Recapped: 07/12/2016
What happened: Kushida & Marco won the tag team tournament when Escorpión gave up and fouled them both for the DQ. Marco & Kushida seemed like they were going to win anyway, and Escorpión fouled his partner Shocker for good measure. No other feud were set up.
What was good: I liked the tercera and the opener wasn’t bad. The Kushida/Marco vs Felino/Niebla Roja tag match was the best match of either tag team tournament on both days, though nothing you must see.
Where can I watch it: It’s on CMLL’s channel.
Match 1: Astral, Fantasy, Stukita vs Mercurio, Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Olímpico ©
Arena México, 07/12/2016
- rudos
- Pequeño Olímpico cradle Stukita (6:45)
- Mercurio low blow dropkick Fantasy (7:54)
- técnicos
- Stukita Rosa Driver Pequeño Nitro (3:07)
- Astral reverse figure four Mercurio (3:21)
- técnicos
- Fantasy Spanish Fly Pequeño Olímpico (4:33)
Winner: técnicos (1/3)
Match Time: 15:38
Review: [ok] better than average opener despite nothing being great. There was a little bit of awkwardness (like the Fantasy clothesline before the double dive spot the cameras missed), but the rudos kept the action moving in the first couple falls and the técnicos had good effort. The sequence to defeat Stukita was very well done.
Match 2: Estrellita, Lluvia, Princesa Sugehit vs Amapola, Dalys, Zeuxis
Arena México, 07/12/2016
- tecnicas
- Estrellita middle rope elbow drop Dalys (6:44)
- rudas
- Zeuxis double knee smash Princesa Sugehit (2:38)
- Amapola Devils’ Wings Lluvia (2:59)
- tecnicas
- Dalys spinning side slam Estrelita (4:52)
Winner: tecnicas (1/3)
Match Time: 14;35
Review: [ok] another better than usual match, with no real big flubs and the usual suspects looking good. With Estrellita/Dalys and Zeuxis/Sugehit keeping their feud going, these matches have a little more intensity than the usually randomly put together stuff. Even slight reasons for matches to exist are better than the usual no reason we get. Zeuxis & Sugehit did a good job of mixing things up, and there feels like there’s more life in that feud. Dalys & Estrellita still looked shaky at moments, though not as bad as last week. Amapola dropping people on their faces is still fun.
Match 3: Blue Panther Jr. vs Sagrado in a lightning match
Arena México, 07/12/2016
Winner: Blue Panther Jr.
Match Time: 6:23
Review: [good] Sagrado is either Blue Panther Jr.’s best opponent or everyone’s best opponent, because Panther looked like a real fighter here and had one of his best singles matches. (Better than everything in En Busca de un Idolo.) Junior has come a ways already and got exposed at least two years before he was ready, but he had some good timing and offense in this one, and Sagrado was willing to take a few crazy bumps to help out. Finish was well done.
Match 4: Blue Panther, Stuka Jr., Valiente vs Kráneo, Okumura, Ripper
Arena México, 07/12/2016
- rudos
- Kraneo hip attack Stuka (4:59)
- Okumura Michinoku Driver Valiente (5:07)
- técnicos
- Stuka torpedo splash Ripper (2:42)
- rudos
- Kraneo senton Blue Panther (5:33)
Winner: rudos (1/3)
Match Time: 13:22
Review: [good] best match of the night for me, with a lot of energy thru the third fall and some good drama in usual Blue Panther fashion. They didn’t do anything extraordinary but it was a professional midcard trios match and that’s well above the bar on this show. They’ve really got to stop shooting Kraneo’s hip smash in a way that exposes it; they should’ve figured it out after one time, and they still use the worst angle every time.
Match 5: Kushida & Marco Corleone vs Tama Tonga & Tangaroa and Rey Escorpión & Shocker and Felino & Niebla Roja in a seeding battle royal match
Arena México, 07/12/2016
- Niebla Roja out (1:52)
- Kushida out (2:03)
Winner: Rey Escorpión & Tama Tonga
Match Time: 2:03
Match 6: Kushida & Marco Corleone vs Felino & Niebla Roja in a tournament semifinal match
Arena México, 07/12/2016
Winner: Kushida & Marco Corleone
Match Time: 6:03
Match 7: Tama Tonga & Tangaroa vs Rey Escorpión & Shocker in a tournament semifinal match
Arena México, 07/12/2016
Winner: Rey Escorpión & Shocker
Match Time: 3:17
Notes: Tama & Tanga jump Escorpión & Shocker on the way to ring.
Match 8: Kushida & Marco Corleone vs Rey Escorpión & Shocker in a tournament final match
Arena México, 07/12/2016
Winner: Kushida & Marco Corleone
Match Time: 5:25
Notes: Rey Escorpión fouled both Marco and Kushida to save the match, then Shocker after the fact
