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Post by Cap on Aug 1, 2020 14:46:15 GMT -5
As part of my final stretch rewatch I am going to post some match comparisons for differing style matches that are right next to each other on my list. This serves a few purposes I think. I'll also be watching these back to back as I go, and I thought it would be fun to see how others feel about the comparisons even if they aren't neck and neck for everyone. Plus, we have tons of wrestler comparison threads and not a lot of match comparison threads. I'll try to pick stuff we have easy-ish access to, but no promises.
First up...
El Hijo Del Santo vs Espanto Jr (Mask vs Mask – 8/31/1986)
vs
Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Nobuhiko Takada (10/25/1990) |
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Post by Cap on Aug 2, 2020 8:26:07 GMT -5
Man... there is a reason these two are neck and neck for me.
I didn't realize this before hand, but this is my #3 lucha match vs my #3 shoot style match. #2 from each are also right beside one another (may be a thread down the road) and #1 from each are just separated by 3 spots.
Fujiwara and Takada are wonderful dance partners. Their strengths really compliment one another here. It is such a master class in elevating the drama and violence. Fujiwara sets the tone with an early headbutt and they never really look back. It isn't a sprint, but there is a constant sense of danger that they reinforce with submissions and strikes. I often find myself wanting more strikes in some of the high end shoot stuff that I love and this delivers on the striking. The way they go back and forth the knock downs until Takada finally hits the right combo to keep the old man down was just so captivating.
Santo and Espanto put on another kind of show all together. I think it was Elliott that said something to the effect that this match was the peak of lucha as. real life super hero cartoon show. The kids encouraging Santo after the first fall were fantastic. Espanto gets a lot of credit for setting the stage early. There is a street fight urgency to the way he moves and attacks in the first like 1/3rd to 1/2 of the mat. It really stood out to me on this watch. The drama here is off the charts. They brutalize each other and its everything I want out of my lucha.
I came in with Takada/Fujiwara at #16 and Santo/Espanto at #17. They are kind of at the top of a tier for me I think. I think I am going to stick with Takada and Fujiwara edging it out, but the margins here are razor thin. To me it is the finish. Both matches start hot. Both matches rely on their relative stylistic and individual wrestler strengths to carry the day. Both finishes I think really fit the matches they cap off really well too, so no complaints there even. I just come away in more awe of Takada finally putting Fujiwara down. Again, it doesn't get closer in my mind than these two matches.
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