Recapped: 06/22/2018
Matches:
Robin & Súper Astro Jr. beat Akuma & Yago
(~13:26 [6:39, 3:27, ~3:20], 2/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL )
Estrellita, La Jarochita, Marcela beat Amapola, Dalys, Reyna Isis
(12:27 [6:31, 3:02, 2:54], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL )
Dragón Rojo Jr., Hechicero, Pólvora beat Black Panther, Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr.
(19:55 [6:04, 4:49, 9:02], 2/3, great, via VideosOficialesCMLL )
Atlantis, Carístico, Stuka Jr. beat Euforia, La Bestia Del Ring, Último Guerrero
(9:33 [3:10, 2:27, 3:56], 2/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL )
El Hijo de L.A. Park, King Phoenix, Volador Jr. beat Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas
(17:10 [1:59, 3:21, 11:50], 2/3 DQ, good, VideosOficialesCMLL)
L.A. Park and Rush went to a draw
(20:14 [10:24, 9:09, 0:41], 1: Rush DQ; 2: Park DQ; 3 DCOR, excellent, via VideosOficialesCMLL )
What happened:
Rush lost the first fall either due to referee attack or foul or La Bestia del Ring interference, because all of those thing happened. The second fall ended when Bestia gave Rush a glass portrait to use, but Park got it and smashed it over Rush’s head. That wasn’t the disqualification because the second ref was down at the time. Edgar woke up, tried to stop Park from punching an unconscious Rush, and Park punched Edgar. That got the DQ. Park knocked Rush to the floor and continued to beat Rush with Rush unable to respond. Edgar, Dr. Zavaleta, the normal CMLL doctor, and commissioner Rambo all tried to get help for Rush. Park eventually punched Rambo. Much to the surprise of everyone involved, someone sent out the third fall card. Park continued to beat up Rush on the outside and Edgar called a lightning quick 20 count to end the match. Rush was dragged away, regaining some consciousness, while LA Park demanded CMLL make the mask versus hair match with Rush.
Cavernario tried to unmask King Phoenix (Rey Fenix) and pin him but was caught. Phoenix challenged him to a singles match next week.
El Egipcio was remembered after the third match.
The CMLL feed died just before the third fall of the opener and did not fully resume working until the women’s match.
Thoughts:
LA Park versus Rush was everything you’d want it to be, an insane brawl from the moment both wrestlers entered the arena. They’d felt a restricted since the first trios and the earlier matches had some brawls which might have taken the steam out of this one. That didn’t happen at all – these guys continue to go above and beyond what anyone else attempts or is allowed to do. The match started with Rush throwing a popcorn tray at Park and just got crazier than there. This was another week where LA Park appeared to suffer a serious leg injury only to dance around minutes later. Rush delivered on blood though, as usual with these sorts of promises, it turned out to be his own. Multiple referees were attacked, a commissioner was punched out, and absolutely no one actually pinned someone else for a legal three count. The actual wrestling work was sloppier at times – that leg might really have been an issue for Park – but it didn’t really matter. The crowd was there to see this match, loved what they saw, and will absolutely come back to see it again.
There’s also the bit where LA Park has more leverage at this second than he has had in his life. Rush kind of looks like a chump if he never faces Park again, and CMLL will be pilloried if they try to present any other match as the Anniversario main event. I haven’t been able to figure out if Park has more than verbally agreed to anything, but he’s the most valuable man in Mexico by a big distance in this moment.
The semifinal was fun but sloppy at times with pretty much everyone in the match having a moment they probably could’ve done better on. Maybe Niebla was the only one to get out clean, as strange as that reads. Casas whiffed on a kick and catching a dive, Park had slips, Volador looked off on headscsisors, Cavernario and Fenix started hot but weren’t working well together on Fenix’s tricky offense. That probably reads harsher than the match was, but it was so clear they were off a bit from being the best possible match. Cavernario especially needs a better night next week if the match with Rey Fenix is going to be what people want it to be. Fenix – sorry, King Phoenix – has moments where he appears to be the best wrestler in the world, but he also didn’t seem as over this week. Mr. Niebla was over with this crowd and should be given the random big bumps he was taking.
Atlantis and friends was a professional star match on a big show. You got to see the big spots from the usual guys in a short amount of time, they stuck around long enough for it to mean something, but they didn’t get as all out as the other matches. Stuka was the best looking guy on his team though the other two were more over. Atlantis got the Atlantida to work, which is something to be celebrated at this point
The tercera guys hurried out to the ring, which made me think they were short on time and the match was going to run short. That was not the case! This was a blown out Panthers match, which them pulling out all the usual spots. And the unusual spots – Blue Panther tried his first ever plancha into the crowd. It didn’t totally work but the effort was amazing. Hechicero was really on today, connecting well on his offense and selling nicely for the técnicos. This was a good Pólvora/Dragon Rojo match until the last move. There was a lot more crowd brawling than you’d expect, and a lot of people obviously feeling like doing a lot because of the hot crowd. Worth going out of your way to see.
A hotter crowd helped the women’s match but it was still the usual barely passable performance. They lost the crowd in the third fall. Dalys & Jarochita working a lot together and it wasn’t a great fit. Jarochita is really unconvincing when it comes to striking offense. Dalys goes training school speed on huracanranas and I’m not sure what she was doing on the second fall. Isis is relatively OK and has greatly moved up the CMLL depth chart because of the changes, but it’s weird to see her to do her simple plancha to the floor or Jarochita is allowed to do tope when better wrestlers aren’t allowed to do the same.
What we saw of the opener was pretty good, and missing the third fall due to transmission issues was made more frustrating for it. They was more coordination in each team, and they were definitely trying for a good match instead of just warming up the mat. Yago seems to be mixing well with a variety of partners, and he and Akuma connected well here. Super Astro is getting over very easily.