More Random Matches

El Satanico vs. El Dandy (12/14/1990, EMLL): Considered a classic among lucha fans, this one didn't quite "hit" with me. The gore and blood is there from within the first 30 seconds of the match, a 2-out-of-3 Hair Match, which doesn't leave room for as much escalation of violence/stakes as I tend to like. The finish was also a bit deflating for me, though, reading up on the story between these two, it did make storyline sense for Dandy to "cheat" to get the victory. Unfortunately, at the end of such a violent and physical match, it feels a bit silly and not like the big conclusion that one would want after a 25+ minute contest. Dandy takes a great bump into the post that sends him flying to the outside of the ring that made me rethink how much I hate that overused transition and Satanico connected with an elbow drop to the outside that looked more devastating than any of the flip-filled high-flying moves we often see in 2025. Maybe because it actually made real contact? A very good match, but I continue to be a bit baffled by some of the psychology employed in lucha libre. (3/5)

LA Park vs. Blue Demon Jr. (10/15/2016, Lucha Libre Elite): I couldn't dig up too much information about this match, which is surprising because it was certainly an above-average war between two longtime rivals that was highly-physical and bloody. The most disappointing aspect was the finish, which, like the previous match I reviewed, felt like a cop-out after such an intense battle. Again, I'm not sure if this is a matter of not wanting a "clean" finish due to their rivalry spanning such a long time or if this just a lucha booking philosophy thing that I don't get, but it didn't seem to me like either guy would've looked bad in a loss when you consider the punishment they took. Not "must see," but a fun watch that doesn't stretch too long. (3/5)

Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard vs. Michael "P.S" Hayes and Jimmy Garvin (12/05/1987, NWA): Ric Flair is on commentary for this one to praise his fellow Horsemen. The work was good here, but I just wasn't "hooked." Maybe it had to do with the heel/heel dynamic? The Freebirds seem to have more support from the live crowd, but they still pull some tricks to try to get the advantage at various points. Tully and Arn's work isn't anything too fancy, but it is tight and focused, giving this a real sense of competition and an intense energy. The Freebirds going "light" on their usual shtick makes this feel more serious and less cartoonish than some of their other work, especially the stuff they'd end up doing in the early 90s. This is another one that I couldn't find too much info on and just stumbled upon via YouTube but don't regret watching. (3/5)

Psicosis vs. Eddie Guerrero (07/08/1996, WCW): This is Psicosis' Nitro debut, which makes the finish a bit of a surprise. Psicosis hits an awesome move from the top rope to the outside at one point and a beautifully snappy sunset flip powerbomb, but this is not some spotfest. The match ends up being built around Guerrero suffering some shoulder damage, giving this sub-10 minute match more structure and drama and believable false finishes than one might expect. My biggest gripe would be the poor commentary, which is 90% focused on Hulk Hogan's heel turn on the previous night's Bash at the Beach show. Good TV match. (2.5/5)

Tully Blanchard vs. Ron Garvin (05/03/1986, NWA): This match was for the National Heavyweight Championship held by Blanchard at the time. Dusty Rhodes is on commentary for it too. Garvin goes right after Blanchard to start, trying to bite him in the corner. The crowd is absolutely electric for this, the girls screaming their heads off from the very beginning. I really like how Tully slows things down and turns the match into a more scientific contest by applying a headlock and bringing the match to the mat because he knows he can't out-brawl Garvin. I also really like the urgency Garvin brings to the match, going for some quick pins early, which reinforces how meaningful winning the belt is for the challenger. Garvin was known for his "Hands of Stone" but, as they play up on commentary, his right hand was injured in a previous match and so he can't fully utilize it. Watching Garvin in this match and hearing the crowd's responses to him, it makes a ton of sense why he was once the NWA World Heavyweight Champion but less sense as to why his WWE run wasn't as successful. There are so many small details and moments that make this match work, but ultimately, its as simple as two guys having tremendous chemistry, wrestling in front of a molten hot crowd, and knowing how to keep things interesting with well-timed transitions, hope spots, cut-offs, and curveballs. Garvin wasn't necessarily known for his technical prowess, but he busts out every hold he probably knew in this match and Blanchard puts on a masterful selling performance, especially once Garvin starts targeting his ankle (plus some of his barely-able-to-get-a-shoulder-up kickouts are unbelievable down the stretch). Commercial breaks on the recording mean that we don't get the full match, but everything we do get is about as good as wrestling gets. A ref bump leads to a really fun finish involving both JJ Dillon and the Dream that is maybe the most perfect example of a "Dusty Finish" I've ever seen. I could see why this sort of ending could kill a town or prevent an otherwise super special match from earning a perfect score. (4.5/5)

Scott Hall vs. The Great Muta (07/15/1989, WCW): Scott Hall was blonde and vanilla here, not yet rocking the Diamond Studd gimmick. Michael Hayes and Jim Ross are on commentary. Its a bit weird watching Hall wrestle such a "straight" match with none of the character flourishes that made him a star years later. That being said, what I expected to be a bit of a squash is actually a fairly even match with Hall getting plenty of offense in. There are some awkward moments when it seems their timing is off or there's a miscommunication and I wasn't a fan of the weak finish (even if Hall's selling of the mist was wonderful). Nothing special here, but not bad. Fairly typical TV match. (2/5)

Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Hiroshi Hase (01/09/2000, AJPW): Being unfamiliar with Hase's style - which I've now learned is more ground-based and submission heavy - I was expecting to enjoy this match much more. Built entirely around Hase going after Misawa's arm and the various ways he can twist and turn it, the AJPW fans werre into it, but I got a little bored by the minutes-long armbars and key locks. Misawa gets in the occasional hope spot with a big forearm here or there, but its not enough to keep the match interesting. I was surprised to read that Meltzer gave this a very low 1-star rating as I wasn't nearly as offended by it, just bored at times. Over at PWO, this match has received a ton of praise due to the story being told, Hase's focus and strategy, and Misawa's resiliency, but these elements, the type of subtle notes that only true analysts and experts can often appreciate, didn't make for an entertaining match to me. (2/5)

Vader vs. Toshiaki Kawada (02/17/2000, AJPW): A fun match between two heavy hitters. I liked how Kawada bided his time early, playing some mind games and frustrating Vader by not immediately locking up. This allowed Kawada to stun the big man with his stiff strikes and kicks before Vader was able to start overpowering him. There's not much "wrestling" on display, but that's not to say it is slow or that they're not putting in big effort. Vader wasn't in his prime, but he can still bump and sell and his strikes still work. Kawada is always good for a stiff brawl and, though some have criticized this match going longer, I liked that it was compact and felt like both guys were throwing the heaviest hits they could, knowing full well that this match was not going to go long. Vader's final lariat makes for a great finish too. Not "must see," but good enough. (3/5)

Psicosis vs. William Regal (01/11/1997, WCW): Nothing much to this TV Championship match despite - on paper - looking like it could be really good. Psicosis looks sloppy at times and Regal, while always at least good, doesn't have great chemistry with him. I also really disliked the finish as Regal got himself DQ'd at almost the first sign of Psicosis showing any sort of control. I get that they were building up to a return match and wanted to "protect" Psicosis, but it made for a disappointing ending when Regal pulling the tights or using some other underhanded technique to get the win would've been just as good. (1.5/5)

Scott Armstrong vs. La Park (01/11/1997, WCW): Another underwhelming contest from the same episode of Saturday Night as the previous review. Again, I was kinda hoping for a hidden gem here as Scott Armstrong was a solid in-ring worker and La Parka is almost always worth watching. Unfortunately, this match is way too short and there's nothing interesting or exciting going on for most of its runtime. La Parka and Armstrong have some good technical exchanges, but nothing to write home about it and it all wraps up in under 5 minutes. I would've liked more of La Parka's "fun" side - the dancing, the strutting, the teasing of chair usage - in this. (1/5)

Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. (01/11/1997, WCW): And, finally, another DUD of a match as Chavo Guerrero and Rey Mysterio struggle to make the most out of a 5-minute match. They filled the time with some good action, no doubt, but Mysterio was one of the best, most exciting wrestlers in the world at the time and he generally had good chemistry with Guerrero so this being so underwhelming is a huge disappointment. Maybe given 2-3 more minutes, they could've done something to make this memorable. I kinda wish this had been a bit more one-sided with Chavo working as the heel and getting constantly cut-off and outsmarted and outwrestled...but its more of just a straight-up exhibition-type match so there's no drama or suspense. The finish is one we've seen before too, only better executed. A disappointment. (1.5/5)