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The fans have been waiting for this event for a long time and there was a lot of excitement in the room. This showdown had been announced months before, so it was no surprise that the relatively small fitness center sold out quickly. After all, big names had announced themselves and everyone wanted to see this showdown between the host Mike Mendoza and the eternal challenger and LAWE Champion Pedro Portillo III. But from the beginning. Espiritu de Lucha II is a bit reminiscent of the first edition of April 2021. And fighting spirit is definitely present among the students of the dojo. Great encounters were announced, the fans tense and full of anticipation; the recording on IWTV – which unfortunately went online very late as a small Christmas present – starts right in the middle of it.
Pure Culture enter the field. As usual, Hijo del Enigma and El Gentil are celebrated and the entrance song “Living on a Prayer” is sung loudly by everyone present. Fuerza Recia are the opponents. Baltazar Bruno and Reckless Harry William are probably the most powerful duo of the dojo, a bit fearful opponent of all, after all, they radiate two things: power and anger – a dangerous combination. The gentlemen have something to clarify and go straight into the full. After all, you don’t want to lose any time, but finally show where the hammer hangs and who is the power in the dojo. But the first victim is Jordy, the referee. It is lifted up without further ado and placed on the top ring rope, but then you wait for the bell and off you go. And what does El Gentil do? It shows that a few weeks ago the great Negro Navarro was a guest on the island and attaches one of the most famous moves. As always, El Gentil seems like a kind of grey eminence standing above everyone. There is a certain respect of others towards him, perhaps for age, perhaps for experience. After all, he is one of the masked wrestlers and it is little to find out about him if you do not know who is hiding under the mask. Well, Harry William loses respect at some point and takes his opponent neatly to the chest. While Hijo del Enigma tries several times to get into the ring and Jordy has a lot to do with stopping him, Fuerza Recia does not allow there to be a copy. In the end, however, El Gentil can laboriously crawl into the corner and finally substitute his partner. And it really starts. Those present celebrate his pure presence, but Hijo del Enigma is not there for adornment. Instead, he knocks William out of the ring and the front rows have to make room. But then the tide turns, pin attempt, El Gentil intervenes, this will not be over so quickly. If I had just spoken of respect, that’s over. But the next pin attempt is prevented and El Gentil kicks his opponent quite powerfully in the face. They have set up places outside especially for this event in order to do justice to the rush halfway, and there it goes on now. Hopefully with a good insurance, because the cars parked there will not be spared. (BTW: It’s a Mercedes, so don’t worry. ;)) Where is Hijo del Enigma? He lets his partner fight alone against the two monsters – only to reappear shortly afterwards on the roof of the neighboring building. He’s not going to stalk Jeff Hardy, is he? Nevertheless. And here it shows once again that they are not actors and there is no double bottom or other safety precautions such as ropes, cardboard boxes or mats. Hijo del Enigma jumps from the roof onto Furza Recia and gives them the rest of the pin. What have we seen here? Once again, Hijo del Enigma shows his class and the dojo as a whole, what good fighters it produces. But also the three other wrestlers have clearly shown that this is not just a small fun community.
Next, the Copa Salvador Pérez “Vikingo” will be fought for the first time . In the Espiritu Rumble, twelve wrestlers compete against each other to win the trophy. But before that, a living legend enters the ring: Salvador Pérez “Vikingo”, to whom the dojo is owed, after all, it was he who laid the foundation and made Mike Mendoza a wrestler – and finally gave him his gym, from which the Espiritu Fitness Center and the Espiritu Pro Wrestling Dojo emerged. Still quite fit, he is loyal to his grandson and was also seen in the LAWE storyline that eventually led to the legendary Combat Pit match. One can be curious, there were some announcements in advance, who will step into the ring and a surprise was also promised. The dojo is dark, only a few colorful lights whiz over the walls. Then comes participant 1: Samuel Olmo! El Arquero is popular and you know you’ll see some great jumps. When “Macarena” sounds, some can’t believe it. JC Jexxx makes his way to the ring and when he strokes the ring ropes, Olmo “cleans” them again. The audience cheers, a bit of fun and show is a must, then it starts. Jexxx, however, has a problem with his shoulder, which is bandaged and he fights almost only with one arm, which makes some moves much more difficult. Everything holds his breath as Olmo walks over the top rope, but he is able to hold on. Time for a new opponent: Edrax. He immediately makes it clear that he wants to take the trophy home with him – but doesn’t everyone want that? He heaves Jexxx in a ring corner on the top rope, but cannot eliminate him. Entrance 4, it seems to go a bit fast, but you don’t even look at the clock. An old acquaintance storms into the ring, Christian. He hasn’t been there for a long time and is causing quite a stir in the ring. But even he cannot eliminate anyone. Gian Carlos grabs Christian, works on him briefly, but Edrax interrupts. Sabat is next, you might still know him, if not: here’s the chance to get to know him. And Sabat takes on everyone. But he doesn’t have much time until the next entrance. Rey Reyes is back and with a dropkick he knocks Sabat down. It’s all a bit fast, it feels like 15 seconds between entrances, well, you don’t have much time to drag the rumble endlessly. Felix Aldea comes into the ring and eliminates Gian Carlos and immediately after Sabat. How about arriving and saying “hello”? Nope, better knock out with a spear Christian. If that’s not a statement from the young wrestler. The first three eliminations, all by him, then follows number 4 Rey Reyes. But that’s enough for Edrax, who now tries to get Aldea out of the ring and fails. What a performance! Next entrance, Eros. Of course, everyone is happy and immediately the chant begins. Of course, the newcomer immediately pounces on the one who has just promoted four comrades-in-arms out of the ring. But he doesn’t spare his opponents either, tries Olmo, who clings to the ropes and the support of Edrax doesn’t help either. But the two fight fiercely on the rope, while Edrax devotes himself to the others. Until Macho Navarro shows up and at the same time Edrax and Eros manage to eliminate Aldea . Navarro is now cleaning up and wants to get Eros out of the ring, who can hold on to the rope with tense toes. Xavier Millet enters the ring as number 11. And we have already experienced some surprises, waiting for the number 12, because if we are honest, we know who will storm the ring. But before that, Navarro has to take a sip and invites Millet to do so – whom he then quickly eliminates. Vikingo sits on the sidelines and watches the spectacle benevolently. Millet, on the other hand, is angry, pulls macho out of the ring, but under the ropes, so no elimination, and knocks the outside. Music sounds, what? But of course, the wonderful Nahir Robles is number 12. Get them ready! And Samuel Olmo would like to say something about it, but lands on his back like Eros and Jexxx. Statement set. Whether you’re an announcer, model or wrestler, Robles is wonderful! Eros doesn’t think so, because she takes him out of the competition, in another corner Edrax does the same with Macho Navarro and then also with Nahir Robles, unfortunately. But she was fantastic. The first three are the last three in the ring. In cooperation, Jexxx is thrown out, who is visibly stunned and disappointed. “Olmo, Olmo” and “We will rock you” are sung in the audience. The mood is great, the sympathies clearly distributed. The forces in the ring, however, are quite balanced and both want to go into the anals as the first winner of the Copa Salvador Pérez “Vinkingo”. Then both stand outside the ring on the edge, both have gone over the top rope and now hit each other. An unsightly move into the soft tissues then brings Olmo down and Edrax the deserved victory. A great rumble! We would love to see again soon. The winner does not want to leave the ring yet and makes very clear announcements and makes clear what he wants to achieve in 2023.
We come to the special guest. But first the great Alfredo Melies comes to the ring, he will stand at the side of the host this evening and defend the dojo against the invasion. The latter can be celebrated, is happy about those present and hopes for the support of the audience, but that should be difficult. Because already the calls for the champion begin and the “Oooh, Pedro Portillo” echoes through the fitness center. Pedro Portillo III and Adam Riggs come to the ring. We know that the abusive cries will come at Mendoza, even if he has some in the audience calling his name. Quickly set up two fronts in the form of chants, then it finally starts. As always, Mendoza wants to encourage his opponent to shake hands, but Riggs is skeptical, knows his teacher and the handshake games quite well. The two collide, can Riggs even counter Mendoza enough? We finally see a very nice move from Mendoza again, when he wants to free his twisted arm, then it should be quiet. The blows to the chest are pending, but they do not happen. Mendoza communicates with the audience, but Portillo has the laughs on his side. Finally, Mike challenges the champion into the ring, then Melies is challenged, again the audience laughs as Portillo plays anxiously on his knees. But he underestimated El Academico, that much is clear. It’s getting faster. Portillo flies out of the ring, Riggs fights Melies, while Mendoza is attacked and quickly stops, then Melies pounces on Portillo. Back in the ring, Mendoza is processed by both tag team opponents, flies off the top ring rope – incidentally, a move you see from him almost every time. Kicks to the head from the student, Riggs has learned a lot. When Mendoza hangs in the ropes, Portillo attacks him from outside. Mendoza is battered – and gets angry, rears up, hard blows follow, but then it is Riggs who starts the pin attempt. Change, Portillo in the ring, he also has no pity for Mendoza and we still know the scenes from LAWE. A move by Mendzoa goes badly wrong, he bangs on the mat, pin attempt, Mendoza wants to clap off, is held back, then it succeeds. And Melies knows no mercy. Unfortunately, Melies cuts a better figure in the ring than Mendoza. And yes, we have a Mendoza problem that sells grossly below value and that simply has no opponents or is holding back. No matter, he is back in the ring, delivers a slap challenge with Portillo. In these short sequences you can see how good Mendoza could actually be. Again Riggs and Melies fight, finally the latter falls from the ring, it looks painful, but quite professional he is back quickly, the tag team partners are in the ring, it’s quite a mess, sometimes you don’t know who is legally substituted. Mendoza is on the ground, pulled up for Riggs, but manages to drop in time and Portillo’s attack hits his teammate. Frogsplash from Melies on Portillo, that was 3! No. Next Frogsplash on Riggs, but now finally: Melies defeats Portillo and Riggs. It’s a good match, it brings atmosphere, it’s fun, no question. It was worth waiting for that.
The ladies are coming. Of course, such a mega event cannot take place without the old rivalry between Yaide and Nathalya Perez. The fans shout “Brava” and are on the side of the redheads. She seems to want to eat Perez for breakfast and wants to make it clear once again that she is the lady of the dojo. But she is no stranger. Nathalya is a third-generation wrestler, her father is now head coach of the dojo and she herself has completed her IWA. She is in a relationship with none other than Hijo del Enigma. If she can’t stand her wife, I don’t know. And with a primal scream, she also frees herself from her opponent and shows that she is no longer an inexperienced student. The pin attempt fails, she briefly discusses with referee Jordy, who I sometimes feel a bit sorry for, but who is spared. Now both are in the corner of the ring, attack attempt by Perez, but it remains with the attempt. Yaide, on the other hand, looks battered, touching his back several times. But she knows that this is far from over. So she grits her teeth, works on the opponent, who is now on the top rope, can still fall her, but remains lying down again with a pain-distorted look. Again and again she touches her back, a serious injury? You can tell that she is fighting on a low flame, she is not quite okay – and in the end she has to take a defeat. Nathalya Perez won and prefers to get to safety quickly outside the ring. The fight was exhausting, but Yaide doesn’t even think about getting up. She is in pain and cannot perform in the way you are used to from her.
Next one – Title fight. Android 787 challenges El Atleta Manu . He comes to the ring with kendo stick and chains around his neck, that could be bloody and painful and well … We are looking forward to it and expect exactly that: A bitter, hard, bloody fight that leaves its mark, because we were promised a hardcore match. With Manu, there can only be a sacrifice. The sympathies are quite clear, there are “Manu, Manu” chants, but one or the other heart will beat for The Skinny Legend . The two immediately attack each other, the fight quickly shifts outside the ring, Androide is furious, grabs a kendo stick, which is brutally smashed at the ring post. Chairs are unpacked and you notice: Manu does not have his opponent under control. The expected superiority is missing for the time being. Instead, it goes back into the ring, Androide builds up a chipboard, but then he ends up in it himself and remains with a pain-distorted face. Finally, Manu jumps on his opponent, this is the champion we know. He carries his counterpart out of the ring, he grabs a teaser unseen, but Manu gets a frying pan – a frying pan, the tool of every angry wife, at least in Germany, in Puerto Rico wives and mothers have their slippers and everyone knows: You prefer to flee from them. Back to the fight, the frying pan misses its target a bit, the teaser does not, for a short time it looks as if Androide has paralyzed his opponent’s family planning, but luckily not. Then it goes on in the ring. Manu lands a few hits, gets his chains, but Androide fights back. The two longest students of the dojo give each other absolutely nothing. And very briefly you wonder who will win here. So far, it has always been clear that Manu is defending the title, but his opponent is angry and determined – and no pain seems to be able to stop him. He is painfully pressed against the ring post, then barbed wire should do the rest. But he can quickly prevent this, but then lands on the ceiling support post and gives Manu time to push a ladder and again a chipboard into the ring. Those present are on their feet, the rows of chairs are cleared anyway by the flying bodies. Mendoza looks sternly at his student, who lands just in front of the counter. Androide fights back, but gets stuck in the ropes and can’t resist his opponent’s punches and kicks. But then he picks himself up again, this time lets Manu fly through the chipboard, but is then brutally thrown against the ladder. The audience celebrates the fight, but suffers silently. And then comes a pseudo-dog-collar match. With the iron chain around his neck, Androide is pulled over the top ring rope – that should have been it. By the way, the following applies quite clearly: Don’t try this at home! But no. Androide manages to free himself from this stranglehold and push his opponent into a corner. Both are battered, gasping for air, in one corner lies the legendary EPW chair, Manu’s first pin attempt. But there is still so much life in the skinny legend that he can pull his shoulder up. But he is battered, slips, apparently his right knee hurts, a weak point that Manu wants to exploit, but then he makes the mistake and turns his back on his seemingly wounded opponent. He grabs a kendo stick and goes wild. This is followed by a typical Mendoza move over the rope, both lying on the ground, struggling for air. That almost smells like a title change, at least the reigning champion is having a hard time. The audience gets to see a high-quality fight. And a pin attempt by Androide, which, however, does not lead to the goal. A suplex from the top rope, a hard blow with the chair, Manu has the upper hand again. You can hear screams of pain from the opponent. The only thing missing is blood, it seems. Then Androide is clamped between the back and seat of the chair, Manu sits down on him, screaming wildly, with a crazy look. You wait for android to give up or lose consciousness and the fight to be stopped. But nothing of the sort happens, Android fights back. The next pin attempt ends at 2.5, no one has ever been so close to victory – the dojo probably needs new chairs afterwards, because more and more are thrown into the ring, apparently to ring in the end. Again it goes on the top ring ropes, android tries a power bomb, but Manu frees himself, grabs the title belt and lets himself be celebrated in the audience – but out of nowhere Miguel Perez comes, betrayed by his student, presses with a kendo stick on the champion, he can not defend himself, runs back into the ring, one last action of android, 1 – 2 – 3, the dojo has a new champion! The long reign of El Atleta Manu is over, the reign of Androide 787 begins. Manu can’t believe it, the crowd cheers the new Champ, who truly deserves this victory. And before he is carried on his hands through the dojo and celebrated, Eros comes and gives him another kiss of victory. These are scenes for a small eternity.
Stage Reptiles - Webzine 
