CMLL Line - 01/08/02

Competitors Key:

All matches part of a one night 2001 Cup of Mexico Trios tournament (Arena Mexico, 12/28/01.) One fall rules, brackets set by initial battle royale between a member of each team (only entrances shown.) All matches are one fall - or at least clipped to appear that way. First person listed is the captian, I assume. Weirdness of teams can be attributed to people taking the holidays off, Tarzan Boy getting into a mildly serious car accident (maybe he's supposed to be in b and Boricua associate Tiger ends up with f?) and general CMLL goofyness.

Casas------
           |-Match 1-
Tiger------          |
                     |-Match 5-
Shocker----          |         |
           |-Match 2-          |
Demon------                    |
                               |-Match 7-
Brazos-----                    | (Final)
           |-Match 3-          |
Boricuas---          |         |
                     |-Match 6-
Villanos---          |
           |-Match 4-
Infernals--

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: 

All the matches happen quick so it's tough to have too much to say about them. Ratings are going to be low, compared to other shows, just because of that - it's tough to sink into four minutes as much as you do twelve. Baseline average ratings is 70, for comparison's sake.

First Match: Despite the unknown (to me, at any rate) of Fiera, this would have been a fun longer match. As it is, Felino's wearing this ugly red outfit that not even a good tope can make up for it. The ref was staring right at Casas and Tiger when he hit the low blow knee lift (and when he went for the backwards kick a second earlier and missed) but didn't care. Tiger threatened to take the trophies home with him right now but decided to wait.

Second Match: Star Man is an early card rarely makes TV guy, and looks like Ultraman. Maybe he looks like Star Man in that video game? I forget. Shocker's fashion sense went when he turned tecinco. Or whatever he is right now. Demon and Shocker did one of those initial "even match" sequences but were off, like they were tired. Didn't seem to be something going on before we came in (there was already a beatdown in progress in the last one) but make this is the last fall? Then Warrior and Star Man did their equal sequence. Apolo did not appear to have anything written on his head this week. The crowd turned against Shocker when he went against Niebla - did I mention Shocker's eye brow piercing? Eh. It was revealed during the match that play by play guy Dr. Alfonso Morales is actually an FBI secret agent - I think that's what the rudo commentator said. Demon and Warrior tried to do the "flip the guy so he lands head first on the corner buckle" spot but Warrior came up dreadfully short. Niebla and Shocker were fighting on the floor while the fall happened - Niebla knocked him there but Shocker kept him there. They continued to fight long after the match was over, hmm. Niebla was silly enough to go back in the ring, which allowed Warrior and Apolo to help out, but we cut away before Niebla got a serious beatdown.

Third Match: All three Brazo's are brothers, we just see Oro rarely and Platino never but there's a reason we see him now - explanation coming later.  This one started with Violencia, Poder Boriqua and Veneno just leaving ringside so maybe it all was one fall. Don't ask me why Bestia's here and not one of those three. Porky did a flying fat guy spot and Killer and Markus had a miscommunication spot, then Platino did a somersault senton for the pin. Markus and Killer had issues post match; Markus looks to be the odd one out. Pierroth told him off post match and Markus yelled and walked out.

Fourth Match: Infernals have NEW matching outfits, which look nice. I don't believe I've seen this Villano outfit in quite a while. We start off with the rudo beatdown bit to continue to (re?) establish the Infernals as rudos, then the Villianos winning the individual encounters. Seemed quicker then it was. Villanos left Averno laying post match.

There was nothing REALLY spectacular in spectacular moments. Some nice topes, sure.

Fifth Match: This is a DREAM match of mine; everyone on both sides is cool. Tiger hijacked the microphone during the entrance so he could say "I am Black Tiger, konichawa!" Rudos jump tecincos in the aisles because, um, they're still bitter about Shocker and Apolo helping out Satanico on occasion? It IS announced as one fall so ignore my earlier comments. Lots of "rope choke" holds in the early beatdown. Apolo has veins on his head again. Then they picked it up with some triple team moves, including s a triple boot, a full nelson slam onto someone's knees, and triple dropkick to the head. The opening beatdown was longer than any of the openers, but all it took was a stopped triple dropkick (two guys pulled out, Warrior avoiding the other), a DDT and a (I guess) a 'rana to pull off the win. 

Sixth Match: (From what I've read:) Back in '88, the Villanos (in this case, I, IV and V) and the Brazos (Oro, Porky and El Brazo) had a feud that lead to a six person tag match, with all of the masks for each team being on the line. Obviously, the Villanos won and eventually everyone moved on. Except, as a 13th anniversary celebration of that match, in a CMLL house show in the same town, they did a rematch (with III instead of one and I believe Platino instead of Brazo, and only the losing person's hair/mask on the line), the Villanos won again (Oro's head is now shaved, just like Porky's) and now those bad feelings between the two teams have been stirred back up. Not that it really matters AT all in this match, besides Oro's shaved head. The thing about the shaved heads is that it shows even more so how scared up their foreheads are from blading. Porky took a weird, slow bump to the floor. Later, he teased doing a tope but instead did an an apron corkscrew plancha on to everyone. Porky just went down and faked injury and the refs, who were looking elsewhere first, argued about it but one was convinced and that's all it took. Villanos argued about it more after the match but no dice.

Seventh Match: Just as the Villanos were leaving the ring, it appears, Shocker, Apolo and Black Warrior jumped out of the crowd and jumped the Brazos, to start the final right away. All three teamed with Porky just last week - how quick things change. Brazo's comeback started with Porky biting Apolo in the behind. Warrior and Dantes had great simultaneous topes. Trophy presentation with both teams getting along after.

Closing Notes: 

1. I have no idea where all that extra show time went to - I guess the Spirit of Christmas bit was a lot longer than I expected.
2. Weird to do this with only one member of the CMLL Trios Tag Team Champions (Warrior, Dr. Wagner Jr., Blue Panther)
3. And NO members of the recently (currently?) contested Mexican Trios Champions (Antifaz, Safari, Olimpico)
4. We did get possible Niebla/Shocker and Villano/Brazo's stuff out of all of this.
5. This is the last time we'll see Arena Mexico for the month, I believe. The circus comes to town.