February 17, 2020 – luchablog

CMLL on Marca: 2020-01-31

February 17, 2020February 16, 2020 thecubsfan

Recapped: 2020-02-10

Matches:

Arkalis & Robin beat Akuma & Espanto Jr.
(10:31 [5:02, 2:23, 3:06], 2/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Kawato San, Okumura, Virus beat Diamond, Drone, Fuego
(13:21 [6:09, 3:02, 4:10], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Ephesto, Mephisto, Negro Casas beat Atlantis Jr., Star Jr., Stuka Jr.
(12:17 [3:29, 4:24, 4:24], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Soberano Jr. beat Templario in a lightning match
(8:46, fire driver, great, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Euforia, Gilbert el Boricua, Gran Guerrero beat Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Titán
(11:58 [4:24, 2:06, 5:28], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Carístico, Cavernario, Valiente beat Diamante Azul, Felino, Último Guerrero in a relevos increíbles match
(11:35 [5:00, 6:35], 1/2 DQ, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Cavernario faked a foul from Felino for a straight falls win. Felino demanded a singles match next week and a hair match in general.

Diamond debuted his modified outfit here.

Thoughts:

I wish I had watched these CMLL shows in order since it was clear here that Felino was meant to be the tecnico against Cavernario. (Or maybe it’s still a problem it didn’t come across that way the following week.) Felino and Cavernario feuding was the story point in this match, though it came off as oddly background to let the other get in their spots. The crowd did enjoy that part, though it didn’t do a lot to set up the big feud as something special.

Most of the matches on the show were like the semi-main: performed well but performed doing a lot of the usual spots. Gilbert looks better this time around, though that may be the tecnicos taking his spear very well. Guerreros remain efficient as a team.

Soberano and Templario went hard for the less than nine minutes they had, rushing to get a lot in. Templario felt like he dominated most of the match, having a counter for most of what Soberano tried. He just couldn’t put Soberano away, and couldn’t break up Soberano’s sequence at the end. Templario’s tope into an armdrag was great and the layout made this feel different than the recent touring match. It also felt like they had a lot longer match to do that couldn’t fit in here, and it made it a bit of a borderline pick.

Negro Casas & Stuka had a nice back and forth of falls which didn’t at all play off into the finish of their match. That’s fine. It was fine.

The segunda was sold. CMLL hasn’t done Diamond any favors with his usage – he’s protected from the deciding pin but still is on the losing end here. Diamond, or who ever’s helping him come up with his style, is doing himself any favors either. He does the Cometa apron headscissors and the Titan handstand cradle in this one. He does them fine, but Diamond isn’t adding anything in a crowded landscape; his partners outshined him. Kawato’s new gear looks nice.

The opener was slower and clunkier than most of these. The tecnicos teased dives to end the first fall, posed instead, and were immediately beaten. (Not exactly immediately, Espanto couldn’t figure out how to get his finish to work, but you get the idea.) Maybe change things up here in general.

Bandido in IWRG, Cavernario vs Felino in Puebla

February 17, 2020February 17, 2020 thecubsfan 1 Comment

IWRG (SUN) 02/16/2020 Arena Naucalpan [+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores]
1) Blue Monsther, Príncipe Jr., Zika b Biosferia, Luemira, Spider Fly
2) Carnicero b Neza Kid, Tromba, Ángel Estrella Jr., Noicy Boy
3) Atomic Star, Canival King, Especie Maligna b Baby Star Jr., Dinámico, Príncipe Aéreo
4) Mary Caporal & Miss Delicious b Lady Cat & Miku
5) Ambu, Hijo De Payaso Purasanta, Manchas, Pantera Jr., Payaso Purasanta, Rayado, Rudigo, Verzal b Águila Oriental Jr., Chef Benito, Chicanito, Legendario, Lunatik Extreme, Puma de Oro, Rey Halcón, Voltrex [Copa Higher Power]
Gym Tepito (Rugido) vs Gym FILL (Puma de Oro). Team Welcome To My Barrio won when Black Warrior snuck in to foul Puma de Oro and Payaso Purasanta picked up the win. Many brawls between the teams.
6) Shun Skywalker DCOR Súper Nova
Nova wanted a rematch.
7) El Bandido & Fuerza Guerrera NG b Emperador Azteca & Toxin
Bandido did a moonsault off the second level before pinning Emperador Azteca

I had this show on while working on other things and it seemed like the usual mix of wild spots and some youthful mistakes. I didn’t get to see the main event but it sounds like Bandido did a lot (with his old Lucha Libre ELITE crew!) The countout in the semi-main was strange.

Xtreme Tiger won Lucha Memes Battle of Tijuas show on Sunday, defeating Jonathan in the final. (Not Saturday.) My impression is this show was filmed by unofficial YouTube channels, so it should turn up this week.

The Barbaro Cavernario/Felino feud continues in Arena Puebla tonight. They’re on opposite sides of a trios match that’s supposed to be Felino, Negro Casas and Volador JR. against Angel de Oro, Cavernario and Niebla Roja. It likely won’t be, with Niebla Roja out due to injury.

There’s nothing much notable on the rest of the show. The Guerrero brothers team with SHocker against Diamante Azul, Soberano, and TItan. Diamond makes a streaming appearance against three of the local luchadors. The minis get a Puebla match, with Astro getting to mix in. The show streams at 9 pm on CMLL’s YouTube channel.

+LuchaTV points out Star Fire declared herself independent on Facebook. I guess she was under AAA contract, though you’d have to send out a search party to find her: she appeared on Twitch three times in 2019 and not since July. Star Fire showed promise, especially in her first appearances, but never appeared regularly.

Discovery, who is battling cancer, was honored at the Lucha Libre Total show on Sunday.

Debate has a good interview with Mr. Iguana. He mentions his AAA contract is for three years. I wonder if that might be the standard length for all AAA deals.

03/28 RIOT (“Trusa”)

CMLL Martes: 2020-01-28

February 17, 2020February 16, 2020 thecubsfan

Recapped: 02/09/2020

Matches:

Acero & Aéreo beat Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Violencia
(13:17 [4:29, 4:47, 4:01], 2/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Amapola, Metálica, Tiffany beat Avispa Dorada, La Guerrera, Princesa Sugehit
(13:14 [7:38, 3:24, 2:12], 2/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Súper Astro Jr. beat El Coyote in a lightning match
(7:06, casadora bomb, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Disturbio, Misterioso, Sagrado beat Diamond, Oro Jr., Pegasso
(15:48 [10:06, 2:16, 3:26], 2/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Black Panther, Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr. beat Hechicero, Rey Bucanero, Terrible
(18:47 [10:11, 2:33, 6:03], 1/3, good, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Atlantis Jr., Carístico, Soberano Jr. vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
(12:44 [6:49, 5:55], ½ DQ, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Sanson fouled Caristico for the DQ.

Aereo is the most anonymous good wrestler in CMLL.

Thoughts:

The semi-main was very long for a Tuesday match, though it rarely felt like it was getting stretched out. Blue Panther doing a long even grappling exchange with Terrible isn’t exactly the way the semimain was expected to go, but that’s sometimes what you get from a Blue Panther match. Lately, you also get a strangely motivated Rey Bucanero in these matches too, and an interested crowd which didn’t give up despite the length. This wasn’t as strong as the other recent strong Panther/Bucanero trios match, but they did re-imagine some of the usual spots in a different order. It stood out for a Tuesday match.

The most interesting part of the fourth match is Diamond doing the same spots Sagrado did a decade and a half ago in his debut with a very similar gimmick, only to Sagrado. It goes better for Diamond than it did Sagrado and the match is getting good reactions until Oro Jr. messed himself up. Pegasso struggled in fall two and the third fall had a weird feel with no real comeback. Diamond coming back 1 on 3 – Pegasso was eliminated by pinfall despite Diamond breaking up the pin – would’ve been a great moment for a new gimmick but CMLL’s just not that into him.

Oro Jr., apparently attempting a Brillo dive, misses the middle rope and tumbles over the top rope. The fall looks more dangerous in real-time than it turns out to be, thanks to Oro Jr. being able to turn over, but it derails the match. Referee Pompin is too distracted to count the pinfall at first to the opening fall, then the following two are wrestled 3 v 2.

The lightning match had one of the least creative setups for a stage dive you’ll see. The crowd still cheered loud for a moonsault off the stage, so it’s not stopping any time soon. Coyote was willing if not always capable opponent for Super Astro, though two young guys working together meant this had highlight spots and not much in between. That walk to the stage really annoyed me but maybe others would get more out of this.

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