CMLL Line - 11/22/03 (#103)

Vignette: Pierroth and Violencia sign for their mask vs mask match. This at a press conference, so there's a lack of violence but masked wrestlers (in this case, Ultimo Guerrero, who appears to be seconding Violencia for at least this) wearing suits. They have those awesome posters behind them. Pierroth talks a lot. Looks like the full compliment of Boricuas, including Sadam, are there. Pierroth's point is Violencia is stupid for leaving him, and stupid for taking him on in a hair/mask match, but you expect those kind of things from Mexico wrestlers. Pierroth gives us the list of people he's beat in stakes matches: Apolo Dantes, Gran Markus, Mascara Ano, Cien Caras, Porky. Violencia says it'll be the historic day of Violencia with help from GdI, but Pierroth is interrupting to mock throughout. Violencia is only annoyed. Pose.

Notes: Joined post entrances, so it's tough to immediately tell who's actually in this match. Announcers do clear it up. Boricuas get in a lot of shots before they leave.

GdI are working as tecnicos here, which has become quite a trend. Bestia's hair is still short. Rudo beatdown to start. Pierroth has the most leisurely looking elbow drop. Bestia pins Ultimo with a normal senton (1:30) as I'm sad to Ultimo and Rey drawn into this. Triple pump powerbomb on Rey isn't as cool as how the Infernales do it. (1:55) Pierroth gets a hold of Violencia right as that pin's being counted, and Taliban get to kick him - they're going to cost themselves this fall, aren't they? They're beating him for a good twenty seconds after the match, so yes, hand raised. (2:04) Over turned fall doesn't get much of a reaction, and I figure this is yet another two fall match. Beatdown slowly goes on as we watch replays. Break.

Beatdown...goes on. We miss the opening whistle - wait, there it is. This fall probably goes far too long if we're dedicating a full segment to it. Let's note that Violencia is wearing the same color scheme as Rey and Ultimo. Somehow, Pete Sampras works his way into this match. Can you only order tickets from 11 to 2? That's kinda of odd. I swear, seconds go by where everyone is just standing around. Rey's doing an admirable job of selling like he's dead. Bestia actually brings in Ultimo for some wrestling, but not much. Ultimo gets put through the shredder. Rey's turn. Nothing more interesting than teaming big boots here. Violenca's turn - he avoids Pierroth's charge, kicks away Bestia and Emilio when they charge, ducks the, uh, double chop (?), twice, goes for a 'rana on Pierroth, and - gets powerbombed? Pierroth puts his feet on the ropes and covers one two three (1:48) I think Rey and Ultimo might have gotten wining moves on a second late there, because they're celebrating and then realize they got beat. We got no angle of it, just showing Pierroth in all his glory. Ah, here are the replays of that action - Rey's using the Fujiwara armbar too, and Ultimo got the Stretch Muffler on, but they had already counted Pierroth's pin. Because this must go on.

The crowd is loud, but not particularly reacting to the action. We've settled into some normal action, Pierroth and Violencia starting off. Violencia gets the better of that before Emilio boots him out. Emilio vs Ultimo - so let's go watch:

Hace Una Dias: Violencia outcheated Pierroth to win.

We're back, and Ultimo and Rey are running wild on the Taliban. Crowd is getting behind them, but not to an extreme degree. It turns into a brawl, and Taliban out slug the tag champs. Rey and Ultimo are run into each other on the ramp side apron. Pierroth and Violencia back in - oh, watch Pierroth not able to clothesline Violencia all the way out on one try. Now Pierroth, with backing from the other two, is beating Violencia up the ramp. Rey tries to make the save and it randomly turns around. This match is missing a certain intensity. Rey works in a ramp charge, monkey flip by Ultimo flying clothesline on both Emilio and Bestia. Ring cleared out, and Rey and Ultimo pescado the competition. Back to the captains - Pierroth gets Violencia down and goes for a leg lock, but Violencia reverses to a small package one two three and it's over (5:39) Pierroth kicked out almost exactly at 3.

Violencia gets mic time post match. He tells Pierroth to prepare to lose his hair on 9/19 (buy your tickets NOW).

Spectacular Moments:
El Triunfo: The Roman Soldier guy does a nice somersault plancha, and Super Comando has a wacky submission to win with
Lo Impresionate: Neutron goes for a springboard reverse tope and gets Ramstein dropkicks him from the side on the way down.
La Plancha: Super Porky, who must've lost a hair match and looks even fatter than usual, kills Panther and Emilio with a second rope dive.
Lo Doloroso: Zumbido and Super Crazy, jealous that the tecnicos get to do all the fun spots with the Havana Brothers, end up crotching Bobby Quance - on Rocky Romeo's head.
Lo Espectacular: In revenge, Quance, kills everyone with a suicide firebird plancha.

Vignette: Shocker and Tarzan Boy sign for their hair/hair match. Ultimo managed to get the same chair for both of these. Mascara Magica is here too. They show that nice poster to tease me. Guapos wear suits. Shocker has a nice watch too. Shocker says that in the ring, he'll prove he's better - looking. And also a better fighter. Pose. We got a bunch of posers this week.

Notes: Terrible does his Demon impersonation, making me wonder if I have had the wrong tall guy all along. The ring announcer says "NWA" the best way possible. Oh no Rayo? I must be mailing this in then. He really likes holding the vowels. Maybe it's because we're going to have a whole set of introductions without interruptions.

And before you think they might start with wrestling, the rudos tease walking out. Magadan's joke is that Doctor Alfonso Morales is "the Pete Sampras of microphone." We get a clip right in here. Vampiro's pescado on Terrible is WWE-ific. Atlantis does a lean in the ring headbutt now that's great it's seeming non-effectiveness. Atlantis and Rayo roll on Shocker and Wagner, finishing with the "two opponents entangled in suggestive position (and in a pinfall)" bit that everyone seems to be doing lately - Shocker ends up hitting a running splash on his partner by mistake, and they use him to hold down Wagner - for fall one. (2:44) Morales thanks Shocker for his great work there. Rayo goes for Wagner's mask but it doesn't look like anything is going to come from it. Oh no more ticket hype. Wagner wanders out to taunt the rowdy fans, Atlantis follows, Shocker follows him and tries to hold Atlantis for Wagner, but that goes as bad as usual.

Shocker is in control (even hitting the Shocker Special!) on Atlantis as we start fall two - I missed how that turned around. Atlantis of course turns it around in no time, taking care of Terrible in the process, and moving out of the way of double teams. Wagner comes in and it goes badly for him. There's a punching a guy in the corner spot that probably would've looked fine from any angle but they one they chose. Vampiro's turn, and before I get to say much, the rudos have ambushed the tecnicos and turned this into a beatdown. Shocker is showing off his karate poses to the front row, in between beating up on Rayo. Terrible and Wagner work over the guys in the ring. Vampiro takes the Wagner dropkick to the head and rolls right into a headlock on Wagner somehow (well, he's not really doing the headlock, it's a setup for the double back suplex that's the next spot, but the lack of some pause in between it was odd looking.) Terrible adds an elbow drop and gets a pin (3:06), yet Wagner is not mad at him. Imagine that. Anyway, beating is still going on Rayo on the outside, but Atlantis is brought back in to finish him off. Wagner uses a standing figure to cause him to quit. (3:41), though Shocker adds a top rope elbow after for absolutely no reason.

We go from rudo beatdown (though not the most intense one) to a crowd shot to Atlantis having Wagner up in Atlantida. So I'm think clip. Wagner escapes with a too late save from Terrible. Atlantis manages to run Terrible into Wagner and give him a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker before toping Wagner. Terrible and Rayo do a sequence, in which Terrible gets to stand like a goof for a couple seconds while Rayo sets for a second rope dropkick. Powerbomb! One two three. (:56) Vampiro chucks Shocker down with a chokeslam one two three. (1:02) Well, that wasn't really worth the trip. That was one chokeslam, though.

Hmm, we may get something out of it yet - Wagner's not happy with Terrible for running into him. SLAP. Oh that's a bad idea - not that Terrible is the most feared guy in the land or something, but he's a guy who'll punch you even when it's probably a good idea not to. He doesn't get the chance, though, as it's Shocker pulling Wagner off his student. They shove each other and Shocker encourages him to settle this right now. Fans are behind Shocker as they both swing a nd miss. Are they going to do this? Are they going to keep standing there? Waiting for each other to make a move - as an alternate solution, Ultimo Guerrero shows up, having come through the crowd to attack Shocker from behind. Wagner doesn't look immediately in on it, but doesn't seem to mind that much either. Rey's back out to help, and Tarzan Boy is there to pose and take advantage of his friends work. Terrible is tossed, and then Shocker is help up for Tarzan to work over. Wagner gets in his shots too. Good idea to run an bit to officially turn him back tecnico for the hair/hair match. Ultimo and Rey hold Shocker in the ropes so Tarzan can trash talk him to his face and on the microphone. Tarzan's going to take Shocker's hair. Shocker dares him to do it with no help - and Tarzan punches him in the face a few times. Break.

Next Week: Shocker, Hijo de Lizmark, Mr. Niebla, Ultimo Guerrero, Negro Casas, Rey Bucanero, Violencia, Apolo Dantes, Mascara Ano 2000, Sagrado, Perro Aguayo Jr. and much much more

Replays of the match finish. Back to live, where Terrible is out and Tarzan is beating Shocker with a rolled up poster - working on the left knee. Not that probably hurts, but it's sure annoying. Ultimo holds Shocker in prime taunting position, before picking him up so Tarzan can knock him down again. That's it.

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. Strange that they had Ultimo show up to punk Shocker first, not Tarzan
2. If it wasn't for that post match attack, this would be the most pointless show possible
3. We still got a couple weeks till either of the big matches make TV, too.
4. Luckily, there are some good undercard stuff that should make TV soon.