Jushin Liger vs. Virus (NJPW, 1/24/16)

Two well-seasoned maestros rolling around on the mat for a little over eight minutes, slickly transitioning from hold to hold, stretching and countering one another, teasing strikes. Loved the spot where Liger tries for the Romero Special, Virus scrambles to the ropes, and Liger wags his finger at him, as if to say "don't underestimate the Thunder, bub." No doubt, Liger more than held his own against Virus but this felt more like a short showcase of Virus for the Korakuen crowd. Virus was great here but in the end, Liger showed that he's got just a little more experience, submitting Virus with la mecadora. A fun hidden gem. 

Virus vs. Hechicero (Lucha Memes, 5/15/16)

Silky smooth matwork and transitions, with such fluidity to the reversals and counters. One of my favorite moments of the match, which may seem minor, was the way Virus maintained arm control even when Hechicero was kipping up to his feet in an escape attempt. The progression from the grappling to the striking to some of the bigger spots, like Hechicero’s Muscle Buster or the great rope-hung dropkick, felt natural, building to a finish that brought the match back to its roots. The hammerlock counter into the submission finish was a pretty awesome display of power from Hechicero. As a largely non-lucha guy, this is the engaging kind of match I can get behind. Some of those 2-out-of-3 falls matches can feel little disjointed and take away from the momentum and build.