EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Lucha Central and Masked Republic.
By El Cultico
It sure is an interesting time in lucha libre right now. This weekend, CMLL, AEW, and WWE (using AAA’s mutilated corpse) will all put tickets on sale for the Aniversario, Grand Slam: Mexico, and TripleMania, putting forth the question of just how much money lucha libre fans are willing to spend. Last weekend, WWE (again using AAA’s mutilated corpse) proved that yes, you can Americanize lucha libre, devalue the Mexican luchador at the same time, and get away with it as long as the match is considered great. And then, in between it all, there’s IWRG, doing IWRG things, which at times fills me to the brim with a feeling of goodness and at other times makes me feel the way Herc Gomez does when Maurico Pochettino does a press conference. Hey; it’s better than the alternative I suppose. Or maybe not. Let’s find out together after I recap what’s been going on while that Dragon Ball Z music plays. HIT IT!
Last time, ON IWRG Z, Legion Oscuro threatened to explode, after Hell Boy lashed out at teammates Samoa, El Mexicano, and Chessman after they inadvertently cost him a three way match against Jack Morris and Vito Fratteli. Hell Boy’s mood probably wasn’t helped by what happened a few days later, when Rey del Ring ended with Morris and Fratteli wrestling to a draw, meaning both will face Hell Boy for the Rey del Ring Championship this Sunday. Now tonight, with Morris and Fratteli seemingly having the night off, Hell Boy finds himself back on the tecnico side, teaming with former friends turned foes Diva Salvaje and Jessy Ventura to take on Revolution Crew’s El Hijo de Canis Lupis, Multifacetico Jr., and Rey Mictlan. Will Hell Boy revert back to the side of good? Will he give in to his darkest impulses? Will the rest of Legion Oscuro even appear? Who will be in the first Lucha Random match in a few weeks? Will IWRG decide to put white guys in masks to replace their lucha talent, leading to me getting on my soap box and rage quitting throughout the show? And will there be a special surprise at the end of this review? Find out, TODAY!
Aliados de Dios & Eddy Maceyra defeated Angelux & Boca Negra after Maceyra submitted Angelux and Boca with a Indian Death Lock/Argentine Torture Rack at the same time! Aliados had previously been eliminated by Angelux and Negra following a Angelux Frog Splash and an (awful) Boca moonsault, meaning this was a comeback win for Maceyra. This, sadly, is where the good stuff about this match began and ended. Yes, Eddy Maceyra is quite good, with this finishing sequence only hammering that point home. The problem is that Angelux is not good, Aliados de Dios isn’t much better, and Boca Negra is so bad he makes 2026 Hirving “Chucky” Lozano look worthy of the Mexican National team (this pains me to say; I love the Chuckster). And aside from the finish, this match was a lot of those three essaying some poor lucha libre (Aliados’ backbreakers were among the worst backbreakers I’ve ever seen), with Maceyra doing what he could in between. It’s not like the standards of IWRG openers are that high to begin with, but seriously; can we not strive for better here? Are we really destined to watch Boca Negra dress like Jeff Hardy and wrestle like Canelo Casas till the protons decay and time ends like in that one Futurama episode? Let’s hope not. Either way, it doesn’t change that this sucked, aside from the finish. * ½
Dezzendiente & Kali defeated Hahastary & Tromba after Dezzendiente and Kali pinned Hahastary and Tromba at the same time following a Dezzendiente top rope splash. I guess after having their first all women’s match in weeks last week, IWRG was back to putting the women with men for this show. I suppose it’s better than nothing, until I remember that the next all women’s IWRG match will probably occur in 2029, at which point WWE will own every lucha promotion and everyone will be telling me it’s fine because LA Knight (under a masked gimmick) and Tony D’Angelo (also under a mask) will have had an Apuesta Match that showcased “the true essence of lucha libre.”
As annoying as it continues to be that IWRG can’t book their luchadoras in a serious fashion, I will say that Kali and Hahastary made the most of their minutes here. After getting overshadowed by her partner (and future opponent) Sagittarius last week, Kali showed up with a point to prove, and did a far better job basing for Hahastary than she did previously, while also showing off some strong moves of her own (her senton splash into Hahastary and Tromba while they were in the ropes ruled). Hahastary was good again too; it does feel like she’s holding something back compared to what I saw her do in AAA years ago, but the creativity and spring in her step is still there, and it kind of feels like she should be wrestling at a higher level than this. Neither Tromba nor Dezzendiente stood out as much as Kali and Hahastary did, but they both based well and were overall solid, which frankly is a bit of a disappointment for Dezzendiente given what he’s showed elsewhere. This wasn’t Luis Chavez’ goal against Saudi Arabia in the last World Cup (then again, what is?), but after the opener, this was an ice cold Pepsi in the middle of the Rub’ al Khali desert. ***
Princeso defeated Bizhota in Lucha Random after pinning Bizhota with a Backbreaker into Blade Runner. Another cool finish, and this time after a match that didn’t make me wish for oblivion (and I don’t mean the Liv Mogan finisher). Sometimes Lucha Random gives, sometimes it takes, and sometimes it gives you something you’ve never seen before. This was the latter; Bizhota and Princeso are two exotico luchadors that I had never seen before tonight, with Bizhota wrestling her first IWRG match in a few years (according to Cagematch). Allow me to say I’d like to see more of them. Like the last match, this wasn’t an all out, balls to the wall MOTYC, but it was very well worked, with some decent dives (although Princeso may want to rotate more on his tope con hilo next time), smooth work, and all the exotico spots you’d expect. I’ve said before that lucha libre could do with more exoticos that can work, so seeing Princeso and Bizhota get an opportunity here and deliver a solid match was good to see. Let’s hope IWRG adds them to their exotico rotation alongside Carinosa and Las Shotas. They earned their spot with their work tonight, at least in my view. *** ¼
Caballero de Plata, Hip Hop Man, and Principe Centauro defeated Jasper Faster, Pablo Rivas, and Shocko after Centauro pinned Rivas with a School Boy rollup, despite Rivas unmasking him (which the referee missed) seconds earlier. I don’t know who was coming up with finishes on this show, but that person deserves the raise, as this was the third finish on this show, to this point, that was creative, cool, and just overall well done. Even Game 1 Jalen Brunson wasn’t as clutch as the IWRG finish guy, and that’s saying something; did you see Jalen Brunson last night?!
To think this could’ve been John Starks 30 years ago if he just hit shots!
Unlike a box of chocolates, you always know what you’re getting with Team Chile, and this match was no different; there was a long rudo control segment, the tecnicos made a comeback, and all hell broke loose during the closing stretch. The only question was how good it would come off, and fortunately this was on the high end of the Chileans style. Yes, Jasper Faster still isn’t fast, and a lot of his, Rivas, and Shocko’s control sequences weren’t exciting, but they made up for it by hitting hard, and got a nice assist from both the tecnicos. Centauro showed some great tecnico fire, Caballero had a nice sequence (and got to do a tope suicida while biting down on a rose) and Hip Hop Man…was also there. He wasn’t good, he wasn’t bad, he was just doing stuff; the story of modern Hip Hop Man when he isn’t overcoming massive odds. Much like the previous two matches, this wasn’t super good, or memorable (outside of the finish), but it was a solid watch, and that’s all I ask from Team Chiie given how hit or miss they can be. *** ¼
Aquiles, Falcon Fire, and Histeriosis defeated Freelance and Mexa Boy’s (Aguila Oriental and Spider Fly) after Histerosis pinned Spider Fly with a Poison Rana. It is rare to see a Poison Rana as a finish these days, and it was surprising to see it in this match because MY GRODD HOLY S**T HOLY F**K THIS WAS INCREDIBLE! There were a couple moments during this match where things could’ve been tighter (Aquiles slipped on the ropes going for an armdrag at one point) and a few moments were the communication between spots could’ve been better. Beyond that, this was bonkers, glorious, beautiful lucha libre. The pacing? Magnificent. The creativity? Brilliant, and mostly free of the usual lucha indie tropes (there was one Crucifix Destroyer and one Canadian Destroyer, and the latter was so good it made up for it being a Destroyer). The dives? EXCEPTIONAL! There were so many good things in this match that I feel obliged to keep most of it secret and let you discover it for yourself. Just know that everyone here had their working shoes on and put in a great performance, though I did feel that Freelance (who I am admittedly biased for) probably was the MVP. The man is 46 years old, and somehow still out there doing crowd dives and Dragonrana’s like it’s just another day at the office. What a legend. The jolt that this show needed, the jolt that I needed…and still not the best lucha match from the last week that didn’t involve white guys cosplaying as luchadors. **** ½
Revolution Crew (El Hijo de Canis Lupus, Multifacetico Jr., and Rey Mictlan) defeated Hell Boy and Las Shotas (Diva Salvaje & Jessy Ventura) after Lupus and Mictlan pinned Hell Boy with a roll up after he was accidentally kissed by Jessy. This gave way to the end of the match, where Chessman, Mexicano, and Samoa appeared and started beating up Las Shotas (as Revolution Crew bounced) before forcing Hell Boy to make a choice. And what was his choice? None, because the proceedings was interrupted by former AAA luchador Cuervo, who attacked Legion Oscura (except Hell Boy, who he allowed to escape), and sided with Las Shotas. I believe M. Night Shyamalan could sum this up much better than I could.
Shocking ending aside, this match wisely avoided trying to match the semi-main, and instead delved into the usual IWRG trios formula; the rudos have the heat for a long ass time, the tecnicos make a comeback, and the last few minutes are back and forth. There was some good action in there (Hell Boy and Multfacetico had a sequence that really popped), but this match was more about how Hell Boy was going to act in the wake of his dissension with Legion Oscura last week. I thought he worked tecnico throughout, though the tension was clearly still there with Jessy and Salvaje; frankly, that was a good touch, as those with long memories will remember Hell Boy’s turn to Legion Oscura began with him falling out with Las Shotas. It was a nice balancing act to show the “good” Hell Boy was still in there, but there’s still a ways to go before the tecnico turn (if that is the plan). In the end, this was more of an angle than a match, and I’m not sure how much you’re getting out of 2026 Cuervo. But overall, the execution of what they were doing was good, I came away from this intrigued with what happened next, and most importantly, they didn’t have a foolhardy attempt to match the semi-main. Thus, I would call this a successful main event. *** ½
Now this would normally be the end of the review where I’d sum up my thoughts on the show…but not tonight, as we still have one more match to review! But it’s not an IWRG match; instead, it’s time for us to travel back in time to last Friday, where RIOT Lucha Libre held there Los Mismo Pero Sin Cambios event in Monterrey.
Bandido, Zonik, and Mexa Boy’s (Noisy Boy & Spider-Fly) defeated Gringo Loco, Iron Kid, Turbo, and Vengador after Bandido pinned Vengador with a 21Plex. Let’s get the criticism out of the way first; Vengador my guy, how are you not taking the 21Plex while laying on your stomach?! Do you know how huge a pop that would’ve gotten, especially in this atmosphere (more on that in a moment) if that had been the finish?! And that, my friends, is the only flaw I can give you in this match that was so flawless and so great that these four apparently walked away with an extra pay day after the fans threw 10,000 pesos into the ring. Read that again; 10,000 pesos.
Much like the IWRG trios from earlier tonight, I’m not going to give you a blow by blow of what happened because this is something you really need to see for yourself. This match was 25 minutes and 40 seconds of nonstop action; film critic Alex Pappademas once described Mad Max: Fury Road as a film that “doesn’t slow down, it only relents,” and that’s the perfect description for this match. It was all action all the time with some of the most innovative, creative, breathtaking lucha libre you’ve ever seen, with a Monterrey crowd that was among the hottest I’ve heard in a minute. You can only hope enough people get to see this cause if they do, it’ll be a break out performance for Noisy Boy, Spider-Fly (talk about two great performances in less than a week), Turbo, Vengador, the long underrated Iron Kid, and Zonik, the phenom who is every it the wunderkind you’ve heard and then some. Even Bandido and Loco had an extra bit of pep in their step, and Bandido’s the type of guy who rolls out of bed and has matches like this almost every time out these days. I’d say more, but seriously; you need to see this for yourselves. We’re still early in the year, there’s plenty more lucha to come, and for some, another match already locked up Lucha Libre MOTY in Monterrey a day after this match. But for me, right now, this is the lucha libre MOTY, and it’s not even close. *****
It’s nights like this that remind me why I love lucha libre so much. And it’s been a week for me where it’s been tough to remember that. I don’t want to take away from anyone’s efforts, but I also have to be honest about how I feel. And how I feel is this; the Grande Americanos mask match last Saturday has left me feeling sick. Not because of its quality; how good the match was or wasn’t matters little to me, and I’m alarmed that it appears to matter to so many. What really matters is what that match, in my mind, represented. To me, it’s blatant attempt by WWE to circumvent having to push or showcase the many (great) lucha libre talent they have by instead putting two white guys who they have no plans for on Raw or SmackDown into masks and presenting them as luchadors, knowing they’ll get over because a) Mexican WWE fans are starved for anything WWE and b) American WWE fans don’t know or care about lucha libre beyond the fact that WWE now owns a lucha promotion. It would’ve been so easy, and frankly good, for WWE to have done the same thing they did with Chad Gable and Ludwig Kaiser with guys like Ronnie Mendoza, Angel Garza, Humberto Carillo, Fenix, or Dragon Lee, and it would’ve worked just as well, if not better, than what just transpired. Instead, three of the five are in no man’s land, all potential roster cuts when TKO feels they nee to shed a few dollars to impress shareholders. Meanwhile, Fenix may have an AAA title, but he otherwise feels like he was better off at the place where he felt he was stuck in a straight jacket. And Dragon Lee is Rey Mysterio’s understudy, the same spot he’s seemingly been in for the last several years. And meanwhile, the white guys get the spotlight, the big mask matches, and the main events, while WWE continues to Americanize whatever is left of AAA, getting away with it because match quality, apparently, means more than preserving something unique and special.
That’s why a night like tonight, and a night like last Friday night, is special. No, tonight’s IWRG Thursday Night Wrestling wasn’t the show of the year. No, it will not have any match that gets MOTY consideration in any major wrestling publication (frankly, neither will the RIOT match). But it was, and I’m sorry for swearing Kevin, lucha fucking libre to its core. It had a questionable opener, solid undercard matches, exoticos, crazy high flyers, melodrama, a return from a luchador who may be long in the tooth, and a hot crowd in a unique, intimate setting. And my Grodd, that RIOT match. In a world where so many people want to declare what is and isn’t authentic lucha libre, that match was authentic lucha libre and then some. That is what I want. I don’t need two white guys cosplaying as luchadors and remaking classic lucha feuds from the past and I don’t need the uniqueness of captain’s matches stripped away in favor of making matches easier to follow for my fellow Americans. I didn’t fall in love with lucha libre because it reminded me of American wrestling; I can find that easily. I fell in love with lucha libre because it’s different, beautiful, and like nothing else in the world. Recently, too many places have been trying to mold it into something it isn’t. Tonight’s IWRG, and last Friday’s RIOT match, prove that the only thing that needs to change is the idea that lucha libre needs to change.
