CMLL on Televisa #1117 (09/01/2012) 
Recapped: 09/01/12

Dr. Morales rejoins the announcers this week. Everyone appears to have their belt this week, thought they had them off to the edecanes before they come to the ring.

First round matches.

Match 1: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Marco Corleone in a CMLL Universal eightfinal match
Arena Mexico, 08/24/2012

Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
Match Time: 2:20
Notes: Tanahashi's facepaint ages him ten years. Ref is Edgar.

Pose off! Tanahashi not amused by Marco's posing. Tanahashi on with kicks and forearms to the back of the head. Tanahashi poses and tells the crowd to cheer for him. Gut punches, like Rush. Corner punches. Edgar warns Tanahashi, and Tanahashi tries to intimidate him. Marco comes back with punches from the mat, but Tanahashi punches him to stop that. Forearm to the back. Gosh, this is vacationing Tanahashi for real. Marco battles back, Tanahashi eye rakes him. Corner whip, reversed, Tanahashi gets his feet up on the charge Tanahashi misses a clothesline, Marco springboard clotheslines him. One more clothesline, and a third. Marco scoops and slams Tanahashi, then goes out. Tanahashi struggles to get up. Marco waits for him, runs, Aero Italiano connects. Marco stands up and claps and signals for Tanahashi to get up instead of covering. Mark of Excellence – no, Tanahashi slips out, Marco clothesline misses, and Tanahashi gets the Sling blade. Tanahashi jumps to the apron, up top, frog splash, one two three. Air guitar. Magadan talks about Tanahashi learning from Ring Fujinami! That never gets old.

Match 2: Pólvora vs Diamante Azul in a CMLL Universal eightfinal match
Arena Mexico, 08/24/2012

Winner: Diamante Azul
Match Time: 4:27
Notes: Ref is Rodolfo.

Evasions pots include the Diamante Azul slide. Pólvora clotheslines him, then yells to the crowd. Walking around to another side. Glancing at a third side. Pólvora should just do all four. Azul picked up and slapped down. In to the buckle. Slaps. Azul revers a corner whip, still gets flipped to apron, but gives Pólvora a set of chops and turnbuckle smashes before just hammering him in the the side of the head with a clothesline. Missile dropkick looks like it has no force in it, still sends Pólvora tumbling out. Azul follows with a tope. Both guys need a lot of air. Pólvora back in first, and dropkicking Azul off the apron. Really, because what you want in a Pólvora and Azul match is DIVES. Top rope plancha, whatever. Both slow back in. Pólvora misses a dropkick, but turns a Diamante Azul 'rana into a powerbomb for two. Pólvora was close enough to the ropes to use them but did not. Pólvora picks Azul up, Pólvora Driver! One two no. No one notices it's the Pólvora driver. Pólvora takes a moment to yell at the crowd. Corner charge, Azul sets Pólvora on the top rope and starts clubbing him in the head with both hands. Pólvora covers up, Azul hits him in the gut, Pólvora covers up there, and Azul goes back to smacking him in the head.. That's what we need in this match. Pólvora falls into the tree of woe, and Azul decides this is good enough position for the rolling senton. Camera work mostly misses it. Azul has trouble getting Pólvora free, but pulls him directly into the German suplex to finish it. Not a good day.

Anniversary Show Promo #1

CMLL Cartela: Sunday – Angel de Oro vs Negro Casas for the belt

Match 3: Dragón Rojo Jr. vs La Máscara in a CMLL Universal eightfinal match
Arena Mexico, 08/24/2012

Winner: La Mascara
Match Time: 4:32
Notes: Ref is Maya.

Mascara armdrags Rojo repeatedly. Rojo battle back with a springboard side kick to the chest of all things. Rojo corner whip, Mascara goes down, Rojo adds a low blow dropkick. Rojo covers, but only fro two. Rojo circles around Mascara. Evasion goes Mascara's way – headscissors, tope knocks Rojo over the barricade. Replay of that. Mascara chops Dragon Rojo and throws him back in. Rojo tries charging him, but Mascara swings kicks him away. Plancha in, casadora, cradle one two NO. I guess he didn't have enough momentum for the campana? Rojo looks frustrated. Máscara waves for support. Máscara drop toe hold, casita, thrown off, Dragon Rojo casita, one two NO. Both slow up. Mascara takedown, and feeds himself into a Rojo small package one two NO. Both slow up, and then stopping to react to the fans. Fans get bored an start to whistle. Rojo misses a clothesline and eats a superkick. Mascara charges, Rojo drops him with the Dragon Bomb! One two NO! Crowd does not react as much as I do. Bad day for rudo finishers. Crowd chants for Mascara, or at least they do enough for Dragon freak out about it. He's off looking at the crowd when Mascara just hops back on his shoulders, and front rolls him into the campana. That's it.

Long shots of the fans show they have much more time for this stuff this week.

Match 4: Volador Jr. vs Máximo in a CMLL Universal eightfinal match
Arena Mexico, 08/24/2012

Winner: Volador Jr.
Match Time: 1:25
Notes: Referee is Tigre Hispano. Mije is in Volador's corner.

Quick trip for zero lead to a Máximo headscissors. Máximo goes for a dive, Mije steps in, Máximo just keeps running hipchecks the mascot. Máximo backs up, charge again, and lands the tope on Volador. Máximo back in but looking the wrong way, and Volador has a clear path for the cruel springboard dropkick to the back of the head. Volador misses a clothesline, Máximo kiss cradle, Volador rolls thru, backcracker one two three. Wow, that turned. Mije and Volador celebrate.

Anniversary Promo #2

CMLL Cartela: Tuesday – Titan vs Pólvora is NOT promoted, but Misterioso, Ephesto, Mephisto vs Angel de Oro, Valiente, and Místico is hyped.

Miguel updates us on the second round.

Match 5: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Diamante Azul in a CMLL Universal tournament quarterfinal match
Arena Mexico, 08/24/2012

Winner: Tanahashi
Match Time: 5:15
Notes: Referee is Tirantes.

Tanahashi and Azul go face to face and scream at each other. Chop fight is even and lasts for a while. Azul finally wins with a knife edge chop but tells the people instead of capitalizing immediately. Headlock, and Tanahashi screams for his life. Tanahashi finds a reversal, only for Azul to get out to an armbar. Corner whip, reversed, Azul misses a corner charge, Tanahashi runs into a boot. Azul off the ropes, Tanahashi hiptoss reversed into an Azul one. Tanahashi is stunned, but gets in a forearm. Corner whip, Tanahashi backs up, looks, charges, and misses the charge. Azul almost misses the superkick, but swings his foot around to find Tanahashi's face. Azul backs up, looks, charges and lands the corner rolling senton. Tanahashi goes out to buy time. Bad idea. One replay later, Azul is up on the ramp, and then off with his ramp tope con giro. Both are wiped out. Tanahashi rolls in slightly first, bu they're both down long enough for a second replay. Back just in time to catch Azul pick up Tanahashi by his side, and sort of blockbuster suplexing him. Cover one two NO. Tanahashi crawls for his life, but Azul just grabs him from behind – German suplex! One two foot on the rope! Tanahashi is dead, but his foot is till on the ropes. Azul threatens Tirantes, but that's not going to help anything. Azul slams Tanahashi. No, don't go up! Noooooo. Senton con giro into the empty pool. Tanahashi struggles, crawls on top, one two NO. Both men are hurting. Tanahashi off the ropes, clothesline misses, back elbow misses, Sling Blade does not miss. Sigh. Frog splash one two three. The win energizes Tanahashi, who celebrates big.

Match 6: Volador Jr. vs La Máscara in a CMLL Universal tournament quarterfinal match
Arena Mexico, 08/24/2012

Winner: Volador Jr.
Match Time: 4:36
Notes: Referee is Babe Richard.

Volador and Mije start in, but Volador decides to let Mije start with Mascara. Máscara holds him at an arms length and sends him back to Volador. Volador tells Mije to go try again. Máscara holds him off again, and this time throws Mije by his head. How rude! Volador Mascara chop fight, Máscara stops to take off his shirt, and Volador kicks him while he does. Volador throws Mascara's shirt to the crowd. Clothesline misses, Máscara headscissors didoes not. TOPE. Sends Volador in the barricade. Mascara goes in. Volador decides to walk around ringside and say hi to some people. Mascara has no time for this, and topes Volador again! Volador is slow getting up this time. Máscara wait for Volador to get to the apron and charges, Volador stops him with a forearm and tries to turnbuckle smash him, Máscara blocks a swing kicks Volador to the floor. Top rope plancha! This is an okay match to have all these dives in. Mascara crawls in again, and Volador shakes some cobwebs loose. He's very dazed a stumbles around ringside. Mije waves his man in, and he beat the count. Mascara is waiting for him. Casadora, campana, no, Volador breaks away. Mascara is frustrated, he had it ready. Máscara clothesline misses, Volador superkick does not. Volador calls for it, then does do what he normally does. Inverted Gori stretch instead. This is a bad idea – yep, Mascara rolls thru, campana almost locked in, one arm, – no, Volador breaks free again! Mascara grabs Volador's legs and switches plans. Tapatia! Volador almost giving, not giving, breaking the arm lock, and falling forward. Mascara can't believe he hasn't put Volador away. Mascara charges Volador, Volador flips him to the apron, Mascara forearms back and climbs up, Volador stops him with a swing kick. Volador steps out to the apron and climbs up. Both balance on to the top rope, Volador top rope 'rana, one two three. Three? Three. Máscara didn't kick out or anything, it was just a surprising end.

Match 7: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Volador Jr. in a CMLL Universal tournament semifinal match
Arena Mexico, 08/24/2012

Winner: Tanahashi
Match Time: 7:53
Notes: Tanahashi runs to the ring, and is entering just as Mascara is leaving. Volador is getting up the wrong way, so Tanahashi is able to axhandle him and stomp him without problem. Referee is Maya, who warns Tanahashi, not that he's listening.

Tanahashi mocks the Volador chant, then threatens to strike Mije. Whip, clothesline misses, Volador flipping run, clothesline misses again, Volador headscissors, and out goes Tanahashi. Volador runs – huge TOPE, wiping Tanahashfi out. Crowd loud for Volador. Tanahashi in first. Volador crawls in after him, but changes his mind and stays on the apron. Swing kick from there. Volador waits for Tanahashi tot urn back and springboards into a self powerbomb, Tanahashi almost as surprised as the rest of us. One two NO. Tanahashi trying to rally to Volador chant. Tanahashi and Volador almost blow a body slam, but Tanahashi turns into into Michinoku Driver one two NO. Replay of Terrible winning last week. Back live, Volador trips Tanahashi into the middle rope. Off the ropes himself, charge, and Tanahashi ump Volador to the floor. Both men are showing exhausting from the rest of the show, and really for the rest of the show. Tanahashi up top – fog splash to the floor! Okay, he's trying. Tanahashi makes it back first and stars playing air guitar. Volador up to the apron – springboard dropkick to the back of the head, and Tanahashi out the other way. Volador lifts up Mije, and tosses him on Tanahashi, Tanahashi drops him Mije down stomps him, and Volador wipes him out with a tope con giro. Both men slow back in. Crowd behind Volador. Tanahashi charges, Volador ducks a clothesline, superkick, pounds the mat, pose, Volador waits for something, Tanahashi recovers and drops him with the Sling Blade. One two NO. Mije up to the apron, yelling encouragement. Both slow up. Tanahashi misses something that's edited out – should've been a dropkick to hang him in the ropes, but obviously didn't go well. He's hanging there when they come back, and Volador lands the guillotine legdrop. One two NO! Mije is sad. Volador does not seem worried. Volador ask the fans if she should go up. Volador slowly climbs – and Tanahashi throws him off the ropes to the mat. Tanahashi goes out to the apron, but Volador swing kicks him. Both climbs up, Volador tries to lift Tanahashi, Tanahashi blocks, they punch at each other on the top rope for a while, and Tanahashi finally pushes Volador off. Tanahashi points up, frog splash – MISSES. Both slow up again. Volador fired up. Tanahashi rests in a corner, Volador charges, Tanahashi scoops him up and powerslams him down. Tanahashi back up again, frog splash hits this time, one two three.

Air guitar. Mije can't believe it, he's so broken up over this. Volador was supposed to get the belt. Mije explains this to Maya, who is no help. The doctor checks on Volador.

Announcers wrap up and hype next week's match.

Anniversary promo #3