Negro Casas! Virus! Vangellys???

Negro Casas v Mascara Dorada (CMLL, 6/2/13)

This was super spotty and the selling wasn't really for shit, but for a super spotty lucha title match where the selling isn't really for shit, it was pretty great. Casas being able to pull off the things he's pulling off, and generally holding up his end (or ruling his end) of a spot-a-thon like this, at fifty four years old is crazy. In the tercera they're trading headscissors on the ramp and rolling out the dives and every other minute Casas is just flinging himself Perro Aguayo-style at Dorada. Awesome spot where Dorada tries to hit a somersault senton while Casas is on the ramp, but Casas moves and as Dorada rolls back up to his feet Casas smashes his head straight into the ring post. First couple falls are short, but Casas going after the leg in the second was great, albeit brief. Everything he does looks really vicious and has a sense of escalation, like he never would've resorted to this attempted crippling if he never truly thought his title was in danger. The leg work is more or less forgotten shortly after, which is whatever, but it was nice while it lasted. Casas getting powerbombed into the post in the third caida and selling it like it was nothing was kinda rubbish, but other than that he was kingsized in this. It's not my favourite setting for him, but when you're as good as he is, you make it work.


Negro Casas, Stuka Jr. & Valiente v Virus, Fuego & Vangellys (CMLL, 6/14/13)

Fucking killer trios sprint. Everybody got to look at least really good here, especially Vangellys (which was a pleasant surprise) who had a massive chip on his shoulder the whole match and just relentlessly went after Casas. I have no idea why, but it made for a great little subplot. Casas was fucking phenomenal, though. At first he kind of reacted to it like a guy that knew someone was after his blood, but wasn't really sure why (there's a great bit where he's hunched up in the corner with this "what did I do this time?" look on his face). Then after a while he stopped wondering about the why and decided to give as good as he got. Now and again a young pup will pick on the old dog. Maybe the young pup thinks the old dog has been around too long and it's time he was put out of his misery. The young pup could make a name for himself if it was him that did it. Except the young pup clearly doesn't know why that old dog has been around for as long as he has. If he did, he'd let that old dog lie. Any time Virus and Casas are on opposite sides of a trios match you really want them getting a lengthy section to pair off. This wasn't exactly the kind of trios where that was going to happen (it was pretty much hell for leather from word one, so nobody was getting a lengthy mat section), but the part where they were tearing each other to ribbons with chops and spin kicks to the guts was great. And of course a Virus/Casas singles match would rule the fucking earth. The big dives in this were spectacular as well, especially Valiente's moonsault plancha, primarily because they come out of nowhere (seriously, Valiente's was fucking incredible). Awesome stuff, and of all the CMLL from last year that I've watched so far, this might be my favourite match yet.