El Hijo del Santo vs Espanto Jr (Monterrey - 8/31/1986)

Second

God I love this match. I may be one of the highest votes on this one. It could be my highest Santo match PERIOD. I just think this is such a violent and compelling spectacle that doesn't at all lack grace and nuance. This is probably my second or third favorite lucha match from the 80s (of what I have seen). This match is - to me - pretty close to flawless.

From my rewatch project write up. You can find the full write up with comparisons to other matches here: gweproject.freeforums.net/thread/657/caps-watching-project-reports#ixzz5JfM8Yt6f

El Hijo Del Santo vs Espanto Jr (Mask vs Mask – 8/31/1986)
Current Rank: 19
Trending: Up/Down

I don’t know what to do with this match. I might have come away less sure of this than any match I have approached specifically for this project. I loved it the first time I saw it and I didn’t really feel much different about it this time. I did, however, feel like it didn’t grab me quite like it did the first time, making me think 19 might be optimistic. I mean, that is high high praise. That said, it sticks with me. When matches stick with me a day or two after I watch them I know there is something more for me to appreciate in them. Two days after watching it again and that is how I feel. The final run here is the stuff of absolute legend. I am becoming increasingly convinced that El Hijo Del Santo is maybe the best wrestler ever and this is an all-time hate filled performance from both men. Still, I am not necessarily moving it right now, but I can honestly imagine it moving up or down at this point. This one might need to get the side-by-side treatment with some of the true top shelf outings (if there is time) for me to get a proper feel for where it will land.

This had everything I like in an apuesta match. Grit and violence. The only thing I'd add to what others have said is how the camera work gave it a unique vibe in comparision to similar matches. The wobbly handheld, the weird sound levels, the focus on Santo, especially between falls. It felt as if you were watching an arthouse documentary.

It's one of the best apuestas ever. I really like it and the history between these two is very interesting.

My review:

This match is historically significant. These two are second generation wrestlers and their fathers had a legendary match 23 years before this happened, in 1963.
El Santo defeated Espanto and he had to unmask forever. 20 years after this match El Santo's son debuted with all the pressure in his shoulders to live up to expectations and he did exactly that. It took only 3 years to put his mask on the line with the son of his father's nemesis Espanto Jr and with this in mind let's analyze the match. The first fall was decided with a Gori, it was the shortest fall of the entire match designed to set up El Hijo del Santo's comeback intelligently. Espanto Jr won the first fall.
Second fall: El Hijo del Santo began doing his moves and holds and Espanto had no answer to that, after a fun exchange where Santo softened his opponent's back and did some pin combinations, he went for a suicide dive right on target and that was the end of the second fall. I think that Espanto Jr looked weak during the last two falls but that's just a minor complain, the match as a whole was awesome.
Third fall: There's urgency in every move they do and this can be felt in both corners. The match was out of control and everyone could've won but in this situation. They pulled every trick they had in their back to win but the pride, legacy and fighting spirit of ''El enmascarado de plata'' was too much for Espanto Jr. He was submitted with the legendary camel clutch the submission that also made his father tap almost 23 years ago in a great callback that gave the match the emotional touch it needed to become a quinssential piece among lucha fans.

You are averse to mask ripping? That is one of my favorite things in all of wrestling. Why are you averse to it?

Thanks so much for the link!!!

This version was night and day from what I first watched, in which I didn’t even notice that Santo was bleeding. The mask-ripping was all about busting open the other guy rather than just a facial peep show and it made a big difference. The action here and building of the falls was excellent as well. The scene of children consoling Santo at ringside was hilarious. I also couldn’t make out the dives in the original footage. The finishing stretch to the use of an awesome looking caballo by Santo to win was epic. Loved this and it should make my list.

Also, my one thing with mask-ripping is that it is often so obvious that someone tries to rip it just to the point that it is almost falling off and then the wearer of said mask spends the rest of the match trying to keep it on to the point that you can make out enough of their face that it ruins the idea that you're trying to unmask someone. I guess I am averse to over-the-top mask-ripping and in the second round of footage I watched this was some of the best I have seen.

Count me as a member of Team Mask Ripping.