AAA.- From Tulancingo Hidalgo.Taped Jan 31. 'Noche del Reves' (flip flop night)- Announcers: Andres Maroñas and Arturo Rivera.-This is the 'flip flop' night, los rudos are tecnicos, and los tecnicos rudos. It's PAPSA 1999 first big event, I guess they'll have one every month. Tirantes and Tropicasas also changed roles... even more, they were given soccer-like color cards!!
Octagoncito, Parkita and Peso('rudos') vs Mini Abismo Negro, Mini Psicosis and Mini Hysteria('tecnicos').-Octagoncito uses Parka's shirt, and half his mask is Parka's, Parkita's outfit was similar...
-- Los 'rudos' start brawling, that last for a while, then, los miniVipers react, but I guess they brawl too much and Tirantes show them a yellow card. Actually nothing too important goes on here, at the end, Mini Psicosis reverses a micro-missile kicks from Peso into a powerbomb to get the pin, but later, Peso gives Mini Abismo Negro a blind foul so Parkita can pin him.
Las Brujas ('tecnicas') vs Alda Moreno, Princesa Sujei and Linda Star('rudas').-Rossy Moreno worked as tecnica most of 98, but most of her life she's been ruda, Alda has worked as ruda before, while Xochitl and Janeth started their careers as tecnicas, so they should know their stuff...
--Xochitl and Alda start with some matwork, but they don't show it b/c Tirantes/Tropicasas---- then, Alda kicks into ruda mode and starts hairpullingslamming Xochitl for a while, then Janeth enters to dominate Linda Star with some armdrags, Xochitl enters to do some 'quebradoras con giro' on Linda and Alda, as las 'tecnicas' are in control of the match with some usual tecnico stuff, armdrags and making opponents to miss moves and hit partners until Rossy forgets her role or something and slams Linda Star's face to the mat and starts stomping on her, so Casas-tirantes shows her the yellow card! From there, las 'rudas' take control of the match with some gang brawling, that ends when las rudas try a 'carreta' hold, las Brujas make the comeback and Janeth and Xochitl take Linda and Sujei to the floor where they brawl for a while, in the ring, Rossy is hairpulling-faceslamming Alda's face to the mat, until Tropi-tirantes says its enough and shows Rossy the red card!! Rossy has to go to the locker room, and las 'rudas' easily take the match after some sentons over Janeth and Hamada.Not their worst match, but this was pretty uneventful.
*** Apache and Hombres Ratas I and II vs Oscar Sevilla 'el Novillero' and Duro y Directo.-
--Sevilla delivers a chair shot on Apache before the bell, he starts beating Apache who is bleeding, Duro and Directo help Sevilla beat Apache while they hold Hombres Rata at bay, the brawling last quite a long time, with Duro and Directo entering to make saves when the 'tecnicos' hinted reactions. Eventually, its time for the topes, and Sevilla does an over the top diving tope (this time, he DID land on Apache), then a Rata comes with a weak tope on Duro (or the other one) and Directo (or Duro) then nails the other Hombre Rata with another over the top tope, this was short, and almost missed the spot, but Rata was able to get close enough to cushion 'el rudo's' fall.
*** Rey Dragon vs Mosco de la Merced (AAA).- 'Mask vs Mask match'. It was really a hair match...Why did they ended up in this match? I don't know, I guess I missed something...
1.- Mosco II starts the match with a series of drop kicks which send Dragon out of the ring, he goes for an over the top somersault bodyblock, but fells short and hits the apron with his head!! Later, Mosco suplexes Rey Dragon into the ring, and tries a pin after a german-suplex like move, but Tropi-tirantes counts too slow!Mosco II follows with a double armbar move to take the fall.
2.- Rey Dragon starts with some kicks, but Mosco shows his tecnico abilities and delivers 'flying' headsicsors from the ttb twice!! Rey Dragon is armdragged out of the ring, Mosco starts beating him, slamming him to the cornerpost, so Tropi-tirantes shows him the yellow card... Rey Dragon takes it from there and starts brawling, he sets Mosco for his moonsault-twisted plancha, but even at the referee's fast count, Mosco kicks out!!! (Didn't he knows it's the finisher? This time, the move was better done than last week, but I guess he still fell on his knees first), anyway, Dragon takes the fall with another double armbar hold. Before the last fall begins, he does a 'land of feet 450º splash' and the camera shows some brawling in the crowd-later, they said it was R15 and Oscar Sevilla.
3.-Rey Dragon keeps brawling, he goes for another dive, but Mosco rolls away and hits a ttb moonsault, he covers for about 10 seconds, but Tropi-tirantes was cleaning the ring from some coins or something and then does an ultra-slow count...all over this fall, it has Mosco AAA kicking out of 1.5 seconds three counts, while Rey Dragon being helped by slow counts... Dragon kicks Mosco who ends out of the ring, so Rey D can nail him with his cartwheel then moonsault out of the ring! Actually, the last part of the move has to be a moonsault flip, but he did it wrong and ended diving head first!! Luckily for him, he connected Mosco's legs...they made it back to the ring, Rey Dragon goes out again and Mosco nails him with a reckless senton from the ttb!!!! Mosco argues with Tropi-tirantes about the slow counts, and Rey Dragon goes behind Mosco, el Viper folds his leg hitting Rey Dragon's knee, but Tropi-tirantes gives the match to Rey Dragon.
***Kickboxer, Sangre Chicana and Pentagon vs Heavy Metal, Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Octagon.-
1.-Nothing happens, or at least, Televisa doesn't show it, as they cut into the last part when 'los rudos' are awarded the fall.2.- Chicana armdrags Metal, then punches him, Metal goes down in the 'falling tree' move... Chicana counts 3 while Heavy is face up on the mat, Metal thinks it was Tropicasas who counted, so he shoves his Dad, they go to the apron to argue but Heavy 'slips' and falls on his face!! I guess that was the Fuerza/Juve tribute... Kickboxer enters to do some tecnico work over Perrito, amazingly, Kick Boxer is slightly better as a tecnico than as a rudo (sure, that doesn't mean anything at all), they keep going for a while, until Sangre makes Perrito surrender with 'la de a Caballo' and Kick Boxer pins Metal after a Heavy Metal's missed senton, Octagon and Pentagon do the 'block high block high block low' sequence with Penta getting the best of it as Octagon flees and begs!
3.- Tropi-tirantes helps 'los rudos' to establish the brawling, somehow, Sangre Chicana manages to throw Heavy Metal out of the ring... and then nails him with a tope suicida!!! It seems that Octagon 'is willing' to follow, but Penta gets him with a plancha from the ttb, Octagon gets his mask off and throws it to Pentagon, so Casas DQd los 'tecnicos', Picudo comes out and he and Chicana start beating Perrito, slamming his face to the cornerpost and with a chair shot... I guess that was in response of Perro old showing up in Arena Coliseo...
***Blue Panther, Black Warrior and Fuerza Guerrera vs Olimpico, Felino and Atlantis.-When asked about leaving CMLL to AAA (back in 1993), Panther said that AAA offered a better deal, Fuerza said that he had gotten tired of CMLL using him (Fuerza Guerrera) to push youngsters... he gets back and is used now to push Olimpico...
1.-Los rudos attack their now classic foes, with Fuerza Guerrera going for Olimpico, they're feuding for the CMLL welterweight title, so Fuerza keeps beating Olimpico, they brawl in the floor, and Olimpico ends flinged at the chairs from the 'porra ruda' section, the fall comes to the end with Black Warrior doing an elbow drop from the top turnbuckle on Atlantis, and getting the pin, Atlantis is the captain so the fall is over, but the brawling goes on for a while, as Fuerza Guerrera keeps beating Olimpico and Panther uses a tvlights or something wire to choke Atlantis.
2.- Fuerza and friends stay on command for a while, Panther and Warrior are standing on the apron, Fuerza holds Atlantis' head over the top rope so that los rudos can double dropkick him from opposing corners!! They try to do the same on Olimpico but el tecnico pushes Fuerza's head in at the time he pulls back and los 'rudos laguneros' hit their partner instead!! The tecnicos are back, Felino and Atlantis drag Warrior and Panther down to the floor where they brawl for a while before returning to the ring to help Olimpico, who's unlacing Fuerza's mask, then, things cool down a little as both teams made it back to their corners. Later, Black Warrior misses a cornersplash and Atlantis puts him into the Romero's special while Felino prevents the save with a twisting plancha from the ttb on Blue Panther, then delivers a small package-like move to get the pin and the fall while Fuerza Guerrera begs off!!
3.- Things go back and forth, as the usual matchups take turns at getting to work, they trade some moves, with los tecnicos overall getting the better from it, then, Fuerza Guerrera does a 'half powerbomb' on Felino and makes him submit with the lion tamer, Atlantis deliver 'quebradora con giro' on Fuerza, and then drop-kicks him, Fuerza goes out of the ring. Panther enters, but Atlantis sends him out and nail him with a tope suicida! Black Warrior faces Olimpico, he hits dropkicks on Olimpico, then a powerbomb, Black bodyslmas Olimpico and goes to the ttb, but misses an elbow drop... Olimpico puts him into the 'cristo invertido' hold to make him submit, Fuerza Guerrera enters and Olimpico puts him into a submission hold, Fuerza says 'ya, ya' which means 'stop it, stop it' and means surrender, but the referees were not looking and Olimpico lets go believing he's won, but Fuerza lowblows him and covers to get the match.
***Los Hermanos Dinamita vs Tinieblas, Tinieblas jr and Rayo de Jalisco jr.-Alfonso Morales WAS there with the announcing team, so they just killed the fun of this match...
1.- Los Dinamitas get to the ringside and argue with Perro Aguayo for a while, they got distracted by this and los tecnicos jump on them brawling, then, they go to their corners. The first fall is all old-tecnico-style with Tinieblas Sr and Rayo easily manhandling all of los Dinamitas. 2.- Los Dinamitas kick into the brawling mode and start destroying los tecnicos, eventually Universo 2000 does 'un martinete' on Rayo de Jalisco jr and they get DQd, 'un martinete' is a tombstone piledriver, Rayo is out and is stretched (and carried to the hospital) and los rudos are outnumbering and beating the crap out of los Tinieblas and Alushe, they take T jr's mask off and generally brawl for a while....
I seems CMLL is now USING AAA's stories to push their guys, just as Abismo used the tombstones to establish himself as the top rudo in Mexico, now Universo 2000 uses that move to set his feud with Rayo, of course, the modern lucha history has the 'martinete' reign of terror born on April 3rd 1992, when Love Machine lost his mask vs Blue Panther after doing (and getting the DQ) a tombstone. Weird, a couple of months ago el Dandy did a piledriver on Fuerza Guerrera, no one said anything.
***Santo and Negro Casas vs Scorpio jr and Bestia Salvaje.-Santo is at the cemetery at his father's crypt, after a while, he goes out and is ambushed by Scorpio jr... oh, I guess CMLL thinks we all have forgot that they're feuding a big part of 98, so they did this to set this match...
1.- Santo/Scorpio Negro/Bestia get to do some lengthy matwork segments, with as few slaps as possible, of course, Santito is always great at this... Scorpio breaks the flow by entering to face Negro Casas, he powerbombs el tecnico and covers to get the 3 count. Santo enters the ring, Scorpio holds him so that Bestia gets him with a clothsline when Santito moves away, Scorpio goes out of the ring and Hijo del Santo takes advantage of this be climbing the ttb and delivering a diving tope, followed by 'la de a caballo', it seems that Bestia submits, Scorpio dropkicks Santito when he is still on Bestia, then, a suplex and the three count and Scorpio jr shocked the crowd taking the first fall!!!
2.- Scorpio and Casas start fighting harder, trading punches, slaps, kicks and stomps, Bestia tags in and los rudos are taking turns at punishing Negro, so this fall is the classic 'hot tag' match, with both rudos preventing Negro from tagging Santo in, eventually, they both whip Negro to the ropes, but Santo gets to Negro and holds him to stop his momentum, so that Negro can connect a double clothsline, Santo enters and the 4 men are brawling in the ring!! That last for a short time, things settle down a little and Santo gets to work against both rudos with the classic headlock-headsicsor combo, and with an assisted (by Bestia) missile kicks sends Scorpio out of the ring, he then does flying headsicsors on Bestia which send el rudo sliding hitting Scorpio still out of the ring!! Then, Santo nails Scorpio jr with a flying (really flying about 12 ft) plancha from the ttb!!! Negro hits la Casita to get the second fall over Bestia Salvaje.Somewhere in this fall, Negro clearly fouls Bestia, but the referees didn't call it...
3.- Negro and Scorpio fight a while, then Bestia throws both out of the ring, in turn, Santo sends Bestia to the floor as well, so he nails him with a near cornerpost tope suicida, Bestia crashes with Perro Aguayo and they start fighting, so the commissioner (not the referees) signals for the bell and Santo and Casas win the match. Perro says that he'll retire and that he would like to join Negro and Santo's team... Santo and Negro won't take the belts b/c the way the match ended.
COMMENTS.- More like complaints, really, 'the worst lucha morning ever' might be exaggerated, but it felt close, none of the matches were the worst the workers have been, but the overall way it all turned out was average at beast, with no 'saving supermatch' at all.
First, AAA. They taped the card in Tulancingo, Sant... well, Ruddy Guzman's birthplace, but they only said that Perro was at Coliseo representing AAA for the ceremony... I didn't expect them to make a Santo memorial show, but saying something about him would have been nice, setting the mood for CMLL's big show (maybe that's the last thing PAPSA wants...).
The flip flop show itself suffered from a couple of things:
AAA tried something different and unusual, and, for the most part, failed, maybe it was b/c the workers had to adapt to their new roles while adapting to the one fall only format, --btw, I'll give them some weeks to see how those matches turn out, they could work, if they take the 'captain' concept away, turning all the undercard matches into 'cybernetico' tags.-- Otoh Tropicasas almost destroyed the whole show by himself, he showed the yellow cards at every chance he had (I guess AAA wanted the cards to be funny, as saying that Soccer is opposite to Lucha), as if in regular matches los tecnicos never brawled. The 'mask match' was ruined by this, it needed Mosco AAA brawling leading the match's style, when he DID brawl, Tropicasas showed the card. So the match ended as a collection of spots (many of them blown) with no sense at all. The ultra fast/slow counts work if the victim is the crowd's favorite, this time, it made it impossible for Mosco II to win, and at the end, he had to be screwed... Call me crazy, but I think the main event was the best match from the night, according to the format...(I think they trimmed it a lot, it could be worst, but I feel it was better).
Then, CMLL, I understand it was very successful and all, but what they showed on TV was not that good, Panther/Fuerza/Warrior match was OK, they keep making sense with the way they book their matches so far (keep Grundy somewhere else!!!), but, CMLL (or was it Televisa?) used a lot of time with Perro, Huracan, Demon, Karloff, etc. telling how great Santo was (as if we didn't know that before). They DIDN'T show ANY footage from Santo's movies or matches, no mention to his greatest matches or any of the countless memories (well, they said two of them, the time which he suffered a heart attack, and the one in which only 12 people showed to the card, but those were the announcers color commentaries). A profile with some Santo's fact would have been great...
Dinamitas/Tinieblas/Rayo was the usual (for them) match, it's good to see CMLL finally setting interesting stories and feuds... too bad who those angles involve... And the main event... it was good, but Negro and Santito showed NO team work at all, 'nueva pareja atomica'? It's not in the same galaxy as the Eddy/Juve team I saw in WCW last December. The first 2 falls were booked all right, but Negro and Bestia looked uninspired, reading the recap, I found out that it sounds better than executed... the last fall sucked, I can't belive they did a screw job ending on a title match (told you Rob, they do it all the time...), they usualy leave those matches as clear as posible, with the screwing left for the masks or hair matches.
The worst thing is that they used Santo's memorial anniversary to PUSH PERRO AGUAYO!!!!!!! What the heck is CMLL thinking?!?!?!?=!$"/&"??? IMO, he should have entered to help Tinieblas and Rayo, leaving the championship match free of any screwing... So now the booking for 1999 is set: Rayo feuds with Universo just as he did with Steel last year (expect Universo to take 1999 grand prix and the heavyweight belt), Perro takes Bestia's hair this year's spring, and then Mascara Año 2000's hair in the 66th anniversary card, in the process, he nearly destroys Santo/Negro matches--with Bestia and Scorpio helping Perro at that. Santo takes Scorpio's mask before the anniversary-Perro's retirement card, but that will be less meaningful now, last year, the sooner the Bestia/Scorpio angle was resolved, the sooner Negro and Casas turned foes again... now, that won't happen as they're Perro's 'farewell team'. Hell! I got the feeling Negro might turn on Santo and Perro (that'll turn him into the most hated guy in Lucha) and the anniversary card could have Negro-Perro hair match... with Negro winning--on a parallel universe!!
Well, that's only speculation, AAA might have something to say, and WCW's luchadors might be returning to Mexico... but... oh what the heck, I'm only ranting b/c they spoiled the Morales-Tinieblas joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
