Recapped: 01/29/2018
Matches:
Akuma & Espanto Jr. beat Flyer & Robin
(12:14 [4:31, 3:52, 3:51], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Cancerbero, Nitro, Raziel beat Astral, Eléctrico, Star Jr.
(17:13 [7:39, 3:46, 5:48], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Disturbio, Misterioso Jr., Virus beat Audaz, Drone, Starman
(13:08 [4:46, 2:44, 5:38], 1/3, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Stuka Jr. beat Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
(10:59 [5:00, 5:59], 1/2 DQ, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Terrible © beat Diamante Azul for the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship
(13:14, Arena México, good, VideosOficialesCMLL)
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Diamante Azul shoulder powerslam (3:21)
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Terrible dropkick (1:07)
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Terrible fujiwara armbar (8:46)
Atlantis, Dragón Lee, Volador Jr. beat Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero
(10:29 [4:28, 2:28, 3:33], 2/3, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL )
What happened:
This was the first post-FantasticaMania show. This is also the show up against Guerra de Titanes, which is why it’s showing up so late. (No one asked is another reason.)
NGD and the tecnicos started brawling before they got the ring. The focus was on Cuatrero and Angel de Oro, following the title change at FantasticaMania.
Virus had the ropes for the pin on Audaz.
Thoughts:
The main event was the usual exhibition match when there’s nothing on the line. It came off stronger than usual. The FantasticaMania wrestlers, in this and other matches, looked sharper than usual after a trip. It seemed like they might have more off days with the travel back this time, and that might have helped – Dragon Lee & Volador just looked very on tonight. Atlantis looked better if not yet good, and I couldn’t believe he did the top. He almost didn’t make it. Dragon Lee’s chest still seems scuffed up from his chop fight with Gran Guerrero. Doing the Atlantis/UG gave this more of a direction than usual, and it was a fine for a Friday night main event.
Diamante Azul/Terrible easily overachieved exceptions. They found a few things Diamante Azul can do impressively, didn’t go too long, and Terrible carried the rest.
The crowd surprisingly got into the later stages of this match, which should be declared an obvious success. They mostly baked Terrible, which seemed to confuse Diamante Azul, but shouldn’t have been a total surprise since the Arena Mexico fans tend to support rudos who are talented and don’t get much to do. The middle rope press slam would’ve been really if Azul could’ve held it for a little longer. The finish was a cool idea that also didn’t come off completely right, but they got enough of it to totally thrill the fans. This was a good enough match to make both men look better coming out of it.
The NGD/Angels trios match seem to bring back some of the spirit from Japan. They were doing spots they had not been doing in Mexico before the tour (the assisted plancha to the floor, the Cuatrero/Angel de Oro chop exchange.) Stuka didn’t get to go to FantasticaMania, so he also got all his suplexing one guy on another spots out for the year. Angel de Oro losing a title but getting a feud with Cuatrero is a strong net positive if he’s going to go as hard as he did; he was a guy desperately in need of something to do and is getting it. Niebla Roja was moving pretty well for a guy who seemed to have leg problems in Tokyo. I couldn’t believe he did the flip onto his feet for a pose.
The tercera had good action all the way thru. Disturbio felt more in like he fit in this place than Starman, who seems to be getting a post-mask win elevation. Maybe it’s just FantasticaMania doing more to change my perception than silly cage matches. Virus continues to work with Audaz a lot. Audaz has a bunch of unique offense which makes him stick out and just comes off as guy with an extra level of athleticism. The downside is you kind of realize he’s not that taller than Virus.
The segunda was a predictably rudo heavy match, with not much done to show off Eléctrico in his new role. These are just not the rudos to do that. They took most of the match and didn’t take the tecnico offense well. Star looked better than the other two, but no one looked great there.
The opener showed signs of what a good match might be with some of these guys – Flyer and Akuma are doing mini style double rotation headscissors – but was also boring and uneventful for large portions. The first fall was slow paced ad they never really recovered, to the point where the crowd was whistling at them in the third. Espanto Jr. was a bigger drain on the match I would’ve guessed. Like Hijo del Signo used to, Espanto Jr. has a great classic lucha libre mask that he keeps trying to reinvent, as if he trying to find the right look to get him over. The mask isn’t the issue.