Recapped: 06/20/2017
Matches:
All matches aired live from Arena Puebla
Centella Roja & Hijo de Centella Roja beat Fuerza Chicana & Policeman
(11:22 [5:53, 3:04, 2:25], 2/3, via VideosOficialesCMLL, ok)
Estrellita & Sanely beat Amapola & Dalys
(12:11 [5:28, 3:11, 3:32], 1/3 DQ, via VideosOficialesCMLL, ok)
Ares, Arkángel de la Muerte, Rey Apocalipsis beat Black Tiger, Espíritu Maligno, Lestat
(17:45 [8:35, 3:28, 5:42], 1/3, via VideosOficialesCMLL, ok)
Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Vangellys beat Ángel de Oro, Stigma, Titán
(15:45 [5:34, 3:42, 6:29], 1/3, via VideosOficialesCMLL, ok)
Carístico, Dragón Lee, Mistico beat Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas
(7:34 [3:24, 4:10], straight falls, via VideosOficialesCMLL, below average)
Hechicero © beat Atlantis for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
(17:52 [4:58, 3:44, 9:10], 1/3, via VideosOficialesCMLL, great)
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Hechicero conjuro (4:58)
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Atlantis double arm cradle (3:44)
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Hechicero entanglement submission (9:10)
What happened:
Hechicero beat Atlantis to remain NWA Light Heavyweight Champion
Dragon Lee defeated Negro Casas after the two feuded all match.
Dalys & Amapola were disqualified for excessive violence, setting up a match next week.
Ares & Espíritu Negro show the slightest sign of a feud.
Thoughts:
The main worked a great bit in overcoming problems it was creating. Hechicero & Atlantis’ work in first fall was solid, but they were battling thru issues in that third fall and it was remarkable they were able to finish as smooth as they could. Something was off on the side kick spot Hechicero did in the second fall – he covered for it as well as usual, but they went back to it a moment later and nothing looked smooth to finish that fall. Compounding things, Tirantes appeared to pull a muscle in his left leg counting the finishing pin, and was obviously in pain every time to get up and down for counts in the third fall. That third fall was heavily built around doing many third falls, so Tirantes slow movement hampered the speed they could be done, but he was also in too much pain to make a show of himself in the process and the focus remained on the luchadors. Atlantis also bled from the nose for the last few minutes of the match, courtesy of a Hechicero knee to the face on his standing shooting star press. (It’s near that Hechicero can do the shooting star press, but it’s a challenging move to be thrown out as a middle of the third fall random spot and his landings on them have never looked smooth.) Atlantis being able to keep battling at about his normal speed despite taking such a serious blow made the match more impressive, and they did so much that it felt like it was a big deal. Atlantis looks older than ever, but there was enough of him to make this match with Hechicero worked. We’ve now seen Hechicero with Rey Bucanero and Atlantis in this title reign (since the Stuka match never aired), and I hope we get to see with someone a big younger who can move.
Cavernario looked way off in the semimain, struggling to take headscissors from both Carístico and Mistico. It seemed to and derail the match, with the técnicos deciding not to deal with it. Mistico walked off grabbing his neck, having landed badly on the first one. Cavernario would look many times better the next day. Casas/Dragon Lee stuff look good.
The fourth match was a quicker match than usual, good pace, better than Friday but nothing special. Putting the dives pots in earlier changed the feel around usual, and Vangellys getting in the spear gave another peak to the match. Stigma has a springboard kick to the knee that I’m not even sure it was supposed to be to the knee.
Ares more aggressive and central this week, feuding slightly with Espiritu Negro – but so was Arkangel and Lestat was involved too and there’s no direction here unless you also obsessively compare the lineups from week to week. The rudos got some serious static from Tirantes for continuing the beatdown after the match. Tirantes shoved Ares to get him to stop, which might have been needed from a time perspective but I don’t imagine would happen anywhere else.
The excessive violence DQ in the women’s match was not built at all, coming off as random. The rudas were at least looking good at destroying people. The tecnica highlight was Estrellita not remembering how to put on her own finish or didn’t bother because it was going to be broken up anyway.
The opener moved well, had some decent action, was actually OK fine instead of the usual handwave OK.