Lizmark/Kung Fu/Siglo XX (The Killer) vs. Los Infernales (El Satanico/MS-1/Masakre)

 

Cuspish match, the Infernales are so much fun to watch, just solid as fuck rudo brilliance. I could see an argument for putting on every single Infernales match on a set. This didn't have much from the technico side to recommend it though, Kung Fu's schtick is amusing and the Infernales take it great, but Lizmark didn't stand out and Siglo kind of sucks. I kept waiting for this to get to a gear it never got to, so I am going to go a mild No.

 

Rayo De Jalisco Jr./La Fiera/Tony Salazar vs. Los Infernales (El Satanico/MS-1/Masakre)

 

Very, very good match. Starts out with Infernales doing their thing, which is always great, but add to that a wild 3rd fall with the technicos really stepping up. Rayo mask is ripped and he is bloodied up and flies around the ring spraying blood. It is always great to see Fiera and he has some really pretty moments of athleticism as well. Huge ringpost bump by Satanico and this is a slam dunk.

 

Rayo De Jalisco Jr./Atlantis/Super Halcon vs. Los Infernales (El Satanico/MS-1/Masakre)

 

I enjoyed this as they all go at each other with some steam, this really is mostly about Halcon turning on Rayo which is nice and bloody. Infernales are good, but since this is less of a match and more of an angle we can let it go.

 

Rayo de Jalisco Jr./Atlantis/Alfonso Dantes vs. MS-1/El Satanico/El Dandy

 

Man you don't think the Infernales can get any better, but replacing Masakre with El Dandy is a pretty big improvement. First fall is mostly just rudo clubbering, although it is some nice clubbering. Second and thirds falls really kick it to the next level. We get some beautiful lucha exchanges between Atlantis and Dandy, with Dandy absolutely floating on backdrops and monkey flips, I really liked Dantes in this as he has the really great 70s/80s wrestler thick physique and everything he lands is with force. Rayo is awesome in this too, and we get to see his great looking plancha which always lands with such force. Fun match, definitely on a set.

 

Atlantis/El Hijo del Santo/Tony Salazar vs. El Satanico/El Dandy/Espectro Jr.

 

Another really fun match, just great exchanges from everyone. Santo v. Espectro is one of the great matchups in lucha and we get a bunch of that as well as some great Dandy v. Atlantis and Dandy v. Santo. I also liked the Salazar v. Satanico brawling, I didn't get the sense Salazar was that great, but he looks like a tough guy who will punch Satanico. We want to maximize Santo and Dandy on this set, so this is a slam dunk

Lizmark/Kung Fu/Siglo XX (The Killer) vs. Los Infernales (El Satanico/MS-1/Masakre)

 

My disc skips around a bit in the second fall for some reason. I don't know if that was just me or not. Anyway, I liked this a bit more than Phil (I think I actually like pre-Killer Siglo XX), but not enough to put it over the top. I think if one other guy says yes to it, I'd support it. Otherwise, I won't fight for it.

 

Rayo De Jalisco Jr./La Fiera/Tony Salazar vs. Los Infernales (El Satanico/MS-1/Masakre)

 

This felt like it would be a good match to look at when thinking about what Tom said about needing to develop new terminology to describe stock lucha libre spots, as a lot of this match felt the Infernales putting on a clinic on classic rudo trio performance tropes. We get the mugging of the technicos individually, the king of the hill segment, the combination of the two where one guy gets mugged and the other two have be screened out, the interfall mauling of the already beaten technicos...really, if they just had a segment built on stooging and bumping around for the technicos, we would have had a pretty complete picture of what you're likely to encounter in any given rudo trios performance. We also get Rayo making his own comeback and the subsequent rallying of the troops, so the technicos got one of their classic segments in, too. And all of it looked great, making this a pretty easy nomination.

 

Rayo De Jalisco Jr./Atlantis/Super Halcon vs. Los Infernales (El Satanico/MS-1/Masakre)

 

Agreed that the angleriffic nature of the match precludes it from inclusion, but it's a good enough angle with a fun enough brawl wrapped around it that it probably should be an extra.

 

Rayo de Jalisco Jr./Atlantis/Alfonso Dantes vs. MS-1/El Satanico/El Dandy

 

Hey, it's Gori Guerrero! Hi, Gori Guerrero! Pretty strong rudo beatdown in the first fall, and then the technicos come roaring out of the gates in the second. Phil already pointed out the cool Atlantis/Dandy section. I want to point out that Atlantis was able to make a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker - which is not usually a "hate" move - look pretty damn hateful. I'm not as gung ho about this as Phil is, but it's still a solid nomination.

 

Atlantis/El Hijo del Santo/Tony Salazar vs. El Satanico/El Dandy/Espectro Jr.

 

Is it weird that in a match that has Santo, Dandy, and Satanico - probably three of the 20 best wrestlers ever to make tape - plus Atlantis, the guy I was most impressed with was Tony Salazar? I really dug his fired up technico brawling stuff opposite Satanico in this match. Really felt like a guy who could have just gone along for the ride in this match, but instead became it's heart and soul. And everyone else delivered, too, unsurprisingly. The Santo/Dandy exchange in the first fall was jaw-dropping. Solid nom.

Kung Fu/Lizmark/Siglo XX vs. Los Infernales (Masakre/MS-1/Satanico) (3/6/87)

 

This was another Infernales spotlight match as they were so great but they didn't get help from the tecnicos as they pretty much mailed it in.

 

Already saw the next match.

 

Atlantis/Rayo de Jalisco Jr./Super Halcon vs. Los Infernales (Masakre/MS-1/Satanico) (3/20/87)

 

Yeah this match is nothing but really a setup for Halcon to turn on Rayo but the Infernales yet again are so great that they almost overshadow the angle. This is extra material.

 

Atlantis/Alfonso Dantes/Rayo de Jalisco Jr. vs. El Dandy/Masakre/Satanico (3/27/87)

 

Gory Guerrero gets honored before the match which was cool. Dandy joining the Infernales is great and they are dominant in the 1st fall with the common lucha psychology where the rudos just maul the tecnicos and they do a good job of that. Dantes looks like the Mexican Bulldog Bob Brown here but he works a whole lot better. Tecs come alive for the 2nd fall and this is where the match kicks into high gear as everyone looks good here but damn if Atlantis & Dandy don't make this into a battle to see who is the best which was great. Satanico was great at taking punishment here especially from Dantes who was fun working his old man style while Rayo looked solid as well. All in all I liked this a whole lot and I think it's a pretty solid nomination.

 

Atlantis/Hijo del Santo/Tony Salazar vs. El Dandy/Espectro Jr./Satanico (4/3/87)

 

Holy shit was this awesome as everyone was on fire here in their primes and going all out. Salazar more than held his own here and added a different touch to his team as he brought the hardnosed brawling style that they didn't have. Santo was so goddamn great and watching him here made me wish we had so much more of him from this era on tape. I loved this match and it's a slam dunk nomination like Phil said.