CMLL Dia de Muertos Uno Preview: Explosions in the Sky

It’s time! It’s time! It’s CMLL preview time! Yes the work is never done sports fans, especially when I’m so hyped over the Cubs first World Series victory in over 70 years. Not that this CMLL show Friday, the first of several Dias de Muertos shows, isn’t exciting in its own right. The card is loaded with intriguing matches and several young luchadors that need to be seen, with the ultimate prize waiting for us in the main event; a CMLL Universal Championship match between two of the best high flying veterans in lucha libre today. It’s gonna be a good one folks, and I’m here to break it down to you with a day to spare. So what are we waiting for?! Moses, get on your bike and meme!

Bengala & Flyer vs. Apocalipsis & Metálico

What to Expect: Me writing a letter to CMLL during this match demanding that Flyer be moved on to bigger and better things. COME ON PACO! This poor kid has got all the goods and yet he’s stuck in the opener again with a lifeless tag partner, the poor man’s Apocalipsis (unless this is actually Rey Apocalipsis. I can never tell) and Metálico, who I’d normally say is always at least entertaining except he’s coming off a performance last week where he was no such thing. Stop doing this to Flyer dammit! I’ll watch just in case the young man delivers the goods, and if he happens to read this I’d advise him to pull a Pegasso and do some crazy shit anyway. Make them notice you Flyer, and also make Bengala look worse by comparison so we don’t have to see him anymore! That was mean wasn’t it?

Winners: The rudos win in three falls, with Flyer probably being pinned. This is the kind of result that’s going to lead to me getting medieval on someone’s ass one day.

Oro Jr., Pegasso, Soberano Jr. vs. Disturbio, Okumura, Virus

What to Expect: Aside from the fact that Oro Jr. is in Flyer’s spot this match actually looks pretty good! I know, it’s in the dreaded second match spot but so what; Soberano Jr. proved a few weeks ago that restrictions mean jack shit to him while Pegasso has taken to doing dives in whatever match he’s been in recently and won’t stop here. So there will be some action, and the technicos thankfully have a good rudo team to work with. The only question I have is whether or not Oro Jr. will step up to the plate. He’s never knocked my socks off but he’s also been stuck working Arkángel de la Muerte since the dawn of time it seems. I bet he’s so thrilled to be away from that he pulls out a pretty good performance this Friday, all while looking happier than Major Lilywhite after he was sprung from the joint.

Winners: The technicos take it in three falls, with Soberano pinning Okumura.

Estrellita, Marcela, Sanely vs. Amapola, Dalys, Metálica

What to Expect: There are two bits of good news here! First, Sanely and Metálica return this week to prevent us from having to deal with the albatross’ known as Tiffany, Lluvia and La Vaquerita once again. Second, Dalys and Marcela are beefing again which means there’s actually a story to this match and potential reason to get invested. There are positives coming from a CMLL luchadoras match sports fans! Must be the New Day’s fault.

Unfortunately that’s where the pros end. We still have Estrellita hanging around despite the fact that she offers very little at this point, Zeuxis is still nowhere to be found (AND IT’S KILLING ME) and Dalys-Marcela, while a good match, is something we’ve seen more times than a blown lead by the Toronto Maple Leafs. As such, this is still your typical luchadoras match that most people will make fun of while the rest slog through it the best we can. If I’m CMLL, I’m keeping Dalys and Marcela action to a medium and letting the youngsters Sanely and Metálica just go at it. We know what the vets have; let’s give the youngsters a chance to do something. It works for the young luchadors; maybe it’ll work for the luchadoras too.

Winners: The technicas are definitely winning with Marcela-Dalys on the horizon. The question is whether Marcela pins Dalys and then makes the challenge or if Dalys fouls Marcela, leading to the challenge. I’ll go with the latter; technicas win by DQ in the third fall.

Carístico, Dragón Lee, Mistico vs. Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto

What to Expect: Now this looks promising, provided Mephisto has recovered from whatever was bothering him during the Tuesday show and Carístico isn’t in too much of a rush to get to the Elite show on that same night (where he’ll be main eventing with former CMLL great Rey Escorpión). Maybe it’s just me but I sense there might be more to this than just a regular trios match. Maybe Rush gets involved to further the issues between his two brothers? Maybe a Trios Championship match is set up (unlikely as Máscara Dorada, Diamante Azul and Mistico are challenging for the belts this upcoming Tuesday)? Hell maybe it’s as simple as CMLL finally putting together that Carístico/Mistico team everyone so desperately wants. Regardless of whether something else happens or not, this should be a fun match with the technicos pulling out a lot of awesome stuff to thrill the crowd.

Winners: I’ll say Rush does make his presence felt here and distracts Dragón Lee long enough for the rudos to pick up the win. Lee and Mistico will be upset while Carístico shrugs and gets in his teleporter to make it to Arena Naucalpan.

La Máscara, Pierroth, Rush vs. Euforia, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero

What to Expect: Look at CMLL finally making it official; La Máscara is back in the fold and Los Ingobernables is riding again. Unfortunately they’re still riding with Pierroth, who makes his return after quietly (and thankfully) disappearing for weeks. Perhaps he’s become a better luchador since then? Who am I kidding; he’s like Blaine from iZombie; he gives you hope and then the next thing you know he’s worse than he was five minutes ago.

The good news about this match is that it does allow the Guerreros to wrestle as technicos, which means we’ll get to see technico Euforia again for the first time in weeks (always a treat). I’m just hoping that this is more of a free flowing match than what these two teams are usually accustomed to, which is beat down after beat down after beat down (with the Ingobernables usually starting their attacks right before the bell and continuing well into the second fall). It works when there’s a big time technicos team; it’s not going to work here. Whoever the booker is for this match, may he make it a back and forth with a whole lot of Rush-Euforia interactions, a whole lot of UG putting Máscara in his place and a whole lot of Pierroth not doing much.

Winners: I’m going with the Guerreros in three falls, with my hope being that CMLL follows up with the Rush-Lee storyline by having Lee cost Rush the match here with a distraction of his own. Wouldn’t that be bold?!

CMLL Universal Championship Match

Volador Jr. vs. Valiente

What to Expect: We have arrived at what could be the most shocking CMLL main event of the year. Certainly no one is shocked that Volador, he who main events or semi-main events almost every big CMLL show, would make appearance in this big match. Valiente? That’s a different story. The Buff Bagwell of lucha libre (as well as the man with the tiniest trunks) was predicted by approximately no one I know to make it to the finals. Then he upset Negro Casas, Máximo and Último Guerrero (three future lucha libre Hall of Famers mind you) in Block A and now finds himself against his Trios Champion partner in what could be the biggest match of his life.

Maybe there’s a little hyperbole in that statement but it’s not altogether wrong. With CMLL now available to more eyeballs in more countries than ever before and people like Dave Meltzer promoting the show every week, Valiente is getting more exposure than ever did when he had matches with Mephisto and Negro Casas a few years back. So even with this being for the “so-so” Universal Championship, it’s a big match stage for Valiente and a chance to go up against one of the best wrestlers alive today. I can’t wait to see what he and Volador do and I think this has the chance of topping what Volador and Cavernario brought to the table. There’s no doubt Cavernario is an amazing talent, but Valiente is walking into this match with more momentum than Cavernario did and with a high flying style equal to Volador’s. Combine his ability with what we know Volador is capable of in big matches and this has the potential to be the greatest action adventure since Mad Max: Fury Road, minus the War Boys. And I haven’t even mentioned the fact yet that CMLL can choose to throw some tension in here between the two trios partners if they so choose. There are a lot of possibilities to this match sports fans and a lot of potential fireworks. You won’t want to miss it.

Winner: My head and heart are pulling me in different directions here. My head is certainly going with Volador, who is a top guy and has yet to win one of these CMLL Universal titles. My heart however wants CMLL to award Valiente here because of his efforts the past couple of months and the fact that Volador doesn’t need a CMLL Universal title to validate his career (though in fairness, neither does Valiente). In the end my head is going to win out; Volador Jr. will win in three falls, he’ll shake hands with Valiente afterwards and become the most prestigious Universal Champion in all of wrestling. BAM, shots fired!

That’s the end of the road sports fans. I’m officially off till tomorrow, where I’ll be breaking down the big development from tonight’s Lucha Underground. Till then, let’s close with some Major and Ravi, and no that’s not short for ravioli.

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