CMLL Viernes Mexico: 2016-08-19

Recapped: 08/19/2016

What happened: Rey Bucanero outsmarted Super Crazy, and La Mascara did the same to Dragon Lee (though he cheated.)

What was good: The first three matches were good. I think the opener might have been the best match on the show, a rarity in CMLL.

The two matches building up the Anniversary matches were the weakest on the show, but they were also clearly intended more to position people for that match than to be good matches tonight.

Where can I watch it:  It should be on CMLL’s YouTube channel, though they were having some technical issues.

Match 1: Flyer & Star Jr. vs Canelo Casas & Espíritu Negro
Arena México, 08/19/2016

1. rudos
   • Espíritu Negro modified el pulpo Flyer (8:34)
   • Canelo Casas La Rosa Star Jr. (9:01)
2. técnicos
   • Flyer dropkick Espíritu Negro (2:42)
   • Star Jr. corner dropkick Canelo Casas (3:06)
3. técnicos
   • Star Jr. leg trap armbar Canelo Casas (2:57)
   • Flyer Flamita Espíritu Negro (3:33)

Winner: técnicos (2/3)
Match Time: 15:40

Review: [good] better than usual opener. Star Jr. & Flyer got in all the highspots they could in the limitations they had, which still turned out to be quite a bit. They had some teamwork spots too, more it seems like Star has with Soberano, so they might have worked at this for a while. Canelo was more useful than usual, and Espíritu Negro slowly setting up his finishing senton played perfectly into Flyer catching him in a Spanish Fly.

Match 2: Esfinge, Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso vs Cancerbero, Raziel, Virus
Arena México, 08/19/2016

1. rudos
   • Cancebrero nudo lagunero/Raizel flying legdrop Pegasso (6:04)
   • Virus reverse Indian deathlock armbar Hombre Bala Jr. (6:48)
2. técnicos
   • Pegasso reverse armbar Virus (3:13)
3. técnicos
   • Pegasso huracanrana Raizel (4:13)
   • Esfinge arm trap half crab Cancerbero (4:47)

Winner: técnicos (2/3)
Match Time: 14:38

Review: [good] A fast paced match with an exciting final stretch. I drifted from the match early – more my issue than the matches – but they kept at a fast pace. The Cancerberos seem to drag matches sometimes, but they came off more dominate and strong in this one. Esfinge’s fakeout dive to set up Bala’s corner one was great, and Virus took all the biggest offense from the técnicos.

Match 3: Estrellita vs Zeuxis in a lightning match
Arena México, 08/19/2016

Winner: Zeuxis
Match Time: 6:43
Notes: Zeuxis had a Joker motif (and the Puerto Rican flag on her hand), while Estrellita was wearing a flesh covered bodysuit to look barely covered up.

Review: [good] Another match better than expected. They got in some of their usual offense and some big moves without losing pace. This has some more flaws than the previous matches – Zeuxis must’ve been out of position on a springboard based on Estrellita reacted, and they seemed a little lost on the other – but they were otherwise fine while being interesting and stuck around just the right amount of time. Zexuis winning helps too, to be honest.

Match 4: Bobby Z, Rey Bucanero, Vangellys vs Kráneo, Ripper, Súper Crazy
Arena México, 08/19/2016

1. Team Rey Bucanero
   • DQ [Super Crazy excessive violence] (4:25)
2. Team Super Crazy
   • Super Crazy crucifix cradle Rey Bucanero (3:19)
3. Team Rey Bucanero
   • Rey Bucanero cradle Super Crazy (4:58)

Winner: Team Rey Bucanero (1/3)
Match Time: 12:42
Notes: Super Crazy’s team tore up Rey Bucanero’s pants early on. Super Crazy wouldn’t stop attacking Rey in the first. Bucanero might have been pulling Crazy’s pants on the cradle, which was a reversal of one Crazy had used in previous weeks to win. Rey Bucanero and Super Crazy both said they’d win in 2 weeks.

Review: [ok] This wasn’t any good. This was a long boring joyous beatdown for two falls. They weren’t intending it to be any good, the purpose seemed to do as much as they could to set up Rey Bucanero as the técnico in the feud. It didn’t work nearly as much as last week, with the crowd kind of bored, and bits like Bucanero finally making the comeback only to be immediately pinned does not help. It got a little bit better in the third fall and the rudo dive train was amusing, but this wasn’t close to last week or the previous matches.

Match 5: Atlantis, Marco Corleone, Máximo Sexy vs Pierroth, Rey Escorpión, Rush in a relevos increíbles match
Arena México, 08/19/2016

1. Ingobernables
   • Rush corner dropkick Atlantis (3:23)
2. técnicos
   • Atlantida on Rush (1:45)
3. Ingobernables
   • Pierroth counter dropkick Marco Corleone (4:47)
   • Rey Escorpión package piledriver Máximo (4:56)

Winner: Ingobernables (1/3)
Match Time: 10:04

Los Ingobernables entered as nuns with guns, as seen in the movie The Town.

Review: [ok] match was entertaining but not much, and Pierroth still isn’t very good. They though Pierroth timing a jump was a good finish for him, so they’re all dealing with some sort of delusion. On the other hand, Escorpión totally works as Rush’s stooge, more than happy to pick up free pins after Rush has done all the work. This was just a normal semimain with not much too it.

Match 6: Dragón Lee, Mistico, Valiente vs Ephesto, La Máscara, Mephisto
Arena México, 08/19/2016

1. rudos
   • Mephisto Devil’s Wings (2:47)
   • Ephesto shoulderbreaker Valiente (2:47)
2. rudos
   • Valiente buster Ephsto (4:43)
   • La Mascara double knee smash Valiente (5:17)
   • La Mascara mask pull Dragon Lee (6:04)

Winner: rudos (1/2)
Match Time: 8:51
Notes: La Mascara sent Dragon Lee into Tirantes before getting the DQ called. The técnicos thought they had taken the second fall when Valiente beat Ephesto but were confused (in what seemed to be a designed spot) and were eventually beaten by the rudos.

Review: [ok] better than the match than followed it and good in parts, but there didn’t feel like there was a lot to it; we’ve gotten a lot from Mistico in recent matches and it was jarring to see him backgrounded so much. Dragon Lee & La Mascara are still doing better than they did early in this feud. Dragon Lee’s Spanish Fly was his worse one yet, as bad as his javelin tope is as good. The mask pull finish seems way over done; La Mascara probably could’ve used the clean win to put Dragon Lee in more danger, and anything that involved fewer Tirantes bumps is better.