CMLL Puebla: Awkwardly Awesome
Tonight CMLL delivered a show that could only be done by Paco and the gang. This show multiple times looked like it was going to be remembered as one of the least impressive CMLL events of the year. Hell it may be in the long run, with two matches leaving a lot to be desired and two others flat out underwhelming in the wake of decent expectations. And yet somehow, someway this show turned out to be worth watching. Maybe it was the big match set up next week. Maybe it was the plucky individual performance in the opening match that gives you hope for whatever reason. Or maybe (and this is probably the case) it’s the fact that CMLL put forth the best match Arena Puebla has seen since Volador and UG tangled with each other several months ago. And just like that CMLL is looking good, as only CMLL can with an otherwise unmemorable show. So what are we waiting for; let’s break the bad boy down. Moses; meme it with feeling.
Fuerza Chicana & Guerrero Espacial defeated Meyer & Millenium two falls to one
I’d normally dismiss this match outright because that’s how bad Chicana, Guerrero Espacial and even Meyer were in this match. Alas I can’t because Millenium was as excellent as they were shitty. I don’t know what came over the young man but he was trying his ass off out there and at times looked like he could singlehandedly save this match. It wasn’t even just a good performance; it was great and it’s a damn shame no one else showed up and gave the effort Millenium did. Not since Dev Patel in The Last Airbender has there been someone who was involved in a piece of shit that came out looking so good. Well done Millenium; this match won’t be worth much in the long run but it’s at least a reminder of what that young luchador is capable of and an example of how you should always bust your ass no matter what. Looking at you every single rudo who’s taken the opening two matches off for over the last 9,000 years.
Cancerbero & Raziel defeated Black Tiger & Tigre Rojo Jr. two falls to one
Going in I expected the rudos to mail in this match, leaving it to Tigre and Tiger to deliver the goods. Instead the rudos worked hard and delivered a solid performance, Tigre looked pretty good and Black Tiger ruined the match by looking a thousand years old. Say what you will about someone like Diamante Azul, but that guy would never allow a Monkey Flip to be botched as bad as the one Tiger tried tonight in a botched double team with Tigre. It didn’t get much better after that for the veteran, as he looked sluggish, off pace and only looked competent when he was hitting a top rope splash. And let’s be honest, if a professional luchador can’t hit that then they might as well call it a day. Not that Black Tiger is great to begin with but he’s better than this and it was definitely an off night. He should thank his partner for giving a game effort and doing some cool stuff and the rudos for working as well as they could.
Random Ass Cibernetico
Mini Joker defeated Astral, Astro, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito, Vega, Demus 3:16, Espíritu Maligno, Pequeño Nitro, Saurón
There was a point early in this match when Vega and Maligno were going at it at a snail’s pace where I thought “Gorram Tirantes isn’t going to allow these guys to do jack shit is he?” I’ll let Dr. Cox sum up how that worked out for me.
As it turns out these guys were allowed to cut loose and did just that. This was the best match I’ve seen in Arena Puebla in quite some time and that’s despite some moments that were less than pleasing. Maligno, a pretty good luchador on most nights, was pretty bad tonight. He slipped on the ropes while attempting a splash and just looked off the entire time (I’d venture to guess that first section with Vega was largely slow because he was slow). You feel for the guy because he can be better, unlike Pequeño Nitro who is mediocre and was mediocre throughout this match. Aside from those two (and I guess Astral if you’re not a fan of his work) everyone else was the bomb diggity. Vega looked electrifying. Shockercito was let off the leash. Último Dragóncito looked alive for the first time that I can remember. Astro, who I’ve raved about previously, was given a great run in this match and proved he deserves a better look from CMLL then he’s been getting. For the love of Grodd even the Dark Lord himself, Saurón, had a nice moment with a Carístico esq dive. Somewhere in Modor a fiery tear dropped from that fiery eye and happiness was felt for the first time since before Frodo dropped the ring into Mount Doom.
But alas the true stars of this match were the last two rudos remaining; Mini Joker and especially Demus 3:16. I don’t think there’s any question that Demus is one hell of a performer and the best rudo of his division, but if there was he slammed the door tonight. He wasn’t just relentless with his work, he was pummeling, like a cross between Matanza and Brian Cage. The power he displayed here was something folks. Shockercito? Destroyed with a massive powerbomb by Demus. Último? Muscle Busted to kingdom come. And my Grodd if Vega can walk again after that move Demus put on him early in the match I’ll be shocked; I’ve seen car crashes less violent than that. If Demus had been any better tonight he would’ve been the best luchador on the planet, and he’d be the story here (and still is for me in some regard) if not for the fact that he was the third to last eliminated. That left Joker to do the rest and he was pretty solid too thanks to some freedom to do more dives (including a nice splash to the outside and a great senton from the top rope to the floor). If Demus deserved to win this match the most then Mini Joker was second in line, and with Demus and Astral already having gone to battle it only makes sense that this match set up Joker-Astral next. I’m not sure when it’ll happen, but I look forward to when it does if it’s anything like tonight. What a match and what a performance from so many of the luchadors. The only thing that would’ve made it better is if Stukita and Asturiano had been included.
Gran Guerrero, Hechicero, Pólvora defeated Dragón Lee, Máximo Sexy, Valiente two falls to none
Here came the two biggest shocks of the night in the form of this match only going two falls and CMLL setting up a match not even Pólvora’s closest living relatives could’ve expected; Pólvora against Dragón Lee next week for Dragón Lee’s CMLL World Lightweight Championship (though I could be mistaken). We now go live to the internet’s reaction to this news.
Frankly I can’t comprehend it either. There had been no signs of any Pólvora-Lee beef that I can recall prior to tonight and of all the people to face a talent like Lee, you would think that Dragón Rojo Jr.’s sidekick would be the last guy. But that’s the direction CMLL is going in and they made it clear by having Pólvora go after Lee throughout this match while Hechicero and Gran Guerrero took care of the other two. I guess that may be the biggest problem I have here; CMLL could’ve still set up Pólvora-Lee without cutting into this match. Instead they did and thus both Hechicero and Gran Guerrero weren’t allowed to do much while Valiente and Máximo did even less; the only thing I can remember from either guy was a really impressive Valiente suicide dive. I guess CMLL wanted this to be all about Pólvora staking his claim to face Lee and from that standpoint they got the job done. I’ll say this too; Pólvora-Lee should be a whole lot of fun if nothing else. He may be known as Rojo’s partner but Pólvora is quietly really good and we all know what Dragón Lee can do. If Pólvora delivers half the effort La Máscara did against Lee then we should be in for a great match next week. It’s just how we got there that’s puzzling.
Atlantis, Rush, Último Guerrero defeated Cavernario, Negro Casas, Volador Jr. two falls to one
If you thought the last match was short then wait till you see this one. I guess maybe Tirantes had dinner plans or something because this match flew by much like the last one; the only difference was that everyone here at least got to do something. This wasn’t a great match and certainly came nowhere close to challenging the cibernetico but for what it was it was fairly entertaining. Negro Casas and Rush had some nice sequences and Rush exuded a coolness about himself here as only he can. Atlantis was once again great working rudo and the brief sequence he had with Volador was mouth watering. UG was UG. And Cavernario, who is quickly starting to look more and more like a future international star, impressed again and showed that he could be just as effective a technico as a rudo. Tell me you didn’t want to see him vs. Rush one day after their brief interactions. The fact that all of this worked as well as it did just makes it even more of a bummer that it didn’t go longer nor set anything up. I suppose I can understand the latter as Rush is taking time off for the next week or so (which prevented CMLL from doing Rush-Volador or Rush-Casas) and the probability is high that CMLL will have two big singles matches next week anyway, making it pointless for them to set up a third. That still doesn’t mean this match couldn’t have gone longer though.
And scene. We’re done for the night folks, but I’ll be back tomorrow evening to review CMLL’s show in Arena Mexico. Till then, sleep well and dream of DUCHOVNY! It’s not creepy I swear.
