FUSION Report – May
4th, 2003
FUSION (Sanfy) – 5/4/03 – Salon
Lazaro, Los Angeles
Crowd was just over 400 paid, with
another 75-100 paper, in a building with a 550 capacity. Fantastic,
enthusiastic, HOT crowd packed it in on a Sunday afternoon against
considerable holiday competition.
Opener:
Alucinante/Infernal/Meteoric lost to Nasty Boy/Sombra Infernal/Forestero
I really like Alucinante, and Meteoric is super fast. Nasty Boy
has huge hair that is itching for a hair match. Why is “Infernal”good
and his shadow bad?
TARO/Quicksilver/Scorpio Sky lost
to AWC/Angel/Black Metal
Mere hours after a full card on the west side. These guys are
WARRIORS! Rev Pro working pure lucha is SOOOO great. Technicos
were surprisingly over considering it was a Latino crowd.
Rosa Salvaje/Tureno/Li’l Cholo/Kareteca
d. Acero Dorado/Apolo de Oro/Mozambula/Mozambique
Rosa was way over as a face Exotico, despite following Angel who
did the same thing heel. Impressed with the rudo witch doctors,
who bagged on LA locals in a post match promo. Man, how cool would
a TJ vs. LA feud be!
Mariachi Loco/Yelka/Piloto Suicida
lost to Enfermero Jr./Dr. Maldad/Shamu Jr.
Enfermero filled in for the other docs, who must have been busy
on a house call. Maldad is just a great rudo, and Shamu is awesome.
Half the guys in this match had leather belts on their costumes,
and all of them came off for TONS of painful strappings, Piloto
taking the most and was he ever lit up.
Main:
Konan/Huracan Ramirez Jr./Capitan Oro lost to Rey Misterio Sr./Los
Chivos
Heated main with Capitan Oro teaming with anyone just to get at
the Chivos. Rey and Konan were stiff as hell, and Huracan Ramirez,
in the best I’ve ever seen him, did a subtle heel turn by resenting
and not helping Konan. At the end of the match, Oro did a huge
and heavy flip over the top rope onto a pile of guys outside,
and Huracan went down with an injured leg and stayed down. He
was splinted and carried out – early word is no break, but a severe
bruising of the lower leg. Get better soon Huracan!
FUSION is a promising venture. Some
out of the box thinking and a willingness to use outside talent
and promote to cross-cultural audiences. Packed house for their
first show, following a string of good crowds for FMLL, AWS, Rev
Pro and more – after the dismal latter half of 2002, SoCal lucha
is BACK!
Salon Lazaro… however… is a
DUMP not fit for lucha. Low strut wires and hanging lights made
for dangerous conditions for the workers. It was dimly lit, hot
and rank. The floors were sticky, and the bathrooms worse, drinks
and food were outrageously priced, and the owner wouldn’t allow
merch to be sold, so no blanket mask vendors. Doors opened late.
Security were dicks, frisking everyone, searching kids and mom’s
purses, and not letting luchadores in the service entrance. Lots
of bad blood with the venue from fans and workers alike, and it
probably won’t see a lucha card again for it. No reflection on
the promoters at all.
Despite the venue, a great first
show! Watch for the FUSION and Sanfy logos for future dates. The
Lucha VaVOOM promoter was on hand showing around the next event
card (June 26th), and the distributor of a new line of Santo DVDs
was outside handing out freebies (two titles start shipping next
week).
KR
