Welcome to the CMLL Roundup. Let’s get caught up on the major moments from the past week.
Copa Dinastias
The second phase of the Copa Dinastias kicked off on Friday. The family tag teams were Mistico & Dragon Lee, Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja, Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero, and Mascara 2000 & Sanson. The bouts were one fall with no time limit. Both members of a team had to be defeated to win. The action began at 1:17:08 of the show.
It started with a battle royal to determine the matchups. Angel de Oro, Dragon Lee, Sanson, and Gran Guerrero were the participants. Angel was eliminated first when he climbed the corner and was pushed off by Sanson. Gran Guerrero was out next when he was dropkicked off the apron by Dragon Lee. The matchups are now set.
Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja vs Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero
This was a very nice match for the condensed format in these tournaments. The end came after the brothers Chavez nailed dual flying attacks (tope con hilo and moonsault) to the outside. In the ring, the brothers ran a train with a running clothesline, running elbow, and running superkick to each Guerrero down in the corner. Angel de Oro and Niebla Roja pinned their foes for victory. That win got a pretty good crowd pop.
Mistico & Dragon Lee vs Mascara 2000 & Sanson
Sanson had the first big move when he caught a flying headscissors from Dragon Lee then powerbombed him onto the fan barrier. Los Dinamita also had a nifty teamwork move with a slingshot into a Samoan drop. Another highlight was Mistico flying high on a tope con hilo.
For the finish, Dragon Lee used a schoolboy to pin Mascara 2000. Sanson didn’t give up even though his partner had been eliminated. He executed a fireman’s carry sitdown front slam and also caught Mistico’s flying headscissors for a powerbomb backbreaker. Dragon Lee nailed Sanson with a running knee on the pin cover. Mistico followed with a standing moonsault. 1, 2, Sanson kicked out. A woozy Sanson then got caught in a whirling armbreaker by Mistico. Game over. Mistico and Dragon Lee advanced.
Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja vs Mistico & Dragon Lee
The second phase final was pretty lengthy at over ten minutes. Highlights include double suicide dives by brothers Chavez, double tope con hilos by brothers Muñoz, and an exchange of German suplexes and Mexican Destroyers between Mistico and Angel de Oro.
The first elimination was Angel de Oro via whirling armbreaker from Mistico. Mistico was out next via super double chickenwing front slam by Niebla Roja.
It was down to Niebla Roja and Dragon Lee. They went back and forth for a bit. Niebla nailed a flipping DDT, but Dragon kicked out at two. The two fought up in the corner. Dragon got the upper hand with a rope-hung flying double stomp. Niebla kicked out at two. Dragon ran the ropes right into a superkick. He kicked out at two. Niebla clobbered Dragon with a running discus forearm, then a reverse hurricanrana, and finally a pendulum submission to win.
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The family Muñoz will get a chance for revenge when Rush and La Bestia del Ring square off against Angel de Oro and Niebla Roja in the Copa Dinastias final on Friday, June 21.
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Austin Theory debut
Austin Theory debuted in CMLL as part of Friday’s main event with Caristico, and Volador Jr. against Rush, Negro Casas, and Cavernario (starting at 1:57:30 of the show).
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Theory got his butt kicked pretty quickly in Fall 1. He was pinned by Rush on a running dropkick in the corner. Theory faired better in Fall 2. He had a rolling dropkick and pinned Negro Casas off a cross-legged vertical neckbreaker.
Theory got an extended sequence when fighting Cavernario to begin Fall 3. He had a nice standing moonsault. The stars took over to hit flashy moves, then Theory and Cavernario battled again. Theory had some unique maneuvers, such as a rolling blockbuster and a slam that flipped Cavernario’s body to pin him. Caristico finished the bout with la casita pin on Negro Casas.
Theory intrigued me enough to see him return to CMLL. He cut a backstage promo as well. The content was interesting, but I wasn’t feeling the delivery too much. It should be noted that I prefer the old school style of promos with LOUD VOICES.
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.
Monday from Puebla (Jun. 10, 2019)
Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Ultimo Guerrero vs El Terrible, Rey Bucanero, Mascara 2000
This was a rematch (starting at 1:23:00 of the show) set up from last week. Fall 1 went to the rudos when Terrible submitted Ultimo Guerrero via Boston crab. Fall 2 went to the tecnicos as Angel de Oro and Niebla Roja scored fancy roll-ups.
In the finish to Fall 3, Ultimo Guerrero had an octopus submission locked in on Terrible, but the referee was distracted by Mascara 2000. Guerrero let go off the hold, and Terrible got a roll-up aided by grabbing the ropes to win.
That set up the main event of Ultimo Guerrero vs Terrible for June 17 in Puebla. Guerrero accused the referee of being in cahoots with Terrible. He requested a one-on-one bout but with a different referee. Terrible likes those types of challenges. He accepts wherever, whenever. Terrible beat up Guerrero to close the show.
Tuesday from Mexico City (Jun. 11, 2019)
There were no storylines to set up the next show on June 18, but there was a lightning match. Let’s hit that.
Lightning Match: Drone vs Virus
Drone entered (starting at 38:40 of the show) with some weird pinwheel thing attached to his wrist. He looked like a vendor trying to sell some cheap toy to uninterested kids.
Mat work took up the first three minutes. Virus gained control with clotheslines to knock Drone out of ring. Drone reentered refreshed. He suckered Virus onto the floor and attacked him with a running corkscrew off the apron.
Drone continued the momentum with a variety of kicks, but he couldn’t pick up the victory. Virus hit a flying elbow drop and a vertebreaker piledriver to win at the 7:50 mark of the ten minute time limit.
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That was an okay match, but nothing to go out of your way for.
Friday from Mexico City (Jun. 14, 2019)
We already went over the Copa Dinastias and the main event. There was also a lightning match.
Lightning Match: Rey Bucanero vs Euphoria
The barrel-chested bout (starting at 1:03:55 of the show) began with standing arm locks and arm drags. Rey Bucanero hit the first big move with a twisting cannonball to the outside. Bucanero attempted to untie Euphoria’s mask. Euphoria got back in the game with two monkey flips and a slingshot plancha.
The two went back and forth. Bucanero hit a rope running tornado DDT and a flying twisting back splash. Bucanero thought he had the win on la casita, but Euphoria got a roll-up to snatch the victory away at 8:37 of the ten minute time limit.
This was another decent lightning match, but nothing going out of your way to see.
Another solid week from CMLL. I’d recommend the Copa Dinastias second phase. It is a tournament, which are always cool, and the action was high quality. The level of star power made each bout unpredictable. Well, almost unpredictable. I had a feeling that the 61-year-old Mascara 2000 would not be in for extended action.
Who are you picking to win the Copa Dinastias between Rush & La Bestia del Ring and Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja? What did you think of Austin Theory’s CMLL debut?