CMLL Roundup: Two hair vs hair matches set for major May event, Volador & Mephisto advance, more!

Welcome to the CMLL Roundup. Let’s get caught up on the major moments from the past week. The card for CMLL’s next major event, El Juicio Final, will result in some baldies with two hair vs hair bouts, and Volador Jr. and Mephisto are moving on to the final of Puebla’s incredible pairs tournament.

CMLL held a press conference to announce a major event on Friday, May 31. El Juicio Final (Final Judgement) will feature two hair vs hair matches and a tag team title contest.

Ultimo Guerrero and Mascara 2000 headlines as hair vs hair.

The other hair vs hair bout involves the ladies, Kaho Kobayashi and Amapola.

The rest of the card is as follows:

• Caristico, Volador Jr., & Mistico vs Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas, & Cavernario
• Tag Team Championship: Diamante Azul & El Valiente vs Gran Guerrero & Euphoria
• Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja, & Soberano vs Mephisto, Luciferno, & Ephesto
• Blue Panther Jr., Rey Cometa, & Black Panther vs Virus, Misterioso, & Kawato San

Both of the hair vs hair matches have been built up well in recent weeks. I’m eager to see who will be victorious and who will receive a free haircut. The tag team championship bout will be intriguing to see if Gran Guerrero and Euphoria can become double champs. They are currently trios champs with Ultimo Guerrero. The rest of the bouts should provide high-flying excitement. All in all, El Juicio Final looks to be a fine card.

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CMLL action in the ring

Let’s go over some storylines and lightning matches from the week.

Monday from Puebla (May 13, 2019)

The Monday show from Puebla featured stage one of a Torneo Increible de Parejas. Tecnicos were mixed with rudos to create a tournament of unlikely tag teams. The pairings were:

• Volador Jr. & Mephisto
• Mr. Niebla & Stuka
• Negro Casas & Stigma
• Angel de Oro & Euphoria
• Soberano & Gran Guerrero
• Flyer & Barbaro Cavernario
• Kraneo & Forastero
• Shocker & Guerrero Maya

If you read the CMLL Roundup last week, then you may have noticed that Volador Jr. replaced Rush and Barbaro Cavernario replaced La Bestia del Ring. Los Ingobernables must have had family business to attend to.

The tournament (starting at 1:05:00 of the show) began by taking a moment to honor Silver King, who died on May 11.

There was an eight-luchador battle royal to determine the matchups. The order of elimination was:

1. Guerrero Maya eliminated by Stuka
2. Euphoria eliminated by Mephisto
3. Stigma eliminated by Barbaro Cavernario
4. Barbaro Cavernario eliminated by Mephisto
5. Gran Guerrero eliminated by Forastero
6. Stuka eliminated by Forastero
Final two: Forastero & Mephisto

The referee wouldn’t let the last two continue since the result would be meaningless. Their teams will wrestle each other no matter who would have won the battle royal.

Round one matches were fairly quick. Both members of a team had to be pinned or submitted for their team to lose.

Shocker & Guerrero Maya vs Angel de Oro & Euphoria

Shocker and Guerrero Maya controlled the action for much of the match, but they lost anyway. Angel de Oro had a fancy roll-up on Shocker, while Euphoria pinned Guerrero Maya off a pumphandle slam variation.

Negro Casas & Stigma vs Flyer & Barbaro Cavernario

This was an even bout. Cavernario pinned Stigma off a springboard splash, and Flyer pinned Negro Casas on la casita roll-up.

Soberano & Gran Guerrero vs Mr. Niebla & Stuka

Highlights include a Fosbury Flop by Soberano, a teamwork tilt-a-whirl splash by Gran Guerrero and Soberano, and an awesome teamwork flipping splash by Gran Guerrero and Soberano. Gran Guerrero used momentum from his back to sort of launch Soberano into a 360.

The finish involved miscommunication. Soberano superkicked his partner by accident. Stuka attacked with a flying splash to pin Gran Guerrero. I don’t understand what happened to eliminate Soberano. Mr. Niebla tied him up in a ball then sat on top.

CMLL

The problem is that Soberano wasn’t pinned. I guess he submitted verbally?

Kraneo & Forastero vs Volador Jr. & Mephisto

Kraneo used his girth but would end up being neutralized by speed. He was eliminated after missing a standing butt drop. Volador superkicked him in the face, and Mephisto did the pin. Volador pinned Forastero off a sunset flip.

Time for round two of stage one.

Angel de Oro & Euphoria vs Flyer & Barbaro Cavernario

Top moves were a cradle suplex by Cavernario, topes con hilo by Cavernario and Flyer, and an outside-in springboard moonsault by Angel de Oro. For the finish, Euphoria submitted Flyer with a dragon sleeper, Cavernario submitted Euporia with a back submission, then Angel de Oro pinned Cavernario on a big body slam.

Mr. Niebla & Stuka vs Volador Jr. & Mephisto

The move of the match was a far out suicide dive by Stuka. For the finish, Stuka tried a flying splash, but Mephisto got his feet up. Volador rolled up Niebla. Double pin to win.

The final for stage one lasted under five minutes.

Stage one final: Angel de Oro & Euphoria vs Volador Jr. & Mephisto

Highlights include a springboard moonsault by Angel de Oro to the outside and an outside-in springboard moonsault by Angel de Oro. For the finish, Mephisto used a double underhook super slam to pin Angel de Oro. Volador attacked Euphoria with a super hurricanrana to cement the victory.

Volador Jr. and Mephisto will go on to face the winner of stage two in two weeks time.

Next week’s stage two teams will be:

• Caristico & El Hijo del Villano III
• Mistico & Ephesto
• El Terrible & Niebla Roja
• Sanson & El Audaz
• Atlantis & Vangellys
• El Valiente & El Felino
• Templario & Esfinge
• Volcano & Luciferno

I don’t see any obvious winner, so that’s nice that CMLL will keep me guessing. I’ll be rooting for Templario & Esfinge as luchadores with cool moves. El Terrible & Niebla Roja are a strong team, if they can get along as bitter rivals.

Tuesday from Mexico City (May 14, 2019)

Guerrero Maya and Templario competed in a lightning match (starting at 1:10:00 of the show). This bout had some flashy moves that are worth checking out. Highlights include two tilt-a-whirl backbreakers by Guerrero Maya, a big slam by Templario onto the floor, a suicide tope con hilo by Guerrero Maya, and an arm drag over the ropes into a sitdown slam by Guerrero Maya.

For the finish, Templario hit three big moves (reverse suplex, front suplex slam, sitdown powerbomb), but Guerrero Maya kicked out each time. Templario argued with the ref. When he resumed the action, Guerrero Maya executed a fancy roll-up to win at 7:31 of the ten-minute time limit.

The main event featured Atlantis, Angel de Oro, & Niebla Roja versus Rush, El Terrible, & La Bestia del Ring. Los Ingobernables won the match with shenanigans. On the deciding pin, Bestia pulled the referee’s foot to prevent Niebla from pinning Terrible. Terrible low-blowed Niebla behind the ref’s back, then Terrible defeated Niebla to win overall.

After the match, Angel de Oro asked for the mic, but Rush beat him up and took it from him. Rush did some catchphrases with the crowd. When Angel de Oro had a chance to speak, his team was beat up again by Los Ingobernables. The rudos kept ripping off the mask of Atlantis. Eventually, Niebla Roja set up a rematch for Tuesday, May 21.

Friday from Mexico City (May 17, 2019)

Kaho Kobayashi and Amapola continued their feud in trios action. Amapola battered Kobayashi to begin the match. They would tangle a few more times. Kobayashi hit a nice flying crossbody to the outside during Fall 1. In the end, Kobayashi pinned Amapola via fancy bridge roll-up to give her team the overall win. Kobayashi grabbed a mic afterward to speak in Japanese with a few Spanish words sprinkled in. I think she was hyping their future hair vs hair match.

Negro Casas and Soberano had a decent lightning match (starting at 1:08:00 of the show). Soberano came out wearing his Mexican National Welterweight Championship, which he has owned for 738 days and counting. Negro Casas grounded his high-flying opponent in the early going. Soberano hit his first major move at 2:50 with a Fosbury Flop. Other highlights include a superplex by Negro Casas and a standing backflip splash by Soberano.

For the finish, Soberano connected on a corkscrew flying crossbody and followed with a powerbomb. Negro Casas kicked out. Soberano became distracted by Perico Zakarias, who accompanied Negro Casas and also interfered earlier with a dropkick. Negro Casas capitalized with a Mexican Destroyer and la casita pin to win at 8:44 of the ten-minute time limit.

The team of Ultimo Guerrero, Euphoria, and Gran Guerrero took on Mascara 2000, Mephisto and Ephesto to further the feud between Ultimo Guerrero and Mascara 2000. The two rivals began furious fisticuffs on the entrance ramp before the opening bell. In Fall 3, Sanson and Cuatrero ran down to assist their “uncle” by beating up Ultimo Guerrero. On Friday, Mascara 2000 will team with Las Dinamita, while Ultimo Guerrero will get new partners in Negra Casas and El Felino.

For the main event, Barbaro Cavernario replaced the advertised Matt Taven on the rudo trios team. That substitution set up Friday’s main event. Cavernario ripped Mistico’s mask during the match. In the finish, Cavernario yanked off Mistico’s mask and rolled him up to win. Afterward, Mistico requested one more fall with Cavernario. They agreed to one-on-one next week, but not before Cavernario kicked Mistico in the balls and took his mask again.

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Stage one of the tournament in Puebla was solid but nothing special. It was enjoyable though, since tournaments are always cool. Out of the matches I watched, I’d pick Tuesday’s lightning match with Guerrero Maya and Templario as the one to seek out if you are yearning for some slick and quick lucha libre. This Friday’s main event of Cavernario vs Mistico should be very exciting. Both are quality performers in the ring.

Who are you picking to win stage two of the incredible pairs tournament from Puebla? Which current feud is your favorite in CMLL? Are you excited for El Juicio Final?