Day: April 16, 2017

Recapped: 04/13-15/2017

Matches: 

All matches all aired on live from Arena Mexico, and can be seen on CMLL’s YouTube channel.

1. Akuma & Metálico beat Bengala & Flyer (1/3, 12:27 [5:39, 2:41, 4:07], ok)
2. Astral, Príncipe Diamante, Stigma beat Disturbio, Raziel, Sangre Azteca (1/2 DQ [Raziel mask removal Stigma], 13:53 [7:34, 6:19], OK)
3. Princesa Sugehit beat Zeuxis in a lightning match (grounded satellite armbar, 7:34, good)
4. Bobby Villa, Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora beat Fuego, Guerrero Maya Jr., Titán (2/3, 14:38 [4:37, 5:53, 4:08], good)
5. Black Terry & Negro Navarro © defeated Blue Panther Jr. & The Panther to keep the Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship (1/3, 20:58 [8:39, 3:18, 9:01], great)
6. Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Terrible beat Máximo Sexy, Valiente, Volador Jr. (1/3, 7:32 [2:36, 1:40, 3:16], ok)

What happened: 

Negro Navarro & Black Terry kept the Arena Coliseo tag team titles over the Panthers. The Panther landed hard on his left hip on a late tope. He’s limping the rest of the way, but finishes the match and seems to be fine a couple days later.

Terrible beat Maximo cleanly win the Terrible Clash in the main event and demanded a title shot next week.

In a match between the three smallest main division técnicos and three of the smallest rudos, Raziel unmasked Stigma for a straight fall técnico win.

Thoughts: 

The tag title match was the match to watch. It was competitive and interesting even while being slower than other matches on the show. It was great to see Blue Panther in that type of environment: it’s not just his ability and knowledge of holds that makes him interesting, but his willingness and interest in getting the holds over that make him stand out. Navarro may (may) have a deeper back of tricks than Panther, but Panther also made all of Navarro’s holds feel like the meant something, and that was in actual danger of getting beat. Navarro was more like he was trapped in a puzzle but not in any great discomfort.

Navarro is great at coming up with holds in unusual sequences; the clutch submission to block a casadora wasn’t as dangerous as the kimura/elbow scissors thing, but it came as a ‘new’ counter to a normal spot. The more differnet options you have to for from one hold to another, the more drama you can pull out of a match.

The last few minutes felt like an almost different match, definitely a different style of match. The Panther would fit in with the many young guys Terry’s fought in IWRG on indies, and Terry gave him a few moments to shine before he put him away. I really wish CMLL had shown a replay of the last Panther dropkick; he had to go an incredible length to land it, but they shot it from behind Terry so you couldn’t see if it missed. It obviously didn’t, and they could’ve gone back to it. Terry sticking his fingers in Panther’s eye holds to pull Panther around for the sleeper doesn’t come thru on a gif, but was a nice rudo move.

I liked this match a little more than the Junior cibernetio match a couple days later. There were iffy moments here (Terry & Panther seemed confused at one point) and not as big spots, but there were plenty of good moments and they made winning the Arena Coliseo Tag Championship feel like it meant a whole lot. Navarro did sell the importance of the outcome.

The rest of the show didn’t have those highs, but was still reedemable. The Zeuxis/Sugehit lightning match was easily better than they one they had in Puebla, a bit more alive and a bit more clever. They even managed to work Tirantes’ mugging into it, with the crowd very excited to see Zeuxis go after him until she gets cradled. Zeuxis’ moonsault is also looking better that more she tries it, though I’m not sure she’s ever going to actually hit. Finishing sequence was the same one they’ve done, and it feel like they’re ending this feud instead of advancing it, but it’s really solid action.

The Revolucionarios trios was not extraordinary, just their normal entertaining match against midcard técnicos but one executed well. No one makes more out of sunset flips into dropkicks than those guys. It was an ideal group to go against them – Maya has good chemistry with Dragon Rojo, Titan got off a spectacular moonsault, and Fuego is an great third man. It kind of seems like the rudos have hit the highest level of match quality they’re going to get without the técnicos adding more (like a group and team work) or something being on the line, but there are worst quality levels to be stuck with. Like the first two matches.

The main event was the rushed variety of the Tuesday main event. Effort was there, but not for long. Terrible & Maximo mixed up well enough that there should be some hope of Big Match Maximo and not Comedy Maximo next week. Security shoving Valiente so he wouldn’t tip over the rail was peculiar. Maximo & Volador having so many new shirts is very peculiar.