CMLL Tuesday Preview: The Mystery Show
I know what you’re thinking; you really waited this long to do your preview for CMLL’s Arena Puebla show tonight? You’re slipping Cult. While I do slip often (must be my kicks), that’s not the case here. What’s happened is that I’ve simply decided to skip over tonight’s Puebla show, which I am I looking forward to and will be reviewing, in favor of breaking down tomorrow’s CMLL show in Arena Mexico. Why? Honestly it just seems to pop out more to me. While tonight’s show in Puebla looks pretty solid across the board (minus the opener), this show has the persona of an old school Hitchcock suspense thriller; I have no unearthly idea what will happen but I know it can go either way and I’m 98% excited and 2% scared. Or is it 2% excited and 98% scared? THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT SO INTENSE! Hence why we’re previewing this and not putting together a last minute Puebla preview. It’ll be back next week for all seventeen of you to read. For now let’s look ahead to tomorrow. Moses, meme it like it’s hot.
Acero & Aéreo vs. Mercurio & Pequeño Olímpico
What to Expect: It depends; if CMLL continues the trend of letting dudes do stuff in the opener than Acero and Aéreo could make this entertaining really fast. If they don’t then you best be ready to break out the good old “typical CMLL opener” label. I’m guessing it’ll be the latter in wake of the injuries to Espanto Jr. and Flyer (who will be back working this Sunday thank Grodd), which is a shame because the technicos are good and…well at least Mercurio is good on the other side. Let’s move on before I put myself to sleep trying to find something interesting to say here.
Winners: When in doubt, go with the rudos. They’ll take it in three falls. Whoa, déjà vu.
Magia Blanca, Metatrón, Robin vs. Grako, Metálico, Nitro
What to Expect: I haven’t seen something with a question mark this big since the one Quentin Tarantino used over Daryl Hannah’s name in the Kill Bill credits. I know that Robin will be decent, Metálico will be entertaining and both Metatrón and Nitro will look more lost than Marcus Brody in İskenderun. And then you have Blanca and Grako. The buzz around Blanca is solid (cubsfan likes him) and he did look good in the Gran Alternitiva earlier this year, albeit in a rudo role with Último Guerrero. Grako meanwhile looks to be a borderline unknown; the best I could find of him was one indie match on YouTube. Even CageMatch doesn’t have any info on him, and they’ve got dirt on anyone. Put that together with the complete unknown of how everyone else will mesh and this match is a mystery. I say we hope Robin comes to play, Metálico’s entrance is that great and that Blanca and Grako wind up being really, really good.
Winners: I say the technicos here with Robin getting the pin over Metálico.
Lightning Match
Pegasso vs. Disturbio
What to Expect: Say what you will about this CMLL card but you cannot deny its intriguing, with this match being the most intriguing of all. This could end up being really good or really bad and I’m not sure there’s a middle ground. I do like both guys; Pegasso can be one of the more exciting luchadors on any given day and Disturbio is quietly one of the most underrated dudes in CMLL. So what’s the problem? Pegasso can also be one of the most inconsistent luchadors on any given day and Disturbio often brings comedy in the mix, which generally isn’t a good thing for a Lightning Match. In the end I just don’t know. I can see this being a really fun seven minute match, I can see this being a short, uneventful clash; I’m honestly ready for anything. Sexy Star could show up, pin both of them and drive Rob Viper further into his psychosis and I’d be like this guy.
Winner: Pegasso has a better shot than most high flying technicos in this type of match but this still feels like Disturbio’s to lose. He’ll take it around the 5:35 mark. Why 5:35? Why not!
Soberano Jr., Star Jr., Stigma vs. Misterioso Jr., Okumura, Sagrado
What to Expect: Evidently Soberano and Star Jr. were so impressed with Stigma’s performance this past Friday that they decided to bring him back into the fold for this match here. Alright it was decided a week ago but still. Frankly I’m just confused as to why Stigma is now Soberano and Star Jr.’s partner. Did CMLL not like the pairing of them with Drone (then Hombre Bala Jr.) for some reason? Are Magnus and Flyer not considered worthy of getting a better look? Nothing against Stigma but we know what we’re getting with him here. At least with Drone, Flyer or Magnus there’s a chance of creating the greatest trio since Billy Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt meant Tre Cool.
But enough about Green Day! This should be a substantially better effort than what we saw Friday if for two reasons. First, the rudo team, once again featuring Okumura, is significantly better with Misterioso and Sagrado replacing Skándalo and Sangre Azteca. Second, CMLL moving this match from the second spot to fourth should mean that Soberano and Star Jr. will at least get a couple sick dives in. I’m still not sold on it being a good match as of yet, but the potential is there. Let’s just hope Stigma is having one of his good days and Misterioso and Mr. Bullying Club decide to make everyone look good.
Winners: This feels like a technico victory here and not just because I desperately want it to be. Alright it’s because I desperately want it to be. The heart wants what it wants dammit! And it’ll get what it wants when Soberano pins Okumura in fall three for the win.
Ángel de Oro, Johnny Idol, Rey Cometa vs. Olímpico, Ripper, Vangellys
What to Expect: Talk about going from the penthouse to the outhouse; CMLL is giving us an above average technico team here, only to place them against Vangellys, the lifeless corpse of Ripper and Fandango from the future. I literally felt all forms of hope leave my body going from one team to the other folks; not good at all. Sure this could still work out provided Oro, Idol and Cometa get dive happy and Vangellys ends up working the whole match for the rudos while Olímpico dances on the apron and Ripper continues to forget he’s dead. But I’m guessing we get too much of the rudos and I spend the last half of this match working on a remake of Looper starring Fandango as young Fandango and Olímpico as old Fandango from the future. Johnny Idol, if you’re reading this, please don’t let shit come to that!
Winners: The rudos will win and for the second straight Tuesday we will all question whether or not there is truly a Cthulhu in the sky.
Mistico, Titán, Volador Jr. vs. Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
What to Expect: This should be the best match of the night but for some reason I’m feeling a tad skeptical. It could be because we just saw Los Infiernos in trios action just a couple of Tuesday’s ago and they were merely okay, despite the fact that Mistico and Máscara Dorada were involved. Were those two matches flukes? I suppose you could argue that and put a good amount of blame on Diamante Azul (as everyone seems to do), but I just can’t escape the thought that Ephesto and Luciferno are off their game right now and may be so again. The good news is that, even if they are losing it, Mephisto is still really good, Diamante has been replaced with Titán (a substantial upgrade even if I do believe Diamante gets a bum rap) and Dorada has been replaced by Volador, who will most definitely bring the same electricity that Dorada did. Those two along with Mistico are a great team and CMLL would be wise to let these guys just fly around while the rudos catch them in order to send the fans home happy. Which brings me to my next concern; are we sure CMLL will do that? I don’t know if people have noticed recently but unless it’s the conclusion of a feud or tournament, CMLL main events recently have been underwhelming by the standards we’ve set and are often used to set something up. I guess my point is don’t be surprised if that’s what happens here as opposed to a balls to the wall epic.
Winners: I can’t picture CMLL setting up another Trios Titles match between Los Infiernos and only part of the Sky Team so that’s out the window. That leaves either Volador or Mephisto to be challenged for their respective singles titles (the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship and the CMLL World Welterweight Championship) if there is any set up. I’ll say that we’ll be getting Volador vs. Mephisto, with Volador pinning Mephisto in the third fall and then making the challenge, leading to a big match next week. That’s my hope at least, because it a) gives us a great match to look forward to and b) guarantees this match should be fun. It’s a win win. Please give us the win win CMLL! I don’t ask for much.
That’ll do it sports fans. Special thanks to DoradaFan for finding that awesome song you heard in this column. I’ll be back later to talk about Aztec Warfare III and review tonight’s CMLL show in Puebla. Fun times will be had. Till then, play me off DUCHOVNY!
