CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2016-02-12 

Recapped: 2/12/2016

What happened: Mephisto beat Mascara Dorada to set up a title match next week. Volador and Negro Casas kept feuding, but no challenge was made. Same with Dragon Lee and Kamaitachi. Thunder didn’t make the show, Máximo replaced him, and he had issues with Rush. Euforia cheated to beat Valiente in a lightning match.

It’s enough feuds to make you think CMLL running the incredible pairs tournament soon: seven tag matches and Dorada/Mephsito main event works for their format. I hope that’s not what’s happening.

What was good: I liked the second and third match the best. The main event had it’s moments.

Where can I watch it: The main event is on Claro’s site, and I’ll have the rest on my channel on Tuesday. Parts of this show will air on Azteca, but it’s unclear when.

Vigenttes in between matches included Los Ingobernables arriving in a cool car, Peste Negra hanging out in a dumpy area in Arena Mexico and a Cibernetico promo. A fan said her favorite wrestler was Mistico and was introduced to him before the main event. La Dama – Zanelly – introduced the show and wrapped it up.

Match 1: Bengala & Robin vs Espiritu Negro & Inquisidor
Arena México, 02/12/2016

1. tecnicos
   • Robin senton con giro Inquisidor (4:32)
   • Bengala satellite armbar Espiritu Negro (4:42)
2. rudos
   • Inquisidor reverse figure four Bengala (3:39)
   • Espiritu Negro senton con giro Robin (4:01)
3. tecnicos
   • Bengala back bridiging double armbar Inquisidor (3:41)
   • Robin sit down powerbomb Espiritu Negro (4:18)

Winner: tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 13:01

Review: [good] gets the positive grade mostly for Bengala being awesome; he looked even better than usual off the bat with a neat springboard armdrag and kept it up the rest of the way. The other guys were mostly fine and Inquisidor didn’t blow anything horrible, so this was better than usual. They kept it to fine amount of time too.

Match 2: Fuego, The Panther, Tritón © vs Puma, Tiger, Virus ©
Arena México, 02/12/2016

1. tecnicos
   • The Panther nudo lagunero Virus (8:21)
2. rudos
   • Virus legs cross front facelock Triton (2:14)
3. rudos
   • Puma Stretch on Fuego (5:06)
   • Tiger sunset flip powerbomb The Panther (6:05)

Winner: rudos (2-1)
Match Time: 16:40
Notes: Terror Chino is referee.

Review: [good] really strong match, especially for a segunda position where they were restricted from doing any dives. They about went the other way, sticking on the mat for almost all of the first fall and having it end quickly on the third head to head match up (without anyone getting in twice.) The second fall ended quickly in itself, and the slower build contrasted nicely with a chaotic third fall. They had some nice reactions to usual spots, with Puma cutting off Panther’s usual dropkick, and Fuego and Puma reversing out of each other’s moves until Puma caught Fuego in his new submission. Tiger’s sunset flip powerbomb on Panther looked gigantic. Virus seemed to be getting a loud chant from the crowd, which is not an often occurrence.

Match 3: Dragón Lee, Guerrero Maya Jr., La Máscara ©vs Boby Z ©, Hechicero, Kamaitachi
Arena México, 02/12/2016

1. rudos
   • Hechicero reverse monkey flip & Bobby Z kick to the chest La Mascara (5:52)
2. tecnicos
   • La Mascara campana Bobby Z (2:38)
3. tecnicos
   • Guerrero Maya & Hechicero double pin (6:14)
   • Dragon Lee double stomp Kamatiachi (7:03)

Winner: tecnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 15:33
Notes: referee is Edgar

Review: [good] another enjoyable match, though not the Kamaitachi/Dragon Lee showcase. They did their few key spots and were involved in the third fall finish, but it felt like Hechicero & Maya had more of the time and were building up their own singles match. Mascara and Z continue to look better this year. It’s surprising we’re getting all of these Dragon Lee wins without a title challenge being made; this feels like a holding pattern.

Match 4: Valiente vs Euforia in a lightning match
Arena México, 02/12/2016

Winner: Euforia reversed huracanrana with rope grab
Match Time: 5:31

Review: [ok] there were no real blown spots or technical errors, but this was a largely a boring match with neither man doing much interesting. It’s strange to see Euforia back as a rudo when he’s spent the last few weeks as a pseudo tecnico, and he didn’t really do much as a rudo except for grabbing the bottom rope. Valiente needs to ask Omega Team if they have a supplement which will give him his personality back.

Match 5: Marco Corleone, Rush, Máximo vs Cibernético, Mr. Niebla, Último Guerrero in a relevos increíbles match
Arena México, 02/12/2016

1. Team Guerrero
   • Ultimo Guerrero suplex Marco Corleone (2:17)
   • Cibernetico spear Máximo (2:28)
2. Bufete del Amor
   • Marco Corleone Air Corleone all three rudos (2:01)
3. Team Guerrero
   • Mr. Niebla cradle Rush (6:71)

Winner: Team Guerrero (2-1)
Match Time: 10:46
Notes: Máximo replaced Thunder. Máximo accidentally kissed Rush leading to the pin.

Review: [ok] this had the energy level of a match with Thunder in it, only Thunder wasn’t actually there. It felt like they lost their purpose without that feud and weren’t prepared to do much without him. Rush particularly didn’t seem to get out of first gear, looking bad in a third fall bit with Cibernetico and not selling the kiss finish as much as he could. I had hopes this would be good once Máximo was added, but it really wasn’t. Marco’s big dives looked good.

Match 6: Máscara Dorada, Mistico, Volador Jr. vs Cavernario, Mephisto, Negro Casas

Arena México, 02/12/2016

1. tecnicos
   • Volador backcracker Negro Casas (0:23)
2. rudos
   • Cavernario counter missile dropkick Mascara Dorada (3:43)
   • triple powerbomb on Mistico (4:01)
3. rudos
   • Mephisto Devil’s Wings Voaldor (2:55)
   • Mephisto super Devil’s Wings Mascara Dorada (3:41)

Winner: rudos (2-1)
Match Time: 8:05
Notes: Mephisto had some issue with his pants; he left after the dives, and they stalled for time by having Mistico do a stage dive onto Cavernario. Mephisto returned in NJPW track pants and wrestled the rest of the match that way. Finish saw Negro Casas foul Volador, but Mistico pull Tirantes away from the count. Volador returned the foul as Mistico and Tirantes argued, but Mephisto broke it up and beat Volador himself with a Devil’s Wings. Mistico took out Cavernario, but Dorada got caught in a middle rope Devil’s Wings for the win. Mephisto challenged Dorada to a title match, and Dorada accepted for next week.

Review: [good] this got a Puebla length run time and was disjointed by the odd first fall and break after it, but they worked as hard as they could during them time they had. They were rushing thru moves at times – Cavernario barely connected on the missile dropkick spot, as the rudos had tossed Dorada before he was even on the top rope – but they still had a bit of impact in what they did. Volador/Casas was kept going, but the finish being around Mephisto and Dorada was a surprise. Looks like we’re getting the Dorada needed showcase.