CMLL Puebla: 2018-01-22 

Centella Roja pescado arrmdrag

Recapped: 02/10/2018

Matches:

Hijo de Centella Roja & Meyer beat Policeman & Sombra Diabólika
(13:58 [6:41, 3:43, 3:34], 1/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

El Malayo, Fuerza Chicana, Perverso beat Arkalis, Black Tiger, Tigre Rojo Jr.
(16:31 [7:39, 5:04, 3:48], 2/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Amapola & Reyna Isis beat Lady Maravilla & Princesa Sugehit 
(16:06 [8:31, 2:43, 4:52], 2/,3 ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Ephesto, Luciferno, Tiger beat Esfinge, Rey Cometa, Tritón
(10:53 [3:41, 2:38, 4:34], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Diamante Azul, Stuka Jr., Titán beat Hechicero, Johnny Idol, Sam Adonis
(15:39 [5:34, 3:56, 6:09], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Vangellys beat Carístico, Kráneo, Valiente   in a relevos increíbles match
(10:33 [2:23, 2:39, 5:31], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Nothing in storyline. In reality, Vangellys blows out his knee catching a Valiente dive about 30 seconds before the finish and will be out for most of the year.

Thoughts: 

Everything is going to come off more critical than usual in this one because I’m taking a different approach to the GIFs. Instead of GIF of interesting things I saw, maybe I can use them illustrate what I saw.

I was really in a mood to let things play on my TV instead while half paying attention than to either closely watch things or fast forward to the stuff that might be good. I did that with parts of the first two matches, and just don’t have much to say about them: Perverso is improving, kid Sombra Diabolica is better when papa Sombra Dibaolica isn’t involved, nothing involving a Puebla local really matters. I did this with the women’s match too, thinking maybe there was some hidden value. It wasn’t wretched, it was just slow and just lacked energy. Look at this GIF:

if Amapola hadn’t eventually decided to hit Marvalla, the match might still be going on today

That’s ten seconds of everyone just standing around lost. That shouldn’t be happening in a four person match with veterans. I’m not even sure who’s fault it was.

Isis has improved in some ways but she’s not going to be good until her timing drastically improves. Let’s watch Maravilla come to a screeching halt waiting for a plancha.

Maravilla runs for one step, then slowly walks, and she’s still waiting to get hit

Almost everyone does it to some extent. Triton waited to do his guillotine legdrop in the next fall until he was sure Luciferno was frozen in place, which made it totally awkward. Isis seems worse. Isis is no newbie at this point. She’s had the experience and hasn’t improved enough at that aspect.

The tercera built well, though was clumsily at times. Ephesto has trouble keeping up. My biggest problem with these match is I really dislike the Esfinge & Triton matching gear. It’s just way too busy to my eyes.

The action was generally fine in the semimain, but it didn’t coalesce into anything interesting. Hechicero’s ability to mesh with his teammates is normally one of his great strengths. He didn’t do that here, not really getting along with his partners more wild antics or playing the patriotic Mexico rudo who didn’t agree. He was just in his own match.

Adonis thinks he’s helping, and Hechicero just ignores him

If Johnny Idol ends up getting over in this new role, he ought to send Sam Adonis at least 5% of what he makes. Idol’s wrestling is still as iffy as ever. His missed superkick on Titan audibly deflated the crowd.

whiff

The personality switch wouldn’t have met as much if he was doing in isolation; he needs the evil foreigner character more than Adonis does now.

Most of the time, Kraneo’s hip smash only connects with the turnbuckle and not the head of the person in the corner. We would not know this if they shot it from the angle of attack. CMLL instead believes that shooting it from behind is better. (I think he actually got a little of Vangellys this time.)

This is up there with them choosing the angle that shows Dragon Lee kicking the turnbuckle every time.

Vangellys injury happens really fast and isn’t even that graphic. It’s occurs just in an instant – his left leg slips a bit and all of his and Valiente’s weight are on his right knee. Vangellys immediately knows he’s in trouble, and Bucanero and Valiente do their best to make sure doesn’t land Kraneo doesn’t land on him too.

he didn’t get folded up or a leg trapped, it just gave out

I guess it’s theoretically possible there were some big Vangellys plans which were scrubbed. More likely, since the finish was Terrible unmasking Caristico, there were two weeks of these matches just to fill time. It would’ve been nice had they figured out a more interesting to fill time, but being interesting isn’t the priority.

CMLL Puebla: 2018-01-15 

they weren’t expecting luchadors to be in their lap

Recapped: 02/05/2018

Matches: 

Meyer & París beat Guerrero Espacial & Sombra Diabólika
(13:44 [6:22, 1:57, 5:25], 1/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Flyer, Príncipe Diamante, Rey Samuray beat Hijo del Signo, King Jaguar, Perverso
(14:08 [5:30, 3:48, 4:50], 2/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Audaz, Lestat, Stigma beat El Malayo, Raziel, Universo 2000 Jr.
(19:20 [9:15, 4:15, 5:50], 2/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Hechicero beat Guerrero Maya Jr. in a lightning match
(8:25, magia negra, great, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Carístico, Kráneo, Valiente vs Rey Bucanero, Shocker, Terrible
(10:52 [3:57, 2:18, 4:37], 2/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Marco Corleone © beat Diamante Azul for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship
(11:20, 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

  1. Marco Corleone Aero Italiano (2:29)

  2. Diamante Azul flying clothesline (2:40)

  3. Marco Corleone Reflection of Perfection (6:11)

What happened: 

Hechicero in flight

There’s no reason for Kraneo to be a técnico, except they were probably short a técnico for a couple Mondays. Terrible fouled Carístico for no real reason beyond them building to that match next.

Thoughts:

The title match felt more entertaining the first time I saw it than the rewatching it much later. The five ramp spots are all look good and are used well, there’s just not a lot of meat to this match otherwise. Diamante Azul is a strong guy who doesn’t do many strong in this match, and the rest of what they do just is OK. This match felt like they made the most of what they had to work with, they just didn’t have a whole to work with.

great moments in lucha libre

The highlight of Hechicero & Guerrero Maya is Hechicero taking a short pause in the ring on his own, as if he’s considering if it’s really worth it launch himself dangerously out of the ring onto Guerrero Maya. Hechicero decides it’s absolutely necessaries, and flies thru the air with the gracefulness of a mattress being thrown out of a second floor window. CMLL will run about 120 of these lightning matches on streaming shows this year and it’s hard to imagine much of them beating the enjoyment of this one. It wasn’t the technical battle you’d expect from two of the best in CMLL at that. They’re also two of the best at connecting spots in interesting fashions, and they made their usual offense more interesting when they weren’t wildly diving out of the ring or taking huge bumps off the top. They fought as fast as the fast guys while keeping it clean. Definite recommendation.

Audaz is good, though even he couldn’t make a long mat section with Malayo something the fans were interested in seeing. They went nearly five minutes by themselves to in the first fall, which is a bit much. That match closed with a third fall that seemed to have no particular direction too. Universo 2000 Jr. seemed to be in the middle of everything for most of the match, never looking spectacular but improving his competency. Raziel caching dives by shoving away the person taking them is strange looking, and he generally didn’t look sharp in this one.

Audaz is sort of caught

CMLL Puebla: 2018-01-08

Stigma best used as a weapon

Recapped: 02/03/2018

Matches:

Ares & Guerrero Espacial beat Centella Roja & Vega  
(13:24 [6:20, 2:19, 4:45], 2/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Flyer, Millenium, Pegasso  beat  Fuerza Chicana, Hijo del Signo, Policeman
(14:50 [6:17, 4:20, 4:13], 1/3, n/r,  VideosOficialesCMLL)

Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa, Stuka Jr. beat Hechicero, Pólvora, Universo 2000 Jr.
(11:19 [5:02, 2:50, 3:27], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Euforia, Felino, Mr. Niebla beat Dragón Lee, Soberano Jr., Valiente  
(10:29 [4:07, 1:18, 5:04], 2/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Diamante Azul, Gran Guerrero, Pierroth beat Marco Corleone, Rey Bucanero, Terrible in a relevos increíbles match
(6:12 [2:44, 3:28], 1/2, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened: 

The main event sets up a Diamante Azul/Marco Corleone title match by Azul beating him in straight falls.

The semifinal did feature a great moment in a referee refusing to allow a double submission to count, with Mr. Niebla having no idea what wa going on.

Thoughts: 

maybe he just needs to hook the arm with the leg quicker

I’m trying (once again!) to cut back on my CMLL b-show reviews in order to redirect that time into more useful areas. I still think I need to watch at least one match a show to make this recaps worth the time it takes to post them. The tercera was no extraordinary match, but it was the best looking match on the card and a good enough match for a TV watch. Stigma & Universo 2000 surprisingly work well together in the first fall, the rudos come across strong taking the match over, and Guerrero Maya & Hechicero match up well together. They’d match up even better the next week, that’s where you need to use your time. Hechicero’s avoidance of Stuka’s splash into a submission is a tricky thing to pull off – if you don’t make it a big move, it feels like it should register as an impact, but Hechicero needs to shrug it off to immediately lock in his impact. It’s a good idea to do something different with Stuka’s splash, it just didn’t come across as smoothly as it needed to here. against each other.

CMLL Puebla: 2017-12-18 

actually more highlights on the broken week

Recapped: 12/21/2017

Matches: 

Ares, Fuerza Chicana, Rey Apocalipsis beat Arkalis, Black Tiger, París  
(14:03 [6:42, 3:59, 3:22], 2/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Espanto Jr., Espíritu Maligno, Hijo del Signo beat Asturiano, Gemelo Pantera I, Gemelo Pantera II  
(15:45 [9:06, 6:39], 1/2, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Puma, Sagrado, Tiger beat Pantera Blanca Jr., Stigma, Stuka Jr.  
(12:47 [4:48, 0:47, 7:12], n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Pierroth, Rush, Sam Adonis beat Johnny Idol, Terrible, Valiente in a relevos increíbles match
(10:24 [2:52, 2:41, 4:51], 1/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Carístico, Mistico, Volador Jr. beat Gran Guerrero, Mephisto, Último Guerrero
(10:03 [4:02, 1:59, 4:02], 1/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

hooray friendship

This show did not air live, and the taped version has issues with the video. It jumps a few second or so every while starting about 20 minutes in, and comes and goes. It’s not completely unwatchable, but it’s takes away from all the matches. All times are off as a result and no matches are rated. The tercera seemed like it was the best match from what we saw.

All the Panteras on the shows are neither CMLL DF regulars nor Puebla locals, but Matamoros luchadors. They’d appeared in Guadalajara before, and JCR suggests they could be coming to Mexico City soon. The Gemelos match was exceptionally rudo focused, but they didn’t show anything that stood out. Pantera Blanca Jr. was similarly OK and appeared to be the father of the other two; the announcers actually mentioned the relation at one time, but I couldn’t make it out.

Carístico and his partners aren’t getting along at any point. The rudos tease inviting him over on their side after the first fall, but instead beat him up. Mistico is limping noticeable after a second fall dive. The técnicos keep it together to win, but Volador and Mistico attack Carístico after the main event and take his mask.

Johnny Idol just refused to fight the rudos on other team, and occasionally laid down to get pins, leaving it as a 3 v 2 match for the first fall. Rush and Pierroth beat him up in the second fall anyway, with Adonis just staying out of it. Terrible steals the second fall while everyone but rush is fooling around outside. Adonis and Idol are forced to face each other in the third fall, and end up with a hug.

Asturiano and Espíritu Maligno feuded heavily, with Maligno pinning Asutriano and unmasking him. They’ll have a mask/hair match next week.

I didn’t cut away early, that’s how fast they cut away

CMLL Puebla: 2017-12-11 

one of two dives in Reyes del Aire

Recapped: 2017-12-16

Matches: 

Arkalis & París beat Fuerza Chicana & Policeman
(
11:49 [6:52, 2:38, 2:19], 2/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Hijo del Signo & King Jaguar beat Lestat & Tigre Rojo Jr.  
(13:21 [7:15, 1:24, 4:42], 2/3, n/r, via
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Cancerbero, Espíritu Maligno, Raziel beat Astral, Asturiano, Pegasso  
(8:21 [6:04, 2:17], 1/2, ok, via
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Johnny Idol, Okumura, Sam Adonis beat Ángel de Oro, Marco Corleone, Soberano Jr. 
(11:43 [5:33, 2:03, 4:07], 1/3, ok, via
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Mephisto defeated Mistico, PólvoraVolador Jr.Dragón LeeRey BucaneroNiebla RojaGran GuerreroValiente and Felino to win the Reyes del Aire VIP cibernetico
(20:02, ok, via 
VideosOficialesCMLL)

  • 6:44 Dragon Lee hanging double stomp Pólvora
  • 7:53 Rey Bucanero casita Valiente
  • 10:10 Niebla Roja reverse campana Felino
  • 11:53 Mephisto flipping DDT Dragon Lee
  • 13:04 Mistico La Misticoa Rey Bucanero
  • 14:59 Gran Guerrero Toro Bill
  • 15:13 Volador superkick Gran Guerrero
  • 15:37 Mephisto Devil’s Wings Mistico
  • 20:02 Mephisto super Devil’s Wings Volador

What happened: 

Espíritu fouled Asturiano to set up the win, then unmasked him after the fact.

Thoughts: 

great effort by Raziel

The Reyes del Aire was a very ordinary feeling cibernetico hurt by calling it Reyes del Aire. Years of calling the Tuesday show “Nuevo Valores” without any actual new people shows CMLL doesn’t value proper nouns that much, but they set up expectations for this match that the people in it were not interested in fulfilling. There were only two dives in this match, both in the early going, and the match was more focused around the rudos doing big moves than the any flying the técnicos had to offer. They had plenty of stuff that didn’t feel like it belonged in a Reyes del Aire. Some of that’s fine, but when there’s just not that much flying, it’s a problem. This match was really about 10 minutes of a match, then a bunch of eliminations, then Volador & Mephisto doing the last five minutes of every match they do, only Mephisto actually won this one. No one cared; Mephisto as Rey del Aire is just weird, Volador took this so unserious to wrestle in a heavy hoodie the whole match. The match is better without expectations of something more, but really more another disappointing Puebla main event.

The Foreigners are putting more work into their act than most. New team gear, some tag team moves from a group that didn’t have one already, and generally goofing around together. I wish everyone did this and it worked out this well; Adonis pinning Marco cleanly after a big boot was generally shocking. I’m not convinced about the level of matches compared to others, but at least the fans reacted to this one.

Puebla is suddenly in a hurry to do an Espíritu Maligno mask match (and probable loss), so the tercera was mostly about Espíritu tearing at Asturiano. They would seem to be a good match up but didn’t show it here, and the match didn’t go long enough to turn into something. Raziel made a laughable poor attempt to catch Pegasso on his dive.

CMLL Puebla: 2017-12-04 

UG should’ve just let him go for it

Recapped: 12/13/2017

Matches:

Fuerza Chicana & Guerrero Espacial beat Centella Roja & Hijo de Centella Roja
(12:14 [7:12, 1:42, 3:20], 2/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Cancerbero, El Perverso, Raziel beat Espíritu Maligno, Millenium, Tigre Rojo Jr.
(12:12 [7:17, 4:55], 1/2, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Cuatrero, Hechicero, Sansón beat Esfinge, Fuego, Stigma
(15:50 [5:49, 3:04, 6:57], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Vangellys beat Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Titán
(13:29 [4:09, 3:54, 5:26], 1/3, below average, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Carístico, Marco Corleone, Valiente vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Sam Adonis
(13:11 [7:15, 1:41, 4:15], 2/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Último Guerrero © defeated Rush for the NWA World Middleweight Championship
(7:35 [2:26, 1:11, 3:58], 1/3, below average, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Stigma x-ed out

UG sent Rush into Tirantes then fouled him to retain his title.

The semimain was a routine match, more interesting for Caristico’s actions towards Adonis’ flag rather than anything that happened after.

Espíritu Maligno gets accidentally hit by his partners three times during the match. When Tigre Rojo Jr. sort of steals a pin attempt with a splash, Espíritu jumped on to him to attack, then laid down to give the rudos a win. He’s back to being a rudo from here.

Thoughts: 

Bucaneor will just have a seat now

Último Guerrero and Rush teased doing mat wrestling for the first minute of the match, which might have been interesting, and then just went to the finish. The second fall wasn’t much more, and the third fall was every Último Guerrero cliche. They brawled near the drink sign. Rush went for a top rope huracanrana he would never otherwise do so Guerrero would powerbomb him. The only surprise is they didn’t go thru the whole list, going much shorter than usual. This was the sort of match Pierroth and Vangellys would do to get thru a singles match they had no business being in. This was an embarrassing low effort for two of the top guys in the promotion.

I have no notes on the semimain so I guess it was alright.

The rudos in the fourth match felt like doing nothing so the match itself was pretty much nothing. Terrible and Titan repeated their bits from much better matches and Rey Bucanero tried some sandwiches.

The tercera was a solid midcard match that didn’t jump out in anyway. Hechicero works well with any rudo combination but would’ve definitely been better as Cuatrero & Sanson’s main event backup than Mascara 2000. JCR brought up these guys being in heavyweight cibernetico multiple times and I’m not sure why, it’s about the least interesting thing they’ve done. Esfinge getting caught in someone else’s strange hold was a good change of pace.

about as successful in Titan in finding good matches on this show