Submitted By David Francisco
The show opens with the MC talking about the history of Mexico and of the Royal Albert Hall. He introduced a masked wrestler that I didn’t get the name that rang the first bell of the show from his stall. MC explains the rules. He used the term “rudos” and “tecnicos” during his announcements. The MC screwed up who were the “rudos” and “tecnicos” in the minis match and the intergender match. For example, he announced Sexy Star as a rudo, practically describing her a bad person, but she worked the match as a babyface. The same thing happened with the refs: Steve Lynskey was announced as a heel ref but worked as a babyface and Pierro was announced as “as straight as the stripes on his shirt” but worked as a heel from the get-go.
Octagonzito & Blue Demonzito Jr. beat Mini Abismo Negro & Mini Histeria (11:29)
Mini Abismo Negro spent a lot of time messing up with the man dressed as nuns. The tecnicos seemed lost at first, but they got into it at the end. Lots of great spots and pleasing the crowd. Blue Demonzito Jr. won with a tilt-a-whirl Black Widow like submission over Mini Abismo Negro.
Fenix beat Pentagon Jr. (13:48)
Looks like Fenix is healed, he worked a normal match with dives and all the great stuff he can do. Pierro, the ref, was announced as a face here but immediately started pushing the crowd, especially the two men dressed like nuns.
They tried to call for “Fenix” and “Zero Miedo” chants in the beginning, but this crowd wasn’t buying it. Started with submissions traded, then traded kicks and clotheslines. Fenix did a great flip dive. Pentagon work the leg with amazing kicks outside the ring that had the crowd gasping. The ref (Pierro, that was announced as a good guy) stomped Fenix at one point and held him for a kick by Pentagon. Fenix cameback and did a twisting dive to the outside from the corner. Pentagon Piledriver Drop is even better live. Fenix won with a Reverse Hurricanrana and a fast count by the ref, that thought that Pentagon was on top.
This was a great, well paced, well worked match. The storytelling was great, and the technical aspect of it was top notch. Didn’t expect different. In the end, there was some coins in the ring, planted so that they could get the crowd to throw some more. They saw it wasn’t working and waited. Pentagon threw the coins up in the air to try again. The crowd was just way too confused by these coins. No chants whatsoever in the matches, it really is a casual fan crowd. Lots of Mexicans, though, that will start a “culejo” chant from time to time. The rest of the crowd won’t join, as they don’t understand what that chant is. In the minis tag, they tried a “tecnicos” chant and the response was a “Mexico” chant. Weird.
20 min intermission. Band playing.
Drago & Sexy Star beat Bengala & Faby Apache (14:58)
Bengala and Drago started with some chain. So did the ladies. Drago dominated Bengala and Apache at the same time and did a flip to the outside over Bengala. Drago is great. The rudos (that were announced as tecnicos) did double teams on Sexy and Drago. Bengala did a Rolling Surfboard on Sexy, and also a Superplex. Sick.
Sexy botched a double team on Bengala but followed with an amazing Crossbody to the outside, so it’s OK. Drago followed with his Twisting Dive on Bengala and Apache. The crowd did the wave at a certain point. I wasn’t sure if it was boredom or just a joke by a small group that got out of hand. Still, for a minute, they totally lost the crowd, but had them back after the crowd stopped joking around. Lots of near falls in the end. Sexy locked Apache on a Bow and Arrow-like hold and Drago did his rolling cover for the win.
Psycho Clown & La Parka vs. Blue Demon Jr. Beat Hijo del Fantasma & El Texano Jr. & Villano IV (24:31)
MC asked the crowd to stand up for Blue Demon Jr.. They said it was his 30th year career anniversary (why don’t I believe this?). Blue Demon Jr. got a different entrance than everyone else. Different music and lights, different entrance place and a traditional Mexican peacock-like head gear.
Tecnicos started all right but didn’t do much. Rudos did all kinds of cheating and got the advantage. Texano rope was used a lot. There were two refs in this match and both were distracted. The crowd did the wave again when all the rudos were attacking all the tecnicos at the same time.
The faces did a comeback. There was a weird spanking spot: Texano was laying down with his cheeks out. Fantasma covered him and the tecnicos get his ckeeks out and spank him once with the rope and that Psycho Clown gimmick. At a certain point, Psycho was hitting everybody with his gimmick, even Blue Demon Jr. and the refs. La Parka just went in the middle of the crowd when this happened, he just didn’t care. Psycho did all the dives in this match, with a plancha and a crossbody from the corner to the outside. La Parka worked with the heels a long time and did a lot of comedy, dominating all three.
The crowd became tired in the last few minutes, and maybe they felt it because they went home when this happened. Blue Demon Jr. won with his Leg and Arm submission over Villano IV. Dana Brooke has been studying her lucha libre, it seems.
All six were in the ring greeting each other as soon as the match ended. All the luchadores were called to the ring. They took a picture and greeted the fans. Pentagon Jr. played some tuba, to the delight of the crowd. In the end, Pentagon Jr, Fenix, Hijo del Fantasma, Psycho Clown, Sexy Star and Octagonzito stood around the ring taking pictures, signing autographs and greeting fans.
It was a really fun show for a great crowd. Even though sometimes they didn’t act like a Mexican or a Lucha Underground crowd due to the difference in the demographics and in the experience they have with live wrestling, this crowd was alive, noisy and fun. The show was fun and worth it, especially that Pentagon Jr. vs. Fenix match that was the best of the night, in my opinion.