Highlights of the matches – instead of the announcers – welcome us to the show.
Match 1: Titán ©, Tritón, Valiente vs Felino, Negro Casas ©, Puma
Arena Mexico, 12/14/2012
rudos
Winner: técnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 11:07
Rating: good
Notes: Triton has a mask sitting on top of his head, in addition to the one he's wearing off his face, which matches Titan. Titan has the same deal, but pulls it off to reveal his normal mask. Also, this week's Titan tinkering is a singlet top to his gear. Monito is with Valiente. Zacarias, in a Santa hat, is with the Casas brothers. Negro and Valiente have a shoving match. Titan got last entrance and gets to be captain. Referee is Tiger Hispano. No opening whistle.
1: Titan and Felino have an even exchange until Felino stinks Titan. Estrellita is the special, totally biased, commentator. Titan backflips into Felino's dropkick, though it's not captured well by the camera. Puma tags in to go after Titan's arm, but Titan reverse out of his holds, and they go hold for hold, Puma tries to keep Titan away from his corner with a waistlock, Titan back elbows just enough free to tag in Triton, and Triton springboard sunset flips for two, though getting a legal pin took some work. Triton hiptosses Puma around, Puma snap mares and takes Triton down, Puma trips up Triton and tags in Negro (takes two tries to be legal), and Negro hops in with a stomp to the knee. Triton and Negro battle over headlocks and hammerlocks for a bit. Announcers are fading out at times, as if they're just leaning away from the microphone at inopportune moments. Negro puts Triton in the armbar, holds him near the ropes, and spins him around until he can legally tag in Valiente. This takes two tries. Valiente steps in, right into a Negro heel kick, but Triton superkicks Negro and Valiente slaps him too. Whip, Negro ducks a double clothesline, dropkick to the knee to them both. Valiente reverses a whip and drops Negro with a quebradora, then boots Triton on a dropkick. Puma in with a dropkick, Puma misses a senton. Felino in and whipping Triton, who still tries a springboard but Puma catches him, hurks him up, and powerbombs down. Felino top rope elbow drop one two three.
Titan springboard dropkicks Felino, Puma rolls Titan back to his feet. Corner whip, Puma charges in, Titan catches him and puts him on the top rope. Titan back all the way up, charge, leaps up, Puma shoves him off, then leap off for a jumping frontcracker one two three.
Puma holds Monito for a Zacarias spear. It is not the best of spears, but Zacarias put his all into it.
2: Negro kicks Valiente in the chest a few times, then armbars him for a Puma top rope axhandle. Puma dropkick to the knee sends Valiente flipping. Valiente lands near enough to his corner to tag Triton. Corner whip, Triton rebounds out into a Puma superkick. Puma armbars Triton and tags in Felino (two tries.) Felino kicks Triton in the face. Felino slaps Triton in the chest one, teas another and Triton ducks. Triton chest slap, Crowd loud for another one they don’t get. Corner whip, reversed, Felino corner clothesline, snap mare out and a running kick to the face to follow. Triton rolls out, and Felino knocks Titan off the apron with a back elbow before he can come in. Felino decides to strip, but Valiente's ready to throw down. Felino offers a handshake, and Negro kicks Valiente down form behind. Felino stays in, holding Valiente for a chop. Tag in to Negro, Felino starting a chant before leaving. Negro heel kick. Armbar, Negro cranking the arm repeatedly. Negro walks Valiente across the ring and kicks him down there. Corner whip, Valiente backflips over the rudos, they swing, double chop to Negro by mistake, Puma still superkicks Valiente. Other two in, springboard headscissors sends the rudo out. Titan and Triton run, slings to the apron, point at each other and springboard moonsaults to the floor! Negro charges Valiente, but gets lifted up and dropped into the Valiente Buster. One two three.
Monito slaps down Zacarias, then middle rope elbow drops him with some help from Triton.
3: Felino's turn to work Valiente over with kicks to the chest. Corner whip to the técnico corner, Valiente kicks Felino away, charge out under a leapfrog to the rudo cover, cartwheels and backflips over a dropkick, but Felino dropkick him out anyway. Triton in with a wild tornillo springboard armdrag, Puma superkicks Triton in response. Third superkick for Puma? Give or take. Triton and Puma evade, Puma sends Triton into the ropes, Triton back with a big spinning headscissors. Triton springboards out into a Puma King headscissors onto the ramp. Titan's turn, exchanging chops with Negro. Negro bumps Triton, evasion off the ropes, and Negro folds Titan up with a clothesline. Negro very happy with himself there. Whip, Negro more evasion, Triton handwalk, Negro looks it and just walks to the side, out of the way of Titan's backflip so Titan can't follow up. Titan is upset that Negro moved. Negro kicks Titan, then tries his on a handwalk, but falls right over. That was great. Titan scoops Negro off, and gives him a fireman’s carry bomb. Triton springboard splash one two NO. Triton on all fours, Titan springboards off him to dropkick Negro out. Titan rolls out of the way, Triton out with a big tope con giro. Puma kicks down Titan, Valiente trips up Puma and set up a tapatía in short order. Felino in to – stand there as Puma for a 'rana on Felino! I think Puma gave, I know Felino is pinned for three, and that's it. Estrellita lets out a whine.
Match 2: Diamante Azul, Rush, Shocker © vs Terrible, Último Guerrero ©, Volador Jr.
Arena Mexico, 12/14/2012
técnicos
Winner: rudos (2-1)
Match Time: 12:56
Rating: ok
Notes: Comandante is with terrible. Mije wears a Volador mask. Tirantes is ref.
1: Ultimo Guerrero and Shocker have an exchange that's like one of their old ones, but a bit slower, up until UG flips on a Shocker high kick. UG takes the knee bump out, and Shocker teases a dive. Volador flipping gets in his flipping run and a double rotation headscissors on Azul, but can't actually take him down and gets superkicked hard. Mije's punches are no sold and Azul slide him out to Volador. Volador does make the catch, but drops Mije and runs when Azul starts for a dive. Rush and Terrible have a punch fight, and Terrible eventually wins via clothesline. Terrible face slaps Rush good in the corner, but crows too much about and get a dropkick. Rush follows him out with a superkick. Shocker beats UG in seconds to end it. Volador comes in, sees Azul come in, and decides to just leave. Azul chases him to the base of the stairs.
2: Azul impressively press slams UG, but Terrible kicks him down before he can do more. Azul has a chop fight, Terrible wins via face slap. Azul avoids a charge, clotheslines Terrible on the corner, and lands his corner senton. Rush and Volador come, both playing for the crowd and playing too cool to notice each other. The fun is broken up by Tirantes, who declares Rush didn't make a legal tag and demands he go back to his corner. Volador was going anyway, but the técnicos can't get the to Tirantes satisfaction, and then they all just start yelling at him. Back to Rush and Volador. Rush insists Volador chop him, then isn't much impressed with what he does. Volador tries again, but Rush headbutts him first. Rush stomps and kicks Volador,t hen spits on hi m for good measure. Kicks to the midsection and chest. Whip, Volador over, under, powerslam, Volador out. UG wants to have a chop contest with Rush, but Rush demands UG takes off his chest place first. UG does so, and then Rush isn't affected no matter how hard UG hits. Rush tires for a surprise dropkick, but UG scoops to out of the way and clotheslines him. UG celebrates. Off the ropes, into Rush's belly suplex. Rush dropkick and stomps UG out. Terrible in, grabbing Rush by his hair. Rush and Terrible go face to face. Terrible and Rush go face to face. Terrible dropkicks misses, Rush stomps and double stomps him. Invisible kick! Rush spits at Terrible and slaps his face, poses, and gets dropkicked. Terrible hits the other técnicos while he's at it. Shocker whipped into a takedown, then whipped again and sort of superkick by Volador. Volador senton, then he just holds Shocker down. Volador just stops and tags in UG. Something didn't go right there. UG quickly to the Pulpo Guerrero to end it. Terrible holds Azul in a catapult, and Volador posses Mije on top for humiliation.
3: Comandante boot chokes Rush! Inside, Azul takes a corner clothesline and a superkick. Volador clotheslines Shocker out. Azul gets dropkicked in the knees. Rush demands he face – well, it's not clear, and both Volador and Terrible comes in to face him. He chops them both, the demands UG come in too. UG is unsure, then just ducks the chop and grabs onto Rush so they all hit Rush and stomp him. Terrible tries to get a handshakes from Shocker. Shocker refuses and is attacked from behind instead. Volador misses the corner charge, Shocker kicks the other two away, flip over their clothesline and punches Volador as the other two técnicos kick down the other rudos. Ring clear out to Azul monkey flipping Volador across the ring. Volador is slow up, and immediately monkey flipped the other way. Mije tries to attack again, Azul picks him up and casually tosses him onto Volador. Volador makes the catch, sets Mije down, and Azul runs him over with the ramp tope con giro. Other four in, Shocker goes for the reinera – but UG locks it on instead. Terrible and Rush still get into a slap fight, and a Rush 'rana is reversed to a Terrible powerbomb.
Rudos celebrate. Replays.