Music performance. “YAY!” La Bamba? Ok!
Match 1: Danshoku Dino & Máximo vs Gedo & Jado
Korakuen Hall, 01/23/2011
Winner: Jado & Gedo
Match Time: 10:42
Rating: fine for what it was.
Notes: Máximo and Dino enter together thru the crowd. Dino wipes out our color commentary with devastating kiss power. Máximo is much more friendly than Dino.
Máximo is more effective in using his powers to aggravate their opponents. Dino just gets bashed, which starts the rudo advantage. Both exoticos get worked over. Dino fires up for a bit, including a kiss for Máximo and “YOU”, but Jado puts him back down. Máximo finally makes the comeback after a missed corner whip, a headscissors, and one tripped into dropkicking the other. Gedo kicks out of the sit down powerbombing, and Máximo misses the top rope senton con giro. Heel kick to the face, cover, and Dino breaks it up with his groin. Jado takes over on him, though Dino comes back with some rear assault. Testicular claw is very illegal, so Dino tries to apply it on the ref as well. Ref avoids that, but still gets the big kiss from Dino. Dino with a mule kick and a casita (crowd wowed by Dino doing a move) one two Gedo breaks it up. Máximo Spinning armdrag sends Gedo out, and Máximo follows with a tope. Inside, Dino charges Jado weekly. Jado chops him around. Off the ropes, clothesline misses, Dino kisses him, Jado misses a a punch, Dino kisses him again. Kick to the knee, trunks down, thong ride – but Jado quickly gets free and locks on the crossface.
Dino gives Máximo a consultation kiss, which the cameras miss. Dino tries to sneak in a kiss on Tanahashi at ringside, but he's pulled away.
Jado & Gedo look similar in the ring, but when they're standing for interviews, they look totally different. Dino apologizes to Máximo. Máximo thanks Japan and his great partner.
Match 2: Gigante Bernard, Jushin Liger, Karl Anderson vs Atlantis, Dragón Rojo Jr., Taichi
Korakuen Hall, 01/23/2011
Winner: Gigante Bernard, Jushin Liger, Karl Anderson
Match Time: 11:08
Rating: good
Notes: Guerreros are wearing red. Taichi raises the roof! Lyger, because he's awesome, taunts the opposition crew and then hides behind Bernard. Bernard has no idea this is going on. Oh, sorry, he's “Bernardo” tonight.
Atlantis/Liger and Dragon/Anderson get opening stretches again each other. The second goes a bit more length (and ends with Atlantis/Dragon double teaming) but drags a little early. After cleaning out Anderson, the CMLL guys bring in Taichi to do the huddle dance, then dragon and Atlantis bail – so Taichi is stuck with Bernardo. Taichi is very concerned. Not so much he can't make his pecs dance. Taichi tries “run and strip”. That doesn't work, and neither do Taichi's chest slaps. Bernard is amused, then starts killing Taichi. Taichi only gets to live because Lyger's tagged in, and Taichi manages to corner whip him. Corner loud chest kick, Atlantis runs in with a clothesline, and Dragon Rojo hits the low blow dropkick. Lyger sells the dropkick great. Anderson tries to help, takes a chop. Quebradora for Lyger, quebradora for Anderson, Atlantida for Lyger! Anderson breaks it up. Atlantis stuns him with a shoulder lift, and the rudos try the Guerreros flying sit on Anderson. It doesn't go so well – Atlantis lands on Taichi as much as Anderson. Bernard quickly comes in to beat up the little people. Rudos try a double suplex on him. I guess Okumura is stronger than Dragon Rojo, or Bernard is feeling stronger today, because Bernard blocks it and suplexes them both. Taichi slaps Bernard, who is just slightly annoyed. Corner whip is blocked repeatedly. Taichi waves in help, and he and Dragon Rojo are now. Atlantis comes over. Triple whip, no, corner whip reversed, and Bernard splashes all three. All three fall together in a line on the mat – Bernard splash one two no. NJPW trio run the CMLL trios in each other. Taichi goes out, and Lyger follows with a pescado. Atlantis judges the pile, and adds a tope. Anderson in – tope con giro out of him. Dragon Rojo sets up – tope con giro over by the corner. Crowd gets loud as Bernard gets in. What's he going to do. He's climbing the ropes from the outside, but just so he can turn around. Second rope, shrug, plancha over to everyone (with the young boys trying and failing to catch.) Somehow, Taichi escaped this, and poses by the mess. Taichi walks over to the announce table and grabs a sip of water. Bernard back in, Taichi rushes in to stomp him, but Bernard gets up. Off the ropes, kick by Bernard, powerbomb, Taichi escapes. Eye rake, off the ropes, kick tot eh face! It actually knocked him down. One two NO. Taichi slaps Bernard in the head as he gets up. Superkick blocked, Bernard scoops him up, Bernard Driver one two three.
Lyger leaves, and Bad Intentions challenges Strong Man & Nakanishi. Bernard does a nice backwards roll over the top rope on the way out. Team CMLL returns to the ring to take bows.
Lyger to Bernard: “HEY, MISTER FLYING MAN!” Haha. Team CMLL doesn't really have much to say.
Match 3: La Máscara, La Sombra ©, Máscara Dorada vs Shigeo Okumura ©, Tetsuya Naito, Yujiro Takahashi for the CMLL World Trios Championship
Korakuen Hall, 01/23/2011
técnicos
Winner: técnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 15:28
Rating: good
Notes: Teams enter as groups. Team CMLL is wearing green Mexico soccer jerseys. Naito and his eye has to examine the belts. Sombra and Okumura are captains. Poor strategy by No Limit! Naito steals Sombra's sombrero, teases throwing it away, and the wears it for a second before Sombra gets his hat back. Two refs! Someone's paying attention.
1: Okumura and Dorada start on the mat, because I guess they're giving the CMLL guys a chance. Dorada is the only guy in this match not wearing a t-shirt when the match starts. They accomplish little before getting to the zero leg trips. Okumura blows off the handshake. Sombra springboards in to face Naito. Crowd behind Sombra today – seems like he won them over. No one gets a hold for long, and Sombra is able to escape an armbar into an armdrag. Naito looks good on the evasive bits off the ropes, and they do the dueling dropkicks to a standoff. Yujiro and Mascara. Mascara gets in the ring successfully! Crowd is amused by his existence. Mascara takes of his shirt. Yujiro on him with punches to the head. That'll help. Headlock, shot off, Yujiro back with a shoulderblock. Yujiro off the ropes, over, under the leapfrog, Mascara off the ropes, under a clothesline, under a clothesline, back with a headscissors. Mascara still runs the ropes real low. Mascara starts running for a dive, but Okumura cuts him of with a back elbow, Sombra, and falling down from a non-existence punch. That was odd. Corner whip, Okumura charges in, Sombra boots him away, Sombra charge out, sunset flip, reverses back the other way, and Dorada springboard in with a 'rana! Okumura out, Mascara running for a dive – and he gets caught in the ropes on the tope! It's not as bad as yesterday, but the man has no luck. Announcers laugh. Inside, Yujiro throws Dorada int eh corner and chops him. Dorada tries to fight back, but Yujiro hits hard. Corner whip the other way, Sombra flips his partner to safety, Yujiro fireman's dropped in front of the corner, Sombra rope flip tornillo senton! One two three.
Dorada and Naito in the ring at the same time. Dorada plancha on Naito, backwards roll into a big DDT one two three. I don't know how he did that, but he did it.
They put up the rules explanation again. They needed to put it up in the building, I think. Técnicos are all ready to start the next fall, but the rudos take their time. Yujiro calls in Dorada, and those two will start.
2: Lockup, Yujiro throws Dorada down by his head, cover, one two no. Yujiro's white dyed hair makes him look a very old. Yujiro stomps Dorada down. Corner whip, reversed, Dorada charges in, Yujiro flips him, Dorada blocks his punch on the apron and slaps him away. Springboard slipping armdrag. Not what he wanted, but he saved it. Yujiro out, but Okumura in and taking off his shirt. Clothesline misses, Dorada shoulderblock Okumura, double springboard off into a headscissors. Naito in, clothesline misses, Dorada blocks the next clothesline, grabs the arm, double springboard armdrag. Naito out, Dorada starts running for the dive, and Naito ducks and cover. Dorada looking very good here. “ICHIBAN!” Sombra's turn. Rudos get a count stalling here. Sombra springboard backflips in. He and Naito have a face off. Sombra off the ropes, over, back, shoulderblock, no one guys down. Naito tells Sombra to try it. Off the ropes – and Yujiro gets in a cheap shot. Yujiro in, as the announcers discuss how permissive the referees are at allowing multiple people in, I suppose. Sombra boosted up into a dropkick on Yujiro, landing on his feet. Headscissors for Naito. Okumura in and clapping. Sombra starts a Sombra chant. Yujiro misses a clothesline and teaks a backdrop. Sombra charges, Okumura flips him to the apron, Sombra chops him away and heads up. Okumura standing and watching for a bit here, and Sombra headscissors him out. Dive? No, Sombra rope flips a fake dive. Oh no, it's back to Mascara. Announcers are laughing on the chop exchange. Mascara takes off Naito's shirt so he can hit him a bit harder. Naito fakes a chop and kicks mascara, funny. Naito with a sunset flip, Mascara rolls thru and dropkicks him. Naito flips Mascara to the apron, Okumura attacks and gets superkicked, Naito charges, his kick is caught in the ropes and Mascara high kicks him. Mascara up top, flying armdrag looks a bit odd but at least it works. Yujiro in, and cutting off Mascara with kicks. Mascara out – Okumura after him – tope con giro not at all caught by Mascara. Okumura gets plenty of the announce table, collapsing with a kick. Naito and Dorada in, Naito inverted atomic drop, Yujiro clothesline, Naito roll into a sitting cradle, one two three.
Whistle blows, which is a mistake. Yujiro gives Sombra a big spinebuster – wheelbarrow cutter one two three.
Rules explanation one more time.
3: Mascara and Naito reach to start, but Okumura jumps Mascara form behind, and Yujiro clears off the apron. Kick to the midsection, Yujiro cleans Mascara’s clock with a clothesline to the head. Press slam dropped into double boots for Dorada. Double hiptoss for Sombra, with Okumura adding a dropkick to the head, and Yujiro and Niato adding the legdrop and running senton con giro. Naito covers, one two no. Crowd starts a Sombra chant on their own – there's a loud lucha horn too. Mascara in. Mascara tries to ask for a 1 on 1. Everyone he's faced has seemed like a three on one since the opening day, and he’s hitting the guys who aren’t really there. Chop fight goes his way for a while, but Yujiro throws him down. Mascara rolls under a double clotheslines and hits Okumura with a dropkick, setting up springboard dropkicks on the other two. All rudos out the same side – triple topes! Mascara's dive actually worked! Announcers make the same joke! Mascara and Okumura make it back in. Reverse rolling cradle by Mascara, and then forward into a gedo clutch, one two NO. Okumura shoves Mascara in the corner, Mascara flips him to the apron, Okumura fights from there, but Mascara drops him with a swinging kick. Mascara going up top – plancha to the floor. Mascara is not getting any lift at all on any of his moves. No Limit and Dorada and Sombra in, rudos avoiding dropkicks and locking on headlocks. Técnicos shot them off into each other, and Sombra boosts Dorada into a dropkick on both. Dorada runs – Brillo Dorada goes bad, with Dorada hitting the top rope on the way up and coming up a little short. He hits the floor back first, and that looked very painful. Sombra up top – moonsault to the floor connects, and he lands on his feet - and then takes a seat!
Mascara and Okumura in, and the announcer is so excited to see La Mascara in there. Mascara ducks a clothesline, casadora into a campana! Okumura gives immediately! Champs retain.
Dorada and Mascara get to thank the crowd. Sombra doesn't get to talk? He'll have a chance later. Champions pose with their belts.
Yujiro blames Okumura for being a loser. Fair point! Naito tries to broker some peace but doesn't take Okumura that seriously. Like everyone else.
Sombra says they've proven their level, via Mascara's campana and their dives. La Mascara wants a shot at the tag team titles! Keep dreaming. Mascara Dorada says they're better than the Yellow Wave.
Match 4: Tiger Mask IV vs Tomohiro Ishii in a hair vs mask match
Korakuen Hall, 01/23/2011
Winner: Tiger Mask IV
Match Time: 12:16
Rating: eh.
Notes: They do their best to make Ishii look a threat when few people believe he's actually going to win. It's odd Tiger Mask uses a tombstone on what's supposed to be a CMLL show, but it doesn't really matter. Ishii tries to win via countout, since he’s never going to actually pin or submit Tiger Mask, but Tiger Mask makes it back in. There’s a sort of story of Ishii perhaps being too big for Tiger Mask IV. Until the end, where TM4 just Tiger suplexes for the win.
TM4 shaves Ishii to start, and then the referee takes over. Ishii decks the ref, kicks Tiger Mask, and pulls of TM4's mask. Ishii rushes tot he back with his hair half cut. TM4 gets his mask back to say hi to the fans.
Ishii appears to run right out of the building.
Match 5: Místico vs Averno
Korakuen Hall, 01/23/2011
Averno Devil's Wings (3:03)
Winner: Místico
Match Time: 16:52
Rating: very good
Notes: Here we go.
1: Místico still has to get his coat off before this can get started. Místico doing his best to get the crowd to chant before the match starts. Good luck. Lockup, Místico armdrag. Lockup, Averno waistlock thrown, Místico kips up, Averno armdrags him. Lockup, shoulder to shoulder. Averno trips up Místico and holds him down, but Místico bridges up at two. Averno leveraged to his feet, and Místico flips off his m to his feet. Averno trips Místico up, and Místico scissors him from the mat. Headscissors headstand is nicely done. Averno gets up again, Místico uses Averno’s momentum to jump to his shoulders, and off with a fireman's escape headscissors. Averno’s out - Místico running slingshot tornillo! Místico salutes the crowd. Averno thrown back in. Místico takes his time going in, which is okay because there’s no count. Místico off the ropes, La Místico, Averno swings him around into a facebuster. Devil's Wings! One two three! That turned quick.
2: Averno helps Místico up and lets him stand in the corner. Awful sporting of him. Místico is limping around, grabbing his ribs. Averno off the ropes, over, under, rolling over, both stopping to pose. Averno waved by, back with his own headscissors. Is he going to dive? Místico goes around the corner, Averno gets up – tope con giro flattens his rival. Referee actually remembers to count them out this time. Averno in plenty of time, Místico rolls in at 15, then rolls back to the apron. Averno charges Místico, Místico side steps and swing kicks him. Springboard headscissors sends Averno rolling, Toyota roll, one two three.
3: Místico is looking worse when the whistle blows for the final fall. Místico off the ropes, over, waved by, flipping run, back again, under a clothesline, tilt-a-whirl escape armdrag. Místico off the ropes, springboard headscissors, out goes Averno. Místico sets up near the ropes, backs up, charges, and top[e gets there. Místico lands on his feet, perfectly. Místico thinks about going it, but no hurry, they're not counting. Místico collects Averno, then signals to the crowd. Going in? Místico up top – no, Averno run s n, Místico shoulder him to the midsection. Springboard sunset flip, Averno rolls thru, Místico rolls up. Toyota roll, one two Averno kicks out this time. Both slow up. Both eyeing each other. Místico looking around. Off the ropes, just by Averno, 'rana, one two NO. Slow. Averno tries for a dropkick, but Místico just steps past him. Whip, Averno back with a dropkick, that one connects. Out goes Místico. Averno setting up. Legdrop on the apron, heel kick, jump to the middle rope, pause, Asai Moonsault! Don't see that form him much. It gets a big ooooh from the crowd. Averno in first, Místico diving to make it back in at 19. Averno tries to get an Averno chant. Místico slides out the apron, and stuns Averno with another swinging kick. Springboard 'rana reversed into a powerbomb, one two no. More of a silla really, with Averno turning and putting him down. Averno lifts Místico on his shoulder, then tosses him off with a sort of Spinning slam. Standing moonsault! One two no. Averno sets up for Devils' wings, but Místico escapes into a Fuijwara armbar. Averno in trouble, pounding the mat, but moving to the ropes. It looks a far way away right now, but Averno scoots over until he can get a foot on them. Místico waiting for Averno, switching sides. Off the ropes headscissors sends Averno out towards the VIPs. Místico up the ropes, easy plancha to the floor. Místico lands on his feet, of course. Místico rolls back in before the count is even made. Averno makes it back in 16, half dead. Both get up at the same time, though. Averno misses a dropkick. Místico chops him, and sets him on the top rope. Swinging kick to keep Averno there. Místico backs all the way up, Místico charges at Averno and up the ropes, Averno jabs him. Averno hooks Místico – middle rope Devil's Wings! One two NO! Averno slowly heads up, and declares it over. It sure is going to be. Flying nothing eats dropkick. Poor plan! Místico covers, one two no. Místico slams Averno and goes to the apron. Springboard senton con giro! One two NO! Just the two hand press there, Místico might have needed a little bit more. Místico drags Averno towards the corner, head to eh apron, and points up. Moonsault- no , Místico slips and gets stuck in the ropes. He just hangs, upside stuck, which allows Averno to get the advantage. Averno pulls him loose, and drops him with a running powerbomb, one two NO. Averno can’t believe that wasn't three. Argument with the referee – and Místico inside cradles him, one two NO. Místico up first and kicking Averno. Snap mare, and he's going up again. Wasting no time, moonsault, Averno moves, Místico lands on his feet but then back rolls. Dropkick to the knee, casita, no Averno rolls thru, casita of his own one two NO! Both on the middle rope Devil's Wings and on that casita, fans thought Místico might actually lose. Místico off the ropes, under a leapfrog, tilt-a-whirl escaped, La Mistica! That's it, Averno gives. Crowd approves.
Averno gives Místico credit for his win and raises his arm. Místico says Averno is his hottest rival, and the best of the rudos of CMLL. Místico says Japan is his home, and he wants a title shot – not for him, but for his people. What a nice man. Crowd gives this a “oooooooh!” Averno says Místico is a great luchador, and he'll do the fight for the people. Averno leaves. Místico thanks the fans.
Averno says Místico was the better man today, but whether here in Japan or Mexico, he'll prove he's superior. Místico repeats the thing about mi casa and mi gente. He does not tell us you must respect him. Místico knows the name of Averno's title, which makes him one of a select few!
Match 6: Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi © vs Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi for the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship
Korakuen Hall, 01/23/2011
Winner: Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi
Match Time: 16:32
Notes: I'm off the clock! But this was a very good match (much better than the Tiger Mask IV/Ishii match I wrote about for some reason.)
Devitt & Taguchi each have two belts now and are posing with them when Nosawa and TAKA interrupt. I can't take TAKA Michinoku seriously in his button up coat. Nice of TAKA to swear at Devitt in English. Champs don't let the interruption get them down.
The CMLL guys (and Tiger Mask, and Lyger and Karl Anderson?) come back to the ring. Sombra is limping on the way to the ring, that can't be good. Dino and Máximo drag Tanahashi in with them. Everyone waves ant the crowd and shakes each other's hands and stands around a bit until they pose for the group photo. Everyone starts leaving, but the lucahdors stop to start a Mexico chant. Místico stays in last to pose. Místico is mobbed on the way out.