CMLL Guerreros Del Ring (5/5/06 – 5/20/06)

Written By Robert Bihari

CMLL GdR 5/5/06:

Blue Panther/Brazo De Plata/Virus vs Ultimo Guerrero/Rey Bucanero/Olimpico: Criminally short although I noticed at least two clips. Based on what aired I am very mad we didn’t get at least one Virus/Guerrero exchange at some point. In fact, I don’t recall Virus get A SINGLE EXCHANGE in the match. It was sad seeing Porky go through two of his usual spots and heaving like he was on his death bed. Even worse later on when he could barely roll over. Dude needs a reality check. Much like what cubs said – seemed like a fun match for the setting. You can’t expect 100% workrate on a kids show where the entire crowd just wants to laugh and see their guys win.

Mistico/La Parka/Negro Casas/Heavy Metal vs Perro Aguayo Jr./Hector Garza/Damian 666/Mr. Aguila: Aguila looks good fresh off being shaved bald. Damian looks 20 years older than his usual 40 year old look. Of course this entire match was based around Parka turning on his team and eventually walking off. Angle was played nicely and had some creative spots such as Parka’s usual comedy spot with Rey Jr.(Mistico played Rey – DUH!) except not meant for comedy as he was really pissed at him and Parka catching Negro to block the silla dive onto Perrito. Dunno WTF Perrito was trying afterwards as he kinda lept off the apron at Negro and came up way short but Negro bumped anyways. Always good to see the top heel blowing a simple spot as badly as an opening card rudo. Rudos win when Parka walks off.

Really strange main event booking. You have weeks and weeks to run the Parka turning rudo angle on a regular Friday show so why save it for a special Sunday show in front of an audience full of irregular fans who were just celebrating kids day? And anyone with half a brain knows the crowd came to see the good guys win so they could cheer for them so why run a finish where the rudos kick everyone’s ass? Simple booking like this used to be right up CMLL’s alley.

On paper this is one of the best GdR episodes in ages and you can understand why people who don’t get GdR are dying to see it. In reality, the show kinda blew and you just end up confused as to why people still think GdR is the greatest show they aren’t able to see.

CMLL GdR 5/13/06:

Has anyone noticed the show starts with clips of the entire Arena Coliseo show? Not just the matches they are airing – the undercard stuff as well. It goes by real fast but for example on this episode they had a Shockercito tope suicida, multiple rotation headscissors from someone(Mini Starman?) on Pequeno Halloween and various other clips. So the full shows are being taped and are probably in storage somewhere.:) I wonder how the ratings for this show are b/c maybe if they are good it can get extended by a half hour or even an extra hour to show some bonus material or even just 3 full matches which would still be good since the curretn 1 hour and less than 20 minutes of wrestling is getting old.

(skipped first match for now)

Mistico/Lizmark Jr./Ultimo Dragon vs El Averno/El Mephisto/Universo 2000: Wow… BEYOND AWFUL. I didn’t expect it to be good but even by normal mailed in Coliseo standards, this was atrocious from start to finish. I guess the tone was set right away as Mistico was running the ropes and Averno had a really confused look on his face. Mistico did a handspring… something… realized Averno was just looking at him awkwardly, landed on his feet… and took a bump. O………….K. Rudos took over from there and won the first fall in short order. Mistico springboard dropkick leads the way for the second fall comeback but if you’ve been watching with any regularity, you knew it was coming. Rudos obviously don’t have time to watch TV.:) Mistico with a slingshot tornillo to take Mephisto out of the equation. Lizmark is busy bodyslamming Universo on the floor and telling Quemonito jump off the apron but Monito obviously realizing what a fucking mess this match is – refuses to do so and just stands there. Meanwhile the equally useless Ultimo Dragon is standing in the ring waiting for… someone… something… I really don’t know. Oh wait – Averno enters the ring so Dragon attacks him but Universo enters as well. If you guessed a power bomb from Lizmark Jr. and the Asai DDT from Ultimo in under 30 seconds to finish the fall – you win! Third fall has your generic Ultimo Dragon exchange and Lizmark Jr. exchange where both look like they’d rather be anywhere but in a wrestling ring. Mistico rinses and repeats his same spots on all three rudos, ending by sending Universo outside with the springboard twisting armdrag. Lizmark Jr. with a tope suicida. Ultimo and Averno then enter and have a very awkward moment where they both head towards each other… then stop… then back off… then stop… and finally Averno just runs into the ropes and Ultimo waits for him to get close before hiptossing him to the outside and doing an asai moonsault. If you guessed La Mistica in under 30 seconds – you’d be wrong b/c we’re setting up a singles match here so instead it’s a low blow on Mistico in less than 30 seconds.

I’m honestly very afraid that one year from now I will not be able to distinguish between ANY of these GdR episodes. Usually I have a good memory b/c I can remember certain creative spots or moves or angles and then the entire match comes flooding back to me no matter when it’s from… 80′s, 90′s, etc. Doesn’t even matter if it’s some short shitty WWA TV show from 1991. As long as SOMETHING stands out, I can remember it clearly. But there is NOTHING to remember most of these GdR episodes by. I can even stretch that by saying there is NOTHING to remember most CMLL television shows these days. Another reason it’d be nice to get some new faces on TV. Even if the matches suck, at least it would help differentiate shows.

CMLL GdR 5/13/06:

Dos Caras Jr./Felino/Brazo De Oro vs Emilio Charles Jr./Hombre Sin Nombre/Misterioso II: I had no problems with this. It was odd to see Dos Jr. working like he was more motivated even though he had a lower spot on the card. Isn’t it usually the other way around? Oro was nothing but an extra body. Emilio was really fun as usual. He can’t work like he used to but he is hilarious with his selling and facial expressions. I found it funny when Felino thought it was time for the rudo beatdown in the second fall only it wasn’t and he interrupted a Brazo/Misterioso exchange. OOPS.

(main event above)

Average episode.

CMLL GdR 5/20/06:

Lizmark Jr./Brazo De Plata/Black Warrior/Universo 2000 vs Great Muta/Ultimo Dragon/Marco Corleone/John Stamboli: WTF happened in fall one? Looked like the foreigners won and they just kept wrestling. I think someone forgot to tell them the fall ends and there is a rest period so everyone got confused and the refs eventually just raised their hands. Odd. I’m shocked Ultimo Dragon hasn’t turned rudo yet b/c he didn’t have to do ANYTHING in the match. As a tecnico he has to run through his boring spots we’ve seen a million times, if he turned rudo he could mail it in without having to break a sweat! Warrior’s tope of death was nice but otherwise this was a mess. The magazines ripped on Muta’s performance in Mexico by saying he was lazy. Well… he was just trying to fit in!

Mistico vs El Mephisto: Wow, not the Mistico by numbers match I was expecting. Right from the start Mephisto worked the knee and Mistico sold it for the entire match. Of course it helps this was the week his knee was really bothering him.:) As the match went on, I couldn’t help but feel the nearfalls were pointless. The crowd knew Mistico was going to win with La Mistica so they were just waiting for it. It might be time to give him a new finisher that he can use once in a while to create some suspense as to how his matches end. Even with that said, I liked the finish with the first Mistica tease, low blow block and then La Mistica. Mistico continues to sell afterwards and gets bonus points from me. I wonder if the match would have been even better if they hadn’t clipped out the early third fall stuff.:/

Another average episode worth seeing if you’re a Mistico fan.