great match roundup, week of 2019-12-07

sure a tope why not

recaps

All 2019 round-up posts2019 MOTYC list

Trying to get this back on track to clear out 2019 by early 2020. All of the regular CMLL has been watched that has aired by the time you’re reading this, it’s just the tediousness of putting together recaps and making GIFs that don’t seem worth the effort.

We’re at the point with CMLL, in late 2019, where there was another cibernetico this week and it didn’t seem worth considering watching. Ciberneticos, as someone a bit too focused on finishes and dramatics from them, are usually easy picks to check out. The welterweight one, which aired on the Sunday show, probably had some of what I’d enjoy, but the chance of it being something memorable seems remote.

Recommended Matches

rating matches TV Show taped
good Esfinge vs Universo 2000 Jr.Black PantherEspanto Jr.MagnusPríncipe Odín Jr.StigmaRobinHalcón Suriano Jr.Bengala in a CMLL La Copa Junior tournament match and in a tournament semifinal match LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 10 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-10 2019-12-10
good Dulce Gardenia, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa vs Kawato San, Okumura, Tiger DULCE GARDENIA, GUERRERO MAYA JR Y REY COMETA vs OKUMURA, KAWATO SAN Y TIGER (12-13-2019) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 13 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2019-12-13 2019-12-13

Other Matches

ok Asturiano, King Jaguar, Meyer vs Black Tiger, Centella Roja, Espíritu Maligno LA MEJOR LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA ARENA PUEBLA 9 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-09 2019-12-09
ok Akuma, Espanto Jr., Espíritu Negro vs Espíritu Maligno, Perverso, Policeman LA MEJOR LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA ARENA PUEBLA 9 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-09 2019-12-09
ok Audaz, Black Panther, Drone vs Máscara Año 2000, Universo 2000 Jr., Virus LA MEJOR LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA ARENA PUEBLA 9 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-09 2019-12-09
ok Carístico, Star Jr., Titán vs Cuatrero, Ephesto, Forastero LA MEJOR LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA ARENA PUEBLA 9 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-09 2019-12-09
ok Espíritu Negro vs Príncipe Diamante in a lightning match LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 10 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-10 2019-12-10
ok Carístico, Star Jr., Titán vs Euforia, Shocker, Terrible LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 10 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-10 2019-12-10
ok Retro & Robin vs Akuma & Yago AKUMA Y YAGO vs RETRO Y ROBIN (12-13-2019) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 13 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2019-12-13 2019-12-13
ok Pegasso, Príncipe Diamante, Stigma vs Disturbio, Nitro, Virus DISTURBIO, NITRO Y VIRUS vs PEGASSO, PRÍNCIPE DIAMANTE Y STIGMA (12-13-2019) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 13 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2019-12-13 2019-12-13
ok Stuka Jr. vs Felino in a lightning match FELINO vs STUKA JR (12-13-2019) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 13 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2019-12-13 2019-12-13
ok Ángel de Oro, Diamante Azul, Niebla Roja vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Gran Guerrero LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 13 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) NIEBLA ROJA, ÁNGEL DE ORO Y DIAMANTE AZUL vs GRAN GUERRERO, CUATRERO Y FORASTERO (12-13-2019) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2019-12-13 2019-12-13
ok Carístico, Negro Casas, Valiente vs Euforia, Soberano Jr., Último Guerrero in a relevos increíbles match ÚLTIMO GUERRERO, SOBERANO JR Y EUFORIA vs CARÍSTICO, NEGRO CASA Y VALIENTE (12-13-2019) (posted by ) LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 13 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2019-12-13 2019-12-13
not rated Atlantis Jr., Soberano Jr., Stuka Jr. vs Felino, Hechicero, Negro Casas LA MEJOR LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA ARENA PUEBLA 9 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-09 2019-12-09
not rated Angelito & Shockercito vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pierrothito LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 10 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-10 2019-12-10
not rated Eléctrico, Oro Jr., Sangre Imperial vs Grako, Hijo del Signo, Inquisidor LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 10 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-10 2019-12-10
not rated Estrellita, Marcela, Princesa Sugehit vs Amapola, Dalys, Tiffany LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 10 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2019-12-10 2019-12-10

Bandido back in CMLL tonight, AAA first 2020 lineup, a Dr. Karonte, ROH

The last CMLL Friday night show year holds no extra significance beyond that date. Bandido’s around, a feud maybe ocntineus in the semimain, but it’s mostly just yet another Friday show that seems to mostly exist because it must.

Bandido teams up tonight with Caristico & Volador against Gilbert el Broicua, Cuatrero and Forastero. The intrigue is if the NGD members can take Bandido’s moves without strugging as much as Ultimo Guerrero. Angel de Oro & Felino’s feud was toned down last week but they’re back again in the semi-main. Titan, Valiente, Negro Casas and Cavernario round out that match. I think Titan, Cavernario, Soberano and Templario are the four people I’ve enjoyed the most in CMLL this year and maybe two of them will meet there.

Star Jr., Audaz and Flyer, a trio of tecnicos who’ve all gotten attention in the last couple years but haven’t totally broken thru, face Templario, Hijo del Villano and Polvora. Guerrero Maya meets Okumura in a lightning match that is definitely happening. Both Marcela & Dalys are off following Wednesday’s title match, leaving a women’s trios of Estrellita, Lluvia and La Magnifica versus Amapola, Reyna Isis and La Comandante. Angelito & Shockercito wrestle Pierrothio & Mercurio in the opener, which shouldn’t be half bad.

The show will stream at 8:30 pm and I’ll stream it too. I might even be able to watch it live this week.

Today is also the first of two Friday night Arena Coliseo Guadalajara shows. Terrible defends the national heavyweight championship against Diamante Azul. It seems like the time Azul might win this title every time he challenges for it (this is the fourth) and Azul never does. It doesn’t seem to matter, Azul is still going to be treated as a bigger star with or without the title. The semi-main has Soberano & Atlantis partenering with Mephisto against Fugaz,, Gran Guerrero and Ultimo Guerrero. It’s unclear if any of this will air.

Sunday’s Arena Coliseo Guadalajara main event was scheduled to be Caristico, Satanico, Shocker versus Blue Panther, Hechicero and Mistico. Mistico has wrestled only two CMLL matches this month and will not be wrestling a third. He’s off the show, with a “Dr. Karonte” in. This is not the Caristico brother who wrestles as Karonte Jr., but it is instead the Caristico brother who wrestles as Argos. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Argos in a major promotion; he wasn’t good in ELITE after not being good in AAA. Working a Guadalajara Sunday show doesn’t mean Dr. Karonte/Argos is necessarily back on the CMLL roster (he was opening wrestler from 2005 to 2011) but he’s in their system to be used again.

It is hard to believe Mistico will still be in CMLL by this time next year. It’s possible, the current status quo where he works a bit of CMLL and works a bit of indies could just go on.

Devitt Rodriguez took Militar de la Muerte I’s hair in Arena Aficion.

ROH 01/11 (Atlanta)

ROH 01/12 (Concord)

Segunda Caida writes about some 1999 Mr. Niebla.

JR Goldberg has a Mr. Niebla eulogy.

DirectTV will be dropping El Rey Network on 01/23. The channel has been off Dish Network since 2018 and it may be dropped from AT&T U-Verse as well. El Rey will never officially cancel Lucha Underground; it’s possible the channel itself will get canceled first.

LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.

Lineups

CMLL (MON) 12/30/2019 Arena Puebla
1) Asturiano, Millenium, Rey Samuray vs Black Tiger, Fuerza Chicana, Policeman
2) Arkalis, Drone, Súper Astro Jr. vs El Malayo, El Perverso, Toro Bill Jr.
3) Stigma vs Rey Cometa [lightning]
4) Ángel de Oro, Terrible, Valiente vs Diamante Azul, Felino, Rey Bucanero [Relevos Increíbles]
5) Carístico vs Volador Jr.

Caristico and Volador started the decade facing each other and end the decade facing each other.

This seems like a short show.

AAA (WED) 01/01/2020 Arena Neza
1) Canibal Jr., Montaña Negra, Rey Dinka vs Imperial, Máscara Virtual, Sky Man
2) Lady Maravilla, Lady Shani, Vanilla Vargas vs Faby Apache, Keyra, Star Fire
3) Dinastía, Eclipse, Niño Hamburguesa vs Chico Che, John Tito, Neza Kid Jr.
4) Abismo Negro Jr., Súper Fly, Tito Santana vs Aerostar, Drago, Octagón Jr.
5) Neza Kid vs Súper Nova [mask]
6) Pagano vs Texano Jr.Mr. ÁguilaMáximoMocho Cota Jr.Joe LiderChessmanCarta BravaAverno [cage, hair]

The mask match was coming for a while but is still funny. Neza Kid is known to anyone who might care about Neza Kid, Neza Kid is already wrestling in another mask, and so Neza Kid is probably losing. It’ll also likely be pretty good. This arena has Neza Kid Jr. previous as Neza Kid to throw confuse the issue but he’s already booked on this card. Still might pull something.

AAA TV (SAT) 01/25/2020 Pepsi Center WTC, Benito Juárez, Distrito Federal
1) Big Mami & Niño Hamburguesa vs Dinastía & Lady Shani and Arez & Keyra and Lady Maravilla & Villano III Jr. © [AAA MIXED TAG]
7th defense, 2nd on TV.
2) Máscarita Sagrada, Mr. Iguana, Taya vs Abismo Negro Jr., Demus, La Hiedra
3) Aramis, Myzteziz Jr., Octagón Jr. vs Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana
4) Hijo Del Vikingo, Murder Clown, Puma King vs Rey Escorpión, Taurus, Texano Jr.
5) Aerostar, Drago, Pagano vs Blue Demon Jr., Chessman, Monsther Clown
6) Fénix, Pentagón Jr., Psycho Clown vs La Bestia Del Ring, LA Park, Rush Toro Blanco

Just a regular AAA TV taping to open up the year. The main event is not a great match for Fenix & Penta but so it goes. There are no rarely great matches involving La Bestia del Ring, an issue AAA will have to overcome in 2020.

The semi-main has Aerostar/Monsther Clown and a strange assortment of people behind them. Maybe Drago/Blue Demon Jr. is the TripleMania main event? (Probably not.)

Vikingo gets moved up away from his trio, with Aramis stepping in. Both of those matches should be good as should be the mixed tag match. I’d have more confidence in the second match if I had any confidence in Abismo Negor Jr.

No sign of Sin Cara/Cinta de Oro for this one.

2019 watch later catch up, part 16 of ∞

Aramis tope

Arez © vs Aramis for the RIOT Championship
(RIOT @ 11/02, 21:25, great, Luchamania Monterrey)

I was concerned when the martinete reversal spot kept going. These two pride themselves on being creative and different that they can detour themselves into absurdity. That spot wasn’t totally coming together either, which could’ve derailed the match. It really didn’t. (Though, in the long gap between writing this and posting it, that bit seems like the only thing remembered from the match.) They got a lot of time for the match to develop, giving them an occasion to try ideas and still pull it back a bit. This was a little slower-paced than expected, possibly because they were going long. It also allowed them to pull the crowd into it strong by picking it up in the last few minutes. The Aramis tope felt like a turning point that turned up the intensity. That got that intensity even while mostly eschewing the usual cliches – it’s not even just that they stayed away from doing shoulders, they stayed away from doing long chop/forearm exchanges. The attacks towards each man’s shoulders felt a lot more impactful as something different and played well into the submissions they were trying to win bye. I think the guys have an even better match in them if they keep progression but this is an easy recommendation to check out.

a very good sequence

Cavernario © vs Forastero for the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship
(CMLL @ 11/02, 15:39, great, thecubsfan)

Cavernario/Forastero stands out because it’s leaps and bounds better than all the other Forastero matches, strong enough that it’s not impossible to imagine why CMLL might think Forastero was worth so more shots. He shows a lot more aggression against a rudo than he has against those tecnicos, bitting at Cavernario’s face and hitting hard with big boots. He pulled out the double jump springboard dive not seen much, and definitely not seen with the tecnicos. Maybe a lot of it was Cavernario, who is smooth and quick and held the match together over two botched spots late. Maybe a big chunk of it was a crowd very loud for a match they had no real reason to be very loud about. This still had a lot more thought and effort into it than those rest of those matches and it’s so confusing.

Forastero saving this for the caveman

Tromba vs Sádico
(MDA @ 11/10, 15:00, good, LuchaTV)

Early on in this match, it seemed disappointing that this wouldn’t be three falls. The submissions holds they were doing look good but couldn’t end a match that early. And then the match ended because it actually was three falls. Sadico continues to have a few gems every year despite being unheralded. He and Tromba had some elaborate and interesting sequences, especially the one on the outside in the second fall that led into a german suplex. It didn’t always pay off quite that well, and the crowd wasn’t really into this, which made it hard to rate it for higher. It’s an easy match to like because they had a lot of ideas, they just couldn’t quite get them all to work. The ending was odd; there was a submission spot that seemed like it could’ve ended to a ref stop, it didn’t, but the match ended unrelated about thirty seconds later. This was more interesting than good and wanted me to see more of Tromba.

a fancy way to snap an elbow

Soberano Jr. © vs Templario for the Mexican National Welterweight Championship
(CMLL @ 10/06, 14:32, great, thecubsfan)

There have been a few Templario/Soberano singles matches this year and danger of them being repetitive. They did mix it up here, trusting they could get some counter spots and submissions over in the first couple of falls. It seemed successful for this crowd, made the match feel a bit different than those others, and got made those usual big spots feel bigger. They did end up doing destroyers, but they did other moments not expected from them. I’m watching this the same weekend as the Audaz/Templario match and there’s a substantial difference there in inventiveness. The finish was designed to make everyone unhappy and has to be considered a massive success. Still, this is worth watching even if you’ve seen a lot of these guys already.

they’ve pulled this off better but this was still cool

El Bandido, Flamita, Neza Kid vs Dragón Bane, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Súper Nova
(Invasion Indy @ 11/15/2019, 12:54, good, mluchatv)

This one mostly fell around the “fun but not totally vital” matches. These names being involved are slightly hampered by Neza Kid & Super Nova being the focal point. There’s entertaining stuff but it doesn’t really peak. The brief Flamita & Dragon Bane tiff was worth watching. It also remains amusing to see Freelance do very specific Freelance things while pretending (?) to be someone else. Not sure if the Neza ring is small, the wrestlers making big movements, or me just noticing it more often, but there were a lot of awkward falls onto the bottom rope.

not sure why I couldn’t find a better GIF from this one

Drone vs Guerrero Maya Jr. in a lightning match
(CMLL @ 10/13, 5:29, ok, thecubsfan)

Two of the good but never pushed CMLL tecnicos getting to face each other. Instead of having an ok match with a semi-competent rudo, they opted to have an ok match with each other. Drone had a nice moonsault but looked sloppy, Maya looked sharper but not really into it and the match didn’t go long. There are worse lightning matches but this was very much part of the middle 90% of them, destined to be quickly forgot.

a nice moonsault