Complete Playbook: CMLL on Galavision January 24, 2004

Hello again, I am back with another CMLL review. This episode aired on Galavision on January 24, 2004 and taped at October 31, 2003. Since this show was taking place on Halloween, CMLL set up Arena Mexico with a theme for that holiday set up at the entrance way. However, I was disappointed that they did not book Familia de Tijuana’s Halloween for this show. I thought that would have been an obvious choice. Anyway, the main event is a match in which rudos and tecnicos team up, called Revelos Incredible, with Vampiro, Tarzan Boy, Negro Casas & Black Warrior facing Atlantis, Blue Panther, Shocker & Mr. Niebla. Onto the review:

Someone dressed like Freddy Krueger, I think that is Tarzan Boy, does an interview to start the show. While the commentators were talking, there is a setup up from inside Arena Mexico that has skeletons doing submissions on each other and a graveyard that honors many of the men who pioneered Lucha Libre including Salvador Lutteroth, El Santo and Blue Demon.

Averno (captain), Mephisto & Virus vs. Rocky Romero (captain), Ricky Reyes & Bobby Quance

The final three minutes were shown, but it looked good from what aired. Thanks to their relationship to New Japan Pro Wrestling, the NJPW-LA dojo were able to book their wrestlers in CMLL. This gave wrestlers like Rocky Romero, Ricky Reyes, Puma, Bobby Quance (called Rocco by CMLL) and Alex Koslov to gain experience, and showcase their talent. CMLL really liked the Havana Pitbulls, especially Rocky Romero They even created a title for him to compete called the CMLL Super Lightweight Title. When Romero’s time in CMLL was finished, the promotion let Romero have the title and defend it at various places that he wrestles. Another good thing about the Havana Pitbulls run in Mexico was the fact that I finally got to appreciate one of Mexico’s hidden gems in Virus. He and Romero have great chemistry during the Pitbulls run in Mexico, and feud over the Super Lightweight Title. Virus is just so good in everything he does in the ring. Here is the play-by-play from what was shown:

This is joined-in-progress in the third fall with Romero and Virus trading chops. Romero runs off the ropes, but gets knocked to the floor after a Virus handspring reverse tope. Virus climbs the top turnbuckle, but Quance kicks the legs from under Virus. As a result, Virus falls off the turnbuckles and crashes hard on the floor. Averno goes to attack Quance on the apron, but Quance connects with a springboard dropkick. Quance covers, but Averno kicks out at 2. Quance’s Irish whip was reversed, but manages to evade an Averno running shoulder attack. Averno hits his shoulder on the ring post and falls onto the floor. Quance climbs the top turnbuckle for an attempted dive, but Mephisto blocks Quance. Mephisto goes for an electric chair, but Quance reverses into a sunset flip powerbomb. Quance made another cover, but Mephisto kicked out at 2.

Ricky enters the ring to get a 2-on-1 advantage. He held Mephisto from behind. Quance goes for a spin kick, but Mephisto moves out of the way and Ricky was knocked out of the ring from impact. Quance goes down with a hiptoss. Mephisto goes to knock Quance out of the ring, but Quance backdrops Mephisto over the top rope. Mephisto lands on the apron and goes for a springboard move. However, Reyes grabs Mephisto’s leg and Mephisto lands face first on the apron. Quance goes for a dive on the floor, but Averno nails him with an enzuigiri on the apron. Averno sees the opening, and uses a nice tope con giro to Reyes and Mephisto on the floor. From there, Quance climbs the top turnbuckle and connects with a Shooting Star Press onto Mephisto and Averno.

Romero catches Virus with a lariat and uses a small package that got a 2 count. Romero was not happy with the referee over the count and kicks Virus in the chest a few times. Romero runs off the ropes, but Virus catches him with a spinebuster slam. Virus transitions into a rocking horse submission called Campana. The match is over as soon as Virus is standing with Romero in that position. After the match, Virus makes it clear that he wants a shot at Romero’s CMLL Super Lightweight Title.

A vignette aired of Pierroth, with a knife, wondering why people like Violencia stab him in the back. Figuratively, not literally. He asks his only ally left, La Nazi, if she would betray him. She says no, and wants to be Pierroth’s partner in his fighters. He laughs in response, but a dirty look from her. Pierroth said it does not matter because he will destroy all of his enemies.

Universo Dos Mil (captain), Mascara Ano Dos Mil & Violencia vs. Pierroth (captain), Emilio Charles Jr., & Bestia Salvage

This was just an angle driven brawl to continue the rudos vs. rudos angle with Talibanes & Pierroth having grudges against Los Capos. In the first fall, Violencia goes for a rolling senton off the apron and only connects with a hard fall on his back to the floor. Violencia was stretcher out of the ring and it was 3-on-2 for the rest of the way. Pierroth’s team got DQ’ed in two straight falls. First, it was Bestia interfering after he was pinned by a Universo diving splash. The other DQ was Pierroth pushing the referee down when he was giving Universo a beat down. While the Capos won the match, but they lost this battle. Universo’s mask was torn from the top and Pierroth just attacked his ribs with a belt. After the match, they aired a highlight from before with Universo cheating to defeat Pierroth. Now, Pierroth has some revenge.

A vignette aired called “The Hunchback of Arena Mexico”. It started with Shocker entering the empty arena. A few luchadores were working out in the ring and asked Shocker to join in. Shocker agrees, but it was an ambush by those luchadores. They gave Shocker a beating so bad that it disfigured his face and a hump put into his back. Shocker was walking around and saw himself in a mirror. As you can imagine, he was horrified with what he saw. He has lost his handsome looks. Fortunately for Shocker, this was nothing more than a nightmare because he wakes up and checks himself in the mirror. He sees that he is still 1000% Guapo and relieved. Awesome vignette!

Next was the spectacular moments segment. It starts with the ending segment of a match. Safari uses a tope suicida on Mephisto. Averno catches Safari with a tope con giro. Olimpico one ups Averno by using a nice springboard somersault plancha. Satanico takes Felino down and covers him with the feet on the ropes to get the win. Next was Explosivo using a nice 450 splash on Super Comando. Next was Neutron climbing the ropes to connect with a reverse tope onto Valentine Mayo. Virus defeats Rocky Romero again with a nice looking cradle. Atlantis, Mr. Niebla & Lizmark Jr. finish the segment by using a triple tope suicidas onto their rudo opponents.

A vignette airs of Atlantis and Blue Panther having lunch at a restaurant. They have been rivals for some time, but they will be partners this time around. Shocker joins them for lunch. Atlantis asked how he and Mr. Niebla could get along since it was Niebla who took his mask. Shocker said that he is cool with Niebla because all Niebla did in taking his mask was show the world his handsome face. It seems that Atlantis, Panther and Shocker have agreed to be professionals for this match because they shake hands in agreement before having lunch. This segment seemed to further tease a tecnico turn by Panther because of him being friendly towards Atlantis, Shocker and Niebla for this match.

Revelos Incredible: Vampiro (captain), Tarzan Boy, Negro Casas & Black Warrior vs. Atlantis (captain), Shocker, Blue Panther & Mr. Niebla

Vampiro fits right in with the Halloween atmosphere of the show. Tarzan Boy earns a few cool points my book for coming out to Metallica’s “Whiskey in the Jar.” Revelos Incredible is a match in which rudos and tecnicos have to team with each other. As the vignette showed, it looked like Atlantis’ team seems to have made an agreement to work together. There are conflicts with the other team specifically between Vampiro and Tarzan Boy that were not temporarily resolved.

This was a good main event because roles were established early with the teams. Despite Vampiro and Negro Casas being tecnicos, Vamprio’s team wrestled as the rudos and it was established that Atlantis’ team would be tecnicos even with the rudo Panther on the side. Since Casas and Panther could wrestle as tecnicos or rudos, there was no problem there. Vampiro was fine in adjusting to the rudo role for this match as well. I liked that they didn’t go with the “partners having trouble with each other” storyline that this kind of match would usually have. It was refreshing to see conflicting sides be professional with each other in order to win a match. My only complaint was the clipping of the third fall. The first two falls were built up well. The way they were going in this match would have produced a great final fall in a full showing. Other than that, this match had some really good stuff.

The first fall saw Panther win it for his team by pinning Vampiro with a double underhook backbreaker. Vampiro redeemed himself in the second fall by pinning team captain Atlantis with the Nail in the Coffin. There was an awesome spot in the third fall with Casas on the apron. Atlantis tried to Casas’ head into the turnbuckle, but Casas uses that momentum to catch Panther on the floor with his La Silla, a sitdown splash with the opponent standing. Shocker uses a nice running tope con giro on Tarzan. Warrior accidentally catches Vampiro, instead of Mr. Niebla, with his bullet speed tope suicida. The finish saw Atlantis make Casas submit to La Atlantida and Panther make Tarzan submit to a stepover toehold.

The 411: Pretty good episode of CMLL this time around. Even with some minor clipping, the main event was worked really well. I thought Casas & Panther were the top wrestlers from each team, but everyone looked good. Capos & Violencia vs. Pierroth & Talibanes was more for angle progression. The opener looked really good from what was shown with Virus & Romero showing some great chemistry. I would recommend checking this episode.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]