Carístico, Diamante Azul, Volador Jr. beat Cavernario, Penta 0M, Último Guerrero
(9:50 [5:21, 4:29], 1/2 DQ, ok, 01:46:43)
What happened:
Penta fouled Carístico to end the main event. Post match challenges led to a non-title Penta/Caristico match for next week.
Thoughts:
who suplexed better
The main event had some energy because the Penta/Caristico feud gave them something to work around, though that was still not as hot as it had once been. Caristico & Penta also weren’t as smooth together as they were in previous matches. The match had the chaotic finish CMLL matches are good for, but the rest of it was not special.
Like all the other undercard matches, the semi-main was an easy match with crowd pleasing spots done in similar fashion to many other matches seen regularly. It worked for them, it was not something a regular viewer would care all that much about. Even Kraneo’s great Barney outfit wasn’t as much new as having hung out in the closet for a long time. It was fine.
The lightning match was a standard Angel de Oro showcase, helped by his willingness to break out all his big dives. The small package reversal on the finish didn’t look good, but I appreciate Angel de Oro changing up his routine even slightly. I’m going to miss Mephisto when he’s gone but I’m not really looking forward to his matches right now.
everyone lived
I didn’t like the tercera as much as other outings with the técnicos. They didn’t do a whole lot before the third fall, and these aren’t rudos who are going to make a match interesting on their own. No one was almost killed this week except my attention.
The second match was decent. Kawato looked better here, though his timing was off on his double team with Okumura. Black Panther feuded with Kawato a little bit, but his big brother had a bigger presence in the match until getting pinned at the end. Drone is still willing to throw everything into dives.
Raziel & Cancerbero are back to having forgettable opener matches. Robin continues to try a few things. Star Jr. really didn’t; he seemed to be the ascension starting the year with FantasticaMania and now is just another guy on these shows. He seems a casualty of CMLL not giving enough people opportunities.
The CMLL Friday shows continue to stroll on tonight. There’s no real direction, it seems as if they’re marking time until something happens, but there’s no certainty of what they’re waiting for. I am not a huge fan of the Universal tournament but it does seem like they could’ve gotten that in instead of doing nothing at all.
Penta is back, once again against Caristico. They’re on opposite sides as if a feud is going on, though that doesn’t really play out in matches. Ultimo Guerrero & Cavernario are on the rudo side, Volador Jr. & Diamante Azul on the tecnico.
The semi-main has Kraneo, Valiente, and Stuka against Terrible, Euforia and Rey Bucanero. That seems like a Volcano match, but we’re spared of it for one week. Mephisto and Angel de Oro meet in the lightning match, which should be fine. Triton & Esfinge attempt not to accidentally kill Titan this week, as they face Povlora, Luciferno, and Felino. The Panthers and Drone take on Virus, Okumura, and Kawato – the Panthers and the Japanese are seemingly facing every other show now. Star Jr. & Robin open against Raziel & Cancerbero.
CultIcon has a preview of the show. You can watch it on Marca and Facebook, and I’ll stream it on YouTube. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to stream next week – it’s looking like it’ll be a problem.
Gran Metalik put up a poll asking “CMLL or Indepedientes”, hinting at leaving WWE. If he signed a standard WWE 3 year deal when he came aboard, he’s probably still under WWE contract for most of a year. There’s no indication he’s being let go.
Caristico talked to Reporte Indigo about the gym he owns, saying his family never expected him to run a business because he wasn’t that much into studying at all.
Only the Christmas Day show has a lineup so far. The press conference the other day indicated the 01/19 taping would be the first of the year. Maybe there’s another show around the 02/01 weekend?
2018 Caristico doesn’t quite fit in the hyper-speed spot fest as the rest of the guys and Arkangel without Maldito is always a test, but there should be some highlights in that match.
CMLL (TUE) 12/25/2018Arena Puebla
1) Hijo de Centella Roja, Meyer, Robin vs Black Tiger, Espíritu Maligno, Inquisidor
2) Drone, King Jaguar, Star Jr. vs Cancerbero, Perverso, Raziel
3) Avispa Dorada, Marcela, Princesa Sugehit vs Amapola, Dalys, Tiffany
4) Audaz, Kráneo, Volcano vs Hechicero, Rey Bucanero, Vangellys
5) Místico, Soberano Jr., Volador Jr. vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
This is the first of the two non-streamed shows, which makes it a little surprising they’re sending that main event here. I keep thinking they’re one week away from Peverso/King Jaguar, but they could hold it over an extra week for a Three King’s Day show.
I’m surprised Hijo de LA Park is going to Guadalajara, he seems like a “3 shows on that Christmas” guy. The CMLL bus for Guadalajara appears to leave about noon-1pm for a normal 7:45 start, so these people are going to be rolling out of bed on Christmas morning and hurrying to Arena Mexico just to get on board.
Not sure what is going on in the tercera, but that’s a lot of women who haven’t been wrestling much or at all lately. The sides suggest one of those tecnicos is no longer going to be a tecnico (which makes some sense with Maligna & Mystique back soon.)
If I had more time, or if I had any idea when the Arena Mexico lineup was coming, I’d figure out who was left for Arena Mexico. Two women’s matches on these shows probably means none on that show, but there’s almost certainly a minis match.
Perhaps something like
Rush, Dragon Lee and Caristico against the Guerreros
Villanos & Templario versus Atlantis, Titan and Maya underneath.
That’s the smallest list in quite a while. Lucha Capital is done, maybe for now or maybe forever. There’s no Monday stream.
There are two Tuesday streams. CMLL still hasn’t announced Tuesday‘s card, which seems like it’ll have debuts and returns without any specific big match. It’s also starting at 5 pm, 2.5 hours earlier than usual. The last couple matches may overlap with the start of AAA’s last stream of the year from Cuautitlan. It is not the greatest card, but there’s plenty of people who have been seen much on it for some variety.
I’m not really sure what will be on AAA YouTube. I’ve got the first past of Orizaba. They could just air only one week of Orizaba, like they were doing before Heroes Inmortales. They might also do some sort of Christmas/Year End special. I dunno.
