CMLL Puebla: 2017-01-16

Zacarias as the third man

Recapped: 01/17/2016

What happened: Carsitico beat Negro Casas in the main event. Angel de Oro & Dragon Rojo feuded before their title match in Guadalajara on Tuesday. Whatever was going on with the minis was dropped cold.

What was good: The main event was good, though the last week has shown that Negro Casas has now reached the point where a random singles match is not automatically going to be a great occasion. They used a lot of Zacarias to get there way thru, and CMLL needs to rethink how they’re using Negro Casas in general. The Angel de Oro/Dragon Rojo tries match was the most watchable of everything else.

Where can I watch it: It’s on CMLL’s channel.

Match 1: Centella Roja & El Hijo De Centella Roja vs Rey Apocalipsis & Toro Bill Jr.
Arena Puebla, 01/16/2017
Video: 
VideosOficialesCMLL

  1. rudos
    • Toro Bill top rope splash Hijo del Centella Roja (8:47)
    • Rey Apocalispis modified STF Centella Roja (9:12)
  2. Centella Rojas
    • Centella Roja guillotine legdrop Toro Bill (4:07)
    • Hijo de Centella Roja moonsault Rey Apocalipsis (4:24)
  3. Centella Rojas
    • Hijo del Centella Roja casita Rey Apocalipsis (3:46)
    • Hijo del Centella Roja cavernaria Toro Bill (4:19)

Winner: Centella Rojas (2/3)
Match Time: 17:55

Review: [ok] this match disinterested me in the first half, but at least was a little bit unusual coming down the stretch. Hijo del Centalla Roja ducking a clothesline to cause the Batilion’s usual sequence to backfire was a nice idea, and Centella beating both guys himself is an easy finish variation that ought to be used more often. Young guy outsmarting the rudos is a good way to get the young guy over in general. It just probably wasn’t the right guy or the right time; his timing was great in the reversal sequence and it was followed by some hesitations. Hijo is improving but green, and it’s weird/frustrating that all the Puebla locals are either old and not exciting or young and not ready, with no particular in between. Centella Roja didn’t look quite as slow as in other matches, but putting his arms over his chest to block the double knee smash was so lame. Batillon were better than usual but couldn’t help this match feel a little too long. (Well, maybe it’d be longer if they both didn’t insist on pinning Hijo del Centella and pulling him up.)

Toro Bill knee smash
when combo spots go wrong

Match 2: Black Tiger & Tigre Rojo Jr. vs Fuerza Chicana & Policeman
Arena Puebla, 01/16/2017
Video: 
VideosOficialesCMLL

  1. técnicos
    • Tigre Rojo Jr. mosonault bodyblock Policeman (5:56)
    • Black Tiger missile dropkick Fuerza Chicana (6:33)
  2. rudos
    • Fuerza Chicana el Pulpo Tigre Rojo Jr. (3:00)
    • Policeman grounded ocutpus Black Tiger (3:39)
  3. técnicos
    • Black Tiger top rope splash Fuerza Chicana (3:22)
    • COR Policeman [Tigre Rojo monkey flip] (3:37)

Winner: técnicos (1/3)
Match Time: 13:49

Review: [ok] a usual Black Tiger match, where moves are technically fine, but slowly and without any life. Black Tiger didn’t sell Policeman’s submission at all when he’s was being finished in the second fall, which seems about usual with him. The fake dive bit at the end, where the Tigers slid out because the rudos ducked, but then just stood there adjusting their pants as the rudos climbed back in the ring, looked bad. It’s odd that guys in cat masks are trying not to be too showy, but there we are. I’ve got to start skipping these if I’m watching on delay, there’s no chance I’m getting anything out of them.

I have no idea what I noted this to GIF

Match 3: Astro, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito vs Espíritu Maligno, Mini Joker, Pequeño Violencia
Arena Puebla, 01/16/2017
Video: 
VideosOficialesCMLL

  1. rudos
    • Pequeño Violencia nugo lagunero Último Dragoncito (3:32)
  2. técnicos
    • Último Dragoncito huracanrana Pequeño Violencia (3:29)
  3. técnicos
    • Astro springboard moonsault Pequeño Violencia (3:10)

Winner: técnicos (2/3)
Match Time: 10:11

Review: [ok] Weird match in the context of a rematch from last week, since Pequeño Violencia and Shockercito barely touched after feuding. Finish really came out of nowhere too. The second fall had a designed surprise ending, but this was just Astro landing a moonsault with not a lot of build to that moment and with the other rudo aprtners going missing. In between the action was the usual solid but unspectacular bit, with Mini Joker again looking good but no one strongly standing out.

Astro Asai moonsault

Match 4: Ángel de Oro, Guerrero Maya Jr., Stigma vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Skándalo
Arena Puebla, 01/16/2017
Video: 
VideosOficialesCMLL

  1. rudos
    • Dragon Rojo Anibalina Angel de Oro (3:30)
  2. técnicos
    • Angel de Oro mecedora Dragon Rojo (2:17)
  3. rudos
    • Dragon Rojo sunset flip Angel de Oro (3:40)

Winner: rudos (1/3)
Match Time: 9:27

Review: [ok] great build to the title match happening in another building in a match we won’t get to see. I’m not complaining (much), an actual rivalry gave this match a better flow than anything else on the show so far. Angel de Oro and Dragon Rojo showed good chemistry when the rudo relented to face his challenger, and I’m disappointed we’re not going to get to see the match unless there’s some miracle. (Rojo winning before the title match is dumb, but probably utterly unknown to the people in Guadalajara.) Everyone worked hard for the time they had, and this was an effective match.

triple tope

Match 5: Johnny Idol, Marco Corleone, Valiente vs La Máscara, Máscara Año 2000, Vangellys
Arena Puebla, 01/16/2017
Video: 
VideosOficialesCMLL

  1. rudos
    • Mascara 2000 step over tirabuzon Valiente (3:54)
  2. técnicos
    • Marco Corleone top rope plancha all the rudos (1:33)
  3. técnicos
    • Johnny Idol moonsault Vangellys (5:35)
    • Valinete half crab Mascara 2000 (5:48)

Winner: técnicos (2/3)
Match Time: 11:15

Review: [ok] perfunctory semimain with Mascara 2000 carrying most of the ring work for the rudos. Mascara 2000 getting up and down for a set of Valiente armdrags was more than I expected out of him. He did a lot more comedy as the match went on, which went better than anything else would’ve gone. He took a lot of bumps falling out of the ring so he wouldn’t actually have to drop down, and as few as those as possible. Another match that just felt like a night off.

Mascara selling

Match 6: Carístico vs Negro Casas
Arena Puebla, 01/16/2017
Video: 
VideosOficialesCMLL

  1. Negro Casas casita (2:33)
  2. Carsitico cradle (2:14)
  3. Carsticio casita (6:36)

Winner: Carístico (2/3)
Match Time: 11:13

Review: [good] There’s a well known Mr. Niebla versus Atlantis match in Puebla from years back, where Niebla showed up in no condition and Zacarias (and Tirantes) ended up doing as much with Atlantis as Niebla so they could get thru the match. Negro Casas was fine here, but this turned into a handicap match for large stretches, with Zacarias getting in a lot more than usual. I’m not sure why CMLL insists on only doing singles match feuds, especially with their 56 year old grandfather of a legend, but this was a situation where they couldn’t deliver a decent length match without a lot of help, and I’m not sure why CMLL didn’t know that before they booked the match. (Making it a singles match didn’t help the attendance much either.) This was better than Tuesday’s singles match with Máximo, but just the concept of putting Casas thru two singles matches in six days seems a misuse. Negro Casas is smart enough to know there’s always another day and he didn’t do anything that’ll prevent him from making into his next match, but his singles matches should be parceled out like major events, not just thrown out there to fill some time on a slow Monday. This did better than filling some time, the last five minutes of the match were strong and the Mistica→casita sequence was actually nifty, but the overall strategy needs work,

Zacarias is elusive