CMLL Line - 08/03/03 (#88)

Galavision aired AAA first this week. EVIL

Notes: Arena Coliseo stands? We haven't seen it in months. This is apparently non-title. No seconds. Universo and the referee (Tigre) hug before the match - never a good sign for the opposition. Niebla has a brand spanking new outfit, but we don't get to see it much before Universo rushes him.

Universo with knees and open hand slaps around ringside, not even bothering to take off his overcoat. There's the posting. Universo annoys the fans. He's going all black tonight. Announcers are putting over the Niebla/Shocker match again. Niebla thrown, Universo follows. They actually when ahead and started the time while they were on the floor, though. Whip, Universo backdrop, off the ropes, walking senton, off the ropes, walking senton one two NO. Whip, spinebuster lift and Niebla's ran into a corner. Universo manages to charge in hit a corner dropkick. Abdominal stretch cradle one two no. Universo can't believe it. Neither can I - he was so close to the corner, I was sure he was gonna use the ropes there. Open hand slap. Corner whip, Universo runs into a boot. Niebla charge out, ducks a clothesline, and hits a double chop. Grabbing both Universo leg's, there's a slingshot, and a dropkick and a dropkick, though Universo backs away from the last and Niebla comes up empty. Open hand slap battle - what did Tigre do there? Must've hooked Niebla's arm - Universo gets in a free kick and small package one two three. (2:31) Niebla isn't too happy with that, and ask the fans if he should throttle Tigre. I would assume they say yes, but Niebla opts not to. Replay - Camera angle is right behind Universo, so he eclipses the action, but a reverse camera angle clears it up - Tigre must've been thinking that Niebla was gonna use a closed first, surely. Break.

Universo is in control as we return for fall two - whip, dropkick, and let's go for the mask. That top panel of Niebla's mask is just made to rip, and Universo does just that. Niebla gets the top pulled off, but is able to keep it in decent shape when he has a chance. Which isn't often. Open hand slap by Universo, then a double jumping knee (!) to the head. Universo with boots to the top of the head. Whip, Universo nails Niebla with a clothesline. One two NO. Niebla open and trying to get an open hand slap but Universo is pounding them with his own. Niebla ducks one, slips behind Universo taps him on the back, and slaps him upside the head. And Another. And a kick to the butt. Universo begging off but Niebla not having it - snap mare, and now he's going for the mask. Wow, he broke a good position of it with one yank. Universo manages to get up and shoulderblock, but Niebla just catches up with him via handspring elbow. TOPE! Top right of both guys mask is ripped off. Niebla in first, Universo after and managing to turnbuckle smash Niebla. Off the rope rope, Niebla side steps the cross body, La Majistral one (Niebla's foot taps the ropes - accident) two Universo grabs the ropes. Niebla suspects something was up on that for a second, but moves on. Slam. Moonsault? Hits! One two no. Sorta slow count there, but not horribly blatant. Universo with a slap, whip, head own too soon and Universo cradles him in a small package one two NO. Universo's lost the top half of his match completely. Whip, reversed, Universo kips up on the charge, but Niebla bounces back out of the corner with a clothesline. Clothesline again, one two no. Universo with a slap, another misses, Niebla hits his own upside the head. Another a third - no, Tiger hooks his arm again, so Niebla pushes him down. Niebla goes back for the slap, Universo catches the arm, goes for a pumphandle (crotching Niebla in the process) and drops Niebla with a pumphandle slam. Senton one two three (5:21) Straight falls - there definitely will be a rematch. Hope Niebla can get better officiating that time. Replays - if Niebla got crotched, it didn't look convincing but he sold it like it happened.

Vignette: Coming soon to a CMLL midcard near you: Sagrado. White mask with a big red cross. Well, not the Red Cross red cross, more of an Iron Cross. Any similarities between Sagrado and former Guapo U member Genetico are completely coincidental.

Spectacular Moments: Safari does the "Duck clothesline and tope someone" move. Zumbido kills Ricky with a suicide slingshot senton. Is Ricky keeping his hair short? That's no fun. Darn that Triple H. Anyway, Ricky holds up a guy for Volador to hit a slingshot sunset flip bomb. Averno's wonderful double underhook faceslam of last week. I'm pretty sure that was a "use their move to beat them!" spot, but Averno did that so well it should be his finish. And Wagner won that match, yes.

Notes: Nosawa has a belt. Oooh, fireworks. Nosawa gestures that he's not going to lose his wacky hair. Takemura seconds his teammates. Negro Casas is a bit hyper. Fireworks for him too. Satanico gets flames! Whoa, I think that surprised everyone a little bit, because they came up Booker T style and no one was expecting fire. We start off with a clip, so if there's a Mexico second, we don't get to meet him yet.

Negro and Masada in - Negro picks up Masada and gets a punch for his trouble.. Headlock, taking Negro over and down high. Negro neatly falls backwards (like a low angle back suplex roll) to get Masada off of him, but Masada is up quick and kick him in the face. Snap mare, but Negro uses Masada to pull himself up, put on a front facelock, and into a swinging neckbreaker. Negro with an abdominal stretch, but Nosawa comes in and breaks it up - by kicking his own partner. Eh. Negro gets one two, and they're both out. Satanico in, Nosawa backing off, begging off, and generally trying to make peace. Satanico, in return, tries to rip of a piece of Nosawa's hair. Nosawa battling out with back elbows, and open hand slaps. Armdrag - no, Satanico's got the ropes and Nosawa going down. Satanico has no problem doing one his own. Nosawa is quick up though, with a kick, whip, kick, whip, head down too soon and Satanico throws him down by the hair. Clothesline, and Satanico goes after the hair again - hair beal! Hair beal! Negro goes for the standing figure four, and Masada rushes into to break it up with a boot. Nosawa rolls out, and it's Masada and Casas again - Masada with a kick, right, right, - blocked, Negro with guts uppercuts. Suplex - no, Masada revers, drops Negro on the apron. Hard forearms, hard forearm, hard block, so Masada crushes his midsection with a knee. Masada out to the apron - knee, and now he's backing up and calling something. Shouldn't have turned his back on Casas, who surprises whim with a double chop to the midsection, and run into the post. Casas with a wave to the crowd and a DDT on the apron. Masada ends up on the floor, Casas too but he's quickly back up. Casas kicks Masada away and sets up for his trademark dive - Nosawa sees it coming and grabs him, but Satanico takes out Nosawa- there's the running apron dive Thesz Press! Nosawa and Satnico in the ring - Satanico with a backdrop, armdrag, hiptoss, backslide One two THREE. (2:37) Looks like Masada is being counted out - we don't see it, but i'll guess around (2:42) Mexico celebrates. In between falls is completely obliterated, and we crowd shot to

Negro and Nosawa circle. Crowd shot. Casas with a chop, sleeper! Nosawa back elbows out for his life. Right. Headbutt. Corner whip, Casas reverses and this the corner clothesline. Talking trash and slapping Nosawa up side the face. Casas raises his arm for the crowd, then gets back to work - corner whip, reversed, and Casas goes in face first. Negro with a boot, and a boot scrape across the bridge of Casas nose. Another one, right into Casas' cheek, Satanico waits for Nosawa to turn around and kicks him. Another heat beal, and another. Holding him for Casas to kick in the midsection, and Casas does it three times. Casas tries a somersault legdrop (it misses, but Nosawa seems to sell it anyway.) Masada in, willing to take on both of the tecnicos. They pound on him, but he's still standing and wants more - single leg takedown and kick for Satanico, off the ropes and right into the dropkick to the knee form Casas. Satanico with a senton, and it looks like the Legion is in trouble - double whip, double hair beal. Nosawa back in as his partner rolls out - whip, right into Satanico's inverted bulldog clothesline. Casas boots Nosawa to the middle rope. Before I wonder what Negro's area code is, Satanico spots Masada coming in and takes care of him with a punch. Tecnicos each grab a rudo - stereo bulldogs are pushed off into each other, and then Satanico is whipped into Casas, knocking him to the ramp. Double whip, Nosawa drop toe hold, Masada legdrop, Nosawa camel clutch, Masada dropkick to the face! Masada goes out to the ramp to beat up Casas as Nosawa sets up Satanico in the corner. There's the running dropkick on the ramp to Casas. Nosawa's tied Satanico's boot to the corner again - is that shoelace? Masada brings Nosawa back in - superkick/german suplex combo (Casas of course seems to land right on his neck) one two three. (3:17) The referee has unties Satanico, but that just leaves Nosawa to drag him over - is that a figure four? Maybe it's a variant, because Nosawa is at 90 degree angle. Satanico gives (3:24) though Nosawa takes his good time letting go. Not long enough to get in trouble, though. IT's tied. up. Again, no replays, right to the next fall.

Masada and Satanico are working over Casas, with Satanico down on the outside. Masada is beating Casas in the corner, taunting him before shots. Casas tries to rally back, but a thumb to the eye stop that. Backbreaker - Nosawa with the second rope stomp! Nosawa's turn to slam, Masada hits a second rope stomp if his own. Satanico in but he's slow - Casas is deposed before Satanico can do much, and Nosawa easily takes him down with a top. Half boston, but Satanico's got enough to make the ropes. Tag to Masada (who actually left the ring), and he comes in with a dropkick to Satanico's face. Masada with a legbar, but he forget to move Satanico from the ropes so he has no problem grabbing them. Masada leave s it on extra long to compensate. Masada with elbows to the right knee - that was the leg tied in the ropes, and I presume Nosawa worked it while he was there. Plus the figure four, I almost forget that part. Masada with a single leg, and a standing leg bar on the bad knee, but Satanico is again close to the ropes. Masada kicks him out of the ring, and Satanico is in a lot of pain. Negro is back up, but looks tired. Masada overs him a one arm lockup, with an arm behind his back, but Casas' midsection hurts (the stomps) and he doubles over in pain. Masada, having no time for this, is over with a punch. Elbow to the shoulder, elbow to the gut. Slam over the top, but Casas grabs the top rope, pulls himself into the ring, and chops Masada. Casas slaps Masada in the face, but Masada just laughs. Again, still laughing. Again. and Masada slams him. Masada stomps, and goes up - top rope double stomp! Casas is extreme pain and goes out - Satanico has to come in, and he's in no shape. Nosawa with many headbutts as he does. Legion taking their time picking these guys apart now - Masada brawls with Satanico, then goes to the apron to hold him for a Nosawa clothesline. Casas pulls him off, but Nosawa hits it anyway. Nosawa off the ropes again, and this time into a big boot. Casas and Satanico on opposite aprons- stereo apron dives! Satanico hit a senton, and a replay shows that Casas gave Masada a Thesz Press to the back, you. Masada and Casas in and clothesline each other - neither goes down. Again - no, Masada rolls under Casas' clothesline, Casas Special by Masada one NO. Casas is up and angry, slap, drop toe hold, La Majsitral is pushed off and Nosawa pulls Casas out of the ring. Satanico in taking his place - whip, spinebuster, and he's goes for a - um, let's say reverse double chicken wing. I have no idea, it's a wacky lucha hold. Nosawa save us all by breaking it up with a boot. Nosawa with a whip as Masada rolls out, reversed, Satanico hits the spinebuster but Nosawa kicks him away. Both up- Nosawa with a spinebuster, fig-Satanico small package one two Masada breaks it up. Everyone in now, and lots of open hand slaps. Tecnicos pump up, hit clotheslines, off the ropes, and right into kicks. Masada tries another one on Negro, but it gets caught into a single leg. Nosawa into a spinebuster, and Satanico puts on the standing figure four cradle one two three! (5:16) Casas with a knee breaker, and La Majistral one two THREE (5:20) Satanico is tired, but ecstatic. Tecnicos win the hair match. Crowd is pretty thrilled too. Fireworks go off after a bit. Break.

Next Week: Nicho, Tarzan Boy, Damien, Porky, Atlantis, Vampiro, Halloween, Lizmark, and more.

Hey, we've got time for hair cuts. Well, first we've got time for the tecnicos tgo talk to the camera. They're big fans of Mexico, it turns out. There's the barber. Satanico gets Scissors - and a handshake from Nosawa. and a hug, but Satanico isn't really down with that. Nosaaw goes to his knees to get his hair cut, and Satanico cuts off the wacky pony tails first, of course. Barber takes care of the rat tail next. Masada and Negro seem to be having a standoff, but Nosawa is is getting his hair shaved now. Masada tries to lift the Barber on to the top turnbuckle so he doesn't have to go down, but they have some issues. Eventually, Baby Richard sort it out, the Barber goes to the second rope, and Masada fouls him! Ha! Masada goes to his knees, but the Barber is down in pain. Masada decides Negro should do it, but it looks like he's too busy conducting an interview with someone. Okay, Satanico has him back over here. Masada yells about Japan and Casas cuts and yells about Mexico. Negro didn't get all that much, or Masada has a lot up there. Barber's gone back to finish Nosawa off. Yea, he's done and he's leaving. Masada's turn to get the buzzcut. Yea, he's pretty well done. And so are we.

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. After last week's mess, they did a great job of editing this match to get more of it out there and leave in the important extra stuff (the hair cut). Clips between falls are a lot better than clips during falls, obviously. That they got >30% for matches and still showed the hair cut is exceptional work.
2. It kinda detracted from the main that there was absolutely no chance in the world that Team Mexico was going to lose it; there was a lack of near falls where you thought they might be in trouble (Casas kicking out of his own finish combo at one), and they did the double win finish.
3. Upcoming lineups say we don't see the Niebla/Universo rematch, which is no big disappointment. Hope the next challenger is more interesting.
4. If Masada sticks around long enough, I wonder if he'll get a summer hair cut every year.