I haven't seen IWRG lucha for a while, I guess since I HAD cable some 15 months ago... IWRG in Mexico is aired on ESPN2, but it is not the same ESPN2 as in the US, a national cable (PCTV) company uses some ESPN2 shows with Mexican commentators voice overs, and insert some of its own (or from ESPN '1') shows-- Sometimes this sucks, in 1997, I couldn't see the Magic:the Gathering World Championships as they put a college basketball game instead...--. The ESPN2-Mex original programming includes soccer, Mexican baseball, auto racing... and lucha. I don't know if or which ESPN airs IWRG on other parts of the world. This show is produced by PCTV and ESPN.
First: The whole channel seems to be better now, a while ago, it looked as the regular ESPN2 with sporadic inserts, so, for instance, catching the IWRG was not that easy, ESPN2 would only ran commercials about 'look out this month for: Soccer, Auto Racing, Lucha, etc.' but no days or time slots were given, now, at least the ran some commercials for IWRG, but they only said that it airs on Thursdays, I read in a Superluchas that at 6:00 PM (CST), but it started at 10, I guess you should now it gets there on Thursday at any time they can sneak it on...
As for the show itself, well, Arena Naucalpan, it's nice, clean and comfortable. They've improved their production values since the last time I saw them, like Televisa Lucha shows, which use a format similar to their regular sports shows, IWRG is using a format similar to their other shows, mainly the subtitles about the matches, which are ESPN2's style. They also include the fall's time in the results, which is neat, but I don't know if they're correct.The announcers? Well, No comments for now...
*** Saito(Tecnico) vs Rey Pantera(Rudo).- Oh well, panthers should be the animal with the most gimmicks in lucha, I guess only 'Diablo' (devil) might have more gimmicks. Saito is a Japanese using the 'Japanese wrestler with no gimmick' gimmick. They only show the last fall.
3.- Rey Pantera pulls a 'Fuerza Guerrera' by begging off to Saito and kissing his foot (I know they air this late at night... but still, there could be kids...), so Saito agrees to shake hands... heck, even a little hug... Rey Pantera decks Saito there... you should've know... Rey Pantera brawls for a while until Saito reverses a whip and nails the rudo with a heel kick, Saito seems willing to fly, but reconsiders... Pantera takes control with some kicks and armbars, takes Saito to the ttb and slams him (by tossing him forward, grabbing him by the ears -?-). Rey Pantera keeps on control for a while, he tries to slam Saito's face to the cornerpost (Saito was in the apron) but the Japanese blocks it and gets top rope springboard missile kicks on Rey Pantera!! Saito goes to the ttb to deliver yet another missile kick, Rey Pantera reverses a whip but meets a big boot after trying to do a corner splash, Saito goes to the second turnbuckle and performs a sunset flip pin... with bridge to take the fall.
OK match, Rey Pantera showed a good rudo persona while Saito worked as a 'naive' tecnico, his spring board missile kicks were not nearly as good as Zumbido's, and his ttb missile kicks weren't close to Lizmark's, but still, Saito looked OK.
*** Zonick and Kato II(T) vs Arai and Rokambole jr.(R).-Zonick looks similar to CMLL's Star Man, but with pink and blue, or something like that, Kato II uses the ninja gimmick, actually, I thought he was Kato Kung Lee Jr. Rokambole is a fairly tall (by Mexican standards) Electro Shock-like rudo, Arai uses black pants with a small Japanese flag on it.
1.- Zonick and Arai are get to do some matwork, Arai works with Kato II, then Arai works again with Zonick, rudo style tactics with brief tags to Rokambole and controlling the fall with some kicks and armbars, after a while, Zonick reacts and does a couple of armdrags to Arai, and a (inside the ring) second rope springboard twist into missile kicks which send Arai out of the ring. Kato and Rokambole jr do some more or less usual ninja stuff, then Arai returns to keep fighting Zonick, Arai whips Zonick to (the tecnico's) corner, but Zonick gets him on double stomped to the chest while the Japanese tried a corner splash, Arai goes down and Zonick does a planchita from the second turnbuckle, Rokambole goes for the save but Kato II gets him into another sunset flip for the pin as los tecnicos get the match at 13'00".
2.- Not shown. 3.- Arai and Rokambole are in their rudo brawling mode (I guess they won the 2nd fall by brawling), they punish their foes with slaps, kicks, elbow drops, bodyslams, etc., they double team Kato II, Arai puts him into a crab, but Zonick makes the save, and the brawling is over as the tecnicos start dominating the fall, Kato bodyslams Arai close to the corner, climbs the ttb and delivers a leg drop, he covers but Arai kicks out at 2, Rokambole enters (to make the save, I guess) but Zonick decks him with a second rope springboard reverse tope, Kato uses the fisherman suplex to pin Arai (but it looks as if he manages to lift a shoulder, referee didn't say anything) while Zonick pins Rokambole ( I couldn't see it well, but it looks as if Zonick tried a cradle like move, but then used a normal cover to get the pin).20'23"
Rokambole had little participation here, with Arai taking most of the workload, at least, of what they shown. Rokambole Sr. was more or less a big star in the early 80's...Kato is the usual ninja luchador. Zonick looks like a good flyer, much like Star Man (former Ultraman jr). Arai worked as a rudo and was only worried in letting the tecnicos show its stuff.
*** Star Boy, Doctor Cerebro, and Mercurio(R) vs Mega, Interceptor, and Ultimo Vampiro (T) .-Star Boy is the only unmasked luchador here, Dr Cerebro looks like a smaller Dr Wagner (or even Dr O'borman) with a green brain on top of his mask, Cerebro's personality even seem to be a proxy of the 'Galeno del Mal'. Mercurio and the tecnicos uses outfits which look as a cross between Black Warrior/Oro and Vipers costumes. I think they looked good, and I'm not a big fan of Lyger/Psicosis/Vipers style costumes.
1.- More heat drawing than actual wrestling at the beginning of this match, as Interceptor works over Mercurio, and always manage to put him into some holds... which the rudos break... by the third of fourth time this happen, they tease a brawling erupting, but things cool down a little, and they continue working, later, Ultimo Vampiro and Star Boy trade moves for a short time, this time with no interference, Star Boy looked slightly superior there, but an armdrag sent him out of the ring, in the process, he made Dr Cerebro flip over the top rope and take a bump!! Dr Cerebro and Mega do more of the same. Ultimo Vampiro and Mercurio speed up the pace and Vampiro does some armdrags and a flying headsicsors on the rudo, Star Boy faces Interceptor, but he needs his partners to help, unfortunately, Interceptor makes the rudos look bad, as Starboy and Dr Cerebro slap Mercurio out of the ring, then Cerebro 'misses' and does a hiptoss and then drop-kicks on Star Boy who leaves the ring! Star Boy and Dr Cerebro argue a little, in the ring, Mercurio is working on Ultimo Vampiro, the other rudos return to the ring to out number the tecnico, but Vampiro throws Star Boy over his head and Star Boy ends doing a somersault body block on Cerebro, Star Boys goes to the floor, and as Mega did a near cornerpost tope suicida on Starboy, Vampiro pins Cerebro via fisherman suplex. 13'20"
2.- Not shown. 3.- The rudos are dominating the tecnicos, Star Boy does a cool Chavo jr like tornado DDT...from the apron out of the ring!! The rudos keep brawling, another DDTornado, this one inside the ring, rudos keep brawling, they put Interceptor into 'la carreta', and, even in IWRG it means that the tecnicos will react at this point of the match, at least they try to do something different here, as Ultimo Vampiro assist Mega to deliver missile kicks on Mercurio (I think he misses, but breaks the move anyway). It is tecnico brawling now, eventually things settle down, and Star Boy and Dr Cerebro regain the control of the match by outnumbering Ultimo Vampiro, Dr Cerebro hits a ttb plancha, covers for about 5 seconds, but Interceptor intercepted the referee's count!! Mercurio enters to help Cerebro and does a pin attempt with a cradle on Interceptor, but Mega kicks the save, Mega powerbombs Mercurio, Starboy makes the save at 2, then suplexes Mega and attempts the pin, Vampiro makes the save, and lifts Star Boy on his shoulders to deliver a spinning neckbreaker (?), goes for the pin, but Cerebro makes the save!! Mega whips Cerebro to the corner and does a cartwheel-corner splash move, Dr Cerebro reverses a whip and then misses a corner spear and goes to the floor!! Mega runs to the corner, jumps into the ttb, and connects a plancha on Dr Cerebro!!! Interceptor holds Mercurio with a full nelson, Ultimo Vampiro goes for the missile kicks but nails his partner instead, Mercurio does a half powerbomb and then puts Interceptor into a half crab to get the submission from the tecnico. Ultimo Vampiro sends Mercurio out of the ring, Star Boy attacks Ultimo and ends on his shoulders, as if to do a Huracanrana, but Vampiro drops him onto the top rope, Star Boy bounces up, and Ultimo Vampiro drops him into a powerbomb!! Star Boy is out, Mercurio enters, but Vampiro does a half powerbomb on him and puts him into a 'el cristo' submission hold and takes the match!! 31'05"
Post-- Interceptor attacks his partners and joins the rudos!!! Why? Vampiro nailed him with those drop-kicks, so he wasn't happy with that!! A good match here which really got the 1200 crowd into it. Dr Cerebro is like a Dr Wagner Jr minus the Drivers, while the tecnicos did well, mainly Ultimo Vampiro. I like this promo's style that let many pins or submissions to take place, in AAA or CMLL, it seems that the falls always end when someone is defeated as if he/she was the captain (or all the eleminations come at the same time).
*** Sumo Fuji, Judo Suwa, and Punch Power(R) vs Kato Kung Lee, Kato Kung Lee jr, and Halcon Dorado jr(T).- They show some footage of all the IWRG workers in the ring to remember Adolfo 'el Acorazado' Moreno, who had died earlier that day. Halcon Dorado jr is the guy that was unmasked at the end of Los Payasos vs Juniors Atomicos feud, in a cage match. Both Katoes uses the Ninja gimmick, Kato Sr. has been around for a looong time. Punch Power looks like a Viper, while the Japanese play rudos once again, Sumo Fuji is bigger (but not that much) and works like a powerhouse (at least here, where his opponents are smaller).
1.- Similar to the previous match, with slow build up, having different match-ups working with partners breaking holds... eventually, the rudos manage to take control of the match by brawling, taking tecnicos to 'la esquina del dolor' and punishing them there, with a little help of the referees... Kato Kung Lee Sr manages to even the actions by doing his classic 'walking on the ropes' stuff and dominating Sumo Fuji, then Judo Sawa and Halcon kick into higher speed with some armdrags, and a 'quebradora con giro (hilo)' which makes Judo leave the ring, Punch Power tackles Kato jr and starts stomping on him, Punch keeps on control with some slapping, but Kato wins their little battle after reversing a whip to the ropes and delivering a powerbomb. The end comes after Sumo and Halcon start trading slaps and Halcon manages to put the rudo into 'la de a caballo', while Kato Sr does a rock-bottom/choking slam move to put Judo out, Kato jr pins Punch Power after a spinning Gory Special with a drop...12'20"
2.- Rudos sneak attack Kato Sr to establish the brawling by overwhelming their opponents, Punch Power goes for Kato jr and rips his mask open, he keep beating on him down on the floor, where he uses a bareknuckles or something to punch him, so Kato jr starts bleeding, in the ring, Judo pins Kato Kung Lee, and Sumo uses a choking slam on Halcon to put him out as the rudos take the fall. 4'30"-- Rudos keep brawling in between falls.
3.- It seems that the foreign object used by the rudos was a keychain, which, somehow, a fan (and I guess this was not part of an angle or something) take it from the rudos, he and Sumo argue for some time, Scorpio comes out to check it out... back in the ring, Kato Sr uses a superkick (like a sweet chin music) on Judo... who claims that the kick to the face was a low kick foul!!!!! Now Kato jr wants some revenge and brawls for a while with Punch, they go back and forth, and ultimately, Punch uses a senton from the ttb to set Kato ready for the 3 count!! Kato dad enters and trips Judo, and puts him into a chinlock-armbar submission move, Judo quits!! Halcon and Punch Power face off, with the tecnico using 'la cerrajera' on Power, as the referees were checking out to see if Power quitted, Sumo (apparently) used the key chain to KO Kato Sr and take the match, Kato jr and Punch Power brawled again, there was a lot of arguing and the referees looked up for the foreign object, found nothing, rudos win!!! No time given (or I missed it).
A good match to make the fans remember the Japanese are the bad guys, since most of them were gone the previous months, working in Japan. Punch Power vs Kato Jr might be building to a masks match.
*** Cyber Cop, Super Parka, and Mister Niebla IWRG(no more mister FakeNiebla?) vs Shiima Nobunaga, Maniac Cop, and El Bombero Infernal.- I think Shiima Nobunaga is the best of the Japanese guys that work here or in WCW, slightly over Kaz and Magnum Tokio. Here he works like a rudo... but a funny rudo at that. This is not the same Mr Niebla as in CMLL, but it seems that IWRG owns the right of the character, so consider him as Mosco II or Psicosis AAA. Super Parka uses the same outfit as La Parka used in Mexico, but with some Superman's 'S' in his out fit, (why hadn't Warner/DC sued?).
1.- The match starts with the rudos jumping on their opponents, Maniac Cop attacks Cyber Cop, Bombero goes for Mr Niebla (it seems that Bombero is the IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight champ, and he beat Mr Niebla to gain that title), Bombero then leaves Mr Niebla alone as he supports Shiima beating Super Parka. The brawling last for a while, then Parka starts doing he's comedy as he drops to the mat every time the rudos want to whip him to a corner!!! That gives Mr Niebla enough time to recover and help Parka to avoid the corner and jump to the apron, he goes to the ttb from there to deliver a plancha on Maniac Cop, Bombero Infernal holds Parka, but Shiima Nobunaga hits his partner when Super Parka steps away. Chaos breaks lose, later, Maniac Cop ends up on Cyber Cop's shoulders... wait, it was the other way around... meanwhile, Super Parka makes Shiima to hit with his face Maniac Cop so that Cyber Cop could come down and pin Nobunaga with a sunset flip, as a matter of fact, that spot was blown... Parka uses a small package to pin Maniac Cop... or was it Cyber? No, Cyber is the tecnico, Maniac the rudo...7'45"
2.- Super Parka and Maniac Cop get to do some funny comedy spots, Super Parka emulates the real deal quite well, actually I laughed quite a lot (it's 1:34 AM, I must be weak), but I won't write what they had done 'cause it always looks bad on words... Everyone is into the comedy, so most of the 8'40" was that, at the end, Rudos take the fall after a mild brawling.
3.- Rudos start getting serious and beating the tecnicos, it seems that the foreign object was a small chain, which Nobunaga uses to choke Super Parka, but, once again, the referees can't see the chain being used, so the rudo brawl goes on, with sporadic reactions from the tecnicos, Bombero Infernal climbs to Maniac Cop's shoulders, and Cop drops him on Cyber Cop, but the tecnico rolls away and then kicks Maniac out of the ring, Cybercop delivers a tope suicida!! Bombero follows with another one (not too good, btw)... Mr Niebla and Super Parka double team on Shiima, so Judo, Sumo and Arai get to the ring and start beating the tecnicos, while Bombero and Maniac do the same on Cyber Cop... some other tecnicos make the save. No time given.
I'm happy with this match, they did a lot of comedy, some OK wrestling, and set the 'High Power' cup ready for next week, personally, I'd have booked Dr Cerebro instead of Bombero Infernal, but, who knows if they're working some other angles with the undercard. Next week will include Mascara Sagrada (original), Halcon Dorado Jr, Kato Kung Lee, Super Parka and Mega vs the Japanese legion with Sasuke the Great, Taru, Shiima, Sumo and Judo, which should be good, the Mexican( well, Kato is from Panama) team has the top tecnicos from IWRG.
Overall, a good show. Everyone considers there's certain parallels between CMLL/AAA and WCW/WWF, so could IWRG could be considered as a ECW? Yes, but in a reverse way, while ECW enforces hard-core or garbage wrestling even more than WWF (who started copying ECW), IWRG enforces good wrestling as its main goal, well, maybe CMLL wants to have good wrestling also, but at least IWRG has less old guys (maybe Kato, Pirata Morgan and Mascara Sagrada are the only old guys).
I still think CMLL did a big mistake by breaking relations with this group, a talent trade could have been good for both of them, Shiima, Judo, Magnum and some of the others Japanese workers could have been used at the trios or tag tourneys, if only to make the fans believe that the CMLL belts are attractive to the Japanese. CMLL's roster is too big, so sending some guys to work at Naucalpan could help them to keep those guys happy, as they're shown in Japan.
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