Chris’ Lucha Roundup: July 2024
- Chris’ Lucha Roundup: July 2024 - October 12, 2024
- 2019: The Dragon and the Fiend - August 16, 2024
- Chris’ Lucha Roundup: June 2024 - August 7, 2024
It’s October. October is spooky season. And what’s scarier than being three months late on a monthly column?
Macuarro vs. Paymon (Zona 23, 7/7) – IWTV
Macuarro’s match with Sobredosis headlined my first lucha roundup for this site. At the time, he seemed like a novelty. Look at this strange middle-aged looking janitor with a wild haircut taking it to one of the best deathmatch guys in Mexico in the junkyard! I had no idea what was to come.
In the half year since, Macuarro has become one of the biggest stars on the lucha indies. He is by far the most over wrestler in Zona 23. He gets bigger pops than Demus, Lunatik Extreme, Loz Mazicos, or anyone else in their stable of deathmatch freaks. He’s not a novelty. He’s a main eventer, working this apuestas match with Paymon a match higher than Demus and Lunatik Extreme’s apuestas match. It’s a truly meteoric rise, and well-deserved.
Paymon and Macuarro met in Zona’s deathmatch tournament back in April, and it went to a no contest as both men basically bled out before they could put the other away. It wasn’t one of the year’s best deathmatches, but it was absolutely one of the gnarliest. They’re back here with higher stakes to punish each other even more. It’s an absolute monster of brutality from two freaks, and it delivers in spades. Anyone who has an even cursory interest in deathmatch wrestling needs to seek this one out yesterday. On a show full of consistently great trainwreck violence, this beat everything.
Hechicero vs. Xelhua (Lucha Memes, 7/28) – IWTV
This is a match that made the roundup as soon as it was announced. Hechicero is at or near the top of any lucha fan’s working list of wrestlers of the year, with a level of consistency that would be downright shocking if he wasn’t doing it for years. Xelhua has been a revelation as a rookie getting increased opportunities.
This is a match full of great chain wrestling, pinfall reversals, the works. Xelhua hasn’t quite been deemed ready for a rocket push in CMLL, so Lucha Memes gives him an opportunity to work a longer match against one of the best in the world. It’s a wonderful savvy veteran vs. hungry up-and-comer matchup, using the experience difference to great effect. Another feather in both men’s wrestler of the year cases as we approach the end of the year.
Cerebro Negro & Cerebro Negro Jr. vs. Latigo & Toxin (IWRG, 7/14)
Mala Fama have spent most of their year in IWRG feuding with Noisy Boy and Spider Fly, but this tag title match is a really nice change of pace against another one of the promotion’s best tag teams. Cerebro Negro Jr. has had a hell of a year, deservedly getting a spot on the VP 25 Under 25 list this past month.
While it’s not an outright gusher, all four participants in the match are bleeding early into the match, throwing every bomb possible at the other team to get the advantage. It doesn’t have the months-long build as the Mala Fama/Mexa Boys tags, but it has the same amount of hatred behind it. These guys are willing to do whatever it takes for the IWRG tag belts, and it makes for a super-entertaining spot-fest. It’s paced a little too long and has a few too many shenanigans to flirt with true greatness, but it’s easily the highlight for the month in IWRG.
Atomic Star vs. Cachorro de Guerrra (Lucha Memes, 7/28)
There’s been a lot of great tag wrestling and llaves matches in Coliseo Coacalco this year, but the venue is host to some absolute monster brawls when they want. While the bigger stars in Hechicero and Xelhua main event this show, the crowd is even more into this match between a homegrown talent in Cachorro de Guerra against a guy who’s been around the block on the indies. It’s a fun brawl with a few good weapon shots, but most of the violence is focused on some of the craziest floor bumps you’ll see on a show this year. A really pleasant surprise that I haven’t seen enough people praising.
El Hijo de Fishman vs. the Mascara Sagrada family continues to be one of the hottest feuds in Mexico. A week after Fishman and Mascara Sagrada NG faced off on opposite sides of a highlight trios match, Sagrada Senior starts this match going to war all around Arena Naucalpan as the rest of their teams fight in and around the ring.
When the match finally does corral back to the ring into some form of “structured” wrestling, it’s still a very fun trios match, but it’s all about building to Fishman and Sagrada getting back in the ring together again after all that brawling. The payoff is well worth it as Fishman piledrives the soul out of Mascara Sagrada’s body, leaving him motionless in the ring while everyone else wrestles around him until the stretchers can take him out. I don’t want to do everyone else in this match a disservice because there is some fun brawling with Hijo de Silver King and Veneno, but it’s really hard to compete when there’s such a crazy whirlwind of violence overpowering everything around them.
Honorable Mentions
- Auzter & Rey Espartano vs. Rey Aztaroth & Simon Blanco (IWRG, 7/4)
- Gran Pandemonium, Hijo de Pandemonium & Pandemonium Jr. vs. Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor & Pig Pool (IWRG, 7/4)
- Charles Lucero & Garringo vs. Trauma I & Trauma II (ERLL, 7/6)
- Diablo Jr. & Mr. Mike vs. Freelance & Tornado (IWRG, 7/7)
- Drgxon vs. Especie Maligna vs. Sobredosis vs. Super Boy (Zona 23, 7/7) – IWTV
- Epitafio & Leviatham vs. Gallego & Mr. Condor vs. Joe Lider & X Fly vs. Ovett Jr. & Toxico (Zona 23, 7/7) – IWTV
- Ciclope vs. Fly Star (Zona 23, 7/7) – IWTV
- Miedo Extremo vs. Osiris (Zona 23, 7/7) – IWTV
- Demus vs. Lunatik Extreme (Zona 23, 7/7) – IWTV
- Bendito & Tonalli vs. Hell Boy & Hijo de Canis Lupus (IWRG, 7/11)
- Aguila Roja, Hijo del Pirata Morgan & Puma de Oro vs. Arez, Latigo & Toxin (IWRG, 7/11)
- Arez & Latigo vs. Cometa Maya & Radioactivo (Big Lucha, 7/13)
- Gannicus & Troyano vs. Karma II & Magnetico (Lucha Memes, 7/14) – IWTV
- Celta King, Latino Boy & Rey Espartano vs. Corsario Negro Jr., Drako & Judas el Traidor (Lucha Memes, 7/14) – IWTV
- Auzter & Iron Kid vs. Mr. Mike & Rey Aztaroth (IWRG, 7/14)
- Abigor, Rey Halcon & Yorvak vs. Freelance, Luka & Multifacetico Jr. (IWRG, 7/14)
- Avisman, Bombero Infernal & Puma de Oro vs. Mr. Mike, Panterita & Tortuga Leo (IWRG, 7/18)
- 911 & AK47 vs. Noisy Boy & Spider Fly (IWRG, 7/18)
- Cibernetico vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. (IWRG, 7/18)
- Brazo Celestial, Brazo Cibernetico Jr. & Brazo de Oro Jr. vs. Gran Pandemonium, Pandemonium & Pandemonium Jr. vs. Leviatham, Rokambole Jr. & Villano V Jr. (AULL, 7/20)
- Demonio Infernal vs. Hijo del Pirata Morgan (AULL, 7/20)
- Ciclope & Miedo Extremo vs. Danger King & Guerrero Mixtico (Mexa, 7/20)
- Baby Extreme vs. Bendito (Mexa, 7/20)
- Lady Flammer & Lady Maravilla vs. Latigo & Toxin (Mexa, 7/20)
- Centvrion, Fly Warrior, Fulgor I & Fulgor II vs. Fly Star, Metaleon, Mr. Leo & Terremoto Leo (Mexa, 7/20)
- Auzter, Iron Kid & Tornado vs. Guerrero Mixtico, Rey Aztaroth & Rey Halcon (IWRG, 7/21)
- Freelance, Halcon Suriano & Multifacetico Jr. vs. Gravity, Mr. Mike & Principe Centauro (IWRG, 7/21)
- Aguila Roja, Hijo del Pirata Morgan & Puma de Oro vs. Baby Extreme, Noisy Boy & Spider Fly (IWRG, 7/21)
- Hell Boy, Hijo de Canis Lupus & Mascara Sagrada NG vs. Hijo de Fishman, Hijo de Silver King & Simon Blanco (IWRG, 7/21)
- Blue Panther vs. Christopher Daniels (IWC Legacy, 7/21)
- Aguila Guerrera I & Aguila Guerrera II vs. Argus & Gaius (Lucha Memes, 7/28) – IWTV
- Energia vs. Fly Star (Lucha Memes, 7/28) – IWTV
- Multifacetico Jr. vs. Principe Centauro (IWRG, 7/28)
- Hell Boy & Hijo de Canis Lupus vs. Latigo & Toxin (IWRG, 7/28)