Lucha Tape Watching #5:
Best of Lucha '99 - Volume 2
by Homer J. Fong

This is a 5-hour tape, so I'll try to be less verbose (likely without success). This is also the first tape that I hadn't watched before re-watching for a Wienerboard review.

1. Mini Abismo Negro (Champ) vs. Octagoncito

This one, naturally, is for the minis championship.The minis remain the one worthwhile thing about AAA nowadays, but in 1999, the fed still was watchable.

This is only a one fall match. It opens with both men working over the arm of their opponent, with the requisite tosses thrown in. Octagon's armdrags are nuts, as was his moonsault off the top rope to the outside. Abismo also holds his ground in terms of moves, with a top-rope dropkick and a rolling German suplex. He also nails a gorgeous tope con hilo. Octagoncito also gets in some spots, including a springboard corkscrew plancha, and a corkscrew moonsault which got the win. Octagoncito gets the gold, and Abismo is a good sport about the loss, until the non-mini Abismo Negro attacks Octagoncito and mini joins in the fun.

I have one complaint. I would have liked to see this go three falls. The spots made it seem like a three fall match, but there was no matwork. A minor nit to pick. 91. Time was about 11 minutes.

2. Perro Aguayo Sr & Jr vs. Electro Shock & Abismo Negro

A couple of good workers here in Abismo & Perro Jr. Hopefully, they'll bring the wrestling. Perro Sr can bring the heat, and Electro Shock will stay out of the way.

The above was typed before I watched the match. The first fall is pretty much all Perro Jr getting a beatdown. Perro Sr could barely bump at this point. But, I'll say some nice things about this one. Abismo has a nice frog splash. Uh.....Perro Sr went into the post in the first fall and didn't juice. A double pin in the final fall eliminates Abismo & Perro Jr. I can safely say I'd rather watch Nash/HHH than Perro/Electro, even with a tope from the elder Aguayo notwithstanding. Clever ending though, as Pentagon (the rudo second) puts on an Octagon mask, and fouls Aguayo for the pin.

Nope. Not very good at all. The heat was in the 90s, but the match was deep into the 50s. Let's call it 68 and move on. They did have some good brawls in '99, but this wasn't one of them. If you're old, and can't work like Satanico, whip out the blade (although I think a brisk breeze could cause Perro to juice at this point) and be done with it.

3. Humberto Garza/Felino/Heavy Metal vs. Cibernetico/Abismo Negro/Electro Shock

Cibernetico has a cool mask, and it is attached to one of the biggest loads in lucha. He's more roided out than Scorpio. This is from Felino's short run in AAA.

Humberto does some nice flips during his segment with ElectroShock. The Felino/Abismo segment was disappointing due to its short length, but I like the fact that Metal & Felino took the first fall with a pair of Magistrals. (They're Negro Casas' brothers) However, I don't want to see Felino doing comedy spots. Save that for the folks that can't work to save their lives. The second fall is highlighted by Abismo pulling down Metal's tights and getting him in a camel clutch. I think Antonio Pena suggested that spot, for some reason. Third fall is all rudo beatdowns, including Metal & Felino getting cuffed to the post and Garza hitting a 2-alarm bladejob. Hector Garza comes out to complain for a bit, then leaves and returns with a key. Payback for los tecnicos now, highlighted by the Casas Bros nailing topes. Cibernetico fouls Garza for a DQ.

Not too bad of a match involving some of the more over AAA luchadores. Not off the charts, must-see great, but also not embarassing. 75.

4. Micke Segura vs. Shiima Nobunaga (CIMA)

This is from IWRG, and is for the intercontinental welterweight gold.

Lots of stalling from Shiima to start, but it gets the crowd into it. It is mostly Segura in control of the mat segments, but Shiima more than holds his own in the 7+ minute mat segment. When that ends, Segura takes fall #1 with a Michinoku Driver (more slam than Driver though). The second fall goes to Shiima with a reverse fisherman's buster (Micke went forward instead of back). The third fall was more mat stuff, and the first aerial spot in the match comes after a hangman's neckbreaker while Segura was on the apron, after which Shiima hit the tope. Then it is back to the chain wrestling for a bit, but we get another big spot with a top-rana from Segura, and some nearfalls, the nicest of which saw an attempted go-behind turned into a backslide. Spots at this point included a crazy somersault plancha that sees Segura land in the third RAW. Segura gets caught up at the top, and Shiima nails a reverse Outsider's Edge, and even the follow-up frog splash is 2. A second frog splash finally ends it at 35:59 according to the graphic.

It started right down the middle of your average lucha singles match, but final fall was incredible. Good, believable moves in this one with some selling to keep it from being spotty. 92

5. Lizmark/Shocker/Niebla vs. Fuerza Guerrera/Bestia Salvaje/Black Warrior

Warrior's escort wears too-tight plaid pants to match his kilt. The colour co-ordination between escort & wrestler is one of the little fun things about lucha.

Forget the match, this one is angle driven, as Shocker turns rudo here. During the first fall, he is posing with his & Niebla's valets, folding up his cape while his partners get destroyed. And when he gets in the ring, he submits right away to a loose arm wringer. The second fall is more of the same, as Shocker leaves his partners to the rudo wolves. And the turn is cemented as he knocks out Niebla just as the tecnico is making the comeback. Straight falls for los rudos. Just to add to the fun, IWRG Mr. Niebla also debuts, starting and invasion angle that pretty much focused on the fake/real Niebla. You can see Stephanie McMahon kicking herself for not including a fake Stephanie angle during the invasion. Fake Stephanie, would, of course, be played by supermodel Cindy Crawford.

No Rating for this one. I'm uncomfortable ranking something that was more angle-driven than work driven. And looking back in retrospect, you gotta love this turn.

6. Los Infernales vs. Olimpico/Aguila/Super Astro

Aguila (Essa Rios) is also in kilt mode.

Opening fall brawling sees the Infernales hit nothing but each other, and then Ultimo & Rey get taken out by Astro & Aguila topes. Satanico gets across the back in a spinning Gory special for the first fall to go to Los Tecnicos. Aguila gets in a goofy armdrag, as expected, during the second fall. But the rudos gang up on Astro, Aguila & Olimpico in turn. I love Ultimo's corner headstand into a bronco buster. Olimpico gets pinned with a 3-on-1 pinning combo to even the falls, and his mask is ripped for good measure. The 3-on-1 ends briefly in the third fall when Astro gets the rudos dancing, before they just jump him to continue their control of the match, winning it easily after a press slam and a pile-on.

Short, squashy and disappointing considering who was involved. 70.

Mr. Aguila cuts a promo. He's wearing an ECW hat.

7. Mr. Niebla vs. Shocker

This isn't the mask vs. mask match, but just a simple continuation of the hostilities started during the tag match.

They're fighting before the announcer can even get out of the ring. There's a tope at about the 10 second mark from Niebla. The fake Niebla & Solar are the seconds. Shocker pulls down Niebla from outside the ring and repeatedly posts him. And oh boy, do we have a juice job from Niebla. Continuing outside the ring, Shocker then just pulls Niebla around by his leg. Niebla's tights are soaked in blood as well. We're at .5 on the Muta scale here. Niebla gets a short flash of offense with a Diamond Cutter, and he holds on during a suplex, turning it into an armlock submission to get 1 fall. Niebla slaps Shocker around to start the second fall. At this point, they start selling the "Niebla is weak from blood loss" story. The fake Niebla also starts interfering, distracting the referee from a crotchshot, and then finally helping Shocker destroy Niebla's knee. It is a DQ, but the commission demands that there be a mask vs. mask match between the two.

Mainly an angle, continuance without much wrestling. It was very good at that though, and Niebla did a good job selling the attack at the hand of Shocker, then the fake Niebla. 76.

8. Felino/Heavy Metal vs. Thai Boxer/Kick Boxer

In this match, their seconds are risking their hair. Pepe Casas & Tirantes are the seconds. Hopefully, you can figure out the rudos' gimmicks. Only one fall.

Suffice to say that trying to work a mix of lucha and the kick-boxing style in the lucha arena isn't very good. Lots of folks getting handcuffed to the ring posts. The referee takes a bump and is replaced by Hijo de Tirantes, who was working a program against his father. Tecnicos win. Tirantes loses his bushy mullet.

Felino didn't look too bad in this one during the wrestling segment, but as a whole, it was a confusing mess. 63. Let's move on.

9. Revelos Cibernéticos: Shocker/Zumbido/Rey Bucanero/Ultimo Guerrero/Satanico vs. Ringo Mendoza/Olimpico/Tony Rivero/Solar/Super Astro

Hopefully, a Cibernético match can cleanse my palate of that match. 9 good-to-great workers - and the ancient Ringo Mendoza. This sounds nice. If you've never seen a Cibernético match - simply think of it as a Survivor Series Elimination match. Interestingly, even though Bucanero has been unmasked by this point, his on-screen graphic still shows him with the mask.

There is a clip, and we're immediately into Shocker & Olimpico. More takedowns than matwork, but the best one was Shocker catching Olimpico's spinning heel kick and turning it into a belly-to-back suplex. Satanico and Solar are next. Solar gets in a couple of moves, but a bodyscissors is blocked as Satanico sits down, and the rudos get their first elimination. Rivera & Zumbido's segment is at a great pace. Ringo & Bucanero? At least Ringo didn't break his hip. Fortunately, Ringo is the next to go, courtest of a leglock pinning combination with a bridge from Zumbido. Astro gets the rudos dancing, then topes Zumbido, who had bailed out. Astro's dance spot is....hard to describe. Satanico manages to slip out of the rocking chair and the spinning torture rack, before Tony Rivera finally gets him with a rana. Rivera then has a good segment with Ultimo, ending as Ultimo gives Rivera the reverse superplex and gets the elimination. At some point Astro & Zumbido were eliminated, but it wasn't shown on camera. But we are down to a final 3 of Ultimo, Shocker & Olimpico. Ultimo gets a couple near falls, but a reverse powerbomb is turned into a pin, sending out Guerrero. Shocker takes a couple of crazy bumps early on, but he is able to counter a rana with a powerbomb for a nearfall. Fisherman buster by Shocker, but again 2. Shocker then goes a reverse powerbomb, and the same thing that happened to Ultimo happened to Shocker. Olimpico is your sole survivor.

Of what was shown, it was a really good match, but the two others in 1999 were slightly better. 91.

10. IWRG MR. Niebla vs. CMLL Mr. Miebla (Mask/Gimmick vs. Mask/Gimmick)

Only one fall for this one. Shocker replaces Dr. Wagner as IWRG's second. Atlantis is in CMLL's corner. IWRG is tearing at CMLL's mask from the start, and CMLL juices, but nowhere near the level as during the Shocker match. There's a clip, and we see CMLL missing a somersault tope and ending up headfist on the floor. Several nearfalls off a some weak sentons from IWRG Niebla. IWRG tries a powerbomb, only to have CMLL slip out and get 2 off a crucifix. CMLL gets in one moonsault, but his second one misses. IWRG goes for a pin, but only gets 2 3/4. EMLL with a Magistral, but IWRG gets the shoulder up at 2 9/10. CMLL to the top, trying fora flying rana, but he gets powerbombed and there is another near fall. IWRG has a punch blocked, and CMLL quickly powerbombs him. But no pinfall - La Nieblina! IWRG submits to a massive pop. Shocker & Atlantis brawl post match, as do the Nieblas, but order is restored, and we have an unmasking, as real Niebla tears it off. The fake Niebla is Miguelangel Guzman, 27 years old, from Puebla. You now know Mr. Guzman as the guy with the best facial expressions in lucha - Mr. Mexico.

This is just like the Undertaker vs. Undertaker, except the match didn't suck rocks. Hard to gauge with the clips, but decent wrestling mixed with insane heat always makes for a good combo. 90.

11. Electro Shock/Abismo Negro vs. Psicosis/Cibernetico

This Psicosis is Leon Negro, not the WCW guy.

One fall again, and this one is a total brawl. Electro sure throws some weak belt shots. Another handcuff spot. I'm getting disturbing images of the mind of Antonio Pena due the overuse of the handcuff spot. Ciber is the one getting cuffed, as Abismo and Electro then team up to hammer Psicosis with chairs. Ciber gets an occasional chairshot as well. Electro balances a third chair on top of two open chairs, and Psicosis gets powerbombed on that. More Psicosis getting abused by the chair. Some official come from the back and finally free Ciber, but not before one of them juices after a chair shot. Ciber cleans house with a chair on Electro, while Psicosis does the same to Negro. He places a chair on Negro, and delivers Sabu's Arabian Facebuster off the top buckle. Psicosis goes onto hit a top rope rana, which may have been the first wrestling move not involving a chair. Eventually Electo gets handcuffed, and Ciber catches a Negro tope, just for Psicosis to deliver a chairshot. Finally, they rip off Abismo's mask for a DQ.

A pretty good brawl, but overall, this was a wee bit hard to follow. 78.

12. Antifaz/Tony Rivera/Mr. Aguila vs. Violencia/Rey Bucanero/Zumbido

On paper, this one looks like fun. The first fall starts as the typical rudo beatdown. Rivera takes a couple of ramp bumps early on, and gets pinned later as Zumbido dropkicks him while Tony is on the shoulders of the other rudos. Aguila also takes a Gorry Special into a facebuster for good measure. The rudos continue their attack to open fall 2. Rivera, Ahuila, then Antifaz take their turns. The tecnicos turn the tide after breaking up an Antifaz sharpshooter, as they charge the ring. Zumbido & Violencia get monkey flipped to the floor. That's followed by a pair of crazy topes, of which Rivera's makes Zumbido one with the first row. That leaves Bucanero & Antifaz, and Antifaz evens it up with a slingshot splash followed by a leglock. Third fall. Can you say spotfest? Rivera botches what looked to be a Zuumbido Death Valley Driver, but since Zumbido takes a Jerry Bump after that, all is forgiven. Aguila does a crazy multiple springboard into a rana as well. Tornado DDT by Antifaz. Vio bails out after that, so Aguila does the somersault tope over the corner that he did in WWF-land. Bucanero with a tope, Antifaz with a twisting plancha, and we're down to the captains. Several near falls as Zumbido slips out of a Gorry Special. Zum lands on his feet on a moonsault as Rivera rolls out, but Tony quickly ranas him and gets 3.

On paper, it looked like fun, and on the screen it was incredible to watch. 95. A gem from the EMLL (then) undercard guys, with lots of fun highspots, big moves and bumps.

They air a segment on whether or not the Wagner Driver is in fact a piledriver.

13. Ultimo Guerrero/Black Warrior/Blue Panther/Dr Wagner Jr vs. El Hijo del Santo/Negro Casas/Olimpico/Emilio Charles Jr

By verbosity returned with the last several matches, so I'll try to cut it down here. First fall is the rudo brawling fall and they win with a Diamond Cutter on Emilio, and Ultimo with a reverse superplex on Olimpico. Santo is pinned after Wagner and Warrior do their version of the Stage Dive. Second fall is tecnico brawling, but there are spots - like Olimpico's slingshot rana to the outside, along with Santo's beautiful tope. Emilio pins Panther after a rana, and Olimpico pins Ultimo in the same way he did during the Cibernético. Warrior gets counted out. Third fall is mainly brawling, but the focus is on Wagner & Casas, suitable since it ends with Casas getting hit with the Wagner Driver and the pin.

81. Good, but right in the middle of all the other stuff these folks have done.

14. Xochitl Hamada vs. Esther Moreno

Time for the women. Miss Janeth (The 'h' is silent) & Rosy Moreno are the seconds in this one fall match.

The match is clipped forward to Moreno slapping on a camel clutch. Hamada escapes and puts on a Figure 4, but they roll to the ropes. Back up, Hamada misses a shoulder in the corner and sails outside. Tope from Moreno. Back in the ring after a clip, Moreno gets German Suplexed for 2. 2 for Moreno as she gets in a Victory Roll. Of to the top, and Moreno somersaults on her, but Hamada gets to the ropes. More nearfalls - 2 off a Hamada Splash Mountain, and 2 off a top-rope rana from Moreno. Tirantes is at his best during Moreno's pinfall attempts. It makes me appreciate the subtlety of the EMLL refs. Back to the top for Moreno, but she gets chokeslammed off. Hamada drops the leg, but pulls Moreno up at 2. Back up goes Hamada from a dropkick. The first one hits - the second one off the ropes misses. Hamada does get back in control, with a Jericho-esque springboard elbow. At this point, Pentagon comes out. He trips up Hamada, and she gets Magistraled for 3. Las Brujas (Janeth & Hamada) argue with Pentagon. Rosy complains as well, and it is your typical confusing AAA nonsense. Rosy ends up joining Las Brujas...I think. And Hamada & Pentagon are also married, as per La Arena. You need a road map to figure out AAA.

What was shown was about 75 - hard to judge with a couple of clips, though.

15. Shocker/Vilano 3 vs. Mr. Niebla/Atlantis

Build up for the anniversary show mask match. Shocker is already wearing a %1000 Guapo robe.

The tecnicos are juped as they enter the ring. Atlantis juices almost immediately. Niebla also gets his mask shredded early on. Shocker chokes Niebla while V-3 continues working over Atlantis' wound. Niebla is bleeding as well, and both tecnico bladejobs are at least .4 Muta. It finally becomes a traditional tag match after a lot of brawling. As Shocker misses a corner charge, the tecs start fighting back, until Atlantis misses a high cross-body. But, Niebla gets in a dropkick, knocks Shocker outside and topes him. In the ring, Vilano submits to La Tapitia, and Shocker gets counted out, but not before Niebla rams him to the chairs repeatedly. Shocker DDT on Atlantis welcomes us back to the second fall. Niebla gets tied up in the tree of woe, and there is a huge puddle of blood forming under him. That knocks Niebla up to .8 Muta. The rudos keep ramming Atlantis into the woe'd Niebla, and when the refs try to stop it, the rudos keep ramming and get DQ'd.

It continued the building process, to the great Parejas Increible mask match, but on it's own, it wasn't anything more than a mainly a beatdown - so 74.

16. Dr. Wagner/Blue Panther vs. El Hijo del Santo/Negro Casas

Major style point for Wagner's Sombrero & poncho. The CMLL tag belts are on the line, with the rudos as challengers. This is from the same show as the previous match - the puddle gives that fact away.

Unfortunately, tracking issues about a minute into the match make the match very hard to watch, which is occasionally an issue with compilations. Everything else was of very good - excellent quality though, so I won't complain too loudly. Plus, I got this for the Shocker/Niebla stuff and match #12.

No rating for the final match.

Click Here (highspots.com)

Of the 3 Best of '99 comps, this one is probably the weakest wrestling-wise of the lot. 1 has some good Los Vipers brawls, and Ultimo Guerrero vs. The Great Sasuke, as well as the Cibernético that lead to it. 3 has a great year end Cibernético match, and the Niebla/Shocker vs. Vilano 3/Atlantis parejas mask match, that I previously reviewed. This one still has some very good matches on though, and all the Shocker/Niebla stuff was the highlight here, and you certainly can't go wrong with getting all 3. $30.00 (+ shipping) spent on 15 hours worth of lucha is better than whatever you'd spend on Badd Blood.

The average match rating for this tape was approx. 80.5, with two matches not being ranked.

Hey, I kept this to 9 pages and about 3600 words. I’m proud.

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