CMLL Puebla: 2017-05-01 

Recapped: 05/03/2017

Matches:

All matches aired live from Arena Puebla.

Centella Roja & El Hijo De Centella Roja beat Fuerza Chicana & Guerrero Espacial (15:46 [5:29, 4:48, 5:29], 1/3, ok)

Arkángel de la Muerte, Nitro, Toro Bill Jr. beat Arkalis, Black Tiger, Príncipe Diamante (18:31 [6:32, 4:59, 7:00], 2/3, below average)

Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa, Rey Samuray beat Misterioso Jr., Policeman, Sangre Azteca (16:44 [10:05, 1:53, 4:46], 2/3, ok)

Atlantis, Stuka Jr., Valiente beat La Máscara, Mr. Niebla, Pierroth
(8:16 [1:08, 2:05, 5:03], 2/3, ok)

Máximo Sexy, Mistico, Negro Casas beat Diamante Azul, Ephesto, Mephisto in a relevos increíbles match (11:27 [7:50, 1:29, 2:08], 2 DQ/3, ok)

Último Guerrero © beat Carístico for the NWA World Middleweight Championship (13:00, 2/3 good)
Video: VideosOficialesCMLL

1. Carístico torito 3:43

2. Pulpo Guerrero 1:20

3. Guerrero Special 7:57

What happened: 

Ultimo Guerrero kept his middleweight championship over Caristico.

Mephisto and Negro Casas feuded in the semimain. Mephisto’s team lost the second fall by a very weak shove to Pompin, who probably can’t get shoved any more than that. The outcome set up a rematch next week, for some reason. Diamante Azul replaced Volador.

Brazo de Oro was honored before the fourth match.

Thoughts: 

The main event was sufficient for a title match, just about good enough, but it was not as good as their previous singles match. The Arena Mexico match felt like more a big deal and this felt like a perfunctory title defense. They didn’t go as far as usual, and they seemed to be on different pages more than usual. It still was the best thing on the show.

Negro Casas wrestling as a fired up técnico is good and Diamante Azul remains better as a rudo than a técnico, but there was not much to this. Mistico had his shoulder taped up and seemed to be taking the night off, which makes it less certain if Casas/Mephisto was the feud or if they were just covering for other things going on.

The rest of the show was just ordinary and forgettable matches. La Mascara wrestling his normal match is odd but whatever works for him is fine. There was decent effort in the tercera and Rey Samurai fit in fine, but it was nothing special. The first two matches felt like a lot of guys with no path to improve and hard to care about, or find the purpose in evaluating. I’m certain Arkangel believed his match was pretty good, but it was the most generic uninspired lucha to me. We’re really past the point where I should be skipping a few weeks of these shows to get caught up on all the other stuff.