CMLL Line - 10/05/03 (#98)

In Other Action: Third fall of Infernales vs Atlantis/Niebla/Sagrado (Arena Coliseo, 07/08/03). Infernales won the first half of the #1 contendership tournament last week, so this would be an upset for the tecnico trio to win. We seem to be decently into the third fall (Tecnicos win fall 1, rudos win 2) as we pick up, with Infernales quickly going into a beatdown and totally untying Atlantis' mask. Sagrado is in and he ends up taking the Infernal powerbomb, but rolls out. Niebla's turn, big boot for him. He also gets that rebound double hiptoss into front suplex they liked so much last week. Atlantis back in, and getting held by the Juniors for Satanico to hit. He goes after the mask again - it's untied, so Atlantis has to fight to just keep it on. He gets free for a second, and you can see Niebla and Sagrado ready to run in, but wait for the double team gone bad. Satanico holds Atlantis for a double chop, and that'll turn it around. Atlantis and Satanico battle to the floor - Sagrado tries the "boosted up by my opponent dropkick" but it's actually sidestepped! Averno takes him out of the ring, with a knee lift, and the cameras almost miss Mep tope-ing him. Averno wisely steps out of the way of Niebla handspring elbow too. Somersault plancha! Back to Atlantis and Satanico, who are certainly the captains. Ropes exchange leads to - Atlantis going down and faking a low blow? Works. (Tecnicos by DQ, 3:28) Satanico is appalled that someone would EVER try such a thing. Strange booking there, unless you're setting up challengers for the future? Replays as Satanico rants but we're not allowed to hear it. We come back and it looks like the Infernales might have challenged the tecnicos to a restart - then took off when one was offered. Next time, surely.

Notes: This is the second bracket of 8 to determine the #1 contenders for the CMLL Trios Titles (currently held by Universo2K, Wagner and Tiger), and match 6 of that bracket to be exact. Capos beat the Villanos to get here, while Rayo's team beat Porky/Safari/Brazo de Oro? I think. As usual, all tournament matches are one fall. Caras' hair is still short. They actually say that Capos are team 5 and Rayo is team 8, but my bracket has the general gist of it right. Rayo Jr has the midget in tow, gets beat down while stepping through the ropes. Atlantis is in a slight hurry, but still has time to flip over the top rope. They play Olimpico's music (hey, long time, new mask!) a little sooner and he comes down a little quicker, but still gets booted in the face.

Does Apolo have new tights or have I just not noticed? Capos clean the ring in no time. Atlantis back in, whip, lifted and dropped for an inverted atomic drop by Mascara, Apolo follow with a clothesline, Cien finishes with an elbow drop. Rayo in, Rayo backdropped. Double corner whip, They follow in, back elbow, clothesline, jumping knee. Triple whip, knee, double bulldog. Capos are always fine when they're doing team moves. Olimpico in, open handslap for everyone. Mascara catches him, but Olimpico ducks the double clothesline - wait, Olimpico is the one who gets to start the comeback? - dropkick for Mascara, sliding away form Apolo senton, victory roll...is blocked, Apolo electric suplex ends that. Mascara senton, Cien dive to cover one two three. (1:32) Atlantis is up the apron, but he's immediately stopped and run into the post. Rayo trying to club his way over three men, but it doesn't working. He's held by the ropes for Cien to open hand slap. Cien takes off for the ropes, and gets tripped up by Atlantis. Rayo breaks free and it's a 2-on-3 comeback! They didn't really need Olimpico. Rayo gets the reverse tope on Cien, then puts on a less than scary Camel Clutch on Cien to win it. (2:12) Call me crazy, but when choosing my captain for a lucha libre match, I wouldn't put it on the guy with unusually short hair; might be that has had a tendency to get beat when it counted lately. Tecnicos celebrate and walk off. Replay of the finishes. 

Unlike the tecnicos, the rudos in the final remember that the second semifinal is always followed by the tournament finish without a break, so they punk out (the recently pinned) Olimpico and drag him back to the ring to start the next match...

Notes: Oddly, Ultimo and Rey are wearing the purple/black getups, while Tarzan is just wearing black. Olimpico is left for dead for some time by his partners, but GdI are in no hurry to finish him off. Kick the inside of his leg, yes, but do much more than that, no? About 40 seconds after we first see Olimpico being beat down, his partners rush back to start the match.

Of course, being Rayo and Atlantis, they do quickly get the better of the 2 on 3 brawl. Olimpico actually gets to help out. Rey decides to try a fight he can win and goes after the mascot, but Rayo comes over to help out. Rayo and the mascot eventually wander back to the ring as everyone does a bunch of standing around. Tarzan takes a moment to show the camera an ugly vein in his bicep. Thanks for that. Ultimo and Atlantis do the corner noise bit. I think Ultimo lost again. Shoulderblock for Atlantis, off the ropes, Atlantis odes his big hop leapfrog, and Ultimo chops him for it. Corner whip, Atlantis goes to the second rope, kick for Ultimo stop on Atlantis back and over to monkey flip Tarzan behind. Ultimo tries a Samoan drop as Rey comes over to help out, but Atlantis rolls over to the best looking set up for that armdrag/headscissors double spot I've seen. Rey and Ultimo try a double clothesline (no), double cross body is caught, but Atlantis armdrag Rey to get out of it. Ultimo tries a senton that misses, Tarzan runs into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, Ultimo runs into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, Ultimo is pushed out of the ring. Tag to Rayo. You think Olimpico will get to do anything? Rayo is doing ear cups. Rayo charges and dives, Rey waves him by. Shot for Olimpico (hit) and Atlantis (miss), and charge at Rayo (backdrop.) Look at the crowd as Rey tries chops. Kick sis blocked, and there is the head feel slap. Ultimo in, trying a back heel back breaker, but Rayo flips out and does headlock/headscissors spot himself. Double clothesline, and Rayo gives the tag champs a double facejam. Double clothesline and they're both out - Tarzan is right on Rayo with forearms and kicks the back. Whip, reversed, Rayo's clothesline misses, Rayo's back elbow misses (the lack of work he's doing here is amazing), Rayo asks Tarzan to come to stop, feel him up chop the chest. Tag to Olimpico, which means GdI is getting control back shortly. Tarzan off the ropes, over, hiptoss by Olimpico. Olimpico charges, Tarzan Boy throws him to the floor and poses, Olimpico hang on the top rope and pulls himself in, dropkick for Tarzan to take him off. Olimpico off the ropes, and Ultimo ambushes him with a back elbow. Double corner whip, Atlantis helps him come to an easy start, charge back, Ultimo tosses him and Olimpico front headscissors (sure why not) Rey. Olimpico ducks Ultimo's clothesline, Ultimo charges, Olimpico jumps up, onto Ultimo's shoulder, spin around and 'rana. Dive tease and new pose. He's thrilled that he's not jobbed yet. Atlantis tags in and teases a dive on Rey, but Rey moves out of the way back in. He wants Rayo? He gets Rayo. Circle - and shots for the tecnicos on the apron. Ultimo into kick Rayo and then help clear off the other two. Double whip for Rayo, double drop toe hold, elbow drop from Ultimo, Hold for Tarzan Boy's springboard dropkick and dance move! Well, kinda. Rayo out, the other two in and whipped to the opposite corner. Tarzan Boy with a corner clothesline for each, then they're whipped into each other. Olimpico get a double drop toe hold, and Atlantis is held between Olimpico's legs. Olimpico legs and Atlantis's right leg are tied up, then everyone grab an arm - submission! (5:22) They move on to face the Infernales next week. Rayo Jr. asks the mascot if he can believe it. GdI have a brand new celebration (or a variation on the old theme) for the occasion which includes Tarzan getting to do a pointless flip. Rey makes the "I want the belt" motions. Replays.

Nothing beats the "Grim Reaper playing soccer" PSA

Notes: This apparently over hurt feelings in a semi-final last week which we didn't see. Guapos are so angry, they take off their entrance gear on the ramp and rush to the ring. 

Brawl is on to start the first fall. Emilio and Shocker end up all the way back on stage, Shocker taking a header into the steps. Rudos firmly in control on the beatdown. Might have been some clipping here, or just not good camera work to tell us how the Talibanes cleared the ring. Shocker comes back and gets cleaned out by a corner clothesline. Terrible gets hung upside down for a dropkick to the midsection, then a double Boston Crab to take him out (1:23) Magica in and worked over - put on the top rope and double bealed off. Triple weak version of the Infernales pump powerbomb (safely and slowly dropping Magica so they can pick him back up) and there's a three count (1:50) Shocker comes in to help out, too late, and gets clotheslined out again. Replays.

Second fall starts with Magica trying to come in attack while the Taliban are celebrating. No dice. Double whip, double back elbow. Emilio has a great wild slap. Terrible tries his chance and fares no better. He's quickly held for Bestia to hold and hit, but manages to fire way from Emilio and Scorpio to clothesline Bestia down. Shocker's in and taking down Emilio - wow, that started sooner than I thought. Guapos get their comeback on the Taliban all around the ring. Shocker takes Scorpio to the announce desk, running him into it a couple times but neglecting to talk tot he announces. Magica helps him crotch Scorpio on the post. Terrible batters Bestia till he's forced away by the ref. Emilio takes the crotch ride into the post as well. Guapos in control but don't actually have anyone in the ring Emilio pleads for a DQ but no one saw it. Terrible and Bestia going it with slaps in the ring now. Bestia gets the better with a hard slap, then after a pause, whip, reversed, Terrible with a spinebuster, grapevine the legs and a surfboard on Bestia. Shocker clears Scorpio out while Terrible gets the submission win (2:23) but they still need one more. Shocker is duck a little but of fancy steps while punching Scorpio. Shocker takes Scorpio up about ten rows while brawling, and Scorpio gets loose only to get posted by Magica. Scorpio tries to back up the ramp and Magica keeps brawling with him there. All three Guapos go after him, and he takes off to the back. I think that's a count out? TRIPLE STRUT! STRIPER DANCE! Do they win this fall? Was Bestia actually captain? I have no idea, but they're calling it now so eh. (3:47) We'll call it a count out but who knows. Replays. Terrible still isn't a good wrestler. 

For the third fall, we wrestle. OR Magica will try a sliding dropkick for no reason I can see. Magica with a single leg on Emilio, legdrop on the leg! Emilio is a lot of pain and has to roll out after devastating move, so it'll be Terrible and Bestia and Bestia screaming "NO! NO! NO!" Bestia lays in the open hand chest slaps, taking Terrible to nee knee. Down to both knees with kicks. Now Terrible is yelling and getting up, clothesline. Off the ropes, dropkick (didn't look right - camera protected?), Bestia out, off the ropes, dive fake, pose and Emilio dropkicks him out. Magica in to take him on, slap battle on. Emilio off the ropes, Magica with a dropkick to the knee, reverse step over armbar and Scorpio breaks that up with a kick. SHOCKER SPEAR! He's kicked away by Scorpio, and another open hand slap battle. Shocker ducks one, off the ropes, boot to the chest. Half crab? Sure. Bestia' turn to break lit up. He chops, but Terrible is back on him with chops. Bestia rallying back, and a dropkick takes down Terrible, and Magica and Shocker surprise him with double boots. Scorpio and Emilio back in, and all four fighting. Magica gets the brief advantage on Emilio, but Scorpio helps him turn it around. Corner whip to Shocker, but he lefts Magica up and helps hi turn it into a headscissors on Scorpio. Emilio booted out, Shocker teases a dive but lets Magica do it himself to rope Emilio. DOUBLE JUMP PLANCHA ON SCORPIO! Terrible and Bestia back in, clothesline by Terrible, clothesline blocked, Bestia with a "low blow" mule kick (Terrible's awfully well endowed if we're to believe that - that hit about the knee), Russian legsweep into a pin one two Shocker breaks it up but I guess not because Richard keeps counting (3:01) Scorpio attacks Shocker from behind when he's trying to break that pin up with a low blow uppercut inside cradle one two three (3:07) and that'll do it. 

Post match, Shocker is all "hair vs hair! hair vs hair!" and the Taliban don't seem as excited by the idea.

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. For a hero of the kids, Atlantis sure set a bad example
2. I think I could like Emilio if he had better partners.
3. See ya in another four months Olimpico
4. Infernales vs GdI would be good, but we're not getting much of it