I really enjoyed the recent mask vs mask match from the third and final 2022 Triplemania show by Pentagon Jr and Villano IV, the last remaining masked brother of the famous Mendoza family. Or it least he was until he lost his mask to Penta. During that match there was a spot where Villano IV rolled up Penta for a dramatic nearfall which was an ode to his brother, Villano V, rolling up Blue Panther to win his mask which by all accounts was something of a shocking result. Out of curiosity I wanted to see how good that match was, so I fired up the CMLL 75th Anniversario show
The answer is, it's very good indeed. This is my first time watching either man, and my first impression is that Blue Panther has one of the best topes I've ever seen, and for a 48 year old that's saying something. It's not quite Darby Allin being shot out of a cannon in it's impact, it's more graceful than that, but it packs a punch and sends his opponents flying. The first one he pulls off in the match becomes the big highlight of the Primera Caida and a plot device that runs through the whole thing. Panther's tope sending V5 crashing backwards into the crowd and the back of his head collides with an armrest in a nasty bump. We get several slow mo replays and it looks more brutal each time you see it. As the match progresses we can see blood stains on the back of V5's mask. The first two falls get decided on DQ's; firstly V5 swipes Panther's mask off and rolls him up in a pin, but the referee spots the maskless Panther and DQ's V5 for it. The DQ in the Segunda Caida is devilishly clever. Mask tugging and ripping in matches like this is commonplace, and Panther has every right to go after it the way V5 has been behaving - but V5's second for the match (who I am unfamiliar with but he has a ponytail so lets call him El Hijo del Furio) has been dousing the back of V5's blooded mask with water and loosening the straps, so that when Panther goes to tug it slightly, it slips right off which the referee rules as another DQ. Panther sells this perfectly with his body language, stunned at what happened and explaining to his second, Mistico, that he just wanted to rip at the mask to work the cut on the back of his head.
The 3rd fall sees a return of Panther's awesome topes, which has V5 crashing into the seats again, only this time there's fans occupying them to cushion his blow. Fortunate for him, unfortunate for the women who get crushed twice by Panther's topes. V5 gets his own back by transforming into Brock Lesnar and taking Panther to SUPERPLEX CITY BITCH, by pulling off three superplexes in a row. Things really heat up in the final moments where Panther locks in a signature snap fujiwara armbar, but when he goes for it a second time he gets caught in a crucifix pin which costs him his precious mask.
With mask Vs mask matches, the post match adds so much to the overall package because the emotion on display is unmatched. Panther is crying as he unmasks, V5 is overcome with pride and respect and puts Panther on his shoulders to parade him round the ring, fans are jumping for joy in the crowd and it all gets too much for an old lady who tosses her Blue Panther mask away in disgust that her hero let her down. As someone who often leaves football games in disgust because his team always lets him down, I can relate so much with that old Mexican lady.
I may watch more Blue Panther in the future. He rocked.
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