CMLL Line - 01/01/02, #15

Throughout, we got some wacky vignette highlights of the past year. 

Competitors Key:

Finish: () indicated a pin/submission/elimination by the LOSING team.

Rating: Bases on the quality of the finish, ring work, internal/external storyline, consistency and my whims. Also, various other (random) factors that I can't think of right now. 0-100 for matches.

Momentum Key: A number indicate that side is in control, E is for even, M is for Mixed, * for Interference

Match By Match: 

First Match: Villanos are wearing their tights without numbers. III never got to do much in the first fall (didn't get the long mat sequence like everyone else), but got to start out with some quick moves on the second fall. Panther had a nice dive in the second fall. Ultimo Guerrero's submission was beyond description. Panther (and a Villano) had the worst "pounding the guy's head into the ringpost" ever. He made it up with a nice fireman's carry drop onto Ultimo's knee. Villano's hit the Villano device (w/cross body) on Ultimo, but the pin got broken up by Panther. A Villano was supposed to hit a double dropkick on Bestia and Ultimo after being tossed by Panther, but only really hit Ultimo. The camera shot hid the miss somewhat, but Bestia's selling (knocked out of the ring) looked really goofy. Villano's hit double topes. The match was okay but I'd rather have Villanos do something for a change. 

Second Match: The two guapos wore black ski caps on the way to the ring, so Emilio could hide his baldness a little longer. They even wrestled with them! Shocker wore a top hat, but you could see the edge of his hair even before he dramatically took it out. This week Apolo had veins pained on his head. Porky looks bad with no hair too. I think Shocker and Apolo are tecincos now but the scoreboard gave team names instead, so perhaps they're just temporary. With three pairs of feuding people (and Apolo could blame Scorpio for helping Emilio to cost Apolo's hair), the first people to fight (before the whistle) are - Tiger and Warrior (did not have a match on the PPV.) Tarzan Boy hurt himself headbutting Porky. I'm listening to the radio, and there's an ad for Queer As Folk, and right at the moment, Scorpio and Emilio have Shocker held down (and out of view) so Tiger can put on the testicular claw. Total rudo beatdown in the first fall. Shocker finnaly started a comeback, knocked off the hats, but got stopped and kicked very low. We cut away right when Black Tiger hits an Iconclasm Warrior, which is deeply amusing. Shocker then started the comeback for real. Tecincos went for a quadruple corner poses, but Porky slipped and crotched himself on the second rope. Then the rudos came back and beat up Shocker some more. Emilio is an ugly bald guy. Porky got help splashing on everyone, and Apolo and Warrior jumped on him to cover as Shocker and Emilio continued to fight. Emilio and Apolo took time to talk on the microphone before the second fall started. Then Black Tiger did - in English. Emilio translated for him. Before Warrior and Tiger fought, the crowd was yelling at Tiger so he had Tarzan Boy cover his ears - the ones on his mask. Porky hit a apron corkscrew plancha.

Third Match: Nicho does his Scott Hall impersonation, with the wacky bandana, the shirt with no sides and the funny walk to the ring. Juvie is wearing a Nash like vest. HMMM. We're too busy looking at the introduction graphics to see the belt group photo, which is a shame. Juvie's got a chin piercing (still in while he wrestles.) That looks dumb. The early story was that the champions were dominant on the mat. There was a spin kick that missed (partially Casas fault for moving away from it) but Casas sold anyway; it drew some boos from the crowd. And then Juvie tried a pescado on Casas and landed pretty much on his own and hurt his knee. Anyway, the rudos were finnaly able to turn it around when they got to off the ropes move. To start of the second fall, Nicho did the People's Legdrop. Two count, much to Nicho's displeasure. It quickly proceeded into a rudo beatdown fall - Juvie on the floor with Casas, Nicho in the ring with Santo. Nicho hit the Falcon Arrow on Santo but did not cover. Double team quickly went bad after. Casas was short on a flapjack onto to the top rope - Juvie didn't make it far enough. Santo was not short on a tope on Nicho. I think Nicho tried another People's legdrop in the third fall but the refs weren't paying attention and he only got a count of one when they did. Third fall started off like a beatdown too. Near fall after a double suplex but Santo saved. Nicho took a hard sunset powerbomb to the floor from Santo, which ended up distracting the referees from Juvie hitting a low blow backwards kick on Santo. But the count was late when Juvie went to count and he only got two. Cass hit his finishing combination and won - Nicho never got up so that was that. Nicho never got up and got stretcher out - may that be the last we've seen of him? Juvie was angry about how it turned out and did not shake hands with the champions. Apparently, he was challenged to a hair match against Casas but gave no indication.

My problem with the match is that it seemed more like a run of the mill title defense and not something special - these challengers weren't something to especially be threatened by - and the win wasn't any tougher than the normal one. Not on the epic level of the Guerrero/Buccanero challenge, that's for sure. 

Closing Notes: 

1. Next Week, the Mexican Cup - a one night trios tournament
2. Also, the next part of the Spirit of Christmas. You can't miss that.
3. I hope this isn't the last we've seen of Nicho but I got that impression.
4. I bet we don't see the hair match, unless Juvie's going to win. And I doubt he would. 
5. I hope this is the last time we see Shocker and Emilio in the ring for a while.