CMLL Line - 01/29/02 (#19)

Competitors Key:

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: Dr. Wagner brought a sledgehammer with him. Black Metal's from IWRG (among other places), and appeared not to have his tapes yet. He did take the sledgehammer and wander off before the match. Atlantis had a shoulder partially tapped and tried to rush the ring but Wagner got the better of it. Wagner interacts well with the first row but it kinda slows down the match for those watching on TV. For the first two falls, it seemed like there were 20-30 second bursts of activity and then a minute or two of deliberate action. The mask untying waited till the third fall - Atlantis totally got Wagner's off but the camera didn't catch it good. It's funny, because they're falling out of the ring and Atlantis does a tope and the mask stays on, but one good punch can knock them out of place. Black Metal came back with the sledgehammer short five minutes into the third fall. Wagner wanted to use it but the ref stopped him. So while they're battling for that, Atlantis wakes up and goes after Black Metal, outside the ring, inside the ring, and Wagner's waiting for them. Series of reversals, and they both hit the mask pull at the same time - ref calls for a double DQ and these two STILL have problems.

Second Match: No entrances, maybe joined in progress. We did hear a whistle but they were already going so who knows.  Rivera and Marvin are wearing identical tights and I'm not used to seeing them, so I hope they don't get confused. There wasn't anything really noteworthy in the first fall except for the finishes. Some nice spots from the young duo before the finish. Rivera had a nice run in the third fall. Zumbido tried the top rope and ended up getting crotched - it was not ruled a DQ. Rivera and Marvin hit a great double tope right before the final sequence. 

Third Match: Pierroth is one silly guy to keep putting Gran Markus on his team. We've got Violencia, the new midget (Mini Violencia), Fuerza Guerrera out there too. Maybe I don't notice Pierroth? Anyway, Pierroth and Markus have words before the match again. Villanos have opted for the pink outfits. Poder's got some new tights. Veneno does the Niebla dance! I knew there was a reason I liked this fellow. Killer's added some red/white/blue to his outfit. You know the only question is if they'll lose in straight falls. Markus gets yelled at for not helping out his partners. Rudos were just getting taken out in turn one after another, with Markus not leaving the apron and getting in at any point, till Veneno managed to hit a low kick and get a pin. The tecincos quickly took back control, with submission holds on Killer and Veneno. Poder wanted into to break it up but Markus held him back and that lead to more Boricua unpleasantness. I believe they counted Poder or Markus out in that - Markus was rather pleased with himself. The Boricuas came back to the ring to discuss as the tecincos left. There's Mini Pierroth, must've missed him the first time. Pierroth punched Markus and then the whole group went to stomping him - except Poder Boricua, who had to be pulled away from covering up Markus a couple times. Pierroth told him to make a choice and he - well, I guess there was a cut there, because next thing I know he's disappeared from the ring. This match was rated higher than it probably should've been on match quality alone (somewhere around a 50), because it advanced the angle and brought a new development in.

That vignette is in the out there category. I bet Tarzan Boy was slow because he was working on his hair.

Fourth Match: Hey, he finnaly showed up. Ultimo almost kicks Tarzan Boy low during their ring entrance - don't ask, he just did. Shocker again chooses to go right after the rudos before the rest of his team can show up. It works for all of five seconds. We go back to last week and remember how this match up ended up then - Tarzan Boy with a low headbutt to get the sneaky win. Shocker ducks a double chop and turns the tide. Again Tarzan Boys slams Porky, but it leads to the end for his team - the tecincos turned the tables quickly. Shocker got a really long spinning Torture Rack on Tarzan Boy for fun. Tarzan Boy was too dizzy to stand. Shocker got 4 rotations on an Tarzan Bo airplane spin. And then he did the Bronco Billie Special on Black Tiger! For fun, Tiger put Shocker in the old Rings of Saturn and Crippler Crossface after the second fall. Tarzan Boy tried to slam Porky again in the third fall but didn't have enough strength. Ultimo slammed him, later, with almost no problem. Tarzan Boy vs Shocker was really pushed. Porky was quite a bit short on his apron corkscrew plancha but Tiger did an okay job of covering. Shocker was all set to finish off Tarzan Boy when Buccanero showed up, and that was the end of that. Long beatdown followed, focusing on Shocker. Interviews after - I'm guessing Guerrero's Del Infernals were made that Shocker used to be a guy who'd beat up people like Casas and Porky, and now he's gone straight and they're beating him up for it. That's just a guess. Shocker challenged all of them to mask or hair matches but they didn't agree.

Closing Notes: 

1. Shocker vs Guerrero Del Infernals seems fun, if Shocker can find some cooler partners (where's Apolo and Black Warrior?)
2. About time that Markus is turfed.
3. But what's the deal with Poder Boricua? Can you be called Poder Boricuas if you're not down with them?
4. Even though my thoughts on this match didn't seem that way, I look forward to the real Atlantis/Dr. Wagner match, whenever it comes
5. Zumbido's cool. But once we have two tapings and more wrestlers, he's got to move up on the card or he'll be stuck in the Marvin highlight zone.