CMLL 3/2/2012 "Homenaje a Dos Leyendas" Review

CMLL 3/2/2012 “Homenaje a Dos Leyendas" Review

Diamante Azul

 

1. Marcela vs. Ayumi [Lightning match] 

They exchange holds early and Marcela takes Ayumi down by the legs and puts her in a standing cangrejo and then pulls her down into a crossface variation that Ayumi reverses into a cradle for a two count. Up again, armdrag by Marcela, Ayumi pops up and gets an STO but then kips up and armdrags Marcela. Marcela pops up and rolls through on Ayumi and covers for two then locks on a stretch muffler but Ayumi gets the ropes. Stomps by Marcela, who then lifts Ayumi by the hair and sends her into the corner and charges after only to get taken down by a flying tijeras from Ayumi. Unsuccessful body block attempt by Marcela and Ayumi pounds her face into the mat then backs her into the corner and twists Marcela’s hair in her hand before using it to toss her across the ring. Classic schoolyard bully girl move right there. Marcela fires back and pulls Ayumi into a sweet double underhook quebradora. Marcela backs Ayumi into the corner and gets her revenge for the hair pulling by pulling on Ayumi’s hair and tossing her across the ring by it. Ayumi backs into the opposite corner and Marcela charges but gets nailed with a drop toe hold into the second turnbuckle, and Ayumi capitalizes and runs in with double knees to the face. Ayumi climbs up top and Marcela throws a right hand at her that she uses to give an armbar across the ring ropes that the ref breaks up. Ayumi goes up top and comes off with a big dropkick for a two count. She pulls Marcela up now but Marcela fights back and they exchange forearms in the middle of the ring, with Ayumi winning the exchange, knocking Marcela down. Ayumi runs to the ropes but Marcela cuts her off as soon as she turns around with a knee to the gut, then crosses to the other side and does the same thing, then hits a springboard double knee drop on Ayumi and covers for two. She takes her time to lift Ayumi and gets hit with a lungblower, then gets dropkicked out of the ring by Ayumi. Ayumi goes up top and hits a beautiful plancha suicida with big air. Back in the ring and a head-arm suplex by Ayumi followed by a nonchalant pinfall attempt with her just laid across Marcela gets a two count. Marcela is lifted again and Ayumi goes for a victory roll but she immediately reverses it into a german suplex for a two count. Now she lifts Ayumi with a pumphandle and drops her stomach first against her knee for a two count, ouch. Marcela goes up top but Ayumi comes after her, Marcela fights back and gives her a Michinoku driver off the second rope for the three count. Good match, these are two of the better luchadoras in CMLL and they had a fun match with a lot of cool moves to start the show with some excitement.

  

2. Averno, Mr. Aguila, Olímpico vs. Valiente, Brazo de Plata, Angel de Oro

Valiente and Olímpico start, exchange holds and Olímpico takes him down with a quick armdrag, then lock up again and Valiente rolls through and snapmares him down. Armdrag by Olímpico and they face off again and Valiente hits a leg takedown then another snapmare. Stand again, leg takedown by Olímpico followed by a roll through and a leg takedown by Valiente. Great exchange to start. Hammerlock by Olímpico, Valiente lifts up and snapmares him again and they roll out. Oro and Aguila in now, they each hit the ropes twice and then handspring off and face off again, Oro ducks a clothesline but then gets hit with a back elbow. Aguila lifts him and chops him hard in the chest then sends him off the ropes but Oro flips over and kicks him in the face then comes back in with a moonsault for two. Oro slides through Aguila’s legs when he stands a hits a great spinning tijeras that sends Aguila to the floor and then fakes a dive and poses as the fans cheer in approval. Averno and Super Porky in now and Averno basks in the crowd’s reaction to him like only he can and then chops Porky hard in the chest. Porky sends him off and Averno comes back with a shoulder block then goes off again and gets armdragged by Porky. Averno hits the ropes and gets armdragged again. He pops up and tries to backdrop Porky unsuccessfully, as if that would ever work on this planet, and Olímpico comes in to help but they get taken down with the headscissors/armdrag combo. Double chop from the two sends Porky down and Averno celebrates. They send Porky off the ropes and try to drop down but he just squashes them with a splash. Aguila boots Porky and poses only to get hit with a springboard armdrag by Oro, who then ducks a standing senton by Olímpico who is immediately hit with a quebradora by Valiente as the action moves quickly. Averno runs at Valiente in the corner but gets caught and placed on top by Valiente then nailed with a chop. Valiente springs Oro up to the top with Averno and then runs at Aguila who takes him down and hits a running shooting star while Averno nails a second rope Devil’s Wings for the three count on both men.

Second fall starts as both teams continue fighting and the rudos go three on one on Valiente in the corner then send him off the ropes and drop him out to the floor. They send Oro off the ropes now and Olímpico gives him the spinebuster then hits the running dropkick as his partners hold Oro on the apron and they crash to the floor. They send Porky off the ropes now and send him outside with the double boots and then fake a double tope spot and pose. The técnicos begin to fight back and Valiente ducks Olímpico and Averno and sends them into the corner and they get knocked down for a big splash in the corner from Porky. They fall to the outside and Valiente hits the incredible Valiente Special on Averno. Aguila fights back inside the ring and hits a tornillo suicida on Valiente, then Oro follows suit and hits a moonsault plancha suicida off the second turnbuckle to Aguila. Olímpico unwisely goes for a sunset flip inside on Porky but gets sat on for a two count. They lift Porky up for a double suplex and slam him down then Olímpico hits a springboard frog splash. All of them, including Mije, make the cover for the three and win the match. This match could have definitely gone on longer but it wasn’t bad by any means.

 

3. National Parejas Increíbles Tournament final: Rush and Terrible vs. Atlantis and Mr. Niebla

Niebla is dressed up like The Thing from Fantastic 4 complete with body paint. Terrible and Atlantis start and Terrible takes him down with a back elbow and Rush beats him down with forearms and a knee to the face. The two of them stand with their foot on Atlantis’ face as the ref tries his best to stop them. They then turn on the terrifying looking Mr. Niebla and beat him down in the corner then send him into the ropes. He ducks a clothesline from Rush only to get nailed with a dropkick by Terrible and falls outside. We see a distressed Zacarias on the outside, complete with Thing body makeup of his own, which is amazing in so many ways. They send Atlantis into the ropes now and Terrible drops down for Rush to nail him with a clothesline and then they hold him down and pull at his mask then back him into the corner and Rush crushes him with knees, then sends him to the other side and hits him with a huge clothesline. He whips Atlantis back to Terrible who spinebusters him and flips him up to Rush who hits the fireman’s carry driver for a three count. Niebla gets nailed with a suplex by Rush who then hits a standing double stomp, and Terrible comes off the top with a splash for the three count.

Second fall starts with Rush beating down Niebla on the ramp and Terrible in the ring with Atlantis. Rush backs Niebla against the new Arena Mexico barriers and chops him while Terrible has Atlantis’ head between the ropes and is pulling at his mask. The evil Rush throws Zacarias in the ring, who tries valiantly to fight back but gets pounded on the head by Rush and kicked right in the face as the fans lose it and Rush poses like a tremendous rudo. They continue beating down Atlantis now and punch him repeatedly against the ropes. They send him off the ropes, hit a double spinebuster, and each hit a standing cannonball senton. Niebla is in again but gets backed into the corner and spits in both of their faces as they beat him down and send him out to the fans’ disapproval. Atlantis gets nailed simultaneously with a kick to the chest and back from Terrible and Rush and they then back him into the corner again. Rush whips Terrible into the corner at Atlantis who reverses it into a quebradora con giro but is immediately dropkicked by Rush. A charging Niebla nails Rush with a clothesline and charges up, he’s sent into the corner by Terrible who charges at him but he moves out of the way sending Terrible outside and goes after him with moonsault plancha suicida. Atlantis lifts Rush with la Atlantida and he submits as the fans roar and they take the second fall.

Rush and Terrible regain their composure on the outside by shouting at fans as the third fall begins, and it degenerates into them shouting at teach other and pushing and shoving then going nose to nose. Rush climbs in the ring defiantly and charges at Niebla and they clothesline each other and no-sell. They take turns posing on the corner with Rush receiving the lion’s share of boos and Niebla getting the cheers. Niebla backs him into the corner and tees off with chops then Rush flips him and chops away. They yell YEAH when Niebla chops Rush and BOO when Rush chops Niebla and they go back and forth a few times and Niebla spits in his face then sends him outside with a big clothesline. Niebla and Terrible face off now and Terrible slams him with chops but Niebla no sells and poses defiantly. Terrible sends him to the ropes and drops for the back body drop but Niebla slaps him in the back of the head and gives him a kiss and Terrible is so offended that he turns to leave. Rush stops him and they argue again as the fans go wild and they each push each other a few times until Terrible decides to go back to the ring. Terrible goes for a handshake but Atlantis waves it off and they have a chop exchange. Atlantis hits the ropes, ducks a clothesline and hits a running plancha for a two count that Terrible breaks up. Rush and Terrible back Atlantis into the corner and chop him hard, then Rush goes to whip him to the other side but Atlantis reverses it. Atlantis charges and Rush dumps him out but Atlantis climbs up top and hits a plancha diva on Terrible. Rush tries to cannonball senton Atlantis, but he moves and Rush lands on his partner. Atlantis hits a quebradora con giro on Rush then Terrible, then pulls Terrible up by his hair and tosses him across the ring with it. Terrible slides out in protest and stays there as Rush comes in to face Niebla. Running dropkick by Rush sends Niebla down, and now he and Terrible send Niebla into the corner with chops. Fireman’s carry slam by Terrible and Rush comes off the second rope with a double stomp. Atlantis runs in, takes down Terrible with a dropkick, bodyslams Rush, but is then overwhelmed by the two. They send him into the ropes and Rush takes him down with a back elbow. Wheelbarrow lift by Terrible, Rush goes for a lungblower but they botch it and the crowd gets all over them. Terrible holds Atlantis across his knees and Rush double stomps him and then covers him for the weirdest three count of all time by Tirantes that even the announcers point out. Niebla ducks a double clothesline and then takes them down with a both arm clothesline then dances around and spits in the air and catches it. Rush and Terrible beat him down again and Rush holds him from behind as Terrible hits both ropes for a running dropkick but Niebla slides away and he nails Rush who flies out of the ring. Terrible takes Niebla down with a clothesline and hits the ropes but gets tripped up by Rush who has finally had enough of his parejas increíbles partner, which is a shame because they make a great team, and Niebla cradles Terrible for a three count.

Rush runs back in the ring and takes down Niebla then hits him with a back suplex. He hits the ropes but gets tripped up by Terrible. He should have seen that one coming, really. Rush gets distracted long enough by him for Niebla to slam him with a spinebuster and then locks him in la Nieblina and Rush submits to give the team of Atlantis and Mr. Niebla the tournament win. Afterwards the winners celebrate and dance with Zacarias and the edecanes. Rush gets on the microphone and tells Terrible that he will always be above him, and Terrible teases an apuestas match between the two. Pretty good match, even great at times, with Terrible and Rush being absolutely hateful rudos in every sense. Rush really excelled as a rudo, and I think he proved here that he could do pretty big things as one, especially in high profile matches like this. The crowd really got on him from the start and treated him like a star. Terrible was certainly awesome here too and has really stepped it up in my opinion since getting the Heavyweight title.

4. Diamante Azul, La Máscara, Marco Corleone vs. Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero, Volador Jr.

This is Diamante Azul’s first match in front of the Arena Mexico crowd since changing to that gimmick from the Metro gimmick, which the announcers are openly acknowledging. The Diamante Azul gimmick is basically a rip-off of Blue Demon, and of course the fans realize that and do not care much for it. He starts out with Guerrero who takes him down out of a waistlock and applies a heel hook, then rolls it into an ankle lock which Azul rolls out of with a back somersault. They each trade a takedown and then stare off in the center of the ring and go for a test of strength. Guerrero goes behind with a wristlock and wrings his arm but Metro climbs out of it and reverses it into an armbar takedown. Metro gets rolled up by Guerrero for a pin but reverses it back into the armbar and stands up with it locked in, only to have Guerrero reverse it into an armdrag.  Azul then applies a series of wristlock transitions on Guerrero and armdrags him, sending him to the outside. Azul follows him outside as the fans seem to get behind him. Volador and Máscara climb in now with the fans going crazy when Volador jumps in first. Volador bows on one knee and extends his hand for a handshake, Máscara accepts, and Volador raises their hands together triumphantly. Volador immediately chops him hard across the chest like a true rudo, and they begin brawling. Volador jumps outside followed by Máscara as they continue trading punches, and immediately then jumps back in and cuts Máscara off on the apron before he can. Volador runs at Máscara now but Máscara hits an enziguri from the apron and comes off the top rope with a diving headscissors that sends Volador to the outside. Máscara goes for a dive, but Volador runs away, so he slides through and lands on his feet. Volador attempts to hit Máscara with a clothesline but it is ducked and Máscara gives him a quebradora con giro. Bucanero in the ring with Marco now who poses on the turnbuckle as the girls cheer only to get knocked to the mat by Rey. Rey comes off the ropes once with a clothesline that doesn’t move Marco and immediately goes for another one. This time Marco waits two seconds and then flies back comically and sarcastically then points and laughs at the weakness of Bucanero as the fans cheer. They cross the ropes and Rey goes for a running crossbody but Marco catches him, drops him to his feet, and punches him with a big left hand that makes Rey fall like a tree in the forest. Marco climbs to the ramp and sets up for Air Italia but Guerrero cuts him off with a clothesline when he turns around. Volador and Bucanero sends Azul over the top with a double clothesline and Volador unlaces his mask and starts tearing at it on the ramp. The rudos hold Corleone and Diamante together tied up in the ropes while Bucanero runs down the ramp and hits a leapfrog legdrop onto the two of them. Máscara makes a comeback on the inside and sends two of the rudos down with dropkicks, while Diamante Azul runs and dives off the ramp with a great tope con giro onto Volador. Inside, Bucanero runs at Máscara in the corner, who ducks and superkicks Guerrero and then takes down Bucanero and locks him in La Campana while Corleone comes flying out of nowhere with Air Italia for a great finish to the first fall.

Segunda caida begins with Bucanero and Máscara crossing the ropes quickly and Bucanero taking him down with a spear. Bucanero pops up and celebrates a little too long as Máscara recovers and runs at him and nails a quebradora con giro, then hits two more of them rapid fire and Bucanero bails out holding his back. Guerrero and Diamante in now and they have a long staredown as the fans cheer loudly. Finally, Diamante drops down as Guerrero runs past him and pops back up only to get nailed with a clothesline by Último.  They cross the ropes again and Guerrero goes for a back suplex that Azul flips out of and hits a headscissors that sends Guerrero to the floor.  Bucanero comes in running at Azul but gets nailed with a sweet high angle armdrag and falls outside as well. Volador runs in at Azul now and he crashes into the corner when Azul ducks. Azul gives him a monstrous monkey flip out of the corner to the complete opposite side of the ring then runs to the other side and does an even bigger one. Seriously the biggest monkey flip I’ve ever seen, Volador just flew across the ring. Volador stands into a fake right hand from Metro and an immediate European uppercut with the left hand. Volador tumbles out of the ring and Azul fakes a dive into a pose and the crowd responds with a mix of cheers and boos.  Bucanero and Corleone in now, they go for a test of strength but Bucanero just punches him in the gut. They trade punches now with Bucanero ducking a right from Marco and hitting him a few times, then going to duck the right again but Marco hesitates and then clobbers him with a right in a pretty funny spot. Bucanero attempts to irish whip Marco but he reverses it into a Russian legsweep. Guerrero runs in and cuts off Marco, knocking him into the corner and chopping away. Guerrero sends Marco into the opposite corner and rushes at him but Marco backdrops him to the apron and nails him with the left hand to knock him to the floor, then pulls him back to the apron by his mask and beal tosses him back into the ring. Los Guerreros cut him off as he poses for the female fans and whip him into the ropes. They shoulderblock him down to the outside and then Bucanero hits a Guerrero-assisted tope suicida on Marco. Inside, Guerrero sends Máscara into the corner and runs at him but Máscara backdrops him out, hits the ropes and hits a bullet tope suicida on Guerrero. Azul in with Volador now, who flies across the ring and handsprings off the ropes, then gives a spinning headscissors attempt to Azul who tosses him off and Volador lands on his feet. Volador springboards backwards into Azul who catches him for the german suplex and goes for it but Volador flips out, nearly landing on his head in a pretty scary moment. Volador pops right back up thankfully, though, and rips Diamante Azul’s mask off his head then hits him with a backcracker as he tries to hide his face. Volador goes for the cover but the referees DQ him for tearing off Azul’s mask and the técnicos take the second straight fall. Everyone looked good in this match with Volador Jr. being especially great as usual. Diamante Azul made a good effort here although it is clearly tough for him to get over with the crowd using this gimmick. He is a good enough worker that he may be able to transcend the stigma of having this sort of gimmick, although he has the potential to be a good enough worker it is frustrating that he is saddled with it. Time will tell if it works out.

  

 5. Cabellera contra cabellera: Blue Panther vs. Negro Casas

Casas doesn’t even get a chance to remove his denim vest before Panther jumps him and begins laying in punches. Casas knocks him away with a headbutt but Panther immediately wristlocks him and clotheslines him down followed by a series of kicks to the spine. Casas is up now and responds with a big slap across the face and repeated stiff kicks to the chest. These two show how to start off a true grudge match, just beating the crap out of each other. They trade more punches and finally Casas falls to the mat and Panther applies a chinlock. Casas struggles out of the chinlock and sends Panther into the corner and stomps away repeatedly and the camera zooms in showing repeated stiff kicks right to Panther’s face. Casas chops him a few more times then rushes in but Panther fires back with a clothesline and covers for two. Panther drags Casas to the corner and slams him face first against the turnbuckle and goes for a big elbow but Casas moves and pounds away with chops and punches, then boots Panther in the face hard again.  Negro backs up to the other corner and hits a huge diving dropkick against Panther’s face in the corner. Casas nonchalantly lifts Panther up but Panther applies a fujiwara armbar out of nowhere and Negro submits for the first fall.

Negro checks with the ringside doctor and complains about his arm as the second fall begins, then climbs in and is stomped by Panther who immediately goes after the same arm and tugs at it then slams it against the ropes. Panther kicks away at his arm as Negro holds it in pain and Panther grabs it and slams it across his own shoulder. Negro bails out and Panther follows him outside, continuing the beating and then sends Negro shoulder first into the ring post. He pulls Negro by the hair back into the ring and Negro manages to fight back with kicks to Panther’s chest. He takes a moment to recover then attempts to whip Panther but he reverses it into an armdrag on Casas. Panther goes for a cradle but Casas reverses it and locks in a stretch muffler on Panther. He kicks Panther hard in the chest as the fans begin to get behind the técnico and then kicks him down hard in the face and covers for two. Negro continues to work on the knee, as he lifts Panther by his leg and slams it against his own knee and then dropkicks him right in the knee right after. Negro then immediately hits La Casita and takes the second fall.

The third fall starts with Negro and Panther on the outside and Negro has his leg draped over a railing on the ramp and slams his bad knee against it then applies a leg lock against the railing until the ref breaks it up and slams his leg against it one more time for good measure. They work their way back to the ring with Negro walking with his arm around the ref’s shoulder and then climbing into the ring and laying his arms across the ropes laughing at Blue Panther struggling to stand on his bad knee. Panther slowly hobbles to his feet and Negro bounces around on both feet mocking him. Stuff like this is what makes Negro Casas such an all-time great rudo. Negro waits in the corner as Panther slowly walks towards him and dropkicks him in the knee for a two count. Negro immediately goes to work on Panther’s knee and strikes it again and again as Panther sells it perfectly as if he’s torn a ligament. Negro lifts Panther up for another kneebreaker but Panther reverses it into a small package for two. Panther stirs to his feet and Negro strikes but Panther reverses it into another small package for two and Negro reverses that into a crossface. They stir to their feet with Panther rolling out and Panther locks on an inverted gory special and walks with it, apparently feeling much better with his knee here, but Negro rolls it through for a victory roll. Panther reverses it into his own pin for a two count and they both slowly stir to their feet as the fans chant loudly for both. Sunset flip attempt by Negro and he takes him down now with a armscissors/facelock style hold and has him in the center of the ring in a dangerous hold. Panther slowly stands to break the hold and then crosses Negro’s arms in a cruz nipona style lock with Negro on one knee. Negro starts biting Panther’s arm to break the hold but no luck, and he finally stands and twists out of it then kicks Panther in the gut. Octopus hold locked on by Negro now who seems to have Panther in a bad spot. Negro lets up and delivers a huge knee to the gut and locks the hold back on again. Panther powers out of it again and goes for a hip toss that gets blocked by Negro, then tries again but gets it blocked for a second time. Panther holds him in this position in some sort of shoulder lock and the fans start to boo loudly for whatever reason, maybe because the hold looks terrible.  Big slaps to Panther’s chest by Negro who finally blocks it and tries to roll through into a double armbar that he eventually lets go of. They stand and chop each other a few times and hit each other at the same time with a clothesline but neither go down. Negro kicks him in the gut and pushes Panther into the ropes, and then goes for a running knee lift but Panther ducks and Negro bounces off to the mat. Panther lifts Negro up in the electric chair and drops him face first on the mat. He locks in la tapatía after a long struggle by Negro and the fans start to get loud again. Negro fights out and puts Panther in the STF but it gets broken up and then hits La Casita for two.

The two of them stand again and face off as the fans are getting pretty loud. Panther backs Negro into the corner and chops him then lifts him to the top rope. Negro blocks another chop and tries to do the hanging armbar but slips and lands on his feet on the outside, managing to pull that off a lot more smoothly than he really should have and has a huge grin on his face to show for it. Commercial break, back to Negro climbing in the ring and he covers Panther who is holding his arm for a two count. Negro locks on a cross armbreaker and Panther struggles before finally lifting him up out of it and powerbombing him into the corner. They stand onto the apron and negro kicks him a few times then goes back inside and locks on a sleeper hold over the ropes, then lets go as Panther collapses off the apron to the floor. Panther stirs to his feet outside and Negro dropkicks him from inside the ring. Panther sweeps Negro’s legs as he climbs out of the ring, then chops him as he is seated on the apron, and pulls him off to the floor with a fujiwara armbar takedown and they hit the ground hard. Panther climbs back in, runs off the ropes and hits a tope suicida on Negro but he slams shoulder first hard right into the new barricades. They both climb back into the ring at the same time and Negro climbs to his feet first. He grabs Panther for a Casita for another two and pleads with the ref afterwards. Panther and Negro stand at the same time now and Panther hits a double leg takedown and goes for a nudo but Negro clocks him in the head to break it up. Negro sets up for the lariat by stomping his feet and licking his arm like a maniac, then swings but Panther ducks and locks him in a leglock but slaps Negro in the face too many times and Negro locks him in a small package and both of their shoulders are down as the ref counts three. Panther is up and thinks he is victorious but the ref explains to him the circumstances. The announcers explain that in the situation of a draw in a lucha de apuestas match, both men lose and much have their heads shaved. Both men plead with the crowd and the referee for the match to continue as the CMLL officials (Panico and Commissioner Gustavo) come down to the ring and the announcer declares that the match is a draw and both men lose their hair. The replays show that both men had their shoulders down. Panther begins getting his hair cut and as it happens Negro kicks him down and walks away and is held back by the refs. After a show recap, we come back with both men being shaved. Panther gets on the microphone and says that he doesn’t agree with it being a draw, but that this is not the end of their feud, only the beginning. Negro laughs and tells him that of course the battle has just begun but reminds him that Panther didn’t win and they start to fight again but Panther knocks him down with a big right hand and sends Negro out as the officials break them up. Great main event, as these two really showcased a lot of their technical skills here and the match told a really good story that made a lot of sense for their feud. A draw continues their feud while also being a finish that the fans never saw coming but really were able to appreciate as both men ended up losing their hairs. The idea that Panther lost because he kept trying to slap Negro instead of applying the leglock is something that they can really build off of. This was definitely one of my favorite matches of the year so far in 2012.

Overview: Watch this show. The opener match between the girls was crisp and had the pace that an opener needed. The Parejas Increíbles final was awesome and Rush stood out as a star here working with Terrible. The semi-main trios match delivered everything you would it expect it to. Most of all, Blue Panther and Negro Casas had a top caliber match that had great storytelling and awesome wrestling but was different than everything else.