CMLL Mini Line - 08/21/04 (#143)

I've got a really static copy of this episode for some reason, so play by play may not be attempted

Welcome To The Show Vignette: Vampiro

Match 1: Dr. Wagner Jr. (c), Okumura, Apolo Dantes vs Rayo de Jalisco Jr., Super Porky, Canek (c)
Arena Mexico, 06/04/04

  1. rudos
  2. tecnicos
  3. rudos

Winner: Rudos (2-1)
Match Time: 8:40
Approx Rating: 76. 

Other Match Notes: Wagner's making "I want the belt" motions, in ref to Canek's title. Awesome W coat, too. They've been sometimes spelling it 'Okemura' among other varied spelling, and hopefully the way I'm spelling it is correct. Dance Porky Dance. Per rule, Wagner attacks Canek in the aisle, and off we go.

There might have been a beatdown going in the ring previously, but we didn't get a good look at the ring till Wagner brought Canek in. Splits are Wagner/Canek, Apolo/Rayo and Okumura/Porky. Wagner goes for the mask, and gets the top half of it off. Okumura makes extensive use of the boot and knee choke. Canek and Wagner go out of the ring, and Apolo and Oku work over Rayo, though we miss part of it looking at Wagner beat Canek into the first row. Porky's turn for some double team moves - Okumura slams Porky! Outside, Wagner's giving Canek the scenic tour - look, a chair! Look, a ring post! Look very closely. Rayo takes Porky's place as tecnico being double teamed as this is going on. Not a real high impact or high tech beatdown, which shouldn't be a surprise with this crew. Okumura and Apolo give Rayo a spinebuster and Apolo adds a top rope splash to finish him off. (2:39) We get a long crowd shot, making me think I've missed Porky being pinned, but come back to see Okumura giving Porky a missile dropkick, and he's pinned. (3:09) Apolo annoys Porky, who's fighting on his back like a flipped turtle. About as effective, too. Replays. 

After the whistle, Wagner is yelling at the crowd, then one crowd shot later, Canek is suddenly in control of Wagner. Eh. Canek is ripping at hte mask while Porky and Rayo provide interference. Wouldn't it just be the way things are going for Canek for him to get it off and lose that way? Rayo is adding a toehold that Wagner's not really selling, so whatever is with that. Is Okumura threatening the camera man with violence? Announcers giggle over it. Canek is going up top after battering Wagner with clotheslines, top rope plancha gets one two no. Back to the mask. Canek pulls Wagner up, and DDTs him down. Wagner smartly rolls to safety, Apolo tagging himself in the meantime. Rayo in, and they share a look like there's this big Guadalajara feud I'm missing. I guess it is possible. Rayo eventually chokeslams Apolo (2:16), and Okumura shows he's new here by trying a sunset flip on Porky. Nice knowing you, Okumura. (2:24) CANEK DOES THE WAGNER POSE! Wow, he really wants to die. 

One crowd shot later, Dr. Wagner has apparently procured the giant CMLL signboard from the announce desk, and he's bringing it to the ring. Or, to the ramp. I guess he's making a point, but we're back to staring at the chick with the enormous biceps. Part of me hopes they're going somewhere by showing her just about every week, and the rest of me thinks that part is really dumb. Anyway, the goal apparently seems to put the signboard between Wagner and Canek, so when Canek steps on the CMLL logo, Wagner can say "How dare you deface the fine name of this promotion!" and Canek can gasp and back off, and Apolo can rescue the signboard while admonishing Canek. Well, that's what happens anyway. I was expecting the large piece of plastic to be used in a hitting method, but I guess that works. Replays.

Wagner is staying far up on the ramp away from Canek as the third fall starts, so Porky and Canek go to work on Okumura instead. Wagner waits for Canek to turn the other way, charges, starts to change his mind because Canek's turned around, and decides to go one on one anyway. Wagner wins the chops, but Canek exerts great effort to land a dropkick. Rabbit punches to the head. Half hour suplex! Canek moves into a kneeling abdominal stretch, with option mask pulling. Apolo and Okumura break up that, and we crowd clip (maybe?) to the rudos having Canek down and all going after his mask. I think there might have not been a clip, but that seems weird. Breaking with tradition but using logic, they're actually untying the back of the mask now. They leave it just enough tied so the remainder stays on for now, as the rudos take turns pummeling him. Wagner slams Apolo last, goes to the apron, looks at the crowd, and climbs up. Up is what Canek is as well, tossing Wagner from the top. Canek goes after the mask, but the rudos go after him, but Porky's back in. Cue Okumura, Porky sequence. Porky teases a tope, but still flattens Okumura with a apron dive plancha. Rayo and Apolo now, with Rayo taking Apolo out with a clothesline and hitting a top rope plancha on him. Down to the captains. Wagner rallies himself, and turns into a clothesline. Wagner up, Canek clothesline blocked, Wagner kick blocked, Wagner mask pull not blocked! Wagner cradles Canek, and blocking the ref from seeing the mask pull - one two three. (3:17)  Rudo announcer immediately bemoans the unfortunate accident that led to Canek's mask slipping off. Wagner starts to talk, but it's all clipped out. Here are replays instead. 

The next match is A Ras De Lona (jip), but it's longer than usual

Match 2: Texano Jr. (c?), Misterioso II, Brazo de Oro Jr. vs Felino (c?), Volador Jr., Safari (c) in a Mexican Trios Championship Match
Arena Mexico, 06/04/04

  1. tecnicos

Winner: Felino, Volador Jr., Safari
Match Time: 4:07
Approx Rating: 78 - this was the best thing on the show.

Other Match Notes: Nice we got to see the ending of what all those Guapo U matches were building to. Safari has the best of Misterioso as we join in, clotheslining him in the champs corner, and giving Felino a chance to do the same. Felino raises him up on his shoulders, and Safari adds a top rope plancha. Oro Jr. tries to break it up, and ends up elbow dropping his own partner. Volador top rope splashes both of them and Texano is unsuccessful breaking it all up. Champ set up a plan - Felino tosses Safari to Misterioso for a 'ran , but Misterioso powerbombs him one two NO. All six guys are in and it's hard to follow action when the Guapo U guys are unfamiliar and all wearing white. Volador and Felino were knocked down while Brazo was making the pin, and now Safari is the only one getting up - clothesline from Texano, clothesline from Brazo, clothesline from Misterioso. Everyone cover! One two three. (1:06) Only need one more pin to win it, but Guapos are two caught up in the moment and Texano gets superkicked. We look at the crowd and misses Volador being taken out in turn, but do come back in time for Felino to avoid a Oro dropkick and Texano to take it instead. Oro off the ropes, bodyscissors cradle, one two NO. Crowd is really quiet and maybe not in the building. Or miced. Oro Jr's next clothesline is caught and turned in to a crucifix lift. Holding it there for a while, and Oro has time to never it into a 'rana on a way don one two NO. Felino back at Oro Jr. with an open hand slap. Felino waves to the crowd. Corner whip, reversed, Oro goes in with a shoulder to the midsection. Felino set up on top, slapped a couple times. Oro charges, dropkicks Felino, but Felino manages to stay upright. Oro backs up, charges - was he going for a running second rope headstand into a 'rana? World will never know, because he only accomplished setting himself into position for a second rope crucifix powerbomb and this one Felino has no problem finishing off. (2:43) Texano quickly in to take his partner's place, and nailing Felino with a back heel kick. Felino goes out, and gets leveled but a slingshot tope con giro. Misterioso and Volador in; I'm thinking this is supposed to be a dream undercard high flying battle. Volador with a shoulderblock, springboard hop off caught by Oro on his shoulders, and Volador is spun around and dropped with a powerbomb one two NO. Misterioso up first and kicking, and loads up Volador in a Gory Special, dropping him with a Gory neckbreaker. Will that do it? One two NO. Texano pounds his fists on the apron on the outside. Safari is equally frustrated. Misterioso lifts Volador up into a torture rack, but Volador quickly armdrags out, then traps Misterioso in grounded crucifix rollup one two THREE. (4:07) Champs retrain, though it was a battle.

Match 3: GdI (Ultimo Guerrero, Rey Bucanero, Tarzan Boy) vs Ola Azul (Atlantis (c), Blue Panther, Mr. Niebla)
Arena Mexico, 06/04/04

  1. tecnicos
  2. rudos
  3. tecnicos

Winner: Tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 6:02
Approx Rating: 70.

Other Match Notes: And this one is joined starting in the second fall. 

GdI is in no hurry to get this going, which probably tells you plenty about the first fall. Tarzan Boy multitasks, holding his face in pain and flexing a bicep for the camera. That's talent. Long crowd shot after lot of stalling, and we come back to see Panther down and Ultimo celebrate. Not sure we actually missed much, though. Ultimo taunting the crowd while working over. Panther, whip, clothesline misses, Panther clothesline blocked, Blue Panther lands on his feet on a tilt-a-whirl (not so agile looking spot), Panther sent in the ropes and back with a headscissors. Clothesline takes them both out, but Panther comes out ahead. Atlantis and - no, Rey's got to think this over. It's here they show the caption with the tecnico (and rudos - creatively ignoring 'Guerreros' because I like initials); Ola Azul is the Blue Wave, but it used to be Lizmark instead of Panther, I thought. Works better this way. CROWD SHOT. We miss most of the Atlantis sequence, it feels like. Should've done that with the Wagner sequence. Luckily! they come back in time for Atlantis to stand around a while as Rey's realizing Atlantis isn't coming out of the ring after him so he should come in. Rey in, under a leapfrog, into a monkey flip. Rey tilt-a-whirl is reversed into an Atlantis armdrag. Clothesline misses, and Rey is slid to the floor. Now the dive? Now the Tarzan kick to the gut. Tarzan's quickly tossed into the corner, and Atlantis sends him for with a monkey flip. Tarzan takes a dropkick into the ropes and slowly out. Niebla and Ultimo in, and the dancing begins in earnest. Crowd digging Niebla, which he points out. And then Ultimo kills him with a chest to slap. ULTIMO HIP SWIVEL. I give this match *****. Niebla responds in kind, and this time gets a back elbow into the corner. Chop, corner whip, charge into a double boot. Niebla charges out to a monkey flip, but lands on his feet. Ultimo is waved by, and armdragged on the next try. Niebla off the ropes, rebound armdrag and Ultimo rolls out for safety. Rey tries his luck - a slap to Niebla kinetically passes thru Niebla's body to his left arm in a slap for Tarzan Boy. Rey slaps Niebla again, and this time it cues the dance. Off the ropes, under, into the monkey flip to the floor, just barely clearing the top rope. Rey didn't have a fun ride, and has to gather himself on the floor before continuing. Looks like Tarzan got the best of Niebla while we were looking the other way. He wants for Niebla to get up to hammer him with a forearm and throw him out. Atlantis in and dropkick Tarzan out, Atlantis running and ducking a double clothesline, Atlantis tossed by Ultimo and Rey manages to actually powerbomb him! That spot never works! Must've been an accident. Apparently, you can punch someone and cover at the same time, as Rey does and gets the three count. (3:53) Ultimo snap mares Panther, and put a kneeling abdominal stretch on him, but the refs are acting like Atlantis was the captain and he probably was. Crazy Tarzan Boy fans in the front row do the Guerrero Dance. Gotta love crazy rudo fans. Replays.

Rey is beating up Atlantis on the ramp as the fall starts, and he tosses him in for Tarzan and Ultimo to help. Triple boot for him. Double boot for him. Rudos bring all the tecnicos to the ramp for no particular reason and beat them down there. Tarzan holds Atlantis on the ramp, Rey charges at him, Atlantis boosts him, Rey hits Tarzan, and that's a weird way to start the comeback. Appreciated, because I'm sorta getting tired, but really odd. Hey, they just spelled Okumura with a U on the upcoming event listings, good. The comeback doesn't really last long before they get to one on one stage, starting with Niebla vs Atlantis, and Niebla trying to draw from the crowd. Don't get in to a slap battle with Niebla. Handspring elbow, check. Ultimo misses an elbow drop on Niebla, and backdrops him into a tope con giro on Tarzan. Next for Ultimo to miss is Atlantis, and in a blink, Atlantis and Panther finish the tag team champs once again. Sudden quick - Atlantis bumped Ultimo into Panther after he missed the dropkick and Panther took him down into a Fujiwara as Rey ran into to the Atlántida. (2:09) That'll do it. Tarzan Boy fans are beside themselves. And now someone's letting the announcers know about the rudos.

Stellar Moments was mentioned before, but doesn't actual air. 

Match 4: Vampiro and Pierroth vs Shocker and Negro Casas
Arena Mexico, 06/04/04

  1. tecnicos
  2. tecnicos

Winner: Tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 9:33
Approx Rating: 75 - after match spots helped a lot.

Other Match Notes: This is the first time we've had four matches on this show since #113, and even then, it was three single fall tournament matches. The last true four match show was all the way back in #73, about a year and a half ago when they were running 90 minute shows. Not that I expect this match to go long.

Oddly, we start about ten seconds into Vampiro's entrance, but Pierroth gives that time back waiting for the music to hit just the right spot before appearing. Shocker is doing the overalls things. Beatdown on the ramp, check. Monito seems to be okay this week, at any rate. Negro does rush out to make the save, and we're off. I thought this might turn out t be one fall, but it's announced as two vs three.

Monito's keeping a big safe distance between himself and Vampiro. Pierroth drops Negro with a back suplex, but pulls him up at two for whatever reason. Vampiro's methodical beating up Shocker on the outside. Pierroth chops Negro out of the ring, so Vampiro throws Shocker in. Shocker takes stomps and tries to get out of his overalls. Lots of illegal choking, lots of big kicks to upper body. I'll let you guess who's doing what. Vampiro battles Shocker into the crowd. Nazi gets involved to hold Shocker for Pierroth, which ias apparently not a DQ. She does let go when she gets a warning, so good for her. Negro randomly starts fighting back on Vampiro in the ring, but Pierroth helps subdue him. This show can't be sixty minutes, because there's no hurry to get even two falls done with 5 minutes left. Negro is kicked hard in the chest, and Shocker's spear proves ineffective. Bicycle kick for Shocker. Vampiro is slightly pumped, but more in no hurry. Is Shocker bleeding from the mouth? Double whop, double boot. Negro makes up to the apron to be kicked in the chest multiple times. Negro catches a kick and uses it to take down Vampiro, but he's corralled by the rudos. Pierroth holds Negro in the corner for a running big boot, and it actually connects with the right target. Shocker attacks again. This is so going no where. Here's another mini-comeback. Stopped again. Negro gets a dropkick to the knee, but it just slows Vampiro down. It doesn't sound possible. Wait, now Pierroth is just standing on the apron watching? This match, I am not a fan. Vampiro takes back control anyway. Pierroth comes back in when Shocker interferes. The actual comeback occurs when Pierroth is held by Negro in the ropes, and Shocker switches behind Vampiro to give him a back suplex - it's good enough that Vamp comes up holding his neck, but not good enough for the director to bother to show. Tecnicos clear house, but don't go for any quick pinfalls any more than the rudos did. And then it settles into a tag match. Negro apron dive Thesz Press, check. Stomp for Nazi as a bonus. Shocker gets taken out by a Vampiro spin kick, but Vamp makes the choice of going up top slowly. Shocker can avoid the missile dropkick but can't catch the legs like he wanted. He grabs them after Vampiro's landed and turns him over into a Lion Tamer - that'll do it. (7:00) Monito comes in to break on Vampiro as they count out Pierroth. Yep, that's it. (7:05) Monito is helped to the top rope - top rope splash on Vampiro! Tecnicos celebrate.

That last fall wasn't worth all that typing, so I don't plan on doing much for this second fall. Pierroth/Negro to start. Shocker/Vampiro next. Shocker makes the mistake of wanting to get into a strike battle with Vampiro and needs a miraculous comeback. Pierroth comes in after him, but now Shocker can take them both on.  Vampiro gets knocked to the outside, but actually catches Negro on the Thesz Press - and crotches him into the post! Well, he's dead. I think the refs caught that; they wave off the rest of the action, so we'll call it there. (2:33) Vampiro's not done, though. Back in to get Shocker; he lifts Shocker up for the Styles Clash - doing the motions to lock Shocker's arms around his hands, but it doesn't actually happen - and flattens him. They raise Shocker's hand officially here, so this is over. Vampiro still isn't done - running kick to Monito's chest! He's picking Monito up - JUMPING TOMBSTONE! He's DEAD. The Doctor is right into check on him, but Monito isn't moving. Negro is just getting up on the outside and trying to piece together what happened. Vampiro's pretty happy with himself. Replay of Negro getting crotched. They're carrying Monito off on the stretcher! It's twice his size! That's pretty fun - and now Vampiro's going after him on the stretcher. He only gets in a kick before they hurry up and get the blue gorilla to safety. Pierroth taunts Shocker and Negro as we go to break.

Next Week: Blue Panther, Shocker, Atlantis, Ultimo Guerrero, Hijo Del Perro Aguayo, Tarzan Boy, Vampiro Canadiense, Rey Bucanero and many more

Replays of Vampiro taking out Shocker, Negro and Monito. And we're out, at about 72 minutes.