When The Saints Go Over There

El Hijo del Santo VS Rey Misterio Jr - Promo Azteca (Tijuana) 2/21/1997

JJZ: The timing of this match is what drew me to it. Rey is white hot in America while Santo is still at the top of his game in Mexico. The fan cam quality was such a nice touch that you know I personally love. The last fall of this match is what made it for me. Spectacular selling by Rey and a ruthless hunt for the kill by Santo made for great theater. The final stretch had me yelling at my TV. Hope you enjoy it just as much baby cakes.

CJD: My first thought is "how the hell have I never heard of this match?" But I guess it did place in the Death Valley Driver Best of the 90s polls, which I used to reference like gospel. I think I actually had a copy printed out for certain promotions. But lucha would have been an area I neglected back then and maybe now I need to use the Wayback Machine to print some additional material to reference. This lived up to the huge dream match potential for me but reading reviews it seems the early stalling took this down a few pegs for many fans. I didn't mind it, it did have me chomping at the bit by the time they got going which suits a clash this big. Some of those transitions were utterly beautiful. It must have been nice for Rey to wrestle someone else so masterful at launching himself to the moon on a backbody drop for a change. Santo becomes our first MDTSOCWWKD double crown Champion, holding both our imaginary tag and singles version of the title, which is suiting since we recently renamed it partially after him. He's such a mythical almost outlaw figure in wrestling history, with the biggest boots to fill imaginable, and still blazed a trail so distinctly his own. I love watching him and I loved the way he matched up with Rey Rey here. Also listening in on a casual conversation between Konnan and Bob Barnett was beyond surreal. Awesome stuff.

We've Got To Raise Atlantis

Atlantis VS El Hijo Del Santo - CMLL 11/5/2005

CJD: I wanted to explore part of our current MDTSOCWWKD Champion's long and storied career that I wasn't familiar  with this week. And while I wasn't expecting it to be one of his rare stretches as a rudo, I'm glad that's where I ended up. Because damn what a rudo he was! These are two HoFers creating beautiful music together and they are playing the hits while they're at it. This is a tournament finals with one fall to a finish which gives it an urgency similar to Atlantis starting the match down a fall did for your pick last week. I watched a bunch of Atlantis matches this week and many would have been fine choices. But this was the only no-brainer.

JJZ: Well this is starting off pretty interesting. Women kissing kids, little people being thrown onto big people. Love that it is just one fall. This bout has fantasic energy from the start. The dual mask ripping might be a first for me personally. I really don't recall seeing it before. You could feel how much Santo wanted to defeat Atlantis in this. It had a chaotic start but really settled into a heated tit for tat match. I loved the finish so much, I popped so hard. Great pick baby.

Strange Bedfellows

Negro Casas/El Hijo Del Santo (c) VS Ultimo Guerrero/Rey Bucanero - CMLL Tag Team Championship 5/31/2002

CJD: I've been looking forward to the chance to crown the second ever Mason Dixon Tri-State Outercontinental WWKD Tag Team Champions. I was hoping the unlikely Mega Powers of bitter rivals Santo and Casas could step up to the plate, and boy did they ever. Up against one of the most prolific tag teams in lucha history, this match has a little bit of everything. Gorgeous hold for hold wrestling, jaw dropping highspots, stiff shots, bad camera work, abundant lucha replays, emotion, joy, dread, perseverance, respect. I think you'll understand why I almost didn't play this one forward by the end, but when all was said and done I had to share it. All hail the PIF MDTOWWKD Campeonatos de Parejas Increidbles!

JJZ: Well well well, I knew we'd get to lucha libre at some point but didn't expect Tarzan Goto to be our ferryman. No shame in saying I'm extremely green to Mexican wrestling so PIF will be a nice way to broaden my horizons. I'm familiar with all the wrestlers in this match though and have seen a fair amount of Ultimo Guerrero. Slower start than I'd think but with the rudos controlling early it makes sense. Fuego culo multitud. The energy between the two teams really radiates. There are several things I've never or can't remember seeing before. And that finish, holy fuck. How bad did that hurt? Also another great spot totally got overshadowed in the process. Super fun times of a match baby cakes.

He's The Tarzan Of LA

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1qcs3p

El Hijo Del Santo/Atsushi Onita/Tarzan Goto VS Negro Casas/Horace Boulder/Tim Patterson - FMW 5/16/1992

JJZ: Well, I can honestly say I didn't expect to be here but this is what Play It Forward is all about. This is an FMW show in Los Angeles. It's pretty much a fun FMW brawl with a heavy lucha influence and rules. The Casas/Santo interactions are seriously heated and you can feel the crowd through the broadcast when they touch. Because of the journey it took for me to get this match, I can say without question, it's one of my favorite matches I've shared with you.

CJD: I knew Goto would give you some trouble for a match to play forward but I never imagined you'd end up here! This on paper is everything that's awesome about pro wrestling. Hulk Hogan's nephew, two Japanese deathmatch legends, two Mexican legends... and Tim Patterson. A Japanese promotion running in LA broadcasting to a Latino audience. What is there not to love? The match is not surprisingly a little disjointed at times but Onita brings great charisma and energy, and as you mentioned Santo and Casas are pure magic every time they touch. I loved the big looping chairshots that Onita and Boulder were swinging. I have no idea where this match is going to take me next week but I can't wait to find out.