Austin Region, OKC Subregion, First Round: (13) El Santo vs. (20) Samoa Joe

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round match in the Austin Region, Oklahoma City Subregion. It is a standard one on one match. It will be held at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

#13. El Santo

Vs.

#20. Samoa Joe

​

Polls will be open for three days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[Tastycles]

Since he's been in NXT I've started to get Samoa Joe. He is a very well rounded wrestling character (in more ways than one) and he has had some excellent matches over the years. Santo was not known for his excellent matches. He was however known for just about everything else. There has probably never been as big a star in the history of all of wrestling than El Santo. The crowds flocked to see him wrestle for over 50 years and whilst he wasn't particularly technically gifted, he was immensely charismatic and I think would beat Samoa Joe, a man who has had no issue putting over foreign megastars in the past.

 

[enviousdominous]

I'm definitely not going to go with the "just because" logic in determining who would win this.

El Santo was great, for his time. Just try sitting through El Santo and Blue Demon vs Dracula and The Wolfman. Here, try it:

[YOUTUBE]Wk7E-XJ943o[/YOUTUBE]

In the first match, it's not difficult to imagine that El Santo is really Steve Lombardi in a mask. That was what prowrestling was back then. While some performers from way back when were legit fighters whose only transition into kayfabe-style prowrestling was necessitated by a desire to maximize profits, El Santo was a priest who thought it would be fun to defeat cartoony forces of evil as a Christian wrestler.

Samoa Joe is the type of guy who expects to be beaten decisively if he's going to lose, which is to say he won't lay down for a chop to the back or submit to a camel clutch.

Samoa Joe gives El Santo a taste of much needed humility and future shock. Vote Samoa Joe.

 

[NSL]

Samoa Joe is the type of guy who expects to be beaten decisively if he's going to lose, which is to say he won't lay down for a chop to the back or submit to a camel clutch.

Samoa Joe gives El Santo a taste of much needed humility and future shock. Vote Samoa Joe.

^^^ This, basicaly. Joe is very gifted in the ring, and can do things he just should not be able to. He's also great at grounding guys who use their speed and aerial attacks, and even better at working them over for the submission. Santo is a legend, but I don't see him topping Joe in a one-time one-on-one match.

 

[nightmare]

El Santo is who kidnapped Joe & he beat him so badly upon escape that TNA was embarrassed to mention it, thus dropping the storyline abruptly. They dared not let it be known their new signing & legendary star had been defeated in such a vicious way. On further investigation by Dave Meltzer, the man who Dixie paid thousands of dollars to was not actually El Santo because he is dead. The man was later identified as El Dandy in a silver mask. Thus proving again that not only is Dixie an idiot, but Joe has no problem kicking the shit out of anyone.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Should I say this on behalf of everyone (EVEN nightmare!)?

We like Samoa Joe more.

 

[nightmare]

Well, I thought I would just provide a nice story instead of just saying so. I never gave a shit about Santo. Respect the guy, but never found anything remotely exciting about him or his terrible movies.

Plus, Joe has a kick ass chant. I never heard anyone yell "Santo's gonna kill you!" during a match. IDK, maybe, but I dont speak Spanish so who knows for sure.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I'm really the only person to vote for El Santo so far?

Look I love Joe, the guy has talent out his fat ass, but he was always a big fish in a small pond. El Santo is one of the biggest stars of Lucha Libre. He had crossover appeal. He has been in movies, comic books, TV shows. When has Joe been in any of those?

 

[Bernkastel]

How in the fuck is Samoa Joe winning this? Santo is an icon. He is the most popular and influential luchadore of all time. He was widely responsible for building the popularity of lucha libre. His sheer list of accolades, his drawing power, his longevity, his list of feuds, and his marketability and appeal all absolutely dwarf Joe's. His state funeral alone drew more people than any show Joe has ever headlined.

Jesus is weeping guys. Seriously.

 

[JGlass]

I like Samoa Joe, but he's losing to El Santo right now? That's ridiculous. El Santo is perhaps one of the most influential wrestlers in the history of wrestling. Samoa Joe couldn't hold a candle to El Santo.

El Santo transcended the wrestling world far before the likes of Hulk Hogan did. He's a national icon and one of the best loved stars in the history of wrestling. Until recently, Samoa Joe's biggest accomplishment was that he transcended TNA fandom.

I hope the more educated voters get in here soon and swing this contest in El Santo's favor, because a vote for Samoa Joe is straight up lunacy.

 

[Coco]

I've never seen an El Santo match. But when I imagine one, it's undoubtedly influential and transcendent match for me. If my mind is like Riley's from Inside Out, a Samoa Joe match draws a tiny Orlando soundstage worth of mind workers worth of my attention. But an El Santo match gives me goosebumps on my tiny, prepubescent girl arms.

I hear his funeral was a big hit too. TIL.

Hard to compare funerals though. Joe hasn't died yet and given us a real basis for comparison.

Vote El Santo.

 

[Dmbfantomas]

Is this some kind of sick joke? El Santo shouldn't be losing to Samoa Joe. El Santo is Mexican Wrestling God, Joe is "Early Aughts Indie Guy Who Never Achieved the Heights that Punk, Danielson, or AJ reached." Santo was huge for DECADES. Joe ended up getting buried down the card in TNA.

I like Joe but...Jesus.

 

[NegativeFeedback]

El Santo is a bonafide legend and I'm sad that he's losing this so thoroughly. Especially since Samoa Joe is still stuck in developmental in WWE (not that he shouldn't have been moved up long ago, but it still speaks to his standing in the company). Joe needs time before he can beat a legend like El Santo so I'm thinking El Santo should win this easily.

That being said, this makes Dusty vs. El Santo in the 2nd round, and that's going to be impossible to book. Both guys are symbolic heroes for the common man and they should hardly ever be placed against fellow babyfaces, let alone each other. If I was booking this, I would definitely have Joe go over here via shenanigans since Joe is the perfect antagonist for Dusty in the next round.

That being said, I know Santo is winning and he'll then lose to Dusty because despite them being evenly matched, "name recognition" wins out.

 

[NSL]

All these posts, talking about Santo losing...and now he's winning. So let me post about being sad that Joe is losing!

Joe is a machine in the ring, and despite his size, can go move for move with anyone, including El Santo. I don't see this match ending in any other way than Joe locking in a submission and making the Mexican tap.