CMLL Line - 01/26/03 (#72)

Thanks to: WrestleHolics Video

This is the first show I'm doing of a tape from Mexico, so I'll probably be noting the differences all the way through.

Notes: Joined post-entrances, this is a battle royale to determine seeding for an Arena Coliseo tag team tournaments. Rudos come out in control, teaming up to beat down all the tecnicos. Olimpico gets in a little against Violencia but the rest are slowly beat on (or leaning on the ropes.) Olimpico gets put over the top rope but pulls himself in. Tinieblas takes a bad double clothesline from Emilio and Violencia. This is slow. I'm guessing on the Villano, BTW. Scorpio tries to slam Tinieblas out but he hooks his legs around the ropes and they just stand around for a while. It's more mixed for control now, with no one doing that much - ah, Tinieblas just got Scorpio out. Scorpio's not thrilled. Apolo tries to get Tinieblas, and then Olimpico and Violencia get them both - I guess we say Tinieblas landed first to keep a rudo/tecnico matchup. Double team on Villano goes bad, but not bad enough to get anyone out. Juvi's on coffee break now and letting the other four go at it. Black Tiger tries to clothesline Olimpico out, but Olimpico dodges and Tigers gets himself, Juvi jumps in to get a shot on Olimpico, and now he's going to try the same thing as Villano does - it works for him, Olimpico out. We've got Juvi, Violencia and Villano left. Violencia stays back as Juvi and Villano fight it out, then Juvi sits back while Violencia and Villano fight. Is Violencia going for a moonsault? Juvi, not being a fool, calmly pushes Violencia out. Violencia does not find that as funny as the rest crowd does. Juvi and Villano are ready to get it on, but the ref notes that they don't need to just yet - they're the final match.

Anyway, we skip ahead six matches to the finale - Gran Markus Jr. and Apolo Dantes vs Pierroth and Violencia. Hey, I bet I can guess how the brackets went - Taliban over Tineblas, Apolo/Markus over Black Tiger, Boricuas over Olimpico, Villanos over Juvi, Apolo/Markus beats Taliban and Boricuas beat Villanos. That's far more interstling than this match will be.

Notes: Again, we start with everyone in the ring (with the ring announcer doing intros from a safe distance), but for good reason - looks like Markus and Dantes stormed the ring right after the Boricuas laid out the Villanos for the win, because one of them is still down on the mat. Story of the match is that Markus is very big and hates Pierroth. Pierroth manages to pull Dantes in front of an Markus splash to stop the early run. Double backdrop on Markus, double elbow drop on him. Markus looks like he's lost weight since this angle's begun (twenty years ago.) Boring Boricuas Beatdown. How to kill the time - hmm, who's in the Boricuas corner this week? Let's see, we've got Commando Girl Mark II, Nitro and Mini Violencia. Now what? Markus manages to turn it around again for his team (but not the match) by reversing a whip and squashing Violencia. Violencia soon ends up on the floor via a backdrop, gets up and is flattened when Markus gives his own partner a backdrop to land on him! That was a lot for a little. Markus with the Greco-Roman face bite on Pierroth, CGII pulls Markus off by his hair, Pierroth tries to chop Markus, Markus moves and CGII gets it. Nitro and Violencito, and Markus gets a pin purity on Pierroth but - stands up? Why? He wants a belt? Apolo gets a belt from somewhere (CG2?) and hands it to Markus. Nitro, standing 2 feet away, just let him do that. He's gonna be in trouble later. Actually, Apolo might have gotten that from a front row fan, which is a bit disturbing. Belts shots do not get a DQ, of course. Choking with the belt, no DQ. Dragging Pierroth around the ring by his neck, that's where the line is drawn! Thank god. (DQ 3:06) This was alllll kinds of pointless. I think Markus wants a hair match and boy I haven't missed this part of CMLL.

Oh wow Galavision Mexico has 24. I bet it's not the same without Kiefer saying his lines like how he says 'em.

Vignette: Caption: ZUMBIDO. Arkangel is checking out the midget wrestling in the CMLL gym (perhaps waiting for his turn to workout), and Zumbido strolls out to have a conversation. Ah, I should've noticed that Shockercito was one of those two midgets; this leads to Zumbido working out his anger. Only verbally, sadly. Zumbido's more guapo than Ricky Marvin, he's more guapo than Shocker! Arkangel suggests he proves in the ring. Zumbido thinks that's a great idea and gets in the ring - big boot [and bleep] to Shockercito! Mini Brazo is thrown from the ring. Zumbido invites Arkangel in so he can practice now.

Notes: Zumbido's team comes out to Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me", but you know, I think it was. Nosawa's got a wacky straight jacket mask. The good thing about buying tapes is that, no matter how awesome this match could be, there's no one way it'd make Galavision US. For some reason, the teams come from the side of the stage rather than the normal entrance. Maybe it's an undercard thing. How many years has it been since CMLL's gotten around to updating it's wrestler videos? They're due.

First fall. Volador and Ark start. Lockup, break. Double wristlock takeover by Ark, who proceeds to stomp Volador down. Lockup #3 ends with Volador getting an armdrag off. The crowd is more interested in chanting for Ricky. Let's try this differently - Virus and Zumbido. Fans do not like the Zumbido. Lockup, battling for a hold, Zumbido with a waistlock, Virus single leg turned into a half crab with a knee to the back. Zumbido gets loose, and they circle, Zumbido with the waistlock takedown, armbar reversal, armbar reversal, Virus with an armdrag, dueling leg trip covers for zero and stand off. Ricky and Nosawa in. Ricky opts ofr a chop instead, and Nosawa comes back with right hands. Whip, revered, Nosawa ducks two clotheslines and a back elbow, slides under a kick misses with a right hand and eats the back thrust kick. Right hands by Ricky. Corner whip, Ricky charges in and eats the boot. Nosawa explodes out with a clothesline and does a dance of celebration. Whip, but Ricky back with the handspring elbow. Off the ropes, Nosawa ducks down so Marvin does a springboard flip over him, then hits a dropkick to the face. Nosawa leans out of the ring, so Marvin is out too - ringpost 619! Ricky briefly in to celebrate in Zumbido's face, but It's Volador who takes his place against Zumbido - big clothesline by Zumbido to start it off. Corner whip, corner clothesline. Zumbido has words for the fans who have words for him. Corner whip, but Virus is in and backdropping his partner to the apron. Zumbido charges anyway and gets double boot. Charge out clothesline by Virus misses, but an off the top rope spinning headscissors by Marvin does not. Slingshot springboard corkscrew plancha! That's pretty wicked. Back in the ring, Nosawa misses a charge on Virus and gets held for a guillotine legdrop. Volador waits to get a proper cover till Virus catches an Arkangel boot and rolls him around for the double victory thing. There's Volador's one two three (4:02) and Virus' incredibly wacky submission (4:05) Tecnicos celebrate. I made up the name of that Virus move and I'm sure it's complete wrong, so you know.

Second fall. Ark, annoyed he lost to such a ludicrous submission hold, beats down Volador to start. Corner whip, reversed, Volador with the corner flip, Ark kinda pushes him into a springboard and Volador comes back with an armdrag. Volador ends this from looking too obviously staged (more) by ducking a clothesline and hitting a climbing enziguri. Switch - Virus and Zumbido and Zumbido is off and running, under, over, flipping, celebrating, getting a 'rana, rolling through and taking a dropkick to the face. Got all that? Neither did I. Virus with slaps, cover whip, Zumbido charges, Virus moves, Zumbido with the knee corner bump to the floor. Virus gets speed - spin thru the ropes fake out. Nosawa and Ricky again - Ricky trying to jump Nosawa literally and ending up with nothing. Kick to the face. Headbutt. Nosawa: "AAAAAAAH" Hold for Ark to punch. Pose for the referee. Ark with an armbar as Nosawa leaves - into a front facelock. Virus tires to break it up and gets a back elbow. All three rudo are in - triple whip, waved by, tilt-a-whirl face first powerbomb by Zumbido on Ricky. Did we get a clip here? Just a weird angle - it's Volador's turn to get beat up. Double whip, Nosawa with the drop toe hold, Ark with the lighting legdrop, Nosawa with the clutch, Ark with the dropkick to the face. Corner whip, Nosawa his a corner clothesline ark hits a corner back elbow, Volador put on top, Zumbido runs over and 'rana him out one two Virus tries to break it out but the rudo ref appears to count three anyway. How odd. (2:43) Virus' turn to get beatdown. Double spinebuster lift so Zumbido can hit a springboard dropkick. Ark and Nosawa get legbars and Zumbido stands on top to pose. That's it. (3:08)

Third fall. Beatdown still on. Volador in and spinebuster dropped. Virus in and held so Nosawa can hit a top rope axhandle on him. Ricky? Held so Ark can hit a clothesline on him - and it works! Stomping him down. But then they try the clothesline again and it all falls apart. Tecnico comeback in progress  Ark and Virus in the ring, but we don't see much of it. Zumbido get posted by Ricky. It settles down with in thirty seconds so we can get Zumbido and Ricky. Open hand slaps exchange, but Zumbido with a kick to the back of the leg to take him down. Whip, backdrop but Marvin land on his feet but Zumbido flips him with a clothesline. Zumbido off the ropes, spinebuster spun into a faceslam, dropkick to the head by Marvin. One two no. Marvin, whip, reversed, Marvin ends up locking on a headscissors with armbar submission - NOoawa has to save his partner. Dropkick by Voltaire on Nosawa misses - Volador is kicked, whipped, slides under, Nosawa with a shoulderblock but Virus hits a slingshot kick on him. Ark with a clothesline on Volador but gets a Virus powerslam, Nosawa attempts to break up the cover and gets a sunset flip by Volador one two NO. Volador misses with a clothesline and gets elbowed to the apron. Double chop on Virus. Again. Whip, double clothesline misses, Volador hits a double springboard dropkick. Virus helps his partner for a dive but Volador looses hi footing an see them moving, wisely bailing out. There we go, tope on Nosawa, Virus with a thru the ropes dive into a headscissors on Ark! Ricky and Zumbido - Ricky tries a handspring but Zumbido ducks it. Whip, reverse, sunset flip, Zumbido rolls through, Ricky misses the clothesline and is slapped own. Whip, handspring again and Zumbido dropkicks him. Fisherman's buster one two three! (4:06) So maybe he was right? Replays.  

Vignette: Infernals! They run in the park to train for their matches. Satanico gives his partners the lowdown on their opponents tonight. They're not rudos or tecnicos, they're Infernales. Which is bad because I have no color for Infernales.

Notes: Averno and Felino to start with chain wrestling - Averno gets a hammerlock, Felino drops down to get a leg bar. Let's look at Blue Demon. And now the crowd. Hey what do you, the match has dramatically changed when we came back! Beatdown on Blue Demon in progress. Nothing interesting. He gets dumped. Felino's turn - double whip, double wave by, triple pump powerbomb. Triple submission and he's gone. (1:38) Demon back in - double back elbows but they juniors. Triple submission on him and he's done. (1:51) Infernales may not be rudos, but the rudos fans have decided to support them regardless. Replays replays replays.

Second fall starts with Super Crazy taking his turn running into people's feet. He's not wearing his normal t-shirt, just a plain black one and for that he must be stomped out of the ring. Felino gets a double whip, double boot too. Demon brought in for his team - three for three? Satanico doesn't like those odds so he just chops Demon on the whip instead. Now that the bad luck has been prevented, no possible harm could ever come from Satanico holding Demon outside the ring for a double dive from the Juniors. Which is true, because they get jumped by Crazy and Felino before they even have a chance to do such thing. Crazy really really wants to do the Tarantula on Averno no matter how long it'll take for him to set it up and succeeds in that sense. Maybe I'm just used to Tajiri doing it quick like and people not fighting it as much as Averno did. No five count. Demon manages a running (non-suicide) tope on Satanico, then finishes this off with a Sharpshooter plus armlock. (1:20)

Third fall starts off in a hurry, with Averno and Felino doing a whip sequence leading to a Felino powerslam. Elbow drop keeps Averno down so Felino can back up in the corner, backdrop a charging Averno to the apron and chop him. They both climb up on the outside of the corners, with Felino getting the best of it with a slap and a headscissors in. Clothesline out doesn't work right, Averno going into the ropes instead of over, but recovers to go through them as a compromise. We seem to clip away a Satanico/Demon sequence, with Satanico ending up knocked out of the ring and Averno kicking Demon out. Felino is corned by the two the Juniors and worked over. Satanico comes back in to watch them deliver a double boot. Triple submission (double underhook with elevated leg locks) but Felino won't give - they break to take care of Crazy, who's back in. Double whip, double back drop for him. Another double whip? Sure. Double boot connects. Double rolling Mexican surfboard on Crazy as Satanico holds off Demon. After a while, he does give! (2:00) Infernales aren't done - Satanico brawls with Demon, then he's knocked down by the two - double whip, double back elbow, triple press slam. Averno and Mephisto get an armbar and legbar each, and that's the end of Demon - by pinfall, since his shoulders are down in the process. (2:26) Infernales took that last fall pretty decisively. It's all in the scouting.

Spectacular Moments: 450 splash looks nice. Porky top rope splash looks like danger for a Capo. That guy who just did a top rope moonsault the floor looked an awful lot like HsN so I must be now. Wow, Zumbido and Nitro just tried to use Marvin as a projectile weapon and were pretty successful. Infernales kill someone with a sliding dropkick to the midsection, then Black Warrior accidentally topes his own teammate Olimpico. That tope is a dangerous thing.

Vigentte: In the stairway hallway domain of Los Guerreros (del Infernio), our heroes talk about ruling lucha libre. Rey wears his glasses in near total darkness. Objective is to keep Ultimo the champion and Tarzan's hair.

Notes: Rey may not have someone to feud with now (unless I'm thinking too far ahead and Tarzan/Vamp hasn't started, which is possible), but he can get his valet to the fist pump with him, so good for him. Oh wow, this is the first time I've seen him with the short hair - he looks more aerodynamic, let's say. GdI going with the green outfits and the kick to Vampiro's face. Shocker doesn't let a pre-match beatdown on close personal friend Vampiro distract him from the importance of his pre-match routine, and god bless him for doing so. So Ultimo runs out to punk him out. This week, playing the part of the Random Upper Card Tecnico is Atlantis, but I wanted to be hilariously cute there. Thanks for joining us! He's also in no real hurry, because he knows they won't ask him to teammate up with them again next week. Again, GdI speed up the process by beating Atlantis to the ring. BUCANERO HAS THE MASCOT! BUCANERO IS GOING TO THROW THE MASCOT INTO THE CROWD! For some reason we go back to watching Atlantis and Tarzan fight instead of this exciting turn of events.  Aw, Vampiro saved the midget. I knew I never liked him for a reason. I don't think we're getting an opening whistle here, so I'll go with the graphic showing up.

Standard opening fall beatdown - brawl around the crowd and ring, and not much team work as of yet. Rey's focused on Vamp, who's probably doing the best out of all the tecnicos, going almost even. GdI hold the ring to take a rest. Atlantis is weakly pushed out but I guess he's an old man. Vamp brought in, and I think we're going to start the combo moves. There's the mascot. We kinda look back in mid GdI stuff, but it ends up with a Vamp missing a double clothesline and getting a double jumping shoulderblock to set up a Tarzan Boy missile dropkick. Atlantis in and held up - there's the GdI double team sit. Shocker in - stop looking at the stupid blue thing, director-person. Actually, go back to looking at the blue thing, because this is an incredibly weird submission GdI is trying. Tarzan holds up Shocker in a powerbomb lift, and Atlantis is put back to back with Tarzan. Atlantis' arms are placed under and around Shocker's arms, so when Shocker's pushed back (hanging from Tarzan's neck like a blocked 'rana), Atlantis is lifted up and stretched. Double armbar on Shocker and we've got a triple double submission. (1:52) That's new levels of neat (and done quick enough you couldn't worry about the implausibility of it all) GdI celebrate and deservingly so.

Second fall. GdI are taunting Vampiro to come in but he's not sure about this 1 on 3. Atlantis comes in instead - we look away and then at it, and it seems a though Atlantis and Ultimo are hugging and calling spots, but that can't possibly be right. Double whip double boot. Shocker in and immediately kicked down. Mocking Shocker chant by Tarzan Boy? He's beat down in the corner - double whip, Tarzan Boy goes for the jumping corner splash he never manages to hit, Ultimo and Rye charge into a double boot, Shocker charges out, gets tossed by Rey but dropkicks Ultimo on the way down, always nice. Vamp is in with a...a...a...KICK on Rey. Tarzan Boy runs right into the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and then we take a multiple of bad camera angles to show very little. Its the babyface comeback; use your imagination. Tarzan takes a body slam on the ramp. There's the Shocker/Ultimo spot, and Shocker hits a short clothesline before his pose. Off the ropes, nice big boot knocks Ultimo out - suicide somersault plancha! Rey and Vamp striking the crap out of each other - Rey off the ropes, ducks a clothesline but Vamp hits a dropkick to the knee. Nail in the Coffin! One two three (2:17) while Atlantis hits the Atlántida at the same time (2:18) to finish off Tarzan. Tied up.

Final Fall. Maybe not - GdI don't feel the need to stick around. Tarzan takes time from walking away to bicep pose for the camera. They opt to change their mind, figuring that those tecnicos are no problem. Ultimo and Atlantis start. Ultimo shoulderblock, off the ropes, Atlantis jumps and gets slapped. Corner whip, charge in and clothesline. Atlantis with an odd staggered selling. Corner whip again, Atlantis kips up and over, Rey grabs him from behind, Atlantis kicks a charging Ultimo away, Atlantis breaks fee, Ultimo flips him, Rey gets armdragged, Ultimo takes a legtrip, Rey accidentally elbow drops his partner and then gets slide face first to the floor. I think Ultimo take a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker but we don't see. Tarzan tries to slingshot in but comedically trips over the top rope and opts to back off. Shocker's turn. Tarzan's the closes to being in so he'll start. Off the ropes, over, quick turn and kick. Chop, corner whip, corner clothesline. Tarzan does a little dance. Corner whip, Shocker stops shot and launches Tarzan into the corner. Wheel kick! Springboard dropkick! Shocker fakes the dive and does the pose. Vamp and Rey in. Vamp gets the crowd behind him. Exchanging right hands - Vamp with a slam, Rey slides behind, standing switch, Rey with a mule kicked (ruled inside thigh by the tecnico ref), right is duck, Vamp hits a kick, Rey hits a dropkick. Rey mocks the Vamp chant, charges Vamp and gets thrown in the corner just like Tarzan. Tarzan now in, and ducking a spin kick, he hits a dropkick but Rey pulls out Vamp to beat him down before Tarzan can miss his own corner charge. When we come back, Tarzan is instead charging Atlantis in the corner, Atlantis backdrops him but Tarzan with a cocky move to the apron - forearm for Atlantis, going, up, pose, and he gets crotched by Atlantis. I guess inside of the thigh? Tarzan falls to the floor - suicide tope! That leaves Shocker and Ultimo and they go right at with with a slap battle. Ultimo the better of it initially but Shocker comes back - stinging jabs and a big right slap takes Ultimo down. Ultimo up but taken down with a double leg. Powerbomb? Yes.  Jacknife cover one - low blow punch from Rey on the outside! That's not friendly looking. Ultimo covers one two three. (3:50) Atlantis pleads their case but it ain't happening. Rey tells Vamp to stop fighting him because he just lost. Vamp's all "I know you cheated and I'm gonna be ticked at you when I figure out how." Tarzan ends his second straight fall by grabbing his knee while being down on the ground, not a good sign.

Next Week: Atlantis, Rayo De Jalisco Jr., Shocker, Ultimo Guerrero, Rey Bucanero, Tarzan Boy, Lizmark Jr. Mr. Niebla, Black Tiger, Mascara Ano 2000 and much more.

Someone is making an announcement but we're not interested in it. Once last look at the participants in the main event (including the mascot) and we're done.

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.

Closing Notes: 

1. Poor Apolo Dantes.
2. Zumbido was quite good - I'm looking forward to more of that between him and Marvin.
3. To me, Super Crazy has fit in well but not established himself as much better than a half-dozen other second tier guys. Hope he does soon.
4. I think I've got to pace myself better for longer shows
5. Maybe it won't take me...um...3 weeks to do the next one? Tough to get in the habit.