CMLL on Marca: 2020-01-24

perfect

Recapped: 2020-01-24

Matches:

Akuma & Espanto Jr. beat Halcón Suriano Jr. & Magia Blanca
(11:39 [4:18, 3:09, 4:12], 1/3, ok, 00:03:18)

Drone, Fuego, Guerrero Maya Jr. beat Olímpico, Tiger, Virus
(11:56 [5:21, 3:10, 3:25], 2/3, ok, 00:21:27)

Soberano Jr., Star Jr., Titán beat Rey Bucanero, Shocker, Terrible
(11:47 [3:59, 5:10, 2:38], 1/3, ok, 00:42:53)

Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón beat Ángel de Oro, Stuka Jr., Niebla Roja
(13:04 [2:35, 2:48, 7:41], 2/3, ok, 01:04:36)

Místico beat Gran Guerrero
(15:09, 1/2 DQ, good, 01:32:25)

  1. La Mistica (3:20)
  2. DQ Gran Guerrero [mask pull] (11:49)

Felino, Último Guerrero, Volador Jr. beat Carístico, Cavernario, Valiente in a relevos increíbles match
(9:25 [3:11, 2:20, 3:54], 1/3 DQ, ok, 01:54:11)

What happened:

Niebla neck adjustment

Cavernario & Felino started brawling from the moment the match started. There’s no build to it, they just fight like they hate each other. Neither man comes off as the tecnico, though it is Cavernario who leaves Felino laying after unmasking him. UG also treats Cavernario like he’s disrespecting Niebla’s memory by attacking Felino and asked for a rematch. Felino & Cavernario fight again after the talking is done, with Cavernario getting the better of it. Felino grabs the microphone saying he doesn’t know the future of Pesta Negra but thanks the fans for supporting them.

The show opens with words to and about Mr. Niebla from Ephesto, Blue Panther, Rey Bucanero, Olimpico, Shocker and Felino. The announcers wear Mr. Niebla wigs and Niebla armbands. The edcanes wear the wigs as well, and many wrestlers are wearing a Niebla styled mask or gear. Olimpico, Shocker, Rey Bucanero, Ultimo Guerrero and Felino wore their old masks.

Mr. Niebla’s family was honored after the fourth match. Franco Colombo represented CMLL and Shocker handed his mask to the family.

Gran Guerrero unmasked Místico after both had ripped up each other’s mask. Gran Guerrero shoved the referee too.

Stuka replaced Diamante Azul in the fourth match. Diamante moved up to replace Volador.

Diamond did the “next week” bumper. The crowd was reacting a lot louder than usual, but they may have to react to the wrestlers coming out to the Niebla tribute.

Thoughts:

Shocker strut

The Cavernario/Felino feuds feel like I missed a month of CMLL TV and I’m dreading going back and watching it. It’s not even abruptness that makes it hard to meet emotionally, it’s that missing part. This is specifically a storyline about two grieving friends directing that grief into anger against others, but we’re only allowed to see the anger instantly and have to assume the feelings that led to it. Their behavior in the match doesn’t begin to make sense until the talking after it. Cavernario’s supposed to be the rudo of the two, based on that post-match interaction, but that’s never allowed to come thru in the match itself. Cavernario and Felino make the best of it and maybe I’ll catch up to them as it goes along. The match itself was wrestled smoothly, and moved along well, though it had trouble following what had happened before it. Diamante Azul would be better as a rudo; he did well catching Caristico’s dive at the end.

Místico won the crowd over with a springboard shooting star press. Winning this crowd over is more impressive than the actual athletic move. Gran Guerrero gave Místico a lot too, Místico kicking out of a super version of fireman’s carry powerbomb he’s used to putting a lot of people away. The flow of the match was heavy house formula, all one moves, and pinfall attempts in the second fall. It definitely worked for this crowd, though it felt too slow for me. The effort level in Arena Mexico was much higher than the Puebla match; there wasn’t a back superplex on Monday for sure. That Monday match felt like just a normal random B-show main event, while this one came off like something that could headline a major show.

The crowd being really into the Dinamtias (and the rudos in general on this show) helped carry what was a pretty ordinary fourth match. The reaction for the trip NGD tope felt like it belonged to a much stronger match than this. The only difference between this match and most recent ones is the rudos did triple-team stomp down in the ring instead out of it, and it seemed like the tecnicos were a little jet-legged still.

The tercera was about Shocker & Rey Bucanero wearing their old mask and not much more. Soberano flew a little bit but Titan & Star Jr. weren’t part of it much. The crowd enjoyed seeing Shocker on this show and he didn’t have to do much to get their approval. That’s was good news for him.

The segunda was a little bit more active than usual even while not amounting to a lot. Olimpico came out working very hard in the first fall and then faded back. Olimpico never seems great, but maybe there would’ve been more life to his last few years had they regimmicked him under a new mask. The old mask took a decade off his age.

Akuma & Espanto Jr. are committed to the Ola Negra concept, coming up with more two-man spots to sell themselves as a team. It’s not a bad idea for an early match group. The problem is Espanto Jr. is still likely to look a fool twice a match blowing a spot. Halcon Suriano needs to be higher up for promotion if playing to the crowd counts so much.

Felino/Cavernario (and Soberano/Templario) tonight, Golpeadors

CMLL

The 2020 Tapatia awards for excellence in the field of lucha libre remain open until at least 02/01. 

Also, I wrote all of this last night. I’m traveling this weekend. I’ll be at the EMW show in Tijuana on Friday night, at the RIOT surprise show on Saturday, and hopefully back home at a Super Bowl party on Sunday. There will be no Saturday update and maybe not a Sunday one. I will attempt to run the Friday night stream but no promises on it working or it staying up. 

CMLL continues the sudden Cavernario/Felino feud in a rematch of last week’s main event. Cavernario again teams with Carisitco & Valiente, Felino again with Diamante Azul & Ultimo Guerrero. CMLL current practice is two singles matches leads to a singles match on the third week, though Negro Casas being around to patch things up may affect that.

There’s really nothing else important. The Chavez bring back their FantasticaMania team with Titan against Euforia, Gran Guerrero and Gran Guerrero. Soberano versus Templario has the best chance of being a great match on the show. Negro Casas returns to team with Ephesto & Mephisto against Atlantis Jr., Star Jr., and Stuka Jr.

Diamond makes his CMLL Friday debut under the new name. The reaction should be interesting. It’s interesting CMLL came up with the Santo-like idea after Hijo del Santo was announced as wrestling Arena Naucalpan. Hijo del Santo has uncharacteristically said nothing about the Diamond character as of yet, though he’ll surely be asked about it this weekend. Diamond teams with Drone & Fuego against Kawato, Okumura, and Virus. That’s a segunda and a reminder this is much about nothing if Diamond stays in those level of matches. The show opens with Akuma & Espanto against Arkalis & Robin.

CMLL streams at 8:30 pm. Marca will stream the show here. I’ll try to stream it here. If I fail, it’ll be on the CMLL YouTube in the morning anyway.

Lucha Central has a preview of the show.

In interviews from Sunday’s IWRG show, Hijo de Canis Lupus said he lost all respect for CIMA, while CIMA called Lupus & Dragon Bane unprofessional.  You can watch the match here; it falls apart early when Canis spits at CIMA and CIMA loses it. It’s also a treat because Relampago didn’t get the message that it was an elimination match, so he ran in too soon the first time, then was late showing up the second time.

Lupus double-downed on Facebook, implying CIMA is soft for being upset. I’m told Dragon Bane said something similar in a private Facebook post. I come down on CIMA’s side in this, though my take is the least important part of this. Canis Lupus is getting a lot of support on Facebook from people who already like him. Most people don’t know him, only know a highly respected guy like CIMA doesn’t thinks he’s unprofessional, and aren’t going to want to work with them over it. If Los Golepadors are happy working in Naucalpan & Arena Aficion forever, which is a noble thing to do, only then are they going about it the right way.

Either Dragon Bane & Hijo de Canis Lupus or the Stronghearts would probably be quietly removed from next Sunday’s card in other situations. CIMA has a long relationship with the IWRG’s Moreno family (probably the only reason he’s working these shows to start with) and Dragon Bane & Hijo de Canis Lupus are the current symbols of the promotion.

Also on that show, Fuerza NG challenging Emperador Azteca to a mask versus mask seems a little soon for a guy who’s been wearing the mask for about a month.

Bandido opened up a Pro Wrestling Tees store. And his merchandise has a Twitter.

02/22 The Crash

I think that’s all the matches, in case I’m missing something. Gelus is the luchador who was said to be from Juarez and wrestled a lot like Aereo from Juarez. Aereo’s mask match with Villano III Jr. is a week after this.

The commissioner of lucha libre in Torreon, Arturo Zarate, is pleased with the conditions of the arenas in his town. He mentions the lucha libre promoters agreed to ban extreme matches after a rash of injuries. There’s also the annual “Torreon luchadors need to get their yearly license” article.

LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.

A Puma King music video.

Lineups

CMLL (TUE) 02/04/2020 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Luminoso & Metatrón vs Guerrero de la Muerte & Ráfaga
2) Avispa Dorada, La Jarochita, Súper Estrella vs La Comandante, La Infernal, Tiffany
3) Drone, Dulce Gardenia, El Rielero vs Disturbio, El Difunto, Virus
4) Explosivo, Titán, Valiente vs Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
5) Ángel de Oro, Diamante Azul, Niebla Roja vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero

That’s also a main event rematch.

CMLL Martes de Nuevo Valores: 2020-01-21

Bengala magic

Recapped: 2020-01-22

Matches:

Cholo & Príncipe Odín Jr. beat Bengala & Sonic
(13:39 [5:29, 4:06, 4:04], 1/3, ok,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Grako, Hijo del Signo, Nitro beat Magnus, Oro Jr., Robin
(12:33 [5:05, 3:50, 3:38], 1/3, ok,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Espíritu Negro, Misterioso, Sagrado beat Diamond, Pegasso, Stigma
(9:12 [3:29, 5:43], 1 DQ/2 DQ, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Pólvora beat Rey Cometa in a lightning match
(6:28, STF, ok,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Black Panther, Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr. beat Máscara Año 2000, Templario, Vangellys
(16:38 [5:04, 3:22, 8:12], 1/3, ok,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Atlantis Jr., Diamante Azul, Volador Jr. beat Ephesto, Hechicero, Mephisto
(13:12 [6:08, 2:26, 4:38], 2/3, ok,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

The third match rudos were disqualified after staying in the ring too long together in the first fall. There is no ring girl or whistle to start fall 2, the rudos just keep going after fall 1.

Thoughts:

Nitro being techinical?

The main event was technically fine but not as exciting for the casual crowd as other versions. Atlantis Jr. getting the surprise pine probably would’ve worked better on a Friday where more people know who Atlantis is, rather than a crowd who just sees him as another guy. The surprise pin meant no big tecnico run, just a sudden end. Diamante Azul worked harder than Volador in the main event.

The Panthers were setting up for the usual big comeback, but the rudos cooled the match too much and the timing of some the offense was off. It was a match with Mascara & Vangellys, it was going to be slow, but the first fall had better action than the rest could provide. The highlight of this match was Julio Cesar Rivera saying Blue Panther Jr.’s new double half crab spot adds up to one full crab. You can’t argue with that math.

It is at the point where I groan when the guys start knocking each other up the ramp because it means it’s time to force in a stage dive to try to get a reaction. There was that, there was the dive to the floor, there was a Destroyer so Cometa could do a flip bump, and there wasn’t much in between. Maybe those are three the same things, but the CMLL guys have figured out a way to build naturally to a dive and the other stuff feels forced. Cometa’s become the worst at doing the stage dive just to do it. Polvora was also in the match.

Diamond cradle, all cradlestoday

The tercera was all about the mask feud not being over, though it’s hard to believe they’re going to keep it going anywhere. Diamond had some flashy stuff he didn’t really use in the mask match but the new name and mask didn’t get him much of a reaction. A little whistling and not much more; the real test will be his first Friday night show. Diamond’s face was totally exposed to the camera on the mask pull, which seems unfortunate.

Nitro was in an unusually jovial mood in the segunda. He winning a match with a cradle, he did the hopping spot with Robin, he took bumps and didn’t get in the third fall win. I’d much rather see than the angry piledriver Nitro.

The opener was about as good as it’s going to be with these four, which meant Cholo fell down awkwardly taking a key Sonic high spot. Principe Odin Jr. does understand that at least 50% of being a good lucha rudo is being a fool, but then he’s also faced Bengala a thousand times so they know how to play off each other.