CMLL on CadenaTres: 2014-06-14

recap

taped 2014-06-10 @ Arena México

Molotov & Robin vs Cholo & Inquisidor: this match is for you, if you’re looking for iffy timing and awkward hesitations. I kind of gave up on this one after the first fall, but it was pretty much a generic primera, with the generic layout and the generic luchadors. Announcers were more interested in promoting World Cup coverage then the finish, and I can’t say they were wrong.

Aéreo, Bam Bam, Fantasy vs Mercurio, Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Warrior: Aereo looked more bored waiting to take the crucifix powerbomb in the corner than I do watching most Pequeño Warrior matches. This was better than most – Pequeño Warrior wasn’t screwing around (for the most part) and Mercurio and Nitro were working very hard to make up for him. Tecnicos were good for the first two falls – but then things really came unhinged in the third for a time, with Mercurio and Aereo blowing a sequence so badly that neither of them knew what was going on (and Fantasy not doing much better soon after.) I’ve decided Bam Bam is doing an under the radar Mini Kevin Steen gimmick; he just needs to think of proper bodybuilding insults for Eléctrico and Astral and it works. Weird to build the match around Bam Bam/Warrior and then have them do nothing at the finish, but that’s Warrior.

Pegasso, Rey Cometa, Tritón vs Misterioso Jr., Sangre Azteca, Skándalo: Fine enough tercera. Seemed like it might be better than that, because the técnicos were very entertaining until the rudos took it over. The rudos weren’t had but weren’t as interesting. Skándalo got a new costume and new music, but definitely not new matches. I put the blame on Misterioso for losing the first fall – if he and Skandalo hadn’t thrown Cometa into the barricade, Sangre isn’t alone to get beat and it all went down hill from there.

Ángel de Oro, Fuego, Sagrado vs Boby Zavala, Tiger, Vangellys: By the numbers match, less interesting than the last match. The problem with Angel de Oro (and others) is really not that they do the same spots every match, it’s that they have so few regular spots that they have no choice but do the same spots every match. To make up numbers, Fuego has about 12 spots and rotates six of them every match – you’re getting the back bend into a dance every time, but you may see one of his submission holds for a while. (Sagrado likewise has recently fallen in love with the springboard spear stuff and so other spots haven’t been done as much.) Angel de Oro has about 4 spots so he can’t afford to rotate something out. He needs more ideas.

Titán, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Ephesto, Mephisto, Puma: Tirantes should give himself a 1 for this match – he was looking at the mat instead of the pin, and counted two near falls as three counts. Tirantes knew something was wrong when he counted Puma down, and then still just did it seconds later on Mephisto. Tecnicos were livid about winning the fall, always a great sign someone’s screwed up. (The rudos were happy with Tirantes, so no one was quite making sense.) They were aiming for big epic moves match – this match had the stacked up superplex spot, it was that match – and couldn’t get in all the moves as a result. Long third fall, with just about everyone getting a dive. Valiente beating Mephisto to set up the title match came out of nowhere. It didn’t feel like a story of the match until just moment. Volador didn’t look good; I think he has days where he’s just not feeling good enough to do what he normally does sharply, but then probably needs to figure other approaches for those occasions.