CMLL Line - 04/09/02 (29)

Tell Me If You Notice/Care: I've ditched the momentum part because I think my Notes cover the same ground and I like that better.

Quick Plug: If you're looking for more lucha talk, go check out EMLL Rulez. Or, you could check out Weinerville. OR, you could do both. OR, you could do neither. OR, you could pay Delphi for nothing in particular, sucka, CAN YOU DIG IT.

Thanks to: Robert Ortega for the original format.

Vignette (Por El Campeonato Mudial Semi Completo): Shocker surfs to CMLL.com and promises to keep his CMLL Light Heavyweight Title in his upcoming match with Dr. Wagner. 

Notes: Shocker's entrance outfit was rejected by Disco Inferno for being too tack/70s. Wagner seems out of Shocker's weight class but I'm not the one doing the weighing. Just to confuse me (and you) both guys have seconds who aren't with CMLL typically. I'm guessing Shocker is a tecinco this week but feel free to correct me.

Circle, staredown, Wagner goes for a lockup but Shocker shrugs away. Wagner reaches for a grab but pulls back to annoy the fans. Collar and elbow, Wagner takes Shocker down with an armdrag, but then they're up and circling again. Lockup, battling for leverage and this time it's Shocker with an armdrag, but he holds on for the ground based armbar. Crowd shot. We look back and Wagner has Shocker in a waistlock on the mat. Both men up, Shocker reverses, look at a corner person, Shocker still has the waistlock on but Wagner pulls off a back heel trip and looks on a single leg grapevine. Shocker grabs a free arm of Wagner's and reverses to an armbar. Then pushed into a hammerlock, but Wagner forces his way into a takedown. Wagner teases the low blow headbutt but doesn't, though he does hook both of the legs. Shocker grabs at him by the shoulders, causing Shocker to pin himself - one two up. Again, Wagner staying hooked and Shocker pinning himself, one two up. Wagner rolls it over, and Shocker with a reverse bridge - by standing on his head. I think their legs are working against each other but it's tough to tell - whatever the case, Shocker rolls back to escape but Wagner hooks on a front facelock with the legs still hooked. After a moment, Shocker manages to flip him over on his back, but Wagner still has the facelock, then a waistlock while being on the mat. I guess his shoulders are down because the ref doesn't count - the arms holding Shocker for a waistlock accounts for that, I think. Shocker tries the bridge up, but doesn't have enough strength and goes back down. Flipping back over, so Shocker's facing down and Wagner's on top of him, Wagner gets his feet on the mat and stands up, having Shocker in a double underhook, Shocker backdrops him over, Wagner completes the sunset flip. One two NO. Both up, and standing off. That's 3:40 dedicated to mat wrestling and the fans got into it at points. Weird. 

Circle, reaching out to lockup, wristlock test of strengths, neither man trusting the other not to kick, and it's Wagner who does go for something semi-unethical, dropping down into a monkey flip (while still having the wristlocks on) to flip Shocker over - but now they're both on the mat with their hands linking them. Wagner does a semi-kip to roll onto Shocker for a pin one two NO bridge up. Now it's Shocker doing the monkey flip, the wristlocks getting broken this time. Seconds. Circling once again - Wagner with the single leg take down and he grapevines both of the legs. Wagner on the mat, pulling Shocker over and up - Bow and Arrow! Shocker quickly spins free and lands on top of Wagner for one two no. Staredown. Circle. Lockup, no Shocker hits a Flatliner (kinda - close enough.) On the mat, Wagner and Shocker put chinlocks on each other, neither man letting go or giving up. Wagner lets go of his first, to signal that he's not giving up, but puts it back on. Shocker's on better, and gets a headlock, then up to their feet - off the ropes, shoulderblock. Off the ropes, over, and Wagner takes him out with a dropkick to the left knee. Shocker stays on the mat a while for in pain, and as Wagner starts to follow up we see a replay. Back, and Wagner's put a figure four on Shocker - he wastes no time in giving. (6:41) Wagner keeps the hold on as long as possible, then celebrates. Replay. 

Second Fall, but Shocker's too busy hobbling around on the outside and taking his time coming back in.  He's finnaly in and Wagner goes right for the knee with another dropkick. Wagner stalks his prey, sets up and as soon as Shocker gets up he gets another dropkick to the knee. Wagner hooks on the figure four again as we watch replays. Shocker's in a lot of pain but he will not give up, he will not lose his title this way. He's yelling out in pain but he won't give - he'll get to the bottom rope. Wagner waits for him to get up - look at the second - and we missed what happened but I'm guessing dropkick to the knee. There's the figure four. Someone ask Flair if he can do a dropkick to the knee once. Now it looks like Wagner's grabbing the ropes for leverage when he can - but the ref has yet to catch him. Shocker's determined to get the ropes, but when he's just about there Wagner pulls him back. Shocker refuses to submit, but can't get to the ropes - now he can. He's in bad shape. Wagner waits for him again - dropkick to the knee again. Wagner takes his time celebrating, and it looks like Shocker is gonna be able to pull himself up with the ropes - chop. Wagner talks to the crowd then charges, but Shocker catches him with a big boot (with his right leg - stumbling with his left.) Another big boot, and Shocker's stumbling but focused. A third and it's caught - dragon screw leg whip! That couldn't have helped. Wagner grabs Shocker by the leg to try for another - enziguri! Wagner's up but stunned. He tries a kick, it's caught, leg trip, elbowdrop to the inside of the leg, repeat, repeat and repeat. Shocker celebrates, limps, and grabs Wagner by the leg - Wagner hops over and tries to grab the ropes but can't get there - crowd shot - and I guess Shocker's dragon screw leg whip wasn't as good if they didn't show it. Crowd. Match. What's Shocker gonna do - hook on the figure four, but after he does the spinning toe hold part, Wagner cracks him across the head with the free leg! Wagner grabs the leg, leg trip, spinning to-small package! one two three! (5:00) Shocker celebrates but he's still not in good shape. Replays.

Third fall, Wagner clotheslining.  Shocker right at the bell. Again he grabs the leg and again Shocker tries the small package - one two no. Clothesline, but Shocker's not going down - he's pumped. Shocker off the ropes, clothesline but Wagner's not going down - he's also pumped. Wagner off the ropes, clothesline, Shocker's still pumped. Shocker will look at the fans, then run off the ropes and a big boot Wagner didn't see that coming. SUICIDE TOPE! Both men down on the outside. Replay of the top as the corner people wave towels and Shocker and Wagner recover. Shocker pulls Wagner to the floor as Wagner tries to go back in the ring, then gets in the ring himself. Wagner to the apron, and Shocker with three forearms, off the far ropes, big boot knocks Wagner to the floor. Running, second rope suicide springboard cross body but Wagner saw it coming and punches Shocker on the way down. Shocker thrown back in after a replay, Wagner quickly follows. Whip, no reversed, Shocker with a short clothesline but Wagner ducks it and hits the Rock Bottom. One two NO. That move never works. Michinoku Driver! One two No Wagner pulls him up! Wow. Now covering again one two Pulling Him UP again. One two Pulling Him up. What's Wagner doing? Replay makes it really look like one of them illegal piledrivers, and I'm sure the announcers are discussing that. Wagner tries for the crucifix powerbomb but Shocker squirms free - Wagner charges, arm is caught, Wagner tries a clothesline with the other arm but it's ducked - abdominal stretch! Into a cradle one two three! (3:45) Shocker celebrates, as best a man can do on one leg. Shocker asks for his title and put sit back on and then talks about things.

Vignette (Los Boricuas Preoccupados Por Sus Derrotas): Boricua board meeting. Uh oh, this can only mean a Boricua match is next. In attendance: Pierrothio, Mini Violencia, Nitro, Veneno (you're supposed to be paying attention to Pierroth and not the camera, Veneno!), Violencia - I guess the body guard (Fuerza Guerrera) is busy elsewhere. Where's Killer? Anyway, they will get Gran Markus. They remain united. Everyone wears white before Memorial Day, what a fashion mistake. The screen goes funny for - some guy in a weird hat and smoking one of Pierroth's cigars. Is this a voodoo thing? With all the weird stuff Pierroth is pulling out to put on his able, it almost seems so. And now they're hitting the plants on everyone good luck. Veneno's thinking "don't mess up my hair - also, I look cooler with my sunglasses on. I only now notice that Pierrothio doesn't have his belt. This is not only bizarre, but it goes forever. Fire! Now he's doing magic tricks. "?Les servira 'La Llimpia' a los boricuas?" What he said.

Notes: Veneno's wearing the straw hat now, but I don't see his glasses. What the heck is Averno doing here? it's far better than Gran Markus but it's strange. Somewhere along the line - maybe not even today, but I want to mention it now in case they do it and I don't get it then - Pierroth told Poder Boricua that he can't be Poder Boricua anymore, because he hasn't been a Boricua for months. Maybe Hombre Sin Nombre will get a name and Poder will become the new Hombre Sin Nombre. Boricuas attack before the bell, of course, and we start with a beatdown fall. Veneno has a weird Rick Fox like ponytail going. Boricuas do manage a triple big boot on Mr. Mexico in a moderately cool spot. The fall list has annoying sound effect (for this match? I didn't notice it last one) and lists by names so I guess Poder's a heel. Double suplex sets up the splash. Second fall is the "beatdown till dramatic comeback and quick victory" pinfall, I think. If we could find a better partner then Killer (unimpressive) and we get Averno more normal partners for him, then maybe we could get something that works. Here's the triple boot again. Poder makes the comeback, of course. How come Veneno loses his mask but doesn't even get to be captian? That's not right. Veneno ends up taking a seat in the front row. They're taking their time to get to the pin fall. And then it's one of those "everyone grab a body part and turn" things. Third fall starts still as comeback kinda thing - double dropkick on Violencia has looked better. Actually, it looks like both Rudo teams get to the beatdowns. You know, Poder might be salvageable - I'd like to see him out of the Boricua mix to know for sure. Now it's settled won to one on one and okay, though not great - Veneno with a nice slingshot sommersault plancha just as I say that. Picking up pace, at least. Violencia might have slipped in a low blow and not been caught - It sure looks like Mr. Mexico got one in but it's not called. Now you have to call the one that Killer just did for Poder because that's not even questionable - and they do, which causes Pierroth to come in and complain and now I'm glad I don't know Spanish. Get this, Pierroth talks. 

Spectacular Moments - Nice plancha by Ultimo Dragoncito. Nice suicide senton. Here's Nicho landing on his head from last week. Here's whatever that was with Santo and Nicho. And this is the Tarzan Boy almost kills himself over the corner bmp from last week that I missed - I think he was supposed to land on the top rope but totally messed up and was really smart to adjust and land on his back.  

There's a local commercial for a car dealership with Spanish speaking puppets which is almost as bizarre as the Boricua skit but not quite 

Vignette (Los Victimas: Son Los Talibanes) : Over lunch, Warrior, Niebla, Antifaz and Negro Casas talk about their match. Check out Antifaz's knee brace. "Black Warrior Quiere Una Oportunida" 

Notes: I guess Antifaz was hurt and that's why we were looking at his knee brace. Talibanes attack before the bell, of course. Scorpio has a mustache and a goatee. Bestia has really short hair - maybe he lost a hair match elsewhere. Beatdown fall to start. Stop making that noise. This is like the beeping noise they had for the pitch speeds for the first couple days of the baseball season on Fox Sports Net - there, they figured out it was very annoying and did something about it quick. Scoprio powerbombs Casas and holds  but no one counts - but they count him down. Odd. Second fall is the beatdown fails, comeback starts fall - they really should've put the Wagner/Shocker match in the middle to break up these two similar matches. Casas helps Warrior start the comeback. We don't get the fall, it just runs into a normal match, with the babyfaces getting the best of the individual encounters. I'm not kidding, Warrior really did pin Emilo after a drop toe hold. Niebla hit Bestia with a flying cross body and covered but that shouldn't count, Casas uses a reverse DDT on Scorpio but that pin shouldn't count either. Third fall is the tecincos getting the better of the rudos, one on one. Emilio and Niebla both do the Niebla dance - there's a bunch of comedy spots around. And then a killer Warrior suicide tope. I can't describe the finish any better. This was pretty forgettable, except for Warrior's tope. 

Rating: Bases on the quality of the finish, ring work, internal/external storyline, consistency and my whims. Also, various other (random) factors that I can't think of right now. 0-100 for matches.

Closing Notes: 

1. I wonder if Shocker (w/two friends) gets a return trios title shot after this
2. The Boricuas feuding with Gran Markus without Gran Markus wrestling isn't an a bad idea
3. Except for the skits.
4. Doesn't look like the Tailban stuff is working any better than the Guapos stuff did for Emilio.
5. That's okay.