Saturday, July 2, 2022
NEARFALLS Media
  • Home
  • Features
    • All
    • Champion's Corner
    • Diamonds In The Rough
    • Lists
    • Meaning of the Mask
    • Opinions
    • Poetry
    • Reader's Choice
    With great pizza comes great responsibility – Luigi Primo interview feature

    With great pizza comes great responsibility – Luigi Primo interview feature

    Bojack “The Deadlock Demotion Machine” – Interview Feature

    Bojack “The Deadlock Demotion Machine” – Interview Feature

    Crowning a Queen: The Definitive Ranking of Every Reina de Reinas Champion

    Crowning a Queen: The Definitive Ranking of Every Reina de Reinas Champion

    Josh Alexander has Eric Young’s respect – because he’s done things the right way

    Josh Alexander has Eric Young’s respect – because he’s done things the right way

    Introducing… HAYATA

    Introducing… HAYATA

    The Last Tesstament

    The Last Tesstament

    Pro Wrestling NOAH’s History With England

    Pro Wrestling NOAH’s History With England

    All Elite Wrestling: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    All Elite Wrestling: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    Hot Off the Tess: Yet Another WOW Update

    Hot Off the Tess: Yet Another WOW Update

    • Opinions
    • Champion’s Corner
    • Meaning of the Mask
  • Event Coverage
    • All
    • Show Previews
    • Show Reviews
    Josh Alexander has Eric Young’s respect – because he’s done things the right way

    Josh Alexander has Eric Young’s respect – because he’s done things the right way

    Introducing… HAYATA

    Introducing… HAYATA

    Pro Wrestling NOAH’s History With England

    Pro Wrestling NOAH’s History With England

    Hot Off the Tess: Yet Another WOW Update

    Hot Off the Tess: Yet Another WOW Update

    The WOW Tapings: What We Know

    The WOW Tapings: What We Know

    Yuka Sakazaki vs Riho: why this match is important for early AEW adopters

    Yuka Sakazaki vs Riho: why this match is important for early AEW adopters

    ROH Supercard Of Honor 2022 Review

    ROH Supercard Of Honor 2022 Review

    Pro Wrestling NOAH Gain Control Wednesday February 23rd Preview

    Pro Wrestling NOAH Gain Control Wednesday February 23rd Preview

    We Need To Talk About The Royal Rumble

    We Need To Talk About The Royal Rumble

    • Show Previews
    • Show Reviews
  • Join the Team
  • Meet The Team
  • The Game of 2 Halves
    Football Manager 2022: 10 Teams To Start Your Save

    Football Manager 2022: 10 Teams To Start Your Save

    What is happening at Burnley Football Club?

    What is happening at Burnley Football Club?

    La Liga Santander Matchday 1 & 2 (21/22 Season)

    La Liga Santander Matchdays 5 – 7 (21/22 Season)

    Serie A Matchday 1 (21/22 Season)

    Serie A Matchday 4 – 6 (21/22 Season)

    Ligue 1 Matchdays 1 & 2 Round Up (21/22 Season)

    Ligue 1 Matchdays 6 – 8 (21/22 Season)

    Bundesliga.1 Matchday 2 (21/22 Season)

    Bundesliga.1 Matchday 5 (21/22 Season)

    Serie A Matchday 1 (21/22 Season)

    Serie A Matchday 3 (21/22 Season) Roundup

    La Liga Santander Matchday 1 & 2 (21/22 Season)

    La Liga Santander Matchday 4 (21/22 Season)

    Ligue 1 Matchdays 1 & 2 Round Up (21/22 Season)

    Ligue 1 Matchday 5 (21/22 Season) Roundup

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Features
    • All
    • Champion's Corner
    • Diamonds In The Rough
    • Lists
    • Meaning of the Mask
    • Opinions
    • Poetry
    • Reader's Choice
    With great pizza comes great responsibility – Luigi Primo interview feature

    With great pizza comes great responsibility – Luigi Primo interview feature

    Bojack “The Deadlock Demotion Machine” – Interview Feature

    Bojack “The Deadlock Demotion Machine” – Interview Feature

    Crowning a Queen: The Definitive Ranking of Every Reina de Reinas Champion

    Crowning a Queen: The Definitive Ranking of Every Reina de Reinas Champion

    Josh Alexander has Eric Young’s respect – because he’s done things the right way

    Josh Alexander has Eric Young’s respect – because he’s done things the right way

    Introducing… HAYATA

    Introducing… HAYATA

    The Last Tesstament

    The Last Tesstament

    Pro Wrestling NOAH’s History With England

    Pro Wrestling NOAH’s History With England

    All Elite Wrestling: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    All Elite Wrestling: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    Hot Off the Tess: Yet Another WOW Update

    Hot Off the Tess: Yet Another WOW Update

    • Opinions
    • Champion’s Corner
    • Meaning of the Mask
  • Event Coverage
    • All
    • Show Previews
    • Show Reviews
    Josh Alexander has Eric Young’s respect – because he’s done things the right way

    Josh Alexander has Eric Young’s respect – because he’s done things the right way

    Introducing… HAYATA

    Introducing… HAYATA

    Pro Wrestling NOAH’s History With England

    Pro Wrestling NOAH’s History With England

    Hot Off the Tess: Yet Another WOW Update

    Hot Off the Tess: Yet Another WOW Update

    The WOW Tapings: What We Know

    The WOW Tapings: What We Know

    Yuka Sakazaki vs Riho: why this match is important for early AEW adopters

    Yuka Sakazaki vs Riho: why this match is important for early AEW adopters

    ROH Supercard Of Honor 2022 Review

    ROH Supercard Of Honor 2022 Review

    Pro Wrestling NOAH Gain Control Wednesday February 23rd Preview

    Pro Wrestling NOAH Gain Control Wednesday February 23rd Preview

    We Need To Talk About The Royal Rumble

    We Need To Talk About The Royal Rumble

    • Show Previews
    • Show Reviews
  • Join the Team
  • Meet The Team
  • The Game of 2 Halves
    Football Manager 2022: 10 Teams To Start Your Save

    Football Manager 2022: 10 Teams To Start Your Save

    What is happening at Burnley Football Club?

    What is happening at Burnley Football Club?

    La Liga Santander Matchday 1 & 2 (21/22 Season)

    La Liga Santander Matchdays 5 – 7 (21/22 Season)

    Serie A Matchday 1 (21/22 Season)

    Serie A Matchday 4 – 6 (21/22 Season)

    Ligue 1 Matchdays 1 & 2 Round Up (21/22 Season)

    Ligue 1 Matchdays 6 – 8 (21/22 Season)

    Bundesliga.1 Matchday 2 (21/22 Season)

    Bundesliga.1 Matchday 5 (21/22 Season)

    Serie A Matchday 1 (21/22 Season)

    Serie A Matchday 3 (21/22 Season) Roundup

    La Liga Santander Matchday 1 & 2 (21/22 Season)

    La Liga Santander Matchday 4 (21/22 Season)

    Ligue 1 Matchdays 1 & 2 Round Up (21/22 Season)

    Ligue 1 Matchday 5 (21/22 Season) Roundup

No Result
View All Result
NEARFALLS Media
No Result
View All Result
Home Features

Pentagón: The Venom of Wrestling

Lizzy Flanagan by Lizzy Flanagan
March 28, 2021
in Features
0 0
3
Pentagón: The Venom of Wrestling
0
SHARES
12
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Part One

Octagóns and Pentagóns 

Octagón debuted in 1989. His name comes from the film “The Octagon” starring Chuck Norris (some claim it was Chuck Norris’s movie that also inspired the shape of UFC rings, while others assert it was George Harrison, a student of Rorion Gracie). 

Octagón became extremely popular, especially among children. He grew to be even more of a fan favorite through his charity work. His stardom grew powerful enough to produce not one, but two action movies based around himself and his partners (Atlantis and Máscara Sagrada). Octagón was so magnetizing that CMLL gave him a reign with the Mexican National Middleweight Championship. 

The idea came to Antonio Peña, the booker of the newly established AAA, and the man who helped imagine the Octagón persona, to capitalize on his creation’s popularity. He began to think of clone-like characters of Octagón. The first of these was Octagoncito, a “miniature version” of the famous hero. The second was a mortal enemy for Octagón. This was the birth of Pentagón. 

Octagón and Pentagón would both have several legacy characters in Lucha Libre, the most notable of these being current AEW star Pentagón Jr.

Octagón Jr vs Pentagón Jr

Octagón Jr was previously known as Samuray del Sol. One day, during an autograph signing, Samuray del Sol witnessed Octagón being ambushed by Silver King and Toscano, and chased them off to defend the lucha legend. In return, Octagón gifted the younger luchador a mask and a new title: Octagon Jr. 

It wasn’t long after the creation of Octagón Jr that Pentagón Jr came into existence. Their rivalry, though, was not as legendary as one might expect when two characters are, quite literally, made for each other.

OctaGONE

The odd thing about our Penta is that he’s outlasted three different Octagon Jrs. The first, as discussed, was gifted the mask and title by Octagon Sr. He’s now moved on from that title, and competes as Kalisto in WWE. The second and third Octagon Jr did not have the approval of their senior, and were instead told to take on the character by AAA. Both have moved on to Ring of Honor and Impact under the names Flamita and Golden Magic, respectively. Though it is possible they could take up the mantle of Octagon Jr again, or that a fourth luchador could be given the title by AAA, it is highly unlikely that any Octagon Jr will reach the same caliber as their rival. This leads us to the second half of the article. 

Part Two

Can there be a Venom without Spider-Man? 

I doubt anyone would argue that Pentagón Jr is incomplete on his own. He is one of the most charismatic wrestlers on the scene today. How many wrestlers, after all, can get a pop from the crowd for just taking off their glove?

However, I think the character of Pentagón Jr gains a lot more depth when his origins are remembered. Pentagon Jr, along with all other Pentagóns in Lucha Libre, exists to show a contrast between themselves and their respective técnico (babyface). That being said, who in AEW, or in Mexico, is best suited to take the place of Octagon Jr? In other words, who is Penta’s Peter Parker? 

Matt Jackson 

The Lucha Brothers and the Young Bucks are perfect, natural foils for each other. Both are (obviously) brothers, wherein the older brother being the charisma of the team with a power-centric move set, and the younger brother being a dare devilish high flyer. Since Matt and Penta are both the older brothers, this makes them natural rivals individually.

Matt is emotional where Penta is stoic. Matt, though he is the powerhouse of the Young Bucks, comes across as a glass cannon of sorts with his constant injuries. Penta, on the other hand, has seldom had a vulnerable moment in his life. Their personalities, along with their roles in their respective tag teams, makes Matt Jackson and Penta perfect, yet warped, reflections of each other.

Rey Fenix

Though they’ve been on a phenomenal run as a tag team, I would still make the argument that Fenix and Penta could be just as successful as rivals in AEW. Their contrasts were brought out especially well in Lucha Underground, where Fenix was one of the top babyfaces and Penta often played the role of an anti-hero. 

The two personify the contrast between light and darkness. Fenix, the man of a thousand lives, the bird of fire, is the polar opposite of Penta, who embodies death and nightfall. Though they are an incredibly cohesive tag team, I believe that a singles run from Penta and Fenix as rivals in AEW could be just as powerful as their tag team run has been. It would be beneficial for both of them, but especially for Fenix, who I feel is a natural babyface pent up in a heel’s role. 

Conclusion 

As I said before, Penta is not an incomplete wrestler on his own. However, I do believe that examining the origin of his character brings a new sense of depth to him and his relationships with his rivals. It also illuminates the depth of Lucha Libre culture as a whole, which is something AEW has so far failed to do in favor of presenting more American-centric styles (at least in the men’s division). In reality, both styles can and should coexist, and treating the Lucha Brothers with the depth they deserve could be a great start to that coexistence. 

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/8515933/changing-shape-fighting

“El Amo de los Ocho Angulos / The Lord of the Eight Angles”. Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling. Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. 2005.

Previous Post

Development to Destiny – From NXT to the WWE Main Roster – War Raiders and Finn Balor.

Next Post

Naomichi Marufuji – Is He Criminally Overlooked?

Lizzy Flanagan

Lizzy Flanagan

Next Post
Naomichi Marufuji –  Is He Criminally Overlooked?

Naomichi Marufuji – Is He Criminally Overlooked?

Comments 3

  1. Samo says:
    2 years ago

    LOVE the implications of this article in relation to the future of Pentagón Jr. So well written and carefully researched 💖💖.

    Reply
  2. Pingback: The Meaning of the Mask: Rey Fenix | Chops, Kicks & Nearfalls
  3. Pingback: Meaning of the Mask: Octagón & Octagón Jr. | Chops, Kicks & Nearfalls

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Us




Founded in 2020 (as Chops, Kicks & Nearfalls), Nearfalls Media aims to bring genuine, enjoyable content in audio and written form. No news. No clickbait. Nothing inauthentic. Our content will always be provided by passionate individuals, who follow and understand the subject they write about.





© 2021 Nearfalls Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Features
    • Opinions
    • Champion’s Corner
    • Meaning of the Mask
  • Event Coverage
    • Show Previews
    • Show Reviews
  • Join the Team
  • Meet The Team
  • The Game of 2 Halves

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
-
00:00
00:00

Queue

Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00