AAA When Worlds Collide 1994 (Retro Review)

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, humanoids of all ages, welcome back to Rest Hold Party! I am your Local Hero, your Review Guy himself, Cameron McDonley and I am here for what should be a very special review this evening as I review one of the greatest and most historic shows in all of Professional Wrestling history. As you see in the title, I will be reviewing AAA's When Worlds Collide event, which was live from the sold out LA Sports Arena on November 6, 1994. Two huge main event matches, plus other matches of historical significance on this show so without further ado, let's get straight to the action!

The show kicks off in a very unusual way compared to other promotions' pay per views at that time, as Mascarita Sagrada teams up with Octagoncito against current world minis champion at that time period Espectrito and his partner Jerrito Estrada. From an casual wrestling fan's standpoint watching this PPV, most of them had to have been thinking that this match was gonna have some comedy in it and would be more of a fun, light-hearted affair compared to the other matches on this show, but this match was nothing but, as all 4 wrestlers delivered on this night to kick off the PPV. Very high flying as commonplace in Lucha Libre, but also hard-hitting and very competitive. Sagrada was very impressive as always in this match, as he showed off his athleticism as well as his wherewithal to look very fluid inside the ring with his movements as well as his very solid-looking arm drags. This was indeed a very interesting way to kick off the show, nevertheless a very good match.

Match Rating: 3/5

The next match was a very notable one, as we would see a very young Rey Mysterio Jr, Heavy Metal and Latin Lover face Fuerza Guerrera, Madonna's Boyfriend and another incredibly young, up-and-coming luchador in Psicosis. As you would expect from the competitors involved, it was a solid match for sure. It started off with Psicosis and his team attacking the Technicos (faces) from behind, turning this athletic competition into a battle for respect. Mysterio would take some very serious bumps in this contest, as he would be lifted overhead and thrown into the crowd and also suplexed onto the floor by Madonna's boyfriend. Heavy Metal would take a beating as well, being ganged up on by the Rudos (heels) numerous times over the course of this match. There was also a pretty devastating spot in which Rey would hit a senton to the outside on Madonna's Boyfriend who was laying down on the outside. All of Rey's body would land square on the head of Louie Spicolli. Ouch!

There was also a part where Latin Lover would have a staredown with Madonna's Boyfriend who were about the same size as each other before they would lock horns and trade moves for a good 5 minutes. Seemed to me like there was a definite teaser for a match or feud between those two down the line, and although I have admittedly not seen much of AAA from that time period, a match between those two probably ended up happening at some point. After the conclusion of the match, the Rudos would retain their focus on Heavy Metal, proceeding to attack him in order to infuriate the audience, as their unfortunate victim's father was one of the officials for this match. Overall a very good showing from all six men.

Match rating: 3/5 

Our next matchup was the second and last six-man tag team match of the night, as Chris Benoit, 2 Cold Scorpio and the legendary Tito Santana go up against Jerry Estrada, La Parka and Blue Panther. This match was another one that was highly competitive, as all six wrestlers were able to show their strengths in this one. Other than this GIF worthy moment above this text, this match had very notable spots involving Chris Benoit, as he suplexed Blue Panther on the apron, hit a German Suplex with a bridge on La Parka and had a nasty spot when he jumped off the top for a flying headbutt attempt, missed the target and landed square on the top of his head. I can only imagine the pain that must've caused, considering his now infamous history of concussions.

2 Cold Scorpio looked great here as well, having a bit of an exchange between himself and La Parka for a good duration of the match. Tito Santana surprisingly had a great outing here, as it seems he adapted to the Lucha Libre style very quickly. He didn't come off looking bad at all here, rather pretty great. Really makes me wonder why he never had a lengthy run in either AAA or their rival promotion CMLL, I feel he could've done exceptionally well. Overall another very solid battle on this fine show.

Match Rating: 3/5

Now this may be a very, and I mean a VERY bold statement to make, but this match might just be the best wrestling match of the entire 90s. Now before you come at me with pitchforks ready to riot just like this LA crowd did, let me just tell you who is all involved in this match:

You have the team of Los Gringos Locos, which had the two best wrestlers in the world at that time in Eddie Guerrero and "Love Machine" Art Barr in one corner, and in the other corner you have two legendary luchadors, the team of Octagon and El Hijo Del Santo. One of those men is one of the most respected wrestlers in Mexico and the other is the son of the iconic El Santo. Now tell me this match isn't going to be great!

Anyway, this match was the only one out of the entire night to be the traditional two out of three falls and had a stipulation, a Lucha De Apuestas so to speak, as it was a Hair vs Mask match. With that said, imagine this passionate crowd witnessing a match like this. Every time a single move or near fall took place, the crowd either raged immensely at the thought of seeing their heroes unmasked or the delight of seeing the heels having their hair cut off with a pair of shears.

Drama was incredibly high throughout the contest, but it reached a fever pitch late in the third fall of the match as Eddie would distract the referee and Art Barr would pick up Octagon for one of the most devastating Tombstone Piledrivers I have ever seen. The crowd was in a frenzy with heat coming towards the direction of the AAA World Tag Team Champions, as Octagon would be shortly eliminated from the match, leaving El Hijo Del Santo alone with these dastardly villains. The near falls became more and more frantic towards the end, as this raucous LA crowd were on their feet in anticipation for Del Santo finally getting revenge on Eddie for unmasking himself and betraying him in Arena Mexico just short of a year before this. And that he did, as he ended up putting both Eddie and Art in a school-boy, pinning both of them with their shoulders on the mat for the three count and being able to wear his mask for another 20+ years. Not to mention Blue Panther reciprocating that Tombstone Piledriver on Art while the referee's back was turned.
Overall easily the best match of that entire decade.

Match Rating: 5/5

While the last match was notable for many reasons, this one was notable for many different other reasons. Main reason being the things that took place in this match. Billed as a Steel Cage match in the "biggest steel cage ever", longtime rivals Konnan and Perro Aguayo would take all the hype heading into this match and certainly live up to it. Seeing this for the second time I can safely say two things: One, this is the second best match of the entire PPV, Two this might be just the bloodiest, most goriest match I've ever seen in a wrestling ring that wasn't in Japan.

These two mainly brawled for most of the match, going everywhere around the cage from pillar to post with seething rage and radiating anger. However the tone of the match completely changed when Aguayo charged towards Konnan with speed ready to take him down with a clothesline when Konnan picked him up and launched him headfirst into the beam holding the cage together. Just as that happened, Aguayo's head looked like a red Fruit Gusher. Also I heard Dank Memes Melt Steel Beams, but that's a myth, apparently Konnan does. :)

Anyway, from then on the match was all Konnan for the next 20 minutes and continued that way when Art and Eddie came out and passed brass knuckles to the already smug and confident Konnan. However, fortunes changed for Aguayo when Los Dynamite Brothers chased off Los Gringos Locos and Cien Caras punched Konnan off the cage as he was escaping, allowing Perro Aguayo to climb over the top for the win. Overall a very good main event to end the show.

Match Rating: 4/5

Overall Show Rating: 4.5/5 

After reviewing one of the most fun shows I've ever had the pleasure of viewing, I can safely say that this was one of the best PPV's of all time, with easily the best match of the entire 90s as it's co-main event. To all who haven't yet seen this show, I urge you to as soon as possible, it's a masterpiece of a show.

Anyway that should do it for this review! Until next time, this is your Local Hero and your Review Guy known as Cameron McDonley saying goodbye everybody!

Lucha Underground: The Open Road To Revenge (Review: 10/12/16)

Welcome back readers. this is your Local Hero, your Review Guy, Cameron Mcdonley. When you read that sentence, you know for a fact I'm reviewing a show or PPV. This time, we take our regular trip to the Temple, where intensity, drama, violence and especially high-quality professional wrestling take place all in the span of an hour. This is Lucha Underground!!!
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This episode begins with a cut to the backstage area where El Dragon Azteca Jr. is preparing for his main event against Pentagon Dark tonight when Chavo Guerrero ambushes him from behind, repeatedly blasting him with chairshots to the head countless times until he was left slumped on the ground for Rey Mysterio to find. This was a good segment, as it planted a seed for further angles later on and in the immediate future. Chavo is rapidly becoming one of, if not the best heel on this show and I tell you this much, we'll see many reasons to believe that throughout this very eventful edition of Lucha Underground.
Rating: 3/5 

Opening the in-ring portion of this broadcast was a tag team match between the team of "Son Of Havoc" Matt Cross and Mascarita Sagrada, and their bitter enemies Famous B & Dr Wagner Jr. This match was not the best match of the night for sure, but the action was very exceptional and the contest served it's purpose as Famous B and Dr Wagner were solidified even further as heels. A very noteworthy moment in this match was when Sagrada was capable of lifting Famous B, regardless of his size deficit. Whether both wrestlers made an effort to make this spot work or if that was just how strong this man is, it was still an incredibly impressive feat. Overall a strong opener and a very entertaining feud so far.
Rating: 3/5 

There was another vague promo that is likely hyping up someone's return or debut on the show, citing once again that "They'll be here soon". I still have no clues as to who "They" are, but I hope this leads to something very worthwhile. I can't rate the segment this week because it was much shorter, plus it was dark and mysterious to the point that it added to the vagueness of it all. I will just wait this out and not rate these vignettes until the person or people in question make their presence felt in the esteemed Temple.
Rating: TBD 

Sexy Star defends her Gift Of The Gods title against Jack Evans in our co-main event of the evening, and trust me when I say this, this match could've easily been the main attraction had there not been at least one or more top draws in Lucha Underground sharing the ring in that time slot. It was a really good match, as Star was not afraid to take some devastating bumps throughout the whole affair. Evans wasn't totally out of the woods either, as his female adversary tore him apart in the first 10 minutes and would've likely continued to do so had he not given her a vicious side kick in the corner, which changed the tone and complexion of this war for the better or worse, depending on how you view the finish. The champion may have kept her title, but with the Worldwide Underground attempting to cost her the gold around her waist, one can wonder when her days will truly be numbered.
Rating: 4/5 

Before we get to our last commercial breaks, we cut to a phone call being made from Dario Cueto's office which gave him the unfortunate information that El Dragon Azteca Jr. can not make it to the main event tonight. Chavo Guerrero walked into his office and notified him that he has his hands figuratively tied and that he has no choice but to insert him in the main event. Rey Mysterio walks into his office however, and anarchy breaks loose completely. Rey and Chavo brawled with each other with malice until Dario came up with a brilliant stroke of absolute genius, majorly affecting the main event as he made it a Triple Threat Match between Rey, Chavo and Pentagon Dark! I am even more excited for the main event now! This should definitely be one to watch.
Rating: 3.5/5

As for the main event, it was exactly what you'd expect from three athletes of this caliber, as they put on a match that was undoubtedly the best match since the season started. It was the usual fast action, the high-impact spots and flying maneuvers, but with detrimental storytelling added to the explosive combination of the simulated combat in the ring. When you have all of those elements in a match like this, it is bound to be thrilling, no chance of it not living up to expectations. Pentagon also obtained the pinfall victory in this incredible battle, which is a tremendous upside.
Rating: 4.5/5

The action was far from over however, as Pentagon Dark tried his hand at breaking Rey Mysterio's arm to no avail. Chavo Guerrero ambushes Rey with a spear and a few well-timed shots to the abdominal vicinity, rendering his opposition defenseless to sickening chairshots attacking the leg. Guerrero ties him to the tree of woe, allowing Mysterio to be helpless even further. There were continued shots to the leg and the ACL from Mysterio's disturbed adversary until the show went off the air.
Rating: 4/5 

Full Show Rating: 4.5/5 
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This was certainly another strong show, as it was fun and satisfying to watch. Next week will feature a main event between Prince Puma and Mil Muertes, and I can guarantee you now, it won't be a walk in the park for either men and it will be more than simply exciting for the Believers.  With this being as exceptional and amazing as it was, it will be very difficult to top this episode overall, but knowing this show, that will be a very easy task for Robert Rodriguez and the other writers of this program.

That was it for this review, I am the Review Guy Cameron Mcdonley. Goodnight everybody!!

Lucha Underground Review: September 28th, 2016

Lucha! Lucha! Lucha! That's right ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed time for another Lucha Underground review, courtesy of Cameron Mcdonley, the Man of 1,000 Reviews. This one was a very stacked show, with very good matches and seeds planted for future angles so without further ado, let's flip out of the ring and into this great show!

As a precursor to the normal intro, we see a backstage segment involving Dario Cueto and Sexy Star, who is the current Gift Of The Gods Champion. Dario says that Sexy Star should fear having that championship around her waist, because if she ever fights his brother Matanza, she would be destroyed like the rest of his opponents.
He also announces an Atomicos match between the Trios Champions, herself and Worldwide Underground later on in the show.  After he leaves, Johnny Mundo appears, making Sexy very aware that he could be the next Gift Of The Gods Champion very soon.
Rating: 3/5 

Following the usual band playing and the commentators welcoming us to the show, we get a match between Sinestra De La Muerte and a much more intense Prince Puma. The match was a lot more calculating and psychology-based than a lot of Puma's matches in The Temple, and the Believers saw every minute of that evident newfound dark intensity. Every kick, strike, submission hold and even the natural high spots in his arsenal were all met with a luchador who wrestles with more purpose than ever before. He connected brutally with a spinning Michinoku Driver at the end, but with Mil Muertes watching at ringside, he picked up his already destroyed opponent for a Flatliner obviously intended to mock the Man of 1,000 deaths. Muertes and Puma brawl furiously after the match with Puma getting the upper hand, forcing Catrina's hand to send her man packing. This feud is definitely far from over.
Rating: 3.5/5 

Preceding the match and the commercial break after it, Dario Cueto is seen in his office with Cortez Castro, trying to counterfeit non-existing care for his former Crew member. He promises to bring the real killer to justice, which is foreshadowing something happening later on in the season, I can't quite put my finger on it. He books Castro in a match against Pentagon Dark, which at this point is like feeding a premature infant to the wolves.
Rating: 3/5 

Immediately succeeding the segment, we cut straight to the match between Cortez Castro and Pentagon Dark. It didn't last too long, but there was a lot of stiff shots landed on the opposing sides, including the sequence at the end which concluded with one of the most vicious Package Piledrivers I've ever seen. Out of all the moves in the match, that one seriously made me wince seeing it. Thank God Lucha Underground doesn't show post-match replays, because many viewers at home would have excruciating pain in their neck looking at that spot. I really hope that isn't the end for Castro, I would very much appreciate seeing this storyline progress further than just getting his arm broken by a psychopath. Pentagon cuts a profanity-laced promo on Chavo Guerrero and El Dragon Azteca, stating that he doesn't even respect his own mother, which is dangerous for either one of them. Short promo, but it certainly got the point across, that's for sure.
Rating: 3/5 

This episode was seriously so fun to watch, the time seemed to pass by, as I asked myself "Is the co-main event already happening?" Yes, it is already upon us, and a fun match it was! The aggression was an incontrovertible integral part of this match, as there was no letting up or pulling any punches in this contest. For all the comedic value of Jack Evans and the high spots of Mundo & Aerostar, Drago, PJ Black, Taya and Sexy Star all left with considerable welts and bruises on their bodies. Taya seemed like she was injured after the match and Sexy was busted open at the corner of her eye, but other than that, it was an incredibly solid match that I enjoyed throughout.
Rating: 4.5/5 

We discontinue the ringside feed to see Catrina in her lair with Mil Muertes. She grabs Sinestra De La Muerte, snaps his neck, and puts his soul into her body, effectively killing somebody she brought to life in the first place. She then turns to Mil and says that he "needs this" before transferring Sinestra's soul into his body, turning his eyes red once more. I have a gut feeling, we're gonna see a different side of Mil Muertes and Catrina that we've never seen in the past, I can sense it.
Rating: 3.5/5 

The main event is right now! Chavo Guerrero goes one on one against El Dragon Azteca Jr, with Rey Mysterio Jr as the special guest referee! Now this was easily the best match of the night by far, as these two had a great encounter. You had your perfect mixture of high-flying, physical shots, technical wrestling and psychology, all thrown together into one exceptional competition. Storytelling was also a major factor in this match, as you could see the frustration of Rey and Chavo with one another throughout the heated bout. It reached a immovable breaking point when Guerrero striking Rey, provoking him to retaliate with a punch. Azteca acquired the victory with a hurricanrana and a noticeable fast count from the "official", preventing Chavo from eventually getting his hands on Pentagon Dark. Rey impacted his bitter rival with a 619. ending the in-ring portion of the show.
Rating: 4.75/5 

Heretofore we went off the air, a promo hyping the return of Black Lotus as she was eyeing the temple while sitting next to a group of ninjas was depicted om the screen. Looks like she'll be coming back soon, hopefully as a heel still working under the guidance of Dario Cueto. Good promo overall, not much to say
Rating: 3/5


Full Show Rating: 4.5/5


As much as all good things must come to an end, I was dreading the conjecture of this review, as I had a great time writing it. Sadly it has to come, but not to worry, I'll be back with a review of the final TNA Impact tomorrow and an All-Star Extravaganza review shortly after the PPV goes off the air. As for tonight, this is Cameron Mcdonley saying Goodbye Everybody!

Lucha Underground Review 9/14/16

Hello, Cameron Mcdonley here and it is my distinct honor to welcome you to my first blog. We're kicking things off in a huge way with a review of a critically acclaimed wrestling program known as Lucha Underground. There's a lot to discuss regarding this week's edition so let's get to it!

The show begins with footage from after Ultima Lucha Dos went off the air, as Joey Ryan, Cortez Castro and Captain Vasquez are sitting in frustration as to what they just heard unfold between Dario Cueto and Mr. Cisco. Castro fights with Joey Ryan and vows to get revenge for Cisco, but Vasquez tells him there's a war much bigger than getting retribution for his friend.
Rating 4/5 

After we get the usual opening band and monologue from Matt Striker and Vampiro, our first in-ring segment of the night is a match (if you wish to call it that) between Dr. Wagner Jr and Mascarita Sagrada. The match ends in under a minute as Dr. Wagner gets a pinfall victory over the little man while Famous B watches with a cocky smirk on his face
Rating 3/5

We switch gears from that match to go to another one, this time it's a little bit more competitive between Mil Muertes and Argenis, albeit still utter brutality on the part of the Man Of 1000 Deaths. While Catrina pops the crowd with her famous Lick of Death, here comes Prince Puma to clear the ring of the two, making it well known that he's taking the advice of Vampiro very seriously.
Rating 4/5 

For the rest of the night before the main event, we get segments branching the angle between the LAPD and Dario Cueto, including two very notable ones where Joey Ryan tells Dario he's gonna cover up Cisco's murder and revealing his own partner Cortez Castro to be a police officer. Cortez is obviously very unaware of this as he tells Vasquez he's on her side and he gets sent to the temple. If I were to make a prediction right now, Cortez Castro is probably the first one to be killed off in this series.
Rating 5/5 

After an hour of domination by the heels and segments branching together a great angle, we get to our main event, a Weapons Of Mass Destruction match between Marty The Moth and Killshot. Without spoiling too much of this gruesome match, these two destroyed each other beyond belief with a whole arsenal of weapons at their disposal for 35+ minutes until Killshot risked life and limb to take out Marty Martinez and end their feud once and for all. Judging from his hand gestures and dialogue to the ring announcer Melissa Santos, I see things ending up becoming even darker between them than they are now.
Rating 5/5   

Overall, the entire show was a treat to watch, as per usual. It always leaves me wanting more at every twist and turn, and I can say with the upmost sincerity that I can't wait for next week's episode!


Full Show Rating: 4.5/5 


Well that's it for this review, I'll see you all later tonight with a review of Ring Of Honor Wrestling, episode 260. Until then, this is Cameron Mcdonley saying goodbye everybody!