CMLL Arena Mexico results: Final stage in the turn of Niebla Roja
Images: CMLL
A turn that was built up for months was the highlight of the CMLL card this past Friday night at Arena Mexico on a show where controversy loomed outside the ring.
The card on paper looked average, but the show in Mexico City more than delivered with good matches and a hot crowd providing an atmosphere unlike any other place that hosts weekly wrestling cards.
The booking was arguably lazy at times, with several finishes involving roll-ups and illegal unmaskings. Nonetheless, the crowd seemed to thoroughly enjoy the show. The repetitive finishes actually did little to nothing in hurting match quality as the matches still delivered with plenty of exciting action.
The biggest news coming out of the show had nothing to do with what happened on the card itself. An act of vandalism the morning of the show became major news when a video surfaced online showing the destruction of Ultimo Guerrero’s car.
The strange story involved members of the Alvarado family apparently becoming angry over Ultimo Guerrero (Jose Gutierrez) being chosen to head the wrestler’s union. Likewise, Guerrero in a recent meeting supposedly made unkind remarks concerning the recently deceased Brazo de Oro (Jesus Alvarado). He was a patriarch of the Alvarado family and the previous union boss.
The viral video shows apparent members of the Alvarado family allegedly taking part in the destruction of the car. La Mascara (Felipe Alvarado) and Maximo Sexy (Jose Alvarado) watch on as their family members destroy the vehicle. For their involvement in the incident, CMLL reportedly fired both La Mascara and Maximo Sexy after the incident went public. Marco Corleone replaced Maximo in the main event on the Friday night card.
The ramifications of the incident included that one change on the card, but there was no mention of the controversy on the broadcast. Ultimo Guerrero was involved in an angle built up for months with Niebla Roja finally turning on his now-former stablemates. That took place in the semi-main trios match.
The rest of the show mostly featured trios matches, except for one singles match in the middle of the card and a tag team match that opened the show.
Sensei & Magnus defeated Akuma & Espiritu Negro
The tecnicos won the match by taking the first and third falls. Magnus in the first fall springboarded off the top rope into a senton bomb to pin Espiritu, then Sensei submitted Akuma with a head-and-arm choke.
The rudos cut off the tecnicos late in the second fall, leading to Akuma lifting Sensei in the air for Espiritu to swoop in with a codebreaker and a pinfall. The rudos then both executed a double powerbomb on Magnus to pin him.
In the third fall, the tecnicos fired up as Sensei submitted Espiritu with a leglock submission. Magnus followed that by executing a Spanish Fly to pin Akuma, winning the match for the tecnicos.
Jarochita, Silueta & captain Princesa Sugehit defeated Amapola, Zeuxis & captain Dalys
After splitting two falls, an illegal unmasking by a ruda gave the tecnicas the win. The rudas looked strong even if they technically lost. Zeuxis and Princesa Sugehit reignited their rivalry, which led to the unmasking that continues to tease the need for a mask match down the line.
In the first fall, Amapola pinned Jarochita with a sit-out suplex bomb and Dalys pinned Silueta with a sit-out powerbomb. From there, the rudas ganged up on Sugehit as the second fall began. She eventually would escape their clutches to lead a tecnicas rally.
Jarochita submitted Amapola with a leglock and Silueta pinned Dalys with a fisherman’s buster to end a short second fall. Going not much longer than the second, the third fall came to an abrupt end with a disqualification. Amidst dives and a melee, Zeuxis unmasked Sugehit for the DQ.
Drone, Guerrero Maya Jr. & captain Stuka Jr. defeated Sagrado, Polvora & captain Dragon Rojo Jr.
The tecnicos were looking to run wild in the first fall when the rudo trio cut them off. In doing so, the rudos quickly went on to take the fall as Dragon Roja held Guerrero Maya in a hold while Polvora pinned Stuka and Sagrado pinned Drone.
An onslaught by the rudos continued in the second fall until the tecnicos launched into a comeback to even the falls. Guerrero Maya pinned Sagrado after a springboard body block and Drone pinned Dragon Roja with a split-legged moonsault.
The third fall was wild and very heated before ending abruptly with a DQ finish similar to the previous match. Polvora went a step further than Zeuxis did by doing two blatantly illegal acts to get disqualified. He first fouled Stuka with a low blow kick to the groin. Polvora then also unmasked Stuka to ensure the DQ.
Barbaro Cavernario defeated Titan
This was a lightning match, meaning one fall with a ten-minute time limit. The match mostly was all action, ending with under a minute of time to spare. They fought in the ring and at ringside before Cavernario suplexed Titan on the ramp. Cavernario fittingly fought like a wild caveman, though he also did the worm at one point as well.
Breaking up his rampage and putting a halt to any breakdancing, Titan popped the crowd with a springboard moonsault off the top rope to the floor. Titan climbed back to the top rope only for Cavernario to cut him off to deliver a superplex.
With under a minute of time remaining in the match, they picked up the pace going even faster than before. Cavernario caught Titan and applied La Cavernaria to win via submission.
Angel de Oro, Valiente (w/ KeMonito) & captain Atlantis defeated Niebla Roja, Gran Guerrero & captain Ultimo Guerrero
More of an angle than a match, the storyline dissension within Los Guerreros Laguneros was evident from the start. Much like in the past several months, Niebla Roja was uncooperative and argumentative with his stablemates. His conscience was seemingly regretting his rudo ways. With the proverbial pot being stirred while things have simmered for a long while now, it finally boiled over here.
Niebla would not fight his brother, Angel de Oro. Instead, they hugged it out. The enraged Guerreros stormed into the ring to knock Niebla aside before administering a beatdown on Oro.
As the two Guerreros dispatched the other tecnicos, Niebla Roja wanted nothing to do with the viciousness. Los Guerreros held Oro for Niebla Roja to strike him, but Roja refused to hit his brother.
At the end of the first fall, Niebla Roja tripped Ultimo Guerrero. That distracted an infuriated Guerrero, allowing Atlantis to roll him up with a schoolboy for a pinfall. A team captain pinning the opposing captain won the fall for the tecnicos with a singular pin.
An angry Guerrero confronted Niebla Roja, cornering him at ringside. He pleaded his innocence and begged off. Guerrero let him slide for the time being as the second fall began. Moments later, Niebla Roja saved his brother Oro from a dive by shielding him. The relentless rudos attacked Oro even more viciously.
Guerrero set up for his signature leap over the barricade. As Guerrero got a running start, Niebla Roja stepped in his path and mowed him down with a kick. Gran Guerrero jumped in to attack Niebla Roja, and Ultimo Guerrero soon joined in putting the boots to him. They stomped on him and tore at his mask.
With the ripping of the mask preoccupying the rudos, the tecnicos capitalized to win the match in two straight falls. To end the second fall and conclude the match, Valiente cradled Gran Guerrero with a roll-up for a pinfall while Oro rolled up Ultimo Guerrero with a schoolboy for another pin.
In an angle afterwards, Ultimo Guerrero cut a promo on Niebla Roja. He officially fired him from the stable and wanted him to return the mask, as it is synonymous with Los Guerreros Laguneros. Niebla Roja replied by daring Guerrero to come take the mask. Guerrero rushed into the ring and did so after a brawl ensued. Guerrero unmasked Niebla Roja and left the scene with the mask.
Marco Corleone, Caristico & captain Mistico defeated Mephisto, Ephesto & captain Negro Casas (w/ El Perico Zakarias)
This main event trios match was somewhat anti-climactic having to follow the angle in the previous match along with the rest of the card. The tecnicos won the last two falls after dropping the first fall.
Mephisto punted Caristico with a kick and covered him for a pinfall, and Ephesto delivered a shoulder breaker to pin Mistico. The rudos looked dominant in winning the first fall, leaving the tecnicos reeling as they headed into the next fall.
The tecnicos quickly rallied, making a comeback in a brief second fall. Corleone took out Casas with a plancha off the apron. Mephisto was crotched on the top rope to set up Mistico springboarding into a hurricanrana. Just as Mistico pinned Mephisto, Caristico used a hurricanrana to also score a pinfall on Ephesto.
They started going home a few minutes into the final fall. A parade of spectacular dives was a prelude to a closing in-ring showdown between Corleone and Casas. When Casas went for a kick, Corleone countered with a schoolboy to roll up Casas for a pinfall. With Corleone pinning a team captain, that clinched the deciding fall for the tecnicos to give them the win.
Corleone returns to the main event in Arena Mexico next Friday, and so does Caristico. They team with Valiente against Los Ingobernables. For the semi-main, the story continues involving the turn by Niebla Roja. He teams with his brother, Angel de Oro, in a trios alongside Mistico to face Los Guerreros Laguneros.
The full lineup for next Friday night in Arena Mexico (streaming on ClaroSports.com):
- Flyer & Oro Jr. vs. Cancerbero & Raziel
- Fuego, Star Jr. & Stigma vs Misterioso Jr., Sagrado & Virus
- Blue Panther Jr., The Panther & Rey Cometa vs. Puma, Sam Adonis & Tiger
- Stuka Jr. vs. Polvora in a lightning match
- Ángel de Oro, Mistico, Niebla Roja vs. Euforia, Gran Guerrero & Ultimo Guerrero
- Caristico, Marco Corleone & Valiente vs. Mr. Niebla, Pierroth & Rush
Today in Arena Mexico is an afternoon show with this lineup:
- Bengala & Fiero vs. Cholo & Yago
- Flyer, Magia Blanca & Robin vs. Cancerbero, Espanto Jr. & Raziel
- Oro Jr., Pegasso & Soberano Jr. vs. Cuatrero, Forastero & Sanson
- Johnny Idol, Stuka Jr. & Valiente vs. Barbaro Cavernario, Kraneo & Sam Adonis
- Atlantis, Caristico & Marco Corleone vs. Gran Guerrero, Mr. Niebla & Ultimo Guerrero
The Monday night card in Arena Puebla may change with the recent firings, but the announced lineup for tomorrow night in Arena Puebla (streaming on the CMLL YouTube channel) includes:
- Arkalis, Espíritu Maligno & Zaeta Roja vs. Camorra, El Malayo & King Jaguar
- Marcela, Princesa Sugehit & Sanely vs Amapola, Reyna Isis & Tiffany
- Ángel de Oro, Johnny Idol & Stigma vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Niebla Roja & Polvora
- La Mascara (recently fired so he’s questionable), Pierroth & Rush vs. Marco Corleone, Mr. Niebla & Mascara Ano 2000 in a wild card match with rudos and tecnicos teaming together
- Atlantis, Mistico & Valiente vs. Euforia, Gran Guerrero & Ultimo Guerrero