Feliz miércoles a todos!
I’ve never really been a big Lucha guy but CMLL has been putting up some matches on YouTube on their official channel so I decided to give one of them a watch to see if I enjoyed it or not.
I don’t really know much about the roster or even really the main intricacies of the style, but maybe some of the more Lucha versed can fill us in down in the comments section and the rest of us can kind of learn along together with one another?
It might be fun or it might be an absolute disaster. Let’ see which!
Feel free to watch along with me!
RELEVOS AUSTRALIANOS DE MICROS
Micro Gemelos Diablo and Gallito Vs Átomo, Mije and Chamuel
This is a bit of a strange one as Gallito and Átomo are both técnicos and they’re tagging with rudos. All of these guys are mini-wrestlers, but they actually try and wrestle in Mexico and the match isn’t treated as a comedy break like these matches usually are in the rest of the world. The match has a lot of arm drags and holds in it, with the strikes looking pretty low impact and the pace being pretty relaxed outside of a few guys. Átomo seems happy to triple team with his rudo partners, even though the pre-match graphic assured me he was a técnico. The referee is happy to just stand there and let everyone run into the ring at will, with rampant triple teaming going on that he doesn’t even try to stop.
Strangely the Gimelos and Gallito team don’t seem to care too much about coming in to help their partners when the opposition triple teams one of them. Finally they come to the realisation that it might be a good idea to come in to even the odds, which leads to the match just completely falling apart, although we do get some dives to the floor. The dives looked nice, but the sequence that led to them looked utterly dreadful. Let’s just say that getting the crowd to suspend their disbelief doesn’t seem to factor too much into the motivation of the wrestlers here. I’d say some of this was being fought at a glacial pace, but that might offend any glaciers that might be potentially watching.
Micro Gemelos Diablo are probably the best guys in this, as their stuff actually looks like guys trying to wrestle instead of people working through pre-planned spots at 1/8 the speed. Eventually though they dive out to the floor onto Átomo and Chamuel, which leaves Gallito and Mije in the ring, where Mije gets an alleged submission hold locked in for the victory.
GANADORES: Átomo, Mije & Chamuel
CLASIFICACIÓN: ¼*
Some of the dives looked good but the rest of the match really didn’t, even though all six played it straight and tried to have a match. It was just so slow and the ref just standing there to allow the constant triple teaming was really weird to someone like me who doesn’t really understand this style. Is that sort of thing common?
RELEVO SENCILLOS
Arkalis and Panterita del Ring Jr. Vs Halcón Suriano Jr. and Eléctrico
All four of these luchadores are técnicos according to the pre-match graphics.
Primera Caída
This one actually has some good wrestling in it, with Halcón Suriano Jr. in particular doing some nice stuff with Panterita to start us out. Panterita is a little bit skinny, but he takes Halcón’s moves well. Arkalis and Eléctrico aren’t quite as smooth in their section, but it doesn’t offend me or anything. I do wonder if full-fledged Lucha fans would be able to see all sorts of things wrong with it that I perhaps wouldn’t do due to being more of a novice to the genre. Eléctrico eventually gets a nice sequence on Arkalis leading into a springboard elbow drop for three. It appears you have to eliminate both members of the team though, as Panterita goes it alone for a bit before ending up in a wacky Lucha submission hold to give the Halcón and Eléctrico duo the first fall.
Segunda Caída
Halcón and Eléctrico continue to control things in the second fall, bumping the Arkalis and Panterita team around. The referee is at least trying to somewhat uphold the rules a little bit in this one, although it’s a bit light-hearted on his part. Halcón and Eléctrico are actually acting kind of heelish here to be honest, so I guess you’d say they are subtle rudos? Panterita sells well for them, taking some nice bumps and making their offence look good. Panterita eventually makes a bit of a comeback and looks good doing so. He kind of botches up the bridge on a German Suplex though but covers for it by quickly going to a submission, whilst Arkalis also taps out Halcón to give Arkalis and Panterita the second fall.
Tercera Caída
Arkalis tries to shake the hand of Eléctrico at the start of the third fall, but he’s not interested and actually sends Halcón in to wrestle instead, leading to some nice stuff between Arkalis and Halcón. The action continues to be entertaining and all four guys have had spells where they’ve looked good here. Halcón is still the guy I’d say has been the best to my un-trained eyes, but no one has been bad here and I’ve enjoyed the match for the most part. It looks a tad bit choreographed at points, but it’s Lucha so I kind of expect that. We of course get some dives at one stage, with Panterita getting an incredible one where he walks the ropes before diving out. That looked fantastic! Arkalis eventually gets Eléctrico with a Blue Thunder Bomb for three whilst Panterita heads up with a Shooting Star Press onto Halcón to put him down.
GANADORES: ARKALIS & PANTERITA
CLASIFICACIÓN: ***1/4
I enjoyed that quite a bit actually, with the wrestling generally being good and some of the flashy dives and big moves looking great. This was good fun and what I tend to enjoy from the Lucha genre when I watch it
RELEVOS AUSTRALIANOS
Dark Panther, Guerrero Maya Jr. and Rey Cometa Vs Enfermero Jr., Cancerbero and Virus w/ Mije
Team #1 are the técnicos here whilst Team #2 are the Rudos
Primera Caída
This one isn’t quite as high tempo as the previous bout, but it isn’t bad either. Plus, having this contest be a bit more mat based following the more high-impact bout we just saw isn’t the worst idea. Guerrero Maya Jr. is probably the guy I like the most in the early going, but no one stands out as being bad. Cometa is very flashy and does some nice flippy stuff, but he seems a bit spotty as well. We of course get a section where all of the rudoes clobber someone whilst the ref just stands there and lets them, leading to the técnico team getting decimated to give the rudos the first fall.
Segunda Caída
Mije ends up getting involved in the second fall, coming off the top with a splash onto Panther that the referee doesn’t remotely care about. I’m guessing all of the referees in CMLL are corrupt and that’s why the rudos are allowed to get away with all this nonsense? I’m sure it makes sense to a regular Lucha viewer but it’s kind of jarring when you’re kind of used to wrestling having things like rules and whatnot. What does it take to get DQ’ed in this company exactly? Spilling orange juice on the referee’s collection of James Bond movies? The técnicos do eventually rally with, what else, dives and that leads to Guerrero Maya Jr. pinning Virus with a springboard trust fall for three. I’m guessing you don’t have to eliminate every team member to win a fall here like you did in the previous bout?
Tercera Caída
The técnico side start the third fall in the ascension, doing double and triple teaming whilst the ref stands there and lets them. Well at least he’s being equally corrupt and useless I guess. It continues to be watchable, with Guerrero Maya Jr. continuing to be my favourite guy in the match. Cometa keeps bringing the wacky high spots though, with it looking cool when he gets it right and ugly when his execution is off. Cometa and Guerrero Maya Jr. dive out onto the rudos and that leads to things breaking down back in the ring. One of the commentators even says its pandemonium. Indeed! Cometa does get a fantastic Asai Moonsault onto Virus at one stage, where he seemed to almost hang in the air before landing. This leads to Panther pinning Cancerbero with a second rope missile dropkick to pick up the three and the contest.
GANADORES: DARK PANTHER, GUERRERO MAYA JR. & REY COMETA
CLASIFICACIÓN: **3/4
This was sloppy in parts but I mostly enjoyed it. Cometa’s high spots were impressive and I thought Guerrero Maya Jr. looked good
RELEVOS INCREÍBLES
Titán, Soberano Jr. and Místico Vs Negro Casas, Atlantis Jr. and Gran Guerrero
The first team are all técnico, whilst Altantis is a técnico teaming with two rudos.
Primera Caída
Casas wrestled in the original J-Cup back in 1994 and was a respected veteran by then already so that should give an idea of how long he’s been wrestling for. He’s in his 60’s now but body wise could possibly pass for someone in his 40’s, so he’s clearly kept himself in shape. His wrestling isn’t bad either, although he doesn’t quite have the zip he once had. For a 62 year old who has been wrestling since 1979 he looks pretty darn phenomenal here. I’m not sure if this Místico is the original one who had a botch-tastic run in WWE or if it’s a new guy. He looks decent here anyway, with some nice high-flying that the crowd appreciates. Everyone looks at least okay here to be honest, with team técnico making quick work of the two rudos inside the ring whilst Atlantis sells on the floor following an impressive looking dive from Místico.
Segunda Caída
Team técnico continue to control things in the second fall, with Titán getting numerous flashy moves and looking fantastic in the process. That was some top notch high-flying right there, with the opposing team bumping and feeding for it well. Soberano looks decent as well when he gets a chance to get in there. Eventually Gran Guerrero catches Místico with a cheap shot, but he still manages to fight off both him and Atlantis, with Atlantis in particular taking some very nice bumps. The rudos finally decide that they’ll all just get in, which leads to Místico getting pinned off an Atlantis Frog-Splash, and that seemingly is enough to win the fall, possibly because Místico was the only guy of his team in the ring at that stage? The rules continue to confuse me, but if I spoke Spanish I’m sure the announcers would go some way to explaining it
Tercera Caída
The rudos have control of things as the third fall starts, with the técnico team struggling. Casa tries to unmask Titán, but can’t quite get the mask off and thus doesn’t get DQ’ed. I know enough about Mexican wrestling that taking off an opponent’s mask is an immediate trip to DQ Avenue, along with the piledriver I believe. We get some fighting on the entrance ramp, which leads to Soberano getting a fantastic rana onto Atlantis out there, whilst Místico takes to the air with a dive to the floor onto Gran Guerrero. Casa even does a running dive off the apron at one stage, which isn’t bad for a 62 year old. With everyone but Místico and Gran Guerrero taken out, Místico applies the La Mística arm bar back inside the ring and that’s enough for the submission and the third fall.
GANADORES: Titán, Soberano Jr. & Místico
CLASIFICACIÓN: ***1/2
En Conclusión
Though there are clearly aspects of the style, rules and characters I need to learn more about, I still enjoyed that for the most part. I’m not sure I’ll ever be a full-on Lucha guy, but now and then as a slice of something different I can see myself having fun with it. If you’d like more of these then shout up and I’ll look to review some more.