CMLL Super Viernes Preview: Never Mind the Shocker Insults, We Got An Anniversary To Get To!
There I was…MOTHER OF GOD THERE I AM! Sorry, always wanted to do that. Anyway there I was (legit this time), all prepared for a nice relaxing rest of the week where I had no more lucha libre shows to predict. Naturally this is when CMLL decided they actually were going to air tomorrow’s Super Viernes on their YouTube channel, meaning yours truly had to flip off his super cool Dragon Ball Z sandals and kick it into gear. Which I did because, let’s face it, I’m super chill and crack weird jokes that entertain all 20 of you who read this. But enough narcissism, there is indeed a Super Viernes show to predict and, if the card is any indication, a Super Viernes show worth watch. Let’s dive into it. Moses, make like a tree and meme on out of here.
Shockercito & Stukita vs. Demus 3:16 & Mercurio
What to Expect: Is that? CAN IT BE?! IT IS; THE GREAT STUKITA HAS RETURNED! HE HAS ESCAPED FROM PACO ALONSO’S PRISON IN BLUE DEMON JR.’S MIAMI VILLA TO THRILL US ONCE MORE!
Whoa sorry; think I just blacked out from all of the STUKITA’S BACK excitement. In any event you should be excited too. There are plenty of talented minis in CMLL, but Stukita is the best of the bunch and is generally good for several exciting moments in even the dullest of opening minis bouts. Provided his wrestling ability wasn’t sapped out of him in an attempt to make Blue Demon Jr. a good luchador again (I know; Blue Demon Jr. was a good luchador?!) I expect Stukita will pick up right where he left off here. Thank Cthulhu he’s got some capable people with him. Shockercito has been gone for awhile himself, but he was always impressive whenever I saw him, while Mercurio is capable and Demus 3:16 can be very exciting in short bursts. As long as they do that and let the other guys go this should be a top notch opener. Of course we’ll probably never see Shockercito again after this match due to him looking over 9,000 times better than actual sized Shocker, but hey, those are the breaks. And yes, I had to get that Shocker dig in there. It’s the only chance I have with him not being on the show!
Winners: Well the technicos won the opener on the Tuesday show, which means no technico team will be winning another opener for the next year or so. Rudos take this one, and I quickly fly to Mexico to guard Stukita from being sent back to Blue Demon Jr.’s Miami villa. YOU WILL NOT TAKE HIM ALIVE PACO!
Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso, Soberano Jr. vs. Disturbio, Skándalo, Virus
What to Expect: This is actually a rematch of a trios match from last week’s Tuesday show, with emo Triton being replaced with Pegasso for this occasion. Frankly the match should lose very little barring Pegasso having another episode like he had a few weeks ago on Puebla. If he’s on form, Disturbio shows up like he did last Tuesday and Skandalo is kept on the ring apron for most of the match, this should be a fairly entertaining match. And I may be underselling it; who knows how good this match can be if Virus is in the ring for long periods with Bala and Soberano.
Winners: The rudos won the Tuesday match and I think they win here again. Why? Ask the booking team. It won’t change the fact that the rudos are taking this two falls to one.
Ángel de Oro, Guerrero Maya Jr., Titán vs. Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión
What to Expect: Hey, Guerrero Maya Jr. and Dragon Rojo Jr. are being allowed onto the Friday show. Pepsi’s and Pizza Pringles for everyone! This too is a rematch from another solid trios match last Tuesday, only Luciferno has now been swapped out for Rey Escorpión, a move so good that not even the Cubs trade for Addison Russell equates to it. Seriously; you go from Luciferno, a luchador who comes and goes quality wise, to arguably the best rudo in CMLL right now?! The Tuesday match between these two teams was good sans Escorpión; with him I expect this to be a quiet Match of the Evening contender, especially since you know Maya, Rojo, Escorpión, Oro and Titan have something to prove. All five were left off the Anniversary Show card, which is especially egregious in Escorpión’s case considering he’s been one of CMLL’s best performers. Look for that chip on each man’s respective shoulder to drive this match, and look for me to send another scathing letter to Paco Alonso about why Escorpión sits at home September 2nd while Shocker gets to wow us with his flabby gut and underwhelming skills. Hey, I did get another chance to take an unprovoked shot at him!
Winners: The technicos won the Tuesday match and they’ll win this one according to yours truly. They kind of have to considering I’ve picked the rudos to go 2-0 in the first two bouts, and them going three straight to start the show might lead to the crowd revolting Vancouver style. So the technicos take this one, and I’m sensing Maya will issue a challenge to Rojo for a match at the other big show CMLL is rumored to be setting up in September.
Lightning Match
Súper Crazy vs. Rey Bucanero
What to Expect: Someone get the Metallica ready cause we’re riding the lightning again with two dudes who will be going at it at the Anniversary Show. Yes Super Crazy-Rey Bucanero with their hair on the line is a go, which means this is the appetizer for that main course. Unlike some of the others I know in lucha circles I’m actually intrigued by this. Super Crazy is still very compelling after all these years, so you know he’ll bring it for both this match here and the Anniversary Show. Clearly that means how this match and the big match turn out depends on Bucanero. A lot of people aren’t sure he can deliver the goods in a big match any more, and he does have a tendency to come and go in the trios matches he has. That said I do think he’s capable; I’ve really liked the fire I’ve seen from him when he’s been feuding with Crazy and maybe this kind of feud is exactly what he needs to get up and deliver something of value. It all starts here. I expect they’ll keep this one very short (less than five minutes) and feature a lot of brawling. If Bucanero shows the same intensity he has with Crazy during their trios matches then this should be a worthy set up to a match that I do think will surprise people.
Winner: As I’m putting all my money on Crazy to win at the Anniversary Show, it only makes sense that Bucanero get a cheap win here to further things along. That’s exactly what will happen, with Bucanero going low around the 4:30 mark while the ref (probably Tirantes because, let’s face it, it’s always Tirantes) has his back turned to get the win. Expect this to be the last one on one for these two before the big match, which means a whole lot of trios matches next week and the week after. As long as Sharlie Rockstar is involved I’m quite okay with that.
Atlantis, Stuka Jr., Valiente vs. Cavernario, Gran Guerrero, Mr. Niebla
What to Expect: Another fun trios match in a night chock full of fun trios matches. Not only that but this is match will provide somewhat of a preview for two trios matches at the Anniversary Show, where we’ll see Atlantis (along with Caristico and future Gran Metalik Mascara Dorada) square off with Cavernario and the Casas family while Valiente and Gran Guerrero will take part in a Trios Championship match (more on that in a moment!). Those alignments may actually hurt this match a bit, considering the best course would be to pair Atlantis up with Niebla, Stuka with Guerrero and Valiente with Cavernario. Alas we’ll probably get Atlantis-Cavernario, Valiente-Guerrero and an astoundingly odd Stuka-Niebla pairing instead to set up the Anniversary Show. Even with those pairings, the match will still be fine and could still be a Match of the Evening contender even with Niebla (a better entertainer than wrestler) substituting for Casas. And who knows, maybe we get the right pairings here instead. Great Odin’s raven, how exciting would a Valiente-Cavernario pairing be? I never knew how much I wanted to see the buffest luchador to ever walk this mortal coil vs. the lucha caveman until just now. Probably because I’m taking too many unprovoked shots at Shocker. MOTHER OF PUSS BUCKET I NEARLY DID IT AGAIN!
Winners: Technicos take this two falls to one, probably with Atlantis getting the pin on Cavernario or Niebla to build towards the Anniversary Show. I know I know; couldn’t they use this match to build towards the Trios Title match too? Yes, except for the fact that…
Dragón Lee, Mistico, Volador Jr. vs. Euforia, La Máscara, Último Guerrero
What to Expect: The main event has two thirds of the Trios Titles match participants, meaning this match is more likely to be used to generate heat for that in between all the set up for Dragon Lee-La Mascara, the actual main event of the Anniversary Show (I know; I still can’t believe it either). I could be way off base here but I expect the Sky Team/Guerreros interactions here to carry the bulk of the action, while Dragon Lee and Mascara are kept away from each other in order to build anticipation for their big match. That’s fine by me; Mistico, Volador, Euforia and the UG are all excellent, their match at the Anniversary Show will be excellent and I completely expect all of them to be excellent tomorrow night. Those four will carry this to Match of the Evening status, while Lee and Mascara will make their presence felt towards the end with a finish to help stir the pot for CMLL’s biggest match of the year.
Winners: This one has DQ finish written all over it, and by DQ I mean La Mascara pulling off Dragon Lee’s mask to give the technicos the win. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if they went the other way and had Lee do it, but it makes more sense for the technico to do that after the rudo has so we’ll go with Mascara doing it this week, followed by Lee getting his revenge in a trios match next week to even the odds. Just give us three falls of Mistico, Volador and the Guerreros doing damn fine work first please!
That’s a wrap ladies and gentlemen. I’m off to come up with more unprovoked shots directed towards Shocker! Till I return, how about a picture from one of those old lucha movies? They’re always a good time.
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