LUCHA LIBRE ON GALAVISION
November 13, 2001
-CMLL-
1. Best of 3 Falls: Tarzan Boy, Mascara Magica & Fuerza Guerrera vs Blue Demon, Villano 4 & Villano 5
PRIMERA CAIDA: Magica and V-5 had a solid exchange on the mat early. Demon and Tarzan then had a solid and fast paced exchange with Demon sending Tarzan out of the ring. V-4 got the better of Guerrera inside the ring and outside when Guerrera charged V-4 but V-4 moved and Guerrera crashed into the ringpost. V-5 then DDTd Guerrera on the floor. V-5 then armdragged Magica all over the place. He chopped Magica out of the ring. Demon got the better of Tarzan in and out of the ring. Both Villanos attacked Magica. They made Magica and Guerrera submit to a half crab and modified torture rack to win the first fall. A fine fall with both Villanos looking sharper than they did in WCW and the others looking good athletically.
SEGUNDA CAIDA: V-5 armdragged Tarzan all over the place and gave him a knee to the head. He also gave Tarzan a spinning savate kick that knocked him out of the ring. Guerrera got the better of Demon until he charged at the corner but Demon moved and Guerrera crashed shoulder first into the ringpost. Magica got the better of V-4 by attacking his arm. Both Villanos were triple teamed by the heels. Magica legdropped Demon. Guerrera made V-4 submit and the other heels made Demon submit at 4:12 to win the fall. Very similar action content to the first fall, only shorter.
TERCERA CAIDA: Tarzan attacked one of the Villanos at ringside as Magica got the better of Demon in the ring. Tarzan won an exchange of strikes against the Villano as Magica unlaced Demon’s mask. Guerrera rammed Villano’s head into the ringpost. The heels attacked V-5 and went for his mask but V-5 fought back. V-4 snapmared Magica on the floor. Both Villanos then went after Guerrera’s mask and successfully pulled it off his head although Guerrera concealed his face well. Demon wrapped his legs around Tarzan and both went over the top rope to the floor. The Villanos dominated their opponents and Demon gave Guerrera a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Magica caught one of the Villanos off guard with a rollup and pinned him. Tarzan kicked Demon low and pinned him at 5:15 to win the fall and match. Again not a bad fall, but this turned into a disappointing effort. The first fall was good, but they didn’t build any momentum in the succeeding falls. Also, Tarzan either has been injured or has turned into an underachiever as his performance was not anywhere nearly as spectacular as he was during the WWF Superastros program a couple years back. Overall a decent match, but it could have and should have been better. **1/4
2. Best of 3 Falls: Emilio Charles Jr., Scorpio Jr. & Bestia Salvaje vs Rayo de Jalisco Jr., Brazo de Plata & Mr. Niebla
PRIMERA CAIDA: Niebla and Salvaje exchanged offense early. Porky won a lame exchange with Scorpio. Jalisco got the better of Charles and hit a second rope cross bodyblock. He faked out Charles and Charles sailed out of the ring. Jalisco then hit a slow tope suicida. Scorpio attempted a slam but collapsed under Porky’s weight. Porky pinned Scorpio as Niebla gave Salvaje a flying bodypress for a pin to win the fall in 3:48. A pretty worthless fall for the most part except for Niebla’s spots and a couple other spots.
SEGUNDA CAIDA: Niebla got the better of Charles and Scorpio early but Scorpio and Salvaje attacked him. The heels triple teamed Niebla and then attacked Porky. Scorpio and Charles double backdropped Porky and Salvaje gave him a senton. Jalisco no-sold a couple lariats from the heels before going down to a lariat by Charles. The heels triple booted Jalisco out of the ring. Charles got into an argument with Shocker at ringside. Niebla and then Porky big splashed Scorpio and Salvaje and pinned them both at 3:38 to win the fall and match. A pointless, filler match that had little value. Niebla was completely wasted while it could be argued that no one else, even the subpar workers, lived “up” to their potential. 1/2*
3. Best of 3 Falls: Nicho El Millionario, Juventud Guerrera, Black Tiger & Virus vs Rey Misterio Jr., Black Warrior, Felino & Antifaz
PRIMERA CAIDA: The action began before the bell with Tiger attacking Warrior on the entrance ramp. Virus spin kicked Antifaz and Antifaz retaliated with a second rope headscissors takedown. Antifaz also gave Virus a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Felino got the better of Guerrera and clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor. Nicho knocked Misterio for a loop with a lariat. Misterio fought back with a Misteriorana and threw Nicho under the bottom rope head first out of the ring in a neat spot. Antifaz gave Tiger a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, an enzuguiri and a second rope spinning huracanrana. Tiger bailed out but Warrior nearly impaled him into the first row of chairs with a tope suicida. Misterio gave Guerrera one of his 1 ½ revolution tilt-a-whirl headscissors takedowns. Guerrera countered a German suplex attempt but Misterio rolled him up and pinned him. Antifaz pinned Virus with a wheelbarrow suplex (somewhat similar to an ocean cyclone suplex) and Felino pinned Nicho with a superbomb to win the fall in 6:13. Terrific fall with everyone looking sharp, especially Misterio and Warrior with his crazy tope suicida.
SEGUNDA CAIDA: The heels ganged up on Warrior at ringside before the bell. Tiger tried to rip Warrior’s mask off. Tiger pinned Warrior after a second rope moonsault to win the fall in only 48 seconds. This was good on two levels: it gave the heels some momentum coming off the faces’ domination of the first fall, and it gave Tiger a measure of revenge from losing to Warrior in the Leyenda de Plata tournament by gaining a quick win here.
TERCERA CAIDA: The heels attacked the faces before the bell again. Nicho dropkicked Antifaz on the floor as Guerrera gave Felino a Juvi driver in the ring. Tiger then gained a near fall on Felino. Virus gave Felino a slingshot elbowsmash. Virus looked impressive against Misterio and gained a near fall. Antifaz got the better of Virus until Nicho intervened. Nicho hit a top rope legdrop on Antifaz but Felino then attacked him. Misterio gave Guerrera three tilt-a-whirl backbreakers in succession. Guerrera countered a powerbomb attempt and gave Misterio a powerbomb of his own for a near fall. Virus gave Misterio a top rope moonsault. Tiger dropkicked Warrior but Warrior then gave him an X-factor and a low dropkick to his head. Warrior ripped at Tiger’s mask. Tiger attempted a monkey flip but Warrior threw him over the top rope to the floor. Warrior hiptossed Nicho over the top to the floor and hit a tope suicida on both Nicho and Tiger. Misterio then hit one of his vintage springboard somersault planchas on the two heels. Virus hit a standing moonsault on Antifaz for a near fall. Antifaz lifted Virus on his shoulders and Felino gave Virus a top rope dropkick. Felino dropkicked Virus out of the ring and Antifaz hit a great over the top rope twisting tope. Guerrera countered a powerbomb attempt and spin kicked Felino. Felino hiptossed Guerrera over the top rope to the floor and tumbled to the floor himself. Warrior gave Tiger a Misteriorana for a near fall. Tiger fought back and gave Warrior a Death Valley driver for a near fall but Misterio intervened with a legdrop. Tiger missed a corner splash and Misterio gave him a cool frankentoyota out of the corner. Guerrera dropkicked Misterio out of the ring but Felino crotched Guerrera on the top rope and caused him to tumble to the floor. Warrior made Tiger submit to win the fall in 8:09 and the match. A super match in terms of spots, almost like the vintage AAA stuff from 94-95 that I enjoyed. It lacked a bit of consistent drama and continuity necessary to be a classic but a great match nonetheless. And Misterio, Nicho and Guerrera are back in Mexico- and in the same ring! ***3/4
4. One Fall: Apollo Dantes, Cien Caras, Mascara Ano 2000 & Universo 2000 vs Gigante Silva, Villano III & Lizmark Jr.
The heels ganged up on Villano early and actually did a couple decent quadruple-team spots. The heels then dominated Lizmark, including a quadruple dropkick. Silva missed a corner splash on Dantes and the heels then ganged up on Silva. Mascara went for a flying bodypress but Silva caught him, although Dantes hit a top rope dropkick and Silva fell. Silva quickly recovered and hit a clothesline on Dantes in the corner. Silva powerbombed Dantes and gave him a big splash. Universo got the better of Villano but missed a senton. Villano responded with an armdrag that sent Universo out of the ring. Caras elbowed Villano but Villano fought back with a DDT. Villano dropkicked Caras out of the ring. Mascara clotheslined Lizmark to end an exchange of offense. Lizmark fought back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and knocked Mascara out of the ring with an enzuguiri. Lizmark gave Dantes a tornado DDT and a superkick. Dantes backdropped Lizmark out of the ring but Lizmark ended up hitting a tope on Mascara. Villano hit a tope suicida on Caras. Dantes and Universo ganged up on Silva but Silva recovered and speared them both. Silva then hit a second rope splash on both of them and pinned them at 7:29 to win the match. This was actually not tough to watch. Silva wasn’t as awful as he once was and the others were fired up and definitely worked harder than usual. Not the worst match of the program, which is a surprise. *1/2
5. CMLL Tag Team Title, Best of 3 Falls: Rey Buccanero & Ultimo Guerrero (c) vs El Hijo Del Santo & Negro Casas
PRIMERA CAIDA: Guerrero and Santo had a solid exchange on the mat with neither man holding a sustained advantage. Santo scored with a headscissors takedown but Guerrero then got the better of him on the mat. Santo gave Guerrero what looked like a tilt-a-whirl headscissors at the start but turned into an armdrag that sent Guerrero out of the ring. Buccanero got the better of a mat exchange with Casas with a half crab. Buccanero punted Casas’s head and gave him a short lariat. Buccanero dropkicked Casas out of the ring. Santo won an exchange of strikes and dropkicked Buccanero, who bailed out of the ring. Casas and Guerrero exchanged strikes. Casas charged towards the corner but Guerrero met him with a high kick. Casas responded with a lariat. He dropkicked Guerrero’s left knee and went for la magistral but Guerrero countered with a pumphandle slam and pinned Casas. Buccanero then caught Santo and made him submit to his own finisher, the camel clutch, at 5:59 to win the fall. Just a perfect opening fall in terms of spots. The work was always interesting, never boring, well-paced, yet they kept most of their big spots under wraps for later.
SEGUNDA CAIDA: The heels double dropkicked Santo out of the ring. They double teamed Casas and gave him a double dropkick from opposite sides of Casas’s head. They gave Santo a double flapjack and went for the same double dropkick they gave Casas but Santo moved out of the way. Santo gave Guerrero a couple kneelifts as Casas got the better of Buccanero. Casas knocked Guerrero off the apron to the floor with a dropkick and Santo gave Guerrero a tope suicida. Santo hit a plancha and took out both Buccanero and Casas. The heels were counted out and the challengers won the fall in 2:25. A short fall, but fine with generally strong work. So far, this is shaping up to be a great match.
TERCERA CAIDA: Santo got the better of Guerrero early on the mat. Santo suplexed Buccanero for a near fall. Guerrero applied a half crab on Santo and Buccanero gained a near fall on Casas. Casas gave Buccanero a spike DDT for a near fall. Buccanero suplexed Casas for a near fall. Santo gained a near fall on Guerrero with an impressive Toyota roll. Guerrero fought back and powerslammed Santo for a near fall. The heels whipped Casas and Santo into each other. Guerrero accidentally dropkicked Buccanero out of the ring when Santo moved out of the way. Casas gave Guerrero several chops and kicks. He laid Guerrero on top of him and Santo came off the top rope with a somersault senton- then, in one seamless move, Santo bounced up, took a few steps and hit a tope suicida on Buccanero in the corner in one of the neatest sequences I’ve ever seen. Guerrero blocked a la magistral attempt and chokeslammed Casas for a near fall. He gave Casas a Saito suplex for a near fall and a top rope superplex for another near fall. Casas fought back and gave Guerrero a spike DDT. Santo gave Guerrero a top rope flying headbutt for a near fall. Buccanero hit a senton on Santo for a near fall. Santo gave Buccanero a huracanrana for a near fall and followed with a stiff kneelift. He tried a second kneelift but Buccanero countered with a slam for a near fall. Santo trapped Buccanero’s arms with his legs in a neat submission spot. Santo gave Buccanero a top rope elbowsmash for a near fall. Buccanero powerbombed Santo but Santo recovered, elevated Buccanero on his shoulders, and suplexed him out of the corner. Santo applied a camel clutch on Buccanero but Guerrero intervened. Santo then hit a somersault tope atomico onto Buccanero, nearly squashing him on the floor. Casas then rolled up Guerrero with la magistral, or la casita for Casas, for the pin at 8:59 to win the fall, match and title. This is undoubtedly a lucha match of the year candidate. Everyone was at the top of their game with almost completely flawless work, but Santo was on another level. He turned in one of those scrapbook performances and was almost as breathtaking with his flying spots as Misterio on a typical night. What was even more amazing was that Santo has been a great athletic worker for just about all of his twenty years in wrestling, and at age 39, turned in one of his finest performances. As for the match style, I could understand if some weren’t too excited by it. The atmosphere was admittedly disappointing for such a match (top young tag team in lucha libre vs two of the biggest lucha stars of the last 20 years), making some parts come off weaker than they were. It was the type of match that would have been near ***** 10 years ago, and actually was very similar in quality to the famous Santo/Octagon-Guerrero/Love Machine classic back in 11/94 that’s in my 1990s top 100 match list, except this wasn’t quite as glamorous. Overall, this was a joy to watch, and it has been a greater joy with each additional viewing. ****1/4
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