Joseph Montecillo's Best of the Month (September 2023)

Honorable Mentions

• Luchasaurus vs. Darby Allin (AEW 9/3/23)
• BIG BOSS Shimizu vs. Ben-K (Dragongate 9/7/23)
• Volador Jr vs. Barbaro Cavernario (CMLL 9/8/23)
• Imperium vs. Alpha Academy & Tommaso Ciampa (WWE 9/11/23)
• Samoa Joe vs. Roderick Strong (AEW 9/13/23)
• Dominic Garrini vs. Kevin Ku (BLP 9/23/23)
• Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks (AEW 9/23/23)

Mistico vs. Soberano Jr (CMLL 9/1/23)

For much of the year, Soberano Jr. has been one of the best babyfaces in Arena Mexico off of his stunning athleticism and even more stunning body. However, what not everyone knows is that when wrestling in Guadelajara, he’s been spending most of his time workshopping a rudo act. He’s recently brought the rudo act to Arena Mexico against the top dog in lucha: Mistico. The results for Soberano Jr. individually are mixed. He’s got a lot of the surface-level philosophies of rudo wrestling down like being a chickenshit and a coward, but he doesn’t quite have the spite and meanness to make his control segments work. Luckily though, he’s still a freak athlete and so is Mistico so the end result is a fun fireworks show with just enough dedication to a tecnico/rudo dynamic to get the Arena Mexico crowd good and riled up. There’s some real good dives in this and the two work real well together. These two have been highlights in Arena Mexico all year, so working together, they still can’t help but create something great.

Rating: ****

Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks (AEW 9/3/23)

Jesus Christ, man.

I haven’t had much cause to tout Danielson’s GOAT case this year between a lack of opportunity to showcase his abilities and some questionable creative choices leading to some spotty output. But my fucking god, man, when the magic is on it’s unlike anything else in the world. “The Final Countdown” is enough to soften the heart a little, but then to follow it up by taking such a great early beatdown from Starks is just a brilliant choice. These two had to create tension out of nowhere, and there’s nothing really quite as perfect for that than “one of the greatest babyfaces ever takes an absolute beating.”

It’s not nearly so rapturous though if Danielson wasn’t such a master at dishing out the punishment in turn. He fucking wrecks Starks with these strap shots. Those first few he nails while Starks is propped up on the turnbuckles are spine-tingling. An absolute brutal crack, much like a whip, but instead of breaking through the sound barrier, it’s leather crashing against Ricky Starks’ skin instead.

Danielson is on record that he believes Starks “carried him” through returning with an injury. Danielson is also famously a) humble about his work and b) a liar. I’m not putting down Starks here. He’s excellent and takes a wild thrashing, but when the GOAT applies himself to the simplest ideas (hit hard, bleed good), it’s unlike anything else.

Rating: ****1/2