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2015 CMLL Matches of Note


Phil Schneider

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Ultimo Guerrero/Euforia/Niebla Roja vs Mistico/Volador Jr./Valiente - 2/13/15

I was a huge fan of the way this match was laid out. I'd like to think this match was our reward for those of us who sit through so many generic CMLL Trios Titles matches that just stick to the same formula. They started with the usual matwork and had the rudos take over immediatly afterwards as the crowd was getting restless. (*) We got to see the star of the match - Ultimo Guerrero - bust out his old double submission combo which he hasn't used in ages. Second fall had the rudos doing their usual beatdown spots including Niebla Roja's assisted tornillo on the floor. This leads to the tecnico comeback and three awesome dives! Instead of the countout win we get Ultimo Guerrero eating the triple finisher combo of a superkick -> backcracker -> Valiente's finisher for the tecnico win. Then comes the 3rd fall and this is where the match comes off the rails but in a fantastic way! Every twist & turn you'd expect from the usual match, they go the opposite way! Ultimo Guerrero was clearly made into the monster of his team as twice they built to traditional finishes where he was left alone first with Valiente, then with Volador Jr., and both times he took their finishes only to survive. Instead of doing the usual stacked up superplex spot in every trios match they went to multiple submission spots with UG doing another great power spot trying to submit two guys, countering two guys trying to submit him & then the great spot where he & Volador ended up face-to-face when applying submissions and he got caught in an abdominal stretch. They teased legit finishes that have ended many matches before including the Guerrero Especial getting a 2 count/save along with Volador going for his Spanish Fly only for Euforia to counter and attempt his own submission finish only for Valiente to stop it. One of my favorite spots that defied all #CMLLogic was Guerrero/Euforia taking the same bumps they've taken a billion times to set up double dives from the tecnicos only for Niebla Roja to sneak in and stop it with a double clothesline. Such a simple spot that some may have not even noticed but I was marking out huge. They also reversed things in the 3rd fall with the tecnicos wiping out to the floor and eating combo dives from Euforia/Niebla Roja. Of course in between all the great twists & turns you had the usual expected craziness like Mistico getting LAUNCHED INTO THE AIR for a rana on the floor which is definite spot of the year material. Couldn't put the finish over more with another little twist as Euforia caught Volador's assisted rana and power bombed him into the turnbuckle only for Mistico to hit a springboard rana, Euforia winds up outside - Volador slingshot headscissors, VALIENTE ESPECIAL, LA MISTICA~! WIN! Just a tremendous sequence to cap off a great match. Easy MOTYC for me.

(* -> This is one thing that people often complain about - the quick tecnico comebacks or rudo beatdowns. What you need to understand is the crowd dynamic of Arena Mexico has completely changed over the years. This was the 6th match starting more than 2 hours into a Friday night show in the year 2015. Yes, after 2 minutes of matwork the crowd got restless. That's just how it's going to be and there's no way around it. Instead of criticizing the wrestlers for not forcing their own style on the fans, I'd like to think we should be applauding them for adapting to what the fans want in this day and age where WWE wrestlers are grabbing headlocks in matches where the crowd is already sitting on their hands in silence.)

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I understand that argument, but it's a slippery slope that leads to applauding indy no-selling spot fests because that's what the crowd they're in front of wants. I think it's much better to applaud when they do something like a short comeback, that they have to do, but make it work in some novel or compelling way, basically when they use their agency to really make the match sing despite the structure they're trapped in, where they can adapt, yes, but also make the thing sing and have a more universal appeal. It's doable for wrestlers who are skilled enough. Some guys can make the limitation into a strength. I know that's somewhat implied in what you said, but there's a difference between forgiving or accepting something and appreciating it too.

 

Trying to factor in the causality of why wrestlers are doing what they're doing and the environment they're forced to work in (or benefit from working in) is always important though. The problem is that we're always comparing these matches with all the other ones we've ever seen though.

 

Again, I think you mentioned elements of ALL of this, little clever flourishes and reversals and inversions, in your main post and I love those things too (I went nuts over a Rey Bucanero vs Mistico match from early 2010 a month or so ago not because it was great in and of itself but because it played off of a lot of the normal tropes/spots/expectations I was used to so well that it really worked for me. I'm looking forward to seeing this trios). I'm only noting the general premise you brought up in the *

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Was it the Mistico/Bucanero match from Puebla? Because if so I still remember that match as being pretty awesome and underrated.

 

I get what you're saying and maybe I didn't express my thought well because I'm a terrible writer. I definitely agree there has to be a line somewhere as everyone can't just go out and do the indy no-selling spotfests just because it'll get a great reaction and it's what the fans want.

 

I don't want to get Dylan angry if he's reading this and I'm not trying to take a shot at him but it was the Sin Cara/Cesaro match that was on my mind when I made that WWE remark. Dylan loved that match and I felt the opposite. I'm not saying it was a bad match. It wasn't. It was just way too slow for my tastes and for guys who got 17 minutes they did remarkably little. But the main thing I took away was even though the work was technically good and the match built well in the context of what people think a match is supposed to be... the crowd was dead. Completely dead. The two guys in the ring were not working for the crowd, they were working for themselves or maybe just working the way the agents scripted them to work. All I know is halfway into the match with the crowd sitting on their hands Cesaro sat there in a resthold... in a match that was either first or second on the show. The entire logic of what they did just seemed so back asswards.

 

So when I see guys who are main eventing a Friday Arena Mexico show skipping extended matwork to get to the action and give the fans what they want, I applaud them. We know Valiente, Ultimo Guerrero and to some extent Volador/Niebla Roja can handle themselves quite well on the mat or working a slower style. There are other places where they can do that where it'll be much more appreciated (3/7 CaraLucha: Guerrero/Rush/Sombra vs Traumas/Eterno!).

 

Of course there's always the debate that you can re-educate the fans to accept a slower style and it just takes time but personally I think that ship has sailed much the same way you'll never be able to re-introduce the concept of squash matches in any U.S. mainstream group.

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I thought the trios title match was outstanding. Ultimo Guerrero is probably the last guy in the world I expected to have a career resurgence, but I'll be damned if losing the mask didn't bring something out of him. I also really enjoyed getting to see Valiente in something good for a change. This is one of my favorites early into the year. 

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  • 2 months later...
Titan vs Cavernario - 5/3/15

Just fantastic. Even if you aren't a traditional fan of Lucha Libre you will love this. These guys are always magic together. Superbly worked match focused more around submissions than you'd expect, possibly due to Cavernario working on a bum knee. Couple of neat striking exchange spots to emphasize the frustration both guys started to have when their moves weren't working. The icing on the cake for me was something you probably don't really appreciate unless you follow these guys regularly but it was the countering of their usual moves. There are no less than 4 occasions in the match where they do a cool twist on traditional spots they do together. Finish was a brilliant callback to previous title matches. Fighting for my MOTY so far with the Nuevo Sky Team/Guerreros CMLL Trios Titles match from 2/13.
 
Titan is the best singles match worker in CMLL not named Virus. It legitimately angers me that he cares so much while in a company that doesn't care at all about him. I'm praying he gets the get out of jail free card next year to do a year with New Japan.
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Volador Jr. vs Mephisto - 5/8/15

 

I cannot gush about this match enough. One of my favorite matches of the year. Volador Jr. channeled his 1995 HBK vs King Kong Bundy/Kama Mustafa self and just told Mephisto "dude, I'm gonna tear shit up. You just stand in the right spot to catch me & I'll do everything else including bump my ass off your offense." Volador was diving all over the place and in a great sign of how beloved he is - after one dive an older gentleman shook his hand, a bit later after another dive a QUESTIONABLY AGED FEMALE ran over to hug him which got a big pop. The top rope Devil Wings spot was ridiculously scary. HE HELD HIM IN THE AIR UP THERE!

 

Volador Jr. is my WOTY so far.

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You weren't kidding. Volador Jr. took some suicidal bumps there. The backflip over the barrier, a few of those topes, the Asai moonsault right after dodging the baseball slide, but most certainly slam into the turnbuckle and top rope Devil Wings were just next level craziness. Volador Jr. deserves a lot of credit for throwing himself around out there and taking those massive two bumps from Mephisto.

 

Some questionable storytelling though, primarily with Volador kicking out of the top rope Devil Wings after getting pinned with the regular ass version a few minutes into the match.

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Dragon Lee vs Negro Casas 5/22/15

 

This is a recording: Negro Casas is AMAZING. This is a weird match as you really have to combine the TV version which has an awful 3rd fall edit with the handheld that is also clipped but you get a sense of the stuff that was missed. They really built up the fact Dragon Lee kept going for a big dive and Casas would just hop up on the apron and wag his finger 'no'. AMAZING. Early on 55 year old Casas does a kip-up. AMAZING. They do this crazy fast kung fu sequence straight out of Red vs Lo-Ki & it's a 19 year old vs a 55 year old here. AMAZING. Dragon Lee tries to break Casas' fingers at one point. AMAZING. 55 year old Casas takes a fucking rana off the apron with a full somersault bump to the floor that most 20 year olds were decline taking. AMAZING. Dragon stomps the fuck out of Casas as he hangs in the tree of woe before getting double stomped. AMAZING. Casas finally wins it with a great armbar takedown and La Casita.

 

I guess I really liked this match. Negro Casas is a national treasure.

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