CMLL Line - 02/28/04 (#117)

This is Sin Piedad, the 12/05/03 show they've built up for a few months. Of course, the Universo/Pierroth match that's been the center of the hype won't air, and a match that has been hyped constantly without any of it making TV will air.

Vignette: Shocker Claus presents this show.

Notes: Satanico is bald but has a title. He beat Felino for the Welterweight Title about ten days before this, but lost his hair in a four way cage/hair match (with Negro, Mascara 2K and Tarzan Boy) on Sunday at a special 60th anniversary show at Arena Coliseo. Joined in progress, to start the last fall.

Satanico is walking out on his partners to start the fall, so things haven't been going well with them already. Averno and Mephisto call after him, but then quickly turn and go after the Havana Brothers. Rocky and Bobby are kicked out of the ring as Ricky is whipped into the corner. Running forearm from Averno, corner clothesline from Mephisto. Drop toe hold, Averno puts on a camel clutch while Mep goes to the middle rope, dropkick to the head. Quance tries to come in for his team, but Averno kicks him as he comes in. Double whip, double spinebuster and, he's rolled to his feet. Double whip, double flapjack, double kick to the head. Rocky in to try his luck. Satanico is still hanging out on the apron and on the floor, watching and not being involved. Whip, double big boot for Rocky. Double whip, Satanico pulls Rocky out as his partners set up a double team move, but still giving Rocky a chest slap. Rocky is knocked around ringside while Averno and Mephisto look on, confused. Rocky fights back with kicks of his own, but Satanico is able to get the better of him and throw him in the ring. Averno and Mephisto grab him, but Satanico yells at them to back off - he wants Rocky for himself. Mephisto and Averno are annoyed enough that they grant him his wish. Satanico goes completely insane, challenge all the Havana Brothers to come in and take him on at once. They're a bit confused, but decide that if that's what he wants, that's what he gets. Satanico gives each a forearm to stun them, and turns around to let Averno and Mephisto know about it. Havana Brothers take advantage of that, double dropkick by Reyes and Quance, and Rocky's dropkick takes him out of the ring. Rocky tries a rope assisted tope con giro, but ends up more of a leg smash to the back of Satanico's head. The four non-captains all come in, with the Havanas getting the advantage and working over the others in the corner. Infernales are whipped into each other, but sidestep a dropkick from Quance and take both Havana Brothers down. Stereo double underhook faceslams! That'll do it, one two three. (2:55) Infernales win, no thanks to Satanico. Mephisto refuses the handshake post match, shoving Satanico away. Looks like he's made his decision here. Which is good, because we get three seconds more of this before the cut to the bumpers.

Not only is this the Infernales last match together - the shoving at the end is all we're getting about that this week - but also the Havana Brothers last match in Arena Mexico for the immediate future.

In one of the usual valets dancing bumpers, there's a GUY dancing. What the heck. I was hoping it was an angle of some sort but no one got clothesline so I guess not.

Vignette: Felino, Safari, and Jarmoir Jagr prepare for the Mexican Trios Title match. Wait, no, that's Volador Jr. wearing a Jagr Penguins jersey! That's a bit surprising. But he's got yellow pants to match. He still has a 14 year old's voice. Anyway, they're happy to have the opportunity but even more pumped for the match. A hockey jersey!?!? 

Notes: Everyone gets their own entrance! So if you've wondered if Alan Stone is a fan of the Offspring, there you go. Fireworks, always nice. Alan is wearing Moto Cross' goggles. Actually, that may just be the "A" glasses. Safari has a new mask. Volador is wearing a Santa Claus hat and scarf. And shiny robe. Oh no Felino's got the mascot. Felino holds a team meeting for his side, and Crazy just tries to keep his guys from punking out the tecnicos before the match. 

Crazy and Felino to start. Circle. Lockup, Felino with a waistlock, Crazy around into a hammerlock, Felino goes down to the ma tot escape, then turns it over into an armbar. Crazy gets flipped on to his back, but rallies to a single leg. Rolling Felino to his feet, but Felino reverses an armbar into an armdrag. The polar bear likes it. CLIIIP BOOOO I didn't really need to know Alan Stone's musical tastes.

Volador and Zumbido are exhaling chest slaps. Polar bear, this better not be another clip. No, back just in time to see Volador come off the ropes, over Zumbido on the first pass, shoved into the ropes but turning it into a handspring on the next. Zumbido is nearly impressed.  Zumbido charges, Volador side steps him at the last second, and kicks him in the leg as Zumbido runs the other way. Zum adjusts into a second rope springboard and moonsaults back on this his feet. Zumbido has a quick taunt about who has the better move that does nothing that causes Volador to swing. Zumbido alertly ducks and swats Volador down with a hard shot to the back of the head. Dance. Chest slap. Corner whip, Zumbido turns to yell at the crowd, missing Volador jumping to the apron, but turning back in time to run into a springboard, uh standing armdrag. Volador didn't get quite the leap he was hoping on that, but manages to intimidate Zumbido out. Zumbido anticipates a dive, and ducks back in the ring as Volador charges him. Volador was going to dive, but he manages to adjust to handstand on the apron into a safe landing on the floor, retaking the Cool Move That Accomplishes Nothing crown. Zumbido turns everything on his head by actually doing something - rope assisted tope con giro hits Volador and they're both down. Alan goes to add to the pile, but Felino slips under his shoulders and pulls him back towards the tecnico corner - Safari top rope cross body! Safari covers as Super Crazy climbs up one two - Safari sees Crazy diving and moves out of the way, Alan taking Crazy's somersault senton instead. Crazy is aghast, but aware enough to catch a boot from Safari before it hits him. Crazy holding Safari's leg is the best opening for Felino to dropkick him in the knee, and so it is done. While Safari tries to invent a new wacky submission hold for Crazy, Felino tries to clean up on Alan Stone and ends up getting place on the top rope and chopped. Just as Safari is finishing off a hair pull nudo thing, Alan is making the mistake of trying for a top rope 'rana on Felino. That always means death, form of a second rope Felinobomb. One two three. (1:49) Tecnicos take the fall, but unlike the other tournament matches, this this is a best out of three falls match, they're not done yet. They do have time to pose. Replays.

Alan and Safari start this off. Circle. Fiesty lockup. I'm saddened that Alan does not actually come to a Rolling Stones song. Safari with a waistlock, Alan escapes with back elbows and is off the ropes, under, Safari off the ropes and nailing Alan with a jumping shoulderblock. Off the ropes, clothesline blocked and reversed into a headlock! What is this, Velocity? Shot off, back with a shoulderblock. It IS! Alan makes Safari's yell of a second ago, off the ropes, over, into a tilt-a-whirl, Alan lands on his feet, Safari manages a spinning headscissors anyway to send Alan out. Safari off the ropes, sliding dropkick knocks Alan into the front row. Through the magic of space, time, and really bad editing, we go from looking at Alan down on the outside, to Alan standing in the ring. I'm thinking Alan is either more powerful than I knew, or that was a clip.

Beatdown on. Safari is down on the ramp, while Volador is taking the three on the one in the ring. Corner whip, Alan with a running corner clothesline, Crazy with a corner clothesline, Zumbido with a corner clothesline. Zumbido sits Volador backwards on the top rope as Alan and Crazy work over Safari. Volador pulled down in the Tree of Woe, and Alan whips Safari into him. Safari runs into his partner, and falls on shi back. Zumbido and Crazy clap hands, then slide out of the ring, pulling Safari's legs out of the ring, and Safari's crotch into Volador's head! I guess you can't DQ them for that! Alan kicks Volador down as Crazy and Zumbido celebrate Evil. Felino in as his partners try to pull themselves together. Whip for Felino, double leapfrog, double hiptoss slowly into a powerbomb. Crazy with a running somersault plancha (the lightest looking thing every), running into a bottom rope (!) moonsault that barely gets there. Alan adds a second rope moonsault of his own, and lays on top long enough to get one a count. Zumbido puts the candle on top - top rope moonsault one two three. (2:21) Felino isn't listed as the captian before but I guess he is? Zumbido celebrates, and he should. All tied up. Replays.

Zumbido wastes no time slamming a recovering Felino to start the final fall. One more moonsault should do it, but Felino moves. Zumbido lands on his feet and rolls backwards, but Felino still drops him with a clothesline. One two NO. Backslide? No, crucifix lift, holding Zumbido there a while, and Zumbido takes advantage by turning the powerbomb attempt into a 'rana one two Volador breaks it up. Zumbido and Volador exchange chest slaps, Zumbido kicking Volador in the leg. Corner whip, reversed, Zumbido runs up the ropes and drops down on the apron next to Crazy. Volador attempts to forearm Crazy anyway, but it's blocked and Crazy gets him. Springboard dropkick! Crazy with a name sake rollup - step over the arm, then fall backwards to pull Volador into an Okie Roll - one two NO. Crazy yells at the crowd, and then we look at them, never a good thing. Sure enough, CLIP. 

Safari and Alan in now, weirdly colliding and Safari collapsing. Alan picks him up for a chest slap, Alan off the rope, clothesline misses and he slides out, but Felino drops him with a tope! Volador in and missing a corner splash on Zumbido. Zumbido with a chest slap, corner whip, Volador ducks down and Zumbido takes the knee bump to the floor. VOLADOR ASAI MOONSAULT! You knew we weren't getting out of here without one of those. That leaves Felino and Crazy, and Felino misses a dropkick to start, never a good sign. Crazy puts Felino on the second rope, which is a horrible sign. Punches aren't going to help. Oh no, Crazy's trying the 'rana. FELINO BOMB. One two - Crazy gets a boot leaning on the ropes, and Alan lightly taps the pin from the outside. I thought that was it, Felino thought it was it, and Volador was already celebrating on the outside. Felino with a slam, and he'll head up. Moonsault? No one home, but he lands on his feet (almost like we just saw this!) Crazy to the apron, Felino with a kick to the midsection to keep him there as he climbs up, top rope 'rana off the apron and to the floor! Alan and Safari back in, Safari with a clothesline, and falls on top to cover, one two no. Safari with a chest slap, whip, reversed, Alan with a drop toe hold. Step over, but Volador breaks up whatever next with a dropkick. Stomping on Alan while Zumbido protest on the outside. Double whip, Safari tosses Alan up to a Volador powerbomb. Wacky hold time - Safari with a figure four sleeper while Volador ties up Alan's legs and sits on them. Volador pulls up Safari so they're both sitting on him and Alan's in a lot of pain, but Zumbido breaks that up with a dropkick. Chest slaps by the rudos, but they both takes corner whips. Tecnicos whip rudo into each other - no, Zumbido reverses, but Volador stops Alan short with a drop toe hold. Zumbido stops him for the time being with a kick to the head. Safari back up, but his 'rana is reversed into a powerbomb as Alan manages a Victory roll on Volador, but that's in the ropes so only one of the simultaneous covers counts one two NO. All four pull themselves up, and there might be a mini clip in here, but an Alan Stone 'rana try on Volador is reversed into a half crab, into a romero chinlock/cavernaria hold. Safari puts that double underhook headscissors choke move on Zumbido, and we've got a double tap out. (4:01) Don't blink, and between the hundred shots of the crowd, you can actually get glimpse of the belts. Not on the winners or anything, but the commissioner has them in his hand as he's stepping into the ring. We go to break before we get to seem them or any replays.

Stellar Moments:
Lo Impresionante: Virus with a through the ropes spinning headscissors on Ultimo. Looks like they gave the rabid tecnico fans Sagrado masks.
El Rudo: As we saw last week, Ultimo ends up losing that match with a blatant low blow on Virus.
Lo Admirable: Fantasy (a mini) does a from the apron springboard corkscrew plancha on Mini Violencia. 
El Lance: Pantera is tossed by a rudo, but lands on the top rope and bowls over two rudos on the outside
Lo Dolorso: In clips of a first round Mexican Trios Tournament match we didn't see, Loco Max (who's completely changed his look - hair and bright colors; I had to look up the lineup to figure out who it was) crotch meets Nitro's head.

Vignette: Arkangel is prepared to defend his mask. His opponent may have his mask, but Arkangel will never give up his identity
Vignette: Angel Azteca speed talks through saying Arkangel is a great, but he's going to keep his mask.

Notes: Angel Azteca had not wrestled for quite a while and was immediately thrust into a (logical) feud with Arkangel, which gave me the impression he was making one last run to make as much money as possible before dropping his mask here. Blanco's lack of energy in that vignette seems consistent with the idea. Arkangel is one of those guys just on the edge of television a lot.

Arkangel gets first entrance, and has a walking stick with a skull, before he throws it down while posing. I don't catch the name of his second, but it's no one from around here. Azteca has monk chants as his theme. Fireworks for everyone. Brazo de Oro is his corner man. Ark punks out Azteca as he comes in the ring, and we're off.

Brawling around the ring, with Ark posting Azteca before coming back in the ring to pose. He does wait for Azteca to get back in the ring, and the match officially starts at that point. Ark with a kick, and a forearm to knock Azteca back down. Picking him up, chop, kick, whip, but Azteca reverses and a dropkick knocks Ark to the floor. Azteca wastes no time rushing - tope! Maybe I'm just imaging things, but the seats seem farther away from the ring on that side this week. Azteca posts Ark, as we follow with a look at the tope. Both check in. Azteca with a whip and a dropkick. Azteca looks old man passable - nothing horrible, but nothing you'd go out of your way to see without five other good guys. Dropkick, and then a 'rana was but Arkangel rolls through one two three. (1:02) That was awful quick. Both corner man are in to check on their charges. Replays of the tope and the 'rana. Not much else to replay, so we get three angles of the 'rana.

Both guys rush out of their corners to start fall two, Azteca getting the better of it with a backdrop. Azteca goes to tear the mask, sis warned not to, and tries to anyway. CLIP. Azteca with a corner whip, and charges in to Azteca's boots. Ark going up - but Azteca meets him there and armdrags him off the second rope. Azteca covers one two NO. Azteca puts on an abdominal stretch, and then puts a leg over Arkangel's neck - that'll do it. (1:05) One minute falls! That's always sad. Polar Bear guy likes it. Replays.

Ark knocks down Angel Blanco before we even look at the ring. One two NO. They're in to slow count mood. Both guys battling for an abdominal stretch - Ark has it for a second, but Azteca elbows out of it and puts his own on. Will Arkangel loses his mask to an abdominal stretch? No. Escape into a inner leg hold, then turning it over for a half Boston. Azteca will not give up easy, and uses elbows to Ark's behind to escape. CLIP. What a match this turned out to be. Ark with a chest slap to a disoriented Azteca. Pulling him in the center of the ring and calling for it - powerbomb gets a 'rana reversal, Azteca on top one two NO. Crowd is louder than I expect for the near fall. Ark up first and forearming the back, which is sorta sold. Forearm to the gut works better. Sit down powerbomb works this time - Azteca fighting the cover vigorously so you know something's up - one two THREE (1:47) Announcers argue whether Azteca had a shoulder up there and he might have (Arkangel but it doesn't matter now. Arkangel is treating this as the biggest win of his career, and it just might be.

Angel Azteca is Juan Manuel Zuniga, 40 years old, 23 years a wrestler. That's a hard 40 years, from the looks of it. Or 40 years and a 100 so months. Azteca and Arkangel shake hands (Azteca extending his first) and Azteca pulls of his mask to give to Arkangel. 

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 all the hype for Pierroth/Universo, I was not disappointed to not see it. Not a great sign.
2. But that's fine - always have to remember there's absolutely no way for CMLL to make money off me right now, so it doesn't make any sense to cater to my desire.
3. Good title match, though. Always hope this leads to more title matches with good people down the road. 
4. I really miss the 90 minute show days.