Another super-heated brawl, as they continue to build to the triangle match. Another MOTYC-level match. November was an incredibly loaded month. They focus primarily on Dandy and Santo here, and while Santo is still the aggressor, Dandy hangs with him way more this time than before. Casas kinda picks his spots and comes in at select times, and I'm sure there's a story there that I'm just not getting. Anyway, they do get a measure of revenge here. That said, can someone explain to me why Dandy and Casas were in a triangle match? I understand they both had issues with Santo, but what issue did they have with each other to necessitate that? Why didn't they just build to two singles matches?

If my memory is correct, after the match both Dandy and Casas challenge Santo to apuestas matches. The real goal for both of them was taking Santo's mask and the triangle match is worked like that. In the triangle section of their lucha de apuestas Dandy and Casas double team Santo early and eliminate him, ensuring that he will have to defend his mask. Then it comes down to Casas and Dandy with the loser having to defend his hair and the winner being immune. That section is heated but mostly clean.

The Santo heel turn was a confusing piece of booking. It wasn't really a heel turn in the Hogan sense so you can't think about it like that. It'll drive you nuts if you try to think about it in those terms. The whole thing is extremely overrated as an angle, though it did produce some excellent matches in the summer of '97. I assume the reason they booked a triangle match was because they'd already run Casas vs. Santo at the Anniversary show in September and wanted to save the hair vs. mask match for the following year.

Another war, with some holy-shit spots that probably didn't go as planned. Garza attempts a shooting star press to the floor but only does about 70% of the revolution, and amazingly doesn't break his neck. That came right after Scorpio Jr. tried a tope and instead of hitting his partner as intended, just goes splat face-first on the floor. Interesting that by the end of this, the main issues seem to be Dandy vs. Santo and Casas vs. Scorpio, instead of the Casas/Santo rivalry that precipitated this whole thing. The technicos are more prepared this time and execute a big comeback at the end, with Casas and Dandy stomping the shit out of Santo and dogpiling him for the final pin.

http://placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-100-51/2/

 

#66

 

That Garza spot was insane. It looked incredible though. He almost pulls it off where it looks like a graceful missile dropkick. This brawl is awesome. The brutality and energy are off the charts.

I cant think of many more matches in wrestling history with as much hate as is on display here.. Everything is just laid in without any of the strikes being pulled hardly at all. Garza may have one of the best semi-botches in history as he takes a complete nasty spill off of the SSP. Bring on the apuestas match! ****3/4

Can't believe no one mentioned Casas' awesomely evil laugh at the end of his promo. And the crowd was either mic'd very well or was extra-loud because the heat came off incredibly well.

One of the wildest spectacles in wrestling history. I don't know if there's a wilder wrestling match than this. The hatred is turned up to 100 here and so is the crowd for every second of the match. And all the brawling looks great. The technico comeback is awesome again. The run of dives at the end is great and Garza's botched dive looks terrifying and is totally in keeping with the character of the match. I think the ending to this match is my favorite ending to a wrestling match ever. If there were any match appropriately described as a WAR, it's this.