CMLL 23/08/2015

Still not going to pretend I fully "get" lucha, but I enjoyed some of the CMLL I watched last year, and wanted to try to keep on top of my lucha knowledge.

Dragon Rojo Jr vs Rey Escorpion

I liked elements of this match, but it did feel a bit brief, not helped by some clipping. The first two falls are rushed through, Escorpion winning the first after some brief matwork, rolling through a roll-up to lock in Rings of Saturn for the submission. Rojo equalised with a victory roll, before the third fall sees both guys rushing through a bunch of stuff. Lovely flip dive by Escopion, great running stage-dive dropkick from Rojo and a really nice finish with Rojo blocking a rana and turning it instead into a slingshot powerbomb, but it all felt a bit hollow. Momentum seemed to shift too easily, and the end saw both guys on their feet in the ring, seemingly shaking off the previous damage. I liked the move execution, less enamoured with the match layout.

Goya Kong, Marcela & Princess Sujei vs Amapola, La Seductoria & Zeuxis

This was a pretty fun deal following on from Sujei and Marcela claiming the mask of Seductoria in a tag match the previous week. Really enjoyed Zeuxis in this, she blasted Kong with some vicious knees in the corner and hit a lovely moonsault to the floor onto Kong. Actually, all the rudos looked good, with Seductoria hitting a nasty looking seated senton to Kong and Amapola planting Sujei with Angels Wings. This earned a pinfall and Seductoria tied up Marcela for the submission to complete the first caida. The rudos maintained control and I dug them using the size of Kong as a weapon against her partners by using her to sandwich them in the corner. However, Kong was strong enough to plow through the rudos with a corner clothesline and nail Amapola with a guillotine drop for the equalising fall. The rudos still controlled the third fall until Amapola hit the post on a corner charge and Kong followed up with a big apron dive, which looked great. The remaining technicos pick up the win, Marcela hitting a top rope stomp and Sujei hitting a Michinoku Driver for the falls.

Negro Casas, Shocker & Ultimo Guerrero vs Rush, La Sombra & La Mascara

This is a follow-up to Rush low-blowing Casas en route to winning a hair vs hair match the previous week. Casas actually jumps Rush during the entrances, but this is a poor decision as he gets outnumbered quickly. His partner try to help, but are at a disadvantage, and this puts them on the back foot throughout. With Casas eliminated, Rush hits a top rope senton to pin Shocker and a corner dropkick on Guerrero to earn the primera caida. Both falls go to Rush too, making him look great. The second fall sees the captains Rush and Casas face off and end up brawling all over the floor. With this going on, Guerrero gets knees up on a Sombra moonsault and Shocker hits an odd-looking pump-handle slam on Mascara to even the ties. While that felt a bit underwhelming, the third fall is actually pretty fun. Rush and Casas kick off, and it really shows off how good Casas still looks, with his strikes and kicks looking on point. He’s really fluid. As they brawl outside, we get a good bit of ring time from Shocker who, even if he’s bigger and less mobile than 10 years previously, still has some nice moments. Loved him dropping a hefty elbow drop on a drop down. Sombra hits a massive dive to the floor, sending him flying into the railings. The end sees Casas get retribution as he rolls up Rush with La Majistral, only for the ref to get pulled out of the ring by Rush’s teammates. However, this distraction lets Casas hit a low blow on Rush for the winning fall and a bit of karmic revenge. Didn’t really get going until the last fall, but this was ok.

CMLL 16/8/2014

After hearing good things about the promotion in 2014, I decided to catch up with a bit of CMLL, taking in this big broadcast from last year, with two big stipulation matches

Marcela & Princesa Sujei vs Princesa Blanca & La Seductora

This is a hair and mask vs hair and mask match, with the hair of Blanca and Marcela on the line, along with the masks of Seductora and Sujei. You can tell the stakes are high early doors as the rudos (Blanca and Seductora) attack in the aisle. I really like Blanca’s aggression here as the rudos dominate, including lifting Sujei clean off the mat by the hair. Seductora nails Marcela with a huge dropkick as she’s tied in the ropes, which deserves a replay. Marcela tries to fire back but takes a huge bump, cannonballing off the apron onto no-one. Seductora nails Sujei with a top rope Thesz press for three, and Blanca swiftly polishes off Marcela to take the primera caida.

The rudos maintain control at the start of the secunda caida, with Blanca tearing at Sujei’s mask. Momentum swings as Seductora misses Poetry in Motion, and Marcela just nails a vicious dropkick to the face of Blanca. Marcela pins Blanca with a Michinoku driver, before Sujei finishes Seductora with another driver, only adding a flipping senton and two elbow drops for emphasis.

This leaves all to play for, and the final fall is really exciting. Marcela is all over Blanca, until Seductora pushes her off the top rope, and hooks her in a swank looking half crab for the tap-out. Sujei wastes no time in locking up Seductora in a neat looking hammerlock submission to even the odds, and we’re now down to Blanca vs Sujei in a battle of Princesa’s. Really fun ending, with Blanca getting a huge nearfall from a spiral powerbomb. They battle over roll-ups, before Seductora tries to assist Blanca. Marcela prevents this, and this allows Sujei to roll up Blanca for the win. Really good stuff.

Rush vs Negro Casas

Another hair vs hair match, and this one is even better. Rush seems to be coming out to Chris Benoit’s old ring music. Rush is really aggressive from the bell, steamrolling Casas. Though Casas gets a few comeback blows, Rush nails him with a massive dropkick to the face for an easy fall. The segunda caida sees Casas come back with a vengeance, and I loved his offence of just vicious looking kicks, which Rush is happy to meet with his own. There is an odd bit where another luchador comes to the ring with Casas holding an STF on Rush. This interference causes Casas to release the hold, but then following a Rush powerbomb, the referee is still distracted and doesn’t count, so the interference seems to have helped neither man. Casas quickly locks in a La Majistral cradle for the fall to level things up.

If the first two falls were good, things get really good in the final fall. The crowd is solidly behind Casas, and he reacts accordingly, totally pumped up for battle. These two just batter each other, and it’s amazing to watch. Casas nails a seated senton from the apron to the floor and Rush, as if to be not outdone, nails Casas in turn with a huge dropkick from the apron. The end, though a cheap one, is great, as it allows Rush to come off as a total dick against the crowd favourite Casas: a ref bump allows Rush to punt Casas in the balls and he covers him for the win. Just a great piece of pro wrestling.