CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2016-11-25

Recapped: 11/27/2016

What happened: Dinastia Casas won a trios tournament to earn a title shot at some undetermined times. Ultimo Guerrero cheated to beat Caristico. There were a lot of matches.

What was good: Panthers/Casas is still pretty good and I enjoyed the main event.

Where can I watch it: It’ll be on my channel tomorrow (and you can find it already if you’re bored.)

Match 1: Aéreo & Eléctrico vs Demus 3:16 & Mercurio
Arena México, 11/25/2016

1. rudos
   • Demus splash Eléctrico (6:10)
   • Demus & Mercurio two man cannonball Aereo (6:46)
2. técnicos
   • Acero top rope Spanish Fly Mercurio (3:28)
   • COR Demus (3:48)
3. rudos
   • Mercurio La Roca Eléctrico (4:16)
   • Demus Driver on Aereo (4:16)

Winner: rudos (1/3)
Match Time: 14:50

Review: [below average] sloppy match even before the finish, with the rudos taking most of the match but not really seeming interested at the same time. Eléctrico was supposed to do a springboard headscissors to take out Demus for the second fall finish, but Mercurio and Eléctrico messed up the set up enough that Eléctrico just crashed to the ramp instead. Plus, that finish, where Felino was pretty sure Demus broke Aereo’s neck and upset the move was being allowed.

Match 2: Drone, Fuego, Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Misterioso Jr., Ripper, Sagrado
Arena México, 11/25/2016

1. rudos
   • Sagrado elbow drop Drone (4:30)
   • Misterioso Rosa drive Fuego (4:49)
2. técnicos
   • Drone casadora cradle Ripper (2:07)
3. rudos
   • Ripper spinning slam Maya (5:05)

Winner: rudos (1/3)
Match Time: 12:01
Notes: Drone’s pinfall loss in the first fall was his first in since changing his name. He’s pinned in the third fall too, but it technically comes after the captain is pinned and doesn’t count (and only does so because they were slow setting up, not because of some plan to avoid him being pinned.)

Review: [ok] not a day before this, on the podcast, I was guessing how high on the card Drone would end up – and I was guessing to high. This appears to be the level, the Stuka/Maya/Fuego level of técnico who might get a title match a year (maybe more, often less), but less of a move up the card than you’d hope. He was alright here, but stands out less wrestling his new style than he did as Hombre Bala. This match didn’t click as well as other similar midcard matches; Sagrado was a little off, and they never really hit a groove. It was alright, but nothing noteworthy.

Match 3: Lluvia, Princesa Sugehit, Sanely vs Amapola, Dalys, Zeuxis
Arena México, 11/25/2016

1. rudas
   • Dalys scorpion Princesa Sugehit (5:02)
2. técnicas
   • Princes Sugehit casita Dalys (2:14)
3. rudas
   • Amapola motocicelta Lluvia (2:38)
   • Zeuxis La Dulzura Sanely (2:57)

Winner: rudas (1/3)
Match Time:10:13
Notes: Zeuxis wears a Satanico tribute outfit and enters to his music.

Review: [ok] just another generic match on the treadmill of women’s matches. Sugehit might have taken a powerbomb on the floor without the cameras picking it up. The rudas generally have better and more interesting moves than the tecnicas, which is a problem.

Match 4: La Máscara vs Hechicero in a lightning match
Arena México, 11/25/2016

Winner: La Mascara (double knee smash)
Match Time: 8:14

Review: [ok] this was a odd match on paper that didn’t reveal any hidden reasoning once they got to the ring. Mascara slightly worked as the técnico, but it was mostly just two neutral guys and a finish. It was probably as good as could be expected but didn’t reach any special level of creativity or intensity – it was really a normal lightning match between two people who wouldn’t normally have one. La Mascara’s tope was better than Hechicero’s tope, but Mascara’s first superkick involved a very generous bump by Hechicero.

Match 5: Dragón Lee & El Cuatrero vs Puma, The Panther in a seeding battle royal match
Arena México, 11/25/2016

1. Puma out (Dragon Lee) (0:57)
2. The Panther out (self) (1:03)

Winner: Dragon Lee & Cuatrero
Match Time: 1:03

Review: [not rated] A four way match between these four guys seems like a great idea, and there’s hints on how it would look in the first minute. Then Dragon Lee dropkicks Puma out, the Panther decides to dive on Puma for no real reason to eliminate himself, and that’s that.

Match 6: Negro Casas, Puma, Tiger vs Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr., The Panther in a tournament semifinal match
Arena México, 11/25/2016

Winner: Casas (Puma casita Blue Panther)
Match Time: 9:37

Review: [good] fun shorter version of their matches from a couple years ago. Puma & Tiger were fast and efficient as usual and it was great to see Puma getting a big win. Blue Panther Jr. has come a long way in some aspects, but is still prone to some brainlocks (like whatever he and Negro were doing in the corner.) The Panther matches are all currently built around his finisher never working in the first two minutes and I’m totally OK with that.

 

Match 7: El Cuatrero, Máscara Año 2000, Sansón vs Dragón Lee, Mistico, Pierroth in a tournament semifinal match
Arena México, 11/25/2016

Winner: Dinamitas (DQ Pierroth for foul)
Match Time: 8:36
Notes: Both Mascara and Pierroth faked a foul or Mascara blocked one by accident, it was unclear, and Bestia Negra awarded the match to Mascara 2000.

Review: [ok] A fine enough tournament match; there was largely nothing wrong with any of this semifinal matches because they gave them enough time to have something like a real match. More time than I would’ve guessed, actually. Dragon Lee & Mistico dressing up in Pierroth yellow as if he’s the big start of this group was weird. Mascara didn’t have much, even compared to Pierroth. The other four guys were really good, thought their dives meant we were left with the bad crew to finish it up badly. Dinamitas at least can take the big moves from the técnicos, if they get to work with them at some point.

Match 8: El Cuatrero, Máscara Año 2000, Sansón vs Negro Casas, Puma, Tiger in a tournament final match
Arena México, 11/25/2016

Winner: Family Casas (Tiger backcracker/Puma missile dropkick)
Match Time: 5:09
Notes: Sansón & Cuatrero took each other on dives, and Puma & Tiger beat Mascara (who still kicks out on the finish, as he does every time.)

Review: [ok] not quite as good as the first semifinal, if only because they finally realized this show was going forever and cut this one down. This was also a match the crowd had a hard time getting into until Puma & Tiger did their dives. Enough of the crowd hated the Munoz family to boo them, but really didn’t know what to do when they actually lost; Casas seems like he’d get natural support and it didn’t really come together. He did get into an exciting slap fight with Mascara, the best he looked all match, and the crowd cared by the end. This just generally made me wish we got more midcard 2v2 matches.

Match 9: Carístico, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero
Arena México, 11/25/2016

1. Guerreros
   • Euforia backbreaker Volador (2:20)
   • Niebla Roja Furia Roja Valiente (2:34)
2. técnicos
   • Valiente Buster on Niebla Roja (1:53)
   • Volador top rope frankensteiner Euforia (1:57)
3. Guerreros
   • Último Guerrero heel kick foul Carístico (3:41)

Winner: Guerreros (1/3)
Match Time: 8:12
Notes: Último Guerrero attacks Carístico the moment he gets to the ring because they’re feuding and/or because they were running very late. Guerrero did the old toss behind into a foul bit to beat Carístico. Volador challenged UG to a rematch next week, UG accepted. Carístico wanted to respond, but they turned off the microphone. They eventually got the microphone so Carístico could challenge UG to one more fall. He got a fall, he fell down with UG kicked him in the face, and the rudos beat up the other técnicos to end it, walking off with the masks.

Review: [good] most energetic match of the night, and that’s what’s sticking out to me most of late. Carístico looked the best he’s seemed on CMLL shows facing Ultimo Guerrero; he brought out something of Carístico that wasn’t there with Mephisto. Volador looked superb in his time too, and it’d be neat if he got to have a singles match with Euforia instead of the usual guys. This was a good build up to next week and we all learned Carístico was growing a goatee, so solid main event.