Invader I vs. Hercules Ayala (6/1/88)

TV match with the usual hot as shit crowd. Fun little spot to start where Ayala punches Invader and Invader blasts him right back. Ayala backs off looking around and Invader does a little finger shake inbetween making fists and shaking them at Ayala which is awesome. I did a terrible job describing it, but you’ll know it when you see it and roll your eyes at the lengths I’ve gone to describe it. They follow it up with another really fun spot where they’re squared off and circling each other with Ayala throwing jabs, Invader blocking them and hitting his own. Finally Ayala throw s a big punch, Invader ducks and blasts him with one to the delight of all. Ayala spills out to regain composure and comes back in and quickly takes over. He’s blasting away with Invader before taking the big kick to the balls. Ayala is able to quickly come back though. I enjoy the sort of false heel in control segment in PR. Heels start to take over, babyface kicks to the balls to fend them off, heels manages to come back and take over. Ayala is sorta growing on me I think as he slaps on a nerve hold lol. Amazing running kick to the balls by Invader as part of his comeback. Match gets thrown out when Chicky Starr runs in to save Ayala during Invader’s comeback. Your classic heels gang up on babyface and other babyfaces run out right as the heels are about to take things to far. This was all super basic stuff from the match to the post match angle but I really enjoyed all of it.

Chicky Starr gets removed from ringside (much to his and Ayala's dismay) at the behest of Invader 1. The little boxing part of the match was fun and I liked how they revisited it when Chicky came back out. The post-match with Invader 1 outsmarting both Chicky and Ayala only for Ron Starr to come out of the back and blast him into the ringpost was really, really good. Ayala was slow to take for me too. I can imagine him against another big man might not be as entertaining. He needs a guy to bring the energy to the match for it to be good. Ayala is definitely more of a deliberate wrestler and he really should be, given how much bigger he is than the other PR natives. It can be hard to appreciate that when you're used to seeing the frenetic brawls that most matches turn into.