Recapped: 10/03/2016
What happened: I finally got back to recapping after a break. Elite taped their first show outside of Arena Mexico, moving to Arena Naucalpan for what would be a two week stint. This is their first TV show without CMLL, which is not acknowledged during the show. The show generally feels like they’re just putting out a card to fill out TV time, and haven’t yet figured out how the show is going to work with most of the Liga Elite guys no longer available. (Even near a month later, it’s unclear if they’re figured it out.) This show is really not notable outside of it being the start of the post-CMLL era; nothing really happens besides Rey Escorpion showing up at the end and Octagon & Fuerza having another singles match.
What was good: Nothing much. There were good spots, but the action never held up thru a whole match.
Where can I watch it: The YouTube Liga Elite channel.
Elite shows Arena Naucalpan, but uses the same video packages of previous action and the CMLL edecanes (who are otherwise not on this show.) The IWRG arena is lit much nicer for this show than on AYM, to no one’s great surprise. Shocker is not announcer this week, with Veneno replacing him. Rafael el Maya and Baby Richard are two of the referees; I’m not sure the other one. Ring looks the same as normal.
Bumpers thru the show tease the impending debut of Blue Demon Jr.
Match 1: Trauma I & Trauma II vs Argos & Karonte Jr.
Arena Naucalpan, 09/09/2016
Video: Liga Elite, thecubsfan
- técnicos
- Argos buckle bump Trauma II (2:38)
- Dr. Karonte middle rope elbow drop Trauma I (2:46)
- rudos
- double team gutbuster Argos (3:08)
- Trauma I running kick to the face (3:27)
- rudos
- Trauma I Lo Negro de Negro Karonte Jr. (3:32)
- Argos backcracker Trauma II (4:11)
- Argos frontcracker Trauma II (4:46)
Winner: Argos (2/3)
Match Time: 10:59
Notes: Cameras miss Trauma II being pinned in the first fall (they’re showing the other pin), but the announcers call it and they immediately get it on replay. The break between falls is so long that I thought they forgot to blow the whistle, but it’s just very long.
Review: [below average] The last Trauma match in this building had buckles of blood. This one has the Karontes using a plastic fall card. It’s good in theory the Karontes get to try something more of a brawl, but it turns out they’re not much better at this than the style they were doing in CMLL. The Traumas are at half speed and still are much better than their opponents, who beat them anyway. Trauma I’s indifference to Argos’ ending sequence was one of the better moments in the match. The Karontes are the highest profile beneficiaries of nepotism going on in Mexico right now. This was a waste of time and a less than optimum choice to start a new era.
Match 2: El Bandido, Emperador Azteca, Hijo de LA Park vs Decnnis, Fresero Jr., Zumbido
Arena Naucalpan, 09/09/2016
Video: Liga Elite, thecubsfan
- rudos
- Decnnis northern lights suplex Hijo de LA Park (3:13)
- técnicos
- Hijo de LA Park super headscissors Decnnis (3:32)
- Bandido Spanish Fly Freyser (3:32)
- rudos
- Zumbido mask pull Emperador Azteca (8:12)
Winner: rudos (1/3)
Match Time: 14:57
Notes: Decnnis & Zumbido are wearing match gear as an iteration of Los Guapos. Guapito is with them and get involved. Cameras catch Park’s ugly slingshot headscissors as part of the comeback, but miss a Bandido dive moments later (and never seem to replay that one.)
Review: [ok] better than the opener, though it never came together for a long stretch. Having to go live to tape without editing stuck out here, with action missed because of bad camera shots or replays at the wrong time (something they could’ve fixed later on previous shows.) Zumbido & Decnnis looked really motivated and worked very hard with the técnicos; I’d be okay with seeing more of them.
Fresero Jr. knocking out Emperador hasn’t cause to be any more careful; he threw Bandido into the corner for a buckle bomb at a bad angle. There were too many Guapito bits; the last one didn’t get any reaction, which seemed like proof they did much. Bandido’s best stuff seemed to be off camera or almost off camera. Hijo de LA Park struggled earlier but looked his best at the end. The repeated crowd brawling is already getting old and they’re only two matches in.
Match 3: Octagón vs Fuerza Guerrera
Arena Naucalpan, 09/09/2016
Video: Liga Elite, thecubsfan
Winner: Octagon (by DQ)
Match Time: 14:38
Notes: Joined as Fuerza’s attacked Octagon before the whistle. Hijo del Octagon, or whatever they can call him this week, is Octagon’s second. Fuerza Negra is with Fuerza Guerrera. Both men bleed and rip masks. There’s a lot of Maya getting in Octaogn’ way for no reason, one of which leads to a foul at the end. Hijo del Octagon rushes in and stops the count to rat out Fuerza, and Maya gives Octagon the win.
Review: [below average] I watched an Octagon match in 2016. I could’ve done lots of things with my time, and I did this. I don’t know. I did try to think why this is so bad and Black Terry versus Hijo del Diablo in the same building days later was so good. The pace of this match is slower, the blows look face, the variety of actions are lesser, and there are some unforgivable technical mistakes that make it hard to take it seriously. Fuerza is in shape. Octagon is in the shape of a pear, maybe a plum. Octagon gently got of the ropes at one point, and Fuerza did an insane dive off the ropes. Imagine if Fuerza spent his career feuding with some who both over and actually motivated.
Match 4: Carístico, Golden Magic, Xtreme Tiger vs Magno (Chihuahua), Sharlie Rockstar, Toscano
Arena Naucalpan, 09/09/2016
Video: Liga Elite, thecubsfan
- rudos
- Magno German suplex Golden Magic (3:38)
- Sharlie Rockstar El Pozo Extreme Tiger (3:49)
- técnicos
- Extreme Tiger super frankensteiner Magno (2:26)
- Golden Magic 450 splash Sharlie Rockstar (2:41)
- tecnicos
- DQ [Rey Escorpión interference] (8:44)
Winner: tecnicos (2/3)
Match Time: 15:14
Notes: This is Caristico’s second match of the night. Rey Escorpión, appearing out of nowhere, hits Carístico with a chair and drops Golden Magic with his Aguijon Mortal to cause the DQ.
Review: [ok] This one didn’t really get worth totally paying attention until the third fall. Even as exciting as it could be, it was then a bit your move/my move to a finish. Magno’s pretty obviously in the main event because they trust him to do anything and everything with Golden Magic & Extreme Tiger, and he did his part. Carístico took it easy in his second match in the hour. The Rey Escorpión run it was a surprise, but it was an abrupt way to end the match – they really needed a promo or something to let the moment sink it. It’s supposed to be a big deal that Escorpion’s jumped to Elite, but they’re otherwise ignoring the split between the companies – you have to be someone closely following lucha to get it, but also can’t be paying attention to results to be surprised about Escorpion coming in.
