CMLL 90th Aniversario
September 16th, 2023
By: thcubsfan
Luchablog
CMLL opened with each Templario and Dragon Rojo talking about how they’d be the winner in the main event. CMLL then aired a video celebrating 90 years of the promotion.
CMLL’s two teams of announcers – Julio Cesar Rivera, Leobardo Magadan, and Miguel Linares, as well as Roberto Lopez Olivera, Mickey Lee, and Juan Carlos Castellanos – alternated matches throughout the night.
CMLL World Women’s Tag Championship: Las Chica Indomables (La Jarochita & Lluvia) vs. Stephanie Vaquer & Zeuxis
Jarochita & Lluvia are the reigning national women’s tag team champions, winning the belts when CMLL revived them in November 2020. They’ve made thirteen defenses of the titles. Vaquer & Zexuis are the reigning Occidente women’s tag team champions, part of a set of championships typically only defended in CMLL’s Arena Coliseo Guadalajara building. This match decides the first-ever CMLL World Women’s Tag Team champions. Both teams have agreed to relinquish their current championship if they win the new titles. Mexico City head lucha libre commissioner El Fantasma and CMLL general manager Salvador Lutteroth appeared before the match to sanction the match. Lutteroth also thanked the fans for supporting the promotion for 90 years. This match was a one-fall match.
Vaquer & Lluvia started with quick cradles and one counts, neither getting much of an edge before tagging out. Zeuxis & Jarochita took over, quickly going for some of their signature pinfall combinations but remaining evenly matched. Both connected on high kicks simultaneously, the first big blow of the match. Chops, hair pulls, and their partners coming in to attack their opponents. Lluvia and Vaquer remained in as the others left, though Jarochita quickly flipped her partner Lluvia to safety and landed a dropkick on Vaquer. Zeuxis came in and quickly took a headscissors and a dropkick. Jaorhicta posed to the crowd, then turned into a Vauqera top rope plancha. Zuexis ran over Jarochita with a double knee smash, but Lluvia rushed in before the rudas could try a pinfall. Vaquer & Zeuxis attempted to double team Lluvia, but she proved too fast, headscissors Zeuxis and inside cradling Vaquer for the first actual two count. Zeuxis tripped Lluvia, and Vauqer legdropped her. Jarochita came in for her partner but took a double hiptoss and a double kick to the head. Vaquer grabbed Lluvia in a grounded headscissors for her signature head smash offense, then sent Lluvia into a corner and landed a partner-boosted dropkick. The rudas tried the same on Jarochita, but Jarohcita moved quicker and dropkicked Vaquer. Lluvia sent Zeuxis out, and Jarohcitoa landed a tope. Jarohcita teased another, Zeuxis ran around the corner to her partner Vaquer to escape, and Lluvia surprised both with a top rope plancha. Lluvia sent Vaquer into the barricade to pause her while bringing in Zeuxis for a double-team gutbuster. Vaquer rushed in and got a sort of two-person slam. The tecnicas brought Euxis back in, but she avoided double-team kicks and set up Lluvia for a tapatia. Jarohit urgently slipped in the middle of the old to sneak a pinfall on Zeuxis, but it didn’t take. Those two weren’t out, and Lluvia and Vaquer came in, Lluvia smashing Vaquer into the turnbuckle permanently. Zeuxis tripped Lluvia on the paron, climbed up herself, and pulled off a Spanish Fly to the floor. Jarochita followed with a moonsault off the apron and Vaquer with a springboard plancha. They all recovered on the floor, the first moment to breathe in a while. The crowd chanted Esto es Lucha. The rudas made it first but got pulled into stereo cradles, but Jarochita and Lluiva for two. Lluvia and Jaorhicta tried a half crab and an STF, but the rudas were able to get to the ropes. Jarochita gave Vaquer a Northern Lights suplex while Lluvia tried a submission, but the rudas escaped that. Quick cradles also weren’t enough to get more than a two-count. The tecnicas launched the rudas face first into opposite corners and ran cross-ring for running double knee smashes to the back. That got another two count to Lluvia & Jarohcita’s obvious frustration. The rudas turned it around and landed running knee smashes in the corner, then covered for their own dramatic two-count. Vaquer & Zeuxis pulled the tecnicas into their trademark German suplex/bridging cradle finish but couldn’t hold the bridges long enough. Vauqer & Zeuxis went up but were pulled off the topes with a superplex and a valagueza. Lluvia & Jarochita covered, and again could only get two. Lluvia & Jarochita went for suplexes, but Vaquer & Zeuxis blocked them both and landed their own double underhook backbreaker and package piledriver instead. That was enough for three.
Winner: Zeuxis & Stephanie Vaquer (12:58)
CMLL honored a Japanese dignitary and promoted Cheez-Its between matches.
Copa Independencia Final: Esfinge vs. Rugido
Copa Independencia is an occasional annual tournament celebrating Mexico’s independence. The prize is just a trophy. To advance to this final, Esfinge and Rugido won a ciberneticos on previous Fridays. Esfinge is part of Fuerza Tapatia and is the current national light heavyweight champion. Rugido is part of Los Depredadores and one-half of the national tag team champions. CMLL runs both one fall and best of three fall matches on their shows. Matches like this, where a title, a mask, or a tournament is on the line, are typically one-fall matches.
Esfinge and Rugido scrambled on ropes early on, with Esfinge getting a brief advantage via armdrag. Edsigne shoulderblocked Rugido and lept to the ropes, kicking away Rugido as he charged. Esfinge springboarded back in with a dropkick, then followed Rugido out with a tope con giro. Rugido made it back in, but mostly just so Esfinge could follow a springboard headscissors. Rugido fought back with a couple of headscissors and a superkick that came up visibly short. Esinge rolled out, Rugido lept to the apron and followed with a springboard moonsault. Both men crawled back in, Rugido covering for two. Rugido sent Esfinge to the ropes, knocked him down with a back elbow, then a running forearm. Rugido stopped to soak up boos for a moment. Rugido sent Esfinge into the ropes, armdragged again, and followed with an elbow drop. Rugido ran Esfinge corner to corner for clotheslines, then powerslamed Esfinge as he ran back to the center of the ring. That was another two count. Rugido held down Esfinge on the mat with a headscissors submission, then momentarily switched to a cross armbreaker. Rugido slapped Esfinge into the corner, but Esfinge moved out of the way of a corner splash and landed a desperation superkick. Both men were slow to their feet. Rugido picked himself into the corner, and Esfinge ran over to him for a monkey flip. Esfigne sent Rugido back to where he started with a second monkey flip. Rugido escaped out of the ring, and Esfinge launched on top of him with a springboard plancha. Esfinge brought in Rugido and hooked a leg deep, but only could get a two count. Esfinge sent Rugido in the ropes, took him down, and followed with a running kick to the head. Only a two count. Esfinge dropped Rugido in the center of the ring, went to the apron, springboarded in, and missed with a flipping senton – Rugido moved out of the way. Rugido celebrated his luck more than following up but got another two on an armdrag. A frustrated Rugido stomped Esfinge and gestured at the crowd, neither of which seemed to get him closer to winning. An overhead belly-to-belly suplex did a bit better, but still only two. Rugido forearmed Esfinge repeatedly in the corner, then sent him cross ring. Rugido charged in, charging right into an Esfinge kick. Esfinge indicated he was going up, then went up, which was probably a little too slow; Rugido pulled him off for a superplex and a long two-count. Both men were slow to their feet, and the crowd chanted for Esfinge. Rugido charged Esfinge, then stopped and grabbed him. Esfinge reversed Rugido’s whip for a series of spinning backbreakers, then locked on his unbeatable Nudo Tegipio hold – which Rugido shockingly escaped. Rugido quickly German suplexes Esfinge, his favorite move, and Esfinge kicked out at 2.9. Rugido fired himself up, then ran into an Esfinge spinning toe kick. Esfinge quickly landed one, then a second springboard splash, and locked on Nudo Egipico again. There was no escape for Rugido this time, and he was trapped for a three count.
Winner: Esfinge at 11:11
Salvador Lutteroth and US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar presented the trophy to Esfigne. Salazar praised Mexico, the US, and the 200th anniversary of the two countries’ relationship. The crowd heckled Salazar noticeably. Esfinge thanked the Lutteroth family for his opportunities and for supporting lucha libre. CMLL then passed on giant inflatable balls to the crowd to bounce around.
Atlantis, Blue Panther, Octagón vs. Fuerza Guerrera, Satánico, Virus
This match was a three-fall match. Satanico and Atlatnis were the capitans. Virus, Satanico, and Blue Panther came to the ring wearing their old masks or modern versions of them. Mije accompanied the rudos but didn’t get involved.
Virus and Blue Panther started the first fall, Virus controlling Panther with headlocks and facelocks. Panther escaped to a full nelson, only for Virus to armdrag him to the mat and hold him down into an armbar. Panther reversed, but Virus quickly escaped. They circled, and Panther took Virus down. Virus locked in a headscissors from the amt, bridging up to avoid being pinned. Panther headstanned his way to an escape, holding Virus down chest to chest as he got back to his feet. Virus quickly escaped again and tried for a leg lock, but Panther kicked him away. Panther and Virus swapped positions and couldn’t make any more progress. Panther raised Viru’s arm in respect. Fuerza Guerrera and Octagon tagged in next and played to the crowd’s reactions for a moment. Guerrera chopped Fuerza back but ran into an armdrag, and then lots more armdrags. Octagon’s spinning armdrag sent Guerrera out of the ring. Atlantis and Satnico took their turn, Atlantis gaining an armdrag out of the lockup. Both men tripped each other for quick covers, and Satnaico stuck Atlantis down with a chop. Satanico grabbed Altantis and waved for partners to come in for help, and all six men quickly filled the ring. Virus and Altanits spilled out of the ring fighting. Satanico took Panther down and put Panther in Panther’s own finishing Nudo Lagunero. That hold was also enough to distract the referee from spotting Fuerza Guerrera fouling Octagon. Fuerza covered for three as Satanico got the submission, giving fall one to the rudos.
The rudos stayed on the advantage between falls. Satanico untied Atlantis’ mask as Guerrera tied Octagon to the ropes in the usual fashion. Satanico teased unmasking Atlantis to screams from the crowd. Atlantis fought free and knocked Satnico out of the ring with a chop, turning the momentum around to his side. Octagon and Fuerza ambled next to the ropes, not doing much, while Panther and Virus brawled, then Panther and Octagon quickly won with cradles.
The third fall was the tecnico’s turn for offense. Octagon did his run of armdrags again against all three rudos. Atlantis jumped in the ring and demanded to face Satanico, only for Virus to chop Atlantis down (and get chants for it.) Atlantis rallied, running the rudos into each other and dropping Virus with three straight spinning backbreakers. Panther briefly had Fuerza in a toe hold before the other rudos helped out. Panther’s rally included a surprise plancha and middle rope armdrag on Virus, then a running plancha off the apron on Virus, who appeared to be taking all the serious offense on his team. Octagon and Atlantis got winning cradle pinfalls on Satnaico & Fuerza Guerrear seconds later.
Winners: Atlantis, Blue Panther, Octagón (11:36)
Soberano Jr. & Titán vs. Lince Dorado & Samuray del Sol
CMLL billed this match as Mexico versus USA. Lince Dorado and Samuray del Sol were part of the Lucha House Party in the WWE. This match was a three-fall match.
Soberano and Lince Dorado started, with Dorado refusing a handshake. Dorado tripped Soberano on the lockup and took him down, and the two battled for holds on the mat. The two fought over leglocks for a bit, Lince surprising with a headscissors from the mat. Soberano led the crowd in an obscene chant directed towards Lince. The two locked up again, Soberano coming out of it with a hammerlock. Lince escaped, and the two scrambled to a faceoff. Soberano offered his hand once again, and Lince shook it but pulled Soberano in for a face-off – and a lick on the mask. He is a cat, after all. Titan and Samurai came in, though Samurai stopped to show off his flexibility on the ropes. Titan forced Samuray down and spun over his back. Samuray grabbed Titan in an armbar. Titan took the moment to show off his neck flexibility, flipping around to escape. Samuray conferenced with Lince about a better strategy. Titan grabbed Samurai in an armbar. Samuray cartwheel to a reversal and tagged in Lince from the apron. Lince entered with a top rope smash to the arm, then raked Titan’s back. Lince pulled Titan into a double wristlock, monkey-flipped him to the mat, and then landed on his feet off a Titan monkey flip attempt. Lince blocked Totan’s try at a tornado DDT, then avoided his kicks. Titan went face to face with Lince, only for Samury to forearm Titan in the back by surprise. Samuray forced Titan into the corner for punches, then whipped Titan back towards Soberano. Soberano flipped Titan to safety and caught Samuray with a jumping pump kick. Saobreno ran the ropes, topped, then let Smruay whip him so they could evade each other. Artfully. Soberano shoved Samuray into a Titan swing kick, then dropped him on the mat for a Titan springboard double stomp. Lince recklessly ran in to try a dropkick, missed, and caught himself in the ropes until Soberano landed the springboard moonsault. The CMLL duo covered and got three counts to take the fall.
Soberano and Titan ended up outside the ring even before the fall started. Samuray del Springboard attempted to leap off Lince’s shoulders into a springboard dive but slipped on the springboard and fell less usefully to the floor. Lince cleaned up via a top rope tope con giro. The USA team brought Titan back in, and this time Samuray could stick on Lince’s shoulders for a plancha and a two count, Soberano making the save. Soberano fought both men off for a second but ran into a double superkick. Samuray springboarded into a poison rana, Lince gave Titan a reinera into a powerbomb, while Samuray landed his Salida de Sol on Soberano for the quick second fall win.
Soberano and Samuray shook hands to start fall three. Samuray grabbed a headlock, Soberano shot him off, then flipped over his backdrop attempt. Soebrano shoved Samuray into the corner and landed a corner-climbing dropkick. Soberano placed Samuray in the center of the rings, locked Samuray’s legs, pointed to the crowd, and pulled him up into La Tapatia. Samrauy del Sol escaped and rolled free. Sol ran the ropes, flipping over Soebrano’s back from an armdrag. Samruay grabbed a wristlock, climbed the corner, and flipped off the ropes for an armdrag. Samuray charged again, but Soberano tossed him and hit him with a knee on the way down. Soberano kicked Samuray, posed, and slowly nudged Samruay out of the ring. It felt as if Samruay had forgotten something. Soberano did his dive fakeout pose, leaving himself open for a Lince dropkick. Titan shoved Lince, then stopped to draw the Titan chants from the crowd. Lince chopped Titan, and Titan loaded up for a response chop, tricking Lince with a kick instead. Samuray grabbed Titan from outside and pulled him down, Lince adding a dropkick. Lince and Samuray insist on making tags as they come in and out, which is the most out-of-town bit. Titan reversed the two-on-one by ramming Lince into Samuray, got his wristlock, and pulled off his rope running trick into a splash on Samuray. Lince and Titan grabbed each other for another spot but were stuck waiting for Samuray to crawl out of their path; Samuray was moving oddly here. Titan pulled off his matrix back bridge and tornado DDT on Lince, but Samuray took him out with a kick. Sombreano came in with a hard kick to Samruay’s head, and Lince completed the “everyone down” sequence with a handspring cutter. Sobreano got to his feet first, wrapping Samuray into a Gori special, then pulling him off into a knee smash. Soberano dropped Soberano with a vertical suplex, and Lince lunged in to break it up. Sobernao charged Lince, who flipped him off the apron. Titan and Lince exchanged forearms, Titan switching to headslaps and chops but paused to taunt. Lince took the opening, grabbing Titan and landing a Tiger Driver. Lince alertly reversed the cradle so Soberano’s dropkick breakup connected with his partner Titan instead. Samuray del Sol again seemed late here but showed up to boost off Lince into a Destroyer on Soberano. Long two counts all around. The crowd chanted for Mexico even louder. Titan tossed Samuray into a Soberano powerbomb, but Lince also broke that up. Titan’s jumping kick since Lince out, leaving only him in Samuray in the corner corner. Titan ripped off his elbow pads to signal an end to it, suplexing Samuray into a springboard shove from Soberano. Soberano dove out of the ring onto Lince with a Fosbery Flip, again leading to Titan and Samuray. Titan kept looking out of the ring before following up, which gave Samruay some time to reverse a whip and escape to the apron. Samuray’s springboard tornillo connected. Titan got on his knees and pounded the mat before making his own run, flipped to the apron, and came off with a top rope springboard moonsault. Titan and Samuray made it back in first, Titan dropping Samuray with an inverted powerslam. Titan pulled himself to the top rope, posed again, and landed the double stomp. Titan started to cover, then urged Sobreano to go up top. Soberano posed before doing so, and Lince cut him off. Lince climbed up to join Soberano as Titan spun around Samuray. Samuray escaped and shoved Titan into Soberano’s path as Lince Dorado took him off the top rope with a headscissors. Lince and Samuray both performed brainbusters, covered, and got two counts that very much concerned the partisan crowd. All four men fought to the adjacent corners and at a standstill for a couple of moments. The USA team knocked the Mexico team to the mat and landed a 450 splash and a shooting star press, respectively. That was enough to finish off a win for the visitors. The crowd didn’t like that outcome.
Winners: Lince Dorado & Samuray del Sol (20:29)
The two teams shook hands after the match
Atlantis Jr., Máscara Dorada, Místico vs. Kevin Knight, Rocky Romero, TJP
CMLL billed this match as CMLL versus NJPW. This match is Kevin Knight’s CMLL debut and was a three-fall match with Rocky Romero and Mistico. Zacarias accompanied the NJPW team. To the best of my knowledge, the parrot mascot has not joined House of Torture.
Mistico tried to grab Romero right off the bat, but Rocky left the ring and threatened to leave. Mistico and his team followed, and they got into a standoff on the ramp. Team NJPW insisted the CMLL team back off into the ring, but they mostly posed a lot. TJP and Dorada started when they resumed, exchanging armdrags and armbar reversals. TJP pulled Dorada to the ground with the Santo-style headscissors and pulled off a headstand escape from a Dorada headscissors hold. After some evasion, Dorada could land a headscissors and scared TJP off with a dive fake. Mistico and Romero tagged in, Rocky immediately taunting Mistico. Romero posed with a USA flag. Mistico’s attempt to use it as a bullfighter cape was immediately stopped by referee Olimpico – can’t do that with the US ambassador in the house, I guess. The rudos swarmed the ring instead, forcing out the other tecnicos and stomping Mistico. Knight whipped Mistico into a TJP lift, TJP gave Mistico a running fireman’s drop in the corner, and Knight followed with a running frog splash. Altantis Jr. was the next victim of the 3 on 1 attacks, the NJPW taking turns working Atlantis over in the corner. TJP and Romero lifted Atlantis Jr. onto their shoulders, and Knight dropkicked him off. Dorada came in, and TJP flipped him with a clothesline. Mistico argued from outside, and Rocky left the ring to send him Mistico into a barricade. Back in the ring, TJP teased removing Dorada’s mask but left that work for Romero to do on Mistico. Atlantis and Dorada fought off Knight and TJP with kicks, but TJP fought back two-on-one. TJP landed a top rope plancha as Knight returned with a springboard plancha. Mistico rushed around to break up the pins. Mistico and Romero fought in the corner of the ring, and the numbers ran over Mistico again. Knight pulled Mistico off the top rope with a jumping headscissors, and Rocky took him out with a toe on the outside. Knight for Taltanits with a jumping DDT as TJP submitted Dorada with a tirabuzon.
Knight started the second fall with a flying kneed rop on Dorada. They’re trying to feature a Knight a bunch here to get him over as the new guy. Atlantis jR. couldn’t do much to stop the rudos, and Mistico came in only to get beat up more. The crowd rallied behind Mistico, and he started the comeback off a handspring elbow. Mistico boosted Mistico into a double DT on TJP and Kevin Knight, and then the two teamed together to dropkick them out. Dorada leaped to the top rope for a tornillo on TJP, and Knight landed a top rope corner plancha on TJP. Rocky watched in panic from the ring, then turned around right in time for Atlantis to knock him down with his ramp-running plancha. That was enough for three.
All six men started outside the ring, fighting as the whistle blew. Mistico brought Rocky in, and the crowd made so much noise the cameras were shaking (not for the first time on this show.) Rocky rolled out, so the tecnicos entertained themselves, leading obscene chants towards him. Dorada and Romero started the third fall proper with shoves and a chop. Rocky sent Dorada into the ropes, just a chance to show off his agility. Dorada headscissors, Romero out of the way. Knight came in, and Dorado quickly sat him on the top rope. TJP tried to attack, and Dorada grabbed him in a wristlock, then walked the length of the ropes for an attempted dropkick on Knight. The dropkick part didn’t work at all, but Dorada armdrags TJP away. Dorada sent Knight out with a headscissors instead. Mistico brought himself in and did Rocky’s taunt to bring him in. Romero showed Mistico how to do it correctly but sent Knight in his place. Knight noted his height advantage over Mistico to Mistico. Mistico rallied the crowd to yell at Kngith. Mistico ran the ropes, stunned Knight with his flip, then did his own rope climb armdrags. Romero and TJP came in, though TJP was in for just a half moment before he was headscisssored out. Romero had more luck with a kick. He sent Mistico into the corner for his Forever Clotheslines, but got too greedy and ran into a Mistico superkick. Mistico charged Rocky, Rocky flipped to the apron, Mistico kicked him away, moved around the corner, and came back in with a springboard dropkick. Mistico readied himself for a dive, but Rocky ran and hid on the fan’s side of the barricade. (Announcers noted this was not a winning strategy – they were sold out, and there was nowhere for Rocky to sit.) Rocky came back while Atlantis and TJP took over in the ring. Rope running ended quickly, with TJP faking a knee injury and Knight attacking Atlantis from behind. Altnaits reversed a corner whip to fight them off, landing a plancha on both. Rocky grabbed Atlantis, but Atlantis dodged. TJP and Knight chopped his partners, and then Atlantis took out those rudos with a double hiptoss. Altanits sent Romero corner to corner with a monkey flip. Atlantis JR. gave spinning backbreakers to all the rudos – then again a second time. The rudos rolled out, Altnits invited his tecnico friends in, and they all connected on dives. Mistico hurried in and signaled that they should do it once more – but the rudos were out on the floor. The rudos came back in, and all six guys fought for a bit, leading to a SSP on Knight, a Mistica on Rocky, and an Atlantida on TJP for the trip victory.
Winners: Atlantis Jr., Máscara Dorada, Místico (20:34)
Rocky and company attacked the tenicos post-match, with Rocky unmasking Msitico and walking off. Knight and TJP eventually did the same, though it took more effort.
The Mexican Air Force band played the national anthem in an Independence Day celebration.
Ángel de Oro & Volador Jr. vs. Averno & Último Guerrero
Both teams in this match are rivals. The winning team would earn the right to wrestle in a hair versus hair match immediately. The losing team would have to wait for another day.
Volador and Angel de Oro got the early advantage on Ultimo Guerrero and Avenro with headscissors and springboard armdrags, then followed up with a tope and a tope con giro. Ultimo Guerrero, Avenro, and Angel de Oro made it back in, with the rudos attempting and falling to double-team their opposition. Angel de Oro headscissors Ultimo Guerrero out and superkicked Averno into a diving headscissors from Volador. Volador pulled off his fireman’s carry escape headscissors, though not as smoothly as usual, and Angel de Oro baited Averno into running around the ring into another diving headscissors. Ultimo Guerrero returned. Angel de Oro took a rest as Guerrero did his posing. Guerrero sent Oro into the ropes, and he came back quickly with a huracanrana for a two-count. This set-up match does not feel like it will last long; Ange de Oro proved the point by going for his match finishing mecedora, with Avero rushing in to save. Volador came back for his team, taking out both rudos quickly. Averno finally stopped the run by tripping up Volador as he went for a springboard. Averno and Ultimo Guerrero gave Angel de Oro corner clotheslines, with Avenro opening the way for Ultimo Guerrero to land his trademark Senton de la Muerte. Volador ran in to help, but Averno took him down with a flapjack. Guerrero held Volador’s leg in the corner for an Averno kick to the thigh. UG set up Volador for Averno’s middle rope Devil’s Wings, only for Angel de Oro to duck under a clothesline and break up the pin with a dropkick. Avenro grabbed Angel de Oro, Ultimo Guerrero swung, Oro moved, and UG struck his partner by mistake. Avenro stared a hole through Ultimo Guerrero as he tried to explain, but they got it together to avoid Angel de Oro’s next attack. Angel de Oro puleld Averno in a hold, and UG’s attmept to break it up hit Averno by mtisk dof a eocnd time. Angel de Oro and Volador had better timework, Oro sending Guerrero into a Volador backcracker and Oro holding off Averno from the pin. Ultimo Guerrero kicked out in time on his own. Angel de Oro missed a corner charge on Guerrero, and Guerrero tossed Volador to the outside. Angel de Oro whipped UG to the corner, UG climbed to the rope, and Angel de Oro backed away – it never works to go up with UG, Angel de Oro, and everyone knows it. Angel de Oro couldn’t help trying, got hit the side, and pulled off for a front superplex. Ultimo Guerrero went to cover – but his partner Avenro clotheslined him. Volador immediately took advantage with a body scissors cradle on Avenro, and Angel de Oro grabbed Ultimo Guerrero in a mecedora.
Winners: Angel de Oro & Volador (8:12)
Ultimo Guerrero went after Avenro after they lost, and it took multiple referees to break them up.
Loser gets head shaved: Ángel de Oro vs. Volador Jr.
Ángel de Oro has never lost a hair match. Volador once lost his hair, teaming with Matt Taven against Rush & Barbaro Cavernario. Niebla Roja came out to be a second for his brother Angel de Oro, while Magia Blanca showed up for his Depreador leader, Volador.
Angel de Oro baited Volador into posing and attacked from behind, shoving him over the top rope and out of the ring. Oro whipped Volador hard into the barricade. Oro picked up Volador by the waist and swung him into the barricade head first three times. Oro continued to be in no hurry, taking time to throw Magia Blanca into the barricade before continuing. CMLL’s doctor entered the ring to check on Volador; the crowd was unhappy with the stoppage, and Angel de Oro immediately tried to urge the doctor to leave. Volador appears to have a right shoulder injury. Angel de Oro eventually just covered Volador while he was getting checked on, which did get a count from the referee. Angel de Oro told the doctor off as he left. Oro corner clotheslineed Voaldor, tossed him out of the corner, and stuck with a hard dropkick. Ange de Oro sarcastically smiled for a moment. Oro with for a casita on Volador’s good arm, but Volador shoved Oro out and headscissored him out. Volador’s right arm seemed unfunctional; he held it to his chest as he ran. Volador went for a dive but tumbled through the ropes when Oro went to the apron instead. Angel de Oro gave a Volador a running kick to the chest from the apron, then a very high-speed tope to the chest. The CMLL doctor checked on Volador again and struggled to get some tape unwrapped, creating a longer delay. The doctor hastily tapes up Volador’s right shoulder, which seems to be of no actual use. then Volador rolled in – and Angel de Oro immediately pinned him for a two count. Angel de Oro held Volador for a two count, deadweight picked him up, and powerbombed him again for what was called another two count. It wasn’t clear Volador got a shoulder up, but that was the call. Volador ducked a clothesline and landed a headscissors, then threw himself out of the ring with a one-armed tope con giro. Volador returned in first while Niebla Roja checked on his brother. Angel de Oro escaped a corner charge and headscissors Voaldo out, following with his trademark triangle moonsault to the floor. Angel de Oro and Volador were slow back in, probably just buying some time. Oro ended up in, and they exchanged swing kicks on the apron. Oro charged Volador, slid out, and Volador did his Asai moonsault with just one arm. It’s incredible the risks Volador is still taking in this match when his right arm is clearly not working correctly. It seems to be coming back a bit as time moves on. Volador and Angel de Oro fought into a corner and then fought their way up to the ropes to exchange forearms. Some careful positioning occurred before Oro leaped into a huge headscissors on Angel de Oro. Angel de Oro went up for a top rope moonsault, Volador moved, then crawled on top for a desperate two count. Oro whiffed and missed; Volador landed a superkick and a backcracker, landing on his bad shoulder. Volador covered, but still not enough. Angel de Oro got up and waited for Volador to do the same, then bodyscissors him into a casadora. Somehow, Volador flipped this over to his own try at the casadora, though he couldn’t do much with it – it’s a two-arm hold, and he’s only got the one. Both made it to their feet, Angel de Oro missed a clothesline, and Volador pushed off the middle rope to land a Canadian Destroyer. That was enough to finish off Angel de Oro for good.
Winner: Volador Jr. (13:27)
Rugido and Magnus joined Magia Blanca in checking on Volador Jr. and helping to remove the totally useless tape. Angel de Oro appeared to apologize to the CMLL doctor for his actions, then took the scissors, cut off the first chunk of hair himself, and handed it to Volador. He got the rest of the hair shaved in the ring.
Mask versus mask: Templario vs. Dragón Rojo Jr.
This main event is Templario’s first mask match. Dragon Rojo previously won Mictlan’s mask and had victories in minor apuesta matches in his rookie days before CMLL. Micro luchador Chamuel seconded Templario; they’re both from Tlaxcala state. Nitro seconded Tempalrio Dragon Rojo Jr. ambushed Templario before he could make it to the ring, foreaming him from behind and beating him up. Dragon Rojo backdropped Templario on the apron, then tossed him into the ring for another backdrop. Dragon Rojo shook the ropes in Ultimate Warrior fashion while Tempalrio struggled to his feet. Dragon Rojo threw Templario out, then threw him into the barricade. Dragon Rojo brought Temparlio back in and knocked him around the ring. Rojo chopped Templario and stopped to yell at the crowd. Rojo charged back, Templario avoided and forearmed him a couple of times, then raced up the ropes for a springboard dropkick. Dragon Rojo shut down the brief run with clotheslines and big boots. Rojo yelled at Templario to get up and at the crowd to keep booing. Rojo set Temlplario in the corner and ripped Tmeplairo’s mask. Rojo stayed on Templario with kicks, knocking him back to the mat. Rojo landed another corner clothesline, but Templario fought back with one of his own. Again, Dragon Rojo cut him off with chops and kicks. Rojo tripped Templario to a seated position and connected on his running corner dropkick. Rojo set up for another, but Templario avoided, dropkicked Dragon Rojo face first into the bottom buckle, and tossed him with a wheelbarrow suplex. Dragon Rojo grabbed the back of his head as both men were slow up. Tempalrio forearmed Dragon Rojo in the head and went up the springboard dropkick again, but this time, Dragon Rojo cut him down with an anti-air dropkick. Dragon Rojo sat on Templario and pulled in both legs for a cover, gaining a long two count. Both men dodged a bit until Dragon Rojo landed an elbow drop. Draong Rojo’s double stomp missed its’ smark, but he escaped Tempalrio’s lift attempt and spinebusters him. This time, the double stomp didn’t miss. Dragon Rojo hooked Templario deep but still could only get two. If you could win with just a deep-leg hook, Dragon Rojo would have this one already. Temalrio escaped Dragon Rojo again, head scissors him out, breakdanced to his feet, and flew out of the ring with a Sasuke Special. Templario wasted no time going up to the ramp, then launched off with a tope con giro from there. Templario made it in first, but Dragon Rojo leaped on Templario’s shoulders for a victory roll, still only to get two. Templario made it up first but looked groggy. Dragon Rojo escaped a Templario casita to another cradle and another near-win. The crowd seemed a little restless and bothered about Dragon Rojo winning. Rojo bodyslammed Templario and went up – Templario rolled out of the way of a double stomp, and took down Dragon Rojo – but Dragon Rojo reversed it into a small package for two. Templario fought off a Dragon Rojo corner charge with a kick, caught him in a body scissors cradle, and grabbed the ropes for a two count. Referee Edgar didn’t notice the rope grab. Templario argued with referee Edgar about it, and Dragon Rojo inside cradles him from behind for another close two count. Dragon Rojo is doing every possible surprise cradle victory. Dragon Rojo’s turn to argue opened him up to a Templario slam. Templario went for his ramp-based Sasuke Special splash, but Dragon Rojo cleanly kicked out at two. The crowd got loud – they realized they’d seen everything that had to be seen before a finish, and it was a serious time now. Dragon Rojo and Templario exchanged chops back and forth in the corner, and Tmeplario snapmared Dragon Rojo to the mat before ripping it up. Tempalrio rushed Dragon Rojo, who lifted him up and dropped him with his signature Dragon Bomb, a rebound powerbomb. Dragon Rojo rushed for a double stomp, then hurried to the top and landed a second double stomp. Dragon Rojo covered in another deep double-leg hook, and Templario kicked out at 2.9. Dragon Rojo looked exhausted, Templario not far behind. Dragon Rojo set up Templario on the rope and signaled to the crowd, which gave Templario an opening to hit him. Templario’s gut-wrench superbomb – was reversed into a Dragon Rojo huracanrana. Dragon Rojo covered again, Tempalrio kicked off Draong Rojo so much that he landed on the referee. Dragon Rojo was beside himself, almost unmasking himself by accident as he grabbed his face. Temparlio grabbed at Tmepalrio, then dropped him to kick Chamuel off the apron instead. That allowed Tempalrio to get to his feet, rush Rojo into the corner, and bring them both to the top rope. They fought on the middle rope as if the match depended on it – it did! – and Templario won that fight. Templario finished the gut-wrench powerbomb this time, then rolled Dragon Rojo to his feet. One additional package piledriver later, Tmepalrio covered for three and won.
Winner: Dragon Rojo Jr. (14:47)
Doctors checked on Dragon Rojo for any neck issue following the piledriver. (This was more clearly selling than the Volador injury.) Dragon Rojo sobbed as he told the ring announcer his real name. Dragon Rojo called for someone to come out of the audience – his wife and his daughter came to the ring to hug him and help unmask him. Dragon Rojo is Anselmo Rivas Castro, 42 years old, 22 a wrestler, from Gomez Palacio. Templario celebrated with Dragon Rojo’s mask, and the two shook hands. Dragon Rojo took the microphone and apologized to the fans for losing. Templario praised Dragon Rojo and thanked the fans.
Final Thoughts
CMLL’s Aniversario was a fantastic show. Volador/Angel de Oro was a strong match taken to an even higher level by Volador wrestling through what seemed like a significant injury. Dragon Rojo and Templario played off Rojo’s underdog status and handled his weaknesses well. Beyond the legends match, every other match would’ve been the best CMLL match on a normal Friday. CMLL gave the undercard much more time than normal, and everyone took advantage of the time to make something exciting. The crowd was into everything, and it made for a superb atmosphere. Regular and occasional fans will be delighted by this show, and it’s a perfect show to check out if you don’t watch CMLL much.