CMLL Super Viernes: Into the Sunset
We won’t waste time here folks. Tonight’s CMLL show was many things; it was sad, it was misunderstood (at least from my perspective), it was really good, it was really emotional and at the end it was infuriating thanks to one of the worst concepts since someone thought of the term concept. The main event was that bad folks, though not enough to topple an otherwise enjoyable show in my eyes. But let’s not waste time; I know you all want to find out what happened with Máscara Dorada. So let’s start that journey. Moses; don’t stop the meming. HOLD ON TO THE FEELIN…alright I’ll stop. OR WILL I?!
Magnus & Flyer defeated Akuma & Espanto Jr. two falls to one
I tell you; there’s an alternate universe where this match goes exactly as it was planned and I’m sitting here marveling at it afterwards. That’s how good the first fall was folks. Instead of going to the usual well of slow, non exciting offense these four tore it up. Better yet, the rudos were the main guys doing the tearing. Akuma hit a sweet running apron dropkick to Flyer (who was hanging on the barricade), which was the coolest opening match moment ever until Espanto surpassed him with a Super Inverted Hurricanrana a second later. Combine that with Magnus sprinting around like a free man throughout the first fall and it looked like this match was on its way to becoming the biggest surprise since Monica popped out from under the covers of Chandler’s bed.
And then the second fall happened. Not even America was as unlucky as these four were following that electrifying start. First Espanto ended up getting his leg caught in the ropes while hitting a double team dropkick, injuring himself pretty badly from what I could see. Not two minutes later Flyer went for what would’ve been an amazing Aerostar/Volador/Dorada esq rope assisted hurricanrana from the stage, only the ropes tripped him up and he landed on his head, knocking him out. Those two incidents (which 99 times out of 100 wouldn’t have happened), pretty much derailed the match and left Magnus and Akuma alone for the third fall, which went fairly quickly. It was such a shame as the match was going so well and even ended well, thanks to Magnus giving a game effort in that short third fall. Hell even with what happened this still turned out to be one of the more memorable openers in recent memory, albeit for the wrong reasons in some regard. You can only hope Flyer is okay, Espanto isn’t as hurt as he seemed and that both make a speedy recovery.
Soberano Jr., Stigma, Star Jr. defeated Okumura, Skándalo, Sangre Azteca two falls to none
This is the part of the show where certain fans watching started to judge things a little unfairly. Granted this match won’t go down as an all timer and you could tell CMLL a) didn’t want guys to go all out after how the last match ended and b) wanted to save time for the main event (a move that turned out to be stupid), thus limiting the match. But beyond that this match was just fine. All the guys worked hard, Soberano once more made things look effortless, Skándalo stayed out of the way, Okumura was old reliable and even gorram Sangre Azteca had a moment when he hit a pretty sweet Tornado DDT. By no means was this a bad match folks; certainly you’d have liked to have seen things done a tad differently, but the guys worked hard and made the best out of the situation. I’ve no complaints, beyond Star Jr. needing more time and CMLL wasting this match so they could then melt our faces off with the colossal failure that was the end of the show.
Hechicero, Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora defeated Stuka Jr., Fuego, Rey Cometa two falls to one
This match is going to wind up underrated because…you know I’m not sure why. In any event this was the sure thing I expected it to be; when the guys were on, they were really on, most notably in the first fall when Hechicero and Fuego had a very unique face off and the third fall when the dives were coming in left and right. I suppose you could argue the match lacked substance beyond all of that but that feels like a nitpick to me. The bottom line is that this match was super fun and entertained me just as I expected it to. It was the Mad Max: Fury Road to the main events Beyond Thunderdome. You’re gorram right I just insulted Thunderdome and (Kevin Nash voice) there ain’t a nothing you can DO ABOUT IT!!!! Whoa what just happened?
Lightning Match
Carístico defeated Mephisto
Yet another match I’m going to wind up disagreeing with the lucha community on. Why’s that? Beats me; maybe I truly have become easy to please or maybe I just haven’t lived through as many Carístico-Mephisto matches as the rest (it’s also possible people were affected by the crowd, which wasn’t as hot as one would expect for this match). All I know is that this match also entertained me and at times felt like a really great match. Carístico looked like Carístico for the first time in awhile for me. With nowhere to hide like the numerous trios matches he’s taken part in recently, Carístico was forced to do some more high risk offense and delivered. We got three dives from him tonight (two of which were really good) and a lot more activity, including Carístico nearly decapitating himself on a top rope Spanish Fly (how he survived that…). Mephisto didn’t disappoint either, catching everything and delivering some good soccer style kicks in the middle of the match just when it seemed like this was strictly going to be a Carístico exhibition. Combine all of that with the fact that, like Hechicero-Soberano, it felt like this could go the distance and it’s really hard for me to find any complaints here. I’m not saying it was the greatest thing ever or that it was on the level of Hechicero-Soberano; I’m simply saying this was an enjoyable match, which it was.
Máscara Dorada, Atlantis, Diamante Azul defeated Negro Casas, Cavernario, Felino two falls to one
It was the match (and the post match) we all tuned in to see and, regardless of how you feel about the rest of the show, I don’t see how anyone could walk away disappointed. Much like Monday in Puebla CMLL got everything right, only in a different way. As opposed to building up towards Dorada’s first appearance in the match as they did Monday, CMLL instead booked Casas (who looked overjoyed to be given one last opportunity to work with Dorada and put him over), Cavernario and Felino to beat the shit out of the technicos in round one in order to build towards Dorada’s big comeback that turned the tide in fall two. This worked perfectly; the rudos were great and the technicos sold this all brilliantly (especially Dorada, who was clotheslined over the guardrail outside and slammed head first into the announcer’s table by Cavernario). All that was needed after that was for Dorada to give one last great performance to turn the tide and he did, hitting his trademark spots with aplomb and bringing Arena Mexico to his feet. It worked so well that CMLL probably could’ve just used Dorada and gotten away with it, although both Diamante and Atlantis conducted themselves very well in the third fall. If nothing else this match was a great example of how sometimes it’s the simple things that can make a match great as opposed to there being a thousand amazing spots.
Of course the story was always going to be what happened after the match more than the match itself and I’m happy to say it was as wonderful and emotional as we all hoped. Yes the entire locker room emptied out to hug Dorada and congratulate him. Yes the fans threw money into the ring. Yes Dorada, holding back his emotions prior to the match like he did Monday, broke down at one point and perfectly essayed Ron Burgundy’s “glass case of emotion”. There were chants, tears, thank yous; everything you possibly could’ve wanted from this send off was available. The only negative is that it now truly is all over and Máscara Dorada is now gone. It’s bittersweet; I’m hopeful for his chances in WWE (even though I believe in the Toronto Maple Leafs more than that company right now) and yet saddened that I’ll no longer get to see Dorada deliver classics in Arena Mexico almost every week. At least with tonight he gave me and the rest of the lucha community one last classic moment we’ll never forget. So for one last time; gracias Dorada. Gracias.
And that’s a wrap folks. I’ll return…wait that wasn’t the end of the show? Oh no…
Triple Threat Round Robin Six Man Tag…Thing
Último Guerrero, Euforia, Gran Guerrero defeated Rush, Pierroth, La Máscara and Volador Jr., Marco Corleone, Máximo
One day (and though that day may never come) I expect an explanation from CMLL about a) why Dorada’s farewell wasn’t used to close the show and b) who the hell thought anything about this concept was a good idea. I cannot even tell you five things about…whatever the hell this is, mainly because I kept thinking to myself the entire time “this is fucking dumb”. And good Grodd I mean that towards every aspect of this Alone in the Dark style catastrophe. The triple threat battle royal (the first triple threat battle royal in the history of the western hemisphere mind you) was dumb. The three minute Los Ingobernables vs. technicos trios match that followed was dumb. The finale was really dumb. And worst of all the first two aspects of the match were completely unnecessary and more than likely prevented other matches from going longer, a decision that makes no sense considering this main event angle likely went a combined ten minutes. To sum it up; I hated this, I felt awful for everyone involved and I have no idea what CMLL was thinking putting it together. I only wish we were in that alternate universe right now where the first match of the night comes together like it was supposed to and this match goes the way of Riley Finn. It was that atrocious. Damn you CMLL for getting me all worked up at 12:30 in the morning; and after that wonderful Dorada send off no less!
Alright, now we’re done folks. Thank Grodd. I may be back tomorrow with something different from the usual wrestling stuff, but I can’t say for sure. At the latest you’ll see me Sunday with a preview of CMLL’s Puebla show, the first CMLL show of the post Dorada era to be streamed. It’ll be something. Till we meet again, get the D-D-D-D-D-D-DUCHOVNY BOMB! I’ll see myself out.
