Enrique, Geraldo and Karla are the announcers.
Match 1: Molotov & Sensei vs Cholo & Ramstein
Arena Mexico, 08/06/2013
Winner: técnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 13:37
Rating: below average/ok
Notes: Referee is Pompin.
1: Pairs are Sensei/Cholo and Molotov/Ramstein. Very not interesting. Sensei does his corner spin escapes and fake out kicks the second time thru to set up the finish. Molotov's huracanrana on Ramstein looks very loose – Ramstein doesn’t go with it at the right time, I think.
2: Mat wrestling was pretty dead in the first fall. Sensei does more martial arts spots in the second. Molotov gets in his showcase too, then Cholo just stomps Sensei when he drops down to get the advantage. Ramstein slowly walks Sensei halfway up the ramp to lightly throw him back to the ring, and that's about how this match is going. Cholo slams Molotov, then doesn't quite turn him right for Ramstein's legdrop but he lands it anyway. Ramstein holds Sensei over his knees for Cholo's leg lariat to finish it. The big replay graphic makes it hard to see the moves on the replay.
3: Rudos toss and kick the tecnicos. Cholo goes after Molotov's left arm, then doesn't do much about it the rest of the show. Sensei get sandwiched by dropkicks to either side of the head. Molotov gets in the armdrag/headscissors combo and is booed for it. It's not like the crowd is reacting to the rudos, Molotov just isn't very good it. Sensei takes out the rudos with his kicks,
Match 2: Pegasso, Starman, Tritón vs Namajague, Puma, Shigeo Okumura
Arena Mexico, 08/06/2013
Winner: rudos (2-1)
Match Time: 14:33
Rating: good
Notes: Referee is Bestia Negra. I almost always leave the sound up but I turned it down when Starrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrman got involved. Cadetes del Espacio shirts are long gone by the time we pick this up.
1: Pairs are Starman/Okumura, Pegasso/Namajague, Triton/Puma. Namajague's switched to blue facepaint. Triton has a new purple mask, with an open mouth like his friend. Triton headscissors Puma out, but chases him to the rudo side and gets sent hard into the barricade by Namajague. Okumura quickly Michinoku Driver, and Puma cuts of Pegasso's torito into a powerbomb. Namajague frog splashes everyone for the win. Nice setup for the finish.
2: Okumura & Puma boot out the técnicos, and roll to a dual pose. Triton is chopped around. Puma clotheslines Pegasso form corner to corner and dropkick him to the head, then kisses Triton's feet. Triton is so confused but takes the hug anyway, then gets chopped down by Puma. Puma yanks Triton's mask, and calls for the a timeout when the rudos break it up. Namajague back elbows and backdrops Triton for a two count. Namajague slaps down Starman and the rudos triple boot the técnico out. Rudos all stop down Pegasso. They're ruling this fall. Corner whip to Triton backfires, Triton runs up the corner, and Puma dropkicks his partner himself. Starman gets puma with a flying headscissors, Namajague bumps Starman, and Pegasso flying armdrags him. Tecnicos teases a triple dive, rudos escape, and técnicos all pose. Puma goes halfway in the crowd. Namajague is the sucker who goes back in, Starman slaps him around, and Pegasso hits not the best 450 splash for the fall.
Puma fights Starman off, but gets stuck on the middle rope, headscissored off, and Triton finishes with a standing moonsault.
3: Everyone goes to their corners – except Puma, who hits on the card girl. Pegasso armdrags and headscissors Okumura. Namajague pulls out the splits with Starman, but comes a bit short up on his springboard reverse plancha into Starman's dropkick. He sells getting hit in the face (which looked close enough) and rolls out. Puma wipes out amazingly on a missed senton, then blocks a headscissors only for Triton to flip out before the powerbomb. A Triton handspring spot goes bad, so Puma just superkicks him out, and powerbombs Pegasso as he jumps in. Pegasso comes back with an iffy quebradora to send Puma out. Namajague flips Pegasso to the apron, Pegasso fights him away, dives at Puma, and Puma catches him and smacks him into the barricade. Namajague's dropped hard by a Starman springboard dropkick, but Okumura breaks that up. Starman sunset flips Okumura for two. Puma intercedes, and his dropkick to the backside spot isn't time right. Puma lifts up Starman, almost looses him, then powerbombs him hard for a three count.
Triton leaps in, and manages to lead Namajague into a dropkick on Puma. Triton headscissors Namajague out towards the ramp, but Okumura rushes in and kicks him. Brainbuster one two three.
Replay of Puma's swing of Pegasso into the barricade looks brutal.
Match 3: Máscara Dorada, Super Porky, Thunder vs Euforia, Felino, Pierroth
Arena Mexico, 08/06/2013
Winner: técnicos (2-1)
Match Time: 12:21
Rating: below average
Notes: Referee is Pompin. Comandante is with the rudos, looks bored.
1: Felino and Thunder have words, which leads to Thunder and Pierroth shoving. Which leads to Thunder and Pierroth throwing wild punches at each other and missing. Thunder ties up Pierroth's legs, Pierroth gets the ropes, and the técnicos try to push the ropes away from him. Pierroth and Thunder do basic stuff and kicks, where Thunder rolling is a big high spot. Dorada & Euforia are moving quite a bit quicker, but stay in a lot shorter. Porky and Felino do fat comedy, Porky falling on top of Felino on a slam. Euforia breaks that up and starts the beatdown, since he's the only guy with a clue on his team. Other guys are taken out, Euforia spinebuster Porky and lands a sharp senton for three. Felino brings Dorada back in, dropkicks him, and holds him down for the pin.
2: Belt violence. Pierroth struggles with the big boot. Porky struggles with running. Corner clothesline for Thunder. Porky stops running and flattens Pierroth with a splash. Felino gently kicks Porky out, Dorada gets Felino with the floating headscissors, Euforia kicks him, and turns to clothesline Thunder, but that doesn't work. Thunder gives Euforia a terrible clothesline, so bad that Euforia is doesn't know he's supposed to be hit, and Dorada follows with a crazy tornillo. Highs and lows. Técnicos finish.
3: Dorada gets the belt and goes for revenge, but Comandante plays human shield. Thunder and Pierroth try brawling, which is not fantastic for two guys who have trouble selling. Thunder punches down Pierorth, but Pierroth dropkicks him back. Pierroth runs into increasingly awkward armdrags. Thunder manages to bodyslam him correctly this time. Euforia shakes the camera by knocking Porky, but gets backdropped out. Mascara Dorada has a crazy flipping run, and then an inside springboard headscissors on Felino. Dorada turns a press slam into a casadora armdrag on Euforia. Thunder gives Pierroth a horrible headscissors and Pierroth still can't catch him on his tope con giro. Maybe Thunder should stop doing that. Porky splashes Felino on the outside. Dorada gets back to the ramp, and running slingshot into a torito on Euforia for the win.
History Capsule: Pierroth. This includes more FdT footage than you'd expect. Violencia too! Juan Maldad handles the whole bio here, bringing up Pierroth's commentary on C3.
Match 4: Diamante Azul vs Vangellys for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
Arena Mexico, 08/06/2013
Winner: Diamante Azul (2-1)
Match Time: 15:47
Rating: ok
Notes: Seconds are Namajague and Dorada. Referee is Tirantes.
1: Chain wrestling to start, getting down to the mat and back up without anyone having a lengthy advantage. Diamante armdrags Vangelis away to force the break. Azul drops down for takedown, and slides right into a Vangelis kick. Vangelis holds Azul down and goes for the mask without getting anywhere. Azul pushes Vangelis into the ropes, and ducks the invisible clothesline before giving Vangelis the giant armdrag. Azul charges into a flip to the apron, Vangelis pulls Azul over the top rope, and kicks him as he hangs there. Normal suplex, blockbuster suplex, northern lights suplex for three! Vangelis has out suplexed the champion.
2: Vangelis chokes Azul. Whip, and iffy clothesline. Vangelis works at untying Azul's mask, and doesn't quite get it. Azul rolls oddly off the ropes right in position to take the Vangelis wheel kick. Vangelis goes after the mask again, which seems like a bad idea. Sure enough, Azul avoids a charge and superkicks Vangelis. One more superkick sends Vangelis out, and Azul follows with a tope. Replay. Azul brings Vangelis in and they tie up awkwardly. For a moment, not sure what's supposed to be happen, but then neither do they. Azul eventually catches Vangelis in a sleeper, flips him over for a sleeper slam, and holds on for a la de caballo and the submission.
Cut to Vangelis support sign now that he's lost. At least there's no Nazi symbols on this one.
3: Monkey flip time. Vangelis throws himself out just so he can take Azul's ramp dive, because we're well into Azul dong all his normal spots. Vangelis makes it back in, and rolls thru a huracanrana for a two count. Azul manages a corner sunset flip, Vangelis reveres at two and grabs the ropes, but Tirantes is all over it. Vangelis small packages Azul, but only can get 1. They're both very tired. Clothesline knock each other down tiredly to one knee, and they both forearm from there before falling over. This is not Rush vs Terrible. Both are out of gas and it's not selling. Azul seems to be worse. Azul does throw himself to the rap, and Vangelis dives thru the ropes to spear him. That didn't look as good as it does with smaller guys (also Azul was too far away), and also Vangelis to get him back in. Vangelis throws Azul in, but misses on a slingshot senton con giro. Azul rolls over on top for two. Both up at about the same time, Azul with a press slam powerbomb deal. Azul goes out and slowly goes up, with Vangelis climbs up and punching him. Vangelis attempts to suplex him off, and does pull of the superplex, cover, one two NO. Crowd not really into this. Vangelis goes back up the middle rope to pose. Vangelis double underhook backbreaker one two NO. This is more one sided than usual, but maybe because Vangelis is the one guy who can move. Azul slips behind an goes for the German suplex, but Vangelis breaks away. Kick, sit down powerbomb, one two NO. What's it going to take? Azul crucifix cradle for two. I'd be fine with this ending at an y time. Vangelis halfheartedly throws a punch, Azul blocks it, kicks him, and pulls him up for the escudo, Vangelis slips free, but Azul German suplexes him anyway. That's three.
Crowd does react stronger than I'd figured for the finish.
Stellar Moments
El Castigo: Amapola running sit on Estrellita
Lo Doloroso: Goya Rosa on Amaopla
El Tecnico: Mascara Dorada sort of torito on Namajague
La Plancha: Namajageu frog splash on Mascara Dorada
El Tecnico: Titanics on Taichi
Match 5: Gran Guerrero, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero © vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión ©
Arena Mexico, 08/06/2013
Winner: Guerreros (2-1)
Match Time: 5:51
Rating: below average
Notes: Guerreros enter as a group, then go charge at the Revolucinarios as a group. Dragon Rojo is easily kicked down, the others put up a second or two of fight.
1: Revolucinarios are beat up outside, then inside. Revolucinarios are whipped into each other and put in the new Guerrero triple submission for the win.
2: Revolucionarios are suddenly in control. Gran Guerrero's tossed into a dropkick. Escorpion runs from Ultimo, but the Revolucionarios manage to beat up Niebla Roja anyway. Rola's rolled into a kick to the face. Escorpion manages to get UG down and untie his mask, but still run into the monkey flip to the floor. Rojo and Pólvora, left on their own, immediately screw up. So do the lesser Guerreros. Gran Guerrero and Dragon Rojo fighting on the outside, then Roja and Pólvora tope on to them. Escorpion and Guerrero into finish it, Escorpion ungainly pulls Guerrero's mask off behind his back, and cradles UG, but leaves the mask right in sight of the referee. Ref counts, then stops and calls the DQ.
UG demands a singles match if Escorpion isn't scared. Rey Escorpion accepts. Everyone does this a lot better than I do it. Announcers wrap it up and talk about the singles match for next week. They also say the tournament final – the semifinal they skipped here – will air. We'll see!