Recapped: 07/24/2018
Matches:
Joker, Mercurio, Saurón beat Angelito, Astro, Shockercito
(11:50 [6:02, 2:15, 3:33], 1/3, ok, viaVideosOficialesCMLL)
Kawato San, Okumura, Policeman beat Drone, Star Jr., Stigma
(14:45 [4:12, 4:49, 5:44], 2/3, ok, viaVideosOficialesCMLL)
Hechicero, Shocker, Templario beat Niebla Roja, Stuka Jr., Valiente
(18:55 [8:52, 2:26, 7:37], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Atlantis © beat Rush for the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship
(12:27, 2/3, good, viaVideosOficialesCMLL
-
Rush corner dropkick (3:23)
-
DQ Rush [mask pull/ref shove] (3:11)
-
Atlantis spinning side slam (5:53)
Carístico, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero beat Flyer, Mistico, Volador Jr. in a relevos increíbles match
(17:42 [3:22, 2:12, 12:08], 1/3, ok, viaVideosOficialesCMLL)
What happened:
Mistico ripped off Caristico’s mask for the DQ, which seems to be by accident. Tirantes really has no choice to end the match this time, it’s totally blatant. Tirantes hangs around the ring longer than usual for a DQ, maybe thinking the wrestlers would restart the fall, but instead they make challenges for next week.
Hechicero (Rush) & Valiente (Atlantis) were seconds. Hechicero interferences without being noticed. Alberto Diaz was the Puebla commissioner for this match. Atlantis gave Rush a spinning slam twice for the win.
Thoughts:
The main event is barely passable, with them setting up a big third fall that never gets going because Mistico is a little bit too fired up. AT least it went wrong on the mask pull and not the chair throw he does earlier. Carístico has a wide vary of alternative finishes, using a flapjack cutter here. Flyer probably shouldn’t be doing a headscissors into a submission in this feud. Skip this.
The semimain was the best anyone’s done working around Atlantis’ limitations in a singles match. Rush doesn’t need lots of actions, he’s bringing in a lot of antagonistic personality. Rush brings a big rudo personality, the easy and perfect opposite of Atlantis’ clean legend act. It’s a really simple match for the fans to get in to, the hero overcoming the odds to win once again. Rush is always enough of a team player to make it feel like a win, going into every Atlantis move big to make them look like they have the same impact as 20 years ago. Rush could’ve decided he was too big of a star to lose to this old man, but instead tries to get everything he can out of this match to send these fans home happy with this match. This is a smartly done match, even if it’ll make no one’s list of best matches of the year.
The third match was built a lot around Niebla Roja & Shocker, which is not an appealing match up. Shocker cut himself near the right eye doing a missed spear into the corner, which was also not an appealing look. Hechicero has flashier offense than Templario, but Templario seemed like the better base when he was working with técnicos here.
The second match was a regular match, though were allowed to do more than most segundas and the crowd got into it after the dives. It’s good that Star Jr. & Kawato are doing something because otherwise this is a lot of people I’m very bored seeing face each other. Star Jr. needs to improve his chops. Kawato needs to improve his dive catches. Star Jr. looked distressingly like Axel in his silver and black outfit. He moved a lot better. He moved a lot better than Axel.
The opener was nothing you need to go out of your way to see, but it was more worthwhile than usual. The minis worked a shorter match than usual and at fast pace. I wouldn’t mind longer matches if they did something with the time; these guys did more with the less than ten minutes they had. Angelito mixed well with Saurón, who usually doesn’t do well with anyone. Astro doesn’t get do a lot in these but was efficient.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but this was the fullest I can remember seeing Puebla. When they got to the Atlantis/Rush title match, it all made sense. Was this their biggest crowd of the year, so far?