Recapped: 05/07/2018
Matches:
Policeman & Saurón beat Centella Roja & Hijo de Centella Roja
(14:13 [7:02, 5:02, 2:09], 2/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL
Espanto Jr., Guerrero Espacial, King Jaguar beat Arkalis, Lestat, Rey Samuray
(15:48 [7:41, 3:51, 4:16], 1/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Pegasso beat El Malayo in a lightning match
(8:29, 450 splash, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Audaz, Drone, Stigma beat Felino, Misterioso Jr., Sagrado
(10:02 [4:31, 2:52, 2:39], 2/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Kráneo, Rey Bucanero, Terrible beat Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Rush in a relevos increíbles match
(8:44 [1:52, 2:05, 4:47], 1/3 DQ, below average, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Valiente & Volador Jr. beat Carístico & Último Guerrero for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship
(19:11 [5:55, 3:54, 9:22], 2/3, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
What happened:
Universo 2000 was remembered before the semimain.
Rush and Kraeno feuded in their match. Terrible laid down for Rush in the first fall and did not help out his teammates in the second fall. He did jump in to pick up a pinfall victory to end that fall. He also talked Kraneo down from attacking Rush outside the ring at points.
Thoughts:
The title match had a good closing stretch and got the fans to react like it was a big match. I think it was good, and it was enough for a main event title match, but it’s also nothing I’d think I’d need to watch twice. There was no great story or effort to the match, and some parts didn’t work well. Carístico failing on a tapatia was peculiar, as was he and Volador having problems on a spot early in the second. Volador’s Mistica at the end didn’t look great either. Último Guerrero & Volador really wedged in all the checklist top rope spots in a minute’s time, with no regard to if they fit in the match. They were just set on getting those spots in as quick as possible. Valiente seems half committed to the rudo role. This was still four of the top guys doing their usual things but didn’t transcend that.
The semimain never turns into much of a match. The Guerreros work hard, which is odd because no one else is. Rush & Kraneo pushing their feud would come across better if they were part of natural teams instead of Terrible refusing to fighting his friend.
The fourth match was underwhelming for a 2018 Audaz match, seemingly relegated to the third most important técnico in a brief match by CMLL standards. There’s potential in Felino, fastest luchador in the world, not being able to catch up to Audaz if they do something with it. Sagrado telling Zacarias that he should fight Stigma instead because they’re about the same height was good. Stigma looked a little slow and a little robotic tonight.
Not a lot to the lightning match despite being on the long side for that sort of match. Malayo occasionally had a plan to go after Pegasso’s right knee. It seemed sound, except Pegasso didn’t sell it all that much. Neither man pressed the action much earlier on and it didn’t get that much exciting later. Pegasso’s 450 splash looked not good, was still called perfect.
