[8.0] "[3.75*] I can't believe I'm only watching this now, it was GREAT. Actually, the worst thing about this match was the workrate lol, which was very damn good by the way. Everything surrounding it was so, so great. It looked like an old-school lucha match where playing with the crowd is the most important thing and the ending is fucked up because both guys refused to lose. Of course this isn't the case, but it's still funny. MJF had one of the biggest heats of the year, he was FANTASTIC as a rudo. This is one of my favorite DQ finishes this year, he was just sick and tired of Mistico annoying him and decided to end things for good. Awesome stuff."
[8.0] "I really like this match. Mistico's entrance is pure magic and the post match angle I liked. The early action was simple enjoyable fun. It did feel a bit abrupt when they just switched into like third gear with that Destroyer spot. The tombstone sequence was goofy but beast as hell. Overall, fun match and one I really enjoyed."
[5.0] "Meh. This was such a stupid and gimmicky match. Although it's a great setup for their next one, the wrestling itself was actually bad, with a bunch of botches involved. The only good thing in this match was MJF storytelling **1/2"
[5.0] ""Pleeeeeeease tell me he was better than this in his prime" was what went through my head as I watched Mistico clap his way through this match as he was getting carried by MJF. Mistico might be the least impressive Luchador that I have seen in a while. Now clearly the fans their loved him and his entrance was enough to illustrate that. Good for them but I did not find him that impressive. That and the usual AEW/modern wrestling no selling by both him and MJF annoyed me to differing degrees."
[8.0] "A pretty good back-and-forth match, in my opinion. Nice in-ring action here, with MJF playing his role excellently. Him un-masking Místico was particularly great. MJF just continues to be a fantastic heel, so much so that he was nearly attacked at a hotel, or something, in Mexico after this."
[9.0] "Good match. Mistico entrance must be stated and using his old entrance "Me Muero" was outstanding! I figured MJF would go with the uncle sam gear and it worked. It was a bit old school heat match and Misitco played the face role to perfection. I didn't care for the ending but it was heat. They gotta finish this at the Anniversary show later this year."
[9.0] "Quite a beautiful match. What an entrance. What a crowd. And man, the excitement I have of what this match might build to, hopefully culminating in the biggest hair vs mask match of my lifetime, man. This was just so exciting. What a great experience overall."
[8.0] "Phenomenal match only slightly brought down by the ending. Mistico's entrance alone was one of the best I've seen all year and was so beautiful to see. Both wrestlers really worked well together and it's shocking to see how spry Mistico still is after 25 years of wrestling. MJF continues to be one of the best heels to every be mean and the crowd absolutely despises him. Lots of great segments such as the stuff on the entrance ramp and Mistico kicking out after a low blow behind the refs back. This led to the finish, and while it was a bit cheap and repetitive for MJF to do a simple low blow, I think it could lead to a bigger feud down the line, especially with MJF's return to MLW recently. Sincerely hoping for a hair vs mask match at Y'all In."
[5.0] "Honestly a decent match for the most part but i can't help feeling a bit underwhelmed by the DQ ending yes it fits MJF to do so but it just felt underwhelming - the crowd was invested in this match but that's about it really - not much else to say really"
[2.0] "The match between Mistico and MJF was a complete letdown and one of the most frustrating viewing experiences I've had in recent wrestling memory. From the opening bell, it was obvious that the two had absolutely no chemistry. It felt like they were wrestling entirely different matches with no sense of rhythm, cohesion, or storytelling. Mistico, who is supposed to bring flair and excitement through his Lucha Libre style, instead came off as irritating and one-dimensional. His constant clapping to try and get the crowd involved wasn't just ineffective--it was downright annoying. It felt forced, like he was trying to cover up the lack of in-ring excitement with repetitive crowd pandering, and it only highlighted how disconnected the match really was. On the other side, MJF--normally a master of psychology and crowd control--looked completely out of his element. He seemed like he was just going through the motions, either thrown off by Mistico's awkward timing or simply uninterested. The match dragged on painfully, feeling much longer than it probably was, with each minute ticking by slower than the last. There was no real heat, no engaging story, and absolutely no payoff. It was a mismatch in every sense of the word, and by the end, I was left wondering what the point of it even was. Both men are capable of so much more, but together, it was a clash that never should've happened. This wasn't just a forgettable match--it was a waste of time and potential."
[10.0] "The more I think about this match, the more I like it. I have been a big fan of MJF for a long time and he excelled here again, not just delivering on the action when the chips were down but enhancing the match with a strong sense of character and story that came across super well. Mistico is not my favorite luchador but he had a specific role to play here and played it pretty much perfectly. This was a big success in my view, and my favorite match on a night of really good wrestling."
[10.0] "You know, sometimes it's not about the wrestling in the ring. Don't get me wrong, it was already of the high quality you'd expect if you hear the words "MJF vs. Mistico". But what makes this a truly special match is everything about it. Twenty years ago, Mistico was undeniable. One of the most popular wrestlers in Mexico, and at the tender age of 22, already carving himself into the Mount Rushmore of lucha. And then when he became Sin Cara, it all went wrong for him. He became a by-word for botching, but let's be honest, you would too if you were wrestling in a mask with the house lights turned down. Sure, his return to Mexico helped rehabilitate him to those in the know, but he needed this match, to quite literally rip the Sin Cara mask off, in front of 14, 000 of his countrymen belting out "Me Meuro" at the top of their lungs, to truly reach redemption in the eyes of the world. The match was also played beautifully, with Mistico as dominant as he deserves to be portrayed. And the best part is? In three weeks, we're likely going to see it again. When professional wrestling works, it's truly beautiful. And this was a thing of beauty."
[4.0] "Didn't really like this much. Besides Místico entrance, everything about this match was pretty bland. Nothing to criticize about the "patriotic american vs mexican legend", but MFJ played an over-the-top heel in this one that displeased me; Místico constantly asking for the crowd to clap annoyed the hell out of me too. The match itself was too slow, nothing much happened and that was a really low point. Besides the crowd, Místico hit a couple of good looking moves, and MJF hit a pretty backbreaker, that was it. Didn't expect the DQ finish, and if the match actually generated more heat for MFJ it would work way better, but yeah"
[7.0] "A very good match, and man, Mistico is a legend in CMLL. I remember him as Sin Cara back in 2011-2013 when he was touted to be the next great luchador in WWE. But I always knew outside of WWE, he was the man. But I enjoyed everything about this match and how MJF played the heel role so well, to the point he almost had a real-life altercation with someone after the show in Mexico City. MJF seems rejuvenated since pairing with the Hurt Business, but man, I hope a rematch of this match happens at ALL IN Texas because a Hair vs. Mask Match would be a good ending for this feud. But MJF again ripped the mask of a luchador's face and continues to build heat everywhere he goes."
[7.0] "A good match, MJF plays the heel well by returning to Mexico with an American flag while hiding behind the Hurt Syndicate. I just remember another match at AEW that ended in disqualification which also concerned MJF, by the way, it was against a jobber where Punish intervened."
[10.0] "wow, me impresionó mucho este match, mucho más que el que tuvo contra Kushida. Increíble juego con el crowd, pero la verdad es que si se mantuvieron a tener un match muy sencillo con respecto a sus movesets. Sin embargo, la entrada, los spots, y el finish creativo que ojalá lleve a una lucha de apuestas en All In, le da a este encuentro un diesesote ..."
[6.0] "Fun match. Lots of showboating and playing to the crowd. Decent to good coordination between Místico and MJF, with the later being a competent base for el seminarista's flashy areal manuvers. Don't particularly care about the finish, but at least Místico had him beat and has the high ground going into an eventual rematch. Hopefully they run it back soon and give the win to CMLL's ace."
[5.0] "I think I might have missed something because I honestly don't get why people loved it so much. MJF is a great storyteller but not my favorite in ring worker. And Mystico oof. Not as bad as he was in the 2010's, but when i see him wrestle I still see Sin Cara, 30% of the moves seemed either botched or at least very slow and akward. And a trash lazy DQ finish. Let's just say I'm NOT looking forward to another Mystico vs MJF, they have a lot of way better luchadors to tell this story."
[8.0] "Even though the in ring work wasn't anything to write home about this match had a lot going for it. Mistico entrance was fantastic and crowd was completely invested. MJF got exceptional heat for his antics and even though I don't really vibe with that finish it still leaves the door open for a rematch which I assume was the goal in the first place. Solid stuff."
[5.0] "This is a 2 star match that was lucky enough to have a super hot crowd. They gave it a non finish cause they were too scared to have a real one. 3 stars and that is mostly due to the electric crowd who were firmly behind Mistico and hated MJF with a passion."
[9.0] "The only reason this has a 9 rating from me and not 10 is because of the finish. If it had a clean one from Místico, it would've been a 10. A rematch with Mask vs Hair at Aniversario could be a 10 if they deliver as well or even better"
[7.0] "This match bell to bell was fine at times. Max is not the best style wise when he's gotten in the ring with other luchadors in the past. The strikes were a bit glaring at times. That's not what we are here really to talk about. This match was the best just vibe wise. Mistico is a God. Arena Mexico was here for Mistico from the very start when Me Muero started. An emotional moment was that entrance. An entrance that will live on and people will remember it when you say Mistico Grand Slam, similar to when you say Sandman One Night Stand. Max was a really good Rudo for Mistico in this match and while the finish isn't for everyone it felt right in a way. Max got the most amount of heat possible and I hope it leads to a Max vs. Mistico rematch either at an All In or the CMLL Aniversario show with the stip of Hair vs. Mask, with Max being shaved bald. ***1/4"
[8.0] "This match was fucking great the Heel vs face work was brilliant done helped by how much the crowd love Mistico his entrance was fucking godly. After MJF's previous matches against luchadors I was worried that this match might suffer but both men were in their bag throughout the match. The matched started slow with the two feeling each other both Mistico hit a code red to pick the pass up throughout the match the In ring action was so good big Moves like MJFs powerbomb back breaker were great as well as all of Mistico's big dives and a crazy Canadian destroyer that had MJF leaving the building which was a fake out as he hit a tombstone on Mistico on the ramp and tries to get the count out win but Mistico rises from the ramp and beats the 10 count as MJF attempts the 450 Mistico counters with kicks and goes for the top rope Spanish Fly for a big 2 count and then gets MJF in La Mistica but as MVP distracts the ref Max tapped out and then used the distraction to hit the low blow but Mistico kicks out to a massive pop then enraged Max low bows Mistico to get the match thrown out as he knew he couldn't win and then the beat down starts as he unmasks Mistico and put his masks on to crazy loud boos the save is made by Bandido Templario and Titian and Jetspeed as then Mistico stands tall. Overall a Great classic Face vs Heel match up where both men shined (****)"
[7.0] "This was just your classic lucha face and heel dynamic. Replace your traditional rudo with an outsider foreigner heel that is playing into that stereotype and wrestling chicken, and you have an intriguing match. MJF played his part well. He knew he didn't have to wrestle his usual style, and just had to be a crowd composer. That's what makes him one of the best in the company, having good matches despite putting in the effort to actually wrestle. Ending was cheapskate, but understandable. Hopefully we get more of these two down the line considering the post-match angle. ***3/4"
[6.0] "It's not a classic in the ring, but the construction and context of the match made for a very good time. Classic but very effective given the propitious environment. And what can I say about that magnificent entrance? In-ring quality: 1.25/4. Stakes: 0.25/2. Justification: 1/1. Place on the card: 1/1 Suspense: 0.75/1. Bonus/malus: ambiance +0.5. Total: 6/10. Match seen on AEW Plus."
[5.0] "Good match spoiled by outside interference. Pretty competitive. Good sequences between these two competitors. Some good to solid spots between these two men. Too many shenanigans going on the caliber of these two great athletes. Good effort put forth by these two men."
[8.0] "Outrageously good match made even better with the outstanding crowd. Mistico is basically Mexican Jesus it appears? ! MJF understood his role perfectly and played this like a proper heel throughout. Can't wait for the next one."
[9.0] "One of my favorite AEW free TV matches of the year so far. They delivered a classic "Mistico formula" match, which was exactly what was needed to finally show the American TV wrestling audience exactly how much of a star Mistico is in his home country. Match that with the incredible Me Muero entrance and you have the ideal thing to book for the first AEW show in Arena Mexico. Would have loved a real finish but if they run it back at All In it will be worth it."
[9.0] "In truth this match was a 7 or 8/10 but this crowd and the emotion truly brought it up to at least a light 9/10 for me. Mistico was so over for this match and it played greatly against MJF's heel schtick. I had worried about this match going into it but it was a solid match that was greatly aided by the crowd. Sometimes a crowd can elevate a good match to a something special."
"A disappointing match. I expected a better performance, but the end says there will be a rematch soon, and I hope it will be better than today's match."
[9.0] "Right from the start this felt like a bigger match than anything else on the card. Mistico's entrance was something else. I think it will do wonders for his presentation in the US. The crowd was absolutely wild for this match which definitely added something. The match itself was really cleverly worked. MJF excelled himself with the old school foreign heel routine. Mistico played his part really well as well. This was a great underdog babyface performance especially considering the man is forty two years old."
[7.0] "I enjoyed more than the general people, but I got who didn't. This was very made for an Arena México match. MFJ always a brilliant heel. ] "Requiring a minimum of 500 characters to review a wrestling match on cagematch.net is dumb and a waste of time. We're talking about scripted entertainment, not groundbreaking science. Sometimes I just want to say "great showcase of technical wrestling" or "total flop" and move on with my day. Forcing people to stretch thoughts into filler just to meet a quota doesn't improve quality--it just discourages casual fans from engaging. Let us leave short comments if we want. Not everyone has hours to write an essay""
[8.0] "Great match. MJF doing a good character work, yeah he does do cheap heat things but he does it in great way and with some excellent facial expressions and charisma. Místico really giving all of him. As a regular CMLL and arena México fan this was one of his higher profile matches in a while and he didn't disappoint. The ending take a point of the match, it wasn't necessary and I hope that the story doesn't end like this. The crowd was completely absorbed by the match. This was the real main event in a lot of ways"
[7.0] "Requiring a minimum of 500 characters to review a wrestling match on cagematch.net is dumb and a waste of time. We're talking about scripted entertainment, not groundbreaking science. Sometimes I just want to say "great showcase of technical wrestling" or "total flop" and move on with my day. Forcing people to stretch thoughts into filler just to meet a quota doesn't improve quality--it just discourages casual fans from engaging. Let us leave short comments if we want. Not everyone has hours to write an essay. Anyway: Pretty fun classic hero vs villian match that fit so well within this show. There was some good stuff in there, maybe setting up for a potential great clash in future. Mistico's entrance also friggin rocked!"
[7.0] "Hell yeah, tremendous match! Completely restored the vibe of the show after that disappointing match between Okada and Briscoe, and delivered the most traditional and old-school duel that you can have in a show like this, the mexican hero against the cocky gringo. MJF brought back the 'american hero' gimmick for Arena Mexico, which is a persona that only works in Mexico, and whenever he tries it in America looks horrible, but in Mexico it's great, and it was great here. That Mistico entrance is just out of this world, a total vibe, it's great that this happened and we were able to watch something unique, he's a living legend! The match wasn't a masterclass of the style, but it was effective, I loved the heel works by Bobby and Shelton, beating Mistico while the referee is distracted, and infuriating the local crowd. The ending of the match was really good, with MJF surviving La Mistica (only because the ref was distracted), and Mistico surviving a low blow. I was really wondering who was taking the pinfall, and it's cool that the match ended by DQ. The heat here was really good, I want to watch a rematch urgently, they need to run it back hair vs mask some time, preferably in Mexico - {***1/2}"
[3.0] "MJF is one of the worst heels in the business because of how shamelessly pathetically predictable he is. Its pretty mind numbing to watch one of his matches and just now exactly how he's going to do literally everything. Moment by moment bit by bit. And yet.. some how Im the crazy idiot I guess because I refuse to eat it up like pellets at a zoo and im the animal at the trough. Anything MJF related continues to be the absolute worst and insulting thing about AEW on a week to week basis. He must be so good at sucking up or convincing people because considering all the crap Mistico dealt with the last time he worked with an American wrestling company, getting him to agree to MJF taking his mask feels like moving mountains. The best thing MJF is good at is convincing people he's better than the average droll he is."
[7.0] "A really solid match with a DQ that was executed fine but only really makes sense if Mistico is going to get a win over MJF in the future, otherwise it's a bit of a misfire to not give Mistico the win. Beyond that, really solid match within MJF's very clear match structure while Mistico's comebacks were super over (especially after that insane entrance). The bits from the Hurt Syndicate were nice, Shelton of course has to suplex instead of just putting the boots to him while MVP is always entertaining. The tombstone on the ramp leading to the count-out tease was nice too. I'd love to see this run back at All In as Mask vs Hair or something to make that finish worth it. ***1/2"
[8.0] "Awesome match with a good DQ finish! They're not common on Dynamite and they can work when not just a cheap way to get out of jail. The entrances were tremendous, the cheers for Mistico were unbelievable, and there wasn't a quiet moment across the match. MJF played the foreign heel perfectly, giving the perfect platform for Mistico to do what he does best. Fun stuff with MVP at ringside. Awesome moment outside of the ring with the crowd willing Mistico to beat the countout. Hope they run it back with a Mask vs Hair stipulation in Texas."
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