Gringo Loco’s: The WRLD on Lucha
Friday, April 1, 2022, Fair Park, Dallas, Texas
By: Jon Pine
Spoiler Free Match Recommendations:
Watch the entire show
Commentary: Emil J and Lenny Leonard
Singles Match: Johnny Caballero vs. Jack Cartwheel
The match started with both men displaying their offensive maneuvers and eventually wrestled to a stalemate; Cartwheel was dumped over the top rope but landed in a cartwheel which set the crowd into a frenzy. Caballero hit a low blow followed by a swinging neck breaker for a close near fall, Johnny followed that offense up with strikes to the forehead and with submission maneuvers. Cartwheel landed some overhand chops onto Caballero but he was cut off and dumped with a suplex; Caballero was about to go for Starship Pain but Cartwheel Was able to muscle back up and knock Caballero off his feet. Cartwheel climbed the top rope but was sent crashing to the concrete floor. Caballero went for another Starship pain but Cartwheel avoided it, charged in, and hit a reversed razor’s edge. Caballero bailed to the floor and was caught by Jack Cartwheel who came off the top with a no-hands cartwheel. Cartwheel hit a leaping kick to Johnny’s face and hung Caballero up in the ropes and went to double stomp him but Johnny shot the water gun in his face and hit the Starship Pain from a sitting position for the victory. Very good match with a slower pace than I would’ve expected.
Johnny Caballero Defeated Jack Cartwheel
Singles Match: Psicosis vs. Tony Deppen
Emil J notes that Tony Deppen asked repeatedly to be a part of this card and now he gets to face a living Lucha Legend, Psicosis. The crowd was evenly split in their support, Psicosis cut a promo in Spanish and tells Tony Deppen that he’s going to beat his fucking ass. Tony hit a tope con hilo to open the match wiping Psicosis out on the floor, Tony threw Psicosis back into the ring and unloaded on him with a series of offensive moves that led to the first near fall of the match. Psicosis landed a dropkick, he didn’t get all of it but it was enough to stop Deppen’s momentum; Deppen bailed to the floor where Psicosis continued the beat down sending Tony flying into the second row and smashed him in the head with a chair. Tony Deppen chested up to Psicosis who then floored Deppen with a series of chops to the chest and a slap to his ear. Deppen connected with a basement dropkick which took the legend off his feet, giving Deppen the opening to hit a codebreaker and another tope con hilo. Deppen punctuated his offensive flurry with a double stomp off the top rope and a close near fall. Psicosis followed Deppen up the top rope and locked in a dragon clutch, Tony was able to get to the rope and break the hold. Psicosis took off his belt and proceeded to whip Deppen across the back and chest, Psicosis went to the top and tried to hit an elbow but no one was home, Deppen caught Psicosis with a shining wizard for the victory.
Tony Deppen Defeated Psicosis
Six-Way Lucha Scramble: Aeroboy vs. Octagon Jr. vs. Shane Mercer vs. Golden Dragon vs. Drago Kid vs. Chris Carter
This was by far the best scramble match of the weekend thus far, it was crazy and Shane Mercer provided a different variable to the equation. Emil J notes that Shane Mercer is about as strong as 10 oxen. The match started with a triple hurricanrana followed by a triple tope suicida to the floor. Octagon and Drago Kid teamed up and started to beat down on Chris Carter, they started exchanging in various lucha based escapes and maneuvers that eventually left Chris Carter standing tall. Mercer entered the ring threw Carter up in the air, caught him and planted Carter with a powerslam, Aeroboy returned to the ring and started to work over Shane Mercer who bailed to the apron and was caught with a DDT. Golden Dragon was next to enter the match and got control of Aeroboy as they jockeyed for position on the mat; Golden Dragon took a walk on the top rope and hit an arm drag taking out Aeroboy. Dragon was caught off guard as he was attacked from behind by Octagon who hit him with an ace crusher followed by a spectacular lucha arm drag. Drago Kid went for the casadora but it was blocked by Octagon, Drago Kid hit a reverse springboard suplex for a two count. The action was moving quicker than I was physically able to type. Octagon slapped Chris Carter in the face and was Death Valley Driven into the corner where Octagon hit a 450, it would’ve been enough for the victory if Aeroboy hadn’t broken up the pin. Mercer threw Chris Carter over the top rope onto the competitors on the floor. Mercer hit a double moonsault press with Chris Carter and Drago Kid for the victory. An incredible athletic display by every member of this match up.
Shane Mercer wins the Lucha Scramble
Deathmatch: Sadika vs. Pagano
They started the match by trading holds and headlocks, Pagano grounded Sakida early with a bulldog. Sadika took Pagano down with a shoulder block; she went for another but was met by Pagano who hit one of his own. Sadika ripped off Pagano’s shirt and landed a chop, not to be outdone; Pagano leveled Sadika with a thudding chop that took Sadika off her feet. Sadika responds by hitting Pagano in the nuts and hitting a tube-assisted double knee into Pagano’s back. Pagano slammed Sadika on the broken glass and punched her right in the face as he was firmly in control of the match. Sadika sent Pagano to the floor with a sliding senton of sorts and hit him in the face and knee with a steel chair, Pagano slapped Sadika in the face as they brawled into the crowd. Pagano is a ruthless competitor, he fished underneath the ring and retrieved a ladder, and placed it on the floor, he hung Sadika up in the ropes and spiked her head on a light tube for a near fall. The two battled on the apron only for Sadika hit a snap suplex onto the ladder on the floor, it looked like an awful landing to take. Sadika set up a door bridge on the floor but was caught with a right hand from Pagano followed by a tope. Pagano was on the top rope looking for another move but instead, he was hit with a series of light tube shots that sent him to the floor. Sadika set Pagano up on the door and hit a tornillo through the door on the floor. Pagano hit a tube-assisted code breaker but the tubes didn’t break and pinned her. They put in a good effort and risked their bodies tremendously but this match killed the crowd and went too long.
Pagano Defeated Sadika
Six Man Tag Match: Team Gringo (Abismo Negro Jr. Demonic Flamita and Gringo Loco) vs. Team Laredo (ASF, Rey Horus, Laredo Kid)
Team Laredo hit consecutive dives to the floor taking out Team Gringo, back inside the ring Team Laredo worked over Deomic Flamita but the momentum was quickly changed as Abismo Negro sent ASF into the corner allowing his other teammates to attack the much smaller man. Loco and Rey Horus paired up in the ring as the pace picked up once again, Horus hit a leaping casadora to Gringo which sent him to the floor, Flamita returned to the ring and brought the fight to Horus, he teased for a top rope maneuver but jumped off and kicked Horus in the head. ASF and Flamita paired off with ASF getting the better of that exchange; Laredo Kid took Gringo out on the floor with a dive, he went for a second one but he was superkicked by Demonic Flamita. ASF jumped onto Gringo’s shoulders and was speared off by Demonic Flamaita, Laredo Kid entered the ring and was triple-teamed by Team Gringo. Team Gringo posed for a picture in the center of the ring after they had vanquished the entirety of Team Laredo. ASF is able to fight off Team Gringo with kicks and strikes, ASF hit a tilt a whirl head scissors on all three opponents which brought the entire crowd to their feet. Flamita hit a tiger driver onto Laredo Kid for a near fall but was spiked on his head by Laredo which took him out of the match a little while. ASF returned to the ring and paired off with Abisma Negro who hit a top rope styles clash for a two count. Rey Horus and Abismo went punch for punch in the center of the ring, Horus hit a back heel kick for a two count. Rey Horus took out the rest of Team Gringo and hit a tornillo to the floor. These men were moving a mile a minute and they made it look so easy. Gringo hit a double jump moonsault followed by a Fosbury flop as the crowd got to their feet for the namesake of the show. Gringo Loco hit a top rope blue thunder bomb onto ASF for the victory. This was an absolutely exceptional match and one of the best of the entire weekend.
Team Gringo Defeated Team Laredo
Singles Match: AR Fox vs. Ninja Mack
These two unreal athletes had an absolutely crazy match that lived up to expectations. AR Fox has the height advantage but Ninja Mack is much faster between the ropes as he was able to evade most of AR Fox’s offense at the beginning of the match. Fox was able to take over and hit a flurry of Lucha sequences and hit Mack with a slingshot leg drop. Fox then hit 2 tope con hilo that wiped Mack out on the floor each time. Mack went back to evading Fox and connected with a high-velocity elbow that sent Fox to the floor, the two brawled throughout the crowd trading some really punishing kicks. AR Fox set Mack up on a chair and hit a leaping front flip to the seated Ninja Mack; they fought for a suplex with Fox eventually able to hit a twisting brainbuster. Mack hit a series of German suplexes but Fox was able to kick out of both, Mack took out Fox on the floor with a picture-perfect Sasuke Special, clearing the top rope with ease. Fox hit a trifecta of ace crushers but was only able to register a two count, Fox got caught with a superkick, Mack went for a second rope Phoenix splash but no one was home, Fox capitalized, and his a 450 for the victory. This was another match that absolutely delivered, there was never a dull moment and the crowd was into the entire thing.
AR Fox Defeated Ninja Mack
Lucha Extrema: Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Psycho Clown
This was another incredible installment in this legendary rivalry and despite their ages, they continued to prove why they are still some of the best luchadors in the world. This is the first time these two have met in the ring since their legendary matchup at Triplemania 25 where Psycho Clown took the mask of Dr. Wagner Jr. The match got underway with the two wrestling for position and eventually wrestling to a stalemate. Wagner was taken off his feet with an arm drag followed by a snapmare as they once again had a stalemate. The early story is that these two know each other so well that neither of them is able to connect with any meaningful offense. Wagner went to the floor and was sent into the fourth row by a flying Psycho Clown, Clown went for it again but Wagner blasted Psycho with a light tube bundle. Wagner broke a broom over the back of Psycho Loco for a two count much to the umbridge of Dr. Wagner, Wagner then proceeded to rip the mask mostly off the face of Clown. Wagner blasted Clown with a steel chair busting him wide open, Wagner once again went under the ring and this time retrieved a door and set it up in the corner. The crowd is chanting for Psycho which was clearly getting underneath the skin of The Doctor, in response to the chants he sent Psycho Clown flying through the aforementioned door. Psycho Clown grabbed a garbage can and drove it directly in the face of Dr. Wagner Jr. who was busted open. Psycho Clown hit Wagner with a broom of his own but for another two-count, Psycho Clown placed the garbage can over the head of Dr. Wagner Jr and hit him over the head with a steel chair for a two count. Psycho Loco wrapped up and Dr. Wagner got him in a pinning predicament but again Wagner was able to kick out at two. Dr. Wagner hit the Tower of London for a two count and followed that up with the surfboard and transitioned it into a chin lock. Dr. Wagner hit a tornado DDT spiking Psycho Clown on top of his head, Wagner placed Psycho Clown on the top rope and connected with a superplex but he was unable to follow up as it took as much out of Wagner as it did Psycho Clown. Wagner elevated Psycho Clown on the top rope but was caught and hit with a top rope powerbomb, Psycho Clown blasted Dr. Wagner Jr over the head with a trash can lid but still was only able to get a two count. Dr. Wagner ripped off Psycho Clown’s mask and rolled him up for the pin.
Dr. Wagner Jr. Defeated Psycho Clown
