Grimmas

What does everybody think of the occasional six star? I think it means you have over used 5 stars, so they are not as meaningful as they should be.

I generally don't think about a rating until the match is over.. it's rare when I do.

Yeah, just like a history of wrestling from July 1983 forward. Once it's done, it can easily just be updated as things change. For example, I wasn't paying attention after Maple Leaf Wrestling went from just Toronto to running New York to over expanding and closing doors. What happened after? Lots of stories like that to fill out. Plus a list of big tournaments, the NWA World Title history, etc...

This match was fine, but nothing terribly gripping. The spots were good, especially some nice looking power bombs, but it was just a generic average match. It's hard after watching so many heated feuds to watch a competitive none hate match, however it was solid enough and nothing I didn't like seeing. ** 1/2

I'm with Matt D, a yearly Match HOF is so much better than a GME poll. I know Chad has talked about match HOF too, but if he's too busy with PWO2K, then I'd be willing to spear head the HOF with some help.

Expand on this? The draft was June 1983. Since then, this promotion closed, this opened, first closed circuit show, first starrcade, title histories, etc....

Surprised Young Bucks are not on the ballot yet. Is Kenny Omega in 2019 a first ballot guy?

Can someone write up a history piece? Main Champs promotions closing, etc??

Jobbers or winners from Mexico?

Yeah that was a small part of the story. AJ claims that's how Cena got this one after he's been gone after losing so many times.

After the second match he told Cena he shouldn't show his face around again, and Cena was gone for a long while.

This was a lot of fun, although very short. Villano III and Atlantis are just magic together with everything they do, but the parts without the are pretty good too. Especially the arrogance of the rudos with Dr. Wagner doing jumping jacks between falls and Shocker waving the bell like a madman in the post match. *** 1/4

wrestling is the greatest los infernales is the greatest Satanico vs Tarzan Boy is the greatest I love pro wrestling ****

I prefer the wrestling match hall of fame idea.

Thanks?

I was finally on the show and it was something. Check it out.

Flair and Martel was a hot feud in Toronto in late 1983. Would love to see that feud reignited.

Thanks everyone. I figure people are not too well versed, so the TV reviews person will be learning as you folks do.

I should had clarified. I think a lot of the great wrestling shows of the past had great stuff, but also lots of bad stuff. Example WWF in 97 had this amazing top storyline, but you also had very shitty undercards. You had other eras with great storyliing, but filled with nothing matches or great wrestling, but bad storytelling. SD right now has good to great wrestling, with all good storytelling and everyone having a purpose. There is nothing awful or boring, it's all just good to great. It averages out to be better (I think) than other periods, but it's really not the best at anything. There is no SD is the best at this than any other period, but it averages out.

Why on Earth would you do this? You are really going to take this all the way because dave wanted to emphasize how good he thought one singular match was? You are cutting off your nose to spite your face here. Stand down, my man. I thought it would be fun. Although hearing Dave's explanation, I am going to keep the old rating scale, but make a select few matches six stars. Just trying to decide what the cut off is going to be.

TV report is up... yeah I went in a different direction for giving out results.

excerpts from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Letter's Page for January 9th, 1985 Dear Dave, My friend mentioned to me that he stumbled across this wrestling from Mexico on Galavision that airs every Sunday. I love my local wrestling with Dusty Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, and Tommy Rich so I was really curious about it. It turns out I had never heard of any of the wrestlers on the show before, and they don't even call it wrestling. Instead they call it lucha libre. Luckily I speak a some Spanish, so I was able to pick up bits of what was being said. The show started off with a video package of the show clips from the 51 year history (yes this company says it started in 1933) of the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre. Most of the guys wore masks which was different. There was a lot of bloody brawls like I'm used to in the USWA, but a lot more high flying. This video package was really cool. It then stated the EMLL has left the NWA and are now called the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) going forward. I guess this was the show to start with. The first segment was someone called Paco Alonso, who is the President of CMLL, welcoming a bunch of talent from the now defunct UWA. Some dudes in masks came out and shook his hand while the crowd popped. Others came out and didn't shake his hand, and it seems a handful more just didn't want to come out at all. This was very odd, I guess CMLL took over UWA and joined together, but some of the guys aren't happy about it? The first match is a title match for the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Title as Valente Fernandez defended against Negro Casas. They both had managers with them, although the managers looked like wrestlers too. In fact those managers got involved a lot brawling with each other. One was a cowboy called Gran Cochisse and the other was named Black Terry. Something I figured out here is that matches are 2/3 Falls. The first fall Casas jumped Fernandez and just beat him down all match, before hitting a big lariat for the win. Black Terry got in some cheap shots just like Skandar Akbar. There was a break between falls, where we got replays of a huge part of the first fall. The second fall was more beating down by Casas and more cheating by Terry. Until Gran Cochisse had enough and went nuts on Terry with some awesome punches. In the confusion Fernandez jumped over the top rope and landed on Casas and then threw him in the ring and pinned him with a splash off the top. The third fall lasted as long as the first two combined and those two really went at it. It was pretty heated, Casas was able to get this leg submission in for the win and to become the new champion! It kind of looked like a Boston Crab, but with the legs crossed over. Either way this was pretty cool match, although it's different than my USWA. Starting with a title change seemed very important. The next thing we got was insane. We got a group of three guys in a similar mask, where one of them was really fat. They were at a party in someone's back yard with a bbq and everything. They said some things about coming into the CMLL. The fat one ate like 20 hamburgers. I don't know what just happened. That was followed by clips of these three men (called Los Brazos) taking on another masked trios team (called Los Villanos). Wow is all I can say. This was the most exciting wrestling I've ever seen. I need to see more of these guys. Dives, comedy, intensity, this was so great. Hopefully we can get a full match out of these teams in the future. The main event was another 2/3 Falls match and this was a six man tag. The teams were Cien Caras (a tough looking guy in a mask who was called Captain), Perro Aguayo (who looked like Bruiser Brody with furry boots, only smaller), and Sangre Chicano (who had long hair) against a unit called Los Infernales consisting of El Satanico (who was a captain too, and might be a devil worshipper), MS-1 (who looked super cocky and had died blond hair), and Pirata Morgan (a pirate in a mask). This is where the show got confusing. The first fall had some amazing brawling, especially with MS-1 and Chicano going at it. This was really intense and super heated. Morgan pinned Chicano with a flying dive off the top, but the match continued and a few moments later Satanico faked getting low blowed by Aguayo and then got his hand raised. What? Satanico laughed like a madman after, so I guess he out tricked the babyfaces. The second fall was only a minute where Aguayo destroyed Satanico and then faked getting low blowed too and the referee gave him the win. I guess revenge? The final fall was more heated brawling with all six men getting involved. Something I didn't mention is that tags are not well enforced. It turns out just rolling outside the ring counts as a tag. These referees are odd. In fact there is two of them in the ring. Chicano hit a huge punch of Morgan to pin him. These two were squared off all of this fall. I hope to see them against each other again. The match continued with Agauyo pinned MS-1 with a foot stomp a minute later. All in all the main event was really great, I'm just not sure what is happening exactly. The show was a breeze to watch and I will watch again next week and let you know what is happening in CMLL. It's fascinating. Stan Grimmas Thanks Stan, keep the reports coming. In Los Angeles I saw many of these luchadores come here and they were always impressive. As for the rules, the way I understand it is each team has a Captain and to win the fall you have to either pin the Captain or the other two members of the team. Hope this helps. Dave Meltzer

This was a fun little spotfest with everyone looking good, including Ringo Mendoza who I really dug as an old man luchador. Just a bunch of fun, but really nothing special to go out of your way to see. ** 1/2

The lucha skit was great. By the way I think Blue Panther murdered Olimpico to end the first fall. Holy shit what a devastating way to get someone into an armbar. The remaining match is 3 on 2 and Casas shows great fire. I really liked Lizmark Jr's face in peril segment too. Blue Panther was the rudo stand out. I think it was a mistake to have Negro Casas not #1 on my GWE ballot. ***

This was glorious. Atlantis and Villano III's feud was even more heated then I remember. The beat down with a DQ for ripping off the mask was just bad ass. The second fall Atlantis tries to fight back, while covering his face was one of my favourite moments I've seen in a long while. Of course he gets his mask back and kicks ass, and the tecnicos get DQ'ed. Then in the final fall, the great feud continued, but also Casas & Wagner Jr. were doing 6/9/95 tribute spots and Mr. Niebla was crazy good and Casas was all fire. I LOVED this match. **** 1/4