1/5/13
6/1/12 Cabellera vs. Cabellera: Black Warrior vs. Rey Escorpion. Entertaining match mixing spectacular flying with submission holds.
6/29/12 Lucha en Jaula Femenil: Goya Kong, Princesa Blanca, Amapola, Estrellita, Dark Angel, Lady Apache, Tiffany, Marcela, La Seductora, & Dalis la Caribena. Women can climb fences too, and you can see the highlights of how exciting a spectator sport that makes about 9 times.
7/6/12 Torneo Cibernetico en Busc de un Idolo: Atlantis, Titan, Diamante, Triton, Rey Cometa, Ultimo Guerrero, Euforia, Niebla Roja, Polvora, & Puma King. Spectacular flying, but with this many guys it was tougher than usual to get on the same page and get the timing down. A lot of nice finishers, but with the editing it seemed like a new wrestler would come in and either scored a pinfall or get eliminated.
8/10/12 Relevos Australianos: Atlantis & La Mascara & Mistico vs. Dragon Rojo Jr. & Euforia & Ultimo Guerrero. Good stuff with Mistico doing ranas all over the place and the rudos going out of their way to make him look good. Rudos wasted a lot of time in between moves, but apart from that they were making the match, and their offense was as good if not better than the technicos.
1/12/13
9/14/12, Mask vs. Mask: Puma King vs. Rey Cometa
9/14/12, Hair vs. Hair: Rush vs. Terrible
9/28/12, NWA Middleweight Title Match: Dragon Rojo, Jr. vs. Prince Devitt
10/12/12, Reina International Women's Title Match: Amapola vs. Leon
10/15/93: Heavy Metal & Love Machine & Eddy Guerrero vs. El Hijo Del Santo & Octagon & Lizmark. Heavy Metal was such a great worker at this point, and Octagon was in top form as well. Love Machine was typically great as a rudo. The finishes were screw jobs, but otherwise it was pretty choice. ****
Estrellita & Silueta & Luna Magica vs. Amapola & Zeuxis & Tiffany. They did three short, fast-paced falls, changing off quickly to keep everyone fresh. It was a bit low impact, and Zeuxis is the only one who seemed to have some high level offense, but they worked hard and did a generally entertaining and more than passable match. Average match.
Rey Escorpion vs. Diamante Azul. They brought it from start to finish in this 1 fall match. It was basically an elongated finishing sequence, so while I wish they didn't find it necessary to go for the pin after every good move, at least it was pretty hot action throughout. I liked that there was no real technico/rudo stuff. Escorpion carried it with his offense, tossing Azul around with one power move after another, and setting him up to come back with 1 or 2 hot moves. Each had a big dive, but it was more a suplex match than a flying one. You didn't feel like Azul deserved to win, but then again, that's why Escorpion got the majority of the good spots. Good match.
Atlantis & Delta & Guerrero Maya, Jr. vs. Felino & Negro Casas & Mr. Niebla. Delta & Maya put on a show here. The old guys were fine; their strikes looked good enough and they hit the few spots they tried, but more importantly they didn't make the match about them. The rudos were setting up Delta & Maya from the get go, allowing them to provide the entertainment and just picking their spots for their own offense. Delta was a little smoother with his athletic spots than Maya, but both looked good and the rudos did a nice job of bumping for them. It started better than it finished, seeming to lose momentum with a brief nothing middle fall, but generally delivered. Above average match.
WWA 1990, El Santo, Jr. (Hijo Del Santo) & Gran Hamada & Yoshihiro Asai (Ultimo Dragon) vs. Blue Panther & Negro Casas & Fuerza Guerrera. This match was all about speed and technique. There was exactly no brawling or cheating from los rudos. The mat work was very impressive due to the amount of counters, and the speed at which they were performed. Panther was great in this regard as always, but even his stuff couldn't touch Casas vs. Santo. Some of the spots could have been a little smoother, particularly in the first fall, but otherwise it was pretty much top notch. ****1/4
4/3/92 Mexico City, Mascara Contra Mascara: Love Machine vs. Blue Panther. Lots of big moves, but it was short and not very dramatic. Love Machine did a great job of working the crowd, as always, but I was hoping for more than a 2 fall match with a screw job in the 2nd. ***
4/21/95 Queretaro, QRO: Juventud Guerrera vs. Rey Misterio, Jr. It was great seeing a match where these guys actually had the time and an audience with some patience. The misconception is these guys matches were only about spots, but that was only when they had a 3 minute "time limit" and/or nothing else was expected from them. Whether they were on the mat, running the ropes, or flying through the air, this match was mainly about coming up with a counter for your opponent's move. The offense was great, of course, but it was the speed and athleticism they displayed during the sequences of holds and counter holds that really stood out as something not often seen. These two had the Dynamite Kid vs. Tiger Mask chemistry where knowing how to react to your opponent really makes their skill come to the forefront and allows their match to reach the next level. It was kind of sloppy for them, although they covered the mistakes pretty well, and the finish wasn't believable, but otherwise it was pretty awesome. Rey got some incredible distance on his swandive plancha at the end. ****1/2
12/14/99 Arena Coliseo, D.F., Campeonato Nacional de Peso Semi Completo: Black Warrior vs. Olimpico. They had the ability to do a really good match, but the falls were all so lame. The first fall was literally 30 seconds, the second wasn't too much longer, and the third ended in a double count out just when you were starting to think it might make up for the first two. **
1/19/13
Valiente & Hijo Del Fantasma & Stuka Jr. vs. Namajague & Puma King & Tiger. Valiente vs. Puma King was the only combo that delivered outside of the finishing sequence. They had the better mat segment, and by far the best athletic segment. The main story was Namajague trying to unmask Stuka, perhaps setting up a mask match. Namajague was DQ'd for succeeding in the 1st fall, so he repeatedly tried to rip the mask off again right in front of the ref throughout the 2nd. It wasn't helping that Namajague's wild costume needed constant readjustment with the mask and furry boot covering seeming ready to fall off on its own. Finally, Namajague unmasked himself and tossed the mask at the ref hoping for the DQ, but the ref had his back turned so Stuka picked it up, small packaged Namajague, and laid the mask on top of his face for the win. Average match.
CMLL World Trios Championship: Marco Corleone & Rush & Maximo vs. Volador Jr. & Psicosis & Mr. Aguila. They screwed around for the first 2 falls, which mainly consisted of stalling and clowning. There was just no rhythm or flow here. They ran and jumped around a lot in the 3rd, but none of the pairings were particularly graceful or well timed. Poor match.
1/26/13
Stuka Jr. & Fuego & Rey Cometa vs. Namajague & Vangellys & Virus. The main thrust was continuing the Stuka vs. Namajague mask angle with Namajague succeeding in unmasking Stuka for the 1st fall DQ and still trying again in the 2nd, but only succeeding to unshirt Cometa. The match was up and down with the first fall being bad early because Vangellys is too thick and knotted up to make anything look smooth and fluid, but the 2nd half having a lot of good flying. The rudo first half of the second fall was lame with Vangellys not being able to use his strength to get any impact behind his offense, but again some good flying later on. Stuka was easily the class of the match. There's a grace and technical precision to his flying his teammates just don't possess that's the difference between someone who appears to have been trained in gymnastics and someone who just has natural athleticism and wants to be entertaining. Average match.
Ultimo Guerrero & Averno & Niebla Roja vs. Blue Panther & Valiente & Brazo de Plata. This was just a shame because there was some high end work from Guerrero, Panther, & Valiente wasted trying to prop up the usual shenanigans of Porky sticking his stomach out. Guerrero put forth a great effort to almost make Porky look passable, but the excellent stuff when Porky & Averno weren't in never really built any momentum because the focus was instead on Porky. Above average match.
1/26/13
Pegasso & Stigma & Starman vs. Nitro & Skandalo & Arkangel. Always decent, but never much better. Arkangel directed traffic, while Skandalo provided most of the offense for his side. Starman was the best on the technico side. Average match.
Puma vs. Guerrero Maya. International junior heavyweight style 1 fall sprint. Technico & rudo in name only, these two just exchanged big spots for 8 quality minutes. They had good chemistry, and did a fun and exciting match. Good match.
Marco Corleone & Diamante Azul & Shocker vs. Mr. Niebla & Felino & Negro Casas. I've enjoyed almost all of these guys in the past, but this was a real DUD. It had no flow and never gained any momentum because they just kept stalling. Corleone seemed to always be in, so obviously nothing was happening. He can vault the top rope, but the rest of the time mostly has to pose to avoid looking clumsy doing actual lucha libre. Still, I can't totally blame Jindrak because the others weren't picking it up when he was actually on the apron. Poor match.
2/2/13
Amapola & Princesa Sugehit & Princesa Blanca vs. Estrellita & Silueta & Luna Magica. This was really awful with Zeuxis to do something. The first fall was GLOW level with no one displaying any grace or skill. Silueta & Estrellita had a few moments in the 2nd, but it was still well below average and I was just thankful there wasn't a third. Poor match.
Atlantis vs. Mr. Niebla. There's something fundamentally wrong about shaving time from a lightning match, but admittedly there wasn't much electricity early on. They got some heat by ripping each others masks to keep the stalling from being obvious. It got good in the 2nd half, picking up considerably after Atlantis' tope. Overall, it was worth watching, but you felt they should have put more effort into it. Average match.
Mr. Aguila & Psicosis & Volador Jr. vs. La Sombra & Mascara Dorado & Titan. Show stopping athletic match that started with athletic counters and quickly had a series of big dives, highlighted by an awesome simultaneous triple dive in the third. None of the usual stalling and stomping. Everyone contributed to making the match exciting. Psicosis was actually the least showy of the bunch by far, but did a nice job of being the base for everyone else's flying. Volador's offense is much better than most of the technicos, and there was a lot of heat and electricity on him vs. Sombra, but Dorado was the show stealer. My favorite part was when Volador arm dragged a charging Dorado over the top onto the ramp and Dorado eventually came back windsprinting into a leaping over the top rana. The match stood out for being so spectacular, but the spots were fairly well set up even though they were mostly showing off. ***3/4
1997 Arena Coliseo, D.F.: Black Warrior vs. Negro Casas. Warrior was flying all over the place in this one. He took it to Casas. He's faster, more athletic, and generally a better looking worker than Casas at this point (1997 I guess), but the veteran Casas can still go and knows how to use his opponents strengths to his advantage. Great action while it lasted, but the tercera caida was either incredibly short or clipped down to nothing. ***1/2
2/3/13
Triton & Diamante & Fuego vs. Virus & Raziel & Sangre Azteca. An always worthwhile technical match that kept getting better. Triton had the best moments, but seemed to hardly be in beyond the finishes. Fuego was the main standout. Diamante was unfortunately featured. He tried really hard, but isn't really graceful enough to be a techico in a straight match. Raziel did his best to carry him. He was the only heel that really delivered, but most of his efforts were squandered in the sense that he had to work hard to elevate Diamante to a level that still wasn't even close to his partners. Good match.
Mephisto & Namajague & Ephesto vs. Guerrero Maya Jr. & Rey Cometa & Stuka Jr.. The best of the recent Stuka vs. Namajague matches because Namajague actually behaved, and *gasp* wrestled rather than just tugging at the mask for the DQ. Stuka gave a brief ode to the unmasking early in the 3rd fall, but otherwise the technicos did their usual athletic stuff. Namajague was by far the best on the rudo side, as he has a lot more athleticism and some actual offense. Mephisto & Ephisto took well enough, but had the blandest brawling offense. Cometa had the highest level of difficulty, but didn't pull everything off. All the technicos were enjoyable.
2/10/13
Torneo Reyes del Aire 2013 Semifinal: La Sombra, La Mascara, Titan, Hijo del Fantasma, Rey Cometa, Delta, Stuka Jr., Sagrado, Averno, Euforia, Dragon Rojo Jr., Mr. Aguila, Polvora, Namajague, Felino & Tiger. The huge elimination match works better in Lucha where the finishes come too quickly and easily no matter the rules. You had 15 guys who wanted to do dives and were trying to be remembered, and then Averno, who eventually pulled out a big body slam and had to do his Devil's wings finisher twice since no one would get pinned after a stomp. Polvoro had a big match, really carrying the rudo side, but it ultimately wound up being a disappointing match because once he was gone you were left with Dragon Rojo & Averno who simply weren't up to the task of bringing this one home even in spite of Sombra's efforts. Sombra did a nice job of picking his spots throughout the body of the match, but it was Cometa who was the offensive star for the technico side. Namajague vs. Stuka was good here again, and they did a good angle to add to their program where Stuka almost had Namajague beat, but Namajague stopped his la magistral midway and shoved him off into the ref then fouled him for the pin. Good match.
2/9/13
Nitro & Arkangel de la Muerte & Skandalo vs. Fuego & Hombre Bala Jr. & Super Halcon Jr. Fuego had his moments, mostly in the 1st fall, and Halcon & Bala gave big efforts with Halcon definitely being the better of the two. Arkangel did a nice job of guiding Halcon & Bala through the match, as expected. Nitro & Skandalo did a few decent moves, but didn't do much to facilitate good wrestling from the technicos, so it was really only good when Arkangel or Fuego (he doesn't need as much help) were in. Above average match.
Estrellita & Dark Angel & Marcela vs. Amapola & Princesa Blanca & Princesa Sugehit. The match was good when Angel or Marcela was in with a Princesa but divas level when Estrellita was in with Amapola. Unfortunately, the focus was on Estrellita vs. Amapola. I'm not even sure the 1st fall qualifies as wrestling, but the 2nd fall was actually mostly good. Below average match.
Shocker & Maximo & Rush vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Mephisto & Terrible. Three quick uneventful falls. Guerrero attacked guest announcer Atlantis after the 1st fall, busting his lip open by running him into a metal structure. It was somewhat chaotic after this, with Atlantis leaving the broadcast booth after the subsequent falls to yell at the rudos. Below average match.
2/16/13
Bam Bam & Fantasy & Astro vs. Demus 3:16 & Peq. Violencia & Peq. Olimpico. Olimpico carried his team in all aspects, wrestling like a technico offensively but still being a good base for the opponents athletic spots. Astro is some athlete. He's just super quick and fluid, pulling flips as though they were nothing. Demus was good as well. Above average match.
Stuka Jr. & Rey Cometa & Hijo del Fantasma vs. Namajague & Misterioso Jr. & Okamura. They were so concerned with the angle they practically forgot about doing a match. It wasn't bad, just a means to an end. Again, Namajague played fair, but Stuka ripped his mask clear off. In a reverse of the usual, the ref managed to miss the rudo getting unmasked and DQ'd him for unmasking technico Stuka in retaliation. Stuka challenged Namajague to a mask match, but Rey Cometa then got on the mic and changed it to Stuka's mask & Cometa's hair vs. Namajague's mask & Okamura's hair. Below average match.
Atlantis & Rush & Shocker vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Tiger & Terrible. They continued the angle from last week with the heat now on Atlantis vs. Guerrero. The first two falls were quick and bad, mostly brawling with Atlantis' mask getting ripped. The third fall was a little better, having enough time that they actually did some moves, but Shocker was the only technico who wasn't useless, and he was far from his best as well. Below average match.
2/17/13
Oro Jr. & Sensei vs. Artillero & Super Comando
Torneo Reyes del Aire 2013 Semifinal: Volador Jr. Maximo, Mascara Dorada, Valiente, Angel de Oro, Guerrero Maya Jr., Diamante, Triton, Fuego, Mephisto, Rey Escorpion, Niebla Roja, Psicosis, Sangre Azteca, Virus, Puma
3/10/13
Dalys & Estrellita & Silueta vs. Amapola & Tiffany & Zeuxis
Atlantis & Mistico & Rush vs. Euforia & Niebla Roja & Ultimo Guerrero
2/23
Dragon Rojo Jr. vs. Hijo del Fantasma [lightning]
Angel de Oro & Stuka Jr. & Valiente vs. Averno & Mephisto & Namajague
Euforia & Niebla Roja & Ultimo Guerrero vs.Atlantis & La Mascara & Super Porky
3/2
La Mascara vs. Averno [lightning]
Guerrero Maya Jr. & Rey Cometa & Stuka Jr. vs.Misterioso Jr. & Namajague & Okumura
Mr. Aguila & Psicosis & Volador Jr. vs.Angel de Oro & La Sombra & Mascara Dorada
5/4/97 Arena Coliseo, D.F., NWA World Light Heavyweight Title Match: Shocker vs. Black Warrior (Ex VQ). Technical match. Almost the entire primera caida was on the mat. Not that spectacular, but purists will definitely appreciate it. Tercera caida had tons of near finishes. Some flying there, but for the most part they stayed true to the match they were doing, using submissions and pinning predicaments rather than the glamorous stuff they are capable of. Dramatic and well built. ***3/4
3/1
Dalys & Estrellita & Silueta vs. Amapola & La Comandante & La Seductora
Reyes del Aire Final: La Sombra vs. Volador Jr. ****1/2
3/2
Pegasso & Starman & Triton vs. Hooligan & Nitro & Skandalo
Marco Corleone & Rush & Shocker vs. Mr. Niebla & Terrible & Ultimo Guerrero
3/9
Averno & La Mascara vs. Felino & Hijo del Fantasma
La Sombra & Volador Jr. vs. Guerrero Maya Jr. & Negro Casas
Mr. Niebla & Shocker vs. Kraneo & Marco Corleone
Mascara Dorada & Mephisto vs. Maximo & Mr. Aguila
La Sombra & Volador Jr. vs. Averno & La Mascara
Mr. Niebla & Shocker vs. Mascara Dorada & Mephisto
La Sombra & Volador Jr. vs. Mr. Niebla & Shocker
3/16
Dragon Rojo Jr. & Niebla Roja vs. Rush & Terrible
Blue Panther & Rey Escorpion vs. Delta & Tiger
Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero vs. Polvora & Valiente
Diamante Azul & Euforia vs. Angel de Oro & Ephesto
Dragon Rojo Jr. & Niebla Roja vs. Blue Panther & Rey Escorpion
Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero vs. Diamante Azul & Euforia
Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero vs. Dragon Rojo Jr. & Niebla Roja
3/23
La Sombra & Volador Jr. vs. Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero
Hair vs. Hair: Estrellita vs. Amapola
3/31
Mr. Aguila & Mr. Niebla & Negro Casas vs. Diamante Azul & La Mascara & Shocker
Estrellita & Goya Kong & Marcela vs. Amapola & Princesa Blanca & Princesa Sugheit
Atlantis vs. Ultimo Guerrero
4/7
Demus 3:16 & Pierrothito vs. Astral & Shockercito
Rey Escorpion vs. Mascara Dorada [lightning]
Mr. Aguila & Terrible & Volador Jr. vs. Marco Corleone & Rush & Shocker
4/14
Cancerbero & Raziel & Virus vs. Pegasso & Starman & Triton
Maximo vs. Tiger [lightning]
Atlantis & Shocker & Thunder vs. Averno & Mephisto & Mr. Aguila
4/21
Mercurio & Pequeno Nitro & Pequeno Olimpico vs. Acero & Aereo & Fantasy
Rey Cometa vs. Namajague [lightning]
La Sombra & Marco Corleone & Shocker vs. Dragon Rojo Jr. & Mr. Aguila & Rey Escorpion
4/28
Disturbio & Hijo del Signo vs. Metalico & Molotov
Mexican Welterweight #1 Contender Cibernetico: Averno & Mistico vs. Valiente & Rey Cometa & Guerrero Maya Jr. & Fuego & Volador Jr. & Sangre Azteca & Tiger & Namajague
Atlantis & Diamante Azul & Shocker vs. Euforia & Mr. Aguila & Ultimo Guerrero
5/5
Ephesto & Felino & Mephisto vs. Angel de Oro & Delta & Guerrero Maya Jr.
Hair vs. Hair: Rey Cometa vs. Namajague
5/12
Aereo & Fantasy & Shockercito vs. Pequeno Nitro & Pequeno Violencia & Pequeno Warrior
Misterioso Jr. & Namajague & Shigeo Okumura vs. Fuego & Rey Cometa & Stuka Jr.
Euforia & Niebla Roja & Ultimo Guerrero vs. Mascara Dorada & Mistico & Thunder
5/19
Dragon Rojo Jr. vs. Angel de Oro. Excellent offense but ordinary work. Maybe that's a bit harsh, but these guys are better than they were able to show, as the chemistry wasn't quite there. They had confidence in themselves, so everything that didn't require much cooperation looked fantastic, but not in their work together, so the sequences were too deliberate, not slow motion but certainly it felt that way given these two are fairly good workers. They certainly did several nice things, including Rojo hitting a diving footstomp off the 2nd to the floor to the back of a standing Oro and Oro hitting an Orihara moonsault, but it was a good match on paper that didn't quite make it in actuality. Above average match.
Valiente & Hijo del Fantasma & Rey Cometa vs. Vangellys & Namajague & Okumura. Cometa was out to make this a good match on his own. He was at his most spectacular in tag, and just put on an aerial exhibition, particularly in the 2nd. Namajague carried the rudo side with great stuff against Cometa (though mostly due to Cometa) and good stuff with Fantasma. The match really heated up with Cometa vs. Namajague in the 2nd fall. Fantasma & Vangellys contributed, including Vangellys doing perhaps the only cool spear in history, as it was set up like a tope but he tackled the opponent instead. Valiente & Okumura (thankfully) didn't play big roles, but were effective enough when called upon. Good match.
Blue Panther & La Mascara & Mascara Dorada vs. Comandante Pierroth & Boby Zavala & Rey Escorpion. I was happy that Pierroth, Jr. finally retired 5 years ago, but now the former Toro Blanco and Poder Mexica has taken over the mantle and leadership of the Puerto Rican movement. The first two falls were the usual Pierroth stuff, which is to say unskilled rudo brawling. Even Escorpion, who is one of the absolute best and hardest working rudos did very little before the 3rd. Finally, a wrestling match broke out, and there was some high quality stuff, particularly from Escorpion vs. Dorada. Dorada did a cool dive that looked like it was going to be a body press, but he turned it into an arm drag at the last second. Panther tried hard in the third. He didn't look great, but his smarts and effort helped make up for what he lacks these days in athleticism. Pierroth finally came back in and went back to standing around flexing his muscles, and when that didn't work bashed Mascara a few times with a garbage can to spoil a good fall. Average match.
6/16
Astral & Electrico vs. Pequeno Olimpico & Pequeno Violencia. Olimpico was the star of the match, giving a very well rounded performance where he did a nice job taking, and also was showing up the technicos offensively. Violencia was no threat to show up anyone, but as a Boricuas was at least well above the WWF standard. Electrico was good here too, and he worked well with Astral. Fans gave Astral a hard time when he slipped climbing the ropes, and were annoyed by the 2nd fall count out of Violencia. Violencia was immediately eliminated a minuted into the third, so there may have been something wrong with him? Olimpico didn't last long without him though, so who knows? Apart from a few problems, it was good when Violencia wasn't on offense, but lost steam and the crowd midway through the 2nd and practically didn't have a 3rd fall. Above average match.
Diamante & Pegasso & Triton vs. Shigeo Okumura & Cancerbero & Raziel. Fast paced match that mostly showcased the technicos athleticism. Pegasso had a new white with blue outfit that I didn't think was quite as cool, but his offense was really on today. Triton was on fire again with spectacular flying, but Pegasso was not only featured, but was so much better than usual he was actually making it hard for Triton to steal the show. Raziel was definitely the rudo of choice with everyone doing their best stuff with him. In fact, Diamante working by far the least with him may have been one of the reasons he was almost an afterthought here. Good match.
Mistico & La Sombra & Mascara Dorada vs.Volador Jr. & Euforia & Terrible. Aerial spectacle with Euforia & Terrible mostly existing to be dove at. Really fast paced match with guys leaping at each other from all angles. Sombra & Volador had some great moments together, but they were continually pausing to set up the matchup but ultimately just teasing us with flashes of brilliance as they'd find a way to have it interrupted. Finally, when you thought they were going to deliver, Volador ripped Sombra's mask off for the DQ to end it, then challenged him to a 1 fall title match, and yanked is mask off again to add insult to injury. Volador, Sombra, & Dorada all looked great, and Mistico is fun when he's hitting things even if he's the Mexican Jack Evans. Euforia & Terrible did their job. Overall, a little worse than the typical Sombra/Volador tag because it was only 2 falls and Mistico was hit and miss. ***1/2
5/26
Nitro & Skandalo & Hooligan vs. Triton & Pegasso & Starman. These guys aren't the major talents for the most part, but they worked hard from start to finish, building almost everything out of sequences and doing very little stalling and standing around. Triton is a fantastic athlete and does have the talent to move into the bigger matches. He delivered all the best flying, while Pegasso relies on flying that's a bit beyond what he can truly make look good and Starman is one of the least athletic under 40 technicos in the promotion. Starman & Hooligan made up in effort what they lacked in pure skill and athleticism even if there was a noticable positive bump when Triton worked with Hooligan. Overall, a nice traditional undercard match that was entertaining enough but lacked anything to really distinguish it. Above average match.
La Sombra & Diamante Azul & Maximo vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Comandante Pierroth & Negro Casas. A real mixed bag. All the heat was on Sombra vs. Nakamura, with Sombra's 3rd fall pin setting up the title match on 5/31. I was hoping Nakamura would revert back to the wrestler we used to love who pulled out moonsaults in between kicking ass, but though he actually did more than just knee, he was mainly holding Sombra back by forcing him into a bunch of striking exchanges. Still, there stuff was really intense and the best wrestling in the match for sure. Maximo vs. Pierroth was a bunch of preening and posing. Maximo could be good if he didn't just do his shtick, while after just two weeks I'm certain Pierroth is a strong contender for CMLL's worst non Porky wrestler. Azul vs. Casas was solid, workmanlike stuff, but with the focus rightfully on Sombra vs. Nakamura and Maximo & Pierroth being their typical attention seeking distractions, Azul & Casas were just kind of filling out the match. Above average match.
6/2
Molotov & Sensei vs. Artillero & Super Comando. Match never got going and no one showed good offense or did anything impressive. The match lacked rhythm because the rudos just stopped to brawl at every opportunity. The technicos were athletic enough but never seemed to translate that to their actual offense. Everytime you thought they were going to do something cool, they did something less than you hoped. Below average match.
Princesa Blanca & La Seductora & Princesa Sugehit vs. Marcela & Dallys & Silueta. Match was good when Marcela was in. The non Marcela stuff wasn't horrible, but was mostly forgettable, at best. Unfortunately, Dallys was featured, and she's the worst of the 6. Silueta was also totally unimpressive in the first 2 falls, but turned it on in the 3rd. The rudos were all passable, with Seductora showing the most. Below average match.
Atlantis & La Mascara & La Sombra vs. Comandante Pierroth & Shinsuke Nakamura & Ultimo Guerrero. This was surprisingly tame given two big fueds, and Pierroth should incite people one way or another. Nakamura kept stalling, and Pierroth is so slow and robotic. Pierroth can't even get a "running" kick or roll to his back to get pinned properly. The ends of the falls were good, but it was a brief match the technicos swept and just never really developed into anything, not really even touching on the Atlantis/Ultimo feud, just focusing on Sombra/Nakamura and seeing Pierroth have to resort to whipping Mascara with his belt to get something right, except half of those shots mostly missed... Other than Pierroth, it was okay, but just a missed opportunity. Average match.
Dinastia & El Elegido & Faby Apache & Pimpinela Escarlata vs. Mamba & Mini Abismo Negro & Silver Cain & Taya Valkyrie
AAA Mega Title #1 Contendership: Heavy Metal vs. Chessman
AAA World Tag Title Decision Elimination Match: Crazy Boy & Joe Lider vs. Angelico & Jack Evans vs. Drago & Fenix vs. Mr. E & Sexy B vs. Daga & Psicosis
Jeff Jarrett & Matt Morgan & Monster Pain vs. Monster Clown & Murder Clown & Psycho Clown
AAA Mega Title: El Texano Jr. vs. Heavy Metal
AAA Latin America Title Decision Match: Blue Demon Jr. vs. El Mesias
Dr. Wagner Jr. & Electroshock & La Parka & Octagon vs. El Canek & Mascara Ano 2000 & Universo 2000 & Villano IV
Hair vs. Hair: Perro Aguayo Jr. vs. Cibernetico
Hombre Bala Jr. & Super Halcon Jr. vs. Artillero & Super Comando
Averno & Dragon Rojo Jr. & Mr. Niebla vs. Blue Panther & Mascara Dorada & Mistico II
Relevos Increibles: Negro Casas & Shocker & Terrible vs. Maximo & Rey Escorpion & Rush
Namajague & Shigeo Okumura & Virus vs. Pegasso & Starman & Triton
IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: La Sombra vs. Volador Jr. ****
Rusher Kimura & Jun Izumida & Tamon Honda vs. Masa Fuchi & Haruka Eigen & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs. Steve Williams & Wolf Hawkfield
Takao Omori & Yoshihiro Takayama & Daisuke Ikeda vs. Johnny Ace & Mike Barton & Scorpio
CMLL 6/9/13
Lluvia & Marcela & Silueta vs. Amapola & La Seductora & Tiffany. Marcela looked really good, as usual, despite being a professional amongst amateurs. Seductora's level was raised by being programmed against Marcela, but she did some good things of her own accord. The only other one who showed anything positive was Amapola, but she could only do so much with Lluvia and Silueta. Lluvia is more toward not doing too much, but at least doing most of it well, while Silueta sometimes appears to have some potential because she's a decent athlete but is overall too imprecise and uncoordinated to display any consistency. Tiffany is actually 2 years younger than Marcela, but her gaudiness makes her look old enough to be Marcela's mom, and her work was indicitive of someone that age. Below average match.
IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. La Sombra. Nakamura's chest had red and black body paint that made him look like a devilish Cyber Kong. Thankfully, he still wrestles a lot better than that, but I can no longer consider him an elite wrestler until he's once again willing to alter his style to suit the strengths of the opponent. It's not that Nakamura didn't allow or even help Sombra look good, but that he knows how to have a back and forth match that plays to both of their strengths, but instead eliminated all interplay, dictating a clearly deliniated first two falls where he did his slow paced heel striking style for the first fall and a half and then whipped Sombra into the ropes to switch to Sombra's flying style, allowing Sombra to jump at him a few times to even things up. The third fall was far less formulaic and far more dynamic because they began countering between styles, showing promise and potential but still being a long way from delivering at the level their individual talent dictates. Both did dives, but I was more impressed by Sombra turning a kick into a bomb and Nakamura turning a charge into a flying armbar. Nakamura didn't suddenly become a luchador, but he at least threw in a dropkick and a couple suplex/bomb attempts and generally tried to be in step, which was progress over his earlier matches on this Mexican excursion. Sombra handled the striking well, with both men showing good impact, but Nakamura failing to take these segments anywhere or make them prove anything. I think Sombra would have shined more against any number of quality rudos, but there was too much combined talent in the ring to keep it from being quality, enjoyable match. Perhaps it was a step in a positive direction for Nakamura as it was less one-dimensional than what he's been doing in Japan, but there was no doubt anymore that Sombra was the better wrestler & Nakamura was holding him back both with lack of effort & unwillingness to deviate to far from the little he's currently willing to do. Good match.
Nitro & Skandalo vs. Metalico & Sensei
Estrellita & Marcela & Silueta vs. Amapola & Princesa Blanca & Princesa Sugehit
Mascara Dorada & Mistico & Valiente vs. Averno & Ephesto & Mephisto
Revelos Australianos: Atlantis & Blue Panther & Negro Casas vs. Black Terry & Negro Navarro & Solar I
Super Libre: Volador Jr. vs. La Sombra ***1/2
8/18/13
Lancelot & Rocky Lobo vs. Lucky Boy & Rey Celestial vs. Gemelo Muerte I & Gemelo Muerte II
Chica Yeye & Miedo Xtremo & Nino Hamburguesa vs. Hombre sin Miedo & Kendor Jr. & Sobredosis
Drastik Boy & Flamita vs. Jinzo & Kaleth vs. Pentagon Jr. & Steve Pain vs. Angel del Misterio & Articus vs. Hacker & Laredo Kid
8/19/13
Steve Pain vs. Flamita vs. Kaleth vs. Hacker vs. Septimo Dragon vs. Artikus
DTU Alto Impacto Title Match: Drastik Boy vs. Tomahawk
Death Match: Aeroboy & Hormiga vs. Ciclope & Paranoiko vs. Crazy Boy & Joe Lider vs. Angel O Demonio & Obett
8/19/13
Hooligan Byron & Kaientai & Xtreme Dragon vs. Black Fire & Hormiga & Septimo Dragon
Beach Tournament (amateur wrestling)
Aeroboy & Ultimo Gladiador vs. Ciclope & Paranoiko vs. Crazy Boy & Joe Lider vs. Angel O Demonio & Obett
7/4/13
Torneo DTU Alto Impacto Torneo Cibernetico Match: Steve Pain vs. Hormiga vs. Miedo Xtremo vs. Orion vs. Articus vs. Septimo Dragon
Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards vs. Flamita & Hacker vs. Jinzo & Principe Halcon vs. Aeroboy & Violento Jack
100 Lighttubes Extreme Match: Ciclope & Drastik Boy vs. Crazy Boy & Joe Lider
Tomohiro Ishii & Namajague & Shigeo Okumura vs. Fuego & Rey Cometa & Stuka Jr.
Euforia & Mephisto & Niebla Roja vs. Brazo de Plata & Maximo & Titan
Relevos Increibles: Marco Corleone & Rush & Vangelis vs. Negro Casas & Shocker & Terrible
Submission Rules Hair Vs. Hair Match: Averno vs. Blue Panther
winners advance: La Sombra & Volador Jr. vs. Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero
CMLL World Trios Title: Mascara Dorada & Mistico & Valiente vs. Dragon Rojo Jr. & Polvora & Rey Escorpion
Mask Vs. Mask: La Sombra vs. Volador Jr. ****
Antonio Pena Cup 1st Round
Fenix vs. El Mesias vs. Monster Clown vs. Silver King
El Hijo del Fantasma vs. Axel vs. Daga vs. Octagon vs. Pentagon Jr.
La Parka vs. Electroshock vs. Mascara Ano 2000 vs. La Parka Negra
Chessman vs. Cibernetico vs. El Hijo del Perro Aguyo vs. Psicosis
Antonio Pena Cup Final: La Parka vs. Chessman vs. Fenix vs. El Hijo del Fantasma
Dark Cuervo & Mamba & Mari Apache & Mini Abismo Negro vs. El Elegido & Faby Apache & Octagoncito & Pimpinela Escarlata
AAA Tag Title Elimination Match: Crazy Boy & Joe Lider vs. Angelico & Jack Evans vs. Aero Star & Drago vs. Dark Escoria & Dark Espiritu
AAA Heavyweight Title: El Texano Jr vs. Psycho Clown
Cancerbero & Raziel vs. Soberano Jr. & Super Halcon Jr.
Goya Kong & Marcela & Silueta vs. Dallys & La Seductora & Tiffany
Angel de Oro & Rey Cometa & Titan vs. Averno & Ephesto & Mephisto
Blue Panther & Shocker & Thunder vs. Euforia & Mr. Niebla & Negro Casas
Niebla Roja & Ultimo Guerrero & Volador Jr. vs. La Sombra & Maximo & Mistico II
Tama Tonga vs. Rush
Meyer & Tigre Rojo vs. Guerrero Negro Jr. & Herodes Jr.
Asturiano & Leono & Robin vs. Fuerza Chicana & Inquisidor & Siki Ozama Jr.
CMLL World Women’s Title: Marcela vs. Dalys. About as good as they were capable of. Marcela was in top form & all her offense was running or jumping at Dalys so Dalys didn't really have to do anything. Dalys, of course, wasn't good, but kept it simple & allowed Marcela to steal the show.
Maximo & Super Porky vs. Felino & Puma
Relevos Increibles: La Mascara & Rush & Vangellys vs. Negro Casas & Shocker & Terrible
La Sombra vs Volador Jr. The brief first 2 falls may have been the worst they've ever done together because they were basically lame brawling from Volador then a couple cool moves for the pin. They swiched into full on DragonForce mode at the start of the 3rd fall though, and it was just insane how fast they were able to pull off their amazing athletic sequences. This briefly looked like what we've come to expect from them, maybe better. Sombra was feeling it, hitting a moonsault attack to the floor & rolling through to his feet then high fiving a fan, and you thought the 3rd fall was going to be insanely awesome as most of their previous matches had been, but there just wasn't enough substance & action here to meet their previous standards. The match was too short & as with their later matches they lay around too much. Granted, the all out sprinting for the sequence itself somewhat earned them the subsequent break, the bursts were going to be what you remembered even though the match had considerably less spots & sequences as a whole than their others. I was expecting Volador to win since he'd infamously lost his mask to Sombra on 9/13/13, but Sombra got him again with a super Frankensteiner. For me, the match was most similar to their 10/9/12 lightning match in that it was a taste of the best things they can do, but didn't really feel complete. I liked the lightning match more though because it was one consistent & cohesive fall, pretty much the good without the rest. Both are beyond what most others are capable of, but definitely nowhere near what these two can do together. ***1/4
taped 11/3/13 Arena Coliseo
Tama Tonga & Terrible & Volador Jr. vs. La Mascara & Maximo & Shocker
Mexican Lightheavyweight Title Match: Mephisto vs. Titan
Arena Coliseo Tag Title Match: Delta & Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Namajague & Shigeo Okumura
taped 11/10/13 Arena Coliseo
Fuego & Rey Cometa & Stuka Jr. vs. Namajague & Sangre Azteca & Shigeo Okumura
Atlantis & Blue Panther & Super Porky vs. Niebla Roja & Pierroth & Mephisto
Gran Guerrero & Mr. Niebla & Ultimo Guerrero vs. Mascara Dorada & Mistico II & Valiente
Taped 11/15/13 Arena Mexico
Lightning Match: Titan vs. Boby Zavala
Atlantis & Blue Panther & Diamante Azul vs. Felino & Mr. Niebla & New Pierroth
La Mascara & La Sombra & Rush vs. Negro Casas & Tama Tonga & Terrible
Taped 11/22/13 Arena Mexico:
Hombre Bala Jr. & Super Halcon Jr. vs. Disturbio & Guerrero Negro Jr.
Dalys & La Seductora & Princesa Blanca vs. Dark Angel & Goya Kong & Silueta
Angel de Oro & Stuka Jr. & Triton vs. Misterioso Jr. & Shigeo Okumura & Virus
Kraneo & Psyco Ripper & Vangellys vs. Atlantis & Blue Panther & La Mascara
Negro Casas vs. Rush
Euforia & Ultimo Guerrero & Volador Jr. vs. Mascara Dorada & Mistico II & Valiente
Mercurio & Pequeno Warrior vs. Acero & Stukita
Magnus & Stigma & Super Halcon Jr. vs. Camorra & Hijo del Signo & Nosferatu
Delta & Guerrero Maya Jr. & Triton vs. Arkangel de la Muerte & Hooligan & Nitro
Lightning Match: Dark Angel vs. Dalys
Niebla Roja & Ultimo Guerrero & Volador Jr. vs. Rey Cometa & Super Porky & Thunder
La Sombra & Titan & Valiente vs. Averno & Ephesto & Mephisto
Mercurio & Pequeno Violencia & Pequeno Warrior vs. Electrico & Pequeno Halcon & Ultimo Dragoncito
Amapola & Dalys & Princesa Sugheit vs. Estrellita & La Seductora & Marcela
Delta & Diamante Azul & Titan vs. Ephesto & New Pierroth & Terrible
Maximo & Super Porky & Thunder vs. Dragon Rojo Jr. & Rey Escorpion & Tama Tonga
NWA Welterweight Title: Volador Jr. vs. Mascara Dorada
Artillero & Super Comando vs. Hombre Bala Jr. & Super Halcon Jr.
Astral & Electrico & Shockercito vs. Demus 3:16 & Pequeno Olimpico & Pierrothito
Averno & Ephesto & Mephisto vs. Angel de Oro & Delta & Guerrero Maya Jr.
Lightning: Maximo vs. Niebla Roja
Euforia & Tama Tonga & Ultimo Guerrero vs. Atlantis & Diamante Azul & Shocker
Torneo Cibernetico: Volador Jr. & Psyco Ripper & Mr. Aguila & Kraneo & Morphosis vs. Mistico II & Valiente & Mascara Dorada & La Mascara & Blue Panther
Lightning: Gran Guerrero vs. Triton
Felino & Mr. Niebla & Negro Casas vs. Diamante Azul & Sagrado & Thunder
Blue Panther & Mascara Dorada & Titan vs. Averno & Ephesto & Mephisto
12/1/13 Mexican Welterweight Title: Titan vs. Averno