2019 indie catch up, part 8 of ∞

a Heddi Karaoui highlight. I was light on GIFs this time.

Soberano Jr. © vs Negro Casas for the Mexican National Welterweight Championship
(CMLL @ 06/02, 11:22, great, thecubsfan)

Negro Casas pulled Soberano to his most complete singles match in a while. No destroyers and not a lot of moves just for the sake of moves; Casas doesn’t have time or tolerance for that. Head drops can be cool but this match got more out of the back and forth kicks on the apron than they did with the DDT that followed. I really love how a consistent character trait of Soberano is he can almost never win one of those back and forth strike battles, he’s just far too skinny and Casas knocks him down silly every time. Casas went a little bit longer than usual and they made this feel not like a repeat of the lightning match, both nicely positive things.

Soberano’s got to rethink this

Death Metal & Karaoui vs Aramis & Imposible for the IWRG Intercontinental Tag Team Championship
(IWRG @ 03/24, 12:51, good, HECTOR GODFREY TV)

Has IWRG shifted to all one fall matches and I haven’t noticed? Feels like something I should’ve picked up on earlier. This match is the most I’ve liked Heddi Karaoui, obligatory 2019 Destroyer and all. He wrestles more power than mat style in a match that’s just a fun collection of back and forth offense. It is so back and forth that no real great momentum ever picks up, but everyone handles it well. Death Metal does fine in his big title shot, Imposible & Aramis look like cool tag champions and there’s an IWRG finish that makes sense. Can’t complain.

everyone against the chair

Cerebro Negro & Dr. Cerebro vs Demonio Infernal & Eterno
(IWRG @ 03/24, 16:12, ok, HECTOR GODFREY TV)

Cerebro Negro & Dr. Cerebro don’t seem to team a whole lot nowadays. They remain effective as a team. Maybe too effective. It felt like they dominated this match, taking most of the main part of the match, then only losing on a fluke submission and one big move by Demonio Infenral. The last fight was good, the overall work was sharp, but it comes off as unsatisfying when the wrong team wins. This was well performed but nothing I particularly enjoyed.

Demonio did not break his face, despite the reaction

Karma I, Karma II, Skayde vs Arez, Aztlán, Látigo
(The Crash DF @ 03/31, 9:55, good, Estrellas del Ring)

This match peaks with Arez and Skayde’s exchanges at the start. They are both enjoying exchanging holds and it’s the thing Skayde can do most effectively without exhausting his limited gas tank. He really looks tired during his comeback bit and it was maybe not the best for the match to focus so much on him. The rest is the usual indie match. Red shirt Karma is better than white shirt Karma in a very limited viewing. Aztlan does not seem as good as either of them.

Karma I or II with a nice armdrag

Arez, Dragón Lee, Místico II vs Drako, Hantar, Ricky Marvin
(The Crash DF @ 03/31, 12:33, good, Estrellas del Ring)

Entertaining exhibition match that never fully develops. Ricky Marvin and Arez interact but it’s nothing like it is in Coacalco. There’s a bit of brawling early and it seems more inconsequential than usual, to the point where you can jump in at the 7 minute mark and feel like you must’ve missed nothing. Dragon Lee utterly frightens some fans on the narrow side of the ring by leaping at them to get on the apron, but everyone lives. Mistico & Dragon Lee love doing dropkick double teams but might need a little more than that if they were to team regularly.

Arez cleans house

Miedo Extremo vs Arandú
(AKE @ 04/06, 26:30, great, Arena Clandestina)

There’s a lot of time spent on maestro mat exchange early on and it never really clicks with me. It feels like Miedo proving he can do it rather than Miedo trying to win. The match totally picks up when Miedo decides to try and destroy Arandu’s arm, transforming from an exhibition into an actual fight. The bigger picture is the two going thru a lot of different styles in the near half hour it goes and I guess it’s for the best they saved the better ones for later. Arandu moves well for his age, so well that I had to make sure I had the right age for him. The back and forth chops feel brutal on video, and his little veteran distractions come thru strong. He also takes a lot of supelxes, taking enough damage that it’s almost believable he might really take the big extreme spot Miedo sets up at the end. (He does not because Miedo is the crazy one.) This one really felt like it took time to get going but was worth that investment.

coming thru