CMLL Mini Line - 02/25/06 (#206)
Recapped: 02/26-27/06
Classic footage of Santo, 1981, talking while his son trains in the ring. Surely that's what he's talking about. Santo practices moves over and over again. Out of breath, El Hijo del Santo talks about his training (and, as I find out, about living up to the Santo name), and we see 2005 Santo watching the footage, who then talks about it and thanks the fans and CMLL for letting him wrestle in Arena Mexico.
Nice polo shirts for the announcers.
After a break, there's a feature (done by someone else as a 30 second Celebrate Mexico bit, I think) on Arena Coliseo - both the wrestling and the boxing.
Match 1: Okumura (c), Taguchi, Ohara vs Brazo de Plata, Negro Casas (c), Ultimo Dragon
Arena Mexico, 08/26/05
Winner: Tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 11:12
Approx Rating: okay
Other Match Notes: No entrances. This is not exactly an even match.
Negro salutes the crowd on his announcement of captain.
Ultimo takes apart Taguchi to start. Someone is teaching the Japanese guys enough Spanish to order food at restraints, right? Sometimes I wonder. Taguchi gets him down, but Ultimo starts to rally due the power of the fire alarm. I hate that alarm. Ultimo's attempt at landing on his feet off a release snap suplex is less than satisfactory and he hears about it. He's much worse off a monkey flip, where he'd be better off just selling the thing. Trademark spinning heel kicks ends this sequence. Okumura and Porky - PORKY DOES A CARTWHEEL! I've seen it all. Crowd goes wild. Porky has JAPON and MEXICO on the side of his tights for some reason. Porky tosses Okumura round without moving much. Okumura slaps him hard when he won't go down, and runs him over with a shoulderblock. The crowd isn't as appreciative as Okumura would like. Okumura runs into a backdrop, and a windup clothesline. Porky goes to the bottom rope - splash one two three. (3:23) Even though Okumura is the captain, Ultimo and Taguchi do a sequence anyway, with a quick kickwhamAsai DDT. Negro comes in, superkicks Ohara, and decides a pin isn't worth bothering. Crowd chants for Porky and we take a look at some replays. Break.
Match is rejoined after the whistle, but we haven't missed much. Negro and Okumura are in, and Negro nearly misses completely on his dropkick to the nose. Ohara and Ultimo are next. Crowd boos something. Ultimo out spins him and runs over his back. WOW crossbody gets zero. Spinning leg sweep, reverse enziguri, Ohara's sent out - and runs for his life when ultimo teases a dive. Porky and Taguchi. Porky is still the size of two Taguchis (at least) and Taguchi doesn't like this matchup at all. Shoulderblock, no one goes down. Taguchi fires himself up, still no budge. Porky tries it, and down goes Taguchi. Porky superkick? Kill the move now! Slam. Porky accidentally backs into the rudos corner, and the beatdown is on. Porky first. Taguchi doesn't get the two feet of distance he needed springboarding off Ohara's back into a dropkick. Porky's held and Okumura dropkicks him down - an impact so great, the camera shakes. Taguchi adds the standing moonsault one two three. (3:13) Fans are very annoyed. Negro in, double drop toe hold, double fujiwara, Ohara adds a dropkick to the face. Half cab on to, and Negro probably should give up - yep. (3:39) Dragon brought in to be beat up some too.
Back for some replays. Crowd gets behind Negro while we're watching, who knows why. Beatdown doesn't carry over, but restarts as the fall restarts Taguchi and Okumura work over Ultimo as Ohara tries Porky. Headlock gets turned into a Porky back suplex, but Porky is forced to leave the ring rather than help. Dragon gets crotched on the ring post. Crowd shot clip. Ultimo has his head down, Okumura kicks it, calls for the end, powerbomb is reversed into a 'rana (sorta) one reversed one two no. Ultimo with a jacknife, Okumura immediately reversed, one two no Negro broke it up. Okumura gests a reverse DDT but Porky breaks up that pin. Okumura slaps Porky and tries to slam him, but Porky lands on top. Taguchi breaks it up, but Porky shoves him around. Taguchi ends up trying a sunset flip, but lives to tell about it. Both Taguchi and Ohara end up on top, and Porky has no problem throwing them off. Negro and Taguchi finding now, with Taguchi briefly getting an abdominal stretch, and Negro biting Taguchi's leg to get free. Whip, reversed, Taguchi with the Casas Special, but Negro fights free at one. Don't pin him with his combo. They battle out to the apron, and Negro rudely pushes Taguchi off (almost into Dragon t0 start with). The other rudos are on Negro before he cant try the silla. Double suplex in. Taguchi adds a springboard missile dropkick. Negro's out, Ultimo is back in and hitting the handspring elbow on Okumura. Dragon goes for a dive, but Taguchi pulls him down and slams him. Going up, but Dragon's up first and kicking him to the floor and Okumura. Dragon waiting for people to get in position - pescado is caught by Taguchi and Okumura. Uh oh, Porky's out there. Climbing up? No, just an apron dive plancha to knock them boot down. Ohara and Negro are left in. Negro kicks Ohara down and tries the La Majistral, but is kicked off. Ohara rallies back with kicks, but Negro catches one and gives him a kneebreaker. Ah, here's the real square dropkick to the face. He's dead, Jim. (4:05) Are they even counting the other ones out? Ultimo is in back to celebrate so call it. (4:10) Replays, with the high tech used to illustrate Ohara getting kicked in the face. Let's look at the rudos in the ring post match. Why? I dunno.
Stellar Moments
New: Bam Bam, here, with a double jump armdrag to the floor
Trimpuh: Bam Bam with a running tornillo to the floor on Min Violencia.
He may be good.
Combination: Valiente lifts Caligula up, and Starman dropkicks him
down.
Lance: Kronos has a big fat tope for Arkangel.
Spectacular: Volador no hands tope con giro on Hijo del Pierroth.
Vignette: In the parking lot, bald Pierroth waits for - the Capos? He's not hear for a fight, he's here to forge an alliance. The Capos have understandable trust issue, but Pierroth points out they all want to kill Perros del Mal. Universo is pretty sure him and Mascara is enough. Pierroth tries to make the case that the Capos need numbers, because the Perros have numbers (Blue Demon Jr. is definitely included as a member here - Tarzan and Terrible me have been mentioned as allies.) Universo is not worried - all they need is a one one match with Perro and they'll end this. Pierroth tries to change their minds, but they walk on him. Capos decide that Pierroth's lost his mind when he lost his hair
Match 2: Hijo del Perro Aguayo (c), Tarzan Boy, Hector
Garza vs Universo 2000 (c), Mascara Aņo 2000, Satanico
Arena Mexico, 08/26/05
Winner: Universo (2-1)
Match Time: 10:53
Approx Rating: Usual. Okay.
Other Match Notes: Tarzan is not wearing the shirt. Hector and Perro
come out to their own music wearing PdM shirts and bandanas. Hector has a rose?
I think a fan gave it to him. Universo and Mascara opt to take off their gear before
they get to the rig - which is good, because the fight is on before Satanico's
music even starts. Garza batters him with the small blue steps.
First fall is Perro del Mal beatdown. There's a flash back to hair match ending from last week. They focused on the stuff out of the ring early, and started doing spots in the ring at about the three minute mark. Satanico was briefly worked over, Mascara Aņo was set in the tree of Woe, and Perro got the double stomp on Universo before the PdM teamed up to beat him till they were stopped. (3:52) Hector was being pulled away from the stomps by Baby Richards, so he shoved Richard away, and he took a big bump to the floor. For a big bump to the floor, he didn't stay down long, and both referees overturned the fall. (4:05) The bump got a reaction, but the over turn did not. Perros beat up the Capos more and teased beating up the refs. Break.
PdM beatdown goes on thru the second fall. MY2K made a mini comeback but was stopped by combined numbers. Universo backdrop Tarzan on a corner charge and sidestepped Hector to start the comeback. Lots of revenge crowd brawling. Universo matched up with Hector, Mascara with Perro. The Capos came together to work over Hector in the ring as Perro went crazy on the ramp. He was worked over next. Tarzan tried to evade, but it didn't last. He tired to get away early, but still took Satanico's off the apron senton. The other four fought in the ring, and Hector's trunks got pulled again (for a while, it seemed), and they showed the crowd again. Including of some kids, oddly. Perros regained control, with the crowd loudly against them against them, and set up for their top rope finishers, but Universo crotched Perro and Mascara moves out of the way of the moonsault. Capos got submission moves on and that was that. Straight falls. Break.
We come back for the post match. Universo wants a hair/hair match with Perro. Hector changes it to a four man hair match with him and Mascara. That's not exactly what Universo wants. Perro takes the microphone, and the announcers not the divided public. Sounds like more boos to me. Perro says they're the new force in Lucha Libre, and Arena Mexico is there house. Perro makes the tag hair match challenge and there's a Perro chant. Replays of the finish, and we come back to more brawling.
More Celebrate Mexico footage, this time on Santo. They mention his pre-Santo gimmicks, which I never realized they acknowledged.
Vignette: Ultimo, Averno, and Mephisto talk in the park about the guys they have to face this week - they settle upon Averno taking Mistico (of course), Mephisto taking Santo (sure), and Ultimo taking Wagner (good). Averno and Mephisto argue about who was supposed to remember to bring the ball (soccer? basketball? dunno) before Ultimo suggests going to Arena Mexico gym. Averno and Mephisto start thinking about a cab, but Ultimo wants to RUN back. Averno & Mephisto are sad.
Match 3: Ultimo Guerrero (c), Averno, Mephisto vs el Hijo del Santo, Mistico, Dr. Wagner Jr. (c)
Arena Mexico, 08/26/05
Winner: Tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 12:31
Approx Rating: Really fun and kept moving throughout. 88.
Other Match Notes: Wagner gets a humongous reaction. (It's perhaps at
this moment people have realized he's not dropping his mask at the anniversary
show.) He's got the title belt with him. Mistico's got his too, and a little
kid. Crowd is generally in a vocal mood. Santo doesn't have a video - no one can
dig out a Santo video? Averno & Mephisto get separate entrances, which is
never going to stop being dumb to me. Break.
In ring introductions take place after the break. Crowd goes nuts again when Dr. Wagner is announced as captain - you can barely hear the opening whistle over it. They chant for him to start and then switch over to Mistico when it looks like he'll start. Someone in the rowdy tecnico section has a giant pig mascot head. Averno and Mistico start with a usual SL open exchange. There's an obvious sound jump clip here, and we don't see them in for long. Mephisto indeed takes Santo, who gets his own chant. Santo's quick and Mephisto, who's got a cool purple mask on, keeps up for him for the 25 seconds of the exchange we see. Ultimo and Wagner next, though Wagner has to stop for the crowd. Ultimo gets him down with chest slaps, but Wagner fights back with kicks. Pose - Ultimo kicks him in the head just as he's doing it. They show many Dr. Wagner masks in the crowd. Ultimo escapes a Santo/Wagner and the match kinda breaks down from there, with everyone getting involved. In the middle of it, Ultimo goes to the floor, and Wagner does his great looking ramp dive move on him. Santo gets the camel clutch on Mephisto (3:15) and Mistico locks la Mistica to take it (3:19) Averno made that look extra good by spinning around before impact. Replays. Wagner kills time between falls by doing Wagner poses with a small fan, and then lifting up a girl high in the air with one arm.
Crowd chants for Mistico as he starts the second fall. This time, Mephisto starts with him. Superkick #1. Mephisto might have broken Ultimo's height record on a Mistico flapjack. Too bad Mistico had to get up quick to be knocked back down. Wagner storms in when he thinks they're being too vicious to Mistico, but he's warned to his corner. The beginnings of Mistico's rally back look a bit too staged (it's the 619, so there you go), but he springboard armdrag to the floor on Averno is great fun. Crowd loud when Santo came into face Ultimo next, and he got the better over Averno and Ultimo nicely, including the extra spin armdrag. Wagner is inspired and enthusiastic after Santo's performance. Wagner and Mephisto start chopping each other, and then decide to take it outside to chop each other harder. Wagner suggest going back inside to chop more, and they do. Mephisto suggest going out of the ring again, and Wagner pretends to go along with him. Mephisto realizes, it Wagner poses, and Mephisto dropkicks him down. Wagner rallies back, including getting a release powerslam. He poses again, and this time Averno breaks it up with a dropkick. Santo threatens Averno, but he's warned back. Averno gets in some shots, but Wagner hits the corner clothesline, corner clothesline, bulldog combo. Averno sells it a bit wacky, and Wagner gets annoyed, going out after him and taking him in the front row. Ultimo pulls Wagner out and posts him, and the beatdown is on. Averno quickly crotches Mistico on the post, and Mephisto suplexes Wagner in the ring from the apron. Some people barely get out of Santo's way as Ultimo throws him in to the crowd. Mephisto lifts Santo into an Averno powerbomb, but no one covers him. Ultimo chokeslams Mistico with authority, which is quite good. Ah, they're doing the two men tied together on Ultimo submission. (5:26) I think the announcers call it "Espacial de Volantin" but I'm not sure that makes sense. Ultimo spins them around for added fun. Averno rudely throws Mistico out. The crowd is not happy, which makes Averno happy. Break.
Back for replays.
Team beatdown going on just as the fall starts - Wanger's whipped into a triple powerbomb, and then pulled back up for another. Santo rolls his partner out as the rudos celebrate, but gets stopped before he can do any more. Are they going to rip his mask? They're actually just gabbing his mask and posing. Triple dropkick to the head for Santo. Mistico in, and Ultimo encourages his partners to let this happen one on one. Mistico quickly works in the handspring flip for fun, then tries a 'rana, and Ultimo kills him with a powerbomb - a wiki level powerbomb, actually. Mistico reverses a corner whip and tries for a top rope 'rana, because he's a suicidal man. Ultimo blocks it, but Mistico some how reverses it to a second rope faceslam. It's one those where's it's unclear who got more hurt. Mistico's knees hit first of anything, and that couldn't be fun. Rudos break up a cover before they lose the fall, and then clean Wagner and Santo off the apron. They both kick Mistico down, and then set him up on the top rope, facing out. When they go up to join him, Santo and Wagner come in, slap them on their backs, and lift them on their shoulders. What's this going to be? A sky high double dropkick! As Wagner and Santo cover, Mistico gets an up and over sunset flip on Ultimo, and the refs count all three pins - one two everyone kicks out. Ultimo ends up taking the knee bump to the floor in the following melee, and Wagner boots Mistico into a double dropkick on the others. Dive time - Santo plancha on Averno, crowd shot, Mistico plancha on Mephisto! Wagner is stoked, and Ultimo is coming back in to face him. Crowd chants for Wagner as Ultimo boots him down. The next boot is caught, and Wagner uses the dragon leg whip. Wagner off the ropes - Ultimo chokeslam! Ultimo off the reaps, and Wagner spikes him with the Wagner Driver. One two three. (3:46) Playing off the old argument, Dr. Morales is sure that wasn't a mariente while Magadan is sure it was. They clip ahead to Ultimo getting stretched out. That did look brutal. They start to send it to a break here - was one clipped out?
Next Week: Dr. Wagner, La Mascara, Negro Casas, Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Hector Garza, Ultimo Guerrero, Universo 2000, Damian 666, Halloween, Tanahashi, Nakamura (both not pictured), and Olimpico. And much more.
Replays, with lines indicating massive neck damage. Man.