Complete Playbook: CMLL on Galavision March 13, 2004

Hello again, and welcome to another CMLL review. This episode aired on March 13, 2004 on Galavision. The matches were taped on December 16 and 19, 2003 at CMLL’s secondary venue of Arena Coliseo. The main event is a continuation of many rivalries between Universo Dos Mil, L.A. Park & Rayo De Jalisco Jr. vs. Pierroth, Perro Aguayo Jr. & Ultimo Guerrero. There is also a trios match with Vampiro, Atlantis & Felino taking on Super Crazy, Averno & Mephisto. Onto the review:

Blue Panther (captain), Mr. Niebla & Volador Jr. vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. (captain), Black Tiger III & Black Warrior

This is from December 16. Looking at the names in the match here, I can see that Panther officially turned tecnico by this time. Black Tiger here is Silver King. This was joined in progress to the end of the third fall. Despite having some good wrestlers in the match, it did not look too interesting from the little that was shown. Wagner went back to his closet from when he teamed up with Panther because he is sporting a nice blue and white outfit. Niebla gets the victory for the tecnicos when he used a crucifix cradle to pin Wagner.

The rest of the show now has matches from December 19.

A vignette showed Super Crazy entering Loco Max’s locker room. He asked where Averno & Mephisto were, and Loco Max told him in the locker room right across from him. Crazy met up with them so that they could talk about their upcoming match. I have to say that I am glad Averno & Mephisto changed their look because the plain black for Averno and plain red for Mephisto was so bland.

Vampiro (captain), Atlantis & Felino vs. Super Crazy (captain), Averno & Mephisto

This was a decent match with the rudos looking good. I thought Felino looked the best from the tecnicos. Usually, someone doing a job in Lucha does not mean that much because most wrestlers will lose once during a two out of three fall match. I have to say that Vampiro dropping two falls cleanly was a surprise to me because he is very much protected. It looked like CMLL had serious plans to push Crazy at that time because he was the one got the big pin in the final fall and did not drop the fall the rudos lost.

The first fall was clipped to the end with the rudos using a triple team powerbomb to pin Felino. From there, they put Vampiro on the mat with Crazy using a single-leg Boston crab and Averno & Mephisto putting an armbar for the submission. The second fall saw the rudos maintain control for a little bit until a miscue by Crazy. The technicos took control with Atlantis using a monkey flip variation that sends Crazy flying over the top rope and onto the floor. Felino uses a uranage onto Averno for the pin. Vampiro jumps off the top turnbuckle with a diving crossbody press onto Mephisto. Both men get back up and Mephisto catches a Vampiro kick. However, Vampiro counters into a spin kick and that puts away Mephisto. The tecnicos have tied this match at one fall a piece.

The third fall was an even battle that was looking towards favoring the tecnicos with a Felino double jump somersault bodyblock onto Crazy. Vampiro takes Mephisto down with a Rock Bottom of sorts. He runs off the ropes, but Averno kicks him in the back. Super Crazy is able to surprise Vampiro with a springboard dropkick. All of the rudos make the cover and they win this match cleanly.

Next was the spectacular moments segment. First was Sombra De Plata using a tope suicida and Astro Boy using a very nice somersault senton with his variation of the tope suicida. I wonder what happened to Astro Boy. I don’t see him around CMLL anymore. Maybe he became something mystical. Anyway, Neutron uses a nice looking moonsault plancha off the top turnbuckle and onto the floor. Next was Mascara Magica using a tope suicida. L.A. Park using an awesome looking tope suicidia into an armdrag on Ultimo Guerrero. Ultimo Guerrero continued to be the target for the tecnicos because Rayo De Jalisco Jr. uses a plancha onto him.

L.A. Park talks to the fans to thank them for his support. He tells the fans that he is the original and do not accept any lame imitators out there. This is a reference to a lawsuit he had with AAA owner Antonio Pena over the rights to the La Parka name. Pena won the lawsuit and was able to keep his version in La Parka in AAA. L.A. Park could no longer use the La Parka name in Mexico, but it was okay for him to use it in the U.S., Japan or anywhere else. He decides to change his name for everywhere, but keep the gimmick. Park’s regular skeleton outfit transforms from black & white to black & red. Park struts out of the camera.

L.A. Park (captain), Rayo De Jalisco Jr. & Universo Dos Mil vs. Perro Aguayo Jr. (captain), Pierroth & Ultimo Guerrero

This was a rematch from last week’s TV. There were plenty of grudges here with Universo and Pierroth being well documented already. Pierroth and Park have a grudge from many years ago when Park took Pierroth’s mask. Park and Ultimo Guerrero seemed to have developed a rivalry as well. The big rivalry was Universo and Perro family grudge that goes back to Universo’s brothers and Perro’s father.

Perro Sr. usually got the upper hand on Cien Caras and Mascara Ano Dos Mil. Perro Sr. won the mask of Mascara Ano and the hair of Cien Caras. In 2001, Perro Sr. was on a retirement tour due to years in the ring and injuries accumulated. Perro Sr. wanted to end his career by taking something from the youngest brother of Cien and Mascara Ano by taking his mask. Things did not end the way Perro Sr. wanted to because Universo was able to sneak his Black Hammer piledriver to win the match. Perro Sr’s career as a full time wrestler ended with him getting his head shaved unconsciously and getting stretcher out of Arena Mexico. As you can imagine, Perro Jr. wants to revenge for the way his father went out.

This was more of an angle driven match than anything else. Park and U. Guerrero showed excellent chemistry with each other here. They were easily the best on both sides. Not enough crazy brawling by Perro Jr. There was not enough Perro Jr. vs. Universo fighting because they usually bring the hate to each other. Rayo was the worst here because he looked lost sometimes. Pierroth was not that much better, but looked alright with Park in there.

All of the luchadors have separate entrances. Pierroth is a bald man here, so he must have lost the mask vs. hair match with Universo. Since the rudos came out first, they would attack each tecnico making their entrance to the arena. Park is wearing a nice look matador’s outfit over his wrestling gear. There was a flashback from a recent Arena Mexico show in which Pierroth pinned Park after using a low blow behind the referee’s back. The tecnicos won the first fall after using excessive violence onto Rayo.

The second fall saw a really nice exchange by Park and Ultimo Guerrero. Park uses a nice slingshot armdrag to take U. Guerrero down. With U. Guerrero on the floor, Park uses an Asai moonsault into a corkscrew plancha. A few seconds later Perro climbs the top turnbuckle and uses La Lanza onto both men. From there, Rayo uses a plancha onto all three men. La Nazi distracts Universo and Pierroth rolls up him to tie the match at one fall. During the intermission, Universo attacks La Nazi and rams her head into the ringpost on the floor.

The third fall saw Park take Pierroth and La Nazi out with a running corkscrew plancha. Rayo has U. Guerrero in a surfboard while Perro and Universo go at it. Universo goes for a tombstone piledriver, but the referee blocks it. In Lucha, a piledriver is a very protected move. It is an automatic DQ for the deliverer and stretcher ride for the recipient. As Universo was pushing the referee in anger for not doing the move, Perro low blows Universo and covers to get the three count for the rudos. After the match, Perro continues to attack Universo and rips off his mask. Surprisingly, the referees do not overturn the decision and DQ Perro. A replay showed that Park landed hard on the floor and might have injured himself due to Pierroth not being able to catch him with the dive.

The 411: Not really a good episode of CMLL this week. The main event was a continuation of angles. L.A. Park & Ultimo Guerrero were the best, and they would have risen the quality of the match if they were facing off with each other more. Perro Jr. & Universo did not bring the hate that their family rivalry should have. Pierroth & Rayo just were not good at all. Vampiro, Atlanis & Felino vs. Super Crazy, Averno & Mephisto was the best match. It showed how good of rudos that Averno & Mephisto were starting become. The first match was too clipped to make an accurate judgement, but didn't look too exciting from what was shown. I would recommend to avoid this episode of CMLL.

Final Score:  4.5   [ Poor ]