CMLL on Televisa: 1996-03-02

Recapped: 2020-07-16

This is 1996, not 1995, because I grabbed the wrong year and didn’t have the time to watch actual 1995 yet. It’s fine, we’ve got time, I may do the whole 90s before there’s another show. This is also a much longer episode than last one, so maybe just one week of TV (and allowing me to stash the next episode for the next time I need to fill in.)

Matches:

Bronco (Monterrey), Máscara Mágica, Pantera beat Astro Rey Jr., Cadáver De Ultratumba, Espectro Jr.
(03/01 @ Arena Mexico, 14:54, 1/3, ok, Roy Lucier CMLL)

This one feels like it’s going to be something in the first fall and then is sleepy the rest of the way. CMLL finds the worst way to shoot the big double corner tope that’s the key to the comeback, though they at least pick it up on replay. Bronco does the softest springboard reverse tope you’ll see in the third fall.

Damiancito El Guerrero beat Máscarita Magica © to win the CMLL World Pequeño Estrellas Championship
(02/27 @ Arena Coliseo, 16:52, great, Roy Lucier CMLL)

A enjoyable championship match, though one that feels very strange to 2020 eyes at points. No dives in a CMLL title match until deep into the third fall feels like something from a different planet and the match generally takes a long time to really pick up. Damiancito is the future Virus, winning the minis championship here that’d he never actually lose before moving to the main division, and it’s weird to see him pull out more of the acrobatic moves in this match. Mascarita Magica does a bit of flying on his own near the end – there’s a lot of hopping from the second rope to the top rope in this one – but it’s a performance very different from what Virus would become. He does show off llaves early and late and everyone’s pretty accepting of a crazy hold in the end. This one is worth the time.

Arkángel de la Muerte, Chicago Express, Mogur beat Mr. Niebla, Súper Astro, Yoshihiro Tajiri in a super libre match
(02/27 @ Arena Coliseo, 11:47, ok, Roy Lucier CMLL)

What Happened: This is billed as a super libre rematch from last week, and we do not currently have lineups/results from 02/20. We don’t have complete results from 03/06 either, but it seems like they were setting up a Tajiri/Mogur match (!)

Review: [ok] This isn’t interesting outside of the fact that they’re really setting up Yoshihiro Tajiri versus Mogur, just two guys I’d never consider in a feud. Tajiri showed some good revenge brawling and single-minded focus on trying to kill Mogur, though that distracts everyone else from doing all that much. Super Astros looks the best of everyone else, really connecting on his reverse topes.

Felino, Negro Casas, Rambo beat Brazo de Oro, Dos Caras, Lizmark
(03/01 @ Arena Mexico, 9:57, ok, Roy Lucier CMLL)

A semi-main level match seemingly of no particular direction until Rambo and Brazo de Oro get into a belt swinging war for a DQ. The action was solid and better than that if you’re into the personalities, but it feels a little just going through the motions for me. The crowd reacted to the finish, which was the point and so I guess it doesn’t matter the rest of the match accomplished little.