Recapped: 10/01-6/2018
Matches:
Millenium, Robin, Súper Astro Jr. beat King Rocker Jr., Perverso, Policeman
(10:57 [3:59, 3:52, 3:06], 2/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)
Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Stigma beat Ares, Escualo, Kaiser
(10:13 [-0:01, 2:26, 7:48], 1/3, ok,VideosOficialesCMLL)
Diamante Azul, Kráneo, Volcano beat Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
(14:27 [5:40, 3:00, 5:47], 2/3, ok,VideosOficialesCMLL)
Carístico & Soberano Jr. beat La Bestia Del Ring & Negro Casas
(6:39 [1:40, 2:05, 2:54], 2/3, ok,VideosOficialesCMLL)
Hijo de LA Park & LA Park beat Cavernario & Rush
(20:09 [5:48, 3:53, 10:28], 2/3, good, VideosOficialesCMLL)
gif: 3633/4152/4250
What happened:
The Parks had scissors in their boots to start the match, which they attempted to use to cut the hair of their opposition in the first fall. They got rolled up instead. Cavernario & Rush unmasked them in the second fall, but the Park still cradles them for the win. Park fouls Rush for the win in the third after the referee refused to count when Rush did the same.
The first fall of the segunda goes negative 1 seconds, with Blue Panther Jr. submitting Escualo to a nudo lagunero before the whistle even blows. That seems to suggest it shouldn’t be a legal finish but no one’s paying attention.
Thoughts:
The main event was more of an indie LA Park tag match than ever. The Rush singles match always were those styles too, but he seems to have more freedom to brawl, grab objects and go long in Puebla than in the main arena. Less people paying attention to a Monday night in Puebla than a Friday night in Arena Mexico. At least fewer people in power: after last week’s destruction, someone instructed security to take away the ring steps to safety as soon as the match started. Rush went deep into the crowd to grab another wooden object, and that was spirited away as soon as he dropped it. These matches can be excited and can also meander in random directions at times. They also didn’t leave much for Cavernario & Hijo de LA Park to do. When Hijo de LA Park did get something to do, it was whatever hot indie finisher he felt like doing at that moment. I can understand him not wanting to do his father’s spots, but he’s doing everyone else’s big spots and not much else, like a video game created wrestler. There needs to be something of his own in there. The match was exciting and weird – the scissors bit was truly strange, a build to a match that’s surely not actually happening. LA Park is bringing up the effort on these shows, and that counts for some. He’s also trying to come up with some new ideas, even if it’s weird to see him borrow Rush’s own headbutt spot to use again him.
The semi-main moved quickly and didn’t stay long, which was great given those who were involved. Soberano & Negro Casas had nice short sequences, which made it look like they could have a great match together without actually asking them to do it. Bestia also wasn’t asked to do a lot – Carístico pinned him after he missed his senton, nothing more – which kept him for looking dumb. Short matches are OK too.
The fourth match was an exhibition match for the heavyweight técnicos to look impressive by tossing around the NGD. It doesn’t seem like the greatest use of the NGD, but they do get tossed around pretty well. Volcano, either by character choice or for other reasons, often comes across as a big dumb ox who doesn’t exactly understand how big he is or what he should be doing. Helping Kraneo get to the top rope by trying to grab the hand Diamante Azul already had grabbed was the peak of Volcano silliness, and they might as well lean into it more.
The Puebla crowd was into the Costa Rica versus Mexico concept, more than it felt they were into the Gran Prix. The Ticos didn’t show a lot on offense in control and struggled taking moves at times. Maybe part of it was due to working CMLL style 3 on 1 beatdowns because they were looking better in the one on one sequences. Blue Panther Jr.’s quebradora sequence was shakier than normal. Normal is important here because these técnicos seem to face rudos on this show every week, and those matches are usually better than this. The Costa Rican guys were putting in the effort and probably got something out of the experience.
I have no idea why I took notes on every match on this show. The opener was a solid match, with a little bit more action than normal. It was watchable, with the Mexico City guys fitting in fine with the locals.