Daga breaks thru
Recapped: 02/21-2/2017
What happened: Daga, Pentagon Jr., and Garza Jr. all left AAA and to join this promotion and the greater indie landscape. Garza and Fenix were added to the Perros del Mal. All mutually decided to relinquish the Perros del Mal name sometime after the show. The “La Rebelion” name came a week later officially, but this is the beginning of that story.
According to the people involved, those three people didn’t tell anyone (including Pentagon telling the other two) that they were going to jump. That’s hard to believe and certainly people in charge knew some point on this day before the big angle, since that big angle only makes sense if they knew they were changing the main event that Fenix was about to get a tag team partner. Still, it’s also clear many people out there for the big angle were not clued in on what was happening, even while it was happening.
The adjusted main event saw the Lucha Brothers (Penta/Fenix) win a five way match which was announced as for the The Crash’s vacant tag team championship. Super Crazy & Juventud Guerrera protested, and the reward was changed to a title shot at a future show. The tag titles instead were determined in a tag match between Super Crazy & Nicho el Millionario (not Guerrera, for unclear reasons) and the Hardy Boys. The Hardys won the titles. If you are reading this on Thursday February 16th, that final match is airing today on Impact Wrestling in some form.
In other action, Flamita kept The Crash Cruiserweight championship over AR Fox and Arkangel Divino defeated Black Danger to win the The Crash Junior Championship.
(Also, I decided I needed to try to do proper reviews on these. I’m not sure how I’ll manage if it’s an ongoing concern and both Elite and LU are back, but that’s a problem for down the road.)
What was good: Everything on this show was watchable. The bonus Hardys match was just OK as a stand alone match, but it was about giving the fans who came to see them all the Hardy Boys spots in a low impact match, and they delivered. Despite being in Tijuana, this was a crowd very familiar with the Hardys and often reacted more like a US indie show than a Mexican one – most of the reactions were ooh”-ing at big spots, and there were few chants beyond “DELETE!”.
I had stylistic issues with the trios match, but otherwise this had good matches. They could’ve cut down the time a little bit, it did feel a little long, but that shouldn’t be a problem if you’re picking and choosing. AR Fox vs Flamita was the best match on the show and the one you should go out of your way to watch.
My GIFs aren’t much good – I didn’t zoom in enough.
Where can I watch it: All the links are below videosluchas3000 has the show complete from a hard camera. Unfortunately, they’ve put up giant translucent watermarks all over the video. It’s not covering ring as long as the entrance screen is lit up bright, but you can tell it’s there and it’s a little distracting. +LuchaTV has commentary and multiple camera versions of Fox/Flamita, the big angle, and the five way tag match. TKD has handhelds of some of the matches.
Match 1: Black Danger © vs Arkángel Divino [The Crash JUNIOR]
Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California, 01/21/2017
Video: videoslucha3000, TKD117
Winner: Arkangel Divino (super Mistica)
Match Time: 10:03
Notes: Mirage (Divino) & Último Maldito (Danger) are the seconds, or are at least until Mirage takes a Canadian Destroyer on the ramp and receives medical aid for a few minutes before being taken away.
Review: [good] Entertaining match, if still having some flaws with sloppiness and focus. There was an effort to make Divino come across as more than a flashy wrestler who does can only do cool spots with his usual opponent. He did creative submissions early to show a diversity of offense, and got to do a lot of different big spots by the end of the match. Arkangel was able to do exist without Maldito (though Maldito interfered freely without getting DQ, an AAA staple which hopefully won’t be a The Crash one too), though there was a noticeable dropoff. The crowd didn’t react big to Arkangel using his super Mistica for the finish because it didn’t look like they’re one they’re use to seeing. He also looked sloppy at times, but generally about what you’d expect at this point in his career.
The Mirage injury was discouraging. It happened on the ramp, which is dead center in the middle of the screen watching on the videosluchas3000 version. It’s bad when everyone gets hurt, but when a guy gets hurt on a The Crash show, and it still takes someone going to the PA to call out the medics to the ring, it feels like a classic No One Learns Anything Ever moment. At least they eventually found a stretcher and it didn’t seem like it was serious. The injury situation wasn’t a big deal live, and could be easily missed if you didn’t have the exact view we do on this video, but the match didn’t seem that worth paying attention while they were working on him.
I don’t know if I’m the only person who’s stuck in this perception, but, even with the big angle later in the night, The Crash is still “that promotion where Perro Aguayo Jr.” died first in my mind. Maybe watching them regularly this year will get me past that. I don’t think the medics getting there quicker (or just being at ringside) would’ve helped Perro and I’m guessing it didn’t make a difference for Mirage either on this show, but scenes and issues like that evoke very unpleasant memories. I’d like to see these situations handled better for the wrestler’s safety, but I’d just as much like to see ringside medics so I’m not depressed by past tragedy every time. It’s not good when luchadors get hurt and aren’t taken care of like they should be in any promotion, but it’s going to always be a bigger issue for the Crash until that memory fades.
(This is really far away from being the match but – why did they keep The Crash name anyway? If ever there was a time for a rebrand, that’s a pretty good time for a rebrand, and “The Crash” is an inexplicable poor name to begin with. It’s too late now, this show cemented an identity and it doesn’t make sense to change it now.)
Match 2: Ángel Metálico, Black Boy, Oraculo vs Ryan Kidd, Tiago, Tony Casanova
Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California, 01/21/2017
Video: videoslucha3000
Winner: Team Oraculo (Oraculo 450 splash Ryan Kidd)
Match Time: 17:29
Notes: Último Malidto ran in to attack the técnicos after the match, so Oraculo got about two seconds of celebration before he was beaten up by foru men, who counted their own pin.
Review: [good] a big move intensive six way that happened to be listed as a trios match. There was no sense of teams until the (seemingly completely pointless) post match beatdown. It instead of felt like the longest series of guy B doing a move to guy A, guy C doing a move to B, etc. You could slice the match up, rearrange in a different order, and it would as much sense. Maybe more sense: there was an early bit where a Canadian Destroyer was followed within seconds by both men getting up and clotheslining each other down, and then almost selling. Maybe they were going for Fighting Spirit there, but didn’t show that emotion, and just came off as guys in fear of losing the crowd if they didn’t do keep doing stuff. It settled down a little bit and there were spots that actually got to stand out by the end. Black Boy (I think!) looked the best to me. Ryan Kidd doing hip swivels felt like it belonged in some other match, but his dive was pretty good. This is a good highlight video that doesn’t really hold together as a match.
Match 3: Flamita © vs AR Fox [The Crash CRUISER]
Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California, 01/21/2017
Video: TKD117, videoslucha3000, +LuchaTV
Winner: Flamita (phoenix splash)
Match Time: 17:44
Notes: Flamita gets a two count on a Retador about 15 minutes in. At least it’s eventually decided. The referee counts a very late two count, but whoever is at the ring bell rings it and Flamita’s music starts to play. (Flamita thinks he has three, but then is confused when it appears he actually got three.) There’s a few seond puase before they get restarted.
Review: [great] This was much better than the previous matches. It might even be a better match out of the context out of the rest of the show. It got over well live, but the million moves in the last match makes it a bit harder to get this purposefully slow starting match. They backloaded it with lots of big and good looking spots. I wasn’t sure how fox would mesh with Flamita, but he managed to do his impressive offense while still working rudo and being in the right spots for Flamita. The crowd, which seemed to have a lot of educated indie fans maybe due to the Hardys, were strongly behind Flamita and got into his comeback. Not to harp on a point, but these two did get more out of doing less. It seems weird to cite Flamita and AR Fox in that way, given this match also had stuff like AR Fox doing three straight dives, but the goofy excitement of Fox running around the ring to hit Flamita only to get booted in the face was one of the best moments in this match. There were other small moments where they waited to let the crowd sense what was happening that made it a bigger happening. The near fall weirdness was the biggest flaw, but I also generally think they have a better match in them. This was pretty good though.
Match 4: Jack Evans & Rey Horus vs Bestia 666 & Jinzo
Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California, 01/21/2017
Video: videoslucha3000
Winner: Bestia & Jinzo (Bestia foul Horuz)
Match Time: 20:28
Notes: Motorcyclists surround the ring before the match, which makes no sense at the time and only sort of later. Jack Evans stops the match early on for a dance off, and Willie Mack does a run (er, walk) in to participate. (No one else does.) The opening of the Perros del Mal music plays during the rudo beatodwn, which causes the entire crowd to get up and look up at the entrancement. They boo when nothing happens. Horuz runs into the referee on the corner charge, who rolls all the way out of the ring. Horuz of course immediately gets a pinfal on a Code Red, but there’s no one to count. The ref is down for a long time, and Bestia fouls in something that seems to be edited out. Bestia covers Horuz, but there’s still no referee. Horuz gives up and rolls to the side of the ring to see what happened, then rolls back to Bestia as Mendoza throws the referee in. He counts, as two masked men – in Canek and Fishman masks – hit the ring. They’re in the ring in plenty of time to break the pin, but just stand there to let it finish.
Mendoza, confused (and who knows on how many levels) comes in to look at the intrelopers, and gets attacked. They take out all four guys in the match and the refree beore asking for a micrphone. Super Crazy and Juventud Guerrera run into confront them. Ronnie, knocked out of the ring, rolls into check on Bestia, only for Super Crazy to forearm him right by out. “Fishman” gets the microphone and taunts Bestia – it’s his worst nightmare, he’s now 100% of The Crash. He unmasks as Garza Jr. The Perros del Mal music starts to play again, as “Canek” unzips his jacket to show off a Perros del Mal shirt, and unmasks as Daga. It’s interesting to watch Mendoza’s reaction on the outside – he sops selling the Perros del Mal shirt becomes visible, and seems as surprised as everyone else. Jack’s off camera, but Horuz and the referee also are so confused that they stop selling too.
Daga wants to cut a promo, but the ring fills up with people – Rey Horuz, the Hardys, and Nicho last. Horuz, who’d been thrown back out by Crazy earlier, also makes his way back in the ring in a corner. At first, the split up by sides of the (announced) main event, with the Hardys & Rey Fenix facing off with the Mexicools & Bestia. Daga & Garza are on that side of the ring but not really with them. Garza gets the microphone to announce he’s not just 100% The Crash, but 100% Perros del Mal. (This line seems like it was meant to happen earlier but everything’s moving quick.) As this is happening, the sides starts to change. Nicho pulls Bestia 666 to his side. Jack, who had been out of view for minutes, rushes back in the ring to rest with Horuz in the corner. Super Crazy, who appears to be communicating things to others, backs up Juvy as he grabs the microphone. Fenix suddenly becomes concerned he’s not actually with the Hardys. Juvy addresses one problem in the situation – is Nicho with the Perros, the MexiCools, or Familia de Tijuana? Daga tries to wave him over and Garza encourages the crowd, but Nicho indicates he’s with Bestia. Juvy turns to Fenix, saying that no one wants him on their side. Crazy takes the microphone to laugh at Fenix too. (Given where this ends up, it’s odd Garza & Daga shove Fenix like they don’t want him either. Also, Mendoza is now on the apron, but still has no idea what’s going on.) A “0” blinks on the screen and the Perros music plays again. Everyone is confused as a man rides in on the back of a motorcycle from the side of the screen. Fenix joyfully leaves the ring to introduce him there. Everyone wants the guy under the motorcycle to be one guy, and Fenix asks for a “Cero Miedo” yell from the crowd. The man comes in the ring, tells everyone to clear space, and unmasks as Pentagon Jr. as 0M flashes on the screen. (Jeff Hardy is very impressed by this show, clapping approval.) The bikers from are all suddenly at ringside, without their bikes, and take off their sweatshirts to reveal Pentagon shirts. Pentagon cuts a promo introducing his Penta name and his team with Fenix as Lucha Brothers.
The Hardys threaten to delete everyone, which Juvy is great at freaking out about. Fenix, Pentagon, Garza and Daga find themselves them standing together. Daga tells Fenix not to leave, and Fenix hugs Garza. Juvy suggests to Crazy that they face the Hardys and the others in a tag match and leaves. Everyone but Rey Horuz, Bestia, Penta, Garza, Fenix and Daga leave. Garza tells the Tijuana guys that the Perros are now a foursome, while Daga removes his shirt. Daga says the group has always been true independents and always invites the best, throws his shirt to Fenix. Fenix is thrilled, ripping of off his own shirt to put the Perros on. Rey Horuz bails on this, while Bestia keeps eyeballing all of them. Penta both teams challenge for the tag team titles tongit in the same match. They pose together. Horuz, from the stage, waves at the Bestia to finally get him to leave. (Bestia seems halfway between confused and storyline eyeballing these guys to build up a program.) The Perro pose some more and leave.
Review: [good] I forgot to write this review until after breaking down the post match segment. I think most everyone forgot the match happened after that post match segment. That’s too bad, was a good match with nice touches that went a little long and had a flat ending. (There clearly was a lot of people not told what was happening, but I wonder if the referee was told not to go back in until the run-in and then the run-in took longer than expected. Definitely someone missed a cue.) Mendoza giving Bestia 666 dance off strategy tips is a hidden gem. So is Jack and Ronnie Mendoza yelling at each other before both doing 450 splashes. The last few minutes of this were good, though the post match section after the dance off was the least appealing part of the match.
Match 5: Brian Cage & Willie Mack vs Jeff Cobb & Scorpio Sky
Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California, 01/21/2017
Video: videoslucha3000
Winner: Brian Cage & Willie Mack
Match Time: 16:02
Review: [good] I was confused half this match because I had the teams wrong all this time. That’s the level of content you’re getting here. Still weird is Cage & Mack being the slightly bigger técnico team. It allowed Cage to fulfill his destiny as springboard good guy who also likes to lift, but Cobb & Sky were king of out matched. This had a dive train spot but was more big guys doing big power moves, a nice change of pace from the rest of the show. Scorpio Sky was fine and probably better for what they were doing here than La Mascara would’ve been.
Match 6: Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy vs Juventud Guerrera & Súper Crazy and Fénix El Rey & Penta el 0M and Bestia 666 & Nicho el Millionario and Daga & Garza Jr.
Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California, 01/21/2017
Video: +LuchaTV, videoslucha3000
Winner: Penta & Fenix (Penta Driver)
Match Time: 7:51
Notes: This is as announced as being for the (vacant) The Crash championship. A five way tag meant there isn’t enough corners for everyone to stand. The two Perros del Mal teams just end up sharing a corner, bu they do wrestle each other during the match. It’s mostly worked as a 1v1 with people tagged in and out, though beginning with a giant brawl. Everyone is again brawling on the outside when Pentagon pints Bestia 666 cleanly after kicking out of the valagueza.
Review: [good] so many people and so little time, this doesn’t get to build much. It is a showcase for what everyone can do. Fenix looked fired up and spectacular on his big spots. Juventud was great as a character. This match works better than you’d think for something that feels so thrown together, and it’s enough of a spectacle that it would’ve worked as the last match on the show had they not needed the extra footage.
After the match, Juventud Guerrera complains about the match being changed and calls out Konnan. Meanwhile, Marty Elias, who’s refereed this match and others, tells Daga, Garza and Bestia they’re done for night and then talks with Matt. Jeremy Borash also appears at ringside while these promos are going on. He seems to avoid filming the Lucha Brothers, but sticks around for the match.
Konnan books it on the fly – Mexicools (this time Crazy & Nicho) vs Hardys, with the Lucha Brothers getting a title shot in Tijuana at a later date. Everyone agrees with it.
Match 7: Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy vs Nicho & Súper Crazy [The Crash TAG]
Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California, 01/21/2017
Winner: The Hardys (Jeff Swanton Bomb Nicho)
Match Time: 2:56
Notes: Juventud, despite not being in match, still runs in to take a Twist of Fate with everyone else. The Hardy Boys win very
Review: [ok] The Mexicools jumped the técnicos at the start, but this is really not much more than a quick Hardy Boys showcase. They did their big spots, the crowd was thrilled with Jeff doing a Swanton Bomb, and Impact got their footage. I think the fans were happy with the bonus match but there’s not much here. This is mostly novelty.
