Well this was absolutely top banana. The primera was about as good as it gets and each matchup was exceptional. Panther/Atlantis was an exchange up there any they've ever had together and they've had a few. It was sort of breathtaking with just the right mixture of grace and grit. Fiera/Black Warrior wasn't a hunner miles behind it and I guess I should try and find some old man Fiera working the mat. Then we got Santo/Felino and all the history that goes with it. It's been forever since I watched the Santo/Casas apuestas from September, or really any of that feud from '97, but I remember Felino being involved throughout the year. He sided with his brother in that particular dispute and the issue between him and Santo clearly hadn't been resolved, even if the one between Santo and Casas was buried (for the moment). As a pairing this had way more of an edge than the others and it was tetchy right away. Then it quickly became ferocious and really, Santo/Felino is an all-time level pairing. It led to Santo working Felino's leg for a bit, stretching him out with this wild lying stretch muffler. Then they got to slapping the hell out of each other and it broke down into a brawl with everyone involved, which it was always on the verge of after Santo/Felino poisoned the waters of sportsmanship in the first place. The straw that broke the camel's back was when Felino found himself holding Santo in a tombstone position. Santo frantically tried to kick free of it and even if Felino never picked him up to do the move originally, he was sure thinking about it now that the opportunity had presented itself. The commentator was shouting "NO FELINO, NO!" (which was both awesome and hilarious) while Felino seemed to struggle with the idea, but then Black Warrior came in and kicked Felino in the bad leg to make his mind up for him. Santo going fucking ballistic and repeatedly booting Felino in the neck was amazing. I know that rudo Santo was never long for the world for various reasons, but purely from an in-ring standpoint I thought he was great in the role and stuff like that is why. The segunda kept it rolling and the rudos continued their beatdown, again with Felino's leg being the focus. Santo was a vicious bastard, hitting a post-assisted shinbreaker, smashing the leg into the ring apron, headbutting the knee, which as someone who has been kneed in the face before seems questionable, but I can't deny that it looked like Felino came off worse. The tercera is maybe a wee bit short if we're putting it up against the best trios matches of the decade, but it was still tremendous. They return to the pairings from the primera and this time they up the intensity, with Santo/Felino remaining the central thread. Atlantis sent Panther flying through the ropes, Fiera spin kicked Black Warrior off the top turnbuckle to the floor, and then Santo and Felino got to take yet another run at each other. Santo clearly tries to punt Felino in the balls and Felino reverses it with a leg sweep and the quickest sunset flip you've ever seen, low-angled with wicked snap on it. When they get to trading chops I love how Santo throws his hands up and walks away like the whole thing was uncalled for, then we get some symmetry with the first caida when another one of Santo's teammates jumps in and kicks Felino in the leg. Which again leads to things breaking down and Santo crushing Felino with a tope suicida. This wasn't a thing of beauty like your usual Santo tope -- this one had the malice behind it and looked a wee bit ragged, but it was no less impactful and of course Felino never came back from it.
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