CMLL Line - 01/17/04 (#111)

1 Havana Brothers (Rocky (c), Ricky, Quance) vs Zumbido, Alan Stone, Virus (c)
10/24/03, Arena Mexico
64
1 trios 1:25 Virus standing crucifix roll Rocky fine for what we saw
T Tecnicos (2-1)

Notes: JIP. This is after Ricky Reyes has replaced Puma Kid, and after Bobby Quance recovered from a head injury that left him replaced by Alan Stone (long hair) for a couple weeks. They're still calling him "Ricky" Romero, but I'll ignore in the sake of sanity. There's the "Alan against the team he was just a member of" story here, but the bigger one is "Virus has Romero's number." Zumbido's a tecnico because it gets him in this match, I guess. Not a real bad thing.

Zumbido has Quance pinned as we come in, but only gets two. Zumbido isn't happy with that count and stops to argue, which may cost him. Charging clothesline is ducked, and Quance hits a jumping spinning kick. Well, "hits" may be too strong of a world. Slam, and he's going up. Rocky and Ricky point up to help illustrate. Shooting Star Press, Zumbido rolls, Quance lands on his feet (not well - goodbye knees) but gets dropkicked by Alan anyway. It wasn't even that great of a dropkick. Ricky in and being worked over with open hand slaps by Zumbido and Alan. Double whip, Ricky goes over Zumbido and right into Alan's fireman's carry lift. Forward slam drop as Zumbido goes up. Alan's running? Somersault plancha on Quance! I guess it was on Quance, because Alan just dived to the floor and Rocky was on the apron and I sure hope Alan's not just hitting the floor hard for fun. Meanwhile, Zumbido misses his moonsault (not landing on his feet), and gets dropkicked to the floor by Ricky. Pescado. Is that booing? That wasn't the best pescado, but it wasn't horrible. Virus and Rocky in - Virus tries dropkick, but it's waved away. Whip reversed, Virus tire a backdrop, Rocky goes over with a sunset flip, Virus rolls through and tries that dropkick to the face again, but Rocky moves. Both up, Virus' right is blocked, Rocky's right is blocked, Rocky's left is blocked, Virus bars that arm, steps over, grabs the far side of Rocky's body and rolls him over into a cradle one two three. (1:25 shown) I think that's a standing crucifix roll. Rocky is up and ticked that he lost like that. Virus makes the belt motions! So does Zumbido! Give everyone a belt. Replays.

Vignette: Because it's Halloween week (and they've got nothing better to do, like SHOW MATCHES), here's the award winning bit from two years ago where Emilio dreams he's turned into a werewolf and tries to kill his non-Shocker-liking girlfriend.

2 Pierroth (c), Talibanes (Emilio, Bestia) vs Capos (Universo 2K (c), MascaraY2K), Violencia
10/24/03, Arena Mexico
60
1 trios 2:22
3:54
Pierroth dragon sleeper Universo
Pierroth DQ (excessive beatdown)
It's a Pierroth match.
2 4:16 Universo reversed sunset flip Pierroth
T 9:10 Universo (2-0)

Notes: This is follow up from last week's Taliban/Capos fighting, but also in reality gives Pierroth some partners to continue his feud against his ex-partner Violencia and Universo, seeing everyone left is either a female, a midget, or incapable of getting a match on TV (Nitro!) They do have the Halloween set up going. Ring announcer talks about Bestia facing Blue Demon Jr. in LA. Meanwhile, Emilio is an admirer of Osama (or maybe it's the other way?) and a member of Al Queda. He's a busy guy. Pierroth attacks Universo before Violencia even gets his introduction, which speeds up the process of me ignoring this.

Beatdown. Did Violencia grow giant sideburns? He did! Those put Rico to shame. Okay, that's all you're getting out of this. Wait, no, sure likes like Violencia has GdI-ish tights here; after the mask/mask, they said on the website that Violencia was part of the group but they haven't really done anything here to acknowledge it. Bestia goes through a lot of effort to wedge Mascara's leg into a folding chair. Emilio walks around ringside with Violencia expecting people to flee their seats, but they don't really. Oh, they took the seat of some girl to beat up Mascara, and the woman isn't happy about having Mascara Ano's leg in her chair. The camera misses and I have to watch it twice to figure it out, but Universo gives up to a Pierroth dragon sleeper (2:22) only for Emilio and Pierroth to keep beating him up till the always lame DQ (3:54). First time through, they barely showed the give, and it looked like Universo was just waving off giving up, despite being in a sleeper for near a minute, but he was giving up - it looks too the same sometimes. Replays.

Violencia takes the 3 on 1. Universo takes the 3 on 1. Mascara takes the 3 on 1, though it's a bit slow because Violencia gets on the apron to argue something. They clip to Universo taking a 3 on 1 again, and the rudos actually survive corner charges. The down fall comes when Pierroth turns around to take off his belt, leaving Emilio and Bestia to get ambushed by the other two tecnicos. Freed, Universo waits for Pierroth to turn around and spears him. Comeback on. Mascara wastes no time in setting up the seat wedge spot on someone else. Tecnicos get the belt - Universo opts to chop instead of using it right away and it gets taken away before he can use it much. Mascara wants it back though, because h knows that's how you get anyone to care. Who threw it back to him? Pierroth gets a belt shot across the back before getting free. They start to slow down to a normal match, but an obvious clip takes us ahead - Pierroth gets the brief advantage in the captains one on one, leading to the underlings squaring off, tecnicos doing the "we're too strong for your clotheslines to work" stuff and eventually eliminating everyone with pescados. Violencia actually hits more of La Nazi than Emilio, but everyone goes down. Universo and Pierroth back in, though a shoulderblock takes Pierroth back out. Pierroth tries a slingshot sunset flip (not a lot of aesthetic beauty in that one) Universo rolls it back and hooks his feet under the ropes to prevent a roll back, one two three. (4:16) Over. Yay. Pierroth wants the mask, but whatever he's saying is clipped. And he goes after Morales again, and Morales takes off into the crowd again. They play a game of chase, circling around a section. Replays.

Stellar Moments
La Llave:
Super Comamdno drops Sombre de Plata with a behind the back face first powerbomb, then rolls him in to a - let's try reverse tapatia.
El Tecnico: Neutron with a nice 2nd rope springboard reverse tope on Halcon Negro
La Combinacion: Ultimo and Violencia do a double powerbomb lift on Averno, and Warrior finishes it off with a top rope legdrop.
El Triunfo: Averno's no hands somersault plancha still looks neat. Meanwhile, Mephisto picks up a fall on Ultimo with a 'rana reversal powerbomb and feet on the ropes.
Lo Doloroso: Mesala and Ramstein team up for the legdrop/side back breaker combo.

Vignette: In another repeat from Halloween past, midget Tzuki starts in Scream Ice Cream. This was also fun. Featuring a cameo from Super Astro! What this has to do with the next match, god only knows.

3 GdI (Ultimo, Rey, Tarzan (c)) vs Ola Azul (Atlantis, El Hijo de Lizmark, Mr. Niebla (c))
10/24/03, Arena Mexico
73
1 trios 1:45 Triple CO (Ultimo, Rey, Tarzan) Fun, but well too short to be anything. Clips suck.
2 0:51
1:31
triple submission on Lizmark
double submission on Niebla
3 1:56
2:01
Atlantida on Ultimo
Nelbina on Rey
T 5:17 Tecnicos (2-1)

Notes: Everyone do the forearm taunt. Tarzan has a short hair cut now. Those are nice new vest things? I guess. Rey must've tripped on his way in the ring because the crowd was laughing at something when we were looking at Ultimo posing, and Ultimo went and checked on Rey after. Oh no the midget. Lizmark does not come out last, that's an upset. He does have quite the dreadlocks going. These introductions are getting longer all the sudden - everything the guy's done in the last week, down to picking up the dry cleaning. Azul is a babyface trio group that's not done really anything since I've been watching, between tecnico trios being so mix and match and Lizmark not showing when they were in the midst of a feud for the CMLL Trios titles last year and being replaced by Black Warrior. Anyway, this group made such an impact that Box y Lucha didn't even realize it was this trio when recapping the match. Only the graphic guy cares, but he's a stubborn sort. "Blue Wave" is a cool name, though, and everyone is wearing some shade of blue. GdI have opted for black with yellow highlights and do the huddle dance.

It'll be Tarzan versus Lizmark in the battle of different hair styles. Crowd shot, so maybe not. Yep, Ultimo and Niebla now. Niebla's dance gets him a back elbow, and deservingly so. Ultimo with a derisive gesture for the crowd, and a corner whip for Niebla. Charge in meets the sole of Niebla's boot, and Niebla's charge out meets an easily escapable monkey flip. Ultimo is waved past into the ropes and takes a low hiptoss. Niebla charges, Ultimo tries to hiptoss him out, but Niebla does the bounce off the top rope armdrag thing he likes doing. As Ultimo slides out, Rey rushes in to try his luck. Rey's initial clothesline misses, but a followed up open hand slap works. Niebla just lets the slap flow through his body, and smacks Tarzan in the back of the head as he taunts the crowd from the apron. Clothesline from Niebla misses, Rey's open hand slap connects again, but it just compels Niebla (and Rey) to dance. Rey off the ropes, under, into a monkey flip and flying near out of control to the floor, yow. I don't think he got near as much of the ropes on the way over as he wanted and came real close to cracking the back of his head on the apron. Tarzan tries to sneak in with a senton on Niebla while he's still down for the monkey flip, but Niebla spots him and rolls. Atlantis in to take Tarzan out with a dropkick, while Ultimo manages a corner whip on an entering Lizmark. Ultimo follows, but no one's home and Ultimo takes the knee bump to the floor. TRIPLE TOPE! That was cool. All six men are down - anyone going to beat the twenty count. Do we care about the twenty count this week? Let's watch that spot again - and back in the ring, where it appears the tecnicos all made it back in. Not that we saw the count or anything. (1:45)

Tecnicos rally the crowd, though Tarzan Boy finds a sign of his to hold up. Tarzan holds it proudly till someone makes a move towards him. CLIIIIIP. Middle of a beatdown on tecnicos. Atlantis is out on the stage, Niebla is wandering outside, and Lizmark is being grabbed by Rey and Ultimo. Tarzan sits on the top rope corner buckle and double kicks Lizmark in the back when he's dragged over there. Rey and Ultimo follow with simultaneous kicks to the chest, dropping Lizmark in the corner and Tarzan finishes with senton-like elbow drops to both knees. Unusual spot. Rey works in a boot scrape and Ultimo gets his headstand sit. Wacky triple submission finishes Lizmark (:51), though Niebla is in to stick up for his team. Double whip, double boot. Rey with Gory Special, Tarzan and Ultimo off the ropes for the double bulldog. Ultimo helps Tarzan hit a bodyscissors legdrop on Niebla's back. Rey jacknifes into a upside down Boston Crab, Ultimo adds an upside down surfboard-kinda and Tarzan stands on top of all of them to pose - that'll do it. (1:31) Everyone pose. Tarzan relaxes on the ropes. Look at the crowd. Rey's got the midget! No, Baby Richards is going to take the midget away. That's not a good rudo ref. Rey grabs him back and starts spanking the midget. ULTIMO SLAMS THE MIDGET. Get the stretcher! Anyway, replays. And now, the modified Steiner pose.

GdI is so into celebrating, they almost miss Atlantis slipping back in to start this fall. CLIP. This would've been such a fun a match. But it's not really much of one, you know? We come back right in time for the comeback, the GdI sit going wrong before it even gets to start. Niebla beats Rey around ringside, as Ultimo takes tilt-a-whirl backbreakers and Lizmark tries a devastating chinlock of some sort. And fifteen seconds later, we're back to a normal match. Lizmark and Tarzan in - Lizmark tries a jumping spin kick, but Tarzan ducks, Tarzan with forearms, whip, reversed, over, under and nailed by a superkick. Replay of something we didn't see: the midget got an apron dive splash on Rey. Back live, Tarzan gets backdropped to the floor, lands on his feet but Lizmark will soon change that - Asai Moonsault! Lizmark might have nailed someone in the front row with a leg on the way down. Back in the ring, GdI have avoided the tecnicos dropkicks. Off the ropes, rudo clotheslines miss, Atlantis gets in a dropkick to the knee and Niebla eventually hits a handspring revere tope. Atlantis charges Ultimo, but Ultimo moves and waves him into the corner with help from Rey. GdI miss a double clothesline on Niebla, and he goes over to help Atlantis. Ultimo charges in, Atlantis lifts up Niebla and Niebla double boots Ultimo down, before charging into the monkey flipped tope on Rey. And that should do it - Atlantida on Ultimo, Nelbina on Rey, it's over. (2:01) The midget gets put on Rey's back to forearm taunt, which is so wrong. Darn midget. Tecnicos take the match, but now they're holding Ultimo for the midget to get a shot. Handstand double kick, booo. Ultimo try's to lunge at the midget and gets eye poked. Atlantis is going for Ultimo's mask? That's wrong.

Next Week: Atlantis, Blue panther, Mr. Niebla, Black Warrior, Vampiro, Tarzan, Pierroth, Shocker, Negro Casas, and much much more.

Back, where Atlantis has remembered that Ultimo has a belt and is making such motions. Replays.  


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.

Breakdowns: 2.3 Matches (15:52) about 26.4% of showtime; (60:00)
Average Match Rating 65.7
Overall Show Rating: 2
3 Trios
3 Tecnico over Rudo wins
Show Assessment: Weak, but no

Closing Notes: 

1. I have a theory, that all things considered, you're better off taking the missed splash bump rather than put the strain on your knees to land on your feet, if the next move is someone knocking you down anyway. But then I haven't taken either, so it may actually work out the other way. For other reasons, it doesn't seem to be that realistic from a storyline perspective; there doesn't seem to be enough time to abort unless you know you're going to do it from the word go.
2. As often happens, the use of TV time on this show is completely incredible.
3. The main event had the makings of a good match we didn't get to see.
4. 2 in the row for the side of good.