Recapped: 07/01/2016
What happened: Mephisto defeated Mistico to retain the CMLL Welterweight Championship. Dragon Lee & La Mascara were at ringside, but didn’t get involved in the match and Mistico was defeated cleanly.
Atlantis (as a sub for Caristico) and Ultimo Guerrero won an eight team tournament. They defeated Rush & Volador in what was unusually a three fall final to the tournament. It was also pointlessly a three fall final: the young men lost the first fall in just over a minute, then lost the second fall in just over a minute. It was a lackluster end to a largely useless tournament, the shortest match of the entire series. (It’s possible the final was hurried because the show was running very long – the show reached 11:30pm local, the latest they’ve gone in memory – but it didn’t explain why they needed to do two crap finishes in a row.)
The tag tournament did set up two matches for next week. The terrible Volador/Rush vs Ultimo Guerrero/Atlantis match will be rematched in seven days. At least more time might improve that match. An uninspiring Rockstar/Mascara vs Casas/Shocker tournament match will now become a tag title match next week, which promises to be a struggle.
Rockstar & Mascara promptly lost their next match quickly. All three NJPW teams were eliminated in the first round.
Surprisingly, there was no Ares/King Jaguar match set up. The two did feud in their (bad and lengthy) match, but were not directly involved with each other on the finish.
What was good: a The opener was a lot of fun. The main event didn’t reach the heights it could’ve – there was one singular believable near fall before the finish – but might be more enjoyable without having to deal with the tournament. Under no circumstances should you watch the second match or the tournament.
Where can I watch it: It’s on CMLL’s YouTube channel, and it’ll be aired in some form on 52MX in a couple weekends (though who knows what matches they’ll pick.)
Match 1: Astro, Asturiano, Último Dragóncito vs Espíritu Maligno, Mini Joker, Pierrothito
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
- técnicos
- Astro Indian Deathlock Mini Joker (7:28)
- Ultimo Dragoncito spinning small package Pierrothito (7:48)
- rudos
- Pierrothito Pierrothina Asturiano (4:31)
- Espíritu Maligno Alejandrina Ultimo Dragoncito (4:23)
- tecnicos
- Mini Joker & Astro double pin (3:13)
- Astruiano springboard moonsault Pierrothito (5:27)
Winner: técnicos (1/3)
Match Time: 17:38
Review: [good] fast moving and well worked minis match, easily better than usual quality opener. The locals all did pretty well, with Astro & Espíritu working so well against each other that it seems like they must train against each other. Pierrothito & Ultimo Dragoncito worked hard for an opener, and they had some extra drama with the double pin. This didn’t have the big moves, due to fall limitations, but Espíritu still found a way to almost dive.
Match 2: Black Tiger, King Jaguar, Oro Jr. vs Ares, Disturbio, Fuerza Chicana
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
- rudos
- Ares legscissors armbar King Jaguar (10:00)
- Fuerza Chicana modified tirabuzon Oro Jr. (10:40)
- técnicos
- Oro Jr. moonsault bodyblock (4:36)
- King Jaguar inside cradle Ares (4:39)
- técnicos
- Black Tiger el Pulpo Ares (6:33)
- King Jaguar kneeling surfboard Disturbio (6:36)
Winner: técnicos (2/3)
Match Time: 21:55
Notes: Ares & King Jaguar feuded. Rudos got Black Tiger’s mask at one point in the first fall, but it wasn’t a DQ, and he got a new one between falls.
Review: [below average] A complete mess of a brawl, just a meandering waste of time in the first fall which didn’t get much better in the second fall. This felt like they were just stalling because someone was running late, but the guys in the match were more committed to doing nothing much and nothing well for all the time they had. This was about as boring as CMLL matches can get. It recovered a bit in the third fall, but not so much that you’d want to watch the thing. The seemed like a terrible way to set up a big match next week, but then they didn’t set it up.
Match 3: tlantis & Último Guerrero vs Rush & Volador Jr. and Tama Tonga & Tangaroa and Kráneo & Kushida and Michael Elgin & Ripperand La Máscara & Sharlie Rockstar and Diamante Azul & Rey Escorpión and Negro Casas & Shocker in a relevos increíbles match
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
- Kraneo out (2:26)
- Diamante Auzl (2:35)
- Tama Tonga (2:38)
- Volador (2:40)
- Atlantis (2:57)
- Ripper (3:06)
Winner: Shocker & La Mascara
Match Time: 3:06
Notes: Note all the eliminations occurred within a minute.
Match 4: Kráneo & Kushida vs Diamante Azul & Rey Escorpión in a tournament quarterfinal match
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
Winner: Diamante Azul & Rey Escorpión
Match Time: 5:34
Match 5: Rush & Volador Jr. vs Tama Tonga & Tangaroa in a tournament quarterfinal match
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
Winner: Volador & Rush
Match Time: 3:04
Match 6: Atlantis & Último Guerrero vs Michael Elgin & Ripper in a tournament quarterfinal match
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
Winner: Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero
Match Time: 4:36
Match 7: La Máscara & Sharlie Rockstar vs Negro Casas & Shocker in a tournament quarterfinal match
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
Winner: La Mascara & Sharlie Rockstar
Match Time: 4:37
Notes: Mascara & Shocker ignored their alliance on Friday shows. Mascara & Rockstar noted they beat the tag team champions, and demanded a title match next week. Casas & Shocker accepted, but Mascara & Rockstar still attacked them.
Match 8: Diamante Azul & Rey Escorpión vs Rush & Volador Jr. in a tournament semifinal match
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
Winner: Volador & Rush
Match Time: 2:35
Notes: Rey Escorpión and Rush didn’t fight, playing up their alliance. Escorpion broke up a Diamante Azul to cost him the match.
Match 9: Atlantis & Último Guerrero vs La Máscara & Sharlie Rockstar in a tournament semifinal match
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
Winner: Atlantis & Utltimo Guerrero
Match Time: 3:21
Match 10: Atlantis & Último Guerrero vs Rush & Volador Jr. in a tournament final match
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
- Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero
- Atlantis Atlantida Rush (1:15)
- Ultimo Guerrero Atlantida Volador Jr. (1:15)
- Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero
- DQ Rush [unmasked Atlantis] (1:16)
Winner: Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero
Match Time: 2:31
Notes: This was quickly announced as being three falls before the whistle blew, but Volador & Rush were already attacking the old men at the same time. It wasn’t especially clear it was meant to be three falls until the second fall sign came out, not that it really went that long. The two falls went last than 3 minutes combined, and less than the post match promo. I’m passing on rating the matches in this tournament, but this was a powerfully bad finish to the tournament.
Atlantis had Volador up in Atlantida again when Rush unmasked him. Rush & Volador demanded a rematch match next week. Atlantis & UG eventually accepted, but Atlantis ended up unmasked again.
Match 11: Mephisto © vs Mistico for the CMLL World Welterweight Championship
Arena Puebla, 07/11/2016
- Mephisto trap cradle (2:30)
- Mistico huracanrana (1:25)
- Mephisto Rosa Driver (8:50)
Winner: Mephisto (1/3)
Match Time: 12:45
Notes: Dragon Lee (making his first appearance since Mascara took him out) and La Mascara were seconds, but did not get involved in the match. Tirantes was referee, and got involved with his usual slow counts.
Review: [good] Probably will be better out of context than it was live – the tournament final killed the show for me, though the crowd was still in for rooting for Mistico in the main event. The title match felt a lot like checking off Mistico’s big moves (headscissors to the floor, moonsault to the floor, springboard headscissors pulling rudo off the ropes), with not much focus on teasing a winner. It feels like you can get all of that in his trios matches, with hotter action around it. Mephsito did try to win with submissions, but none that usually win for him, and Mistico matches are structured that he has to at least try La Mistica before a result can occur. That didn’t happen until the last 30 seconds, and they went right to the finish after Mephisto got his feet on the ropes. Mistico losing clean was very surprising, and Mephisto continues to get a lot of wins this year. (No tease of a mask match though.)
