CMLL Guerreros del Ring on 52MX: 2014-05-24

recap

taped 2014-05-13 @ Arena Coliseo Guadalajara

Metatrón & Sagrado vs Puma & Tiger and Sky Kid & Smaker and El Cuatrero & Sansón: fun sprint of an elimination match. This was my first look at the Cien Caras kids, and they showed some promise – but it was easy to look good with in a non stop action match with guys coming in and out all the time. Likewise, this may be the best TV match Metatron’s been in, but he and Sagrado worked well for the one brother team here who barely ever works together. They gave the longest time to the Sagrado/Metatron and Puma/Tiger final stretch, but everyone else got their moments.

Black Panther, Stuka Jr., Tritón vs Kamaitachi, Magnum, Shigeo Okumura: Magnum stalling and taunting the crowd to start off this match was quite the change of pace from the last match. This much more a normal match, with Magnum and Black Panther struggling working with each other in the first two falls. Black Panther has the usual CMLL problem of a big técnico trying to work like a normal sized guy against a smaller rudo and the moves not coming of as well as they should. Ghost Squirrel’s run of técnico offense in the first fall was amusing.

Gallo vs Sangre Azteca in a lightning match: They were working a fifteen minute match for a ten minute time limit from the get go, so the time limit draw wouldn’t have come as a surprise even if I didn’t know they were coming. They were also shaving time quite a bit. The five minute call came around 3:30, which could’ve been editing, but the rest of the match didn’t last five minutes either. Maybe they laid on the floor a long time. Same finish a Dragon Lee/Hechicero, where the rudo hits his big move (top rope low blow dropkick) and the técnico kicks out of it just before the time limit, except no one had any idea it was just before the time limit and it generally came off as more confusing. They also cut away from it so fast that whatever purpose this was supposed to serve was completely lost.

Máscara Dorada, Titán, Volador Jr. vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión: They were building Volador/Rey Escorpion here, but the Dragon Rojo/Polvora vs Titan/Mascara Dorada match seemed much exciting – and the other two were barely in. Genearlly a super rushed (or heavily edited) match because there wasn’t much time left in the hour. It’s really the three fall equivalent of tournament lucha on these four match shows, though all matches have been getting less time the last few months no matter how many matches are on the show. This is possibly a Great match if they get 15 minutes, it’s one with some interesting highlights when it’s under 10.