CMLL on Televisa #994 (09/18/2010)

taped 09/17/10 in Arena Mexico

Women’s trios was fun. Ayumi has totally different offense than everyone else is using here, and I wish she was around for more than a week to see more of it.

this followed a half minute of both guys acting exhausted

Invasors/Pesta Negra sounds more interesting on paper than it ever seem to be in the ring. The two concepts don’t work well together – Invasors are supposed to be totally serious, and Pesta Negra is totally the other way. Only Hector has seemed to figure out a way to make it work for the Invasors, and he wasn’t around for this one. Instead, Negro dropped the comedy since he was supposed to be setting up his match with Charly here. Finish didn’t look like it was supposed to be a finish at all, so it’s nice that Psicosis confirmed it went wrong.

I’m done with Mistico singles matches from here on out. I don’t want to be critical of a man who does tornillos to the floor knowing no one will catch him, because he’s sacrificing himself in a significant way, but the matches themselves have nothing to offer to anyone who’s watched one before. Everything is a headscissors, dive, back in for a move and a kickout, everyone lays dead for 30 seconds, everyone gets back up and continues as if they’re perfectly okay. We can break it down in wrestling terminology – the selling is absurd, the psychology is non-existent and nothing that happens in the last fall matters until Mistico tries his finish – but the bottom line is it’s not very entertaining and similar guys are having much more entertaining matches.

CMLL on Televisa #962 (02/06/2010)

taped 02/05/10 @ Arena Mexico

Off of YouTube, no links.

Blue Panther, Héctor Garza, Shocker vs Averno, Mephisto, Terrible – bog standard match with these two teams, nothing that demanded to be seen. (The usual GdR main event, then.)

Atlantis & Máscara Dorada vs La Máscara & Negro Casas in the national parajes inciedble final match – Good match to end a good tournament. This goes dwon as a success, though it did sort of become a footnote at the end with what else was going on.

Místico vs Volador Jr. – “BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”. Evil Mistico is so so great. This match was lots of fun, though I’m kinda bumed about the 7 minutes of fun that was left on the editing room floor.

I do worry about Mistico doing this exact act three straight years from now, in a Dr. Wagner sense, but that’s a concern for three years from now. In this moment, it’s perfect.

CMLL on Televisa #960 (01/23/2010)

taped @ Arena Mexico on 01/22

watched @ WarriorX2000’s YouTube channel

Even though there wasn’t a great match on this show, and the matches were clipped up, this definitely felt like a show worth checking out, where things were actually happening. The Mistico turn stole the headlines, but the winners all came off as true winners. Even shortened, both the tournament and the title match had enough to them that you felt like that side that won proved they were the best. Ultimo Guerrero is clearly better than Hector Garza, and Atlantis & Mascara Dorada were the top team on that night.

The Mistico angle came off great. They teased that the Volador/Mistico matchup in the match, and the excitement was there when they finally faced off. The foul was perfect, and so was the post match. It seemed even less ambiguous watching it; Mistico chooses to foul Volador for his city, but it turns into something beyond once he throws the drink into Volador’s face. Even though it wasn’t the final of the night, it didn’t lose any impact for it.

The main event was too short to be very good, but what they showed was fine.

CMLL on Televisa (01/02)

Again, thanks to the YouTubes! I actually thought to put in links this time!

taped Arena Mexico, 09/18/2009

La Máscara, La Sombra, Volador Jr. vs Averno, Ephesto, Mephisto – why in the world did this air? Let me try this another way: if you’re interested in Volador looking like a star, why would you air a match where he seems completely out of his mind? It seemed like he was concussed, but there wasn’t an obvious moment where it happened. I dunno – Poder Mexica vs Fantasma/Dorada/Sagrado probably would’ve been a better idea, and most people wouldn’t have remembered this match existed otherwise.

Atlantis, Black Warrior, Héctor Garza, Último Guerrero vs Jushin Liger, Naito, Shigeo Okumura, Yujiro – given hindsight, it’s clear why they had Liger beat UG here, but the crowd sure seemed dead when it happened. It doesn’t sound like it actually was based on Alan’s report, but it came off deflating. And, to a lesser extent than the opener, why does this air? It’s chapter 2 of a story, where chapter 3 already aired and probably won’t air again anytime soon. (Maybe it’s a subtle setup for something to come?)

Místico vs Negro Casas in hair/mask match – to complete the trifecta, this was kinda disappointing to. Clearly, the two matches from the spring exceeded this one, even before the messed up finish. Seemed like they were aiming more to turn the fans behind Mistico than the aesthetics of the match, which makes sense but doesn’t seem to have actually worked. Alas.

(we’ll take a break from these tomorrow. If someone’s actually reading these, feel free to let me know.)