CMLL Martes de Nuevo Valores: 2017-06-20 (Volador/Cavernario)

Recapped: 06/22/2017

Matches: 

Fantasy & Último Dragóncito beat Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Universo 2000
(11:25 [5:29, 3:16, 2:40], 2/3, below average, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Magnus, Metatrón, Oro Jr.  beat  Akuma, Canelo Casas, Sangre Azteca
(11:49 [3:38, 3:15, 4:56], 2/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Puma, Tiger, Virus beat Blue Panther Jr., Pegasso, The Panther 
(15:13 [6:29, 3:59, 4:45], 2/3, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Cuatrero, Sam Adonis, Sansón beat Blue Panther, Drone, Fuego
(12:31 [6:31, 3:59, 2:01], 1/3, ok, via: VideosOficialesCMLL)

Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto beat Carístico, Mistico, Valiente  
(13:47 [3:42, 4:55, 5:10], 2/3, ok, via: VideosOficialesCMLL)

Volador Jr. © beat Cavernario for the NWA World Welterweight Championship (18:05, excellent, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

1. Cavernario springboard pump splash (2:00)

2. Volador top rope headscissors (3:11)

3. Volador Canadian Destroyer (12:54)

What happened: 

Volador defeated Barbaro Cavernario to keep the NWA World Welterweight Championship

Sam Adonis snuck in a foul on Blue Panther to win that match. That’s about it. 

Thoughts: 

This was a one match show, but that can work out fine when the match is as good as Volador/Cavernario. Cavernario is so good as Volador’s opponent – we’ve seen Volador do this style of match with an incredible amount of people over the last three years, and there’s a level of fatigue with some of the more familiar elements. Cavernario relieves that fatigue, bringing his own believable aggression to make Volador fight for his big spots and crushing him with his own big moves. This was not spot to near fall to spot like a Volador/Mephisto match, this was Volador being in danger often and surviving from moment to moment. They were helped by a large and loud crowd who so into the action that they believed this one was ending on a tapatia, but the luchadors gave them plenty to react towards during this match. This match up is a success every time they do it, and hopefully they’ll find a way to do in the biggest moment someday.

The semimain was the usual showcase but just didn’t click for me. There was a lot of standing and looking around at times where it didn’t belong. Mistico looks all banged up right now: the pad on his back, the neck pain from Monday and was moving slower than usual. He still tried to do everything he normally does.

The fourth match almost got to good, helped by Sam Adonis being getting big reactions from this crowd. He’s the most over guy who gets nothing to do, and this would be shocking in any promotion but CMLL. This match was fun at times and I think my problem was only that I liked the match before even better.

That tercera just moved really well and had some unique moments, from Puma & The Panther being the mat opening bit (not Virus) to the simultaneous pins at the end but one side having already beaten someone for the win. Puma looked good thru the match, and helped it keep the really fast pace. Pegasso wearing his combo Panther shirt was amusing, because CMLL seems to be booking him like he’s the fourth member of the family this year – he’s with these two almost as much as Forastero is with Cuatrero and Sansón. Blue Panther Jr. would be more enjoyable with some more snap on his moves.

It takes about one botched spot for me to give up on CMLL opening cards matches these days and they gave me a good one about 4.5 in. The rest of the match was not really anything, people taking occasional bumps with no background noise because there’s not many people there and no one cares. The second match wasn’t any better.