CMLL 1/22/10 Recap

Written by Alfredo Esparza

CMLL 1/22/10:

• They aired block A of the Torneo Parejas Increibles Nacionales (National Incredible Partners Tournament) and a title defense by Ultimo Guerrero against Hector Garza. Volador Jr. and El Terrible cut promos about representing Nuevo Leon. First match is Mascara Dorada & Atlantis (Jalisco) vs. La Sombra & Dragon Rojo (La Laguna). Fun exchange to start between Atlantis & La Sombra. Rey Bucanero joins the announcers and they show a video clip of him in split screen. They do dives were each guy hits his own partner. Dragon Rojo eliminates Mascara Dorada with a really sick power bomb. While celebriting, Atlantis comes in and back slides him for a pin. Atlantis then gets caught with a huracanrana by La Sombra, but escapes. La Sombra goes for a split-legged moonsault off the top rope, but Atlantis kicks out again. Atlantis later applies two quebradoras and then goes for submission hold for the win. Very little heat early in the match. Got a much better reaction in the closing moments.
• They air a promo with Mr. Niebla and Maximo talking about discount tickets. Seriously? When will they learn? Follow that up with a backstage promo with Hector Garza (who’s working out in anticipation of a big title match!). Next match from the tournament is Maximo & Mr. Niebla (DF) vs. Blue Panther & Misterioso II (La Laguna) and the fans love the home team (DF). You know what would actually be a good idea, Mr. Niebla as a tecnico! Maximo, Mr. Niebla and Que Monito get the fans riled up. Fun short match. They pulled out topes early on (or at least whoever edited the show went to that first). Fans were really into the Maximo & Mr. Niebla combo. Mr. Niebla forced Misterioso II into submission with the dreaded La Neblina (the one move banned in Jui Jitsu) and Maximo kissed Blue Panther, who was shocked and Maximo rolled him up for the pin. The announcers also brought up Maximo’s motto, “He’s not gay, but his boyfriend is!”
• Video segment with Maximo & Mr. Niebla letting fans know how they can win an apartment followed by the winner of the trivia contest, who gets a t-shirt and gym bag from Pequeno Damian 666.
• Mistico & Averno (DF) vs. Ephesto & Euforia (La Laguna) is up next. Short match just to set up the Mistico & Averno tandem. Euforia has star potential for the heavyweight division. Averno tricks Ephesto by shaking his hand and raising his arm and then follows it up with a clothesline and a double underhook sitout facebuster for the pin. Mistico catches Euforia with La Mistica to get the win. Fans boo Mistico and Averno. Should also mention early in the match Averno got an “Averno” chant, but Mistico kept getting booed throughout.
• Volador Jr. & Damian el Terrible (Nuevo Leon) vs. Hijo del Fantasma & Mephisto (DF). Fans were rooting for the Nuevo Leon team, which can be explained as Volador Jr. being a top tecnico and El Terrible having a lot of charisma. Another good short match with numerous dives. Someone needs to update the luchawiki because El Terrible used the Styles Clash to pin Mephisto. Volador Jr. pinned Hijo del Fantasma after a top-rope guillotine legdrop. Announcers were off in this match. They made a Gloria Trevi reference due to El Terrible’s long hair. For those wondering what Gloria Trevi looks like nowadays, she is quite the MILF. I’ve included a pic. Not quite Terrible, huh?
• They have a news update with the announcement that Taichi is a comin’ to CMLL. I bet someone saw the Flock of Seagulls haircut and picked him. Odd how the better worker, Okada is going to TNA, while the guy with the funky hairstyle goes to CMLL. Should be the other way around I would imagine. They announce more talent being exchanged between New Japan and CMLL with the news that Tanahashi, Giant Bernard and Lyger would be heading to CMLL this year. They announce El Hijo del Texano & El Terrible going to New Japan. Highlights from the trip to France.
• Next up the Block A Semifinal match between Mascara Dorada & Atlantis (Jalisco) vs. Maximo & Mr. Niebla (DF). This was mostly a comedy match with the finish centered around Maximo trying to kiss the team from Jalisco. Maximo & Mr. Niebla were nicknamed La Peste del Amor, which would make for a fun short-term tecnico team (kind of like what WWE use to do with Foley & The Rock as the Rock-N-Sock Connection). Anyway, finish comes when Maximo accidentally kisses Mr. Niebla and Atlantis rolls up Maximo and Mascara Dorada catches Mr. Niebla with a huracanrana for the win. Fans booed the Jalisco team, which I thought was great. That’s what this tournament was suppose to be all about. Rooting for the home teams (DF), except for a certain someone who’s match is up next.
• Now we get to the other Block A Semifinal match which is Mistico & Averno (DF) vs. Volador Jr. & El Terrible (Nuevo Leon). I gotta say a Mistico, Averno & Mephisto faction would be pretty f’n badass. Fans are cheering for Volador Jr. over Mistico. Just a great match. Early on, Mistico and Volador Jr. did similar spots and got along. Volador Jr. eliminated Averno first with a scary looking Spanish Fly as they landed a bit too close to the ropes. Mistico sprung off the top rope and dropkicked El Terrible into Volador Jr. who got thrown to the outside. Mistico then pinned El Terrible with La Mistica. This left Volador Jr. and Mistico in the match and they did some similar spots, followed by Mistico spearing Volador Jr. and ripping Volador Jr’s mask off. Fan reaction was great. Volador Jr. later recovers and starts ripping Mistico’s mask off. Fans are solidly behind Volador Jr. Volador Jr. goes for an attempted La Mistica, but Mistico blocks it and then kicks Volador Jr. in the nuts for the win. Fans go ape-shit and boo Mistico and Averno. Great stuff. Post match interviews are even better. The two rudos decide to stir things up between Volador Jr. and Mistico. First, El Terrible lets Mistico know how he’s a coward and took a cheap win and demands he defend a title against Volador Jr. Averno then responds by asking Mistico to show everyone that he’s better than Volador Jr. and accept the challenge. Mistico then grabs the mic and agrees, but he lets it be known that this is his city and he’s gonna fight for it. The fans boo. Mistico starts to walk away, when Volador Jr. grabs the mic and starts to talk and suddenly Mistico throws a water bottle or something at Volador Jr. and then attacks him. Averno joins in on the attack. Meanwhile, El Terrible is just laughing and pointing at Volador Jr. in a mocking fashion. This is a total old-school turn. No time wasted (i.e. Tarzan Boy). No lame storylines (i.e. anything done by Vince Russo). Just an old fashion angle. Very reminiscent of something you’d see at school with others stirring shit up just to see a fight.
• Block A Finals between Mascara Dorada & Atlantis (Jalisco) and Mistico & Averno (DF). This time around, Mistico starts the match as a rudo and they jump team Jalisco as soon as they arrive. Masks are getting ripped and WOW! does Mascara Dorada have a lot of hair. Atlantis gets Mistico in la rueca and catapults him to the outside. Mascara Dorada follows that up with a great dive with lots of hang time to it. Atlantis then catches Averno in La Atlantida for the elimination. Atlantis brings in Mascara Dorada and Mistico gets counted out. The winners of Block A are Mascara Dorada & Atlantis.
• Last on the show is the CMLL Heavyweight Title match-up between Ultimo Guerrero and Hector Garza. Garza wins the first fall with a powerbomb. Prior to that Garza had missed a tornillo by overshooting past Ultimo Guerrero and only his head hit UG’s body. Clean first fall. Second fall goes to Ultimo Guerrero as Garza decides to play to the crowd and strip his pants off and as he’s distracted, UG rolls him up for the pinfall. Short fall. Third fall had Garza go for a tornillo to the outside on Ultimo Guerrero. Closing moments of the match, Garza decides he’s going to try a tornillo from the top rope on the fallen Guerrero. Fans are screaming for him not to do it, but Garza climbs to the top and UG recovers in time to trip him up on the top rope and finishes him off with his Guerrero Special, to the delight of his compadre, Rey Bucanero. Thought the match was okay. Felt a bit flat with all that went on early in the tournament with Mistico.
• Fun show.  Really liked Mistico’s rudo turn. I liked the tournament concept of having various teams representing their city, region or school they came from.  Would be nice to include some other parts of Mexico in future tournaments.  Juarez, TJ, hello!