Lucha Libre World Cup Finals: AAA, NOAH, TNA, Lucha Underground & more vie for the prize
Submitted by Greg Valko
Women’s 3rd Place match: Team USA vs Team Canada
Taya pinned Santana after hitting her with a Northern Lights suplex and a kick to the head in about 7 minutes.
Hugo speculates to Josh about TNA hosting the World Cup next year.
Victoria Trophy
The 4 losing teams from Night 1 are placed in a modified battle royale. One member of each team enters the ring, and when someone is eliminated by going over the top rope, his teammate enters the match, and the match continues until there are 2 participants at which point it becomes a singles match.
First entrants are Eli Drake for Team TNA, Blue Demon Jr for Team AAA Legends, Akebono for Team Japan-Odo/Zero-One, and Rockstar Spud for Team Rest of the World
Drake is eliminated after being knocked over in a superplex attempt. Tyrus throws EC3 into the ring. Rockstar Spud does some comedy sumo spots with Akebono, and then pulls a Mil Mascaras. Apolo replaces him. EC3 knocks Blue Demon Jr off the apron. Canek replaces. Canek eliminates Apolo, Mil Muertes enters as final member of Team Rest of the World.
Akebono gets eliminated and in a scary moment, has his leg stuck in the ropes and dangles. Doctors were tending to him, and Tanaka replaces him. EC3 calls Tyrus into the ring for extra muscle, and gets thrown out by Tyrus as Hugo wonders “Is this legal?” and Josh replies “No.” After a few more eliminations, the final 2 were Mil Muertes and Tyrus with Muertes pinning Tyrus after a Flatliner. Rockstar Spud celebrates in the ring as Mil and Apolo blow him off.
Men’s Semifinal 1: Team AAA vs Team Japan-NOAH
Crowd was pretty hot, Psycho Clown pins Taniguchi with a frog splash in 6 or 7 minutes.
Men’s Semifinal 2 – Team LU vs Team AAA International
Dario comes out with Team LU and spends the match standing behind the tournament judges staring and wondering “Why did I put Chavo on my team”. Dr Wagner gets a promo in, but at least this time the clock wasn’t running like on Night 1. Easily the first match worth trying to catch if you missed it. Last 2
minutes were incredibly intense and ended with Brian Cage pinning Dragon Azteca Jr in 9:58 after reversing a tilt-a-whirl DDT into a Drill Claw.
Women’s 1st place match- Team Japan vs Team Mexico
Aja Kong waffles all of the Apaches with a garbage can in the last 25 seconds as the ref is distracted. No pinfall attempts made. First match to meet overtime.
Aja Kong vs Faby Apache is first OT and goes the limit. Yuki Miyazaki vs Mary Apache is second OT. Josh learns the etymology of Hurricanrana after Miyazaki busts one out on Apache. Close nearfalls with Apache powerbombs and superplexes. Miyzaki kickouts at 2.9 for both moves. Ref was Marty Elias of LU, which drew massive heat. Mary Apache pins Miyazaki after a Michinoku driver. Only the final OT really had some great heat and a good story. Marty might need to have pulled a Hebner if Team Japan won that, but it built heat for the AAA/LU final.
Men’s 3rd place match – Team Japan-NOAH vs Team AAA International
They’re skipping the 10 minute regulation and going straight to sudden death.
OT1 – Marifuji vs Dr. Wagner Jr – No Wagner promo. Submission holds traded, ends with Wagner locking Marifuji in a small package as time expired.
OT2 – Taniguchi vs Dragon Azteca Jr – Not too many pinfalls, it ends with an Azteca cannonball plancha with 14 seconds left.
OT3 – Ishimori vs Rey Mysterio Jr – Rey went for a 619 early but it was caught by Ishimori and reversed into a gutbuster. Eventually Ishimori ended in the ropes again, and ended up eating a 619 and the frog splash for a pin with about 55 seconds left on the clock.
Men’s 1st place match – Team AAA vs Team LU
AAA is attacked by LU as they enter. Great action, Chavo appears to be hurt. Pentagon Jr counters an End of the World by Mundo and hits a package piledriver, but runs out of time before he can get a pinfall.
OT1 – Chavo vs Texano
Story of this OT is that Chavo is working hurt. Not sure if the injury is legit, but he gets a bit of offense in and is cut off by Texano. Pattern repeats until Chavo tries a Frankensteiner, which is reversed into a top rope power bomb with 15 seconds to go. Texano can’t move after the landing and time expires.
OT2 – Cage vs Psycho Clown
In the final minute, Psycho Clown has a pinfall cover but Mundo distracts the ref by grabbing his leg and Cage kicks out. Cage goes for a power bomb, but Clown reverses into a Canadian Destroyer. Visual pinfall, but ref doesn’t get into the ring with less 10 seconds left and time expires.
OT3 – Mundo vs Pentagon Jr
With about a minute left, Pentagon cinches in the armbreaker, but Cage pulls the ref out. Chavo blasts Pentagon with a chair, Mundo hits the End of the World and gets the pinfall. Disappointing end and beers start flying.
Dario gets on the mic as Team LU retreats up the ramp. Dario is pelted with garbage and joins them. Now we know why Mexico hates Chavo. Team AAA cuts a babyface promo against LU’s antics.
Award ceremony starts
- Johnny Mundo wins best flying move
- Best match is awarded to LU vs AAA International.
- Best female wrestler is Mary Apache
- Best male wrestler is Pentagon Jr. Pentagon stares at Team LU and slowly backs down the ramp.