CMLL Line - 12/05/01

Competitors Key:

Rating: Bases on the quality of the finish, ring work, internal/external storyline, consistency and my whims. Also, various other (random) factors that I can't think of right now. 0-100 for matches, ++ for extremely good skit, + for really good skit, - for really bad skit, -- for extremely bad skit.

Momentum Key: A number indicate that side is in control, E is for even, M is for Mixed, * for Interference

Match By Match: 

First Match: The Villanos come out with the Mexican Flag ponchos and numbered outfits, making me really happy. Individually, the Capos aren't that much but doing team stuff, they're alright with me. Villanos tore up Universo's mask for no particular reason - it didn't seem to be set up by any rudo mask tugging. Villano IV either didn't kick out when he was supposed to at one point, or a fall happened and it wasn't very clearly made. The rudo ref didn't see the low blow (or didn't care) and started the count but the tecnico ref stopped him and stopped the match. Universo was upset and wanted a singles match with IV, I think. IV's mask was slightly ripped in the end so maybe Universo did start it and it just wasn't very evident to me.

Oh look, Ultimo Dragoncito almost killed himself again with a plancha. He's gotta stop doing that.

Second Match: Nicho wears the Psi mask and wig. Damien and Halloween are tag team champions of some sort and Halloween has a stick. Juvie wears his have mask too. Damien lost his Ciclope mask and identity in Tijuana. Santo's valet and Rey both trip over the something in the entryway. How did CASAS end up being captian? Nicho has cornrows. Halloween does the Bronco Billie Special! Rey has a blond streak in brown hair. In one of the coolest back to back spots EVER, Halloween and Nicho both take the belly slide to the floor, then Rey and Santo nail them with a tope and a somersault plancha over the corner! Halloween got thrown out in the second fall as well and hugged a front row person to protect him. Juvie got on Nicho's never for being his passive annoying self, and they got into a small argument. But the rudos used the argument to turn it around and start a baetdown (or we got a rather confusing cut.) Early story of the third fall was rudos trying moves and messing up and the tecincos taking advantage. Juvi actually hit the Juvi Driver on Casas but didn't cover. The last half of the last fall was just Juvi and Nicho vs Casas and Santo (that'd be an interesting CMLL tag team title match) but then Damien showed up from where he'd gone with his stick and that was the end of that. Casa and Santo had the camel clutches locked in so he had a plan, but they lost. The tecinocs got killed with the stick. The Tijuana family talked after and seemed to be satisfied with the beatdown instead of the win, but also it didn't seem like the last time we'd see them.  

What's with the bowling? Famous lucha libre stars do more bowling than I do. It was all and weird funky vision and with clips of Emilio's girl watching from her seat in the arena and then Apolo's girl in the arena. The closeups of laughing were scary.

Third Match: Emilio has flowers for his girlfriend. Apolo walks the elevated ramp to the ring, looking at Emilio all intense, steps forcefully in the ring...and trips on the middle rope, falling on his face. Emilio figured he might as well start the match like that. Both girls were in the crowd, across the ring from each other. Analysis: Apolo's girl is hotter - the whole fake blond thing isn't working for Emilio's girl. Apolo got in nothing in the first fall before ducking a clothesline and getting the Northern Lights, which would seem more of a tecinco thing. At points it seemed like Apolo was getting the face reaction and playing it up, so who knows. In the second fall, Scorpio got on the apron so Shocker got on the apron to argue that (I guess) and Scorpio was able to sneak in and save Emilio from an abdominal stretch - the pin quickly followed. The girls appear to have seconds (or friends) of their own, I notice (because they keep showing them whenever there's a pause.) In the third fall, either the (rudo) ref was blatantly favoring Emilio for whatever reason. Emilio was even giving up and the ref wouldn't count it. This was very very random and very very annoying. Later, Apolo hit a slam and was about to go up and everyone was shouting "No! No!" and Apolo changed his mind and so there's some joke here I'm missing. And then it happened again and that time, he stalled deciding and didn't go for it again. I couldn't tell as much which way they were telling Emilio when it was his turn (I think yes, but I'm not sure) but he misses a somersault senton so maybe some of those fans were on to something. Apolo won this match at least five different times and had momentum paused a couple others. And then Emilio got away with a flower pot shot when the ref was playing dead. Apolo ended up bleeding quite a bit from the back of the head. Then someone came out of the crowd to go after Emilio's woman. I assume Emilio challenged Shocker for the same treatment down the road and Shocker wanted him right now - but Emilio was backing off. 

In the arena, they hyped that the women's hair would be on the line, but they found some excuse later to get out of doing it. Though it was hinted at on TV, I don't know if that part was mention on TV - I think they might have brought it up in commentary one time but I couldn't honestly tell you. I could tell you that Shocker and Apolo never seemed to go on the microphone to explain why her hair wasn't being cut and they didn't hype up the women's hair being cut up that much, but it might have been lost in the translation (in my head.)

Closing Notes: 

1. What's the deal with the face and heel switch in the Emilio/Shocker feud?
2. Why did Zumbido have the run in with 
3. What was the storyline point of the Emilio favoring?
4. Apolo is still cool without hair.
5. Lots of building to the PPV here - will anything really good slip through next week?