WWF Super Astros 11/22/98Yep this is happening. Astros was a short lived project exclusive to Hispanic affiliates. It featured luchadores and obviously was in Spanish, which is why we won't be covering the stuff in between matches.
The intro is trippy. Wrestling highlights set to mariachi music.
ing hell Vinny Mac. Marcelo Rodriguez hosts the show and bangers a bit before throwing to ringside. Carlos Cabrera and Hugo Savonivich handle commentary with a third man, who well discuss in the first match write up.
Singles Match
Armando Fernandez vs.Scott Taylor- How has Scottys entire career feature dated outfits that only looked suitable in the time frame? Never mind him for the moment, Armando comes out first. His music is kinda poppy, and danceable. Demonstrated by the third commentator, a midget who was dancing on the announce table to Fernandezs music. There's nothing quite like wrestling.
Taylor attacks from behind as soon as the bell rings. It's weird seeing him play heel. Like I know Too Much was a heel team but still. The match is paint by numbers. Not bad but they don't do anything too exciting or unique. It's standard high flying mixed with cocky heel wrestler. It's alright.
After an interview with Armando by Maria Felipe, she throws it back to Marcelo in the studio. I turn my head for ten seconds and this dudes recoding The Rocks history and lineage. Skipping that.
Singles Match
Christopher Martinez vs. El Merengue: I had to skip back a bit to see Merengues entrance in full. My God. He looks like Reggie Parks skinnier, "flamboyant" cousin. I also see a resemblance to The Hoff. Martinez looks like a dollar store Psicosis. He even does Psicosis' corner Dropkick spot. The
dude? I know Psicosis is awesome but calm down.
Another good but paint by numbers match with a pretty cool finish. Not much...except. I noticed the midget wasn't on commentary for this match and I didn't hear a third voice during the first match either. Did he throw on headphones, hop on the table to dance, and then bounce? God bless him.
HOLY CRAP I SKIPPED AHEAD AND FOUND WHERE THE LITTLE DUDE WENT!
Ok I went back to see this segment in full. Mini Max (seriously his name) with Giant Silva. Max talks then hops onto a production crate. Silva says something and then the segment ends. Boo!
you Marcelo, I just want to watch the last match.
Singles Match
Super Loco vs. El Hijo Del Santo- Speaking of Psicosis knock offs, what the hell was Crazy wearing? If you couldn't figure it out (God help you) Loco is Super Crazy. Shock and awe!
This match was damn fun but too short to really get going. Loco plays heel, using the ropes for leverage while in a Headscissors and then cheap shotting Santos leg. He pulls out a Springboard Moonsault for a two count then does a weird move I don't know what to call it. Picture AR Foxs inverted Senton but Loco just sorted of landed on Santo. Santo pulls out two awesome Bulldogs (almost corner to corner). The two go into the finishing sequence and it just sort of ends. Anti-climactic ending to a shot damn fun match.
I skipped everything after this but caught Mini Max back at the commentary booth.
Overall I can see why this show didn't succeed. WCW had guys like Mysterio, Psicosis, and Juvi regularly pulling out matches that were bonkers. This definitely felt like WWFs version of WCWs Hardcore Division. It was an experiment that last for a while but never took off and the only one to see long term successes in WWF/E was Scotty. Matches weren't bad but the first were pretty standard and the main event need more time but was fun. A meh show overall.
WWF Super Astros 11/29/98 yeah I'm doing this again. Vince probably doesn't remember this show so we'll never see it on The Network mine as well do it while they're up on YT.
The audios
ed for this one, so just a heads up. Like the also time, I'm going to be skipping the in between stuff, because again I don't know Spanish.
Singles Match
Manuel Gomez vs. Papi Chulo: This is more what you'd expect from a Lucha show. Big bumps, high flying, botchs and a little sloppy. It's pretty good. Papis underrated as hell. They do look a tad awkward a time or two but overall it doesn't harm the match. Papi almost broke his leg, doing a Springboard twisty thing too close to the announce table. It looked nasty.
The audio fixes itself and Mini Max almost falls off the table...next match.
Singles Match
Miguel Perez Jr. vs. Super Loco- Perez gets an pre-match interview and Loco still looks like he's cosplaying The Magna Defender (look it up). A much shorter match but it's in the same vein as the opening contest. Some of it doesn't seem as clearly planned as the last match which helps a little. They do trip a little and the finish is really anticlimactic and sudden. Boo.
Singles Match
Funaki w/ Yamaguchi-San vs. Negro Casas- This was surprising. The two brawl for the most part with the only high flying move being a weird Headscissors or Enzugiri off the second rope by Casas. It's a fun match with another anticlimactic ending. Post match Kai En Tai chase off Casas. It's a shame WWE didn't care more about their LHW division. It was cool seeing Funaki not being a joke for a change.
Another fun, easy watch. It's an uptick from the first episode. The match quality improves and it's cool to see people like Papi and Funaki get a small spotlight. Again nothing screams lost classic, but there's still six episodes in the playlist.
WWF Super Astros 12/06/98
As usually skipped right to the first match.
Singles Match
Miguel Perez Jr. vs. Rey "El Pirita" Ortiz- Mini Max is dressed as a mariachi...that's about the only special thing about this match. It was good just nothing special. Even some of the big spots are old hat if you've seen Rey Mysterio or Super Calo wrestle before. Ortiz actually does Calos Slingshot Senton to the outside, which looks rather impressive and at least these two were smart enough to do the spot near the open ramp.
Singles Match
El Merenguero vs. Apolo Dantes: This was actually pretty good. Disco Hoff is the athletic one here and Dantes is a change of pace as a more power based wrestler. Ok, athletic may not be the best term since he almost eats crap on a Plancha. The high spots are limited in this match which again, nice change of pace.
Disco Hoff misses a Standing Turning Crossbody and goes through almost Enzoing himself in the process and takes a nasty spill...naturally Dante follows this up with an Aerostar-esq Suicide Dive. Hoff almost regains control but Dante pulls him into an AA and pins him with a Standing Cloverleaf-Boot on the throat combo. At least it was different.
I watched a little of a El Hijo Del Santo interview before skipping to the main event.
Singles Match
El Negro Casas vs. Dick Togo (w/ Yamaguchi-San): Holy crap I just found a hidden gem on a forgotten G level show. The
? Dick attacks before the bell and that sets the tone for the match. The brawl but pepper in a couple of holds and big moves like a Wheelbarrow Facebuster and a missed Big Boy Senton form the top rope. It was worked at a pretty quick pace which is right my alley. Sadly it's not that long and ends suddenly. Even though I'd like to have seen them go longer, I like that they didn't risk overstaying their welcome and the quick end suited the pace of the match.
WWF Super Astros 12/13/98
Well here we are again. Episode 4! Has this gotten old yet?
Singles Match
Jose Estrada Jr. vs. El Hijo Del Santo- Well...this happened. Nothing of note here like at all. Joses built like a heavyweight and has a pretty smooth Tree of Woe Dropkick. Like a true heel he goes after Santos mask later in the match. The bastard! The two seem like they're just wasting, trading strikes and not doing much else of note...so...yeah.
Singles Match
El Torito vs. Mini Nova- Imagine being Jose and El Hijo Del Santo and knowing you got upstaged but people that are eye level with your junk. Yes I'm serious. Again Super Astros produces another good match. Nova is a fun highflyer with a very Mysterio-esq moveset. Torito (not the Mascara Dorito, this guys noticeably taller and fatter...and he doesn't have a tail.) plays his part as a powerhouse well and even tries for a Big Boy Senton from the middle rope like he's Bret Togo-cito. Nova almost steals this with a Second Rope Diving Wheelbarrow Roll Up.
ing A.
This does feature some of the cliches that come with the Lucha style that drive purists up a wall like no selling and some awkward timing. But I don't think it does much damage to the match overall.
Singles Match
Apollo Dantes vs. El Negro Casas: This is the first match done right. It's a good mix of the brawling and athletic styles of Lucha. Dantes attacks right at the bell and it sets the pace for a pretty good, quick pace match. Then crap goes haywire. The VHS this is ripped from starts skipping and screwing up. Then Jose Estrada Jr. comes out, the throw to commercial (I think)...then the YT video ends...the
?
WWF Super Astros 12/20/98
So the conclusion of last episodes match. Estrada and Dantes beat up Casas while the ref is trying to stop El Hijo Del Santo from interfering. Santo gets involved eventually, the bell is called for and the four men brawl. Onto episode 5.
Tag Team Match
Apollo Dantes and Jose Estrada Jr. vs. El Negro Casas and El Hijo Del Santo- This is the first non singles match on this show so far. This had its good and its bad. And all of the bad seemed to be Estrada. I'm not sure if it's the way the dude was built but he just wasn't meant for the business. He seems awkward and off in the ring. The other three pick up the slack though. The finish is weird...and I think it was on purpose. So Casas grabs Dantes for a German Suplex but suddenly the two go the mat and Santo Swantons onto Dantes and in almost an instant he dives out onto Estrada. Casas uses a La Magistral to seal the win. I mean, it's creative.
Singles Match
Julio Sanchez vs. Armando Fernandez- So this was basic. The two really do nothing worth noting until Sanchez pulls out something I'm not even sure how to describe. The best I can come up with is a Pumphandle Alpamare Waterslide but turned into Neckbreaker. I don't know. Not much else happens worth noting and the two go home shortly after that. This match was thrown off for me by a mannequin head on a long stick in the crowd. It was like something from those WTF videos.
Singles Match
Mini Max/Max Mini vs. El Torito- Watch this...no I'm not
ing around. I can't do Max justice, the dude is bonkers. Torito, like last episode, has a role and he plays it well and seems to have good chemistry with the more athletic minis. Really fun match.
I don't know why Super Astros is starting to turn some really good crap but I'm all for it.
WWF Super Astros 12/27/98I heard NXT this week (1/24/17) was really good...so let's watch Super Astros.
Armando Fernandez vs. Sho Funaki w/ Yamaguchi-San- Well they tried. Some of this was good some of this wasn't. Not much to talk about here. Fernandez had two or three big spots but the doofus also sold a back elbow like a cartoon character. Moving on I guess.
Papi Chulo vs. Buddy Wayne: Buddy sticks out just as much as you'd assume. Chulo is the future Essa Rios. Not much to this one either. They started off kinda rough but got it together long enough to have a decent little arch. There's an awesome spot where Chulo crotches Wayne on the ropes, runs across the ring then back and knocks Wayne off with a Spinning Wheel Kick. And that's the highlight of this match.
Apolo Dantes vs. El Meneguero- Reggie Hasslehoff is back and his body is ready. So are the two shirtless dudes in the crowd that were probably drunk. This happened. It wasn't really a match so much as a segment. Meneguero kicked Dante ass until a ref distraction led to Dantes laying him out with something wrapped in tape on his knuckles. It looks to be the end of the match but Fernandez runs in and explains to the ref what happened. Including a spot where he rapidly demonstrates Dantes sticking his hand down his tights. Dantes clocks Fernandez in the back of the head and the match is ruled a DQ. Dantes relishes in the boos.
Well that kinda sucked. Lets move on to the next one since the card has some promise.
WWF Super Astros 1/3/99Papi Chulo vs. El Negro Casas-
yeah this is what I'm talking about. This was awesome. Chulo gets to show a little and Im legitimately becoming a fan of Casas with every match he has on this stupid show. These two cared way too much for a G level show. This is honestly something they put in the hidden gems collection. It's not like Mysterio/Guerrero from Halloween Havoc 97 but this was damn good.
Miguel Perez Jr. vs. Mike Roselli- This was decent but basic. Rosella is an upgrade from Buddy Wayne at least. Perez almost gets Headbutted in the nads both times he tries a Leapfrog and Roselli almost lands on the dudes head while delivering a Belly-to-Belly Suplex. Meh.
Apolo Dantes vs. Armando Fernandez:
ing continuity in a G level show. crapwe can't always get that from the A show these days. Another pretty good match. Dantes attacks as soon as Fernandez is in the run and that sets the tone as he dominates most of the match. Fernandez takes a Back Suplex on the back of his head but dodges a Big Boy Senton shortly after and takes control of the match. Dante tries to cheat again but the ref catches him and stops him allow Fernandez to Schoolboy him for the win.
WWF Super Astros 1/10/99As usual I skipped past the opening...and went too far and had to back up.
Singles Match
Julio Sanchez vs. El Merenguero- Were shown footage of Apollo Dantes trying to cheat to beat Merenguero a couple episodes ago. Why, no idea. But I digress.
This is a solid match. Nothing special compared to some of the other stuff we've seen. Julio bumps his ass off and gets to showoff a little. Not much else to say so moving on.
Singles Match
Rey Ortiz vs. Miguel Perez Jr.- Ortiz attacks as soon as Perez is in the ring. That dick. And he's wearing Nagata gloves for some reason. This was good. It had a nice pace and didn't overstay it's welcome. Perez pulls out a Sasuke Special but barely has enough vertical leap to make it past the apron. Ortiz gets a highspot too, a Somersault Plancha to be exact....he almost lands on Perez head. So good match, nothing special.
Post edit: Rey Ortiz actually still wrestles under the name Rey Bucanero.
Midway through we go to a commercial break with the actual commercials left in. I tried to skip them, went too far, had to go back, still went too far and had to sit through the last three or four.
Singles Match
J.R. Ryder vs. Giant Silva- I briefly skip to a promo with Silva and Mini Max, who was dressed like Zorro. The match is what you'd expect, big guy dominates the match, little guy gets tossed around. So on and so on. It's short but actually a fun watch...oh and this happens...
