Day: July 8, 2017

Recapped: 07/07/2017

Matches: 

All matches aired live from Arena Mexico.

La Jarochita, Princesa Sugehit, Silueta beat  Dalys, La Seductora, Zeuxis
(12:58 [5:17, 3:08, 4:33], 1/3, ok)

Blue Panther, Pegasso, Rey Cometa beat Misterioso Jr., Sam Adonis, Virus
(12:54 [4:41, 2:43, 5:30], 2/3, ok)

Pierroth, Ripper, Rush  beat Shocker, Terrible, Vangellys in a relevos increíbles match
(11:01 [3:39, 2:40, 4:42], 2/3 DQ, bad)

The battle royal lasted 2:56

Diamante Azul beat Ephesto in a CMLL Universal eighthfinal
(3:28, side slam, ok)

Último Guerrero beat Marco Corleone in a CMLL Universal eighthfinal
(1:58, roll thru pin, ok)

Mistico beat Mephisto in a CMLL Universal eighthfinal
(7:28, La Mistica, good)

Niebla Roja beat Soberano Jr. in a CMLL Universal eighthfinal
(3:22, middle rope Furia Roja, ok)

Último Guerrero beat Diamante Azul in a CMLL Universal quarterfinal (3:36, pulpo Guerrero, OK)

Niebla Roja beat Mistico in a CMLL Universal quarterfinal
(5:31, Canadian Destroyer, ok)

Último Guerrero beat Niebla Roja  in a CMLL Universal semifinal
(7:31, mask pull, ok)

What happened: 

The final card before the (so far unnamed) big show on July 14^th had some very predictable stories. Último Guerrero won this portion of the CMLL Universal bracket, going thru Marco Corleone, Diamante Azul and new rival Niebla Roja on the end. Último Guerrero used a mask pull to beat Niebla Roja, but only because he wanted to – he was clearly winning the match to that point. Niebla Roja challenged Último Guerrero to a mask versus mask match, then corrected himself to a mask versus hair match. Utlimo Guerrero challenged the same thing back, and then said they’d decide after this tournament ends.

This week’s Ingobernables/Vangellys match had no Fake Sombra and very little action. It did have tape and cords to tie Vangellys to the ropes during the match, and knuckles for Pierroth to knock Vangellys out at the end. Vangellys was unconscious for minutes, which seems like the sort of an injury which should keep someone out for at least a week. I think we’re still getting the mask match anyway.

The other two matches kept the current feuds running in place. Sugehit submitted Zeuxis this week, while Blue Panther did the same to Sam Adonis. The Panther/Adonis issue seems to be a real feud, though one with no certain direction.

Thoughts: 

This show wasn’t much good.

Último Guerrero was cheered like crazy, really thru the whole tournament but especially at the end. Most people were happy with him with him winning and will go home having had a fun time at lucha libre. It was an OK quality match as a standalone thing. In the context of what CMLL is trying to promote, it was disaster. The Niebla Roja técnico stuff has been not done well from the moment it started and this night was definitely not a turning point. Roja needed a strong final – he had good times with Soberano and Mistico but no one’s going to remember those – he needed something to show he could go with Último Guerrero if the effort they’ve put into him is going to turn into anything. Instead, it was Último Guerrero doing the Último Guerrero match at the worst possible time.

CMLL tournaments matches tend to showcase the person who was losing to let them look good (and get in all of their stuff) before they exit the tournament. Niebla Roja was hasn’t done anything impressive outside his spinning forearm as a técnico (and he did that right away); this was the time for him to show he could do a lot more. What the match turned into was 80% Último Guerrero offense, playing all his favorite hits, and 15% of what Niebla Roja got was just the same spots every técnico gets in so Último Guerrero can take all his favorite bumps too. Último Guerrero could’ve saved all that for next week (and he’ll do the same exact things anyway), the only thing he needed to get out of this match was getting his hand raised after unmasking Niebla Roja. It helps Niebla Roja – and Último Guerrero too since he’s tied himself to this dude – so much if he was the one getting in 80% of the offense, if UG’s moves weren’t working because this guys had figured them out and UG needed to cheat just to get out with the win. Instead, they did a match where Niebla Roja came out looking like just another guy, a fool who screwed up his own challenge at the end. Último Guerrero has a great reputation as a wrestler, but nights like tonight should be part of his reputation as well.

(I’m not at all convinced Niebla Roja is the right guy, he’s been alright but not showing enough as a técnico and has generally come off as a person just lucky to be given this storyline. He caused himself to look like just another guy by deciding to use a Canadian Destroyer as a finish. Still, if you’re going to do this, do this for real, don’t do this to set up another failed tecnico.)

Speaking of failed técnicos, they’ve reached the point where Mistico is underutilized and underpushed in CMLL. It stuck out back when he wasn’t on the Gran Prix team, CMLL’s kind of missing out on something because they’re afraid the crowd will turn on him. Maybe the Anniversary show one still will, but he’s getting good reactions the other 51 weeks of the year and he’s not done much at all during them. His match with Mephisto was the only decently long good match of this tournament and the best thing on this show.

The Los Ingobernables trios was a mess and a joke and a waste of time. It’s also foreshadowing CMLL doing all those things and more next week to try and get around this obviously awful match they’ve been insistent on doing.

Adonis/Panther had none of those bells and whistles – no one really did all that much in that match until the third fall, to be honest – but the crowd is so into Adonis that they don’t have to do all that much. It’s cool they’re using Panther in this role as a specific call back to the Love Machine feud (which, to be noted, wasn’t really a US/Mexico focused thing until they brought it back in AAA), but I’m not sure that’s going to be a great looking singles match. It could really work as a setup to one of Panther’s sons avenging their father, but that’s way down the road. Right now I’m just amazed they’re doing something with it (and Misterioso keeps on stealing masks too.)

Sugehit & Zeuxis seemed to work less with each other this week and this was the most running in place match yet. I hope they get on with it after the Copa Natalia Vazquez, because it’s gone too long with nothing added for a long time. Jarochita attempting to break her neck is the only really memorable moment of the match.