CMLL on Terra: 2013-09-13 (80th Anniversary Show)

recap

taped 2013-09-13 @ Arena Mexico

So many gifs ahead.

Namajague German suplex
Brillo Cometa

Fuego, Rey Cometa, Stuka Jr. vs Ishii, Namajague, Shigeo Okumura: I really liked this show live and am was somewhat concerned this would be a rewatch of finding out things didn’t come across well on TV (or I just marked out unreasonable for them live.) This was a little bit of that disappointment; the first two falls were a bit iffier than I remembered them and Ishii’s difficulties stuck out more. It really didn’t make any sense for his first match in this style to be on the biggest show of CMLL’s year and there were definite communication issues which might have been resolved if he had been working here for a week or two. Still, the third fall and the ending especially were really good and Cometa’s dive was excellent.

 

super porky super tope
Maximo tope

Brazo de Plata, Máximo, Titán vs Euforia, Mephisto, Niebla Roja: This was the Alvarado show, with the rudos and Titan as supporting players the whole way. That would’ve been a not great prospect most days, but Máximo and Super Porky were working at once a year levels, or maybe even more rare because it’s not like Porky breaks out that tope even that often. Máximo might have never done the run up the ropes headscissors ever before, and Porky went a long way on the second fall top rope plancha. They were working especially hard and were the stars of the match, so it’s more surprising they didn’t get the win here (though the rudos do deserve some consideration for what they accomplished here.) Match really could’ve used more Titan moments; he really only got the tope con giro over the crowd.

 

best part is Marco’s horrified reaction
#superkick

Negro Casas, Shocker, Terrible vs Marco Corleone, Rush, Vangelis in a relevos increíbles match: Another really good Negro Casas/Rush brawl, one where they advanced it a bit (someone escaping the Rush dropkick of doom! Rush blocking Negro’s silla, though that didn’t go as smooth as they liked.) Story at the end was Rush had the win but decided to be an extra jerk about it, which fits Rush well. Terrible and Shocker worked great against Rush. Vangellys and Marco felt more thrown in because Rush had to have some partners, but worked fine. Felt a lot longer than the match time.

 

Blue Panther is a wizard
towel toss in slow motion for no real reason

Blue Panther vs Averno for the hairs: EXCELLENT. I started to write Blue Panther in as the winner of the third fall, because I’m still surprised it happened. The towel throwing wasn’t exactly clear to me live, just that Mephisto had done something to distract Panther. It still worked, as much of this match. I still feel it was better live because there were other things I picked up or saw better when I wasn’t watching Terra’s camera angles. The Inverted Gori Special was great on TV, but awesome live and seemed like a sure match ender when it happened. Still, the submission battle back and forth came off well, as did Panther’s topes and the finish looked better like I said. This was a tough match worked well with a well done finish.

 

wait what

Atlantis & Último Guerrero vs La Sombra & Volador Jr. [winners advance]: For a five and half minute sprint, it was totally action packed and exciting and caught everyone by surprise. I’m not really sure why it needed to be that short – it felt like the ending segment of a tense match but never got to build enough to be that tense. It’s still the biggest lightning match ever but it should’ve been something more than a lightning match. Finish is just super shocking not just because the result, but because both UG and Atlantis’ deadly holds just get quickly escaped in such a way which sets them up perfectly for Sombra and Volador’s moves. There was little time to realize what was happening before it actually went and happened. It’s a sudden finish.

 

Mascara Dorada ramp running torito
Polvora learns never to pose

Máscara Dorada, Mistico, Valiente vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión for the CMLL World Trios Championship: GREAT. Rey Escorpion was excellent himself, taking every important spot and saving the non important ones. Tecnicos all had their chances to look spectacular and did so, with Dorada pulling off every crazy thing he tried and Místico having a really good night (working with Rey Escorpion helping.) Dragon Rojo and Pólvora were fine and didn’t get in the way. Everyone came off very smooth. This felt like it would’ve been better on another night, though. Not just for the crowd, which was fighting the match every step of the day (except for the triple dive) but there wasn’t any real moment where it felt like the Revolucionarios were actually going to win, and where the técnicos had to desperately made the save. It didn’t feel like a shortened or rushed match, but it was about 3-4 minutes shorter than they’d go if this was a main event (or if it wasn’t already such a long show.) At the time I’m writing this, it looks like CMLL’s going to run this match back in Puebla rally soon, and I’m looking forward to it – this was great, but they can top it.

Mistico goes a long blurry way on this headscissors

 

Volador thinks Sombra should stop by & say hi
Sombra declines a return visit

La Sombra vs Volador Jr. for the masks: EXCELLENT. Ran thru many emotions on this one. Despair at how bad the Terra feed we have up there turned out (very glad the rest of the show reaired), anger at the crowd for disrespecting two guys having such a good match, then being just thrilled at how great the match turned out be. These were two guys at their best, pushing for the toughest and best possible match they could do and pulling it off. It’s a style built around doing big moves and bigger kickouts, and they did the biggest they could. They added new stuff so this felt like a different match after having so many of them year, and they played off those previous matches and big moves well. This was superb and there’s not more I could possibly want out of this match. I loved all of it.

Volador moonsault
Canadian Destroyer from the mat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sombra & the barricade, part 3
the end