CMLL Line - 03/13/02 (#25)

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

Notes:  Universo has Memphisto as his corner man (guess the Capos had the day off) and Rayo has Safari. Clipped past the belt ceremony, just to when everyone's not in the match is getting out of the ring. This is a feud that's been built up for a while, but most of it hasn't made Galavision. We got a vignette hype of it a few weeks ago in form of a Rayo interview. Very slow start. Oddly, the falls graphic stays normal instead of putting the participants names in there, as they usually do. Rayo worked the left leg in the second fall. Methodical. A lot more slow paced and mat based than typically seen on this show. Rayo takes about three or four seconds between each shot to the knee. Eventually, Universo rolled out to stall and see if he could get some feeling back. Rayo completely dominating the second fall for the first 3:20, and pulling up Universo on a two count. Rayo hit a falling headbutt soon after and went for the pin, but Universo's foot was under the ropes - at least that's what the ref thought. Universo and the ref had a discussion about it. Cover again and again Universo's foot is under the ropes. Rayo thinks to hook it this time but Universo actually kicks out. Rayo spends a forever and a day teasing a second rope knee drop, finnaly goes for it, Universo kinda rolls out of the way and Rayo doesn't really react too suddenly, but then his knee is gone. Universo gamely sells the leg, but is smart enough to hook on the half Boston (something Rayo never thought to do the whole fall) and gets the fall despite only having control for about :05. Corner people come in to check on the knees of their men. The bell for the third fall starts but Safari and the doctor weren't done checking on Rayo - his knee is DEAD from one missed knee drop. Some how he manages to move out of the way of a dropkick and not really sell the knee much at all during a whip. Universo > Rayo. Though I can see how Rayo might be wrestler of the year material if he can so easily block out pain like that. Now both people are remembering their hurt, but only when they're not doing whips. Rayo stops a charge by hitting Universo with his BAD KNEE, but somehow it doesn't bug him. And then he's jumping to the second rope for the reverse tope with no problem. Universo manages a backdrop to the floor - then hits a nice (if implausible) tope. Lucha guys really should work the arms or something - too many flaws show up when they work the legs. They get back in the ring and work a couple spots seemingly to show that Rayo's tope is not as good. Rayo does manage a nice superplex, anyway. Rayo's good at some subtle things - like putting on a Mexican surfboard without making it look like your opponent is helping you - but he's so slow compared to so much it's not near as fun to watch. Near double pin when the surfboard leans down. Knee pains went away somewhere in the third fall. Rayo hit a big fat suicide plancha on Universo. Memphisto sneakily helped Universo get back in before the CO. Rayo went for the monkey flip but Universo just fell forward on him, grabbed the rope and Memphisto helped from the outside. 

Vignette: Press Conference for the next CMLL PPV - "Apocalipsis" Everyone shows up in business attire (and masks.) Veneno wears his straw hat - he's got the match with Markus. I think Shocker had words for the Boricuas at one point in here. We get to hear some of Veneno and Markus. It's Dr. Wagner, Blue Panther and Fuerza Guerrara vs Black Warrior, Mr. Niebla and Antifaz. Vampiro's on the card and looks WEIRD with short hair. 

Vignette: In the locker room, Dr. Wagner, Blue Panther and Fuerza Guerrara talk about their big PPV match. Some muscle guy is there and that's never explained. 

Notes: Niebla is with Warrior, Panther is with Warrior. Wagner slid to the outside, Warrior joined him but got kicked in the back of the leg by Panther - Niebla showed up but too late to help. Niebla put a hand on Panther's shirt and Panther TOOK HIM DOWN armbar takedown style. That was kinda cool. Warrior was thrown in and both men beat up on Niebla for a bit. Wagner slowed it down with a chinlock as doctors checked on Niebla. Lots of bad timed cuts here (between Niebla being checked on - and eventually Panther stomping on him, and the action in the ring) made it hard to follow for a bit; we'd see control changed but a moment after it happened. Only slightly faster paced then the first fall - Wagner accidently hit Panther with a clothesline on the apron, then Warrior KILLED him with a high speed tope. Warrior actually killed him and a front row fan - don't sit in the front row at a lucha show. The (tecinco) ref refused to count the fall after the Michinoku driver and checked Warrior's neck instead - Wagner got upset and pushed him and only then did the ref give the fall to Warrior. Warrior was on quite a roll till Wagner pulled the Driver out, so it's kinda lame that they couldn't just do a pinfall finish there. It's been built to but still isn't that great. Wagner pulled the top off Warrior's mask to start the second fall. Wagner spent a lot of time walking around for no good reason. He took his time taking advantage of the ref arguing with Panther - oh, wait, the replay shows that Wagner stabbed Warrior with scissors. Panther must've hid it into his towel, and that's why Panther slipped the towel in. Warrior's bleeding like a faucet by this point. This is not the kinda of wrestling match I expected - turning a lot more into a bloody brawl, with Warrior getting killed. Wagner throws Warrior into part of the stage he lifted up, and that's not a DQ for some reason. Antifaz shows up and attacks Fuerza - I guess he's coming in to replace Niebla. Wagner takes it back in the ring and his the crucifix powerbomb (no question there?) for a near fall. Antifaz looks different. Warrior's a bloody mess but he tries to battle back - Wagner makes the mistake of going for the second rope crucifix powerbomb which I've never seen actually hit in lucha, Warrior reverses it to a 'rana for a near fall. Warrior pulls at Wagner's mask, getting quite a bit of it. Superplex by warrior but Panther knocks him off and stomps him. That's gotta be a DQ - and the ref eventually calls for it. Niebla shows up to help make the save but he gets attacked by Antifaz - who reveals himself to really be Fuerza Guerra (with matching mask.) The beatdown goes on, with Warrior's mask getting totally taken off. A lot more of a heat segment for the rudos than an actual match.

Spectacular Moments

Vignette: Guerreros De Infernals debate what should be done with Mascara Magica. You know where Tarzan Boy stands. 

Notes: They seem to want us to think of Shocker's team not as tecincos (since they do cheat), but they're not much rudos here, so I picked a totally different color.

Rey has a Tampa Bay Buccaneers hat on, that's funny. MM comes out wearing the same GdI outfit as the rest of the guys. They punk out Shocker (Tarzan Boy doing most of the work there - he's chocking Shocker with his own shirt) and Satanico (on the apron) but Ultimo and Rey leave MM unmolested and bring him to the ring. It looks like Ultimo and Rey are trying to patch things up with MM, but Tarzan Boy isn't so happy - they yell at him, and make him extend a hand to MM. He accepts, and Tarzan Boy gives him a hug. Then they all do the GdI dance - but turn on MM and beat the crap out of him, ripping his GdI tights to shreds. Double kick to the head and he's slide out of the ring hard. Shocker and Satanico manage to corner Tarzan Boy for a second, but the tide is quickly returned. Shocker and MM have words between falls - is he with them or not? He did kinda disappear after early in that fall and seems very hesitant to fight his former friends. When he finnaly does, it's not much help - but he manages to trigger the comeback, and that's always good. MM and Tarzan Boy fought quite a bit - Tarzan Boy was the original member, but MM took his place when Tarzan Boy suffered a neck injury, so they probably haven't liked each other from day one. Comeback seals the deal on that fall, and MM's teammates urge him to go start the third fall. He does, against Tarzan Boy again. Shocker hits the Bronco Billie special on Tarzan Boy and does work in the wacky flipping reversal sequence with Ultimo. MM ended up running the gauntlet through his old teammates at one point. Satanico hit a sucide Thesz press on Ultimo that was quite great. Shocker did the "look over there, I'll do a low blow" on Rey before the roll up. MM went for a victory roll on Tarzan Boy, but Tarzan Boy reversed it and held on to the ropes for leverage. And then he was so busy posing he didn't see Shocker. Shocker tried to use his feet for leverage again after a powerbomb on Shocker, but MM snuck in a punch to the illegal area from outside to break it up, and Shocker covered for the win.

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. Universo will NEVER lose that title. Never. 
1a. I may be slightly kidding. But only slightly.
1b. I think Hombre Sin Nombre (what happened to him, anyway?) is better off not being "related"
2. I sure hope the Shocker/Tarzan Boy PPV match doesn't end with a low blow.
3. I think the short hair works better for Nicho than it does for Vampiro. 
4. Despite the good storytelling, it's a little disappointing we didn't get as much in ring quality with Warrior/Wagner
5. But, on the good, we go another week without Boricua matches.