-Cattle Mutilation here but if not he should try that as a finish. Finish to first fall is indeed lame. Hamada either has a learning curve or the language barrier is coming into play here because that was not a good way to end... or else they just didn't give a fuck. Luckily we get right back to the matwork, before a sprint portion and another bad finish. Thankfully Centurion goes back to both the legs and the arms trying for a finish and it looks really cool. Hamada has to correct himself flying over the rope which could have ended up really bad and eats a dive, plus gets covered in filth, which doesn't stop him from doing a dive of his own. The end is pretty solid in comparison to the first couple, except for the fact that the crowd is not used to the speed of the count and doesn't recognize the pinfall until Thesz raises Hamada's arm (which they thankfully pop for). Kind of a wonky match but some really cool stuff in it. Good to come back and look at this one after seeing the rest of the set.

El Canek vs. Don Corleone (2/14/82)

I will posit the theory that this is probably what title match lucha looked like in the '60s and '70s. There have been references to NWA and WWWF but the matwork is still resolutely lucha with the weird and elaborate holds, it is just a lot slower-paced. This probably isn't a good example of that however. The heat is wrong, with Canek heeling and fighting with Thesz and the crowd doesn't seem to give a shit either way. The piledriver spot into a submission was especially egregious in this fashion. At best the piledriver should have ended the fall immediately and they use it as an excuse for more Thesz interference and continue the match unnecessarily... then Corleone comes back and wins the fall? This should be the other way around. Tercera is a bit better with a painful looking crossface/leglock sub from Corleone and a dive, but yeah, this is lower level material.

Tatsumi Fujinami vs. El Canek (6/12/83)

Pretty pimping ringwear for both guys to start, with the Aztec influence for Canek and the awesome Gothic font "TF" on Fujinami's robe*. As a big Fujinami fan I can watch him do matwork all day no matter the participant. Everything he does always looks snug and intense. Unfortunately he's working with Canek, who sells a forearm-contact "tope" like he got KO'd and certainly doesn't want any part of a real Fujinami enzuigiri or back suplex. Again we get him acting like a dick with not breaking the figure four outside of the ring for an interminable amount of time. Then after the ref bump he takes advantage? THIS is your Mexican super-face champion? Fuck that nonsense. To add insult to injury they brawl out of the ring and of course, Canek gets the advantage. Some pretty clear Hogan comparisons are here, though at least Canek can work on the mat. Not as disappointing as the Corleone match, due to Fujinami showing up, but close.

* I hate to preface so many of these matches with references to what they're wearing but there is such wild gear on the participants that I can't help but mention it -- lucha aesthetic is a big part of the appeal to me.

Kevin von Erich, Mascara Ano 2000 y Halcon Ortiz v. Coloso Colosetti, Pirata Morgan y Herodes (9/23/83)

I guess if the announcers are making a big deal of Kevin being barefoot it's because you don't want to be contacting that mat with your flesh, judging from the look of it. Herodes is a good choice to start off with Kev because he can work tight and bump big. He (Kev) works good with Coloso too (despite at least one obvious spot-call) so I call BS on "fish out of water" talk with this one. Everyone actually seems to match up well here and Pirata Morgan is especially not afraid to die for your pleasure. Plus his wide-(one)eyed selling face is the best. Segunda caida ends in a cluster but it works. The bit with the tecnicos both bullying the heel ref is funny, then the third fall is over in like 30 seconds and Kev has the nerve to step on Coloso's neck. Some tecnicos! Entertaining match and as already said, a good introduction to the trios format.

MS-1 vs. Sangre Chicana (9/23/83)

I watched this twice so far, on different days. That mat has to have the greatest possibility of Hep C infection ever. This is really just a perfectly told match where 90% of it is selling, punches and blood and really has the KISS factor in full effect (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Helpful grannies send it over the top. If you don't like this one give the set to someone who might.

Espectro Jr., Satanico y MS-1 vs. Mocho Cota, Sangre Chicana y La Fiera (9/30/83)

This one is just wild. MS-1, Cota and Fiera come into this cueballed so you know some shit has been going down. The rudo jump at the start is so frenzied and this just feels like a straight-up fight. Great pop for the second fall tide-turn. Espectro Jr. has the worst mask and it gets what it deserves. A really spirited revenge match that doesn't wear out its welcome.

Goddamn. Rewatching this, the match is just pure chaos. The Warriors reference is true because it really does seem like two old gangs (pre-gunplay-era) working their problems out in the ring. MS-1 looks like Minoru Suzuki's buffer brother and Espectro Jr.'s mask has truly become the thing of nightmares to me. The heat for the Chicana team retaking the ring and beating the fuck out of Satanico is just off the charts. This is a blueprint for why heel vs. heel matches will work -- one is just more despicable than the other and the crowd HAS to boo them. Los Infernales are your Wyatts and Chicana's side are your Shield, with Chicana being Roman Reigns.

Sangre Chicana vs. Ringo Mendoza (10/28/83)

I thought this was pretty middle-of-the-road overall, some good submissions but the first fall seemed really sloppy. However the end is worth it all as Chicana seems to demand a hair match while still being sportsmanlike to Ringo, then they start picking up coins in the ring. Somebody throws a cup and Chicana starts to put money in it, then there is a shower of money with seconds and little kids start scooping it up, and finally the ring is invaded by young fans surrounding Chicana. Also someone decides right after the final fall to "make it rain" and you see three or four bills drifting over the ropes. Surreal.

Upon rewatch this is a really interesting match. They seem to be going for a slow build at times but then burst into moments of speed to try and steal an advantage. The handshake is cool too. It's like they are too evenly matched as opponents, at least until Ringo takes the advantage and Chicana's awesome selling kicks in. Then Ringo gets his chance to sell his ass off for the second fall and the Gory Special afterward. Both men's application of holds are so hurty-looking and panicked, then we get the dual pin. These two guys were made for the hair match they tease afterward and it's a shame we don't get to see it. Both guys are pretty basic workers, not especially fast or bogged down in schtick or crushing it on the matwork, they are your meat and potatoes guys that know how to sell and bleed and come off as solid guys to the crowd whether rudo or tecnico. It's nice to see them work each other in an even-steven title match where they can make some money and have a bunch of people loving it. I'm glad I watched this one again.

Atlantis y El Hijo del Santo vs. Fuerza Guerrera y Lobo Rubio (11/25/83)

Lobo Rubio looks so fucking sleazy with the blonde mohawk, Stryper-esque trunks and shades. It is amazing that this is Santo's first year and he's already wrestling like a maestro. The headscissors stuff looks effortless yet painful, like Rubio's head is gonna pop like a pimple between Santo's shins. I know I've crapped on a lot of the early Atlantis stuff but honestly it does look like the rudos are leading him here. His movements seem furtive in comparison to the confident flow of Santo. Still one of his better early performances, he busts out some nice armdrags and is super athletic. Speaking of which, those reverse armdrags that Santo throws will have you rewinding and just wondering how. We get some nice rudo stooging before the inevitable beatdown. Rubio picks up Santo and just flat pitches him vertically out of the ring and it looks really bad on the tendons when he lands. Never seen that one before! Tercera kind of drags until the two big finishing dives with Atlantis' being really huge. Well, I guess I can't say it dragged when it was so brief; it just looked like the tecnicos were winded and everyone was ready to go home. Solid match, especially for two green guys who would be topping the card at Arena Mexico for the rest of their lives after this.

DISC 1

1. MS-1 vs. Sangre Chicana (9/23/83)
2. Espectro Jr., Satanico y MS-1 vs. Mocho Cota, Sangre Chicana y La Fiera (9/30/83)
3. Atlantis y El Hijo del Santo vs. Fuerza Guerrera y Lobo Rubio (11/25/83)
4. Sangre Chicana vs. Ringo Mendoza (10/28/83)
5. Satoru Sayama y Gran Hamada vs. Perro Aguayo y Baby Face (4/13/80)
6. Andre the Giant & Cien Caras vs. Alfonso Dantes, Herodes y Sangre Chicana (1981)
7. Kevin von Erich, Mascara Ano 2000 y Halcon Ortiz v. Coloso Colosetti, Pirata Morgan y Herodes (9/23/83)
8. Centurion Negro vs. Gran Hamada (2/14/82)
9. Tatsumi Fujinami vs. El Canek (6/12/83)
10. El Canek vs. Don Corleone (2/14/82)

Coming back to this, as I've said before, feels like an extras disc considering you have Kevin Von Erich, Andre, Hamada and Sayama showing up and a couple really poor Canek matches. The Centurion/Hamada match is actually good, I feel bad putting it low but something has to be the border between the Caneks and the rest and I did like the Von Erich and especially the Andre match more than I probably should. This would be more a "fun" disc than a "great" disc if it wasn't for MS-1/Chicana, the insane brawl after and the tecnico masterpiece. Which really speaks for how great this set is. You come in on it and you get this wild variety and the best match on the set, maybe one of the top matches ever. You just can't go wrong picking it up and digging through the treasure chest that it is.