Month: July 2003

CMLL from 7/27/2003

The main crux of the show was the Japan vs. Mexico Grand Prix. We start with a skit showing rudos and tecnicos training together to get the “we must unite to fight the evil ferners” message across. The teams, for the record, were Ultimo Dragon, CIMA, SUWA, Don Fuji, Taru, Takemura, Nosawa, and Masada vs. Shocker, Dr. Wagner, Negro Casas, Blue Panther, Felino, Virus, Mephisto, and Averno.

–This was chopped up pretty bad. If you watch lucha or tapes from Japan you’re used to heavily edited matches, but a machete was really taken to this one. And I’m talking about guys transforming into other wrestlers and skipping numerous eliminations, which is pretty inexcusable.
–Averno got a lot of facetime, which is good. He also dumped the Satanico look and went back to his old outfit, which is very good.
–What was up with Nosawa breaking up a pin and the ref still counting? Did he just not notice?
–Averno countering SUWA’s FFF (Pedigree) with a ‘rana was neat, although it relies on SUWA doing more of a powerbomb than a Pedigree.
–CIMA, who I thought looked the best in the match, had a really nice sequence with Averno, the one that ended with CIMA hitting the Schwein for the pin.
–Shocker hulking up on Nosawa was pretty awesome.
–Any clue why Shocker got himself DQ’d against Dragon? Is he just being a dick?
–Wagner plants Dragon with the Wagner driver for the win. Mexico always wins these kinds of matches.
–Clipping hurt this a lot, but I’m glad I saw it. I don’t know if I’d go out of my way to see it. Maybe if a full version pops up somewhere.

We get a wacky skit with Los Boriquas. Man, their ranks are thin. What happened to Killer, Bulldog, and Veneno (did he turn tecnico)? The unmasked Violencito lloks like Jean Pierre Lafitte, complete with eyepatch.

OK get this. We have Pierroth, Saddam, and Violencia vs. Porky, Gran Markus, and Cien Caras. Yikes. I can’t come up with a worse combo if I tried. Is Saddam still Scorpio? Didn’t really look like him and he was pretty spry in the ring. Markus is whipping Pierroth with his belt, so Pierroth bops Gran with brass knucks and gets disqualified. So belts are fine but knucks are not. Segunda caida is really short as Caras powerbombs Pierroth and pins him with his feet on the ropes. This may have been the worst match I ever saw on CMLL. Really, it was just that bad.

In an Arena Coliseo match last night, Vampiro dropped Tarzan Boy with a powerbomb (I believe), and Tarzan didn’t get up. Match was stopped and Tarzan was stretchered out. There was worry about a serious neck injury, but the CMLL.com page seems to indicate only a stinger.

I believe he’s had previous neck injuries, but I may be getting someone else confused in my mind.

EDIT: Barnett says it’s cover for yet another Tarzan Boy suspension. Tough for GdI to really compete for the trios titles when they lose their third man every other month.

Famous Tony Kornheiser guest Mark Coale went to Tijuana on the 18th, and made it back alive to write what he saw.

This Sunday, Galavision airs the Japan vs Mexico Gran Prix Cibernetico. Lineup for that match is: Virus/Mephisto/Averno/Blue Panther/Felino/Negro Casas/Dr. Wagner/Shocker vs (Katsushi) Takemura/Nosawa/Masada/CIMA/Don Fuji/SUWA/TARU/Ultimo Dragon. KrisZ‘s report back then had the Tory guys a little slow on the idea at first, but it being a good match with Takemura standing out. Tapes of that TV say about 20-25 minutes were shown, which means we probably lost 5-15 minutes, but that’s still pretty good.

Vague Bad Feeling That Probably Means Nothing: See, if I was a programming direction, I’d find it in slightly bad taste to put a wrestler named Sadam on television. And he’s in the other match on TV. And they skipped TV last time he should’ve been on. But then, they skipped TV when he wasn’t on. Who knows.

Infernales defated GdI this past weekend in the finals of the 16 Team #1 Contender Tournament, so they’ll take on Dr. Wagner Jr., Black Tiger and Universo 2000 for the CMLL Trios Titles. I can’t see them winning – where’d that leave the Mexican Trios Titles? – but I’m usually on target with lucha booking, so they have a decent shot. If I was booking, well, that might be the week Nicho decides to show up Arena Mexico.

That title shot is getting pushed back a week, as it’ll be part of their big 8/1 70th Anniversery Show (take 2 – of 3?). That card looks like this:
– Los Talibanes (Emilio/Scorpio/Bestia) vs Los Guapos (Shocker/Magica/Terrible) in a cage match. Everyone fights for ten minutes, then they start taking off. The last two can go for the pin/submission on each other, or take off. The last person left will lose their hair.
– Dr. Wagner, Black Tiger, Universo 2000 (c) vs Los Infernales (Satanico, Averno, Mephisto) for the CMLL Trios Titles
– Hijo Del Perro Aguayo [ArenaMex debut], Mr. Niebla, Hijo De Lizmark vs Damian 666, Halloween and Super Crazy
– Virus, Volador Jr., Ricky Marvin vs Los Havana Brothers [NJPW-US]
– Azumi Hyuga & Marcela vs Comando Bolshoi & Amapola [women’s match]
– Tigre Blanco & Neutron vs Loco Max & Hooligan

I’ll take Guapos, champs, Aguayo, Havanas, Marcela’s team, and Hooligan. Please do not use that advice for betting purposes.

There’s a new recap of older lucha that is up at Wienerboard. It is from February 1997, in particular, their tour of Japan. Highlights of it include yet another Santo vs. Negro Casas match, and a match between Black Warrior and Mr. Niebla that is as much fun as it sounds. Surreal surroundings, as it is strange seeing the Japanese clap after a hot move/chain wrestling segment from the audience that you wouldn’t see at Arena Mexico. I also do something that I rarely do – kinda compliment Rayo de Jalisco. Check it out.

I also have a new hobby – annoying Nigerian scam artists. You know, the folks that claim to be the offspring of a dead government official/general/farmer and need you to smuggle however many million out of the country, they just need your bank account info. This is on topic somewhat, as Shocker makes a guest appearance in the “Bast” Ion Booger vs. Wilson Evans scam.

And those looking to mix and match recent lucha from EMLL that are Galavision less should know that there is TV from up until late June in at Wrestleholics. Lots of Guerreros del Infierno in the recent mix that looks really tempting.

Hey, I saw today’s show.

Are the Japanese Legion co-opting RVD’s gimmick? They sure seemed high in their Whacky Skit. I expected them to bust out some Doritos and put on some Jimmy Cliff.

The first match was a total brawl, which is ok, because the crowd was juiced for it. Speaking of juiced, Takemura sure got jacked somewhere along the line. Unless I missed Blue Panther turning tecnico, I’m guessing this was a “good guys and bad guys team up to oust the foreign menace” kind of deal.

Only two notes from in-ring action: First, the goofy way Casas was pinned in Caida Uno. Masada (I think) tried to give Casas a German Suplex but was blocked. So Takemura comes in and grabs his teammate in a waistlock, and effectively gives both Casas and Masada a German Suplex. I’ve seen the spot before, but only in Triple Threat matches where you’re trying to hurt both guys you’re suplexing. I guess you could chalk it up to “winning at all costs.”

The second point was how well booked the final seconds were. Satanico had Nosawa in a Whacky Submission and Casas was about to hit the Casita on Masada. Seems like a logical finish, right? Except Masada low blows Casas, which Satanico sees, and he goes releases the hold to protest. This allows Nosawa to roll him up and use the ropes for the pin. Just a very nicely executed finish that makes me want to see Satanico/Nosawa.

We only saw a minute of Mini Olimpico vs. Mini Violencia mask vs. mask. Olimpico did a neat monkey flip that sent Violencia flying into the ropes, so he did this neat mid-air rebound. Olimpico won with a Whacky Submission. Violencia unmasked and it was some guy with a perm.

Hey, during that Pierroth skit, were we supposed to be reading his mind or was it just badly dubbed. He seemed really upset that Mil Mascaras has wrestled all around the world (that’s what I got out of it, anyway).

Mil Mascaras, the second most jacked senior citizen in the world, is in our main event, teaming with Atlantis and Vampiro against Pierroth & Black Tiger & Tarzan Boy. I have little of note to say except (a) Black Tiger drew the short straw and had to submit to Mil’s bearhug, and (b) that disurbing shot where Pierroth grabbed Mil by the balls. Tecnicos won. Tarzan boy, not on suspension this week, did look good.

Guapos vs Tailban is set for 8/1. It’ll be in a cage, and no one is allowed out for the first ten minutes. After that, it’s a free for all; the last two left fight to the finish in the ring. Shocker’s on a roll going in to this, as he just took Mascara Ano’s hair on the 14th as the main event of a 50th Anniversy show for Arena Puebla.

The women luchadores are scheduled back in for that show as well.