Los Villanos vs Misioneros de la Muerte, Lucha Match of the Week #2

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Part 2
Part 3

Alright, so when I started looking for a match I was thinking I would go with an old school Misioneros de la Muerte match. I had only seen a match or two of it, and I was curious to see vicious rudo Navarro after seeing so much maestro Navarro. Well, this is a Misioneros match, but not old school as it's Texano Jr. rather than the original. I went with it because it eventually devolves into one of the craziest, bloodiest brawls I've seen in Lucha if not all of wrestling. With the two TxT MOTYC tags from earlier this year, I felt it was appropriate to watch this match featuring one of the participants and a comparable level of craziness and blood. You do get some matwork pairings in the early goings, but it's not too long before Los Misioneros bring the ass stomp and it's off to the races. Los Villanos' comeback was probably my favorite part of the whole match. Three dudes with torn, blood-stained masks going into berzerker rages. Intense stuff.

Not sure of the exact date, but if the 2000 in the title is correct it really narrows the range since it would have to be before III loses his mask, placing it in the first 2 1/2 months of the year.

Edit: VVV Thank you, I'm a bit of a noob. Although, that either puts III in his mask after losing, or it means one of these guys wasn't one of the Mendoza brothers. Perhaps you could shed some light on that for me.

Luchas 2000 is a lucha magazine. The date for this match is 12/11/04.

Pretty sure that this was one of the legend shows where guys would wear their old masks, which is why V3 was wearing his mask. I remember loving this match back in the day, I will rewatch it and comment on specifics

I snagged this off of Megaupload a couple of years ago along with the Misioneros/Cadetes match. I could never decide which one I liked better since they have such different dynamics going for them. Opening mat work was fun but I don’t think it’s high-end stuff. That’s not really supposed to be the hook here, but that’s Navarro’s strong suit so it’s nice to get it. You watch a match like this to see a violent bloody brawl and that’s just what you get. The Misioneros set a ferocious pace stabbing the Villanos in the head with the fork, twisting their masks around so they couldn’t see. I haven’t seen much Signo but I always enjoy him as sort of a fat little toady wrestler. Still, I’m just waiting for Villanos to respond because you know their going to go nuts with those awesome punches of theirs. Everyone gets to look good here. I don’t remember 2004 being a particularly strong year anywhere, so I imagine this would finish high for me.

That is definitely original Texano not Texano Jr.

This is as great as I remembered it being. The first fall of Navarro v. Villano matwork is slick and beautiful as it gets, then it devolves into an Abby gorefest and then ends on an almost Lawler v. Mantel style brawl. That is three of my favorite kinds of matches in one match. Villano's have some of the best bodyshots in wrestling history, I love how they work the ribs to set up the head. They have definitely had some real boxing training. Navarro is right there, and both Signo and Texano have great traditional wrestling punches and kicks. I imagine this feud 15 years earlier was transcendent when they were in their athletic primes. The Seniors version was pretty out of control great to

There used to be a UWA Villanos/Misioneros match floating around from the early 90s. It was the Black Power version of the Misioneros, but still fun like most early 90s UWA stuff. Negro Navarro was a much different worker in his prime, however. Less matwork, more Pirata Morgan style work. It wasn't really until 2006 that he became the Navarro we know.

So one problem with all the internet lucha that's been made available over the past two years is that I watch the Navarro-Villano (3?) exchange and I don't feel completely wowed by what is, objectively, high quality mat-work. That said, the first fall is really just preamble and a necessary counterpoint to the rest of the match. At the start of the second fall, the rudos basically say that we tried being being fair and competitive and sporting, that it didn't work out, so from now on we are going to punch you in the face and rip your masks and stab you with forks. There's some great visuals in this fall - Villanos drapped over barriers or hung lifeless from the turnbuckle, Navarro standing with a bloody mouth in the middle of the ring. It's a magnificient scene of carnage. I assume the fall ends with some form of ref stoppage, which is a nice touch to make the point absolutely clear. Obviously, the third fall is the technicos saying two can play at that game and coming back just as violently. We get some great punch exchanges (Navarro and a Villano kneeling in the middle of the ring laying into each other) a fat old man tope and a false rudo finish. Very, very good.

Loved this. Misioneros going evil batshit on Villanos after some "sportsmanship" matwork was about is everything I want in wrestling. The fucking FORK shots. Looked brutal, and one of the Villanos had blood running from his chin after Texano was pushing it deeper. I have no words to describe Negro Navarro pulling at a mask with blood all over his cheeks and chin because he was chewing someone else's bloody head. There are just no words. Goddamn. The comeback was awesome with all three Villanos re-grouping on the outside and then each trying to fight the Misioneros holding the lasso. Loved the "pull lasso down so Signo and Texano knock heads" spot; just the ultimate babyface Looney Tunes transition.