Lucha TV Report for August 28th, 2001

EMLL

(Arena Coliseo) Torneo Gran Alternetiva- This is the yearly tournament in which an established star, tags with a young up and comer in a single elimination tournament. They didn’t show the first round on Galavision. So we start with the semi-finals. 

Blue Panther with Virus vs. Olimpico and Sicodelico Jr. Virus isn’t even young, he’s been around for quite a while as Damaincito El Guerrero. Blue Panther and Olimpico trade lots of nice nearfalls, then Olimpico tosses him out of the ring and nails a tope. Virus tries to pin Sicodelcio twice unsuccessfully, then his clothesline gets blocked and turned into a small package variation. Tecnicos advance. 

Black Warrior and Sangre Azteca vs. Atlantis and Volador Jr.- Black Warrior and Sangre Azteca- a dream team booked for me! So how much you want to bet they lose in the finals? Some nice double teaming work by the rudos. Volador hits two really nice headscissors and then a wild asai moonsault on Azteca. Atlantis tosses Warrior around the ring with the (announcer dubbed) “nicest catapult in Mexico” and a segadora. His clothesline is blocked too, and Warrior uses his rolling octopus variation to take out Atlantis. Sangre Azteca then tosses Volador in and uses a Gory special into a facejam to finish things up.

(Finals) Olimpico and Sicodelcio vs. Black Warrior and Sangre Azteca- JIP from when the tecnicos make a comeback. Crowd is really hot. Olimpico and Warrior have an exchange of chops and clotheslines, that Olimpico wins, sending Warrior to the floor. He uses a tope con giro, while Sicodelico rolls up Azteca to win the match and the tournament. This could have been so much better.

Overall, I was disappointed entirely with the tournament. I mean it’s nice to see the undercarders here, but they were not spotlighted at all, as the older guys generally controlled the match. Plus all but Volador had a disappointing showing. Further, this tournament is supposed to be an indication of who the next “big thing” will be, and while if Marvin were in it he clearly would have won, Sicodelico is just a bad choice IMO. He’s very below average, and has no impressive moves.

(Arena Coliseo) Shocker vs. Lizmark Jr.- This was set up from Shocker giving him a low blow last week, which is funny because the hot Wagner vs. Lizmark Jr match started the same exact way, in a match with Silva no less… Shocker controls the entire first fall. Lizmark all of a sudden then dodges a corner charge, makes him spin bump off a shoulder block and hits the powerbomb to take fall one. Lizmark does some nice flying stuff in the second, and then goes for a camel clutch. Shocker ends up breaking that by biting on his fingers. Shocker then does a couple of moves, rips open Lizmark’s mask and then does “la escalera” after giving Lizmark a backwards kick to the groin! Shocker starts the match with two inverted facelocks into an elbowdrop(I dont know what its called but I think the Big Slob Paul White in WWF does it)… he holds the match for a little while and then Lizmark makes the comeback and the crowd goes BALLISTIC. I swear Arena Coliseo has the best crowds in the world, they are super hot for everything here. Lizmark does an asai moonsault to the floor. Shocker tries to suplex him back in, Lizmark counters with a sunset flip, which in turn is countered with a sit up and rope assistance, but the ref kicks Shockers hands off the ropes! CLOSE two count and the crowd pops huge! Shocker catches him with a inverted powerbomb, into an STF which Lizmark has to crawl to the ropes too while the crowd keeps cheering. Lizmark with a powerbomb and tilt a whirl slam for two… no he breaks to pin and says he’s going up to the top rope, the crowd doesn’t want it though! So they go back and forth a bit more, than Lizmark tries to flip onto the apron but Shocker catches him and uses a low blow and pinfall… which the ref catches and calls for a DQ! This was a pretty good match with a tremendous crowd, but the finish was a load of bullshit and completely unnecessary. Afterwards Shocker cuts a great promo, telling Emilio that his “treatment” has already come!

(Arena Mexico) Veneno, Poder Boriqua, Violencia vs. Felino, Safari, Antifaz- This marks the return of two things to EMLL TV: Antifaz and injury-plagued trio of tecnicos. Antifaz, in case you haven’t seen on CMLL.com, has apparently been going to a McMahon recommended pharmacist and working out with a similar technique to Scott Steiner. The first fall has some impressive work by the tecnicos, including a rope bounce headscissors by Safari, while Veneno was on the floor. Felino ends up catching Boriqua with a sunset flip powerbomb while Antifaz cracks Veneno with a corkscrew bodyblock to win the fall. There is a rather dry amount of rudo brawling in the second fall. The tecnicos come back in the third. Antifaz and Safari do stereo topes con giros, both getting nice speed and distance, so Felino and Boriqua are left alone. They trade nearfalls and then Boriqua freaks out and rips off Felino’s mask. An ok match, if a bit formulatic. Antifaz’ as much as we rag on him for his “improved” look, can move around just as well as before. So he is still nice and average. I like the idea of the F/S/A team but what’s the point of bringing their push back, as Safari co-holds the trios titles with Niebla and Olimpico?

Momentos Estelares

Alan Stone takes a sick neck bump off a clothesline!
Veneno with a tope con giro
Fugaz dropkicks Volador Jr in the face
Virus with a twisting sommersault dive!
Rayitito and Santo with double topes out of the corner!

Emilio Charles goes out on a date with the blonde chick. He then asks her what does Shocker mean by the special treatment, as if he doesn’t trust her. She claims to be 2200% Guapo just like Emilio…

Emilio Charles, Bestia Salvaje, Scorpio Jr. vs. Averno, Satanico, and Apollo Dantes- Before the match starts Shocker comes out with the Satanico team and starts yelling at Charles, telling him he’s going to make Emilio lose his “guapo”. Then Shocker goes to Emilio’s girlfriend in the front row, hits on her and kisses her on her hand! Emilio chases him off. The Guapos easily take the first fall. Satanico’s team returns the favor in a heavily clipped second fall. Third fall is mostly brawling with a few moves tossed in. Apollo Dantes hits an usually strong tope taking Bestia out. Averno, likewise almost kills himself banging his head on the apron with a tope con giro. Satanico slams Emilio and goes for the nudo, but gets fouled in the process. The match was kind of weak but the crowd was really hot so that’s a plus. 

Hijo del Santo, Rayo de Jalisco Jr., Negro Casas vs. Ultimo Guerrero, Rey Bucanero, Mascara Magica- The Infernales completely dominate the first fall, doing tons of smooth, impressive triple teams and putting Santito and Casas away with elaborate team submissions. The tecnicos comeback in the second almost instantly, then the tecnicos use their own brand of triple teaming. Bucanero gets pinned and Mascara Magica has to give in to the ‘la de caballo. In the third, lots of fast back and forth work by both teams. Rayito pins Guerrero cleanly with the topes del Jalisco. The tecnicos challenge for the tag titles after the match. This was really too short/edited to be as good as last week’s awesome match but based on what I saw the work was still on the same exceptional level. Plus, the Arena Mexico/Coliseo crowds were the hottest in quite some time here, popping for every nearfall, comeback and highspot. 

AAA

Canek, Mascara Magica, Hijo de Perro vs. Electro Shock, Hector Garza, Abismo Negro- Not much to say here, the work was pretty average for AAA, with Segrada and Garza looking above the rest as usual. Garza and Perrito feuded. Perrito won the third fall with a low blow as Garza jumped.