CMLL Puebla: 2016-02-08

Recapped: 02/08/2016

What happened: Negro Casas beat Volador to earn himself a title match next week. Nothing else happened – the Mephisto/Angel de Oro feud seemed to be dropped and nothing else was added.

What was good:  The fourth match and fifth matches are the two worth watching.

Where can I watch it: It’s on CMLL’s YouTube channel.

Match 1: París & Zaeta Roja vs Guerrero Espacial & Saurón
Arena Puebla, 02/08/2016

1. rudos
   • Sauron top rope splash Zaeta Roja (5:03)
   • Guerrero Espacial powerslam Zaeta Roja (5:19)
2. tecnicos
   • Paris casadora cradle Guerrero Especial (2:18)
   • Zaeta Roja reverse figure four Sauron (2:35)
3. tecnicos
   • Paris huracanrana Guerrero Espacial (1:20)
   • Zaeta Roja northern lights suplex Sauron (1:28)

Winner: tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 9:22

Review: [ok] Ordinary opening match. Zaeta Roja has some good agility but he goes thru his tricky spots a little too slow, and it makes them more look like practice rather a fight. The other guys don’t stick out in anyway. They didn’t bother to do near falls and it felt like they were immediately told to go home in the third

Match 2: Arkalis & Meyer vs Akuma & Espanto Jr.
Arena Puebla, 02/08/2016

1. rudos
   • Espanto top rope splash Arkalis (4:18)
   • Akuma valagueza Meyer (4:43)
2. tecnicos
   • Meyer half crab Akuma (3:10)
   • Arkalis Go To Frontcrakcer Espanto Jr. (3:30)
3. rudos
   • Akuma powerbomb Meyer (2:16)
   • Espanto Jr. backcracker Arkalis (2:36)

Winner: rudos (2-1)
Match Time: 10:49

Review: [below average] Meyer & Arkalis must’ve been so thrilled to work a segunda, then less thrilled when it turned out to be this segunda. Akuma & Espanto took most of the match, didn’t impress much with it, and the Puebla guys were beat the end. The opener wasn’t great, but this was less interesting than that.

Match 3: Black Tiger, Pegasso, Starman vs Fuerza Chicana, Metálico, Policeman
Arena Puebla, 02/08/2016

1. tecnicos
   • Black Tiger inside cradle Fuerza Chicana (7:37)
   • Pegasso inside cradle Policeman (7:37)
2. rudos
   • Policeman senton Black Tiger (4:45)
   • Metálico nudo Starman (5:15)
3. tecnicos
   • Fuerza Chicana pin Black Tiger (2:53)
   • Starman suastica cradle Metálico (4:06)

Winner: tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 16:58

Review: [ok] They had more time here, and used it to explore Metalico’s new comedic stylings. Hey, at least he has ideas and is trying them. This felt like a dry match, and following a couple which weren’t so great. This also had a trainwreck of an ending sequence, with Black Tiger kind of sort of missing a top rope senton giro and getting pinned and Pegasso dive getting badly not caught by Policeman

Match 4: Ángel de Oro, Titán, Tritón vs Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
Arena Puebla, 02/08/2016

1. tecnicos
   • Angel de Oro outside in moonsault (5:40)
2. rudos
   • rudos triple powerbomb Angel de Oro (0:40)
3. rudos
   • Luciferno Clash Titan (5:41)
   • Ephesto shoulderbreaker Triton (5:41)

Winner: rudos (2-1)
Match Time: 12:01
Review: [good] For historical references, this match and most of the next took place during the Daniel Bryan retirement segment. Plenty of people still seemed to be watching this (the live viewer count was near 1,800, pretty high for a normal CMLL show.) I wasn’t paying close attention, but it still came off like they were having a pretty good match. It’s not as quite as strong on the rewatch, there’s less to it than it seemed, but it’s still a fun match and maybe better than you’d expect out of these rudos in an average match. Ephesto especially seemed like he was trying more than usual in the opening match segment with Titan and some of his exchanges later on. The Hijos del Infierno came across as a solid team here more than most of their matches. Titan & Triton also wrestled like a tag team (almost in isolation from Angel de Oro.) The moves were good, and I also liked the bit of everyone staring at the ceiling after Titan (& Triton) did his usual point. It was a light comedy moment, one that would’ve fit on the FantasticaMania shows where there were more of those, but something that doesn’t seem to happen in Mexico outside of the designated comedy guys (Porky & Máximo.) Not everything needs to be serious, especially when the match exists as card filler.

Match 5: Volador Jr. vs Negro Casas in a lightning match
Arena Puebla, 02/08/2016

Winner: Negro Casas (casita)
Match Time: 7:30
Notes: Negro jumps Volador as he walks down the ramp. Casas won completely clean, then challenged for a title shot next week. Volador accepted

Review: [good] a normal lightning match between these two is still going to be good lightning match, and that’s what this was. Volador got in his two dives, Zacarias got in the 619, and they had a few near falls before the finish. It wasn’t as back and forth as the third fall of the title match will be, but they put more drama into it than the first couple matches combined. The novel part was Casas actually winning a match clean.

Match 6: Atlantis, Máscara Dorada, Mistico vs Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Último Guerrero
Arena Puebla, 02/08/2016

1. rudos
   • Rey Bucanero crossface Atlantis (5:41)
   • Terrible Schwein Mascara Dorada (5:41)
2. tecnicos
   • Atlantida on Ultimo Guerrero (1:17)
3. rudos
   • Rey Bucanero Canadian Destroyer Mascara Dorada (3:20)
   • Terrible Clash on Mistico (3:25)

Winner: rudos (2-1)
Match Time: 10:23

Review: [ok] standard rushed main event meaning nothing. I was confused at what submission hold Dorada was going for on Terrible in the first fall before it turned out he was just getting dropped for the finish. I was less confused in the third fall, more disappointed. It’s only a week in, but it does seem like CMLL has no particular plan for Dorada on his return, just some vague ideas about maybe throwing him into one trio or another (and those seems to be the ideas of the luchadors and not the promotion.) Dorada shouldn’t be losing this quick, unless it’s for a spotlight title match, and Terrible and Bucanero serve no purpose winning, but it’s a CMLL Puebla main event so no thought’s really put into it. Match itself was fine for what we’re getting with the spot, but the spot should have a lot better matches.