CMLL Puebla: 2020-01-27

how it feels to watch Puebla

Recapped: 2020-01-28

Matches:

Asturiano & Rey Samuray beat Black Tiger & Rey Apocalipsis
(15:04 [6:55, 4:02, 4:07], 1/3, below average, VideosOficialesCMLL)

La Comandante, La Infernal, Reyna Isis beat Marcela, Mystique, Sanely
(12:57 [7:19, 3:15, 2:23], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Stigma beat Kawato San in a lightning match
(7:47, fisherman’s powerbomb, below average, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Shocker, Templario, Vangellys beat Audaz, Dulce Gardenia, Flyer
(19:38 [6:53, 6:02, 6:43], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón beat Carístico, Soberano Jr., Titán
(17:59 [7:35, 3:27, 6:57], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Sanson stole Caristico’s mask and rolled him up for the win.

Thoughts:

mysitque is amazing

The main event got extra time but didn’t do much with it. That seemed the case for most of the matches on the show. NGD tried to do a cool Soberano flip into the reverse bear hug to set up the first finish. It didn’t work and it felt that was the end of trying. NGD worked slower than usual in charge, while the tecnicos just ran thru their usual offense. Forastero should consider wearing gear without a hole in them.

There often mismatches teammates in CMLL, but no one felt as out of place as Templario teaming with Shocker. Just two guys having a very different match, only united by a desire not be kissed by Dulce Gardenia. Templario bases for all the tecnicos in the third fall, Shocker walks around ringside for a moment to offer up people besides himself to be kissed by Dulce Gardenia. It’s not as much a balance as a weird counterpoint.

The first few minutes of the lightning match were rough. Stigma botched taking a headscisssors takedown then whiffed on catching Kawato on a dive. Kawato seemed to be working thru shoulder or rib pain the rest of the way. There weren’t any obvious problems past that, but it was slow and never interesting. Kawato kicking out of Stigmatica just to get pinned a move later was strange and didn’t any reaction.

The third fall of the women’s match is aggressively nothing after the first two falls seemed to have a lot to them. The first fall felt rehearsed as well, which made that third fall feel like something went wrong. Mystique is not great the tricky armdrags she’s trying but it’s vastly entertaining and I pray she continues.

Samuray & Asturiano are some times interesting but the opener was not. It fell apart after Asturaino fell out of the ring, with the most forced hanging stomp spot you’ll see. Wipe this from the memory banks.

CMLL Puebla: 2020-01-20

Centella Roja being good

Recapped: 2020-01-20

Matches:

Asturiano, Meyer, Millenium beat Black Tiger, Centella Roja, Rey Apocalipsis
(16:11 [6:33, 4:37, 5:01], 1/3, n/r,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Rey Samuray, Súper Astro Jr., Tigre Rojo Jr. beat El Malayo, Fuerza Chicana, Policeman
(14:56 [8:53, 3:14, 2:49], 2/3, n/r,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Kawato San, Perverso, Toro Bill Jr. beat Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Stigma
(11:10 [0:24, 5:13, 5:33], 2/3, ok,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Kráneo, Valiente, Volador Jr. beat Ephesto, Mephisto, Templario
(11:43 [4:25, 3:04, 4:14], 2/3, below average,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Místico beat Gran Guerrero
(15:41 [3:52, 11:49], 1 DQ/2, ok,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

  1. DQ Gran Guerrero mask pull (3:52)
  2. Mistica (11:49)

What happened:

Kawato snuck in a foul on Stigma to set up the win.

Thoughts:

no idea

The Gran Guerrero/Mistico match was a slower-paced and less action version of the Mephisto match from Tuesday. The Arena Puebla crowd wasn’t as into, making it only slightly better than the usual Monday main event. The crowd was into Místico though, making it another time where top tecnico was actually cheered. Stopping in the third fall to do cheerleading was effective in terms of getting a reaction, not as entertaining watching.

The semi-main was a half effort match even by Puebla standards.

Kawato was set on being evil rather than doing much, so the tercera didn’t amount to much. He and Stigma are fine together but there’s no real reason to want to see them fight outside of revenge. The Puebla locals got to do dives but didn’t have a particularly strong match.

Mije smash

CMLL Puebla: 2020-01-13

not sure which trip is better comedy

Recapped: 2020-01-13

Matches:

Asturiano, King Jaguar, Tigre Rojo Jr. beat Ares, Centella Roja, Policeman
(13:27 [7:25, 3:00, 3:02], 2/3, n/r,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Espíritu Maligno, Joker, Pierrothito beat Astro, Kaligua, Shockercito
(12:29 [5:10, 3:06, 4:13], 1/3, below average,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Dark Magic, Kawato San, Olímpico beat Black Panther, Esfinge, Stigma
(15:02 [5:52, 3:47, 5:23], 1/3 DQ, n/r,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Kráneo, Valiente, Volcano beat Máscara Año 2000, Rey Bucanero, Universo 2000 Jr.
(15:37 [6:19, 3:10, 6:08], 2/3, n/r,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Felino, Gran Guerrero, Templario beat Diamante Azul, Místico, Volador Jr.
(12:11 [4:42, 2:16, 5:13], 1/3, n/r,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Gran Guerrero pulled Mistico’s mask to win the main event, setting up a singles match.

Kawato tries twice to unmask Stigma in the closing moments (and it’s not clear if the misses are on purpose; it looks clunky.) Kawato grabs the mask, Stigma fouls Kawato, Kawato pulls off the mask while taking the blow. Referee Edgar considers both options and eventually rules a DQ on Stigma for fouling first.

Thoughts:

Shockercito passing thru

The minis match was the only one I watched in detail on this show. Pierrothito and Shockercito remain good together and seemed to set up a title match, though not one CMLL felt like booking. The other four had weak nights, which was mostly the rudos seemingly screwing up the tecnicos spots. It’s hard to give a below-average to something where they’re so obviously trying to have a good match, all the way to the end, but there was just too much wrong here.

CMLL Puebla: 2020-01-06

back and forth and back and forth

Recapped: 01/07/2020

Matches:

Fuerza Chicana, Guerrero Espacial, Sombra Diabólika beat King Jaguar, Meyer, Millenium
(14:57 [6:31, 4:29, 3:57], 2/3, n/r,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Espíritu Maligno, Joker, Pierrothito beat Astro, Kaligua, Shockercito
(13:31 [5:43, 3:48, 4:00], 1/3, ok,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Drone, Esfinge, Príncipe Diamante beat Akuma, Espanto Jr., Espíritu Negro
(7:23 [2:27, 2:31, 2:25], 2 DQ/3, ok,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Dulce Gardenia, Kráneo, Volcano beat Ephesto, Kawato San, Mephisto
(19:33 [7:34, 4:51, 7:08], 2/3, n/r,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

Carístico, Diamante Azul, Negro Casas beat Euforia, Titán, Último Guerrero in a relevos increíbles match
(14:55 [8:06, 2:08, 4:41], 2/3, n/r,
VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Pierrothito threw his mask to Shockericto draw the DQ (and the camera got a lot of his unmasked face.)

Thoughts:

Astro (and they cut away this quick too)

Ola Negra was disqualified in the second fall for throwing Principe Diamante over the top rope. Diamante and Espiritu Negro fell into the ropes on the third fall flying armscissors finish, but that was the finish so they just scooted a bit away and pretended it didn’t happen.

Pierrothito being around more has helped the minis matches be slightly better. This wasn’t there because there needed to be more help, but these are more repetitively boring rather than bad. The Astro’s tope woke up the crowd. He wasn’t helped much by Joker earlier on. This finish doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere.

CMLL Puebla: 2019-12-30

apparently that hurt

Recapped: 12/30/2019

Matches:

Asturiano, Millenium, Rey Samuray beat Black Tiger, Fuerza Chicana, Policeman
(13:14 [6:49, 3:01, 3:24], 2/3, ok,
00:03:13)

Arkalis, Drone, Súper Astro Jr. beat El Malayo, El Perverso, Toro Bill Jr.
(13:30 [6:22, 3:35, 3:33], 2/3, ok,
00:25:06)

Stigma beat Rey Cometa in a lightning match
(6:03, Stigmatica, good,
00:46:30)

Diamante Azul, Felino, Rey Bucanero beat Ángel de Oro, Terrible, Valiente in a relevos increíbles match
(12:03 [4:30, 1:57, 5:36], 2/3, n/r,
00:56:28)

Carístico vs Volador Jr.
(17:18, 2/3, good?,
01:18:12)

  1. Volador backcracker (4:46)
  2. DQ Volador mask pull (2:44)
  3. Caristico La Mistica (9:38)

What happened:

The main event starts with three minutes of Caristico trying to get Edgar thrown out. Edgar then distracts Carisitco into getting hit by Volador. Volador pulled Caristico’s mask and rolled him up for the three count, seemingly ending the match. Volador dumbly held up the mask to celebrate and Edgar called the DQ. Both faked fouls in the third fall before Caristico won.

Thoughts:

maybe Black Tiger has a hurt arm?

It’s strange to end the year where AAA does athletic matches with big moves and clean finishes while CMLL does a main event with referee shenanigans and a lot of cheap reactions. It isn’t all like that, but this main event was a lot of playing heavily rudo and tecnico to get the crowd. It worked for them, even if it wasn’t a competitive match. It did kind of work in an expectation-defying way. Carisitco took most of the offense in the way that usually happens in main event matches he’s going to lose, except he actually won this one. The seemingly only alternative here would be a match with a lot of near fall spots, rest breaks, and repeats, and I’m not sure that would’ve been any better. Maybe if there was an ongoing narrative, if Carisitco getting a (rare) win over Volador meant something, this would have more meaning. I don’t know. This was successful in getting a lively crowd to reaction big in the same way an AAA main trios match would do the same. I’m not sure I’m looking for that out of a CMLL match but the job wasn’t to give me what I was looking for out of a match.

I was not paying a lot of attention to the semi-main but even the announcers couldn’t remember who was on which team and who was the captain. Angel de Oro & Felino seem to be keeping their feud going on their own at this point, which suggests they got turned down for whatever was happening.

Rey Cometa was great at moving around at fast speed, pulling off some moves and doing his best to make Stigma look good. Stigma wasn’t awful, Stigma was just stuck in generic CMLL tecnico mode outside of the Santo screw headscissors. The best part of this match was Stigma won clean and there were no challenges. It’s hard to understand why Cometa was used in this feud instead of any rudo if there’s no payoff but I’m not complaining about it being finished here. It was better than a typical lightning match.

The rudos got the crowd going a bit during the second match but there really wasn’t much action. There have been cooler Super Astro performances. Toro Bill did take a crazy bump to the floor in the third fall.

Black Tiger was the worst person in the opener, which is a problem when he’s also the trainer of the school. Rey Samuray came the closest he’s ever going to come to landing the springboard 450. It’s still not very good. The match moved quicker than the time suggests, especially with the brief last two falls.

CMLL Puebla: 2019-12-23

it is science that more flips cause armdrags to hurt more

Recapped: 12/24/2019

Matches:

Asturiano & Tigre Rojo Jr. beat Joker & Policeman
(13:00 [5:17, 2:57, 4:46], 1/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Oro Jr. & Súper Astro Jr. beat El Malayo & El Perverso
(10:05 [5:04, 5:01], ½, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Okumura, Olímpico, Rey Cometa beat Sagrado, Stigma, Templario in a relevos increíbles match
(9:00 [2:12, 3:22, 3:26], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Mephisto, Terrible, Vangellys beat Atlantis Jr., Kráneo, Volcano
(13:50 [3:16, 4:30, 6:04], 1/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Titán beat Soberano Jr. in a lightning match
(7:55, springboard double stomp, good, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Euforia, Valiente, Volador Jr. beat Carístico, Felino, Negro Casas in a relevos increíbles match
(11:15 [2:18, 2:54, 6:03], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Volador used a mask pull to beat Ciaristoc. Challenges set up a match next week.

Mr. Niebla was remembered with a moment of applause between the fourth and fifth matches.

Rey Cometa attacked Stigma from behind to start the match. Neither of Stigma’s partners is much concerned with helping him out. Cometa unmasked and fouled Stigma at the end.

Thoughts:

Titan gets folded up again

The main event was average for Puebla, which helped a lot by a loud crowd willing to get at the rudos doing a lot of stalling in the third fall. The Caristico/Volador stuff was fine, but the same stuff we’ve seen many times by this point. No one had a particularly strong match, most of this felt like killing time to the win, but it wasn’t terrible.

I still haven’t gotten to the title match from Titan/Soberano, which makes me unqualified to watch this lighting match – I can’t tell you how much of this is a repeat. It did seem to be a lot of Titan taking most of the action, stringing together moves in a way that felt more like a Japanese match than a usual lightning match. Soberano was present and fine but just didn’t have a big impact on this match. The effort was enough to make it enjoyable but it still felt slight, like there were four more minutes to come.

The tercera was effective at building up to something I didn’t really want to see. I still don’t want to see, using Rey Cometa to give Stigma a big win is absurd. This match wasn’t much beyond the feuding. Theo there four didn’t get much and didn’t make a big impression when they were in.