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Monday, January 15, 2018

2017 MOTY Countdown #13: Hechicero vs. Satanico






Maestro matches are one of my favorite match style in wrestling. Since lucha title matches do not focus as much on mat wrestling and holds as they used to, the maestro matches are the most consistent place to see that style of wrestling. And since that style of wrestling does not rely on athleticism as much as it does precision, you still have wrestlers in their 60s putting on some of the best matches of the style.

Hechicero's role in maestro matches is great. He has been wrestling since 2001, which is a long time to normal people but when he is in the ring with other maestros he may as well as be a child. He can wrestle that similar llaves style, and will, but he is also substantially younger and stronger than the other wrestlers in your standard maestro match, and he is not afraid to bully his way around the ring. 

So, here is Hechicero one-on-one against Satanico, who is almost 70 and has been wrestling since 1973. It starts off with both guys working each other on the mat, and Hechicero is not afraid to use his size and strength to overpower Satanico consistently. However, he is never able to put Satanico away and has to keep getting rougher and rougher. This is exactly the same match format Satanico has been using for 40 years, and it still works in 2018 with him as the tough and stubborn veteran rather than the tough and stubborn asshole rudo. Hechicero instead plays the bully that is willing to escalate the violence to break his opponent. Despite this, Satanico keeps hanging in there, showing that he can get just as wild. This match is just a great example of this simple story with excellent pacing and selling from both guys.

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