Day: October 6, 2018

Michael Elgin wins Gran Prix, The Crash tonight

thecubsfan 1 Comment
Robin walking thru

CMLL (FRI) 10/05/2018 Arena México [CMLL, Lucha Central, Ovaciones, The Gladiatores, thecubsfan]
1) Akuma, Camorra, Star Jr. b Hijo del Signo, Robin, Yago [Relevos Increíbles]
14:03. straight falls. Camorra & Signo tried to cheat each other on the finish until Camorra won with a half crab.
2) Avispa Dorada, La Jarochita, Marcela b Dalys, Metálica, Reyna Isis
9:53. Avispa’s debut; she did a tope con giro near the finish. Tecnicas took 1/3.
3) Gran Guerrero b Valiente [lightning]
9:10. Gran Guerrero won with a super fireman’s carry bomb.
4) Hijo de LA Park, LA Park, Mistico b Cavernario, Ciber the Main Man, The Chris
17:06. Team Park took 1/3, the last when LA Park clotheslined Ciber after he failed to take a bump for the spear.
5) Dark Magic, David Finlay, Flip Gordon, Gilbert el Boricua, Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe, Matt Taven, Michael Elgin, Okumura b Carístico, Cuatrero, Diamante Azul, Euforia, Hechicero, Sansón, Terrible, Último Guerrero, Volador Jr. [Gran Prix] CMLL - GRAND PRIX 2018 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
59:57. Team Rest of the World defeated Team Mexico for the first time since the concept was brought back two years ago. Eliminations: Okumura (via Sanson), Cuatrero (both Briscoes), Black Magic (Hechicero using magia negra), Diamante Azul (Elgin), Finlay (Caristico), Sanson (Taven), Gordon (Terrible), Terrible (Jay Briscoe), Jay Briscoe (UG), Mark Briscoe & Caristico went to a double pin on a fisherman’s suplex, Hechicero (Gilbert), Taven (Volador; they feuded), Volador (Gilbert), Gilbert (Euforia!), Euforia (Gilbert), Ultimo Guerrero (Elgin) leaving Michael Elgin as the winner. UG asked Elgin for a singles match next week and Elgin accepted.

CMLL promos include Avispa Dorada, Gran Guerrero, Rayo de Jalisco, Ultimo Guerrero, and Michael Elgin. Rayo de Jalisco, who is essentially a retired luchador who believe he’s still at the top of his game, said he’d like to face Michael Elgin in a match. Rayo was teasing the idea even while handing the trophy to Elgin. Ultimo Guerrero told Box Y Lucha he was sad about losing.

The Blue Panther Anniversary show was announced as taking place on 10/19 during the broadcast. There’s still a Mascara 2000 Anniversary show to be scheduled. The annual legends show will be on 11/30.

Show was just OK and iPPVs need to be better than OK. The Gran Prix was longer but not better than previous years. None of the undercard was really special. The fans did not seem into it and did not turn out as much as the last few years, despite that 10 pesos ticket deal. My theory on the Park/Rush bait and switch was CMLL would do fine on the Aniversario show and the bad feelings about it would hurt the turnout to the other shows. The other shows seem to be hurting, though I can’t prove that’s why.

Avispa Dorada wrote about the process of starting with CMLL on her blog a few days ago. She’s been in Mexico since April on a tourist visa, training three days a week in Arena Mexico. She made a good impression, and CMLL told her they were putting in for a work visa for her in early August. It was approved at the end of August. There’s a female boxer using “La Avispa”, so CMLL didn’t want to use her to use the same exact name, but they approved her suggestion to simply change it to Avispa Dorada – her wasp (avispa) tattoo caused them to agree she shouldn’t change her name all that much. Interestingly, Paco Alonso is mentioned as being in the meeting where she was suggesting names.

Timing also probably helped out Avispa Dorada a bit. Kaho Kobayashi was supposed to be in Mexico now and probably would’ve been in that match instead. She missed her trip due to injury. Maligna & Mystique would be next picks, only they’re in Japan too. Estrellita doesn’t appear to be full time if she’s even still meant to be an active part of CMLL. Skadi is showing up occasionally on the indies but hasn’t appeared to be cleared back to CMLL. There’s a window of time for both Avispa and La Guerrera to get more regular work and see if they can make an impression.

Dragon Lee was not eliminated on Exatlon and remains on at least another week. There are 20 people left.

The Crash runs tonight in Tijuana. The main event is Rebelion Amarilla versus Los Guerreros. Ultimo Guerrero’s crew was listed both here and in Neza, and they’ve been quietly replaced by the Traumas and Electroshock on that show. Garza Jr. is in Tijuana, so he’ll probably be helping out his teammates somehow. Mexablood versus the Briscoes and a Daga/Hechicero match look like the standout matches in a busy card. There’s been no mention of streaming.

Arena Coliseo is being used for boxing this Saturday. It works out because there’s a special sponsored show in Guadalajara tonight. The Sunday Arena Mexico show has the Briscoes & Taven vs Diamante Azul, Niebla Roja, and Valiente. IWRG is supposed to have a relevos suicidas match, in a little question due to Demonio Infernal’s injury. Mucha Lucha Atlanta will have Rush & LA Park. Kaoz is back in Monterrey.

The Daga/Low-Ki ear incident has gotten picked up in various Mexico media outlets.

There are interviews with Casandro in Hoy and Lento around her recent documentary.

Record has photos from AAA’s Antonio Pena mass.

Arena Coliseo Guadalajara is teasing something called on Mmagol for 11/02.

Diamante, who is part of the AJPW Lucha Fiesta tour, says his goal still is to return to CMLL.

Lineup

CMLL (FRI) 10/12/2018 Arena México
1) Robin & Star Jr. vs Akuma & Camorra
2) Avispa Dorada, La Jarochita, Princesa Sugehit vs Amapola, Dalys, Reyna Isis
3) Audaz, Soberano Jr., Titán vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Templario
4) Atlantis, David Finlay, Hijo de LA Park vs Hechicero, Rey Bucanero, Shocker
5) LA Park, Mistico, Volador Jr. vs Cavernario, Ciber, The Chris
6) Michael Elgin vs Último Guerrero

Main event is a rematch from two years ago, which aired as a $1 PPV that CMLL didn’t ever try again. UG won that one and probably will win this one.

Two straight weeks with no Scharly Rockstar. LA Park appeared to want nothing to do with Ciber after their match last night, so that’ll be interesting.

Finlay is the only other guy from team Rest of the World sticking around for the full week. I guess we shoud’ve figured this out when he wasn’t on the NJPW PPV on the 10/08 show; he can make it back for the next tour even after this show.

Titan is back from injury in what looks like a fun match. Avispa Dorada gets booked two weeks in a row. The opener is smaller version of the same match, with Camorra back around. More Camorra is a bad thing.

CMLL Gran Prix iPPV: 2018-10-05 

thecubsfan
Hechicero flying in

Recapped: 10/05/2018

Matches:

Akuma, Camorra, Star Jr. beat Hijo del Signo, Robin, Yago in a relevos increíbles match
(14:03 [7:35, 6:28], 1/2, ok)

Avispa Dorada, La Jarochita, Marcela beat Dalys, Metálica, Reyna Isis
(9:53 [5:23, 2:46, 1:44], 1/3, ok)

Gran Guerrero beat Valiente in a lightning match
(9:10, super fireman’s bomb, ok)

Hijo de LA Park, LA Park, Mistico beat Cavernario, Ciber the Main Man, The Chris
(17:06 [5:11, 4:00, 7:55], 1/3, ok)

Dark Magic, David Finlay, Flip Gordon, Gilbert el Boricua, Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe, Matt Taven, Michael Elgin, Okumura beat Carístico, Cuatrero, Diamante Azul, Euforia, Hechicero, Sansón, Terrible, Último Guerrero, Volador Jr. in CMLL’s Gran Prix
(59:57, good)

  1. Sansón Bomb Okumura Okumura (17:00)
  2. Jay/Mark crucifix powerbomb/neckbreaker Cuatrero (19:57)
  3. Hechicero Magia Negra Black Magic (23:05)
  4. Michael Elgin double powerbomb Diamante Azul (26:34)
  5. Carístico Caristica David Finlay (29:40)
  6. Matt Taven frogsplash Sansón (34:12)
  7. Terrible powerbomb Flip Gordon (35:21)
  8. Jay Driller on Terrible (36:06)
  9. Pulpo Guerrero on Jay (36:25)
  10. Carístico fisherman’s suplex Mark Briscoe (37:23)
  11. Mark Briscoe double pin Carístico (37:23)
  12. Gilbert spear Hechicero (40:23)
  13. Volador Canadian Destroyer Matt Taven (45:07)
  14. Gilberg backcracker Volador (47:28)
  15. Euforia la Soberana Gilbert (50:57)
  16. Michael Elgin powerbomb Euforia (55:35)
  17. Michael Elgin spinning powerbomb Último Guerrero (59:57)

What happened:

this happened

Volador & Taven feuded during the Gran Prix, with one of Volador’s ears bleeding (earring pulled out?) after an early skirmish. UG challenged Elgin to a singles match for next week and Elgin accepted.

LA Park walked out of the ring immediately after the semi-main, visibly upset with how Cibernético failed to take his spear a moment early.

It appeared Signo and Camorra are feuding in the opener. It explains a lot about CMLL that enough people thought it was an OK idea for that to happen.

Thoughts:

also this

This year’s Gran Prix was not at the level of others. The emotion of the fans made the moment in the last two years. It wasn’t present during most of the match. The brawls early were good and people cared about the Taven/Volador fights and the UG/Elgin stuff at the end. They came across as quiet most of the match, as they were all night. The action was good but never got to an intense level until the last elimination. Last year’s match had some rapid sequences taking advantage of having so many people involved. This year’s match had a slow mass of people moving towards the stage to catch some dives (which somehow turned out to be only the second worst version of that bit on the show.) There were solid individual performances without a lot of standout one. Elgin was again the best guy in the match, though trying to do more lucha spots sometimes didn’t work out for him and there was a long awkward moment with Euforia and a superplex at the end. The match was overall good, though nothing I’d recommend someone who missed it spending $10 after the fact.

Volador & Taven played their feud well and the accidental blood helped with the emotion. Volador beating Taven after both kicked out of each other’s big feud seemed like Volador’s revenge for now, though they left it open enough to come back again later. Gilbert continues to look sluggish and not sharp. I’m still holding out a little hope he’ll get better with more time away from his surgeries but it’s not looking good. Dark Magic was fine, and his exchange with Diamante Azul went well. David Finlay had a good early exchange with Hechicero and a less smooth one with Carístico. He didn’t make a big impression. Flip Gordon looked more spectacular but also didn’t seem to be around for a long time. The NGD vs Briscoes bit was a nice way to give those teams something in this match. Hechicero & Euforia got to last a longer than most thought, with Hechicero getting in more. He could stand to do the shoulder wave magic spell about 10% less though. Someday, the CMLL announcers will find out they’ve mixed up Jay and Mark Briscoe every time and feel so embarrassed.

did you know the Bruce Lee film “Enter the Dragon” was called “Operacion Dragon” in Mexico? now you know

The semi-main featured the slowest developing stage dive spot of all time, in a match that often moved pretty slow. The Guerreros style of match kept things moving with the Cl4n. An LA Park match means more meandering, and they’re not any better in that style. The Chris had to do a lot more work for his team than previous matches. He did take a Spanish Fly but wasn’t really that great. Cibernético was worse, having some awkward sequences with LA Park right until the end. Maybe the Guerreros are better than we thought because Cibernético looked worse than usual. It’s hard to consider this good when Ciber was so bad.

Valiente has had way too many lightning matches of late and he’s not a guy who’s going to vary those up in the best of times. It’s really about how cool his dives are that night, and the Valiente Special seemed to miss a little bit tonight. Gran Guerrero was a suitable though not exciting opponent himself. Maybe the most notable thing is he seems to have changed his middle rope finisher to a safer fall than just tossing someone off the top rope.

not many dragon supelxes on the unbudging Arena Mexico mat

The women’s match was a little bit better than average, maybe because of the stunning moment where Dalys didn’t actually win. Avispa did better than most of the new women debuting, making an impression with her tope con giro. Dalys & Avispa worked a lot together, which was good at times and also had them going thru practiced sequences without things actually happening. (Thinking of whatever the spinning powerbomb spot was supposed to be.) No one really stood out.

The opener was a dead match outside of Robin’s contributions and the fun dive train at the end. The weird sides were a determent to the match and set up a feud no one wants to see between the two obvious worst guys involved. The fans couldn’t have been more dead for this, and the action was poor at times. Robin really tried to make something out of it and it got better as it went along, but it felt like a bad Tuesday match for a while.