CMLL Roundup: Rush & Bestia del Ring advance in Copa Dinastias, Frenchmen in Mexico, more!

Welcome to the CMLL Roundup. Let’s get caught up on the major moments from the past week. The Copa Dinastias tournament is underway, Templario and Cavernario had a sweet lightning match, and two French luchadores debuted in Arena Mexico.

Copa Dinastias

The first phase of the Copa Dinastias kicked off on Friday. The family tag teams were Volador Jr. & Flyer, Negro Casas & El Felino, Rush & La Bestia del Ring, and Euphoria & Soberano Jr. The bouts were one fall with no time limit. Both members of a team had to be defeated to win. The action began at 1:45:32 of the show.

It started with a battle royal to determine the matchups. Flyer, Soberano Jr., El Felino, and La Bestia del Ring were the participants. El Felino was eliminated first. He climbed the corner and was dropkicked by Soberano. Flyer was eliminated next. Bestia knocked him off the apron. The matchups are now set.

Volador Jr. & Flyer vs Negro Casas & El Felino

Negro Casas and El Felino worked over Flyer to start the match. Volador Jr. flew in from the hot tag with a springboard crossbody and a headscissors takeover. Flyer followed with a tope con hilo.

The first pin was a result of miscommunication as Volador superkicked Flyer. Felino nailed Volador with a crucifix sitdown powerbomb for the elimination. The rudos set up a super powerbomb to Flyer, but he countered with a super hurricanrana. Flyer saved the day by rolling up Casas and using la casita to pin Felino.

Euphoria & Soberano Jr. vs Rush & La Bestia del Ring

The bout started with fire. Soberano Jr. executed a corkscrew crossbody and a Fosbury Flop, while Euphoria had a slingshot plancha to the outside. The Ingobernables heeled it up by brawling outside and untying the masks of their opponents. The two teams went back and forth a little bit. The finish was simultaneous piledriver variations (Tiger Driver ‘98 and reverse piledriver) from Rush and La Bestia del Ring to win.

Volador Jr. & Flyer vs Rush & La Bestia del Ring

The first phase final clocked in at under six minutes. Flyer slyly entered by climbing the turnbuckles to get the fans going. Once the bell rang, he turned around for a surprise flying crossbody to Rush. The Ingobernables were knocked out of the ring. The tecnicos attacked with a tope con hilo from Flyer and a suicide dive from Volador Jr.

The style was flying vs brawling. The rudos were too strong on that day. La Bestia del Ring crushed Flyer with a tombstone piledriver and Rush pinned Volador off his patented running dropkick into the corner.

Rush and La Bestia del Ring advance to the Copa Dinastias final in two weeks.

This Friday, June 14 will have the second phase with the teams of Mistico & Dragon Lee, Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja, Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero, and Mascara 2000 & Sanson. I’ll be rooting for Mistico and Dragon Lee, so we can see an all family Muñoz in the final.

Also on that card this Friday will be the CMLL debut of Austin Theory. He’ll be teaming with Caristico and Volador Jr. against Rush, Negro Casas, and Cavernario. Theory is new to me. He has a good look and some rugged moves.

Theory is 22 years old and has wrestled in Mexico with The Crash promotion. He won their heavyweight title earlier this year. His 63 day reign ended to Rey Horus in a four-way. I look forward to seeing him compete in Arena Mexico.

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CMLL action in the ring

Let’s go over some storylines and other big matches from the week. The shows from Monday, Tuesday, and Friday can all be viewed on CMLL’s YouTube channel.

Tuesday from Mexico City (May 28, 2019)

We’re going to start by traveling back to see two luchadores, Aguila Blanca and Dick Riviere, from France in CMLL. This one slipped under my radar with all the excitement of El Juicio Final. I’m curious to see what those Frenchmen have to offer.

Oro Jr., Magia Blanca, Aguila Blanca vs Nitro, Akuma, Dick Riviere

Aguila Blanca came out first (starting at 21:50 of the show). He is a very skinny fellow, but he did bring a championship belt with him.

CMLL

Dick Riviere was wearing a shirt, but he looked a little skinny too. They need to add beer, beans, and tortillas to their diet to pack on some pounds.

Highlights from the Frenchies include a springboard crossbody by Aguila to the outside, a French Destroyer by Riviere, and a flying splash by Aguila. Aguila actually won the match for his team in Fall 3 with a 450 splash on captain Nitro.

Aguila Blanca offered some impressive glimpses of his abilities. His style would fit right in CMLL. If Aguila didn’t have blonde hair, it would be tough to know he wasn’t Mexican. Dick Riviere wasn’t supposed to shine, so I’ll reserve opinion about him.

Monday from Puebla (Jun. 3, 2019)

Caristico vs Mr. Niebla

Mr. Niebla ambushed Caristico from behind with a cowbell during the entrance for the main event bout (starting at 1:24:40 of the show). Niebla beat up Caristico outside the ring, then Niebla hit a middle rope back splash to win Fall 1.

Niebla continued clobbering Caristico to start Fall 2. Niebla did a funny little dance to celebrate, however, Caristico rolled him up to even the score.

Fall 3 saw a 619 by micro Perico Zakarías to Caristico. Niebla smashed his opponent with a powerbomb, but there was a kick out at two. Caristico got control with two consecutive suicide dives. He snatched victory by submitting Niebla with a whirling armbreaker.

Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Ultimo Guerrero vs El Terrible, Rey Bucanero, Mascara 2000

The semi-main trios bout (starting at 1:08:05 of the show) kicked off when the rudos attacked Ultimo Guerrero from behind on the entrance ramp. The bad blood hasn’t simmered between Mascara 2000 and Guerrero. The rudos dominated Fall 1. Mascara 2000 submitted Guerrero via standing octopus.

The rudos controlled most of Fall 2 but lost anyway. Guerrero hulked up to run wild with clotheslines. He brawled with Mascara 2000 into the crowd. The brothers Chavez did their thing with running corner attacks. The last one was superkicks to their downed opponents in the corner. Angel de Oro pinned El Terrible, and Niebla Roja pinned Rey Bucanero.

Fall 3 started with a little bit of comedy to work the crowd. For the finish, the Chavez bros hit suicide dives. Guerrero and Terrible were in the ring. Terrible gave Guerrero swift kick to the balls for a disqualification. The victory went to the tecnicos.

Afterward, Guerrero grabbed a mic to talk smack to the freshly bald Mascara 2000 after losing his hair at El Juicio Final to Guerrero. Guerrero wants to continue for revenge. Challenge accepted as the rudos put the boots to the tecnicos. That rematch will be the main event for Monday, June 10 in Puebla.

Tuesday from Mexico City (Jun. 4, 2019)

There were no storylines to set up the next show on June 11, but there was a lightning match. Let’s hit that.

Lightning Match: Guerrero Maya vs Luciferno

At the one minute mark of the lightning match (starting at 1:09:05 of the show), Guerrero Maya tried to untie Luciferno’s mask. The referee intervened. Luciferno returned the favor at the two minute mark. He did a more efficient job and untied the mask completely. Later, Luciferno smashed Guerrero’s head into the turnbuckle and Guerrero’s mask accidentally slipped off. Luciferno calmed the referee to avoid disqualification.

Highlights include a tope con hilo by Luciferno off the apron, a flying crossbody by Guerrero, a suicide dive by Guerrero, and a double underhook shoulderbreaker by Luciferno.

For the finish, Luciferno slammed Guerrero. Luciferno had a hold on Guerrero’s legs, however, Guerrero twisted his body to roll up Luciferno for the win at 7:39 of the ten minute time limit.

Friday from Mexico City (Jun. 7, 2019)

We already went over the Copa Dinastias. There was also a very good lightning match on the card. I was excited when I saw the names, and they did not disappoint.

Lightning Match: Templario vs Cavernario

The bout (starting at 1:06:05 of the show) began with a fast and furious feeling out process. They paused for Cavernario to do the worm and Templario to do a spinning breakdance. That got a pop from the crowd.

Highlights include a suicide dive by Templario, a suicide dive by Cavernario though the corner ropes, a flying crossbody by Cavernario, a handspring flip by Templario over the ropes to the outside, a springboard plancha by Cavernario, and a hammerlock suplex by Cavernario.

The finish had a couple of close calls. Templario attempted a super gutwrench powerbomb, but Cavernario countered into a Frankensteiner. Kick out at two. Templario caught Cavernario’s springboard splash on his shoulders then popped him up for a knee to the mush. Kick out at two. Templario connected on a Mexican Destroyer, then Cavernario came back with a reverse hurricanrana.

Both men were down on the mat with one minute left. Templario slammed Cavernario with a backward wheelbarrow suplex. Kick out. Cavernario ran the ropes, did some whirlybirding on Templario’s shoulders, then slipped down for a back/leg stretch submission. Templario surrendered to give Cavernario the win at 9:44.

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This was an okay week from CMLL. Out of the matches I watched, my pick of the week is Templario vs Cavernario. It was under ten minutes and has plenty of cool maneuvers and a dramatic finish. The Copa Dinastias tournament is interesting, as all tournaments are. If you have a half hour to kill, you may want to check that out.

There was also a funny post-match promo between Gilbert el Boricua (aka Mesias, Mil Muertes) and Ultimo Guerrero, if you understand Spanish. Gilbert eventually wants a shot at Guerrero’s heavyweight championship. They kind of laugh each other off with catchphrases, since they were trios partners on that evening.

We’ll close with some Rush related goodies. Here is Rush speaking English in an ROH interview. He’s been studying less than six months and already sounds near perfect.

Here is Rush’s dog Ragnar. No pasa nada, perro.

And finally, enjoy a photo of young Rush with an afro.

Just let your soul glo, baby.