Lucha Libre (AAA/CMLL)

CMLL Roundup: Mil Muertes signs, Gran Prix participants, dancing monkey aliens

By Manolo Has Pizzazz Oct 1, 2018, 7:15pm EDT

Welcome to the CMLL Roundup. Let’s get caught up on the past week’s news and wrestling action.

Mil Muertes signs with CMLL

Well, technically not the Mil Muertes character from Lucha Underground, but it is the same guy under the mask. In AAA, he went by El Mesias and Ricky Banderas. In CMLL, he will go by the name Gilbert el Boricua.

Mil Muertes is one of my all-time favorite wrestlers. Needless to say, I’m pumped about this news. In the handful of recent AAA matches for Ricky Banderas that I have seen, he has a slightly different style in the ring than the man of one thousand deaths.

CMLL did a live video chat in Spanish on Facebook last week with Gilbert if you want to watch. There aren’t any newsworthy sound bites that I could pick up, but it is interesting to learn a little about the man himself. After all, he is la crema de la crema de la crema.

That signing leads us to...

Gran Prix 2018 participants announced

This year’s international Gran Prix will take place Friday, October 5. They call it a tournament, but it seems more like a Survivor Series elimination-style match, as best as I can tell. I’ll be watching last year’s Gran Prix during the week to get a feel for it. At the moment, I am unsure if it will be a PPV or for free on the Viernes Espectacular show. Come back to Cageside Seats on Friday for a preview. For now, here are the teams.

Team Resto del Mundo

Matt Taven (USA)
Jay Briscoe (USA)
Mark Briscoe (USA)
Dark Magic (USA)
Michael Elgin (Canada)
David Finlay (Germany)
Gilbert el Boricua (Puerto Rico)
Flip Gordon (USA)
Okumura (Japan)

Team Mexico

El Cuatrero
Diamante Azul
Sanson
Ultimo Guerrero
Caristico
Euforia
Hechicero
El Terrible
Volador Jr.

What are your initial impressions?

Match recommendations

If you haven’t watched the CMLL action yet and want to avoid knowing who won, I have you covered. My pick of the week would be the Trios championship match between Ciber The Main Man, Scharly Rock Star, & The Chris and Ultimo Guerrero, Euforia, & Gran Guerrero from Friday’s show. It was arguably the most exciting bout of the week and also the most important in being a title match.

The best of Monday’s show was Fall 3 of LA Park & El Hijo de LA Park against Rush & Cavernario at 1:34.

Tuesday’s show had a lightning match of Tiger Casas vs Black Panther at 1:14. I have yet to be disappointed with a CMLL lightning match. I’ve only seen three, so the sample size is small.

The Friday show as a whole was entertaining from top to bottom. You won’t go wrong with any of those matches. If you are yearning for some Michael Elgin beefiness, skip to Fall 3 at 1:42.

On to the recap and reaction of the matches I watched.

Monday Arena Puebla (Sep. 24, 2018)

I only viewed the final two bouts of that show. You can watch the entire event on YouTube.

Caristico & Soberano Jr. defeated Negro Casas & La Bestia del Ring, 2-1 (at 1:06)

I was curious to see how Caristico, once known as Sin Cara in WWE, performed in his element. Caristico was fine. Nothing memorable. He actually did better as the week progressed with more high-flying maneuvers.

And, how could I pass up an opportunity to see someone named The Beast of the Ring? Bestia had a cool high-flying back splash.

Fall 1 to the bad guys. Two corner clotheslines, a slam, and a back splash by Bestia was enough to pin Caristico. Soberano quickly went down too to a sharpshooter.

During the break, Negro Casas’ mini did a 619 to Soberano. I think the mini’s name is Periferico. Question to CMLL fans. Is there a name to reference the minis when they accompany a luchador? Valet? Escort? Mascot?

Fall 2 for the good guys. Soberano connected on a hurricanrana pin to Negro Casas. A superkick and roll-up by Caristico took care of Bestia.

Fall 3 was victory for the heroes. Soberano and Negro Casas had an interesting double pin. Soberano had Negro Casas in a surfboard submission. Negro Casas broke free and the shoulders of both luchadores were on the mat for three.

I haven’t yet caught on to the referee hand signals. I didn’t understand both were eliminated until the announcer’s explanation in the post-match highlight replay.

Caristico had the final pin after Bestia missed his back splash.

LA Park & El Hijo de LA Park defeated Rush & Cavernario, 2-1 (at 1:22)

The match teased a future mask vs hair contest, whether it be LA Park vs Rush in singles competition or a tag team run back of this same bout.

Fall 1 went to the bad guys. The Parks had scissors (hidden in their tights?) and played to the crowd to cut hair. That led to the bad guys sneaking in a double roll-up for both pins at the same time.

Fall 2 went to the Parks via the similar shenanigans. The rudos fiddled with the Parks’ masks, the referee intervened, then the masks were pulled off completely, and finally tandem surprise roll-ups by the Parks.

One highlight so far was LA Park doing that animated fat man walking meme. I can’t figure out the name. It is usually associated with not giving a care. Anyone know what I’m referring to?

The battle for fall 3 was when the match picked up in excitement. The finale involved more chicanery. Rush accidentally dropkicked the ref when LA Park dodged out of the way. Rush then kicked LA Park in the balls. Two count. An angry Rush confronted the ref. LA Park attacked with a low blow from behind and a roll-up.

The Parks celebrated, the crowd started to leave, and I was left to wonder why there was no second pin on the caveman. Eventually, Hijo de LA Park hit a big slam on Cavernario for a quick completion to the match.

Tuesday Arena Mexico (Sep. 25, 2018)

I was going to only watch the final two bouts, but there was a lightning match. So, why not? You can watch the entire event on YouTube.

Lightning Match: Tiger Casas defeated Black Panther (at 1:14)

Cat fight! This bout had plenty of flying. Suicide dives, crossbodies, corkscrews. Tiger won via fancy pin maneuver, La Casita, at 7:44 of the ten minute time limit.

Terrible, Mascara Año 2000, & Luciferno defeated Kraneo, Volcano, & El Valiente, 2-1 (at 1:31:30)

The name Mascara Año 2000 reminds me of that Conan O’Brien skit, “In the Year 2000.” I’ll have to be careful to write ñ and not n. Anus Mask 2000 sounds like a colon cleanser, not a luchador. So, I was not expecting Mascara Año 2000 to be an elderly fellow (60 years old) dressed in a black leather trench coat and cowboy hat. He wasn’t too shabby.

Two of the tecnicos (Kraneo and Volcano) were aliens (?) dressed in monkey suits.

Fall 1 for the goods guys. Volcano caught a flying crossbody from a bad guy, then hit a sitdown slam for the pin. Valiente executed a flying shoulder block on Mascara Año 2000 for the second pin.

Fall 2 for the bad guys. Volcano was pinned by Luciferno after two running back splashes. Mascara Año 2000 slapped on a standing shoulder submission to Valiente. I’m not sure if Valiente was the second defeat or just got beat up after the bell.

Fall 3 and the victory went to the rudos. Luciferno rolled-up Volcano, and Kraneo was taken care of with a double suplex then a standing splash by Terrible.

From those six, El Valiente caught my attention the most. He has a short, brick house physique and had a brief stanza of neat moves. I look forward to seeing him again.

Gran Guerrero, Shocker, & Rey Bucanero defeated Caristico, Angel de Oro, & Niebla Roja, 2-0 (at 1:54)

I was not expecting a sweep. Both falls were Gran Guerrero defeating Caristico. Fall 1 was off a chokeslam. Fall 2 was a pretzel-like submission.

The bigger story was a developing rivalry between the two. During the match, Gran Guerrero ripped Caristico’s mask. Caristico returned the favor a short while later. After the match, Gran Guerrero grabbed a mic to issue a challenge for Caristico’s NWA World Historic Middleweight Championship next week. Caristico accepted.

Viernes Espectacular (Sep. 28, 2018)

The show looks interesting. My first time watching women’s wrestling in CMLL, a lightning match, and a Trios Championship bout in the main event. You can watch the entire event on YouTube.

Dalys, Reyna Isis, & La Metalica defeated Princesa Sugehit, La Jarochita, & La Guerrera, 2-1 (at 7:00)

Isis had tearaway pants. Metalica did not come out to a Metallica song. I’m not even interested in Metallica, but that was mildly disappointing. Princesa Sugehit was in the 2017 Mae Young Classic. I still haven’t watched that. I guess I should.

Once the pace picked up, it was an entertaining match. The star in my view was Dalys. More on her later.

Fall 1 was for the bad girls. Isis hit a flying crossbody and a Codebreaker to pin Jarochita. Metalica connected on a senton bomb to pin Guerrera.

Fall 2 was a double submission for the good girls. Guerrera had a reverse figure four leg lock type move, while I have no idea what the other submission was by Jarochita. It definitely looked brutal.

Fall 3 was another one for the bad girls. Dalys submitted the captain, Sugehit, with a swinging pendulum hold.

Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja, & Flyer defeated Mephisto, Templario, & Ephesto, 2-0 (at 31:00)

Flyer has a nice upper body, but it looks like he skips leg day at the gym. At least, he lived up to his name. There were plenty of exciting leaping by the tecnicos.

Fall 1 scored for the good guys. Flyer with a Spanish Fly and Niebla Roja with a hurricanrana pin. Fall 2 was a captain disqualification via blatant cojones kick in front of the referee. Clean sweep for the good guys.

VIP Lightning Match: El Valiente defeated El Felino (at 49:00)

This lightning match was VIP, whatever that meant. I didn’t notice any difference from the previous two lightning matches I have seen since watching CMLL.

Highlights include a suicide dive by Valiente and a top rope powerbomb by Felino. The finish was Felino running at Valiente, being turned upside down, then a bone breaker for defeat. Valiente was the winner in 4:10 of the ten minute time limit.

Mistico, Hijo de LA Park, & Soberano Jr. defeated Negra Casas, Forastero, & Rey Bucanero, 2-1 (at 1:02)

Another pretty good match with fancy flying and a quick pace. One side story was Hijo de LA Park and Negro Casas going at it. They frequently paired off, and Negro Casas gave Park his respect afterward.

Fall 1 was a captain pin for the bad guys. Forastero ran down the ramp for a springboard missile dropkick to Mistico. Fall 2 was Hijo de LA Park taking care of Nergo Casas after a powerbomb then a bridging leg submission.

The deciding Fall 3 went to the good guys. Forastero tried that ramp-running dropkick again, but Soberano intercepted his efforts with a botch into an arm drag, I guess, off the ropes. Mistico did a whirling head scissors into an arm breaker submission on Rey Bucanero.

Caristico, Volador Jr., & Michael Elgin defeated Cavernario, Sanson, & Cuatrero, 2-1 (at 1:30)

Cavernario came out dressed in a Fred Flintstone muumuu. Later, he would do that thing kids do of fake-spitting a loogie then sucking it back in repeatedly. That was kind of gross.

Fall 1 to the bad guys. Caristico got a boost into the air and was met with a flying dropkick to the gut by Cavernario. Big Mike faced 1-on-3 odds. A teamwork face slam and a springboard splash by Caveranario took care of him.

Fall 2 to the good guys. Elgin executed a sitdown powerbomb and Caristico did a whirling head scissors into an arm breaker submission for a simultaneous win on that fall. Did the current Mistico steal Caristico’s moveset when him replaced him under the Mistico mask?

Michael Elgin came alive for the Fall 3. He hit some nifty moves, such as a double powerslam and a flying attack.

Elgin was kind of a dud in the first two falls. They have been promoting him like a big deal, so I was expecting more. The third fall was his showcase to pump up the Gran Prix.

The winning pin came on captain Cavernario. Volador kicked Cavernario in the head while up in the corner. A Frankensteiner followed. Win for the good guys.

New Trios champions: Ultimo Guerrero, Euforia, & Gran Guerrero defeated Ciber The Main Man, Scharly Rock Star, & The Chris, 2-1 (at 1:51)

Fall 1 was a triple submission for the bad guys.

Fall 2 was a triple submission for the good guys.

Fall 3 was full of action. The four non-captains fought up the ramp. Euforia and Gran Guerrero took to the air for flying crossbodies off the top of the big TV screens. Several two counts built up the drama. The finish had Ciber roll up Gran Guerrero with the aid of holding his partner’s hand for added leverage. Gran Guerrero kicked out at two. He immediately did the same thing to Ciber, also with help to cheat in the same manner. Ciber did not kick out.

Scharly ran away backstage after the final bell. I noticed he did that last week as well. Is that part of Scharly’s gimmick? Does he have anxiety issues?

In a post-match promo, Gran Guerrero proposed a cage match to break the one-one tie in their previous two matches. Ciber explained that the last who leaves will lose their mask or hair. Ciber said he is going to think about it.

The set up for a championship match between Caristico and Gran Guerrero was simple and effective. Gran Guerrero kicked Caristico’s ass in emphatic fashion. He appears to be an overwhelming favorite, but that is why they wrestle the matches. I’m eager to watch on Tuesday.

It is peculiar that Gran Guerrero is a rudo against Caristico, but he is a tecnico as part of the newly crowned Trios champs. I guess he is a tweener. Ultimo Guerrero did cheat twice the last two weeks to defeat the Clan.

Goodness gracious, where did Dalys come from? Literally, Panama, but that’s not what I meant. She has the look of a super athlete with abs galore and a muscular physique. Not big muscles, more like functional ass kicking muscles. Her speed and fluidity was on another level. Dalys came across as a superior athlete that wrestles as opposed to a regular person doing athletic wrestling moves. I was going to say that WWE should put Dalys on their radar right this second, but Wikipedia says her age is 43 years old. She would be a good fit for a future Mae Young Classic though.

Negro Casas, El Hijo de LA Park, and El Valiente are other luchadores who are starting to grab my attention. Their styles of movement and array of maneuvers have me curious to see more.

What did you think of last week’s matches? Which ones stuck out to you? Who are your favorite luchadores in CMLL?