Recapped: 12/15/2017
Matches:
Star Jr. & Starman beat Hijo del Signo & Templario
(8:53 [3:39, 5:14], 1 (DQ)/2, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL )
Shockercito © defeated Mercurio for the CMLL World Pequeño Estrellas Championship
(12:54 [3:52, 2:50, 6:12], 2/3, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL )
- Mercurio wheelbarrow facelsam (3:52)
- Shockericto torito (2:50)
- Shockericto reinera (6:02)
Amapola, Dalys, Reyna Isis beat Lady Maravilla, Marcela, Princesa Sugehit
(12:52 [6:23, 1:45, 4:44], 2/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL )
Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Rey Cometa beat Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
(19:49 [5:53, 4:47, 9:09], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Ephesto, Mephisto, Sam Adonis beat Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Pólvora
(11:06 [2:09, 1:53, 7:04], 1/3, ok via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Mistico, Terrible, Volador Jr. beat Carístico, Soberano Jr., Último Guerrero in a relevos increíbles match
(15:45 [1:48, 2:33, 11:24], 1/3, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
What happened:
Volador & Mistico continued to wrestle as rudos against Carístico, with Mistico even wearing some devil horns to the ring and his team jumping the opposition (including a Carístico/Mistico fight atop the stage.) The finish saw an atypical chain of chicanery while Tirantes out on the floor: Terrible unmasked Soberano, Guerrero fouled Terrible, Mistico fouled Último Guererro, Carístico unmasked Mistico after a brief fight, and Volador fouling Carístico for the deciding pin. That pivoted the focus of the issue to Carístico versus Volador. Carístico challenged his rival to an apuesta match as usual. Volador, as he’s done on Informa a couple times, declared Caristico’s match wasn’t that valuable and he’d rather face Último Guerrero in a hair versus hair match (calling UG’s hair the most valuable in the promotion, which pleased Guerrero.) Nothing was really settled, and a second post match scrum saw Mistico & Volador attack Carístico, and Volador cover Carístico for a Mistico three count. The impression now is Volador/Caristico is the big match next week, with Mistico only involved if they expand it to a tag match with Soberano or Último Guerrero, but nothing’s was certain at the close of the show.
Pólvora was a replacement for Shocker, who’s father Pato Soria passed away earlier in the day and was honored before the fourth match. Shocker himself had been a replacement for Negro Casas.
Pequeño Oimpico and Último Dragoncito were the seconds for the championship match.
The opener featured heavy mask ripping. The rudos were Dqed for excessive violence in the first. Signo was counted out in the second fall after missing a tope and needed medical help.
Thoughts:
The main event was better from a whistle to three count match standpoint, and it was even stronger to get people interested in what big matches could be next. CMLL’s frequency of teasing big ideas and not paying them off makes it hard to buy into completely to anything they’re selling – already, they’re moving away from the direct Carístico/Mistico confrontation they were setting up just last week. Still, this felt like a much bigger deal than the big matches they have set up. The cage match is a nothing happening match, Adonis/Casas will get over when Casas is back, but just the sliver of the possibility of the matches teased here had the fans as interested. I assume CMLL’s ending this next week, but it’d probably be more worthwhile to string along at least enough to be underneath matches on those two big shows.
Volador’s best personality work is as the sort of sarcastic rudo he played here. Volador’s the top CMLL técnico because Sombra turned rudo way back when, and because now there’s been no one better for that more important spot, but it feels CMLL has something here worth upending it’s plans and figuring out everything else as it goes; this is not propping up a concept that’s not working like Los Ingobernables, this is something with life behind it. The Mistico character doesn’t fit as a rudo, but the person behind it seems to be enjoying playing Volador’s partner in crime. Terrible didn’t get as big a part as last week, but feels much more vital hanging out with these guys than Vangellys and Bucanero for obvious reasons. Again, this is CMLL, so it’s very likely they’ll do the big singles match this week or next and then everyone will suddenly be friends again, but it’d be a waste.
The finish was all sorts of screwy in a fashion that doesn’t happen on CMLL shows, but that’s fine. This is an unusual feud, so back to back weeks of unusual finishes makes sense (even if it a little bit concerning for what we might be getting in that singles match.) As long the exceptional doesn’t became the normal, it works fine.
Sam was definitely hated but his match itself didn’t have a lot going on. His fight with Cavernario got the crowd to care, but the rudo/rudo bit didn’t work otherwise. Técnico Tiger would’ve been better than técnico Pólvora but that’s probably not how the decision was made. Ephesto and Cavernario did leapfrog and roll spots and it was a struggle for poor Ephesto. Ephesto had to bump backwards out of the ring and that was very slow. Someone please challenge Ephesto to a mask match.
The NGD match felt like it was missing a bit of energy. The rudos were slower than usual in the first fall and when they were back in control late. They did a lot of their usual stuff, but it felt like it was missing intensity and the crowd wasn’t as into them. This was not bad but I feel like they’ve had much better and the técnicos were fine.
There wasn’t much interesting in the women’s match. Lady Maravilla and Amapola had some bad interactions in the first fall for people who I generally think of as good. It went better for them in the third fall. Amapola kneeling on the apron, watching Marcela hit Dalys with a top rope double stomp with doing anything, was odd. It worked out for her team, she’s the former champ, guess she knew better. I think I’m going to watch the Isis/Sugehit match because either Isis pulled off a lot we’re not seeing from her in the trios matches or it must’ve been a struggle.
Shockercito put on a one man show in the minis match. Mercurio didn’t have much to contribute on offense, and Shockercito added most of the action. Mercurio works with team moves in trios matches but did not impress in control of the match, and isn’t gifted enough to help Shockercito look impressive. The story of the result was Mercurio wasn’t in Shockercito’s league but it also felt that way with the work. The big moments were enough to get me to like it, and them going back to play off the first fall finish in the third, but I could people getting all they’re going to get out of it watch just the highlights. The crowd wasn’t much into this match outside of chanting for Shocker at one point, and that probably wasn’t about what was happening in the ring. They’ve been given no great reason to care about these guys and they weren’t able to change minds in this match.
This opener was the Templario show, and the portion of the crowd that was around for the opener must’ve been impressed. Signo had a good match because Templario was carrying so much of it, and because he utterly destroyed himself on a missed dive. The técnicos were just along for the ride for most of the match. Not a complete good match but more interesting than usual.
