Photos from CMLL.com
A celebration of nostalgia highlighted the Leyendas Mexicanas show on Friday evening in Arena Mexico.
Even with living legends headlining and appearing throughout the card, the most notable name making news on the show was someone not even there.
Though advertised for a match on this card against Cavernario, Mascara Dorada had just wrestled days before in the finals of the Cruiserweight Classic under his new name, Gran Metalik. Soon thereafter, WWE announced Metalik would start on Raw as part of the new cruiserweight division.
Dorada apologized on Twitter, and he is still supposedly booked for a Tuesday night in Guadalajara. Dorada’s likeness is also on an official poster advertising the card for next Friday night in Arena Mexico.
Rush challenged Matt Taven to a match for that same show next Friday, after being beaten at his own game on this show.
The show started earlier than usual at 5:00 pm local time and opened with a women’s trios match.
Marcela, Estrellita & Sanely defeated Amapola, La Jarochita & La Metalica
The tecnicas won the first fall when Estrellita pinned Amapola as she rolled her up with a bridging cradle. The rudas evened up the falls in the second when Jarochita pinned Sanely after a quebrada moonsault off the top rope, and Amapola pinned Estrellita after delivering Devil’s Wings.
In the deciding third fall, Sanely cradled Metalica. Marcela jumped off the top with a double foot stomp on Jarochita and pinned her to score the win for the tecnicas.
(Photo: Estrellita, Sanely and Marcela)
Blue Panther, Kahoz & Negro Navarro defeated Solar, Mano Negro & Super Astro
To end the opening fall of the first legends match on the card, Solar submitted Blue Panther with a keylock while Mano Negro pinned Negro Navarro. Kahoz submitted Solar in the short second fall. Then, Navarro used a armlock submission on Solar to win the third fall. Navarro really shined here with his conditioning and speed compared with the others.
Atlantis, Mascara Sagrada & El Fantasma defeated Negro Casas, Satanico & Fuerza Guerrera
The first fall ended with two submissions. Casas submitted Fantasma with the scorpion deathlock and Satanico submitted Sagrada with a half crab. Into the second fall, the technicas ran wild. Well, “ran” might be misleading. Nevertheless, the pace quickened. A triple submission ended the fall.
(Photo: three simultaneous submissions holds)
Submission holds also ended the match. Fantasma submitted Guerrera and Atlantis applied La Atlantida on Casas to win the third fall.
El Valiente defeated Barbaro Cavernario
This was a lightning match, meaning a one fall singles match. Some vocal people in the crowd seemed upset that Mascara Dorada was not there. Valiente subbed for him, which was a tough job given the circumstances. Valiente and Cavernario worked hard in trying to turn the crowd in their favor. Eventually, the audience started to get into the match as they erupted for Valiente doing a tope suicida. Moments later, it just kind of ended.
Valiente executed a jumping piledriver and covered Cavernario for the pinfall.
Ultimo Guerrero, Euforia & Matt Taven defeated Rush, Rey Escorpion & Pierroth
Both teams were rudos so the dynamic in this match was different than the rest. Rush and his teammates from Los Ingobernables became the defacto antagonists in the match. Rush probably had the most heat from the crowd, as they were loudly booing him.
A brawl erupted at the outset. Pierroth and Escorpion held Guerrero for Rush to deliver a missile dropkick. Escorpion then quickly swooped in to pin Guerrero and Los Ingobernables took the first fall.
(Photo: Rey Escorpion, Rush and Pierroth)
Much like the first fall, the second one began with a brawl. Los Ingobernables singled out Taven and worked him over. Rush dropkicked a prone Taven in a corner, which would play into the finish later on.
With the help of Guerrero and Euforia, Taven made a comeback and did a flip dive over the ropes to the floor. To win the second fall, Guerrero submitted Escorpion and Euforia pinned Pierroth following a senton.
Rush and Taven squared off several times going into the third fall. Euforia did a flip dive on the outside to dispatch Pierroth. When Ultimo Guerrero leapt over the barricade to take out Escorpion, the crowd got solidly behind him. Guerrero started doing his raise the roof dance and many in the crowd started raising the roof too.
Back in the ring, Rush went to again dropkick Taven in a corner like before, but Taven moved out of the way this time. Taven rolled up Rush and got the pin with a foot on the ropes for added leverage.
The irony is that cheating tactic is similar to the tactics of Los Ingobernables, so Taven beat them at their own game. Rush was very unhappy so he cut a promo afterwards.
Rush called out Taven in Spanish and mocked him for not understanding since Rush wasn’t speaking in English. Rush challenged Taven to a match. Taven accepted and cut a short promo in English, except for calling him a “punto”. That is probably a no-no in Arena Mexico similar to using the American English equivalent on WWE TV being strictly forbidden.
Nevertheless, Rush vs. Taven is set for next week in Arena Mexico.
Rayo De Jalisco Jr., Dos Caras & Canek defeated Cien Caras, Mascara Ano 2000 & Universo 2000
The rudos in this match are arguably one of the most legendary trios in lucha libre. All three are brothers once billed as Los Hermanos Dinamita (The Dynamite Brothers). Though all three lost their hoods in mask matches decades ago, they reunited wearing their masks just like old times.
The technicos were equally legendary. Dos Caras is an enduring figure in lucha libre who is known to modern wrestling audiences as the father of Alberto Del Rio. He was a seminal part of the now defunct UWA, which at one time was one of the top promotions in Mexico.
Teaming with him on this show was another major figure and living legend from the UWA heyday, Canek. Rounding out the trio in this match was Ray de Jalisco Jr, who carries on the legend of his father while also having built a legend of his own.
Despite all those accolades, the legends tried their best but this match was far from pretty. Some of it was downright ugly at times. Nostalgia somewhat made up for it with limited success.
Likewise, some in the crowd loved seeing them, while many others loathed and jeered the plodding match.
(Photo: legends pose off)
The rudos did some stalling as the first fall began. The rudos took the fall by working together to pin Canek and submit Dos Caras. As the second fall began everyone was brawling on the floor. Eventually, they got back in the ring where the tecnicos made a comeback and went on the take the second fall.
In that fall, Rayo de Jalisco and Dos Caras each pinned both Mascara Anos 2000 and Universo 2000 with the brothers on top of each other. They pinned one, with the other brother laying on top of him, then they immediately rolled them other and pinned the other.
They tried some highspots in the last fall and their efforts were admirable given their ages. Notwithstanding that, not much about it was graceful. The match was dragging by this point.
Eventually, Canek submitted Universo 2000 as Dos Caras pinned Mascara Anos 2000 and Rayo de Jalisco pinned Cien Caras.