CMLL Line - 03/06/02 (#24)

Thanks to: Albert Lopez for the translations, Robert Ortega for the original format.

Lots of ads throughout for the next big CMLL PPV - 03/17. It won't be available in the US (someone else is doing a PPV that day.) We'll still be getting build for it after it airs, of course. 

Vignette:  

Notes: Wagner is noticeable less toned than usual but it doesn't appear to affect his performance. Rudos jump Tecinocs as they enter the ring for the first fall. Panther and Wagner are wearing their matching masks again, but not the matching tights. Niebla opts for his camouflage outfit. First fall finishes both looked nice. Beatdown continued between falls on Warrior on the outside - nice double snap suplex. Break between fall one and two. Rudos started ripping Warrior's mask in the second fall, slowing things down quite a bit. Niebla and Antifaz both came and get beat down before Warrior could finnaly start the comeback, about 2 minutes in, with the surprise 'rana on Wagner. This time, it was the tecinocs turns to beat down the rudos between falls. Antifaz hit Fuerza with the "100% Rudo" noisemaker of a front row regular. Niebla beat up Panther near the commentators, who ended up holding out a microphone so Niebla could talk too, but Niebla was too busy stomping to notice. In the ring, Wagner took a superplex from Warrior, then a hard kick to the face. Mask pulling, while they went to replays of the fall. At one point, Niebla and Antifaz tried for matching missile dropkicks on Wagner, but Niebla got there first and knocked Wagner clear out of the way of Antifaz, which was a pretty cool visual for a mistimed spot. Anitfaz hit a nice somersault plancha - better than Niebla's seconds before. Of course it came down to Wagner and Warrior in the ring, and again Wagner used the possible illegal move for the pin. Announced the illegalness of it all. Fans were into it.

Post match, the everyone talked - Albert Warrior wants revenge for having his Trios belt stripped from him. 

Vignette: A video recap of the Boricuas/Gran Markus fued. We get clips from a Killer/Violenca/Veneno vs Markus/some partners (Fuerza and Poder, I think) feud match we didn't get to see (last week, I believe) - someone new showed up and attacked Markus at the end, but the main part of the feud seemed to be Veneno (very bloody and mask totally ripped) against Markus. Then three guys wearing Universo masks (the capos) showed up and wow this confusing. Then highlights from the match this week - this time it's Apolo with Poder and Gran Markus. Tecincos win by DQ when the random guy from the last clip (now he's dressed like Pierroth Jr if he was not in shape but I don't think it's him) showed up and attacked again. Pierroth goes to bat and hits a home run! Beatdown. This is obviously building to a PPV match - the speculation is it's Veneno vs Markus in a hair/mask match, but they don't definitely say that yet - IN FACT, Albert says they said "hair/hair" - maybe Pierroth's hair? You'd think the new guy would be involved somehow. (5:55) I'd much rather have Boricuas clips than Boricuas matches.  

Spectacular Moments - Some guy moonsault his stomach right into a feet, that looked painful. Looks like Mascara Magica returned last week and we didn't get to see it, how sad. Ultimo Guerrero pulls out a top rope reverse superplex.

Vignette: Now we get a recap of the Warrior vs Wagner/Panther/sometimes Blue Panther feud, 'cause this will also be a PPV match. Niebla's been hanging out with him enough you'd guess he's going to be a partner when ever the trios match goes down. We get clips for the trios match between the two sides (same group as this week) - Wagner beat down Warrior with the (only?) trio belt, then they had a match. Warrior pulled the top of Wagner's match off. Warrior hit an awesome tope. No clear winner. (3:18) Because there's no clear champion, you see.

Notes: Shocker has quite a coat on. Apolo Dantes's his corner person, of course. All of the Guerreros show up with Tarzan Boy (still wearing the yellow pajamas) but somehow Magica Mascara (with new red hair!) is his corner person. I sure hope Tarzan and Mascara made up last week or Tarzan needs his head examined here. Lots of stalling (and a little bit of dancing) before the belt ceremony - the Guerrero's had a problem with the concept of one second, or something. Shocker got bored and slapped and Tarzan Boy. They clip ahead to the belt ceremony suddenly - Shocker's standing seriously in one place, but Tarzan Boy's going through a melody of poses. Staredown as the rules are explained. Tarzan Boy did a nice catapult slingshot splash in the early part of the second fall. Per form, Shocker pulled the big move out of nowhere to get the comeback match tying pin. As the second fall started, Tarzan Boy jumped Shocker in the corner with a dropkick just as Apolo was moving out of the way - he tried again in the third fall, but Apolo and Shocker saw it coming and moved out of the way. Tarzan Boy went for the low blow kick but Shocker side stepped, then put on the Circuit Breaker - but spun into the ropes, causing the break. Tarzan charged at Shocker, but Shocker went low and pulled down the top rope with him, causing Tarzan Boy out. Magica helped Tarzan Boy up - and both got nailed with a Shocker tope! The seconds waved their towels at their men to refresh them. but did not fight, surprisingly. Mascara Magica rolled Tarzan Boy in the ring and got DQed for it. Kinda lame, but I think that's more because I wasn't used to the rules - the fans seemed to react well. There were some good spots but they never got around to telling anything near the story they did last time - this seemed to be a "through the motions" deal to get to the finish, long enough so it wasn't offensive but not worth much on it's on.

Not too surprisingly, Tarzan Boy attacked Magica after the match - Apolo and Shocker kinda stood watching, Shocker too busy getting his belt back. Magica got the better of the fight - I guess he's out of the Guerreros for real now. Shocker raised Mascara Magica's hand post match - maybe Magica was working with Shocker? Tarzan Boy apparently gave Magica credit for the win, not Shocker. Shocker dedicated the match to his mom and to a sick kid, and then offered to give Tarzan's mom a hug.

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. ^B is for an extended Beatdown.

Closing Notes: 

1. With Satanico probably busy with the Infernals and Warrior with the trio titles, maybe this leads to Shocker/Apolo/Magica vs Guerreros before the PPV?
2. It's nice to see of what happened in the week we missed, but I'd rather they would've clipped the video packages out and tried to squeeze another match in.
3. The upside of the short shows: No Boricua matches!
4. The downside: lots of other interesting guys haven't been on in a month or more.
5. The two matches they're building to on TV I get to see are more interesting than the top matches on the other 3/17 PPV, to me.