CMLL on Fox Sports (Mexico): 2013-11-30

 

Reapper ride to nowhere

recap

taped 2013-11-22 @ Arena Mexico
Atlantis, Blue Panther, La Máscara vs Kráneo, Psyco Ripper, Vangellys: Filler match to reintroduce Psyco Ripper and give him a win, which makes sense with what was coming later in the show. Match picked up in the last couple of falls. La Mascara and Atlantis both do a lot of the same stuff in every match, but Atlantis makes it seem less forced.

 

murder via dropkick

Rush vs Negro Casas: Another really strong match between these two. Shorter than usual but Rush made it up by squeezing in enough heelish expressions for twice as long match. Negro survived more than won, when it looked like he might not do either for a while. Felino as announcer worked out well and the short length made sense given the match they were doing.

 

Dorada seems to get faster even after hits Dragon Rojo

Máscara Dorada, Mistico, Valiente vs Euforia, Último Guerrero, Volador Jr.: They told the Volador turn well during the match, which is good since whoever makes the edits was absurd enough to cut out the post match angle. It felt like week one of an eight week turn, but Volador both shaking Mistico’s hand and beating him with Mistica got big reactions from the crowd. Rest of match was fine. Second fall finishes were very rough and third fall felt very rushed. Dorada’s tope was crazy.

Ari Romero passes away, Los Gringos VIP keeps titles, Pequeno Reyes del Aire

photo by Black Terry Jr.

IWRG (SUN) 12/29/2013 Arena Naucalpan [Black Terry Jr. (flickr), IWRG]
1) Atomic Star & Electro Boy b Látigo & Sky Ángel
2) Emperador Azteca, Hip Hop Man, Seiya b Anubis Black, Fulgor I, Fulgor II
3) Canis Lupus, Dowki, Imposible b Chico Che, Diva Salvaje, Miss Gaviota
4) Rey Hechicero, Súper Nova, X-Fly DQ Alan Extreme, Negro Navarro, Veneno
Rudos took 1/3. X-Fly tried to hit Veneno with a drink tray, hit the ref instead, gave the tray to Veneno, and Veneno was DQed.
5) Apolo Estrada Jr., Avisman, El Hijo del Diablo b Black Terry, Bombero Infernal, Dr. Cerebro [EdM Trios]
Gringos are champions and took falls 1/3 to keep the titles. In the third, Terry eliminated Avisman and dove onto Apolo. Doc Cerebro tried to finish Hijo del Diablo, but Avisman tripped him up and Diablo took advantage to beat him and win the title. Second defense (first was also against this team.)

Hooray USA!

Looks like they did some Hechicero & Navarro spots, even though that wasn’t the focus of the result. Same thing last week with Negro Casas & Negro Navarro, where they feuded even though the finish was something else (and clearly screwed up on vidoe.)

Ari “el Gato” Romero passed away Sunday. He was 62. Romero was a great rudo during the 70s and 80s, including feuding with the Guerreros in Ciudad Juarez around the start of Eddie Guerrero’s career. Romero was known for winning chain matches and for using a fork on his opponents (“El Rey del Tenedor”). Romero wrestled in Mexico City under his own name in the 80s. When the wrestling world began to shrink in the early 90s, Romero returned to Mexico City as the masked masked Gran Shiek for a few years, ultimately losing it the mask to Blue Demon in 1994. Romero would return to Juarez and wrestle there and occasionally elsewhere; the most recent match I know of his was last November, when he was on a trios opposite of Mil Mascaras. His son also became a luchador in Ciudad Juarez.

Alfredo has more thoughts on Ari Romero. CMLL will likely have a moment of applause for Romero this week.

Fantasma del Espacio lost his mask in Xalapa.

Lineups

CMLL (SUN) 01/05/2014 Arena Mexico
1) Hombre Bala Jr. & Súper Halcón Jr. vs Guerrero Negro Jr. & Herodes Jr.
2) Dark Angel, Estrellita, Goya Kong vs Amapola, Princesa Sugheit, Tiffany
3) Eléctrico vs Astral, Stukita, Shockercito, Último Dragoncito, Demus 3:16, Mercurio, Pierrothito, Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Nitro [Pequeno Reyes del Aire]
4) La Máscara, La Sombra, Super Porky vs Negro Casas, Rey Bucanero, Terrible
5) Atlantis, Máscara Dorada, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Mr. Niebla, Último Guerrero

Dia de Reyes card (a day early.)

Sombra and Volador are on the same card for the first time since Volador’s turn – maybe they’ll pass in the aisle.

Past Pequeno Reyes del Aire winners:
2007: Pequeno Damian 666 (Demus 3:16)
2008: Mascarita Dorada
2009: Pequeno Black Warrior (and someone from Puebla, results never were posted)
2010: Pequeno Nitro
2011: Pequeno Olimpico
2012: Ultimo Dragoncito
2012: Pequeno Black Warrior (two of ’em)
2013: Aereo

Aereo is not in the field this year. Neither is Warrior, which is good news. Bam Bam, Fantasy, Violencia and Universo are also MIA. I’d expect Astral or Electrico to win, but I’m rooting for Stukita with the massive upset.

CMLL on CadenaTres: 2013-11-30

 

Leono extra spinninng headscissors

recap

taped 2013-11-26 @ Arena Mexico
Leono & Metálico vs Disturbio & Inquisidor: Better than the average opener. Metálico and Disturbio were both good in this, with some quality wrestling and rare intentional comedy spots in the opener. They mixed up from the usual formula and it felt like more an interesting match than usual.

 

Soberano tornillo

Pegasso, Soberano Jr., Tritón vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Canelo Casas, Nitro: Notable for the incredibly short third fall – they must’ve gone long in the first because they were hurrying to wrap it up by the end. (Even then, it went much longer than they wanted because Bestia Negra’s strict application of the rules.) Soberano got a chance to do more than guys are usually allowed in the segunda and made the most of it – both his tornillo and his tope con giro to the floor were eye catching spots. Canelo Casas seems just like a guy, and a guy who is too obviously setting up for técnicos do stuff to him.

 

Soberano tope con giro

Dark Angel, Estrellita, Goya Kong vs Amapola, Tiffany, Zeuxis: Another match which was more fun because it varied from the usual pattern. The opening blitzkrieg by the técnicas was totally unsuspected and plenty of fun. The rest of the match was more patterned like a typical match, but they were working at a good level and there weren’t the usual problems. The ending sequence worked well. Zeuxis has returned from Japan selling like a goofball, which was also fun. One of the better women’s trios in some time.

 

return of whip reversal battle

Stuka Jr., Thunder, Titán vs Terrible, Tiger, Vangellys: Once upon a time, Strong Man was a occasional guest here – until he took a few super bombs from Terrible & Texano and was never seen again. That was sad, but I so want history to repeat itself with Thunder. Rest of the match was good. Titan and Tiger had good sequences, and Tiger remains a better member of this group when there are guys his own size to fight and he gets to do more than sell. No Titan/Terrible stuff like last week though. Vangelis gutted thru an injury on a weirdly conceived spot to finish the match and deserves some credit for doing so. This was good.

 

Zeuxis boosted knee smash

Máximo, Shocker, Super Porky vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión: Okay main event but the Escorpion/Maximo feud isn’t working like the Porky/Maximo one did. That felt something out of the norm, this feels like another Máximo feud. Máximo is set up for a revenge match but hasn’t acted like a guy who is angry about anything in the matches.

#superkick