LA PARK

[King Steventon]

Ed's favorite worker!

All-time great Lucha legend, now the type of guy who turns up for one or two big matches a year and produces an epic. The Rush fued has been his main thing over the last few years and I am an advocate of their matches.

They always have some ref bollocks because neither guy wants to job, but it's a big blood fued and both men guys are tremendous brawlers with tonnes of charisma and the fans are red hot for them. I think there is a strong case to be made for PARK being the best brawler in the world, just excellent at throwing fists, knows how to bring the violence - and take it - has a larger than life personality and always creates a sense of shit being completely out of control. He is an absolute loon getting smashed in the head with beer crates, getting thrown awkwardly into chairs and bleeding all over the place. But more importantly he gets over the HATRED better than anyone else in wrestling.

The Fenix match is also a totally great match with a very different opponent and a MOTYC for 2018 in my eyes. A total epic with PARK dominating his smaller and younger opponent, making him look great, and generally looking like the baddest MF on the planet.

I won't pretend there aren't some flubs, but the big matches really are BIG, and 50+ year old fat PARK throwing his body through the air because he hates his opponent that damn much is still one of the most spectacular things in wrestling.

[Ed]

my man!

He's good for his age and condition, and his aura is undeniable, but I do find him to be overrated to the point where he was becoming a meme on twitter. I did like the Fenix match and I shockingly enjoyed the Triplemania 4 way cage mask match last year, but I don't have too much time for the Rush/PARK matches. I am admittedly more of a flyer than brawler fan of lucha.

Did you see him Vs Callihan from a few weeks ago in MLW Steve? Two of your boys.

[King Steventon]

I haven't really explored MLW yet, much there worth watching?

[Zero]

I honestly was a huge fan of his for awhile, but remember what I said about guys doing the same kinda match over & over? The Park/Rush feud is a perfect example of that, and to make matters worse, it's complete with horeshit finishes that make me feel even watching them was an utter waste of time. I like a hate filled brawl as much as anyone but he's lacking a few things that made the Casas/Rush rivalry so special. And they also paid off at the right time rather than at best over a year too late & possibly never.

That said he has some good stuff to his name & there's no denying his physical charisma, stiffness, & star power. He fits in a similar category to his age contemporaries in Japan Aja Kong & Minoru Suzuki in that there's stuff to point to to say you like them, but you have to overlook A LOT of stuff that directly contradicts them even being average, letalone a Top 50 caliber wrestler to get there. I don't think I even consider him at that level taking into account the last 5 years in all honesty.

[King Steventon]

Just watched the PARK vs Pentagon death match from MLW and thought it was better than the Penta vs Sami match from Impact. If you liked that one, you should watch the PARK match. There is obviously a fuck finish, but it fit with the chaotic nature of the match. They kinda ran out of steam near the end and it really could have done with blood, but otherwise it was a pretty good garbage brawl and maybe the best Penta match I can remember seeing. First half is especially strong as PARK is terrifying, unstoppable badass and Penta looks like a guy who bit off more than he can chew.

[King Steventon]

PARK vs Fatu started off pretty tepid, but once we get bloody, vulnerable PARK it started getting really good. I like Fatu but it definitely felt like PARK was carrying it as he made the long control section compelling with the blood and selling, and his comeback was just him violently smashing anything he could get his hands on over Fatu's head. It won't be for everyone (Ed), but hard to imagine Fatu has had a better singles match than this.