2017 watch later catch up, part 5 of ∞

definitely a Copa Higher Power

This turned it an “all Naucalpan, all the time” group – mostly because I’m way behind on adding indie matches to my watch list.

Trauma I & Trauma II vs Black Terry & Diablo Jr. © for the IWRG Intercontinental Tag Team Championship
(IWRG, 04/23, 19:27, ok, via
+LuchaTV)

I didn’t get much out of this one. This match was trying to be a lot od different, a technical first fall, brawling later on, and it didn’t feel particular good in any way. It didn’t feel like there was much drama most of the way, though finally unlocked near falls in the end. It was a slower worked match and they tossed away the second fall in a fashion more like CMLL. This was more about establishing the champs as for real by having beat the team everyone in IWRG thinks is the best, and it seemed like it was a fun match in person based on how everyone reacting, but there’s better matches to watch with everyone. This was not bad but wasn’t interesting.

Terrry gets the pin easy

Negro Navarro beat Zack Sabre Jr.  
(Lucha Memes @ Naucalpan, 04/28/2017, 15:37, arm trap hammerlock neck crank, excellent, via
+LuchaTV)

It Took forever for me to get to this match but it was worth the wait. Navarro/ZSJ worked on a simple level of two guys with similar idiosyncratic styles but from different backgrounds figuring out what they could do with and to each other, and it worked on a slightly more complex level of Sabre coming to Mexico and meeting an old man who can confound Zack at the game he thought he mastered. Touches like ZSJ thinking about grabbing the ropes but refusing – he’s not going to lower himself to that sort of easy out because he’s sure he can find a way out like he always does until he’s so frustrated by Navarro that he does it without thinking. This plays out like the wrestling version of the young chess grandmaster going down to the park to glorious destroy everyone, only for an old man to school him. ZSJ’s fit after the match is him knocking the chess pieces to the ground in disbelieving anger over what just happened, while Navarro is just having a fun time grappling. The emotion they show is just as well executed as the holds.

Special credit should go to the production here; all the handhelds are appreciated but these matches look so much better professionally shot. The intricate stuff both men were doing would not have come across as well off someone’s phone in the first row. You need to get I tight and you needed to see everything. JMG’s comparing one of ZSJ’s hold to an amazon snake constricting the life out of Navarro was a great visual metaphor.

The second toughest part of this match was deciding where to put it; I’m think it probably won’t make my top 10 at the end of the year but I liked it a lot. The actual toughest past is, as with many Navarro matches, trying to figure out what to write down as the hold he used at the end.

always time for back bend submissions
how did he not dislocate his shoulders
cradle out of nothing

Climax vs Aramis
(Arena Naucalpan, 05/03/2017, 7:40, good, via
IWRG tv)

I picked this one out to see Aramis but this turns out to be much more of a Climax exhibition. He takes most of the offense, with some nice agile spots and unexpected judo spots, if that’s even the right martial art. He was using Aramis’ momentum against him, which is an interesting idea for lucha libre, and cranking his arm while covering him. Aramis was faster and smoother, but both guys can probably flesh out what they’re doing a little better. Aramis’ chained northern lights suplex looked cool, but just stopped with Climax blocking it in a way that made it look like nothing had happened. Aramis’ submissions at the end came off as harsh. Nothing earth shaking here but a nice exhibition of what this Climax could do, before he disappeared back into the void.

Climax escape
Aramis tope con giro

Freelance vs Eterno
(IWRG, 05/05, 8:35, good, via
IWRG tv)

The Freelance exhibition matches seems to be fewer and fewer in IWRG as time goes by, but this was a thoroughly enjoyable one. Eterno is just here to make sure Freelance almost but never quite dies, while Freelance takes all the scary backdrops and crazy dives they can do. There was a headscissors spot that looked both very cooperative and still insane. There was Freelance maybe suffering a shoulder injury, or maybe working one for reasons impossible to understand. This wasn’t a complete match or anything, but it was a usual spectacle out of him.

Eterno defies the laws of physics
Freelance into the crowd, check

 

Team FILL (Ángel Oriental, Aramis, Black Dragón, Demonio Infernal, Diablo Jr., Kanon, Keiser Drago, Power Bull vs Team Lucah libre Boom (Aspirantito Jr. (Guerrero), Boxter, Fandango, Kilvan, Kronoz, Toxin, Tromba, Yoruba) [Copa Higher Power]
(IWRG 05/17, Arena Naucalpan, 43:51, good, via
IWRG tv)

LLB vs IWRG fit the usual Copa Higher Power mold: some really strong sequences and some iffy moments. The big brawl into the crowd and the dives in the middle of it separated this from most of the others ones, but also seemed to cause it to go a lot longer without getting to eliminations; this wouldn’t have been hurt by going 8-10 minutes shorter. On the upside, +LuchaTV giving graphics for each elimination made this a lot easier to follow than the usual AYM presentation. Helped that they actually could ID the people in the match. Demonio Infernal like hitting people very hard and likes being hit very hard. Angel de Oriental and (I think) Baxter had the iffiest sequence in the match and Angel didn’t come across too well. Toxin & Aramis got a lot of time at the end, almost a singles match on their own. Aramis looked really good, Toxin seemed to slow down a lot after the Spanish Fly on the floor but came back strong at the end. It didn’t look especially safe at times but this was entertaining if long.

Diablo throws himself into a double stomp
Demonio Infernal running Fire Driver
Tromba and Aramis, head to head

Imposible © vs Súper Mega for the IWRG Rey del Ring
(IWRG @ 06/04, 14:19, ok, via
IWRG tv)

My plan of watching all the Imposible singles match takes an ugly turn. This didn’t start good, didn’t get better, and then thankfully ended. Super Mega appeared to legit bounce his head off the mat on the second fall finishing powerbomb. He reacted big, putting his hands behind his head and shaking it about, which also meant he wasn’t close to be pinned while he was counted for three. He later missed on his giant tope, wiping out badly. He was messed up enough that the rest of the match was slow and sloppy, but it also wasn’t so great before that point either. That missed dive should show up on spot of year countdowns (good or bad), but the rest isn’t worth your time. This is on the low end of OK.

Super Mega’s usual crash and burn