CMLL Puebla: 2018-01-22 

Recapped: 02/10/2018

Matches:

Hijo de Centella Roja & Meyer beat Policeman & Sombra Diabólika
(13:58 [6:41, 3:43, 3:34], 1/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

El Malayo, Fuerza Chicana, Perverso beat Arkalis, Black Tiger, Tigre Rojo Jr.
(16:31 [7:39, 5:04, 3:48], 2/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Amapola & Reyna Isis beat Lady Maravilla & Princesa Sugehit 
(16:06 [8:31, 2:43, 4:52], 2/,3 ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Ephesto, Luciferno, Tiger beat Esfinge, Rey Cometa, Tritón
(10:53 [3:41, 2:38, 4:34], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Diamante Azul, Stuka Jr., Titán beat Hechicero, Johnny Idol, Sam Adonis
(15:39 [5:34, 3:56, 6:09], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Vangellys beat Carístico, Kráneo, Valiente   in a relevos increíbles match
(10:33 [2:23, 2:39, 5:31], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Nothing in storyline. In reality, Vangellys blows out his knee catching a Valiente dive about 30 seconds before the finish and will be out for most of the year.

Thoughts: 

Everything is going to come off more critical than usual in this one because I’m taking a different approach to the GIFs. Instead of GIF of interesting things I saw, maybe I can use them illustrate what I saw.

I was really in a mood to let things play on my TV instead while half paying attention than to either closely watch things or fast forward to the stuff that might be good. I did that with parts of the first two matches, and just don’t have much to say about them: Perverso is improving, kid Sombra Diabolica is better when papa Sombra Dibaolica isn’t involved, nothing involving a Puebla local really matters. I did this with the women’s match too, thinking maybe there was some hidden value. It wasn’t wretched, it was just slow and just lacked energy. Look at this GIF:

That’s ten seconds of everyone just standing around lost. That shouldn’t be happening in a four person match with veterans. I’m not even sure who’s fault it was.

Isis has improved in some ways but she’s not going to be good until her timing drastically improves. Let’s watch Maravilla come to a screeching halt waiting for a plancha.

Almost everyone does it to some extent. Triton waited to do his guillotine legdrop in the next fall until he was sure Luciferno was frozen in place, which made it totally awkward. Isis seems worse. Isis is no newbie at this point. She’s had the experience and hasn’t improved enough at that aspect.

The tercera built well, though was clumsily at times. Ephesto has trouble keeping up. My biggest problem with these match is I really dislike the Esfinge & Triton matching gear. It’s just way too busy to my eyes.

The action was generally fine in the semimain, but it didn’t coalesce into anything interesting. Hechicero’s ability to mesh with his teammates is normally one of his great strengths. He didn’t do that here, not really getting along with his partners more wild antics or playing the patriotic Mexico rudo who didn’t agree. He was just in his own match.

If Johnny Idol ends up getting over in this new role, he ought to send Sam Adonis at least 5% of what he makes. Idol’s wrestling is still as iffy as ever. His missed superkick on Titan audibly deflated the crowd.

The personality switch wouldn’t have met as much if he was doing in isolation; he needs the evil foreigner character more than Adonis does now.

Most of the time, Kraneo’s hip smash only connects with the turnbuckle and not the head of the person in the corner. We would not know this if they shot it from the angle of attack. CMLL instead believes that shooting it from behind is better. (I think he actually got a little of Vangellys this time.)

This is up there with them choosing the angle that shows Dragon Lee kicking the turnbuckle every time.

Vangellys injury happens really fast and isn’t even that graphic. It’s occurs just in an instant – his left leg slips a bit and all of his and Valiente’s weight are on his right knee. Vangellys immediately knows he’s in trouble, and Bucanero and Valiente do their best to make sure doesn’t land Kraneo doesn’t land on him too.

I guess it’s theoretically possible there were some big Vangellys plans which were scrubbed. More likely, since the finish was Terrible unmasking Caristico, there were two weeks of these matches just to fill time. It would’ve been nice had they figured out a more interesting to fill time, but being interesting isn’t the priority.