Recapped: 2020-02-10
Matches:
Arkalis & Robin beat Akuma & Espanto Jr.
(10:31 [5:02, 2:23, 3:06], 2/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)
Kawato San, Okumura, Virus beat Diamond, Drone, Fuego
(13:21 [6:09, 3:02, 4:10], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)
Ephesto, Mephisto, Negro Casas beat Atlantis Jr., Star Jr., Stuka Jr.
(12:17 [3:29, 4:24, 4:24], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)
Soberano Jr. beat Templario in a lightning match
(8:46, fire driver, great, VideosOficialesCMLL)
Euforia, Gilbert el Boricua, Gran Guerrero beat Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Titán
(11:58 [4:24, 2:06, 5:28], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)
Carístico, Cavernario, Valiente beat Diamante Azul, Felino, Último Guerrero in a relevos increíbles match
(11:35 [5:00, 6:35], 1/2 DQ, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)
What happened:
Cavernario faked a foul from Felino for a straight falls win. Felino demanded a singles match next week and a hair match in general.
Diamond debuted his modified outfit here.
Thoughts:
I wish I had watched these CMLL shows in order since it was clear here that Felino was meant to be the tecnico against Cavernario. (Or maybe it’s still a problem it didn’t come across that way the following week.) Felino and Cavernario feuding was the story point in this match, though it came off as oddly background to let the other get in their spots. The crowd did enjoy that part, though it didn’t do a lot to set up the big feud as something special.
Most of the matches on the show were like the semi-main: performed well but performed doing a lot of the usual spots. Gilbert looks better this time around, though that may be the tecnicos taking his spear very well. Guerreros remain efficient as a team.
Soberano and Templario went hard for the less than nine minutes they had, rushing to get a lot in. Templario felt like he dominated most of the match, having a counter for most of what Soberano tried. He just couldn’t put Soberano away, and couldn’t break up Soberano’s sequence at the end. Templario’s tope into an armdrag was great and the layout made this feel different than the recent touring match. It also felt like they had a lot longer match to do that couldn’t fit in here, and it made it a bit of a borderline pick.
Negro Casas & Stuka had a nice back and forth of falls which didn’t at all play off into the finish of their match. That’s fine. It was fine.
The segunda was sold. CMLL hasn’t done Diamond any favors with his usage – he’s protected from the deciding pin but still is on the losing end here. Diamond, or who ever’s helping him come up with his style, is doing himself any favors either. He does the Cometa apron headscissors and the Titan handstand cradle in this one. He does them fine, but Diamond isn’t adding anything in a crowded landscape; his partners outshined him. Kawato’s new gear looks nice.
The opener was slower and clunkier than most of these. The tecnicos teased dives to end the first fall, posed instead, and were immediately beaten. (Not exactly immediately, Espanto couldn’t figure out how to get his finish to work, but you get the idea.) Maybe change things up here in general.