Arena Puebla - 02/01/08

Match 1: Toro Bill Jr., Mr. Rafaga vs King Jaguar, Akira
Arena Puebla, 01/26/09

  1. rudos
  2. tecnicos
  3. tecnicos

Winner: tecnicos
Match Time: 14:49
Approx Rating: below average
Other Match Notes: A pajaras! I don't know if it's my encoding (which I kinda screwed up), but the building is pitch dark past the first few rows. There could be space aliens sitting in the fourth row and you wouldn't be able to tell. (So if I missed any space aliens, that's why.) Refs are Rodolfo Ruiz and Tiger Hispano

1: Jaguar and Rafaga start, and Rafaga makes himself apart of the match early, slapping Mr. Rafaga when he tries to pull Jaguar's mask as part of a hold. With the match on more even ground, Jaguar takes control. They go back to the mat, and this time it's Jaguar pulling on Rafaga's mask to get free from a hold. Hispano goes to slap Jaguar's hand away and gets him the first time, but when jaguar goes back, Hispano swings again, and Rafaga gets slapped in the head! Subtle and great. Rafaga lets go to argue this with Tigre Hispano, not that he was going to win on an inside the leg bar. The mat wrestling here is much more low level submission based - instead of everything be around an armbar or a legbar, there's some stuff counting out of a chinlock and a double armbar. Jaguar gets Rafaga with a spinebuster and goes to celebrate, and Rafaga decides that's enough for him and bails. Akira seems like a kid, or at least one who doesn't look like the after affect of hundreds of battles. Akira tries to add something off a Indian Deathlock, but it doesn't come other or it doesn't make much sense - maybe he was just trying to bridge Toro Bill's back to increase the pain (which did happen.) Toro Bill gets out, briefly uses his strength to get free, and then they descend into a sloppy version of zero leg trip sequence. Tags back to the first pair. They kinda do the third leg of a usual trios open themselves, spending up the pace with a monkey flip and a handspring armdrag. Toro Bill still manages to take down Jaguar with a backbreaker and knock him out of the ring, before bringing in Akira to be double teamed by the returning Rafaga. Press powerbomb doesn't get up much, but Akira's rolling around a lot from it. Toro Bill holds off Jaguar while Rafaga drops Akira with a spinebuster. Toro has to hold Jaguar a while Rafaga takes his time getting rid of Akira. Rafaga barely gets over Toro Bill Jr. on the flying sit and doesn't look good. Jaguar clotheslined. Perhaps it's time to finish this? Jaguar is set up on the top rope, but not for a move - Toro Bill destroys his mask, though apparently just not enough to call for a DQ. He's brought down for a sliding dropkick. Whip, Toro Bill sit down powerbomb, and that'll do it. That had that fall won four minutes before the finish. Rafaga brings Akira in, walks around Jaguar as he goes out, flapjack, camel clutch rolled into a pin and that's the fall.

2: Rudos still in control . Toro Bill sets up Jaguar on the corner again, which seems pointless when you can see half his face already. Toro Jr. is smarter than I - he's doing it to bite Jaguar in the face. (That may not actually be smarter.) Rafaga works over Akira in the background, then Akira goes for a bit of his fingers. Jaguar back in, Toro Jr. goes back for his forehead. Corner clothesline, corner boot for Jaguar. Instead of just whipping him the other way, the rudos grab him and walk him to the ropes, then all the way back to the original corner. Shocking no one, the corner charge misses this time. Toro Bill is celebrating as the tecnicos take care of Rafaga. Toro gets Akira with a kick, but Akira is able to backdrop him to the apron. He to celebrate, which allows Toro Bill to stop him on his charge and knock him down with a chop. Toro kicks Jaguar as he comes over on the apron, then charges him. Jaguar drops his shoulder, and Toro Bill gets backdropped over the corner and to the floor! A seriously crazy bump. Somehow, he gets back up in time for Jaguar to quickly add a plancha. Inside, Akira gives Rafaga bad powerbomb (if that's even what it was supposed to be) for one pin, then rushes out to bring his partner for the countout win. I know everyone must get their dive in, but if they just let Toro Jr. be counted out after getting backdropped out of the screen, I think people would've been fine with it.  

3: Rudos don't return until they have to. Jaguar's wrestling with half his face uncovered - it looks like the Tony Arce mask, actually. Toro gets Jaguar with a back elbow, Jaguar evades and gets a headscissors and backbreaker. Jaguar gets some mask revenge, completely destroying Toro's mask. That should be a DQ, but refs are going to let it go. There's really not much left on Toro. Jaguar puts on a suastica and Rafaga breaks it up. Akira and Rafaga have timing issuing in their sequence, but Akira ends up sending Rafaga out and follows with a plancha. This puts the feuding paid back in, and Toro sandwiches Jaguar with a plancha. Spinebuster, but Jaguar manages a bad headscissors cradle from the mat for the pin. (TVC watches the wrong referee make the count for the second fall in a row, oops.) Rafaga gets counted out despite waking around on the outside looking fine

Toro Jr. and Jaguar tease further issues after the match.

Match 2: Rosa Negra (c), Hiroka, Princesa Sujei vs Lluvia, Marcela, Dark Angel (c)
Arena Puebla, 01/26/09

  1. rudas
  2. tecnicas
  3. tecnicos

Winner: tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 11:45
Approx Rating: Good.  
Other Match Notes: My English speaking brain is still having issues realizing "Lluvia" is supposed to be pronounced "Juviah". Rudas jump the tecnicas as the captains are being announced.

1: Total rudo domination. Lots of whips which make me wonder if they're going to have the comeback in the first fall as a surprise. Neat finish on Marcela. Hiroka and Sujei roll forward for a sort off double tapatia, opening her up for a Rosa Negra dropkick. Rudas start to celebrate, but Dark Angel attacks them as if to remind them who the captain is. Sujei lifts Dark Angel up in her over the shoulder spinning backbreaker, and that's enough to finish. It's also pretty impressive.

2: Never ending corner charges on Dark Angel, which is always fun - they just keep running back and charging again, eight clotheslines by the time they're done. (and then Tiger Hispano shoves her out of the ring with his foot!) Lluvia is thrown around by her hair a bunch. Marcela side steps her corner charge, Hiroka thrown herself hard into the corner and out. Headscissors/armdrag combination spot goes a bit awry, but Marcela ends up kicking Rosa out and following with a silla. Dark Angel gets Hiroka with a missile dropkick as she comes back in, and finishers her with an inverted Indian deathlock. That's becoming her hold. Lluvia takes care of Sujei with a nudo lagunero, and that's the fall. 

3: Rosa Negra is down on the outside. Tough to tell why the silla was different than usual. Rosa is able to get up and walk to her corner, so I guess things are livable. Hiroka gives her a pep speech, and then Tiger Hispano wanders over to see if any of the rudas feel like participating at the moment. Tecnicas are just hanging out, but get bored and go over to the ruda corner to challenge any of them to come in. Rudas decide this is a good time to interact with the fans and blow off the tecnicas. I wonder if Rosa just got the breath knocked out of her and they're still waiting for her to recover. Rosa starts off for her team, and Lluvia runs right into a big boot. Lluvia whipped, Rosa flapjack. Off the ropes, double stomp-ish legdrop? I'm not sure. Rosa is proud of her self, but gets yanked down by her hair before she can do any more. Lluvia off the ropes, off the ropes, off the ropes, headscissors sends Rosa out. Sujei in, and taking Lluvia down with a kick tot he back of the leg. I don't know why I'm doing move by move for this except I still have no idea if Lluvia is good or not. Corner whip, Lluvia gets up her boots, sunset flip, Sujei reverses to her feet, Lluvia runs past her and knocks her down with a bodyscissors armdrag. Sujei rolls to the ropes, stops there, and Lluvia shoves her but don't follow up. Sujei gets up, kicks Lluvia in the leg for standing there, then points to the corner. Lluvia crawls to her corner to make a tag to Dark Angel. That was odd. Sujei kicks Dark Angel, whip, reversed, Sarah misses a clothesline, Sujei clotheslines Dark Angel over her knee. Also odd. Snap kick to the back of Angel's legs. Whip, tilt-a-whirl revered into a nice spinning DDT. Hiroka escapes a spinning a DDT, but takes a backbreaker anyway. Hiroka slaps the mat in anger, charges, and takes another backbreaker. Dark Angel leaves Hiroka for Marcela, but Marcela misses her dropkick and Hiroka does not miss her. Marcela is thrown far and hard by her hair, skidding right out of the ring. Marcela tries to come back in, but it kicked as she comes back in. Hiroka pulls Marcela to the center  of the ring by her hair, but Marcela blocks her right hand and nails her with a great spinning back elbow. Marcela whip, Hiroka springboards on her shoulders, and Marcela just drops her face first into the mat. Cavernaria! Sujei think that one might actually work and breaks it up. Shot for Lluvia, but Dark Angel comes in and armdrags her. Rudas bumble on the double team. Dark Angel is backdropped to the apron and decides to tope con giro Hiroka from there. Sujei and Rosa stop short form hitting each other, but still run into Marcela's missile dropkick. Lluvia puts Rosa in a double armbar half crab thing, while Marcela finishes Sujei with the double underhook backbreaker. That's the match.    

Match 3: Averno, Terrible (c), Texano Jr. vs Mascara Dorada, Toscano, Volador Jr. (c)
Arena Puebla, 01/26/09

  1. rudos
  2. tecnicos
  3. rudos

Winner: rudos (2-1)
Match Time: 10:07
Approx Rating: Mostly by the numbers, though a big finish. 
Other Match Notes: Toscano is not wearing his t-shirt! He suddenly has muscles too, what a coincidence. Volador has his CMLL Tag Title belt. Terrible and Texano have their GDL Tag belts.  

1: Dorada and Texano do the work on the mat to start, and either it's super brief or quietly clipped. Toscano looks perfectly fine against Terrible, which is a lot for Toscano lately. No wonder he's fired up after it. Averno and Volador is clipped down to Volador's tope con giro. The other four end up in, but the tecnicos moves backfire. Dorada take a half nelson slam for Terrible, and Toscano a powerbomb from Texano to cost the fall. Volador is in just in time to be a moment late.

2: Rudo beatdown. Dorada takes the giant swing/dropkick. I'm kinda happy to see it brought back, but it makes miss all the Mini Perros matches were were getting for a while. eats corner charges. Toscano gets spanked, literally, then bit on the backslide. Volador takes advantage of a careless whip to get in a handspring double back elbow, then gets Volador with a double spinning headscissors. Other tecnicos do springboard 'ranas on the other rudos. Toscano doesn't look bad, which against is a vast improvement. Volador gets Averno with an up and over sunset flip to finish it off. 

3: Quick clip to this fall (or I did a great editing job by accident.) Dorada's okay, if not spectacular except for his inside the ropes flip into a headscissors. Volador does the usual with the rudos, and taking off his shirt gets the Hector Garza reaction. Toscano's chow case is clipped our no existence, because the match goes straight to the four no captains mixing it up from Volador. Tecnicos manage to dropkick out the rudos, and follow with topes. Captains back in, evading each other for a bit, but ending on the middle rope. Just when you think Volador might pull off the moonsault side slam again, Averno pops him in the midsection, hooks him, and kills him with a middle rope Devil's Wings. That's it, that's it. Little bit of title match revenge there. 

Ringside doctor checks on Texano on the outside, I think. Replay shows Mascara Dorada poked him in the eye on the dive! Dorada is one dangerous dude.  

Match 4: Siki Osama, Fuerza Chicana, Espiritu Maligno (c) vs Black Tiger, Asturiano, Centella de Oro (c)
Arena Puebla, 01/26/09

  1. tecnicos
  2. rudos
  3. tecnicos

Winner: tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 12:43
Approx Rating: Excellent!
Other Match Notes: Announcer has no idea who the rudo captain is, which is hilarious. Or maybe his mic just died, which is less hilarious. Tecs are color-coordinated - Centella de Oro is gold, Black Tiger is Black, and Asturiano is a little of both. Centella de Oro even dyed his gold-ish hair for the occasion.

1: Espiritu and Asturiano are for a short bit on the mat. Centella de Oro versus Siki Osama next. Centella owns the opening fall match section every time. Black Tiger looks good taking out the two smaller men, with a rope flip moonsault, then sends Siki out with a middle rope headscissors. Asturiano gets Espiritu with a headscissors as we're watching a replay of the last run, dropkicks Siki out easily, and armdrags Fuerza as he charges in. Fuerza ends up in the tecnico corner, Asturiano charges, Fuerza tosses him up to the buckle, Asturiano blocks his punch, punches the rudo himself, then doves off the ropes with a headscissors for Siki Osama. He didn't get all of the headscissors, but it was a nice series. Centella and Espiritu in, and making Espiritu look dumb. Siki in and not any help. Espiritu puts his head down too soon, Centella leaps off of him, then turns to kick Espiritu in the head. Centella on Espiritu, Siki tries to break it up and gets his partner. Centella springboards into a plancha of them, and escapes the catch with an armdrag on Espiritu. Siki misses his senton and takes backbreaker. Fuerza in, and eating a springboard armdrags. Centella teases a dive, but holds up at the ropes when no one's there. This is moving. Black Tiger in, and taken down immediate by Fuerza running tope. Centella sticks up for his partner and gets Fuerza with aback suplex. Espiritu powerslams Centella, Asturiano misses a plancha on Espiritu but takes out his knee with running front clip on the next pass. Siki in and stopping all that with a overhead headscissors. Siki turns toward the tecnicos corner, and Black Tiger cuts him down with a dropkick. Black Tiger lays on his back and sets up - Asturiano monkey flipped into 'rana on Siki Osama. Fuerza in, tripped up right into position for Black Tiger's guillotine legdrop. Centella gets Fuerza with a face first powerbomb just to add to the carnage. Great ending sequence.      

2: Wrestlers are ready far before they blow the whistle, which is different. Siki Osama misses a dropkick on Centella to start the fall, and Centella gets him with a middle rope headscissors. Espiritu flips over Centella's back and dropkicks him out. Asturiano comes in to clothesline him. Whip, reversed, Asturiano springboard armdrags him out. Fuerza in, last for his time, and Asturiano waves him by before eating a headscissors. Black Tiger smashes Fuerza with a clothesline, getting him nearly as much with the body as the arm. Espiritu immediately back in with a missile dropkick, leaving Black Tiger right in position for Fuerza to slingshot neck/chest first up into the ropes. Espiritu is already climbs the ropes before that move is finishes, and bowls Black Tiger over with a tope con giro. Other four all in, and the rudos counter into the finishers. Fuerza drops Centella de Oro with a fireman's carry double knee gutbuster. Siki drops Centella with a Gory Bomb before adding a leglock cradle for the extra pin.

3: Rudos in control, but again not wasting time as they beat up again. Fuerza does give Black Tiger the slowest back drop ever, but then he's quickly kicked out. Centella de Oro is cornered, then whipped into  Espiritu's spinning wheel kick. Which could use a little work, or height. Or something. Anyway, Centella goes out, Asturiano goes in, and the rudos let him make the first move. Which is to run around. Doesn't help. Siki flapjacks him up and lets him eat boots on the way down. Asturiano held on the ropes for a swinging kick by Espiritu. Black Tiger whipped cross ring to a Siki Osama kick, and Fuerza kicks him down. Right hand knocks him down. Espiritu attacks the shoulder with an axhandle. Tiger Hispano stops Centella de Oro from coming in while his partner is being beat, then argue with him as he comes in. Rudos oddly let him finish his argument - even Centella de Oro figured he'd be jumped while distracted there. Espiritu ends up spearing him, Fuerza adds a questionably low headbutt, and Siki kicks him up to corner whip him. Except, Centella reverses it , and Espiritu absently kicks his partner. This starts the comeback, lots of chopping and kicking of rudos all around. Tecnicos end up regrouping in the corner as the rudos group on the floor. Asturiano stays and charges Fuerza, Fuerza misses a clothesline, Asturiano tries a sunset flip, Fuerza blocks it and sets a behind the back piledriver, but Black Tiger pushes him. Asturiano gets free due to the distraction, and Tiger gets Fuerza with a 'rana. One two no. Espiritu charges in, Tiger immediately lifts him into an Atlántida, but Espiritu slips down the back for a sunset flip, one two no. Centella tries a bodyscissors cradle on Espiritu, but the rudo slips free, and Siki swoops in with a dropkick to the head for Centella. Before Siki get up, Asturiano stuns him with a tope rope splash. Fuerza and Espiritu grab Asturiano, but Siki Osama accidentally clotheslines his partner instead of the tecnico. Centella and Tiger dropkick Fuerza and Espiritu on one side, Siki gets backdropped out the other side  - triple tope con giro! Espiritu back in first, and turning Asturiano back out with a dropkick, only to be dropkicked out by the other tecnicos. The other rudos kick them down, and split up to corners. Tecnicos are whipped at each, reverse the rudos (Siki & Fuerza) into each other, but they manage to stop short of collision. They're too busy reacting to stop Tiger & Centella from chopping them and tying their arms together. Tecnicos push the linked rudos onto their back, onto their shoulders, and sit on top! Meanwhile Asturiano chases Espiritu around the pile, doubling back to cut him off, then scooping Espiritu and slamming him on top of the pile. Asturiano steps on top to strike a pose, and the refs count it - one two three! That's seriously awesome.

Match 5: Ultimo Guerrero, Atlantis (c), Rey Bucanero vs Sombra, Shocker, Mistico (c)
Arena Puebla, 01/26/09

  1. rudos
  2. tecnicos
  3. tecnicos

Winner: tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 13:29
Approx Rating: Fun.
Other Match Notes: I can see the crowd to start this match - and it's packed. So there's that. Rudos come out as a group. Everyone here is champion but Shocker, yet no one has brought a belt to the ring. Mistico is wearing black. So is Shocker - team unity!

1: Pairs are Rey/Sombra (brief), Mistico/Atlantis (more mat based - as if out of order) and UG/Shocker (pose off to start, then brawling inside, outside, and back inside.) UG kicks Shocker away on a charge and rushes back out for a sunset flip. Shocker rolls thru, Mistico splashes UG, rudos try to get Mistico but elbow drop UG, Sombra and Shocker splash both of them. all the tecnicos charge all the rudos - and all the rudos lift them up into Atlántidas! YAY TEAM. Rudos celebrate major pwnage.

2:  Guerreros beat up the tecnicos on the outside. UG press slams Mistico on the chairs, of course. UG takes time to dance with some rudo fans while his partners are waiting for him to come back into running sit Sombra. UG's a busy man, but he gets around to it. One for Mistico too.  Corner charges for Shocker, including Rey doing a rolling back elbow, and UG stretching out the handstand before the sit. Quebrada con giro for Sombra. Boots send him out. Mistico takes a boosted version of Rey's rope sit. Shocker brought back in, and this time avoids the corner charges. UG and Rey charge with a clothesline, but Shocker kicks them away and then flips over it (looking better than most!), then ducks another one and shocks Atlantis. Tecnicos are slow coming in, but get in their headscissors on the rudos. Tope con giros! Shocker and Atlantis are left in, and Shocker quickly gets the reinera for the fall

3: Sombra is jacked. He starts with Atlantis. Sombra flip run, then getting Atlantis with a rope bounce armdrag . Buca, Sombra gets him with a rolling headscissors to send him over the top rope. UG cuts down Sombra with a back elbow and dances to celebrate it, as Rey goes outside to hang out with small children. UG 's flapjack escaped with a flip, and Sombra headscissors him out. Dive fake, rope flip pose. Shocker in to deal with Atlantis, who shoves him down and celebrates that with the rudos. Shocker ends up stuck in the rudo corner but fights his way out with a mighty punch. Shocker armdrags Atlantis and UG whine he's not bouncing them into each other. Shocker and UG have a showdown. UG quiets the crowd own for a loud chop, which the camera gets bored by and switches. It knocks Shocker down to one knee. He rises, only to get chopped again. Shocker misses again, chopping UG but unable to knock him down. One mighty clothesline does it. UG back to his feet, and the camera again switching to the crowd. Avoidance, Shocker and UG do the Shocker/UG reversal spot, short clothesline knocks down UG. Rey in, missing a clothesline and running right into a spinning backbreaker. Shocker blocks everything and knocks Rey down with a double chop before a triumphant pose. Atlantis' turn, but he's a little late realizing he's got Mistico. He is smart enough to lure Mistico into getting knocked down by UG. Corner whip, Mistico meets Atlantis charge with a boot, then gets both rudos with a headscissors/armdrag combination. Mistico tossed up down with a headscissors on Attaints, and a pretty one on UG. Not as many boos for Mistico here as in DF. Mistico gets just far enough on a tope to get UG - there's not really much room on that side anyway, so UG falls up an aisle and Mistico lands in front of him on his feet. Other four all in, Sombra whipped into Shocker. Rudos try that bit again, but Shocker backdrops Sombra to the apron. Rey charges in, Shocker moves and Sombra hits him, rudos bumble and gets splashed after a missed elbow drop again, then Sombra boost dropkicks Rey out. Rey misses a senton on Shocker and gets out of the way as UG comes in with a clothesline for Shocker. UG backdrops Shocker out, but Shocker turns it into a pescado Atlantis. Mistico left in with Rey and UG, though Sombra is just down in the corner. La Mistica on Rey, but Rey slips free. No problem, Rey misses a clothesline and walks right into Sombra's fireman's drop. - rope flip moonsault there, 'rana on UG by Mistico for the other, one two three.  Tecnicos are triumphant.

Replays and done.