Recapped: 1/17/2017
What happened: Pierroth pulled Diamante Azul’s mask to beat him (so I guess that feud started here.) Nothing else.
What was good: The semimain was enjoyable, with the rest being skippable Tuesday fare.
Where can I watch it: It’s on CMLL’s channel
Match 1: Acero & Aéreo vs Mercurio & Pequeño Nitro
Arena México, 01/17/2017
Video: VideosOficialesCMLL
- rudos
- Pequeño Nitro top rope splash Acero (5:03)
- Pequeño Nitro front cracker Aereo (5:33)
- técnicos
- Acero quebrada Pequeño Violencia (3:00)
- Aereo huracanrana Mercurio (3:08)
- técnicos
- Aereo missile dropkick Mercurio (3:03)
- Aereo Spanish Fly Pequeño Nitro (3:23)
Winner: técnicos (2/3)
Match Time: 12:04
Review: [ok] there was actually the makings of a decent match here, with the missile dropkick spot at the end looking really good and both teams generally working well together. Acero & Aereo are just so vanilla, missing offense and getting no reaction from the crowd, and any extended time with them doesn’t work. I’m writing this on Wednesday, after Astral’s been promoted out of the division, so there’s obviously some changes coming. These técnicos just need to improve really fast to take advantage of it. This match might get good if they do it six more times, and they might have to with who’s left
Match 2: Magia Blanca, Robin, Sensei vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Cancerbero, Nitro
Arena México, 01/17/2017
Video: VideosOficialesCMLL
- rudos
- Cancerbero crucifix powerbomb (8:22)
- técnicos
- Magia Blanca standing moonsault Nitro (2:45)
- Sensei cross armbreaker Cancerbero (2:56)
- rudos
- Cancernerbo nudo laugnero Robin (4:06)
Winner: rudos (1/3)
Match Time: 15:24
Review: [ok] Magia Blanca looked like a good professional wrestler who probably should be involving in something better than this match, and that’s pretty much the only reason this is not a below average. Sensei & Magia Blanca doing mirror spots was something you can do when you have 200 people under contract, but I’m not sure why you would do this. I’m not sure why you would do any of this. Nitro came off as the laziest of the three rudos, a big achievement. Sensei’s kick to the end the second fall was not good at all. Raziel’s gone to Japan not even a week and Cancerbero lost the ability to put on a full outfit.
Match 3: Pegasso, Star Jr., Stigma vs Sagrado, Tiger, Virus
Arena México, 01/17/2017
Video: VideosOficialesCMLL
- rudos
- Stigma torito Sagrado (5:00)
- Virus kneebar Star Jr. (5:41)
- técnicos
- Pegasso casadora cradle Virus (3:52)
- rudos
- Sagrado Buca Storm Pegasso (3:48)
- Tiger superbomb Stigma (3:48)
Winner: rudos (1/3)
Match Time: 13:21
Review: [ok] A smoother and more active match than the trios that preceded. It never hit a high level for me, but the effort was a lot better. Sagrado’s had a good stretch but didn’t quite mesh with Stigma: the timing on the torito in the first fall was poor and there was a kick spot also where Stigma ducked it and still sold it. I liked Virus’ submission in the first fall (and Virus winning a fall that normally goes the other way), and this was better than the last match even if I’m giving the same grade.
Match 4: Rey Cometa vs Puma in a lightning match
Arena México, 01/17/2017
Video: VideosOficialesCMLL
Winner: Rey Cometa (Code Red)
Match Time: 7:08
Review: [good] a greatest hits match between guys who haven’t gotten to do a singles match in a while. There were a tone of huge spots – you don’t get many apron sunset flip powerbomb on Tuesdays – with them seemingly trying to cram in every eye-catching move they could in the time allotted. They really could’ve used a little more time to breathe, and more of a story to set up the spots. It felt turn taking after a while, with big impact soon shrugged so the guy taking it could do something even more spectacular. It still was pretty spectacular and is worth watching, though I’m left hoping they’ll eventually get a three falls match with some time to breathe.
Match 5: Drone, Guerrero Maya Jr., Johnny Idol vs Gran Guerrero, Niebla Roja, Vangellys
Arena México, 01/17/2017
Video: VideosOficialesCMLL
- rudos
- Vangellys northern lights suplex Guerrero Maya Jr. (5:24)
- técnicos
- Guerrero Maya Dos Caras Clutch Gran Guerrero (2:38)
- rudos
- Niebla Roja Furia Roja Drone (4:27)
- Gran Guerrero Toroslam Johnny Idol (4:27)
Winner: rudos (1/3)
Match Time: 12:29
Review: [good] This match got no hype, before or after, but it was a totally enjoyable midcard match, especially on the sliding Tuesday scale. Drone looked pretty good here, meshing well with the younger Guerreros. Guerrero Maya did some fun Guerrero Maya things, and I still love the spot where he springboards up the ropes with guy and armdrags the other guy on the way down. Niebla Roja stood out well too. Johnny Idol was the drawback, looking slow (especially when he was climbing the ropes and Guerrero froze to wait for him), but this had good energy.
Match 6: Blue Panther, Diamante Azul, Valiente vs La Máscara, Pierroth, Shocker
Arena México, 01/17/2017
Video: VideosOficialesCMLL
- rudos
- Pierroth body slam Diamante Azul (2:35)
- Shocker middle rope elbow drop Blue Panther (3:19)
- técnicos
- rudos
- La Mascara double knee smash Blue Panther (6:22)
- Pierroth mask pull Diamante Azul (7:03)
Winner: rudos (1/3)
Match Time: 13:49
Review: [ok] Highlight of this match was an overexcited Diamante pulling and twisting Pierroth’s mask where Pierroth couldn’t get it back on without rolling to the outside (with CMLL showing his unmasked face), and everyone else standing around in the ring with no idea what to do until he got back. The match went on, but went heavy with the Pierroth/Diamante Azul feuding. Those two aren’t really good on their own and weren’t any better together. La Mascara was the only one holding the finish together, and that still included him shoving down Tirantes as a ref bump and then immediately pulling him back up to count a pin. This was not good.
