CMLL Line - 07/20/03 (#86)

Vignette: Legion de Japon talk in their locker room - I think they're trying to figure out if Negro and Satanico are rudos or tecnicos. It doesn't matter much because they are better. Takemura has scissors and has an idea. They're gonna take the Mexicans hair, ah.

Notes: We join in as Team Japon is laying waste to the home team during introductions.

Takemura scoops Negro Casas up on the ramp, carried him quite a ways and drops him in the ring before hitting him with a slingshot somersault senton. Sharp dropkick to the head as the other four are fighting but not as interestingly. Rudos firmly in control and mostly going for chokes. Takemura with a choke into a sleeper on Casas. Masada headbutts Panther. Satanico is rallying back against Nosawa but I wouldn't expect it to last. Yep, Nosawa's snap maring Satanico and kicking him in the head next time we see. Announcers talking Grand Prix next week as Casas is tossed out by Takemura. Masada headbutts Satanico the floor. Takemrua is boot choking Panther, but they let up to ripple team him - corner whip, corner clothesline, Take corner shoulder to finish it. They're mentioning Muga in association with Takemura - did they do that before? This a product me of tuning out the announcers a bunch. They almost treat it like his first name. Panther ties to make a run but Takemrua stomps him down and hold shim for someone to hit, but the other two are now busy with Satanico. someone smash and Panther is taken out. Whip, triple boot for Satanico. Masada and Takemura hold Satanico for a dropkick. Team Japon takes time to pose while waiting for Negro to come in the ring. Negro wants to room, but Nosawa jumps him as soon as he's brought in. He's held for Masada to pain brush him across the face many times. Nosawa rolls him out, and Team (old) Mexico talks strategy. Strategy appears to be to wait for Team Japon to pose again, then punk them out from behind. Comeback is on. Negro gives Masada quite a boot to the face. Lots of choking and corner whip here. Triple bulldog is reversed into a triple shove (tecnicos kinda slowly crash into each other) and Negro and Satanico are sent out. Panther tries to fight back, but the numbers are aginast him. Whip, Nosawa drop toe hold, Masada legdrop, Nosawa camel clutch, Masada dropkick to the head and Takemura picks him up - Death Valley Driver spiked him. Panther rolls out of his life, Takemura following. Satanico argues with Takemrua for attacking outside, Takemura kicks him away and goes back to stomping, but Satanico jumps at him with a clothesline. Takemura is able to post Satanico to keep him from getting involved. Back in the ring, still in the first fall, Masada is kicking Casas but he seems to be taking it. Kick is caught, but Masada eye pokes out. Headlock, shot of and Masada with the shoulderblock. Masada with a waistlock, standing switch, standing switch (Masada is behind again), Takemura puts a waistlock on his partner, and GERMAN SUPLEXES BOTH OF THEM. That's crazy neat. Masada covers one two three. (5:35) Corner whip, Takemrua corner clothesline, Masada legdrop, and Nosawa makes a show of putting on the step over armbar. Satanico quickly gives. (5:57) That was a long fall. Beatdown is still going on, with Nosawa stomping Satanico in and out of the ring. Replays.

As fall two starts, Legion is in their triple meditation pose. Now they're up and waiting for the tecnicos to make their move - Panther and Satanico rush the ring, but they're both stopped. Masada and Takemrua make a wish with Panther's leg. Negro is recovering on the ramp, but Masada is coming out there to meet him. Nosawa and Satanico are going back and forth. Masada with a running dropkick to the back of Casas' head. Headbutt. He really likes the headbutt. Takemura beating Panther around the ring. Casas telling Masada to bring it, so Masada backs all the way up the ramp, charges, and nails him with a dropkick to the neck. Takemura is choking Panther with a mic cord, but the referees are checking on everyone else and don't see it Casas is out on the ramp. Satanico is brawling it his way back on Nosawa, throwing him around by the hair. None of his partners seem to notice it yet, but when we turn back to that pair they're able to help. Takemura with chops as Masada holds him, off the ropes, big boot misses as Satanico got out of the way. I don't think Masada took it it - maybe winged by it - But Satanico clears him out whit a kneelift. Nosawa grabs Satanico and they try again - a running forearm works that time, wow. Panther in, but all three Legion members are now up and waiting for him. Legion consent to having it one on one - nah Masada just pushes Panther into the corner for Takemrua to grab and hold for kicks. Nosawa and Masada with boots for Panther and they taunt him. He tries to kick back but they kick him. Negro and Satanico are laying in wait for something - ah, they sense Nosawa and Masada going off the ropes, and trip them up when they do, pulling them out. The comeback is on, as Nosawa nd Masada are whipped into each other. Takemrua's chop is reversed into a reverse armbar. Panther raises his arm and points to the crowd. Nosawa gets posted by Satanico. Takemrua is down and grabbing his arms. Casas sets up Masada with left jabs and finishes with a right cross. The rudo referee is really concerned about Takemura's shoulder after that Panther move - he's down and not moving it. Panther is too busy point to the crowd to follow up - ah, there's another reverse armbar takedown, and Takemura is hurting. Panther is hurting - Negro sneaks into get some punches, but this is one on one. Corner whip, reversed, Panther kips up and out, Takemura turns and runs into a tilt-a-whirl powerslam. Panther gets ready - bug shoulderblock to take Takemura to the floor. Panther off the ropes - TOPE. Nosawa and Satanico in and Nosawa runs right into a spinebuster. Satanico with a his standing figure varation (nudo) as Negro drop toe holds Masada - but Masada blocks La Majistral with a low blow. Satanico lets go out of the hold because he saw what happened - and Nosawa grabs him with an inside cradle one two three! (5:12) He was totally grabbing the bottom rope but the referee missed it - a cameraman was right there and will have a fantastic shot for the magazines. Might have found a way to pull the tights too, from the way Satanico is adjusting them. Takemura is still hurting on that shoulder, but Team Japon is happy to have had this win.

Satanico grabs the microphone and calls out the Legion. He makes fun of Nosawa's hair, ha. Satanico wants the hair/hair match because he's a tecnico.

Vignette: Kids day festival. A bunch of them got to dance with the valets, who wore no less than usual for a kids show. Looks like the Fat Guys (Brazos/Porkys) gave out balloons after the main event. Porky was unsuccesful in a balloon bicycle kick.

In Other Action: Mini Violencia and Mini Olimpico had a Mask for Mask Match. Clip to third fall.

Mini Violencia nearly gets a submission on Romero Special, but can't hold it. Chops. Slap to the back of the head. Doesn't look like anyone's there from the Boricuas. Whip, reversed, and Olimpico hits a monkey flip to knock Violencia into the ropes. Dropkick, then this weird reverse neckbreaker hold - Violencia GIVES! That's it. (1:05) Mini Oro comes into congratulate his man. Violencia is ticked at himself. Here's a replay of an earlier tope that knocked Violencia into the first row. And the final hold. Mini Violencia yells on the microphone post match, but the announcers are talking over him. He rips off his mask angrily. Ring announcer says his name is Donald Jose Canseco, 34 years old, from Ponce, Puerto Rico. I don't know if I trust them to actually be using Puerto Rician midgets. Donald doesn't let no mask stop him from getting into a brawl with Olimpicito. It goes badly for him until it's broken up. I think the announcers are surprised he's actually from Puerto Rico, but I don't trust midgets.

Spectacular Moments: Now that you've seen the result, here's how they set up the last match, with Mini Violencia ripping off Mini Olimpico's mask to get a small package win. Ha ha, small package. That can't still be Hombre Sin Nombre, or he's put on a lot of weight. Nice top rope senton from Valentin Mayo. Nice Veg-A-Matic between Mayo and Ramstein. Averno has a nice no hands somersault plancha, splatting Marvin.

Vignette: Backstage, Pierroth contemplates the upcoming match. He's not thrilled about having to take on Vampiro, Atlantis and most importantly Mil Mascaras. He tries to convince himself he has a chance to win, but c'mon.

Notes: Yea, I'm thinking this won't be so good.

Pierroth and Mil start off, with Pierroth selling hammerlocks and arm bar like immenent and searing death. Pierroth wants a tag but he's got too far to go. Pierroth gets to the ropes. Clip, I think. Atlantis and Tiger do some fooling around, likes of strike. Atlantis manages a drop toe hold, whip, under, over, under, tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Corner whip, reversed, Tiger takes the corner hamstring bump. Atlantis monkey flip. Dropkick. Yell. Pierroth as no problems in chopping him. Strikes in the corner. Black Tiger is whipped in, but Atlantis moves out of the way about fifteen minutes before Tiger gets there. Clothesline for Pierroth drop toe hold for Black Tiger, right into Pierroth's crotch. Atlantis covers Pierroth one two three! (2:52) I thought that should work but didn't expect it actually to work. Tiger gives up on Mascaras bearhug (3:00) and that's that. Tarzan ducks out on Vampiro

Are the rudos going to walk? Eh. While Tiger and Tarzan think about it, Mascaras gets the better of Pierroth with armdrags. Atlantis and Tarzan Boy. Tarzan misses the corner splash to lead to the usual monkey flip. He manages to sidestep a dropkick and not go all the way to the floor on a backdrop. Tarzan to the rope, pose - oh, that lead shim to getting crotched. That should be the fall but shockingly (or not), no DQ is called. Vampiro and Black Tiger now. Vampiro hits the spinning kick to the midsection. Pierroth tries to make a deal with Vampiro, and Vampiro gets punked out from behind by Tarzan Boy. Rudos slowly go into a beatdown. Pierroth sneaks in a low block on Atlantis. Testicular claw on Mascaras from behind? That's a bit screwed up, Pierroth. Announcers about cracking up about it, because it's the weirdest looking thing possible. Tarzan Boy covers Atlantis for that pin. (4:13) Pierroth and Tiger hit a devastating double clothesline, then Pierroth sneaks in another low blow kick to get Mascaras for the 3 (4:46) It must've cost them extra to get him to do that. Atlantis may be in pain, but he's got time to give the camera a smile and a thumbs up. Bless that masked man. Replay of the odd grab from behind.

Tarzan carefully puts Vampiro n the top turnbuckle and waits - there's the whistle - and there's a top rope superplex. Pose. There's the ring Girl. Tarzan adds a legdrop and covers one two Atlantis breaks it up. This match is meandering. Tiger and Atlantis have a match up that leads to Tiger taking a dropkick and half Boston. Tarzan Boy leisurely comes in the ring and eye pokes Atlantis. Whip, clothesline. Crucifix cradle is broken up by Vampiro. Vampiro grabs Tarzan Boy by the hair, chop. Tarzan is trying to get the crowd behind him. I'm trying to get this match over. Whip by Tarzan Boy, Vampiro goes over for the sunset flip, Tarzan blocks, punch misses, and Vampiro gets the abdominal stretch. Pierroth breaks that up with a kick, and Tarzan Boy hits a sliding dropkick on Vampiro on the floor. Forearm to the face, kick but Vampiro's still standing. Pierroth and Black Tiger have problems double teaming Atlantis. There's Mascaras, and there's a horrible top rope crossbody one two three (2:13) I don't know what all went wrong, but it sure did. Atlantis is pinning Black Tiger and Vampiro powerbombs Tarzan Boy and we all count it because it's Kids Day but it doesn't really matter. They replay the cross body - it's like Mascara hit a brick wall and went down - I think he was going a bit short from where Pierroth thought, but Pierroth sure didn't hold up his end there.

Next Week: Negro Casas, Blue Panther, Shocker, Felino, Dr. Wagner, Ultimo Dragon [no picture], Takemura, Masada, Nosawa and more.

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'm way behind but have nothing much to say.
2. Casas/Satanico vs Masada/Nosawa has a chance to be pretty good.
3. Would be much better with Takemura involved.
4. My running, totally unproven, theory is that NJ didn't want Takemura to lose his hair, or at least not right now when they might need him back with that hair.