CMLL Line - 10/13/02 (55)

Thanks to: Robert Ortega for the original format, Krisz for the results archive, and Joe Gagne for the place to talk about it.

This week, we get valet footage as bumper filler. Nice move.

Vignette: Averno and Mephisto polish their belts as Satanico talks strategy against La Famila. Mephisto is gonna polish the gold off at that rate. There's a fire image superimposed on top of all of this, so I can't tell if Averno really has a new mask or it just looks that way. All the questions will be answered NEXT 

Notes: Ooh, Halloween and Damien got matching Orange and Black tights. Fireworks, and the Lowrider theme – we’re still in the month of anniversary celebration (and perhaps cheap prices on fireworks.). I wonder if they're not wearing belts to the ring this time because they think they'll have some to take back with them? Infernals all have matching cone head masks on - it's quite odd, but nice for team unity. Title defense #1 was back on 47 vs Los Villanos - that was the amazing feud where every single match was clipped to the third fall. I don't think there's been non-TV defenses, actually, but I'm not sure. They won these belts from Olimpico, Antifaz and Safari, but we did not see it on TV. Infernals have a Villano pink/yellow/red thing going on, while the challengers are celebrating Halloween year round.

Mephisto and Nicho to start. Quick look at a kid in the audience, and it's Damien and Satanico in. That always makes me laugh. Circle. Lockup, Satanico with an armdrag. Armdrag. Satanico tries to grab him again but Damien pushes away and ducks out. He's had enough of this already and they're leaving? Damien grabs his arm on the way up, so he may more be stalling to recover. Satanico was looking really forceful with those armdrags - it's those subtle things with Satanico that can slip under the radar of description which make him cool. FdT huddle, then come back. Damien back in. Lockup, armdrag Satanico, Armdrag. Armbar - now all of FDT in to stop this - shots for Satanico, then the juniors get run into the posts! Three person clubbing blows for Satanico, and he's beaten into the mat. Whip, spinebuster by Halloween, there's the triple legdrop combo (Damien with a lighting legdrop, Halloween with the double low blow legdrops) followed by the Tijuana Jam. Uno dos tres (1:53) These guys can beat you just that fast. Cool team continuity on the finish. Replays and a break.

The second fall starts, but Satanico is still out on the floor. Averno tries to appeal for more time. That failing, he comes in - and gets stomped by Damien and Halloween. Averno's mask is as much new, just slightly modified. I think they've been playing around with it, because the one he's wearing tonight is different than some of them he's been wearing lately. Maybe they ditched that all black one that I didn't like and are gonna just stick with what they had. Nicho and Damien with corner chops, and a hard chest first corner whip. How about another! Halloween spears him, and Averno is down. Mephisto tries to make the save is quickly taken down himself. Double corner whip, Damien corner clothesline, Nicho corner clothesline, Halloween corner clothesline and some extra clubbing clothesline blows while he's there. Mephisto's tripped up and pulled stomach first hard into the corner post, which can't feel good at all. Satanico has managed to pull himself together, and sneaks in to give Nicho some right hands as Damien and Halloween are celebrating, but the numbers get the best of him in no time. Satanico has fighting spirit and takes down Halloween, but FdT regroup. Headbutts! Corner whip, no! Nicho does hit the clothesline, wow. Slap for the back of the head. This is not a man to tick of, Nicho! Double corner whip, Nicho with crotch chops and a corner splash, Satanico ducked (theoretically, Satanico was trying to backdrop him to the floor, but Nicho jumps so high, he ends up going to the floor all on his own.)   Double clothesline for Damien and Halloween! Hard right hands for Halloween as Averno and Mephisto are back in and taking it to Damien with open hand slaps. Halloween is kept in the ring to be beat - double whip, Satanico spinebuster. Back to his feet, whip, double flapjack. Satanico brings him up for a headbutt to the midsection, and Averno and Mephisto slide him headfirst to the floor. Damien in and met with kicks. Double corner whip, Averno backdrops Damien to the apron, holds him for a Satanico headbutt and a Mephisto jumping over the top rope sunset flip powerbomb! That's neato, though Damien's head might have bounced off the floor there - a referee is quick out to check him, as is Halloween.. Nicho is back in and going after Satanico, but backup arrives in the form of Averno. Satanico polls the crowd on what they want to see here - double whip into a triple powerbomb, and let's pull him up into another one. Averno and Satanico yank a leg each while Mephisto poses on top of Nicho - one two three. (3:45) Infernales celebrate as Damien is still down - and here's one ugly replay to confirm his head hitting hard. They have no mats. The doctor checks on him but he's not really moving. 

Nicho is down on the floor to as we start the third fall. Halloween is okay and needs to come in to give his team a chance, but it's three on one and that's not gonna work well. Double whip, triple boot, running elevated sit! Halloween goes out clutching his left knee. Nicho brought in, and whipped into a Mephsito back elbow. Stood up for a an Averno top rope missile dropkick - Nicho tumbles through the ropes and to the floor. Now Damien is surprisingly back in, with open hand slaps for everyone but he Satanico avoids. Damien backs up, clutching his neck, but Satanico takes the moment to wave out his backup, as he wants to show he's the better brawler one on one, I guess. Open hand slap battle turns into Satanico leveling Damien with punches. Whip, reversed, Satanico stops short, Damien charges, Satanico backdrops him to the floor. Nicho in and he boots Satanico to the floor. Now all four all in - Infernales try open hand slaps, but Nicho and Halloween are surviving them. Nicho and Halloween off the rope for stereo clotheslines, but Averno and Mephisto won't go down! Again, and still no. Now Averno and Mephisto charge with a dropkick and clothesline! Averno and Mephisto celebrate, charge, stereo 'rana - no, stereo powerbombs! Feet on the rope one two NO! FdT duo with thrust kicks, off the ropes but Satanico pulls the middle one down and they spill to the floor! Halloween and Nicho are down, holding their heads, holding their heads - meanwhile, Averno is setting up near the ropes, Mephisto runs over, Averno tosses him onto the rope, Mephisto balances - somersault tope for Nicho! Averno no hands somersault tope! Damien and Satanico back in, Satanico gets in a spinebuster, standing figure four! Damien taps! But the refs are all checking the carnage and missed it - Satanico celebrates, and then realizes there was no one there to make the call. Satanico yells at Baby Richard, who's now just getting to the apron, Damien off the ropes, bumping Richard to the floor in the progress - low blow kneelift! Off the ropes, senton! No one's there again - now the tecnico ref is back one two THREE! (2:57) New champions! Nicho is ecstatic! Averno can't believe it! FdT raise their hands while Averno and Mephisto argue their case (too upset to think to check on Satanico for the time being.) Mephisto tries to get the Commissioner to listen to the fans about the low blow, but I don't think that'll work. Replay - yep, low blow. FdT get their belts, and the fans aren't too happy. They really do a great job of selling title changes here – the losers are always grief struck and the winners delirious. Replay from another angle to confirm the cheating, but it's too late to matter.

Time for reruns again

• #40 - Black Tiger, Nosawa, Masada vs Atlantis, Black Warrior, Mr. Niebla - this is the one where Tiger tries to set a Black Warrior mask on fire but it doesn't quite work out right. 
• #40 - Universo 2K (c), Apolo Dantes, Mascara Y2K vs Giant Silva, Rayo de Jalisco Jr.

Spectacular Moments - Wow, Ricky Marvin gets HIGH on that corkscrew plancha - he's done corkscrewing but still has plenty of air time left. Nice big swing/dropkick to the head combo. Nice Santo tope! Takemura's assisted high koppo kick continues to look awesome. Black Tiger does the 619 on Shocker - I was wondering how long it'd be before someone picked that up. Actually, considering that's Black Tiger, it's the 022. (I am a big dork!)

Vignette: Apolo Dantes, Black Tiger and Dr. Wagner Jr. make evil plans of total evilness. Wait, are Apolo and Tiger not getting along? I guess Wagner is the conduit to make this all work. The tag line says Dr. Wagner makes alliances with no one, so I guess he's not really part of Team Japan and this team up is just a momentary thing. Apolo and Tiger seem to disagree with him on the need for alliances, as you might expect

Notes: Apolo gets right in the lens to talk to us. His forehead says "34" - happy birthday! , but I don't know what that means. Separate entrances for everyone! Fireworks for everyone! Odd to me that Mil is not the captian. 

Atlantis and Tiger to start - Atlantis takes his time working the crowd. Tiger is hesitant and stalling - Atlantis wants Wagner but Tiger isn't letting him in there. They have that death feud that only gets remembered every few months and never settled, you know. Crowd shot, and now we're looking at Apolo vs Mil. Circle. Lockup, Mil with a wristlock, into a full nelson, Apolo gets a foot in the ropes, but Mil pulls him out. Again a foot in the ropes but Mil pulls him out. Now Apolo is walking up the ropes to get free, so Mil just lets go and Apolo drops to the mat. Apolo is no thrilled. Circle - no, Apolo is distracted by the fans. Circle again, Mil with a drop toe hold, now tying up his legs (reverse figure four?) and adding a front face lock. Tiger makes a move to break it up but Vampiro scares him off. Mascara brings Apolo up for a hiptoss. Apolo up, and there's a hiplock takeover! Wow, he got a move in - front facelock, but Mil battles out to an armbar. Apolo gets a single leg takedown, now, tying he legs but Mil reverses, grapevine but Apolo grabs the ropes and Tiger is in to stomp Tiger. Apolo up and adding a boot of his own, but Mil back with punches for him - now to the floor to take care of Tiger with chops - into the post! Open hand slap and into he post again! Mil makes a move towards Wagner, and Wagner backs up the ramp. Now he's back in the ring and Wagner wants in - so Mil tags in Atlantis! Atlantis does his trademark hop and Wager just boots him in the leg, neat. Right, headlock, shoot off the ropes, back with a shoulderblock. Atlantis to the floor, Dr. Wagner thinks about a dive but Vampiro is in. Wagner off the ropes, Mil trips him up, Vampiro tries a legdrop but Wagner moves in time. Atlantis back in - Wagner tosses him, but he hits Apolo with a dropkick. Vampiro with a high kick on Wagner to take care of him - Atlantis tope on Apolo! Tiger misses a corner kick on Vampiro - Vampiro quickly up top for a top rope spin kick one two three. (3:50) Meanwhile, Mil keeps pushing Dr. Wagner back and forth off the ropes, and now he's catching him in a bearhug - Dr. Wagner gives up quick like. (3:59) Vampiro celebrates by putting Atlantis in a headlock. Replay of the tope, spin kick, and bear hug.

Atlantis and Apolo to start, and Apolo brawls Atlantis right out of the ring with wild punches. Atlantis gets back up, so Apolo punches him more - whip, clothesline misses but Tiger's kick from outside does not. Apolo gives Tiger a high five which would seem to be a tag but is not. Forearm shots to the back by Apolo, who turns to celebrate and misses Atlantis popping up. Luckily, Tiger grabs him, but unluckily, Atlantis gets free when Apolo tries to punch. Armdrag for Apolo, Tiger's kicked into a dropkick on Apolo, then monkey flipped (with Wagner just getting out of the way in time.) Wagner charges Atlantis, but he gets run into Tiger. Wagner stumbles forward into one tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, then another, and finally falls backwards into the corner with his back killing him. Clip to Apolo leveling Vampiro with a corner clothesline. Now boots to the face - Apolo stands on his head to smash one in. Tiger over now to help kick, then he goes out Whip, back elbow. Wagner with a slingshot senton. Tiger with a slingshot senton! Stomping him - Apolo slides through the ropes to kick him. Vampiro gets back to his corner, allowing a tag to Atlantis, but that's okay because all three go over to beat him up. Corner whip, corner clothesline by Wagner, assisted high corner dropkick by Tiger. Tiger sets him up on the top rope - running Stunner by Wagner! Apolo picks him up - off the ropes and a standing fireman's carry. Mil in - double whip, drop toe hold, Came clutch and Wagner hits the dropkick to the face! Mil out quick like, but Apolo is talking trash. Vampiro back in, eyeing Wagner. Apolo tires a big boot but it's caught. Still, it's three on one and they quickly beat up Vampiro again. Lots of shots of Mil recovering on the outside. Tiger with a slam, and Wagner holds him for the triple corner moonsaults, which all hit! Wagner pulls Vampiro up, though Vampiro is having trouble getting up - Tiger Bomb! One two three. (4:18)Apolo with a slam of Atlantis going up - splash! One two three. (4:35) I assume on the count since didn't bother to show us the referee who was actually doing the count, but it was pretty obvious it was over. Replays of the splash and the pin.

Wagner and Apolo stall before getting back in the ring. Wagner does come back - lockup with a Mill, who pulls him in armbar but Wagner pushes him into the rudo cover. Three way beating, but slower and not as intense as usual. Wagner mocks Atlantis when he thinks about coming for a save, and Atlantis yanks the nose of Wagner's mask. Wagner punches him, not really happy with that, and knees him out of the ring. Double whip for Mil, boot from Apolo Now tiger with a whip, but Mil reverses and hits a clothesline. Clothesline on Wagner! It's broken down to a three way brawl, with Atlantis and Wagner fighting all over ringside area and the tecnicos pretty much omitting. Mil with a step over surfboard on Tiger, but he won't give. Atlantis ties Wagners mask but Wagner fights back before he gets it up. Wagner and Apolo exchange open hand slaps till Vampiro gets in a big boot. Now Tiger with a' dropkick, and it's settled back into a one on one match. Vampiro with the cruiserweight flip out (wait), Tiger's clothesline misses, but his chop does not. Whip, reversed, Tiger with a cross body that does hit right, but Vampiro scoops him up and slams him. Corner kicks, and abdominal stretch - Apolo tries to make a save, but Mil with a plancha on him! Atlantis with the Torture Rack on Wagner! It's all over! (2:51) Break, then we come back for replays.  Mil Mascaras was perfectly acceptable in this; nothing spectacular but certainly not a drain.

Next Week: Vampiro, Silva, Pierroth, Killer, Violencia, Fuerza, Wagner, Panther, and more. 

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.

Closing Notes: 

1. They didn't show the Pierroth/Mascara hair/hair match, which may be a very good thing.
2. We don't get to see a whole lot Averno and Mephisto, but they looked good here. 
3. I wonder if this is a kind of payment for FdT working this show - they get a set of belts to take back to Tijuana
4. It seemed they were taking it easy on Mil, but not annoyingly so
5. Next week doesn't sound promising from the advertised lineup, but we'll see.