Rey Cometa vs Puma King - Mask vs Mask

(Haven't done a single match recap in so long but this match deserves it)

Puma King comes out first to "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. Rey Cometa is next to whatever Elegido's theme music is in AAA. Guess what? HE GOT AN ENTRANCE VIDEO! FINALLY! He stops at the top of the ramp to take his jacket off... AND LEAPS OFF WITH A DOUBLE TORNILLO PLANCHA ONTO PUMA KING BELOW!!! HOLEE-SHIT!!! In any other universe that is the spot of the year but the match hasn't even officially begun! Cometa whips Puma into the ring, gives him a frankensteiner off the top rope and nails him with a wild tope suicida! Dueling chants! Back inside Cometa with a handspring backflip, somersault up Puma into a sunset flip, Puma escapes, rolls Cometa back and locks on a submission... and Cometa gives up! Crowd chants 'Puma, Puma, Puma!'

Puma misses a charge into the corner to start the second fall. Cometa clothesline misses, Puma does the Sabu backflip escape and trips Cometa coming off the ropes then dropkicks him in the face! Classic Puma King! Time for classic Rey Cometa as he does his no-hands rope fakeout as Puma slides outside to the flor. Cometa jumps onto the apron and goes for a frankensteiner... but Puma catches him! And just as he's done for weeks leading up to the match he swings Cometa into the barricade hard! Crowd loves it! Back inside press slam into double knees? No just a press slam and Puma starts ripping Cometa's mask up! Crowd boo's! Puma supporters cheer him! Clothesline takes off Cometa's head! Cometa whipped into the turnbuckles and bounces off right into a superkick! Crowd loves it! Another whip but Cometa escaped to the apron and kicks Puma King who got stuck on the top rope! Flying dropkick! Whip into the ropes... standing Spanish Fly! That's one of his finishers! Only a two! Cometa picks up Puma and slams him down. 450 Splash! That's his move! 1, 2... 3! Tied up 1-1!

Another Puma charge misses, Cometa superkick misses, Puma superkick connects! Backdrop lands Puma on the apron where he gets slapped hard. Cometa climbs up... no way... he wouldn't... FRANKENSTEINER OFF THE TOP ROPE TAKES PUMA OFF THE APRON TO THE FLOOR! A CLASSIC SICK SPOT! Puma lays there for a bit as Cometa lines him up... for the running double tornillo??? NO! COMETA IN THE BIGGEST MATCH OF HIS LIFE PULLS OUT THE SECOND ROPE SPRINGBOARD DOUBLE TORNILLO aka THE DIVE OF THE DECADE!!! Previously he had only hit it 3 times in late 2009 before he messed up badly and hurt his ankle (and ego) trying it at Arena Mexico. Since then he only used it one more time before retiring it... until now! Crowd pops HUGE and we actually get Cometa chants! Both guys sell the dive for a long time. Trading chops, Puma kicks Cometa down and goes for his mask! But Cometa pulls himself up and reverses it! TIME TO RIP UP PUMA'S MASK! Puma fans disapprove! Cometa trips Puma coming off the ropes... LA CASITA! 1, 2... too close to the ropes! Cometa charges Puma but gets hiptossed and bounces off the ropes which is the usual setup for Puma's submission finisher but Cometa kicks him instead! Cometa gets backdropped onto the apron and this times receives a kick! Puma hits the ropes... RUNNING SUNSET FLIP POWER BOMB TO THE FLOOR! COMETA LANDS HARD ON HIS HEAD! CROWD ERUPTS! INSANITY!!! These guys are just murdering each other! After over a minute and a half recovering Puma slams Cometa and goes up top... flying senton misses! HURACANRANA BY COMETA! 1, 2, KICKOUT! HUGE POP! Cometa goes for a roll-up but Puma crawls away and clotheslines the ?tecnico? down! Loud 'Puma' chants! Puma goes up top but Cometa cuts him off. Both balancing on top... SPANISH FLY! HUGE POP! 1, 2... NO! CROWD CAN'T BELIEVE IT! They're banging on anything available! INVERTED GORY SPECIAL BY PUMA KING! WILL COMETA GIVE UP??? He fights it off and rolls up Puma... who rolls through... AND RIGHT INTO HIS REINERA FINISHER! BUT THE SPINNING TAKES COMETA INTO THE ROPES! HE'S SAFE! Puma walks over and grabs the still dangling Cometa for a hanging DDT! Only a 2! What a match! Cometa places Puma up top with some difficulty and then nails a leaping frankensteiner taking Puma down! 1, 2, KICKOUT! CROWD CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Cometa is frustrated! Puma charges Cometa but gets placed up top....Cometa climbs up for another frankensteiner but Puma resists and punches Cometa in the gut... oh no... you gotta be kidding me... PUMA KING LIFTS UP REY COMETA AND DROPS HIM WITH AN ABSOLUTELY SICK TOP ROPE POWER BOMB VARIATION! CROWD EXPLODES! 1, 2... 2.5!!!!!!!!! INSANE POP FOR THE KICKOUT! THIS MATCH IS INSANE!!! Crowd singing for Puma! Puma charge misses, Cometa gets backdropped outside, slaps Puma King and nails a tornillo off the top! 2 count only! Great touch there as that used to be Cometa's finisher in his early days in AAA. 'Cometa' chants! Puma off the ropes... gets caught with the standing Spanish Fly! Cover? No! It didn't work in the first fall so why would it now? Cometa slams Puma down and goes up! 450 again? Worked once! THERE IT IS! 1, 2... 2.5! Not this time! If only Rey Cometa had a secondary finisher! But he doesn't! Cometa stands with Puma in the corner wondering what he has to do to win! He whips Puma into the turnbuckles but gets kicked in the face! Puma slingshots himself to the apron... SPRINGBOARD FRONTCRACKER! THAT'S ONE OF HIS MOVES! Great impact! 1, 2... COMETA KICKS OUT! CROWD STUNNED! Another vicious kick! Cometa is groggy! Backstabber off the second turnbuckle is a bit off but Puma grabs Cometa and locks on... HIS FATHER'S FINISHER - THE INVERTED FIGURE FOUR! The same move he used to shockingly win Ciclon Ramirez's mask 19 years ago in one of the biggest upsets ever! COMETA GIVES UP ALMOST IMMEDIATLY! CROWD GOES NUTS! PUMA KING WINS! WHAT A MATCH!!!

I can't even put into words how amazing this match was being a huge Rey Cometa supermark. Anything you could have wanted to see him do he did AND MORE! The stage dive, the dive of the decade, the insane bumps, his old tornillo finisher... he delivered! Puma King gets ton of credit as well for taking some sick bumps himself and being right there to catch Cometa every time. The level of difficulty in this match was a 15 out of 10! It's absolutely mind boggling they managed to pull off everything since it took such precise timing and guts! No matter if you are a CMLL fan or not you had to have enjoyed this match a ton!

I have no doubts barring a miracle this will be my match of the year. I also have no doubts this is one of the most memorable apuesta matches involving one of my favorite wrestlers ever. I was very sad to hear Cometa lost but he went down with a fight and gave an incredible performance! He earned this match with hard work alone. He has no family connections and had to work his way up from the opening matches to co-headline the biggest CMLL show of the year. Stories like that should give you hope when you watch guys like Aero Star, Drago, Valiente, Guerrero Maya Jr., Freelance, etc. who all risk their lives every show and have yet to be given the chance to be in headline matches on major shows. Hard work actually does pay off every once in a while for the guys that really deserve it!

VIVA REY COMETA! #porraReyCometa

*****

RIP CMLL

CMLL is not going to shut down any time soon. The CMLL name will live on forever, the titles will still be around and the Arena Mexico will likely run wrestling events until the day it's demolished. However, the CMLL we have known for years and years is dead. A giant nail was driven into it's heart yesterday.

CMLL still exists in the sense the UWA still existed in 1993. The company name was used, the title belts were defended and the buildings they always ran kept putting on shows. But the stars were all gone. The excitement was non-existent. There was no money. There were no fans under 40 left. It was a glorified indy used by Canek to make himself feel like a star and push his untalented friends and family.

To some people the UWA still exists to this very day. Every year a promoter puts on a series of UWA reunion shows and really senile wrestlers like Fuerza Guerrera & Mascara Sagrada will say wrestling would still be hot in Mexico if a UWA type promotion was still around. This is obviously false. Anyone with half a brain knows this.

The CMLL we know is "the serious & stable". Slowly over the past couple of years that slogan has become laughable. CMLL now features strip shows, multiple midgets intefereing in matches, Estrellita as the face of the women's division, gimmicks like Kraneo/Peste Negra/Maximo and more focus on the entertainment/television production aspect of live shows rather than action in the ring. The matches have gotten ridiculously short and are all formatted for television. CMLL has basically become what Antonio Pena's AAA was. This is not arguable at all. If I could go back 3 years and tell the most hardcore fan that the next CMLL show would be headlined by Estrellita and feature a clone of Mistico they would laugh at me and call me anti-CMLL.

The result of all this is CMLL has driven away their hardcore fans. The promotion operates like a touring promotion except they don't tour. They have burned out all their buildings and with the creation of a Mistico II they are alienating any fans that remain. Forget the fact Dragon Lee isn't talented or charasmatic - who is this gimmick aimed at? Kids? CMLL doesn't draw lots of kids as it is b/c it's an unfriendly kid atmosphere. Teens? The same teens that grew up with Mistico are now going to return to watch a phony? Really? I'd love to see that. If anything those teens will make fun of any younger siblings who dare watch a fake Mistico. Adults? The only adults at CMLL shows these days are drunk young men/women or older couples out with their kid for a once a week show. They have no vested interest in the promotion itself. If IWRG ran a show at Arena Mexico those same people would come. CMLL has disassociated themselves from any sort of fanbase. The VERY few hardcore loyalists that remain are out numbered by edecanes on major shows.

Now you have the ongoing rumors that CMLL is trying to sell off Arena Coliseo and Arena Coliseo Guadalajara. Combine that with the well known fact Paco Alonso has no interest in CMLL itself and has implented a group of bafoons to run the company in his absence. They push their friends and family because they can. Also because they are not bright. They are all ex-wrestlers and let's be honest - very few become wrestlers by choice. It's a last resort to destroy your body for little pay. CMLL is run by incompetent old stupid men. This is fact and once again not arguable. They have tried to insert new blood into the office. Edgar Noriugea is no help as he's learned everything from the current staff of morons. Ultimo Guerrero is only interested in pushing in buddies and his booking is as dull as his singles matches.

I am now actively rooting for CMLL to die. I've been accused of being anti-CMLL by all the usual nutcases out there but that was never true until yesterday. I respect most of the wrestlers and want them to make money and be successful. This is impossible under the current regime. My new hope is CMLL as we know it dies so that all the fools who run CMLL now can be known as the people responsible for it's death. Much like Canek will always be treated as a Mexican hero he will also always be known as the guy who played a major part in killing the UWA. As an added bonus when Dragon Lee fails as a clone I want to be the one to laugh at any fool who suggested it might be successful. It won't. It's not only a bad business decision, it's an insult to what's left of a loyal fanbase.

I'll keep watching CMLL because I enjoy some wrestlers and there is nothing better than Mexican wrestling but I couldn't give a fuck about anything outside of the in-ring action.

CMLL is a corrupt promotion run by old men with no respect for their own fans. Keep that in mind next time you invest cash or emotion into anything.

Ranking the CMLL Mini's & Women!

MINI'S
========  

1. Pierrothito

The king! Has been the best overall mini for many years now and is the glue that holds the division together. Sorta like Mini Abismo Negro was before he disappeared into the abyss. Rumored to be in charge of the division now and the guy who puts the matches together which explains why the matches have been so great this year with such limited talent.  

2. Demus 3:16

He's in a bad spot since he failed as a regular sized guy and now it looks silly seeing him work with much smaller guys. That doesn't take away from the fact he is still wildly entertaining and one of the best catchers in CMLL.  

3. Electrico He's blown right past a bunch of veteran guys to take this spot. He's worked hard and had the help of learning on the job from guys like Pierrothito & Demus. He's clearly the current 'ace' of the tecnicos and the mini tecnico CMLL is going to build around. Well deserved!

4. Ultimo Dragoncito

Starting to get back on track after almost burning himself to death. Has always been one of the better minis and with the lack of depth in CMLL right now putting him up here is an easy decision.  

5. Pequeno Olimpico

I'm not as down on him as some are. He's a bit boring at times but his veteran presence is often needed in matches especially with so many young green guys on the tecnico side. He can still go when he wants.  

6. Pequeno Warrior

Guilty of clowning around too much during matches but when he is in the position to carry a match he can step up his game.  

7. Bam Bam

Such a disappointment. Even just as recent as over a year ago he'd easily be a top 3 guy and I was pushing for him to get bumped up to the regular sized division. Then he started no-showing and when he did appear he would be working at half speed and joking his way through matches. I can't tell if CMLL has just killed his spirit by doing nothing with him or whether outside the ring issues are ruining what was a promising career.

8. Fantasy

Used to pretty dull to watch but now that he is getting booked more he is working harder. Has a fun moveset and the fact he doesn't mess up at least 3 moves per match automatically makes him a blessing!  

9. Pequeno Violencia

Limited appearences but he's as solid as they come when he is around.  

10. Mercurio

The one newcomer to the division who has actually been impressive in almost all his appearences. One wonders if he was trained outside of CMLL considering he doesn't fit the generic mold of all their homebred rookies.  

11. Astral

One of my favorites to watch! Much like Triton has a variety of incredibles spots and dives. But also much like Triton is very inconsistent and appears clueless what to do in between moves. Seems to be a gymnast turned luchador rather than a guy who grew up wanting to be a wrestler. Definitely needs one of the top rudos to look good.  

12. Pequeno Maximo

I like him better in his other role.:p Humorous to watch in this role once in a while though.  

13. Pequeno Nitro

Very inconsistent to the point of annoyance. You can never tell which guy you'll get when he shows up. One week he's a great base and has devastating moves. The next week he's out of position on every spot and seems like he's never been in a wrestling ring before. A huge letdown after he impressed initially.  

14. Pequeno Universo 2000

Too small. 10-15 years ago he'd have been perfect for the division working with smaller tecnicos. Now he really sticks out as being a short pudgy guy with absolutely zero offensive moves of note. Isn't even a good base/catcher which begs the question - why is he kept around?  

15. Aereo

One of two really green tecnicos who showed up recently and appear to be learning nothing. Has a couple of fun spots but is otherwise horrible.  

16. Pequeno Halcon

The other one! He seems to understand less than Aereo. Also troubling is neither of these guys seem to want to stand out and are more than content to work a generic style usually reserved for mini's on the independent shows. Perhaps it's only because they aren't allowed to try new stuff until they figure out the basics? Hopefully these two aren't a sign of where the division is headed in the future. N/A: Nino De Acero (not enough matches)  

WOMEN 
======  

1. Marcela

The queen of the division. Always has good matches, can drag even the worst opponents to passable matches and is respected by both male and female fans. Her twitter account is a bit dull though.  

2. La Amapola

Same as Marcela but I put her a notch lower since she seems to get angry when working with the incompetent lower ranked girls which tends to ruin matches. She's an amazing bumper and great ruda though.

3. Dark Angel

Might be my #1 if she was around more often. Always makes matches more exciting and is the closest thing to a high flyer you'll ever see in a luchadora. It's a shame CMLL can't pay her what she gets in TNA b/c by only using her part-time it gives her no chance to do a feud.  

4. Lady Apache

One of the best for 20 years now. She used to be my favorite to watch but has considerably slowed down over the past 2 years due to the pregnancy and that pesky thing called aging. Can still go in the ring but has been clearly surpassed by others.  

5. Princesa Blanca

Getting better and better. The best overall ruda in CMLL and is now able to carry the bottom rung luchadoras unlike a year or so ago where'd she just end up falling down to their level.  

6. Princesa Sujei

Has she been showing up less often or is it just me? When she is around she's fine but I question the level of effort. She seems to have given up now that she isn't ever focused on individually.  

7. Zeuxis

The fastest progressing of the newer CMLL luchadoras thanks to her time in Japan. Incredible moveset and great look for a ruda. Gotta imagine she'll be the central focus of the division when she starts back full-time in Mexico.  

8. Silueta

Japan did her wonders! Really promising in her limited appearences since the tours of Japan began. Seems to be comfortable as a high flyer and can more than hold up her end of the deal in matches (trios or singles).

9. Lluvia

She began improving about a year and a half ago and since then has mainly been in Japan so one can only assume she'll be better than ever when she returns full-time.  

10. Goya Kong

She's a sideshow act just like her dad but at least she's a capable sideshow act. Moves well for a larger lady and understands how to sell for someone twice the size of her opponents. She does great to work around her natural limitations.  

11. La Comandante

Her offense is the drizzling shits but she's a perfectly fine base and a great ruda.  

12. Mima Shimoda

No effort at all. She's more than capable of being three times better than she currently is but she's clearly on cruise control. If CMLL had management that cared they'd give her roster spot to a woman that cared about having a job and making herself better.  

13. La Seductora

The best thing you can say about her is she tries hard. Doesn't seem to be naturally athletic but tries to make up for it which is what often leads to her slip-ups.  

14. Estrellita

She's eye candy. Nothing more, nothing less. She definitely tries to work hard but she's just not capable of keeping up with the regular top end crew. But she doesn't need to. She's CMLL's new poster luchadora.  

15. Dalys

About what you'd expect from a 40 year old wife of a wrestler who randomly decided (forced?) to start wrestling. She mimics moves well but clearly has no concept of being a wrestler and is one of the worst sellers you'll ever see.

16. Luna Magica

At least her hair is growing now b/c I was starting to get weird thoughts about a certain CMLL booker having a strange fetish. She's a horrible wrestler and has no redeeming qualities. She does wild dives for no reason and is completely reckless when doing them. Waste of a paycheque.  

17. Tiffany

I don't want to be sexist so I won't say exactly what I'm thinking but let's just put it this way... when women get older their bodies change in certain ways... especially women who have had kids. These changes are why you rarely, if ever, see women taking part in sports that require lots of physical activity. Tiffany is practically immobile. Just trying to jump appears to be a streneous activity for her. Her rolling bumps are practically made for botchmania. I fast forward anything she is involved in.

Ranking the CMLL Roster!

People always ask me my opinion of various CMLL wrestlers so I decided about a week ago to put together a list ranking them and giving little comments about each. Obviously this isn't an official list - it's just one man's opinion so I don't expect anyone to agree with all my choices but I try to explain most of them. The rankings are purely based on in-ring talent. They don't take into account anything to do with push.

On with the list...


1. Negro Casas

The best wrestler in Mexico right now and possibly the last 20 years depending on who you ask. A veteran who isn't afraid to work with young guys and try and make them better which is a rarity these days.

2. Averno

The best rudo in Mexico at the moment. It's a shame CMLL has no idea what to do with him. I feel he really needs to be split off from his partners and start establishing himself on his own. With the said, everything he touches turns to gold and the crowd seems to actively dislike him at times which is a rarity amongst CMLL rudos.

3. Virus

What can I say that everyone doesn't already know? Great wrestler, lots of charisma and if he were a foot taller he'd probably be a big star. If it were up to me he'd be the head trainer in CMLL.

4. Blue Panther

Just like Casas he's the perfect example of a veteran you can actually respect for his willingness to work with youngsters. I wonder how much longer he'll be working an active schedule so best to enjoy him whenever he does pop up in a trios match. (Hoping for a rematch with Casas at some point but his hair really isn't growing back...)

5. Volador Jr.

Another misused member of the CMLL roster. Crowd loves him but he's booked as a rudo which only hurts the tecnicos he gets matched up with. Would be amazing as a tweener who teamed with the tecnicos but wasn't part of any group. Arguably the most charasmatic guy in CMLL.

6. La Sombra

The top young tecnico who can have great matches with anyone. He's pretty much interchangeable with Volador on this list which makes them great natural rivals.

7. Guerrero Maya Jr.

Who would have thought a year ago he'd be where he is now? Got a lucky break via injury to Dragon Lee in the Forjando un Idolo and ran with the ball. Showed everyone what an amazing wrestler he is and is now firmly established as one of the most promising youngsters on the CMLL roster. Could easily be top #3 in a year or two...

8. Escorpion

Another 'where the hell did he come from?' guy. Also used Forjando un Idolo to establish himselff and as soon as hooked up with Ultimo Guerrero he turned himself into a main eventer by working hard. I see him as a modern day Jerry Estrada. Has the ability to make any tecnico look interesting (see: Warrior, Black) and doesn't seem to ever take a night off. I love creativity in my wrestling and one thing I notice is when tecnicos are paired with Escorpion they try new stuff because they trust him and they know he will work his hardest to make them look great.

9. Valiente

Another guy who never takes a night off. I still fully expect this to be his breakout year in terms of a major feud and main event push.

10. Ultimo Guerrero

Still an excellent wrestler and just might be the best base in Mexico. Where he loses points... and it's a lot of points... is that he is LAZY. He will try in maybe 1 or 2 matches per month... if that. He's clearly capable of more which he shows by having good matches when he does try. He used to be the Escorpion type guy who tecnicos would work harder against but that time has passed. Now I've seen him do the same exchange with Sombra for about 3 years. His singles matches are as formulaic as you'll ever see. Will only sink further on this list unless he decides to start trying again.

11. Rey Bucanero

A constant. Not very spectacular so he often gets hidden in the shadows of his partners but he's as solid as they come.

12. Mephisto

Perfectly capable right hand man in any stable. He's been where he is for so long that I don't think he'd ever be accepted as a top guy by himself. Very underrated worker.

13. Atlantis

Can still go! Has been showing he can hang with the youngsters and is still a vital part of the CMLL roster. Associating young tecnicos with him gives them credibility which makes Atlantis invaluable.

14. Mascara Dorada

Spot monkey turned excellent wrestler! Has worked hard to round out his game and it shows. I've been critical about his work so far this year and still hopes he kicks it up another gear like we know he can but he's still as spectacular as they come.

15. Euforia

Very happy to see this might be his year to get elevated. His height/size makes him perfect to work with the small tecnicos and any heavyweights CMLL may introduce in the future. Has a lot of charisma which many people overlook. If CMLL let's him run with the ball he may end up higher on the list in the next version.

16. Psicosis

The most underrated wrestler in CMLL? Always gives 110% and has yet to have a bad singles match against any opponent. Promotion clearly notices his value as he's the only ex-AAA guy they have allowed to main event.

17. Raziel

Probably tied for the 3rd best technical wrestler in CMLL with Virus. He will never be a main eventer but he is the perfect guy in the midcard to reign in young flyers and make them actually learn something before they take the next step. Failed with Dragon Lee but nobody (not even Virus) has yet to solve that puzzle.

18. Misterioso II

Another in the long list of guys lost in the shuffle. Is he feuding with Stuka? I certainly thought so but CMLL disagrees. Would be a great 3rd for a Mephisto/Efesto trio if Averno ever leaves or goes on his own as a single.

19. Rey Cometa

#porraReyCometa is sweeping the nation! Has suddenly been bumped up the cards which is a good sign and shows someone in the office is clearly noticing him. He sure deserves it as he constantly kills himself no matter where he's booked and seems to have a nice little following at the live shows which is special for a guy who hasn't been pushed as anything special by the promotion.

20. Felino

It's hard to tell with him... he clowns around way too much but then he'll show moments of being the Felino we know who is amazing. I think he just needs to be involved in a feud to get that extra motivation.

21. La Mascara

If this was list was based on only singles matches he'd be near the bottom or at the very bottom. I happen to think he is a better than average wrestler who always delivers in six man tags. He's got great timing and is an awesome seller. His only issue is how redundant his offense is which is why singles matches expose him. But those who say he's terrible or has a no talent are completely off the mark. He's way better than he needs to be considering he could get by doing nothing like his brother.

22. Terrible

Finally starting to come into his own as a major player in the heavyweight division. The possibilities with him are endless. I imagine a Rush/Terrible hair match would do monster business for CMLL but it's hard to get excited since CMLL always finds a way to disappoint. He's got the perfect look for a luchador and could be a great mainstream crossover guy if CMLL got hot again.

23. Sagrado

Stop rolling your eyes Cubsfan! Sagrado is good! He has his clumsy moments but they are getting rarer to spot. He's definitely stuck in a rut since his gimmick is associated with an era gone by. A rudo turn or gimmick change would do him wonders. Still one of my favorite wrestlers in the company.

24. Rush

#1 Most Improved over the last year! Keeps getting better and better. I'm happy CMLL hasn't turned him rudo yet b/c his current role as tecnico who the fans hate is fantastic to watch. The build to him being a rudo will be worth it and he really shouldn't turn until CMLL has a major tecnico the crowd likes. He got much smarter in the ring around the time he worked with Nakamura and Goto in the spring/summer of 2011. Now relies less on generic tecnico offense and more on hard strikes and understands he can't sell any time he is touched or it takes away from his size/strength. Really stands out which is the goal as a wrestler.

25. Hijo Del Fantasma

Politics are a bitch, eh? Very good wrestler who was on the verge of being a top guy (perhaps in Angel De Oro's spot) if not for the entire Mistico situation. Now he works segundas sometimes. Clearly deserves more based on his talent and charisma.

26. Stuka Jr.

I fear he will spend the rest of his career stuck in the midcard which sucks but some folks are just destined to do that and at the very least you want someone like Stuka who is an amazing wrestler.

27. Hooligan

How much greater would the Hijos Del Averno be if Hooligan was cast in the Efesto role instead of Hombre Sin Nombre/Safari? He's one of the best catchers/bases in CMLL and the only downside is you rarely get to see it as he's stuck in Tuereg matches that feature long beatdowns that go nowhere. Seems to content making gear and working a light schedule so if he's okay with it, I'm okay with it. Always a joy to watch!

28. Tiger

Could probably stand to bulk up a bit more as his size really gets exposed at times. He's fun to watch and has some devastating moves.

29. Niebla Roja

Has made an immediate impact since his arrival. No secret who he used to be - Angel De Plata. A pointless gimmick since all it did was keep him in Oro's shadow and also terribly miscast him as a tecnico. Everything about him screams rudo which is why this Niebla Roja gimmick has gotten over as well as it has. Sky is the limit and with the right pieces fall into place he could easily be a future top 10 guy.

30. Arkangel

A constant. Annoying to watch at times when he is bored and just wants to get by doing as little as possible but also fun to watch when he's toying with the young tecnicos and trying to get them to learn to pace themselves in the ring. Crowd respects him which is why any time someone beats him it gets a better reaction than a Nitro or Skandalo getting beat.

31. Titan

One of my favorites! #porraTitan coming up for En Busca De Un Idolo! This guy has it all and hopefully the tournament will be a chance to show it. His spectacular offense will clearly win over the fans but don't think he's just a spot machine - he's shown he can take it to the mat and hang with a veteran in a singles match (Polvora). Also, a rarity for a guy who does what he does - he also seems to be a great base! This guy is a future star!

32. Diamante

Another case of politics gone bad (and an injury at the worst time possible). He has great athleticism for a guy his size and seemed to fit in perfect during the CMLL/NJPW shows. He'll also have a chance to reclaim his status in En Busca De Un Idolo. Far more talented than his ex-partner Delta.

33. Cancerbero

The lesser part of the Cancerbero/Raziel team but still very talented. A team like that is invaluable to a promotion like CMLL.

34. Diamante Azul

Improves more and more in every match I see. Superstar potential written all over him. The only negatives are pretty major ones though: Works too stiff and doesn't make a habbit of protecting his opponents. Sure it makes him stand out but it also pisses off a lot of rudos and if they stop playing along he stops looking so good. Needs to clean up that part of his game. 1000x better than Blue Demon Jr.!

35. Mr. Aguila

Had some sort of resurgence in 2011. Perhaps due to the fact he was finally able to show his true self with the makeup and entrance music. Good for him! Had an amazing performance in the Reyes Del Aire which surprised a lot of people. Great guy to have around since he can be a fine semi-main event act or inserted into a main event feud without losing credibility.

36. Angel De Oro

Not as high on him as most people are. He's got the generic CMLL tecnico offense down but I think he only looks good because of the rudos he is often booked against. When the matchup isn't there he often looks beyond lost. Doesn't help that he's a lesser version of the guys CMLL is trying to get him to emulate (Sombra/Mascara Dorada/La Mascara). Maybe he'll improve when he becomes the new Mistico. LOLOLOLOL

37. Polvora

Underrated! Seriously! He showed it by fitting in perfectly fine when he took Dragon Rojo's place due to injury. Has a great moveset and is an acceptable base. What hurts him is that most CMLL hardcore fans still remember him and Vaquero working opening matches for years. You can change your look all you want but you can't change the memories of fans who saw you losing to the Rayos Tapatios every week.

38. Fuego

He has one spot that is over with the crowd. Once he does it they really stop caring about him. That's not good. Personally I enjoy his work but not above a bunch of other midcard tecnicos - some of whom are ranked lower on this list.

39. Super Comando

Gotta give the man his respect! He's really good! Too small to ever be pushed but one of the best rudos from a pure workrate perspective. If CMLL wouldn't keep overpushing new guys he'd probably be the one working with Dragon Lee, Delta & Triton right now.

40. Loco Max

Fun to watch. Limited ability but makes the most of what he has. Can always be counted on to lose his hair once per year and that time is usually when he ups his game.

41. Puma King

Might be higher on this list if he had chosen the name Tiger King? He's solid in the ring but is missing any sort of connection with the crowd. Will be interesting to see how he fairs in En Busca De Un Idolo.

42. Olimpico

His career didn't die after losing his mask! In fact it seemed to motivate him to work harder than ever! But with no mask or hair it's hard to imagine him ever getting a major feud. Luckily for him he has a CMLL job for life and will probably be a staff member when he retires.

43. Efesto

Age is finally catching up with him. Moving slower than ever and very content to get through matches doing as little as possible. Would be much better off working IWRG where he can do more matwork but he's a CMLL guy until he drops that mask.

44. Okumura

Perfectly acceptable wrestler. Not much else to say really. It could be much worse (remember when Ohara was the generic Japanese guy? UGH!).

45. Bobby Zavala

Bobby, not Booby or Boby! I admit I am a huge mark for him after only seeing the few matches he's been in. Definitely has the 'it' factor and seems way beyond great for his experience level. Expecting great things for him soon and praying he won't be lost in the shuffle like Mortiz was.

46. Angel Azteca Jr.

Has accepted his fate as mid to undercarder for life. How do I know that? Watch him work a match now and then watch him work a match in early 2010. The difference is incredible.

47. Vangelis

The man everyone loves to hate! But a guilty pleasure of mine! I will always give points for trying hard and Vangelis sure does try hard! It's just his natural ability can only go so far. Still I'd rather see him in generic midcard trios matches than guys like Nitro, Loco Max or Skandalo who may be more talented but don't give 1/4th the effort. Vangelis also oozes charisma. Seriously! My one question would be how an AAA/indy guy for life made the jump to CMLL and has been treated so well. Someday I hope someone has enough courage to answer that question.

48. Morphosis

Always thought he was super underrated in AAA but hasn't stood out at all during his time in CMLL.

49. Bengala

Solid but as far from spectacular as you'll find. Has slowed down a lot since the change in gimmicks but still has amazing technical ability and can work a good match with a broomstick. But if he and the broomstick were in En Busca De Un Idolo the broomstick would win the charisma category.

50. Marco Corleone

This is unfair. I fully admit that. Corleone is not bad at all and he tries very hard all the time. It's just he has almost nobody to work with in CMLL so all he can do are his comedy spots and punches. Fun to watch at times but very redundant and off-putting at other times. I'm a fan but just wish he had someone who could do a serious match with him so we could truly judge his ability.

51. Sangre Azteca

You have no idea how much 1999-2007 Rob would kill me for this ranking but it's pretty accurate of his work these days. Being a tecnico sucks... he's terribly miscast. That's still no excuse for how lazy he is in the ring. No wrestler should be winning matches with dropkicks to the thighs. Used to have a great offense that he could probably still use as a tecnico... just chooses not to since his (not) low blow spots gets pops. His true talent won't be judged until he is turned rudo again.

52. Nitro

Lazy. You'll see that word pop up a lot more now as we get lower on the list since laziness is a pet peeve of mine. If you ever want to take a nap watch Starman or Angel Azteca Jr. work with Nitro.

53. Metalico

The new version of Sombra De Plata. Talented but stuck in opening match hell. Has his fun moments but not much else.

54. Skandalo

Little ball of lazy! I used to dislike him more than I do these days. Is that considered a compliment?

55. Tigre Blanco

His time has passed. Still fun to watch on the rare occcasions he makes TV but doesn't put half the effort in he used to.

56. Hijo Del Signo

Technically solid but a black hole of negative charisma. His style is so IWRG it makes me question how he ended up in CMLL?

57. Robin

Very talented but not enough matches to judge whether it's an illusion or not. If he's really good I'm sure the family connections will kick in once he bulks up a bit. Definitely needs a gimmick change.

58. Maximo

A favorite of the live crowds but easily the worst TV wrestler especially if you watch CMLL religiously like I do. His act is beyond stale by now and he has no intention of changing it. People keep telling me he's actually talented. Really? Prove it. Show me a good match.

59. Mr. Niebla

#1 when it comes to 'show' but so out of shape and lazy when it comes to actual workrate. Blows up after mere seconds in the ring and is a terrible base because of it. A good sideshow but doesn't have 1% of the ability he used to have.

60. Shocker

Pretty much the exact same comments as Niebla. Still needs to prove himself after his latest return.

61. Namajague

He's only this low because he's still learning! I really enjoy him and he could end up being great but right now he's still adapting to the new style. Flashes of brilliance will surely ensure he has nowhere to go but up on this list.

62. Artillero

He's no Super Comando! Opening match guy for life and really can only work opposite other small opening match guys because of his size.

63. Kraneo

Easily the biggest disappointment of the AAA guys to come to CMLL. A big guy with great agility who really just doesn't give a crap any more. Relies on Cuije/Mije to get him through matches and has zero interest in trying to prove himself to anyone. Sad to watch since I used to be a big supporter of his.

64. Disturbio

He makes funny faces! Other than that he's a lesser Skandalo. Might get a push eventually due to family connections but perhaps his size will limit how far he can go.

65. Black Warrior

The dirt worst of the main event crew. Okay I lied... second worst. Warrior just doesn't care. I recently saw him win a match by using a single leg trip and then turning Morphosis onto his back. It was pathetic. He's clearly just back regularly to lose his hair and make a little extra money for his extra curricular activities. Just a waste of space in any match he's in.

66. Triton

One of my favorites! Has some mind-blowing dives and rope tricks that you'd never thought were possible! But is faaaaaaaaaar too inconsistent and lacks any knowledge of what to do in between his high flying. Pay attention to him next time you see a match of his and watch his movements in between spots or while he's selling. It's as if he hasn't been trained properly. TONS of fun to watch when on offense but he is the definition of one dimensional.

67. Dragon Rojo Jr.

THE dirt worst of the main event crew. Completely useless outside of posing for the crowd. Someone on twitter recently compared him to Elegido and I'm inclined to agree. Has the body the office loves but no talent at all. Can't sell to save his life and is so tenative in the ring it actually physically bothers me. During rudo beatdowns he seems afraid to tackle a tecnico or hit them from behind as if he thinks they will fight back. Comes off as very weak when he does that. Would be best served working primarily with Atlantis & Blue Panther so he can learn. A total CMLL creation who will be in terrible shape if he ever falls out of favor.

68. Delta

I won't bash him too much because he has looked much better lately but his 2011 was a disaster. I've ranted about him before and won't do it again. Bottom line is he's a guy who isn't meant to be as big as he is and is trying to do stuff he is incapable of doing. Bad combo. He needs great rudos to look like a star and even then it sometimes isn't enough.

69. Bronco

Big man doing little man spots! Not a fan of that! Needs to wrestle more like his size if he wants to succeed. Watching him work like he was Robin against Raziel in the Torneo Sangre Nueva was so silly. Will likely eventually get re-gimmicked and pushed as a monster... I just hope he learns to work like a monster before that happens. (Stop letting tecnicos suplex you!)

70. Pegasso

Hasn't been the same since he suffered that major knee injury and then re-injured it in his second (or third?) match back. Still has flashes of brilliance but is obviously working slower and safer to make sure he doesn't get hurt again. Recently got seperated from Rey Cometa which is not a good sign for his upward momentum.

71. Ramstein

Once promising CMLL youngster now shows up every few weeks to work openers and appears to be out of shape. He certainly made his debut in the wrong time period. Blew a spot badly in his first match at Arena Mexico using the gimmick and announcers still bring it up to this day. Never got a chance after that disaster. These days blown spots like that occur in almost every match and nobody blinks. Feel sorry for him.

72. Starman

*yawn* Has overstayed his welcome. Adds nothing to any match he is in and appears to be sleepwalking through them anyways.

73. Sensei

Unlike my friend Cesar (lacatedraldelaluchalibre.blogspot.com) I am not a fan of his act. His kicks are beyond terrible for a guy doing a martial arts gimmick and his act is beyond dull even though I rarely see him. I can't imagine how angry I'd be if he was making TV weekly.

74. Inquisidor

Perfectly fine opening match rudo for a guy with no charisma and little talent. Has a job for life with CMLL and you can tell that by the way he wrestles.

75. Soberano Jr.

Very young so lots of time to improve. Has his regular spots down perfect but appears lost most of the rest of the time. That's natural for a guy at his age with his experience level. Will only get better.

76. Dragon Lee

The golden boy of certain CMLL bookers right now. Has done absolutely nothing to earn what he's been given and has not used the opportunities given to improve at all. Evidence: Got the chance to let Raziel guide him through a singles match and after not being able to do a simple exchange on the mat 1 minute into the match he hit the panic button and did a dive. It's not his fault the promotion is pushing him so hard when he isn't ready but I do blame him for not trying to improve his weaknesses and instead trying to get by on his spectacular spots alone... half of which he botches all the time.

77. Cholo

Much like Inquisidor he's another perfectly fine opening match rudo. I've never been offended by him any time I've seen him but he also hasn't stuck out as memorable for any reason.

78. Horuz

A lesser version of Triton. Has some unbelievable incredible spots but has the tendency to embarass himself when he goes overboard. I could probably make a music video of him and paint him to be an incredible flyer with enormous potential but in reality he's just a creative guy who doesn't have the ability to pull off the stuff he thinks up. Crowd really dislikes him which may have something to do with him trying to steal other wrestlers gimmicks in the past.

79. Molotov

Might have tried to emulate his cousin Olimpus a little too much as not only does he use the same moveset but he's also just as boring.

80. Zayco

Could have potential? I'm not really sure. The few times I've seen him he hasn't blown me away and he often appears to be injured which is usually the warning sign of a bad wrestler. Needs a new gimmick. Wrestlers who have names starting with 'Z' are rarely successful.

81. Freesbe

He's... uh... more competent than Camaleon? Has a cooler mask?

82. Camaleon

He's... uh... less competent than Freesbe? Mask isn't as cool? The two are interchangeable. They might wanna consider that and either start a regular team or one needs to change their look.

83. Leono

If you just became a CMLL fan in 2008 would you laugh at me if I told you this guy was once projected to be a top guy and was being built up with hair match wins? It sounds ridiculous now but it was fact back in 2007! Thankfully CMLL realized their mistake and put at end to that nonsense. Leono is just not good. Very robotic in his movements and brings nothing special to the table.

84. Camorra

The lowest of the low. A completely generic opening match rudo. I might not even be able to pick him out of a lineup if it wasn't for the cool mask.

85. Hombre Bala Jr.

Very green. Will hopefully improve. Certainly has the genes to be a good wrestler but sometimes genes aren't everything (isn't that right Magnus?). Has an interesting headbutt based offense but appears to be set for openers for a while to come which actually isn't a terrible thing at all because in the long run it may make him better than guys like Dragon Lee & Delta.

86. Apocalipsis

Chubby. Sloppy. Slow. This is how you describe the 3rd worst wrestler in a promotion of almost 100 wrestlers.

87. Super Halcon Jr.

Should be working the FIL shows once a week in Naucalpan. He'd fit in perfectly with those guys because they are all at his level. In fact most of them are ahead of him. Really has no place on the main CMLL roster right now and there is ZERO EXCUSE for having work any match that isn't a tag team opener with Super Comando or Ramstein on the other side. Makes CMLL look bad every time he ends up on TV and is pushed as a rising young star.

88. Metatron

One of the most boring wrestlers I have ever seen. Has a moveset straight from 1992 and wrestles as if there is no crowd watching him. I don't understand why CMLL even bothers using him in Distrito Federal. The most ridiculous thing is even when he goes back to Guadalajara he often works opening matches there which is below most of the local talent that hasn't gotten a sniff of CMLL yet! He isn't even good enough to escape opening matches in his own arena! Clearly he gets booking as a favor to someone but it certainly does no favor to those of us who have to watch him wrestle. His mere presence also hurts folks like Bobby Zavala, Bronco & Disturbio who are all young guys still learning and they can learn nothing working with this stiff. A waste of space. That's why he is my pick for the worst male wrestler in CMLL.

N/A: Brazo De Plata (sad sideshow)
N/A: Stigma (only one match)
N/A: Rayos Tapatios (retired?)

Tomorrow: CMLL mini's & women!

Post-Wrestlemania Thoughts But No Actual Wrestlemania Thoughts!

- Enjoyed Block A of the Gran Alternativa. I'm okay with the format of shortening the first round matches so the final four teams can have lengthy matches. My problem is why are you bothering to do matwork and start slow when you know you only have 3/4 minutes? Just go all out! Do your highspots and finish. This especially applies to guys like Titan, Zavala, Pegasso & Puma King. You are going to look weak by going out first so why not leave a memorable impression? Dorada and Titan in particular did nothing in their match.

- What is up with Mascara Dorada? After slipping on the ropes during his entrance in GDL a few days before the CMLL Japan shows he has become a different man. He hasn't attempted a single rope trick since including never using the Brillo Dorada which used to be a regular move of his. He is coasting through matches by doing 3 or 4 moves including an abysmal performance 2 Sundays ago at Arena Coliseo where he did a dive and nothing else. The thing that seperated Dorada from everyone was that he was always one step ahead in terms of creativity and innovation. Without those he's just another Angel De Oro. Is he hurt? Doesn't seem like it. Is he being told to tone it down so guys like Dragon Lee can stand out? Possible but doubtful. Is he afraid to do rope tricks since his mishap? Seems like it. Whatever the deal is I hope he gets over it b/c I miss the real Mascara Dorada.

- I'm happy Euforia won his half of the Gran Alternativa. He has always been underrated and I'm sticking with him to win the entire thing. He would make for a great main event rudo opposite both Rush and Diamante Azul. In my fantasy world he forms a group with Niebla Roja and Dragon Rojo Jr where they try to destroy Ultimo Guerrero. I feel like that's too complex for CMLL though. I'm just happy Dragon Lee didn't win. He is not ready for this. It really showed when he was in the ring with Ultimo Guerrero and Terrible. He's too skinny, not confident, has no charisma and thus no fans take him seriously. His time will come and (hopefully) he'll improve by then.

- Niebla Roja looked fantastic in his debut and better in his second match (semi-main on 4/3). Talk about a guy who was completely miscast as a tecnico! In fact that semi-main is a must-watch match! Best CMLL match of the month so far. Stuka/Misterioso appear to be feuding but I see no way a feud like that can actually go anywhere with neither having a title or the ability to unmask.

- BTJr was nice enough to record the Fuerza Aerea/Drago vs Oficiales match from Sunday. It was rather ordinary with Drago looking off at times and only Aero Star working at normal speed. I still enjoyed it though. Had the requisite wild dives and it's a rarity to see two of my current favorites teamed up.

- What happened to Pequeno Halloween? Surely he can't be making enough money just on his LLUSA deal. Would love to see him opposite Mascarita Dorada again in Todo x Todo. For now Lobito will do - he's really good! Hope people are noticing.

- As long as I'm asking about missing minis: What's up with Mini Abismo Negro? Quit wrestling? And the usual... anyone have an update on Tzuki's whereabouts?

- While catching up on 2011 Lucha I came across two Sombra/Psicosis singles matches that were really good. 3/14 in Puebla and 4/3 at Arena Mexico. Two completely different matches with excellent drama and both guys working hard. Psicosis is a very underrated worker. Also worth checking out is the locals match to open the 3/14 Puebla show. Wild stuff!

- The Forjando un Idolo matches really hold up over time. Cometa vs Palacio from week one was great on rewatch. You know a match is gonna be great when the first spot is innovative! I even enjoyed Magnus vs Angel De Plata. You can't say much good about Magnus' brief run in CMLL but I can assure you he looked better in every Forjando un Idolo match than Dragon Lee has yet to in any of his CMLL singles matches. I'm sure a lot had to do with his opponents carrying him but compare Magnus' opponents (Polvora, Fuego, Angel De Plata) to who Dragon Lee has had (Raziel, Virus, Guerrero Maya Jr., Delta). Dragon Lee has no excuse to have not had a passable singles match yet.

- Keep your eye on Astro De Plata in IWRG. His current gimmick is clearly just a placeholder. He's gonna be big. This week they aired an opening match from March featuring him and he stole the show. Has amazing creativity and tons of charisma. I think putting him under the Dragon Lee mask would help CMLL!

- I love IWRG but can't help but complain about what has happened to their roster? Great/fun wrestlers like Freelance, Dr. Cerebro, Mike Segura, Maldito, Samot, Turbo are completely gone and guys like Alan Xtreme, Pollo, Centurion, Comando Negro, Triton, Avisman are either stuck low on the card or are rarely booked. Instead IWRG is using worthless guys like Fresero Jr, Aero Boy, Violento Jack, Aleman, Bugambilla/Chicano, Apolo Estrada Jr & Oficiales Elite (who have shown nothing at all in the ring yet). Did someone new take over booking the wrestlers? Did the regular guys start asking to be paid so now IWRG can only use the awful wrestlers who don't care about being paid? I mean IWRG was the talk of the net in terms of match quality for 2010/2011 and I haven't heard any mention of good matches so far this year. It's a shame.

- I know this contradicts what I said above but Chicano/Charly Madrid vs Comando Negro/The Mummy from IWRG 3/15 was FANTASTIC! Charly Madrid is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and THE MUMMY has the gimmick down perfect and seems to actually be a good wrestler! I eagerly await more footage of both popping up on youtube soon!

- I am completely disinterested in what AAA has been building for Triplemania so far. Hopefully they change things up... which is NOT code for "make it AAA vs TNA"! A lot of the recent undercard matches from TV have looked good (especially Pachuca!) but I have zero faith that guys like Drago, Atomic Boy, Fenix or Aero Star will make Triplemania unless it's a stupid 12 person TLC match just to have guys die.

- Very disappointed that the next FIL show on Tuesday will have a cage match main event. The monthly Torneo Ciberneticos are usually a highlight for me. Cage matches? Not so much.

- The best division in all of Mexico so far this year has been the CMLL minis. No doubt about it. As the story goes control over the division was handed to Pierrothito/Pequeno Olimpico in January and they've really been working hard to put on good matches. I have yet to see a single formulaic match this year from the minis crew. They are always trying new things and coming up with creative finishes. It's all the more impressive since they are using rookies like Pequeno Halcon, Aereo and Mercurio who are not improving at all but are at least hidden smartly in matches. Imagine how amazing the division would be if Bam Bam ever showed up to work and Tzuki was still around!

- Meanwhile boy has the Estrellita vs Amapola feud (will it ever end?), lack of Dark Angel and disappearence of Silueta/Zeuxis in favor of Goya Kong/Tiffany just killed the CMLL womens division. Painful to watch their matches at times.

- The 'El Consejo' angle is still doing nothing for me. Mascara Ano 2000 Jr's performance on AAA TV from Queretaro was just pathetic. He made Drago look terrible and couldn't even execute his own finisher. Is he even allowed to do a mask match with Wagner? Doesn't MA2K Sr. have to approve that?

- Keep your eye on Charly Madrid from IWRG. He does a bull fighter gimmick ala Oscar Sevilla. He is a great mat wrestler and can fly well but the real key is his charisma. Crowd LOVES him! Would not be surprised if IWRG elevated him quickly.

- Aero Star/Daga vs Dark Dragon/Juventud Guerrera this Sunday for DDD is a match I would pay for. Whether it be a full show or a video on demand. I am super excited hoping that match finds its way onto youtube!

- And finally... Prince Devitt vs Volador Jr. was really good! A high end MOTYC for me. I expected Devitt to get boo'ed b/c of the Mexican vs foreigner aspect but figured the women would at least support him. Not so! Volador got all the cheers! They had some really nice back-and-forth stuff and a clean finish which seems like a rarity these days! Volador didn't bust out some of his more high risk stuff so I wonder if they are already planning a rematch in September or something.

CMLL FSE & C3 2/25/12

CMLL FSE 2/25/12:

Angel Azteca Jr./Rey Cometa/Dragon Lee vs Arkangel/Skandalo/Nitro: Dragon Lee is back and guess what? He's still Dragon Lee. Only skinnier which is hard to believe. On one hand it's good b/c you are supposed to be smaller when returning from injury since you can't work out and shouldn't be "enhancing yourself". On the other hand he had the rubber legs going while trying to slam Skandalo and that looked bad. He did all his usual spots and hit 25% of what he attempted. He still stands around looking confused way too much for my liking. On the other hand his partner Rey Cometa was killing it here. A perfect performance including the sickest sequence to roll-up Arkangel. I've said it before but I'll whine again: It's a crying shame he'll never move up and his partner Dragon Lee will win the Gran Alternativa this year just b/c he has family in power. Lee will be good one day but not any time soon and overpushing him risks ruining him. A fine match, exactly what you'd expect from the Tuereg who were less annoying than usual thanks to Cometa bumping like a freak for their offense.

Fuego/Sagrado/Sangre Azteca vs Vangelis/Misterioso II/Okumura: I know Cubs won't enjoy this but I liked it. These guys are all going nowhere and thus their matches generally reflect that but at least on Fridays they put a little effort into their work. There was the usual sloppiness you expect with this crew including Vangelis seemingly learning how to do la tapatia on the fly but they kept things moving and the third fall had great build to a neat finish. Heck - there was even a stage dive by Sagrado! It should also be noted Sangre Azteca/Misterioso had matching outfits on. Subtle! Can we just turn Sangre rudo again and get this tecnico nonsense over with?

CMLL C3 2/25/12:

Frisbee/Camaleon vs Cholo/Bobby Zavala: Better than last week's opener mostly thanks to Zavala who seems to be the real deal. Hopefully someone takes notice unlike with Semental. Match had some iffy moments with Frisbee and Cholo being on different pages but I found this an acceptable opener.

Aereo/Pequeno Halcon/Ultimo Dragoncito vs Demus/Pequeno Olimpico/Pierrothito: The layout of the match was great but the participants -mainly on the tecnico side- couldn't pull it off. This format with Bam Bam/Electrico instead may have been a legit MOTYC. It's been almost 2 years and I am begging Aereo/Halcon to show some improvement. Both are just go generic and seem so uncomfortable in the ring. Rudos really carried things here along with Dragoncito working for 3 guys. Lots of back-and-forth stuff including Aereo getting a surprise pinfall on Olimpico. Loved the finishing spot!

Starman/Rey Cometa/Pegasso vs Puma King/Raziel/Cancerbero: I was so happy when the rudo team got inserted for the Tuereg. I cannot stomach another Tuereg by the numbers match. This was a really good match with non-stop action and some great exchanges. Pegasso continues to look rejuvenated which is nice to see. Raziel/Cancerbero busted out their old Caligula/Messala finishers in fall one! Another great finishing spot. Can't go wrong with this.

Mascara Dorada/Hijo Del Fantasma/Super Porky vs Okumura/Morphosis/Olimpico: Sadly just a generic match. Porky is so out of shape I'm actually worried about how much longer he's got left. Dorada was just... there. Unfortunately that's how he's been since that fluke injury in GDL. Starting to trouble me. No rope tricks or huge spots he is known for. I understand wanting to tone it down at times but the last thing he needs to do is tone it down to the point he is interchangeable with Angel De Oro and Diamante.

Atlantis/Delta/Guerrero Maya Jr. vs TRT: Good match! Fresh match too as these teams hadn't fought before. Everyone looked good - even Delta! Maya was of course out of this world and unleashed a huge flip dive in the third fall. But the highlight for me was Rey Bucanero channeling Pirata Morgan and doing a sequence with Atlantis straight out of a 1990 Atlantis vs Morgan match. It was tremendous! Rudos cheated to win which (thankfully) sets up a rematch.

Reyes Del Aire 2012!

If you're a fan of CMLL and their high flyers then the Reyes Del Aire 2012 was made for you! I loved the match. It was everything I wanted it to be except for Rey Cometa's early exit. The wrestlers who put the match together deserve a lot of credit as the match had great flow proven by the fact it went 46 minutes and the crowd never lost interest. Reyes Del Aire usually translates into "divefest" but this was far from that. In total there were 15 dives which is a tiny number considering 18 guys were in the match and Stuka/Angel De Oro alone combined for 5! That's 33% right there! The huge dives were distributed nicely throughout the match which was a great touch and the majority of the finishes were well executed. I was worried with 18 guys they'd resort to the generic (and way overdone/annoying) dive train but thanfully they avoided it! They included the generic Torneo Cibernetico spots (everyone brawls + two guys eliminated at the same time) but improved on them. The final 4 segment was well done and the choice of who to include was excellent. Instead of doing a running PBP I'm going to sum the match up by grading each participant:

Guerrero Maya Jr.: He wins the fashion award! Easily the best outfit, hoping he keeps the painted face look! His performance was fine. He had a fun mat exchange, a great flip dive into the crowd, worked well with Puma King and I loved his elimination spot where Virus caught him with the surprise submission. A+

Tiger: Felt he was pretty wasted and didn't stand out at all. He had his corkscrew dive early on but then disappeared until eliminating Fuego with a backcracker. Immediatly afterwards he ate a dropkick to the knee and was out. A DROPKICK TO THE KNEE??? That was weak. In hindsight picking him to be a surprise winner was a huge error. C

Stuka Jr.: Quietly put in a great performance! Did 3 dives to lead to the way but you probably didn't even notice that until you just read it! Was part of numerous great exchanges vs Aguila, Polvora and Euforia. Really came off as a threat to win and the double countout with Polvora was acceptable. Crowd really seemed to be into them feuding. A+

Puma King: First guy to take it to the air with a great outside-inside springboard rana. Had a nice dive and fun exchange with Guerrero Maya before biting the dust. Limited time but made the most of it. B

Fuego: Did not stand out in any way. Had a decent exchange with Virus ending with him getting ganged up on by all the rudos and later managed to eliminate Hijo Del Signo which is no big feat. This is the type of match he should stand out in but he didn't. Not even close. C-

Hijo Del Signo: The question I asked before the match still applies after watching it twice -> why was he in this match? Not only did he mess up twice with Rey Cometa early on but then he was MIA until being eliminated by Fuego. He was a waste of space. Loco Max or Cancerbero would have done a better job catching. D-

Mascara Dorada: Was curious to see if he'd really step up his game to overshadow everyone else. Had to wait a while as he was largely absent until the last 15 minutes or so presumably to keep him fresh for the finishing exchange. When he did finally participate he was excellent! No rope tricks (which continues to worry me!) but he had a wild tornillo dive and used his wicked corkscrew splash! He held the 3 way portion together near the end and took a painful looking Canadian Destroyer. Really liked the announcers playing up past vs present when he was in the ring with Aguila since he would have grown up watching a young Aguila locally in GDL. He'd have been a great choice for a winner! A

Euforia: This man was fantastic! I will continue to not understand how he is where he is and Polvora is where he is. Euforia would make a great opponent for Corleone due to their size and he can also work great with flyers as he showed here. His finishing sequence with Titan was one of the highlights of the match. HE BROKE TITAN! Was also part of the memorable spot where Valiente did his dive and everyone bailed except Euforia. Had a great sequence with Stuka Jr. ending with his elimination. Played his role here perfectly! A+

Titan: Sadly did not get to do much. Only appeared 3 times - a quick exchange with Escorpion, a huge dive and the great finish with Euforia. Definitely left the fans wanting more though which is always good. One would assume if all goes right he'll be a top candidate to win next year! B+

Virus: Another guy who played his role perfectly. Worked exchanges with various tecnicos... in fact he may have had the most variety of anyone. Even tossed in a crazy slingshot somersault senton dive! Great submission to eliminate Maya and then a really fun sequence against Angel De Oro where they played off last year's finish excellently. This man is amazing! A

Rey Cometa: My underdog favorite! Unfortunately as expected he was the first guy out which made sense when you saw the lineup but made no sense when you take into account talent and charisma. Was victim of Signo's sloppiness early on but still managed to pull off his spots. Got to work with old buddy Escorpion a bit and nailed him with a great double tornillo! His end came via Raziel after the two had a really fun exchange and Raziel busted out Black Thunder's counter to Turbo's finisher! I marked out! For the limited time he really managed to stand out. A

Escorpion: Lasted much longer than I thought he would. Proved to be invaluable as he worked with a bunch of tecnicos and was the glue when the match came down to 4 guys. Even snuck in a great running somersault plancha early in the match! Had a fun sequence with Dorada before being crushed and eliminated via Dorada's corkscrew. A

Delta: This guy is terrible. How long before CMLL realizes it? It might not be that he's awful, it might just be he's miscast. His physique is clearly not natural and due to that all his flying seems awkward (he's going to hurt himself soon with the way he lands awkwardly on all his headscissor spots). Euforia did everything he could to keep Delta in place during their opening sequence. Raziel then had to control Delta when he botched the first spot they had together. Maybe he got hurt on it? He seemed to be favoring his shoulder and for a "great flyer" he did no dives which was shocking. He also got eliminated via a random power bomb from Escorpion. This match did not help his stock although I liked the shoutout to his brother by using the Trueno moonsault! D

Mr. Aguila: Rewound time to be 20 years old again! Okay not really... but he was very impressive throughout the match! Crowd treats him like a top guy so it was actually smart to keep him around and have him end up being the guy Angel De Oro beat at the end. Their one-on-one final was really good aside from that really annoying Canadian Destroyer spot. Why would you hit your move and then roll the guy towards the ropes? And why would you hook the leg that isn't even close to the ropes? If you take that nonsense out it was the perfect final showdown. The dueling dives was great (thought Aguila would bust out his old asai tornillo!) and the finishing sequence was to die for! Aguila's still got it when he wants to use it! A

Angel De Oro: The winner! Had a nice exchange with Puma King early on, ate a kid a bit later and then went MIA until the latter half of the match. Understandable since he was going long. Had a great sequence to eliminate Virus and was really fun in the final 4. Did two nice dives and had the epic finishing sequence with Aguila. A very deserving winner and I really think this match will actually do something for him! A

Polvora: Much like Signo I questioned his inclusion but unlike Signo he managed not to embarass himself. Had good exchanges with both Stuka and Fuego (which is the level he should be at!). Was protected by doing the double countout finish. In the end he proved he was there to fill out the numbers and he did his job as well as his talent level allows him to. C

Valiente: Always a highlight of any match he is in! Had my favorite spot of the match when he did his Valiente Especial onto Euforia as everyone was brawling on the floor! Seemed to be in a very giving mood as he ate dives from both Virus and Escorpion. Had a fun sequence with Aguila before being eliminated. One more pro: DID NOT DIE LIKE IN THE 2008 VERSION! Always a plus! A

Raziel: The most underrated technical wrestler in the world had a very quiet but solid performance. His exchange with Rey Cometa was awesome and the finishing sequence was gold! He got stuck with Delta when it was time for his elimination and not many people could look good in a situation like that. He did what he could. It would have been neat if this was his breakout match and they gave him the role Escorpion had. B+

Top 5 moments:

1. Valiente Especial
2. Euforia breaks Titan
3. Mascara Dorada's running tornillo dive
4. Raziel countering Cometa's headscissors
5. The finish

Where does this rank all-time in terms of Reyes Del Aire matches? I wouldn't put it ahead of the 2008 version and originally had it 3rd after the initial 2005 version but after re-watching and writing all this I'm now up in the air as to whether it was better or not. For now I'll call it a tie and see how they hold up down the road. It's definitely in the top 3 though with 2007 a close 4th and 2011 in 5th. The abysmal 2006 and 2009 (Puebla) versions aren't worth ranking. I wish the second one they ran at Arena Coliseo in 2008 had shown up somewhere.:(

CAN'T WAIT FOR THE PEQUENO REYES DEL AIRE!

Good Matches So Far in 2012

Flamita/Daga/Eterno vs Traumas I y II/Sadico (1/14/12): Tremendous match! Reports came in after the show that this was the show-stealer and a legit MOTYC even though it only occured a few days into the year and those reports did not lie! Looooooong first fall with multiple mat exchanges climaxing with Daga putting a leglock on Trauma I and getting FUCKING SLAPPED IN THE FACE! This was one of those moments where you question whether we were watching a work or shoot since both guys seemed to get angry with each other and the Traumas are no angels when it comes to that sort of thing. I loved the pull-apart since it looked like both guys wanted to just murder each other. The crowd completely understood what was going on and got real into the match at that point. This is one thing lacking when the Traumas pull this stuff - they'll work stiff with some idiot like Violento Jack who doesn't understand what to do and it never goes anywhere so it's just pointless. In this case Daga knew exactly how to play it off and it built to an epic moment in the third fall when Daga/Trauma got in the ring together and the crowd was super hot for it. Just genius. Flamita would seemingly be a guy totally out of his element here but he's really improved. I loved his second rope springboard into a Skayde Special. Did I ever think I'd see that spot done? No. It was awesome! Third fall had the previously mentioned Daga/Trauma section plus some great near submissions. It all built to a crowd dive by Daga and somersault dive by Flamita. Eterno then seemingly had the match won with a submission until Trauma II was able to turn it around into a Boston Crab type hold for the clean submission. FANTASTIC FINISH! A must-see match via BlackTerryJr: www.youtube.com/luchatvdelpasado

Atlantis/Blue Panther/Solar I vs Ultimo Guerrero/Felino/Negro Navarro (1/14/12): I don't know why the crowd was unhappy with this being one fall. Have they never seen an Ultimo Guerrero three fall match?:) On paper this looked amazing and the wrestlers did a great job but there was one thing that really stood out - everyone was paired off. There were no Panther vs Navarro sections. No Solar vs Ultimo Guerrero sections. No Atlantis vs Navarro sections. They each picked their respective partner and just worked with them. It was like watching three seperate singles matches until the end when they began doing eliminations. The entire reason I prefer trios matches is you get more of a chance to see people work together with multiple opponents. In that sense this match was a failure. But it's hard to call it a bad match when so much talent is involved and these guys are all masters of the professional wrestling. They all did a great job and got the crowd back after the initial boo'ing of the one fall announcement. The finish though left a lot to be desired. They did the typical draw. I don't think it's a case where someone didn't want to lose so they just settled on a draw... I think it's just the wrestlers view a draw as showing both teams were equal. But the entire concept of professional wrestling is a match where two or more people fight and we see who the better person is. It's not fun to invest 20+ minutes into a match and see no winner decided at the end. Not to mention no rematch announced. Seeing older wrestlers like Solar/Navarro do draws in singles matches is fine because they are just doing exhibitions anyways and not real matches. When you include currently active wrestlers who are feuding (Panther/Felino) a draw comes off as cheap.

Atlantis/Delta/Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Ultimo Guerrero/Rey Escorpion/Dragon Rojo Jr. (1/6/12): This was the first time I was able to watch this rudo trio and grasp the fact they are an actual trio! They had good teamwork, their bumping for the tecnicos was co-ordinated perfectly and the match actually had flow rather than three wrestlers just doing their moves one-by-one. The match wasn't long but it served it's purpose which is strange b/c CMLL matches tend to be random and with no goal in mind. The rudos looked like a strong team early on, the tecnicos fought back and looked spectacular and finally the tecnicos dominated the third fall and got a clean win! Why? Because they're the champions! And the following week they beat another set of champions to prove they are #1. Tomorrow they face this same team and you can probably put money on the Guerreros getting their win back, perhaps via cheating. Maya was his usual awesome self here, Atlantis was motivated and Delta looked the best he has in a long time. When Delta is on you know a match is worth watching since it happens so rarely!

Centurion/Dinamic Black/Triton vs Alan Xtreme/Carta Brava Jr./Imposible (1/5/12): I've come to expect no less than excellent stuff from this crew of IWRG youngsters and if they keep delivering like this I have no doubt they'll be AAA or CMLL bound before the end of the year. Triton may need a new name though.:) Just an excellent match with everyone looking great. The rudos offense was absolutely killer and they got plenty of time to control the match instead of it just being a tecnico showcase which is something that IWRG matches tend to turn into. Alan Xtreme IS the best young wrestler in IWRG unless you still count Trauma I as a young wrestler. Either way Alan Xtreme is either #1 or #2. He should be a main eventer any month now and deserves it. Imposible has upped his game lately and Carta Brava has always been great. I hope they stick together as a team while moving up the card. The tecnicos did some real complicated spots but hit it all perfectly outside of Dinamic Black almost taking a header on his Brillo Dorada. He needs to leave that for Centurion who has the best version of that spot (aside from Mascara Dorada of course!).

Also, I just re-watched this and even though it's not from 2012...

Aero Star/Laredo Kid/Sugi vs Dark Dragon/Super Fly/Ultimo Gladiador (6/9/11): This match suffered from my elevated expectations the first time I saw it. Konnan had been on F4D and said they stole the show and Aero Star looked like the best flyer in the world. People who saw it live put some clips on youtube of the more spectacular stuff and at the same time I came up with like a billion spots in my mind that I thought they might do. So even though the match was excellent when I watched it I left feeling a bit let down b/c I expected way too much. I finally rewatched it (since it only recently became available in higher quality) and not only was this excellent - it may have been one of the best AAA matches of the year! These guys just tore it down from the start with the multiple springboard dropkicks culminating with Super Fly destroying Laredo Kid! The rudos were on fire hitting every triple team spot perfectly and when Sugi tried to fuck up a spot Super Fly seemed to get legit angry and threw him right on his head on the floor! I APPROVE! Even with Sugi having a terrible night these guys all kept it together and Aero Star more than made up for Sugi. A great one-man show every time Aero Star was in the ring climaxing with him walking the guardrail into a rana on Ultimo Gladiador! They did a bunch of sick moves leading to nearfalls at the end and then did a super frankensteiner/inverted frankensteiner spot leading to double dives from Sugi/Laredo Kid! Just when you thought the match was winding down Dark Dragon did another crazy dive where he almost got caught on the top rope and that left Super Fly to put Aero Star away with a flying senton. Words cannot do a match like this justice and thankfully it took place in a front of a very appreciative crowd in Arena Naucalpan!

My Wrestling Observer Awards Ballot

I'm sure I overlooked one thing or another since I didn't put too much thought into this since none of my choices will win anyways. Still... gotta submit one or I'd have to right to complain when the results come out.:)

1. LOU THESZ/RIC FLAIR AWARD: 1. L.A. Park 2. La Sombra 3. CM Punk
3. MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER: 1. Averno 2. Rey Misterio Jr. 3. Volador Jr.
5. BEST BOX OFFICE DRAW: N/A
6. FEUD OF THE YEAR: 1. Mesias vs L.A. Park 2. La Mascara vs Averno 3. Negro Navarro/Traumas vs Pirata Morgan Family
7. TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: 1. Extreme Tiger/Jack Evans 2. Traumas I y II 3. Metal Blanco/Palacio Negro
8. MOST IMPROVED: 1. Rush 2. Metro 3. Decnis
9. BEST ON INTERVIEWS: 1. CM Punk
10. MOST CHARISMATIC: 1. Rey Misterio Jr. 2. LA Park 3. Mr. Niebla
11. BEST TECHNICAL WRESTLER: 1. Negro Navarro 2. Black Terry 3. Skayde
12. BRUISER BRODY MEMORIAL AWARD: 1. LA Park 2. Black Terry 3. Pirata Morgan
13. BEST FLYING WRESTLER: 1. Mascara Dorada 2. Aero Star 3. Valiente
14. MOST OVERRATED: 1. Dr. Wagner Jr. 2. Ultimo Guerrero 3. Kurt Angle
15. MOST UNDERRATED: 1. Rey Cometa 2. Aero Star 3. Billy Boy
16. PROMOTION OF THE YEAR: 1. AAA 2. IWRG 3. PWG
17. BEST WEEKLY TV SHOW: 1. AAA 2. Dragon Gate 3. IWRG
18. PRO WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR: 1. Mascara Dorada vs Mephisto (11/4) 2. La Sombra vs Averno (9/16) 3. Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Virus (6/7)
20. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: 1. Dark Dragon 2. Fenix 3. Lolita
21. BEST NON-WRESTLER PERFORMER: 1. Zacarias 2. Jennifer Blake 3. Quemonito
22. BEST TELEVISION ANNOUNCER: 1. Jose Manuel Guillen & Bernardo Guzman (TVC Deportes) 3. Julio Cesar Rivera
23. WORST TELEVISION ANNOUNCER: 1. Jesus Zuniga 2. Leo Riano 3. Leobardo Magadan
24. BEST MAJOR SHOW: 1. AAA 4/20 Pachuca 2. AAA 8/19 Queretaro 3. WWE Money In The Bank

Category B
1. WORST MAJOR SHOW OF THE YEAR: CMLL Anniversary Show (9/30)
2. BEST WRESTLING MANEUVER: Mascara Dorada's Brillo Dorada
3. MOST DISGUSTING PROMOTIONAL TACTIC: Perro Aguayo Jr. fakes cancer
4. WORST TELEVISION SHOW: CMLL (Televisa)
5. WORST MATCH OF THE YEAR: Sting vs Jeff Hardy
6. WORST FEUD OF THE YEAR: La Parka Jr. vs Cibernetico/Bizarros
7. WORST PROMOTION: TNA
8. BEST BOOKER: Konnan
9. PROMOTER OF THE YEAR: Dorian Roldan/AAA
10. BEST GIMMICK: Drago
11. WORST GIMMICK: Bugambilla Del Norte

What I Enjoyed in 2011!

We all know 2011 wasn't exactly the best year for business in Mexico but let's not focus on that right now. Let's focus on the good things we saw this year... the things that give us hope going into 2012! Who else to point these things out than me - Mr. Negativity!

Forjando un Idolo: Easily one of the highlights of the year in CMLL. 16 youngsters in 4 groups doing round robin style matches in a tournament to create a new main eventer. The matches generally all ranged from either good to excellent and thanks to the hard work of Alexis Salazar we were able to see all but two of the matches (the long lost Puebla week 2 matches!) on youtube sometimes less than 24 hours after they took place! The singles matches were a refreshing change of pace for CMLL and it all led to an amazing final between Angel De Oro & Polvora. Hopefully CMLL brings this back in 2012. Perhaps even doing one version with youngsters early in the year and one version with veterans late in the year. In fact I wouldn't be opposed to doing the Universal Title tournament using this format since you wouldn't have champions being eliminated from the tournament after a 90 second match.

Drago: The ex-Gato Eveready showed up on the April 27th AAA taping in Pachuca and stole the show! A fantastic gimmick portrayed by an excellent wrestlers who more than deserves a break finally. The gimmick is perfect for AAA and is the type that can be plastered all over posters for years to come ala La Parka or Octagon. Drago stole the show in almost every match he took part in during the year and would have ended the year on a high note if not for an injury angle they ran in July that kept him out a bit and then a legit injury near the end of the year. No doubt 2012 will be the year where he establishes himself as a regular main eventer and continue to steal the show on a nightly basis!

Metal Blanco & Palacio Negro: These two Guadalajara wrestlers actually showed up a few days before 2010 ended but it was throughout 2011 they stole the show in their undercard and midcard matches. Palacio was no surprise... we had been watching him for months in GDL and knew he was amazing. Metal Blanco on the other hand had been around many years and I will admit I wasn't a huge fan. He was very hit-and-miss and seemed to rely on stealing other people's moves in order to get by. Needless to say I was skeptical but man oh man did he shut me up. He looked just as good - IF NOT BETTER - than his tag partner! They showed great teamwork and were always the highlight of any show they were on. Their new roles haven't exactly gotten off to a great start but with these two talented guys under the masks you know it's only a matter of time before they get it together and end up being key parts of CMLL's recovery in 2012.

AAA: I've said it before and I'll say it again - this was my favorite full year of AAA since 2007. From the first taping in Ecatepec until the final taping in Chilpancingo there were only 3 or 4 (out of 30) TV tapings that I can honestly say weren't enjoyable. And even those had a couple of good matches. The new format of starting off with the high flyers really helped improve the overall shows and by mid-year AAA finally figured it out in terms of mixing and matching the wrestlers on the roster to keep the cards fresh. No matter what style you liked AAA was providing it whether it be flying, women, hardcore or watching the big name guys work with foreigners. By the last quarter of the year it seemed every match on a taping had a purpose which is something that I've never been able to say about any promotion in Mexico. I can only hope 2012 is as good as 2011 was!

AAA undercarders: It all started in Toluca on January 27, 2011 when two dudes named Fenix & Dark Dragon made their debuts as surprise wrestlers alongside Atomic Boy, Gato Eveready, Tito Santana & Tigre Cota. Eventually we had Argenis, Relampago, Semental, Mortiz & Daga (Rocco) added to the mix to provide the best undercard talent/matches in all the world. Any time you saw these guys booked together you knew you'd get a good match full of insane highspots and creativity! The icing on the cake is not only were these guys tearing it up but management was actually noticing! By the end of the year Fenix & Dark Dragon were working on the top part of the card! You couldn't have fantasy booked it any better than what actually occured!

IWRG youngsters: From Golden Magic to Dinamic Black to Alan Xtreme to Saruman to Imposible to Comando Negro to Astro De Plata - IWRG loaded up their lineups with some of the best young talent in the world! Every week you'd watch IWRG TV and just be amazed at the progress thanks to the great training of Black Terry, Negro Navarro & Bombero Infernal amongst others. They not only got involved in lots of major storylines in IWRG but also got their own monthly FIL shows which usually had Torneo Cibernetico main events that we got to see courtesy of Black Terry Jr.! Each Torneo was seemingly better than the previous one - full of insane highspots and a great closing angle to set up the next show. It's no wonder IWRG is the favorite promotion of many with talent like these guys on every show!

Mascara Dorada vs Mephisto, Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Virus, Blue Panther vs Negro Casas, Mesias vs L.A. Park, Angel De Oro vs Polvora, La Sombra vs Averno, Dinamic Black vs Carta Brava Jr.: The best of the best when it comes to singles matches in Mexico in 2011. You can't go wrong tracking down any of these matches and being blown away by their greatness!

Volador Jr.: Maybe the most complete wrestler in all of Mexico. He's got a great look (many of them in fact), tons of charisma, can play rudo or tecnico and is an excellent wrestler. He is the complete package. Due to political issues we were robbed of Volador's greatness for much of the early part of the year but around August he started to appear with more regularity and we should be thankful for that b/c he was a MACHINE! From his great feud with Sombra to his memorable confrontations with Rush to the year-end winning (and eventual loss) of the National Trios Titles w/ Olimpico & Psicosis - everything Volador touched this year seemed to turn to gold! He is definitely the #2 crowd favorite in CMLL right now (only behind Mr. Niebla) and heads into 2012 gearing up for a big match vs Sombra in Japan that may lock up the MOTY before we even hit February!

Guerrero Maya Jr. & Escorpion: Maya went from generic midcarder at the start of the year to one of the future faces of the company by year-end! He was seemingly heading nowhere until Forjando un Idolo when he pretty much stole the show in the round robin portion and eventual tie-breaking match against Metal Blanco. Some may say he unofficialy won the tournament as while Angel De Oro won the trophy it was Guerrero Maya who at the end of the year was on par with Angel De Oro in terms of participating in big matches and being the focus of the promotion. Often opposite Maya was ex-AAA rudo Escorpion who was also floundering in undercard matches until Forjando un Idolo. He didn't even escape the round robin portion but still made a name for himself as a rudo and formed a partnership with Ultimo Guerrero which elevated him to member of Los Guerreros Del Infierno. I've always been a fan of Escorpion and was glad to see him take advantage of the opportunity given to him. He is now a regular main eventer in CMLL and probably the hardest working guy in the company.

The emergence of Astral & Electrico: With Tzuki MIA, Mascarita Dorada only showing up once or twice a month and Bam Bam being a lost cause, CMLL was desperately in need of new mini tecnicos. Astral & Electrico took the ball and ran with it! Both had excellent years. Early in the year I said they were the future of mini's in Mexico and I stand by that statement. How great would a Bam Bam rudo turn be now?

2012 Predictions

1. Valiente will win his first major mask match over either Polvora or Efesto.

2. (trying again this year) Dr. Wagner Jr. will leave AAA and return to CMLL by September where he will be a rudo so he can feud with Atlantis.

3. All the Oficiales will be unmasked by year end.

4. CMLL will still not deliver either Atlantis vs Ultimo or Sombra vs Volador in major mask matches.

5. Pantera will wrestle in a mask match.

6. At some point CMLL will suddenly remember the Atlantis/Delta/Maya feud against Shocker/Metro/Titan/Triton exists. Most likely in February. The teams will face each other for a few weeks and the feud will be forgotten by April. Possibly due to Delta and Metro getting a tag title shot.

7. Teddy Hart will return to AAA, even if only for a one time deal.

8. Damian 666 will wrestle a hardcore match.

9. Escorpion will lose his hair.

10. Dragon Lee will win the Gran Alternativa.

11. A shitty nobody wrestler from New Japan will end up in CMLL and immediatly be positioned as a top guy who is better than 90% of CMLL wrestlers. (I want to make sure I get at least one right!)

12. Lots of bitter old luchadors from the 80's will continue to insist business would be better with them on the show while they continue to wrestle in front of 100 fans every weekend doing the saddest matches you'll ever see. Isn't that right Fuerza Guerrera?

13. Blue Demon Jr. & El Hijo Del Santo will tease a year-end mask match only to not deliver it when they can't find a promotor crazy enough to pay what they want.

14. Marcela will lose her hair to Amapola.

15. CMLL will run Forjando un Idolo again but this time with tag teams. Ultimo Guerrero's team will win.

16. Either LuchaPop will start airing on TVC Deportes or some sort of all women's group will get a show on the channel.

Everything Good Is Happening!

Starting with completely random thoughts that hopefully won't get me in trouble, following it up with match recaps...

- Anyone else starting to feel more afraid than excited every time CMLL does their "coming soon" vignette? It's either going to be Magnus or worse. Think about that.

- Arena Mexico may have been empty from October 7th until (insert present date) but those fans who decided to attend have been missing some good, great and excellent matches. The wrestling quality in CMLL on Friday nights is way up!

- Am I the only one not feeling 'TRT'? I thought they were created to be the top faction in CMLL who would steamroll everyone but they come off more as a comedy trio than anything else. Texano could be a heavyweight star and top rudo but he's completely buried in this group. Bucanero seems less motivated each passing day. I've always thought Terrible is underrated so I'd love to see him on his own. I'd like to see Toscano turn rudo and join up with Bucanero to re-form their Infernales pairing and add Euforia to the group as the "youngster". Bucanero could be the second in charge of the group (which TRT doesn't seem to have) after Toscano which he seems more comfortable with. It's a natural eventual feud against Guerrero, Dragon Rojo & Escorpion.

- AAA continues to try and make me say they have my favorite roster in the world of any promotion during any time period by bringing in Mascarita Dorada. I'm already positive this is my favorite complete year for AAA since 2006. Early 2008 was absolutely fantastic but things completely died in the summer and by the end of 2008 I was very disenchanted with the promotion. This year has been just constant good show after good show. Out of the 30 or so tapings they've run I can't even count on one hand how many have been bad.

- Tercera Caida had highlights of Dinamic Black vs Comando Negro from last Sunday. Really hoping it makes TV b/c in highlight form it looked like the best IWRG match of the year. (EDIT: Between starting to write all this and finishing it appears this match just showed up on youtube so I will watch and recap!)

- Hector Garza will be back in CMLL soon enough. Maybe a few months, maybe a year, maybe just over a year but he's a smart businessman. He knows how Lucha Libre works and he's just taking a break b/c in wrestling the fans only miss you when you're actually gone. He's proved this before and he'll prove it again. The Perros Del Mal win here b/c they have a new face to make their shows somewhat exciting again but it's still the same old Perros Del Mal shows. Young guys opening up doing Spanish Fly's and Code Red's followed by the same four mini's followed by a silly hardcore match, mix in a dive off a high place somewhere in the show and finally bring out Perrito to do his show with whoever his random opponent is in a trios match. End with a DQ and voila... a Perros Del Mal show. If someone with even 1/5th the creativity of Antonio Pena was running their shows they might actually be interesting but right now they are nothing but DTU with big name main eventers.

- CMLL TV on Galavision is completely worthless unless you are a completionist (like myself) who needs all the matches possible. You get 37/38 minutes of actual CMLL and as for actual wrestling you get MAYBE 20-25 minutes. It's pathetic. At least someone realized this and started putting the important matches on Fox Sports which does a tremendous job editing the show to include the maximum amount of wrestling.

- The buildup for Panther vs Negro has been absolutely fantastic. Two masters of Lucha Libre doing a million little things that only they can do. The match this past weekend on Fox Sports w/ Metro, Angel De Oro & Escorpion involved was extremely short but also PERFECT! Those guys can only learn watching Panther/Negro up close and they complimented the feud perfectly. Metro is one of CMLL's best hidden secrets. I hope he gets re-gimmicked down the road.

- I'm pretty sure Hijo Del Santo will end up back in a major promotion (that means not Perros Del Mal) in 2012. It's just a question of whether CMLL business gets so bad that Paco Alonso finally caves and/or the promotion is put under new leadership OR AAA reaches out to Santo on behalf of Park who runs out of opponents he is willing to work with. I'd lean on the AAA option. Although while writing this I had a crazy thought - how great would LA Park be in CMLL right now? He's exactly the type of rudo and draw they need. Of course it'd be better if he was just a part-time attraction who only came in for 3 or 4 shows per month. It could be interesting.

- Really enjoyed the special Teleformula show from this past weekend airing matches from Arena Mexico 10/21. The women's match wasn't much but I had no expectations but the final two matches were tons of fun. Metal Blanco looked great against Okumura and the main event had some fantastic creative finishes to each fall. The ending was just wild! Blue Panther and Virus are the two best guys the companies has when it comes to match structure. I really wish they were in a position to be able to have input on every match on the show.

- It'd be nice if it didn't take a reality show for CMLL to book random one fall tag matches once in a while. An actual tag team division could really take off starting with Metal Blanco/Palacio Negro who are working seperately far too much for my liking these days. Together they just connect whereas on their own they are fun but you can tell something is missing. Crowd loves watching them together.

Some specific match comments below...

- Mascara Dorada vs Mephisto (11/4/11)

My MOTY is between this and Sombra/Averno or Guerrero Maya/Virus. Dorada is just SPECTACULAR in this. Probably the best one-man performance in a match I've seen in years. So many spots that had the possibility of making him look terrible with one slip and he pulled everything off fluidly. Don't discredit Mephisto... he was a great base but this was really the Dorada show. He just kept doing more and more and keeping it within the context of an important title match where he knew he had to pull out all the stops to win. He even did the Great Sasuke style somersault plancha to nowhere on the apron! WHY DORADA, WHY??? This is a must-see match.

- Jack Evans, Extreme Tiger & Heavy Metal vs Silver King, Chessman & Ultimo Gladiador (5/13/11)

Excellent match! Everyone was working hard. Tons of fun to see Jack/Chessman work together and do some incredible Red/Lo-Ki circa 2002 exchanges. Tiger was on fire and Gladiador was more than willing to be his personal move dummy. He took a sick dropkick while seated on the apron and BOUNCED off the floor! Later he took a mid-air Canadian Destroyer which was really neat. To finish off his evening he took one of the sickest sunset flip power bombs to the floor that I have ever seen! His head BOUNCED on impact! Totally uncalled for and amazing! There was a really complicated dive sequence with King, Metal and Jack that of course Chessman was involved with to keep together and finally Silver King got the win with a sick DVD on Heavy Metal.

- Super Halcon Jr. vs Keshin Black (10/21/10)

This was a really good simple match and all I kept thinking while watching was - is this really the same Halcon in CMLL? I'm not trying to start any conspiracy theories (@abbyjrzero) since I know it is but how he looked here compared to how he looks in CMLL is like night and day. The IWRG formula for bringing up youngsters is so much better than CMLL's. In CMLL you train with Tony Salazar, Arkangel, etc. and you train in a group where the goal is to not focus on each individual but instead create molds of the same wrestler and go from there. You can see it when you watch any of the Gen 11 guys. There's all the same. Hombre Bala Jr., Super Halcon Jr., Dragon Lee. What's the difference? Nothing except their big moves. They can't learn anything doing CMLL style matches b/c they are all the same generic matwork, a big dive and maybe getting in the ring to do a finishing spot. What can you learn from that? IWRG forces their better young guys to work singles matches in front of crowds who are barely interested and also makes them work a style they may not be used to. I remember when Freelance started as Panterita he had singles matches where he never left the mat or had to work as the rudo. It helps you become more of a complete wrestler. In this match Halcon did zero flying spots and worked as a quasi-rudo. He was great! He blew the finish badly but you will get that with rookies. The point is if you watched him before the finish you could see him improving. In CMLL I've yet to see any improvement for him. He's just another undercard dude who does somersault planchas.

- Freelance/Daga/Black Terry vs Eterno/Comando Negro/Carta Brava Jr. (10/21/10)

An awesome match! Freelance kicked things off with a plancha off the ramp and shit was on! Daga/Eterno have great chemistry since they are buddies in real life and pretty much got to do their own stuff in the match. Freelance looked unreal every time he stepped into the ring and not only took a 20 foot high backdrop but also landed on his feet when the rudos tried it again! The finishing sequence is one of the coolest finishes I have ever seen as Freelance went for his rana off the second rope but Comando Negro caught him for a power bomb and just as he was ready to nail it Black Terry snuck in behind and did the backcracker which Comando Negro took like a man and laid there DEAD! A-MA-ZING! As a sidenote - this is Black Terry working with 5 young guys who work super fast and the complete opposite style Terry does. But did Terry look out of place? Not at all. There mere fact he was inside the ring with these young guys is why I have so much respect for him and why he is probably one of the only true legends in Mexico. You'd never seen a guy like Canek, Santo, Dandy or Fuerza in this situation. They don't work with young guys. They don't respect young wrestlers. They don't care about the future of Lucha Libre. Black Terry does.

(On a SECOND side note - that same TV show also aired Oficiales vs Chiva/Gato Eveready/Relampago from 10/28/10 which was tons of fun. The TV show aired 11/7/10 and is probably the best overall IWRG TV show I've seen in a long time. Well worth getting!)

- Astro Rey Jr./Astro De Plata vs Gemelos Fantasticos I y II (11/13/11)

Excellent match! The tecnico team has been tearing shit up lately and I think Astro De Plata is going to be the ace of IWRG along with Golden Magic in 2012. He's so fluid and innovative. He's got nowhere to go but up. The Gemelos are very underrated as a team but impress me every time they show up which unfortunately isn't too often. Their tag moves here were great and they were surpisingly excellent bases for the flying of the tecnicos. I still have no clue how Astro De Plata does that moonault off the top rope onto the apron without crotching himself on the ropes! Very happy BTJr had the camera recording for this!

- Centurion/Saruman/Triton vs Alan Xtreme/Carta Brava Jr./Imposible (11/6/11)

Really good match! Had some screw-ups you'd expect from rookies but overall this match came off as five guys who have a ton of potential and Alan Xtreme who is the best wrestler nobody knows. I can't wait for IWRG to start moving him up on the cards b/c Alan Xtreme teaming with the Piratas against the Traumas and Negro Navarro is a personal dream of mine. This match had tons of action and absolutely no slowing down to do boring brawling or stalling to get the crowd to cheer for poses. I.e. This is the exact match no CMLL rookies could pull off.:) Saruman took some absurd bumps that he really needs to cut out of his repitoire if he's hoping to have a long career but as a viewer made the match very enjoyable.:P Great finishing sequence!