2016 watch later catch up, part 2 of ∞

this looked painful
this looked painful

Matches reviewed in the post below

  • Leo, Mike, Rafy vs Diablo Jr. I, El Hijo del Diablo, Imposible
    Arena Naucalpan, 01/17/2016 
  • Black Terry, Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro vs Apolo Estrada Jr., Canis Lupus, Eterno
    Arena Naucalpan, 01/17/2016 
  • Diablo Jr. I, El Hijo del Diablo, Imposible vs Apolo Estrada Jr., Canis Lupus, Eterno
    Arena Naucalpan, 02/10/2016 
  • Epydemius, Galactar, Último Ninja vs Ninja Jr., Obsesión, Quinto Elemento
    Arena Coliseo Monterrey, 02/21/2016 
  • Marcela vs Ayako Hamada
    Sala Balumcanan, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal, 02/28/2016 
  • Dragón Lee vs Extreme Tiger
    Arena México, 02/21/2016 

Leo, Mike, Rafy vs Diablo Jr. I, El Hijo del Diablo, Imposible
Arena Naucalpan, 01/17/2016
Video: 
thecubsfan+LuchaTV

  1. Tortugas
    • Leo huracanrana Hijo del Diablo (4:48)
    • Mike huracanrana Diablo Jr. I (4:48)
    • Rafy huracanrana Impossible (4:48)
  2. rudos
    • Imposible middle rope splash Mike (3:01)
    • Hijo del Diablo suastica Rafy (3:17)
  3. Tortugas
    • rudos triple crab técnicos (5:08)

Winner: Tortugas (2-1)
Match Time: 13:13

Review: [good] Normal Tortuga Ninjas fun despite the loss; not some epic but an enjoyable way to spend the time. It’s really the first fall that’s the most them; the second and third fall are balanced and lean towards the rudos. These are good rudos for the turtle antics. Finish even makes sense in context of IWRG going with these rudo trio and wanting them to get some wins.

1_Leo, Mike, Rafy vs Diablo Jr. I, El Hijo del Diablo, Imposible (478p_25fps_H264-128kbit_AAC)_1
Tortuga toss
1_Leo, Mike, Rafy vs Diablo Jr. I, El Hijo del Diablo, Imposible (478p_25fps_H264-128kbit_AAC)_2
kind of worried these dives are getting out of control

Black Terry, Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro vs Apolo Estrada Jr., Canis Lupus, Eterno
Arena Naucalpan, 01/17/2016
Video: 
thecubsfan+LuchaTV

  1. Insoportables
    • Apolo Estrada Cerebro Negro (8:55)
    • Eterno press slam Black Terry (9:09)
  2. Insoportables
    • DQ Black Terry [foul on Eterno] (7:57)

Winner: Insoportables (2-0)
Match Time: 17:06
Notes: Insoportables threaten walking out before the match rather than fight Terry. They’re still arguing it a couple minutes after the whistle blows before getting in, then spend another two minutes antagonizing the Terrible Cerebros. Eterno fouled Terry, Terry fouled Eterno, and the referee only caught the last one.

Review: [good] Another good TV match that maybe isn’t worth going out of your way to watch but is enjoyable if you do. The stalling at the start is over the top, but it does get everyone suitable angry with the rudos. The finish is mid feud finish, but the action before it is a pretty solid brawl a lot of the way.

Eterno power
Eterno power

Diablo Jr. I, El Hijo del Diablo, Imposible vs Apolo Estrada Jr., Canis Lupus, Eterno
Arena Naucalpan, 02/10/2016
Video: 
thecubsfan

  1. Insoportables
    • Apolo Estrada board to the head Diablo Jr. I (1:35)
    • Eterno low blow dropkick Impossible (2:21)
  2. Mariachis Locos
    • Diablo Jr. I huracanrana Eterno (3:05)
    • Hijo del Diablo small package (3:09)
  3. Mariachis Locos
    • DQ Apolo Estada [foul Hijo del Diablo] (3:31)

Winner: Mariachis Locos (2-1)
Match Time: 9:01

Review: [below average] well, this was a dumb pick! Totally mailed in match with typical awful AYM camerawork. The names look good on paper, but they’re mostly good at trying to get thru this match without putting their bodies at much risk. They weren’t even doing all that good when they were trying, highlights by Impossible falling down when running the ropes via phantom trip. These are two good acts but not on this night.

3_20160210iwrgzonaxxi_match5_2
purse attack
3_20160210iwrgzonaxxi_match5_3
invisible trip
3_20160210iwrgzonaxxi_match5_1
waste of a good frame

Obsecion, Galactar, Ninja Jr.vs Ultimo Ninja, Epydimus Quinto Elemento
Arena Coliseo Monterrey, 02/21/2016
Video: 
Estrellas del Ringthecubsfan

  1. Team Ultimo Ninja
    • Epydemius package piledriver Obsesión (7:27)
    • Quinto Elemento Spanish Fly Galactar (7:27)
  2. Team Ninja Jr.
    • Obsesión/Ninja Jr. double armscissors Ultimo Ninja (2:19)
    • Obsesión moonsault Epydemius (3:33)
  3. Team Ultimo Ninja
    • Ultimo Ninja handstand rope flip moonsault Galactar (8:21)
    • Epydemius 450 splash Ninja Jr. (8:21)
    • Quinto Elemento moonsault Obsecion (8:21)

Winner: Team Ultimo Ninja (2-1)
Match Time: 19:21
Notes: Match starts at the start of my video, but you could skip 3 minutes and not miss anything.

Ultimo Ninja is in red. He’s teaming with Epydemius (neon green/black) and Quinto Elemento (white and blue). Their opponents are Ninja Jr. (neon green/purple), Obsecion (unmasked), and Galactar (black, purple and white Dragon Ball Saiyan gear). Ninja Jr.’s team plays rudos for the night.

Review: [good] high spot flyers match in front of a (rare) heavily attended Arena Coliseo Monterrey show, which makes it all the better. Ultimo Ninja is the best guy in this match by light years. It’s note even the other guys are bad, they all have good moments, Ultimo Ninja just moves around quickly and looks so graceful on all his really big spots. He really shows off in the first fall and the third fall, doing the trickiest of finishes among the three guys. The match meanders a little but when it slows down in the third fall, and everyone seemingly like they’ve been randomly assigned to teams makes it hard to follow, but it’s still fun.

Ultimo NInja tope con giro
Ultimo Ninja tope
everyone down
seemed like this was a safer way to do this until they went to the mat
??
bad times for Ninja Jr. 
?
Ultimo Ninja moonsault

Marcela vs Ayako Hamada
Sala Balumcanan, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal, 02/28/2016
Video: 
Estrellas del Ring

Winner: Ayako Hamada (sit down powerbomb)
Match Time: 11:57

Review: [ok] Not with some value, but disappointing. I sought this one out thinking it might be Marcela’s best match of 2016, and we’re all in trouble if that turns out to be right. This would’ve been a great match a few years ago, and there are indications of how they’ve slowed down: Marcela climbing the ropes very late in climbing the ropes on a corner charge counter was so weird to see, and there’s a powerbomb reversal spot that completely comes thru. There are some good moments, and neither woman seems as afraid of the absurdly loose ropes as I would be – the hanging double stomp bit is crazy for them to attempt, and they kind of pull it off. Hoping this is just an off night, because they both looked off.

Ayako moonsault
Ayako moonsault
Michinoku Driver
Michinoku Driver

Dragón Lee vs Extreme Tiger
Arena México, 02/21/2016
Video: 
MisticieroTVmluchatv

Winner: Dragon Lee (Dragon Driver)
Match Time: 11:31
Notes: Extreme Tiger has a hold of the bottom rope on the finish, but Terror Chino misses it.

Review: [great] a complete war, with both guys throwing bombs at each other for ten minutes hoping to knock each other out. This would be considered one of the best Liga Elite matches if Dragon Lee was in it, and it’s not too far from the matches with Kamaitachi. Each guy is just giving their best, and surviving the other person’s best to keep coming. Tiger looks so impressive in Arena Mexico, in a way he has not at any other point in his career. I’m not sure if there’s something he’s picked up in the US that’s helped him, but he looks like a world class junior. Dragon Lee was doing stuff in this match that he’s put on the shelf or just hasn’t gotten a chance to show in the months after; there’s the dives, but he’s got a lot of sharp moves in the ring we haven’t seen in recent months, and this was about showing how good Dragon Lee could be. (Maybe the running Gori Special he took wasn’t such a good idea though.) Absolutely should be checked out.

Dragon Lee tope
Dragon Lee tope
Tiger XXX
Tiger tornillo
???
on target
Xtreme legdrop
Xtreme legdrop