Forever Forward Fridays

Rey Fenix/Laredo Kid VS Abismo Negro Jr/Black Taurus - AAA 2/7/2021

JJZ: Let's flip flop and fly my guy. This scratched an itch for me at the moment I needed it to. This contest had some beautiful artwork of ariel offense. All four guys really went for it when they had the chance. I feel like Play It Forward finally made me a major fan of lucha libre. Now i know this definitely has a modern twist to it but I feel like it still holds some roots. This was a blast to watch. Hope you got your popcorn ready for this action baybay!!

CJD: One fall to a finish and I've got that popcorn ready. Fenix really has that star presence, it's one of those things you have a hard time quantifying but you know it when you see him. I thought the rudos held this one together nicely, especially after Laredo Kid seemed to get his bell rung. Which made the finish of the match all that much more impressive. Black Taurus blows my mind how he moves around like that in that gear with that much man meat on his meat hocks. He's low key the MVP of every one of these car crash matches I see him in. This had a bit more substance than a total spotfest too and as far as post-pandemic presentation goes I really dig how AAA adjusted.

If My Fenix Still Shines

Rey Fenix VS Sonny Kiss - AEW 10/20/2020

CJD: This was one of those weeks where no matter what I watched, I kept thinking about the first match I put on. I was really looking to see Fenix's growth with whatever I played forward to you. And I saw a lot of that through the pandemic, it's about the only thing that can motivate me to put on matches without crowds again, to see how much certain guys and girls improved in these strange circumstances. I think there was a lot of that in AEW and now you're seeing them reap the rewards with a red hot product back in front of fans. This is a side of Rey I've seen flashes of before but I've never seen him shine up a babyface quite like this before. He still looks fantastic in the process and man this match just stuck with me. It's not as good as your Jack Evans match but it's another example of making a lot out of a little, and it's another match I just enjoyed the hell out of.

JJZ: I love love love when we can play a match that showcases a wrestler in a way that we aren't as familiar with. Fenix shines as a slow paced technician. Some of his submission holds I've never seen before and I honestly think would make for some good finishers. Sonny's athleticism was pretty epic in this one. Kiss made me say a few times, how the fuck did he do that?? Sonny working from under made for a great match that would've went over so good in front of a crowd. Also I think if they were in front of a crowd you would have went with this on first viewing.

And You Know This, Man

Jack Evans VS Rey Fenix - Lucha Underground 2016

JJZ: High flyer dream match right here! I love Jack's shit talking during the match. What these two can with their bodies is insane. You can't predict what's gonna happen next and if you say you can that's bullshit. This is the opposite of a junkfood match because you can feel the pride of these two through the screen. I would like more time but at this pace I could not have expected more from Jack Evans and Fenix.

CJD: We've featured a lot of matches lately that have seen us branch out of our comfort zones, surprise each other, even have some disagreements. This is not one of those matches. This is the type of match that I'd call the bread and butter of PIF, and I was so ready for it right now. Straight to the point, a little under the radar, talent we love but could always stand to see more from. A minor opportunity that they used to deliver major performances. Jack Evans (from the heavens) is the king of this and I certainly got my wish to see him in all his glory at radically different points in his career these past two weeks. Rey Fenix, I'll be honest, I don't think I'm quite as high on as most. But I enjoy him and I'm looking forward to finding something equally good to come back at you with. Which won't be easy because this match was so, so much fun.