"If You Build It, They Will Come"
Date: December 13, 2014
Location: Pepin Cestero Arena, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Attendance: 3000-ish
Commentators: Willie Urbina, Axel Cruz
Some backstory. WWL is a company that started in 2013 based on Puerto Rico. It started as an NWA type deal where they loaned talent from other promotions. Sound familiar? But that meant talent could come and go with no one to really build around and talents weren't in the mood to let people from other companies go over. As such, they went dark for nearly a year. Fast forward to this summer and they've secured some syndication deals and upload their shows to YouTube. They've also gathered a roster of wrestlers in Puerto Rico out of work due to politics. Their event as a full roster and promotion in October sold out at over 3000 fans and this is the follow up 3 months later. The reason I'm reviewing this is because on January 6th, they'll a show entitled "Guerra De Reyes" which will be available on iPPV. I support them and as such here's this. Uploaded to YouTube as a Christmas present by WWL.
To give you a perspective of what these guys are working with, the show is filmed with camcorders. To give you perspective of the impact they have made, their competitors WWC celebrated their 41st anniversary show in a 10,000 seat building the previous week close by. 1,500-ish attended.
Axel and Willie Urbina welcome us from the studio and we see bits of the meet and greet before the show. We cut to Mr. 450 in the ring to talk about how great he is and how he debuted 10 years before. He's basically Vegeta saying he's best period because of his lineage, being "the last of his species" and being in Japan and stuff. He insults the fans but is cut off by "The Sensational" Carlitos and a doctor. He informs Mr. 450 that he's fit to compete and they'll fight tonight in the main event. Carlitos leaves and Mr. 450 trashes the release papers.
Guerra De Reyes bumper.
Match #1:
Eric Scorpion vs Prince Xander with Walkiria
This is Xander's 1 on 1 debut in the pro level. And it shows. Eric Scorpion is a lower card guy who looks like Vampiro. Xander shows he's VERY green. But the man very clearly tries out there as he's nailing the heel mannerisms even though he's kinda sloppy in the ring. The commentators run the card for both this show and Guerra De Reyes, but in an innovative concept, shut up to call the spots in the match. The boys use up the lighting canopy a lot. It's similar to the X Division structure. Eric at one point does an Asai Moonsault and lands perfectly seated on a chair. Another spot see's Eric try a Suicide Dive but Xander catches him on impact and hits a Belly To Belly. The win comes when Scorpion hits the Sliced Bread for the 3 count.
Grade: D-
Match #2
WWL Americas Championship: Laredo Kid c (with Jose Chaparro & Caifas) vs BJ; Joe Bravo is Guest Referee
Before the match, BJ greets his friend Pablito. A midget. Then WWL prez Richard Negrin comes in and tells BJ he hates him. BJ is with La Rabia. A babyface gang stable. They're banned from ringside. Before the bell, Joe Bravo starts posing with the belt as he was screwed in a 3 Way with the other two last show. This match is mostly an angle. Joe Bravo refuses to do anything for anyone and is eventually ejected by the other referees when he gets on the phone mid-match.
The commentators on Pablito:
Axel: "Do you know what Pablito asked Santa for Christmas? Six inches."
Willie: "You jerk, I saw him fall off a bike the other day and he looked like he fell off the 6th floor of a building".
Laredo Kid obsessively uses the lighting canopy several times too and dives off the top of the thing twice. Tone it down, boy. BJ is constantly having to compete with the dicking Joe Bravo, Jose Chaparro breaking up counts and interference from Caifas. Then end comes when a member of La Rabia pops up and breaks a plastic chair on BJ's head letting Laredo Kid hit a Double Jump Frog Splash for the win. The Rabia member reveals himself as Joe Bravo shattering clothes changing records in the process. It's not cut, so it's probably true.
Grade: C-
Guerra De Reyes bumper
La Rabia minus BJ cut a fancam promo
Match #3
WWL Trios Championship: The Rodriguez Brothers (Victor/Manuel) & Caifas vs La Rabia (Stefano/Noel Rodriguez/Dennis Rivera)
Match to crown the first champs. The heels are under the employment of Richard Negrin and Savio Vega. Dennis is Savio Vega's brother and Noel is the oldest of the Rodriguez brothers. Son's of wrestler Victor The Bodyguard. Lots of family issues here. The faces come out to Korn's cover of "Another Brick In The Wall".
This is a fast one as members of each team keep coming in and out constantly and constant double and triple teaming. It's what's made these match types popular in Mexico and they show it here. Caifas wasn't supposed to be in this match as Monster Pain was the original 3rd man but had prior commitments. Caifas isn't well trained. We also see someone looking up files on the trons. Well that's a big fucking no-no. The ending comes when Caifas tries a stereo Chokeslam on Dennis and Noel but they counter into a Double Jawbreaker letting Stefano hit a Guillotine Legdrop for the pin and the title.
Grade: C-
We hear about La Rabia's next challengers. Dos Caras, Dos Caras Jr. and Sicodelico Jr. Alberto Del Rio's dad, brother and cousin respectively. Damn. La Rabia go out through the crowd and take pictures with the fans and specifically and handicapped person. Very classy.
Promo from Espectro. You can't make it out at all from bad sound effects.
Match #4:
Legio (Espectro/Kronya) vs Syler Andrews/Senor C
Legio are basically dressed as Slipknot. Standard satanics that seem to be all over Latin America. Syler Andrews is a former WWC Jr. Heavyweight Champion and Senor C is a jobber. Speaking of jobbing, this is a squash. An extended one to show off Legio. The end comes when Kronya Chokeslams Senor C, making him land on his neck (ouch). Top Rope Elbow/Backbreaker combo gets the win for the Slipknot guys.
Grade: D
They keep attacking after the win.
Guerra De Reyes bumper
Match #5
WWL World Tag Team Champioship: Thunder & Lightning c (with El Profe) vs James Storm & Abyss
Interpromotional match. Storm and Abyss get something TNA can't afford: pyro. That's embarrassing. The champs come out to Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and are basically the LOD of Puerto Rico. They've been teaming for 15 years and held a fuckton of local titles. Lighting is also a mute.
Axel: "I spent almost 2 hours catching up with Lighting"
Urbina: "What? What the hell did he say?!"
Axel: "Ugh! And...... Ugh!"
These guys are dicks.
The match starts with Abyss sticking Janice in Lightnings head. DAMN! Storm then ties Lightnings neck with the noose. Overkill to start? Not a minute in and both masked guys are bleeding like crazy. Thunder is left alone for a very large part of the match as Lightning is stretchered out. Storm and Abyss keep abusing Thunder but NEVER go for a cover. That gets important later though as after nearly 10 minutes, Lighting pops out to mount a comeback for the team. Things seem to be favoring the champs..... The WWL ones but the lights go out. The end comes when Legio appears and attacks Thunder and Lighting leading to a DQ. But using Janice and the noose didn't, huh?
Grade: B- I should note this is a polarizing match. If you aren't into the old bloodbath beatdown type matches, this isn't for you.
Jose Chaparro appears revealing himself as Legio's manager and it's later revealed he paid off Storm and Abyss to injure the champs. Leaving them with 3 weeks to recover before their title match. You don't get stories that simple and good in WWE.
Savio Vega comes out to his theme. Rammstein's "Engel" and shoots off a few catchphrases. He's been having differences with the president Richard Negrin who interrupts him to talk about Bobby Roode who couldn't make the show due to weather issues. Negrin demands to know how Savio plans to fix the lack of a title match but Savio re-assures he has it covered. World Champ, Shane The Glamour Boy comes out dressed like Savio Vega when he was in Los Boricuas in WWE to find out who's the replacement and scares off Savio. Savio says the guy he got "will not be easy" which is the catchphrase of his challenger. Gilbert. The week before the show, he lost the WWC Puertorican Championship to wrestler Chicano (boxer Miguel Cotto's cousin) and now jumped to WWL. So that's a big jump. They all leave as the match was for later, but Gilbert attacks Shane with a chair to jump the match. Richard Negrin gets caught in the crossfire and he's not pleased.
Match #6
WWL World Championship: Gilbert vs Shane The Glamour Boy c
Gilbert is a big time jump and Shane is Shane Sewell, the ref Booker T fought in 2008 and a trainer to several TNA guys. He's also been feuding with Savio Vega for years in other companies. I kid you not, the referee's ring name is "Pikachu". Yes, the Pokemon as Gilbert basically takes full advantage of the injured Shane. Shane doesn't mount much of a comeback and when he does, the ref gets knocked out. That allows Gilbert to whack Shane with the title belt for the 3 count.
Grade: -Oh, way. It's a Dusty finish as Savio comes out to celebrate but the pissed off Richard Negrin comes out calling BS and restarts the match. Shane finally mounts the comeback with chairshots.... Oh. Title matches don't end in DQ's unless the ref decides it. That's dumb, but typical in the region. A lowblow and the Elbow From The Heavens (Top Rope Elbow with theatrics) retains the title.
Grade: N/A. It's an angle for this:
Savio and Gilbert attack Shane and Savio announces the next challenger to the title: The AAA World Champion, Albert El Patron. Shane's face reads "oh crap" as Alberto cuts a pre-recorded promo. Where's the money coming from? But that's not the end of this as Richard Negrin comes out to announce he also got a challenger for Shane making the main event of Guerra De Reyes a 3 Way. Shane goes from dead to rising a la Undertaker when "El Mesias" Ricky Banderas is announced as challenger #2. Shane's practically shitting his pants. Those two have feuded for years so it makes sense. "WHY!" screams the champ. Some babyface.
Match #7:
Apolo (with Habana) vsMr. Big (with The Rodriguez Brothers)
Apolo was a TNA Tag Team Champion with D'Lo Brown and Homicide's original partner in LAX. He's with his wife. Mr. Big is calling himself "Bully Guy". You're not fooling anyone, bro. He was also the founder of "La Rabia" when they were a legit wrestling gang (long story). Apolo has a build that would make Batista blush.
This is your typical out of control PR brawl as everyone constantly try to run interference. The Bros. get ejected early though. Apolo BASHES chairs on Mr. Big's back as the man is wrestling STIFF AS FUCK. It's short and insane brawl that ends when Apolo hits a Superkick for a 3 count but Mr. Big had his shoulder up which the ref (Pikachu) ignored.
Pity this was so short. It was brutal.
Grade: C
Big quickly bashes a chair on Apolo's back but wrestling valet, Glenda Lee appears and the two double team Apolo's wife. Apolo gets back up and the brawl is on again until the baddies retreat. Habana is taken out on a stretcher and Apolo storms to the back after beating the crap out of security. He gets Mr. Big at Guerra De Reyes in a Last Man Standing match.
Guerra De Reyes bumper
Main Event:
Mr. 450 vs "El Sensational" Carlitos
Mr. 450 comes out to Vegeta's transformation theme and has a taped shoulder due an injury in a match with Bull Dempsey on NXT. In a very nice touch, Carlitos has a mouth guard due to breaking his teeth in their last match while 450 has one to mock him. This is your classic WCW-style cruiserweight match with a touch of early ROH as the two hit all sorts of big spots looking to outdo their star making match last show.They go back and forth constantly and don't slow down at all in the 20 minute match. Damn good stuff but not quite mind-blowing. Best in show though. What a concept. 2 guys steal the show are instantly turned into the focus of things in a company. Huh, WWE?
Several spots take things way over the top though as 450 hit's his finisher. 2 straight 450 splashes and it doesn't get the 3. Carlitos hits a Canadian Destroyer and also doesn't get the win. An unknown steps in and attacks both guys before revealing himself as wrestler Hiram Tua. He won tag team titles with both guys but that didn't change much. The win comes when 450 tries a top rope Brainbuster but gets countered into a Spanish Fly for the 3.
Grade: A
After the match Carlitos praises Mr. 450 for bringing out the best in his even though he injured him and tried to end his career. He asks for a hand-shake and gets it. But what would an evil Saiyan be if he wasn't..... Evil? He turns on Carlitos until Invader #3, 450's godfather and trainer appears to scold the boy. 450 doesn't give a damn though and attacks him to forcing the downed Carlitos to shield Invader. That sets up the fan voted 3rd match. A TLC match with a shot at the Americas title on the line.
Overall Thoughts:
This show is built on scraps pretty much as there's no TV tapings (they're coming in February though as it was just announced) to build things. Camcorders, improv trons, low production and presentation, shaky hard cameras, but the crowd (and me) ate it all up. The matches were OK with the main event being the only must see thing, but the angles make me want to see the iPPV so that's a win. If you want to expand your options on wrestling, here's one right here. Available on YouTube legally. Also Apolo is damn brutal. How he never made it in TNA is beyond me, but he makes Batista look like a chump.
Overall Rating: B-
Next Time:
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