TNA Hartford, Round 1, Match 3: #13 Tom Billington vs. #52 Mil Mascaras

[Shocky]

The following match takes place in the TNA Region inside the six sided ring From Hartford, CT.

#13. The Dynamite Kid Tom Billington

vs.

#52. Mil Mascaras

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Holy hell what a match up!

I am legitimately torn, 50/50. You have one of the biggest legends in the history of Lucha vs one of the biggest legends in UK wrestling history.

A man who in Mexico was spoken of in the same breath as Hogan, Inoki, Andre, etc. vs a man who owned tag team wrestling in the US for a spread of time.

I am on the fence. I am seeking direction from some of you, but this may be the best 1st round match up. Like, ever.

 

[klunderbunker]

Damn I'm not sure either. Billington has shown he can wrestle different styles by way of his Tiger Mask classics, but Mascaras was in the 95 Rumble. Dang this is indeed tough. Both men would instantly adapt to the 6 sided ring I think so that's a non factor. I'm leaning towards Billington just slightly as he had success in more than one country, being successful in Canada, America, Japan and I'm assuming the UK. Mascaras I know is a legend in Mexico, but I doubt he's been dominant in four countries. Based on that, meaning Billington knows a lot of styles, I'll go with him.

 

[Tastycles]

Jesus Christ. Talk about a decision. On the one hand nationalistic pride has my favourite British wrestler ever. On the other hand you have Mil Mascaras, who is one of the top luchadors of all time. My heart is saying go with Billington, but my head is firmly saying Mascaras.

The Dynamite kid has been called the best pound for pound wrestler of all time by Bret Hart, which is high praise indeed. His feud with Tiger Mask was nothing short of awesome. However, his most notable successes were in tag team wrestling. Billington was his own victim in the end, and a life of excessive drug taking has put such a strain on his body that he is now an amputee in a wheelchair.

Mil Mascaras has beaten all sorts of people throughout his career, and unlike almost every single other luchador, he has had notable success on American soil - he beat the WWWF Champion Billy Graham in Madison Square Garden, with the referee stopping the match because Mascaras had cut him open on the ring rope. He was the first man to be allowed to wrestle masked in MSG, and he beat the WWWF champion without cheating in the heartland of the promotion.

He also beat NWA champion Harley Race by disqualification and he is also one of few people to have ever lost to El Canek, who despite not being very good, is a consistant winner an one of IC25's picks of the tournament. To those who only started watching wrestling recently, note that he has squashed Catus Jack and beat Chris Jericho, both of whom said he was a horrendus no-seller. But winners don't need to be sellers, and Mascaras would win here I think.

 

[Loveless]

This match is just awesome. I cant really add anything more to whats already been said. You've got one of the best tag team wrestlers ever against one of the best luchadors.
I always kind of look on Billington as the precursor to Benoit, even though i believe Billington was better. With that in mind i'm going with the Dynamite Kid in an epic.

 

[Theo Mays]

Wow! To repeat the obvious this match is going to be epic and would be the best match of round numero uno. I'm really at a crossroad here as I really don't know who to go for, but you couldn't go wrong with either of them and they both deserve a spot in round 2. Though that can't be the case. This is really tough, but I'm gonna give the oh so slightest edge to Dynamite Kid. Should be a doozy either way.

 

[NSL]

Forget what I said about Finlay and Scorpio in an ECW ring. This match, in TNA, is the match to see of the first round. I'm going to vote for Billington, based on his international successes. There's nothing Mascaras can do, that Billington can't adapt to, or do himself, so I'm giving him the edge.

This match may last a half hour, and leave the entire crowd breathless, but it'll be a hell of a ratings winner. It's almost a shame this is in Hartford, and not a big market like NY or LA.

 

[Tastycles]

I'm going to vote for Billington, based on his international successes.

Woah! Really? If that is your criterion, then go for Mascaras. Mascaras was easily as popular as Dynamite Kid in Japan, was huge at home and beat the WWWF and NWA Champions. He beat the WWF Champion in MSG. There is really no way that Dynamite Kid acheived more internationally, no matter how you look at it.

 

[Shadowmancer]

This needs to fall to a draw, There is no way to go one with this other than a Draw, Billington is the best pound for pound Wrestler, against a legend in Mil Mascaras. Mil Mascaras was a huge legend in Japan, Again he has had epic matches against Tiger Mask I, Satoru Sayama. Both would adapt to the ring with a quickness that could only be matched by a Wrestler like RVD. (That is adapting to the six sided ring, RVD is in no way in the same class as these two).

 

[Shocky]

Both of these two are fantastic, but I can't settle for not voting for anyone, so I went on with Billington. Both men were great in the ring, but Dynamite has the nod of Bret Hart, which speaks volumes. When Bret Hart calls you the best wrestler pound for pound, that carries a lot of weight. Plus, Chris Benoit was virtually a mirror image of the man in the ring, and both rank in my favorites. I respect everything Mascaras has done, but I enjoy The Kid that much more.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

I had to break kayfabe a little bit here, guys...I'm sorry. The Dynamite Kid was an amazing wrestler, and his matches with Tiger Mask I essentially became the measuring stick for the greatness of all cruiserweight matches that followed (I think there have better matches since, but, given their context, they will always be classics and should be included in any anthology of great cruiserweight matches).

But, Billington faces Mil Mascaras, one of Mexico's most famous professional wrestlers, in a TNA ring. And, TNA has always proven itself to be more than accommodating to non-English speaking wrestlers in its annual World X Cup Tournament. Furthermore, I unfortunately have to take into account the legacies of each wrestler here. Billington left the business earlier than he could have had he taken care of himself (also, he left as a broken and bitter man). On the other hand, Mascaras has a career that spans more than 30 years. So, I'm going to have to go with him.

Pick: Mascaras