[2000-01-21-CMLL] El Satanico & Ultimo Guerrero & Rey Bucanero vs Antifaz del Norte & Felino & Tarzan Boy

[soup23]

I don’t see how these guys can amp up the hatred each week but they continue to do it. The rudo team looks so boss in their flame capes and right away they rush the tecnicos. Tarzan Boy is a bloody mess again. They also perform a great spot where they tie TB armband to the ropes and then they just unload on him. They are rudo beatdowns and then there is this which looks like attempted murder. Such a massacre that the ref gives the fall to the tecnicos for excessive violence. Second falls starts out the same way but we get the comeback and the fight is on. It is always good to see Felino and he has an excellent blue suit here. I thought him and Antifaz really added a lot of style to the proceedings and the third fall culminates in some great sequences between them and Bucanero/UG. Antifaz hits a huge dive on the outside where he accidently wipes out Felino and then UG follows up with a big moonsault. This leaves TB and Satanico as the money pairing in the ring and Satanico is begging off like the asshole he is. He goes back and forth with them and fouls him to give the tecnicos the win. Afterwards, another rudo beatdown concludes and Satanico looks so delighted with himself. I love this feud. ****

[Grimmas]

wrestling is the greatest

los infernales is the greatest

Satanico vs Tarzan Boy is the greatest

I love pro wrestling

 

****

[Loss]

It doesn't get much better than this. This is yet another match for people to watch who can't get past the 2/3 falls format of lucha libre because this match is structured in a way that overrides that completely and demonstrates that watching each match as three segments is not the right way to approach this stuff. Here, Los Infernales start out strong jumping the technicos during their entrance (when will Tarzan Boy ever learn?) and end up getting DQ'd in the first fall for not listening to the ref before winning the second fall decisively. So they take one to lose one, but the key is that during that entire run, they have an uninterrupted stretch of dominance. Tarzan Boy gets bloodied and all hell breaks loose. We don't start seeing signs of life from Tarzan and friends until inside the last five minutes, when Antifaz mounts a comeback and a plasma-soaked Tarzan Boy finally looks at Satanico with rage in his eyes and decides he must die. Satanico is of course the master of feeding a comeback and this is one of the best examples of it. In the end, his only escape is a low blow, which ends the match in a loss for his team, but at least allows him to fight another day. And so the feud of the year at this point continues. And so the promotion of the year continues its hot streak with its best match yet. ****1/4

[WingedEagle]

It doesn't get much better than this. This is yet another match for people to watch who can't get past the 2/3 falls format of lucha libre because this match is structured in a way that overrides that completely and demonstrates that watching each match as three segments is not the right way to approach this stuff.

 

I feel like these examples are exceptions to the current rule where the first two falls are split fairly quickly before getting to the third where the real match can begin. Does that trend start much later or did this match / feud stand out for it at the time as well?

[soup23]

So far the CMLL trios have all been relatively short. That can be intimidating looking at match times and thinking it is just a lackluster effort. That has been a completely off assumption. The matches are compact but with no wasted energy and most importantly they have kept advancing the feuds.

[Tim Evans]

I was kinda dreading this being another Rudos beat down with the tecnicos getting nothing. However, this was awesome. Tarzan boy gets destroyed and bleeds like Tommy Rich. The interneles just destroy the tecnicos. Especially Satanico to Tarzan boy. The tecnicos attempt a comeback and actually seem to card. Loved the finish with Tarzan trying to beat up Satanico and then Santanico hits on of the best low blows you'll see this side of Fuerza Guerrera. Good match.

[ohtani's jacket]

Another great brawl. Gotta love those collars on the Infernales' jackets and how they keep them on when they jump the tecnicos. Tarzan Boy bleeds straight away and the Infernales are rabid. Especially Satanico, who seems to relish the amount of pain they inflict on the helpless Tarzan Boy. Tarzan Boy bleeds like a stuck pig in the opening caida, and even when the referees disqualify the Infernales, they still don't give a shit and keep beating up the poor kid. The doctor comes out to check him and you can almost feel Satanico growing in stature here as he paces about the ring seeking to reclaim his mantle as El Numero Uno. A reversal signals a change in fortunes for the tecnicos, as it so often does, but they have to fight really hard to get back on an even keel. It's anybody's match after the dive train and again Satanico and Tarzan Boy go at it like a matador and a charging bull. Satanico is beyond incensed, though, and even a second disqualification can't stop him from headbutting Tarzan Boy to the point where TB's blood is all over Satanico's face. The Infernales lost the battle here, but they sent Tarzan Boy to the hospital, that's for sure. The apuesta match is being set up beautifully and I can't wait to see whether they can really deliver us a payoff.

[Laney]

This is a great trios match that breaks away from the normal format that we typically see in lucha. This starts off with the technicos bleeding from the opening seconds. Tarzan Boy takes a great beating and Satanico looks awesome here. I look forward to seeing more matchups between these two. Out of control bloody lucha is the best. The rudos team don't care about the rules here and just want to make a point by beating down the technicos. Effective match to build up this feud.

 

****

[cramerjason87]

Outstanding brawling. The way they built to Satanico and Tarzan Boy in the second fall was a lesson in effective pro wrestling. Can't wait for Tarzan Boy vs Satanico and every other Infernales match.

[Childs]

Another chapter in the gruesome death of Tarzan Boy. This time our dashing young hero was covered in blood long before he reached the ring. Satanico is a beautiful man. Loved his jacket, loved his driving head butts to the gut, loved the way he strutted around like he owned the place, loved him going straight to the low blow rather than allow Tarzan Boy an extended shine. Great shit. And the stuff going on around the main two was perfectly entertaining as well.

[Moonsault Marvin]

Very good match. The rudos jump the tecnicos in the aisle and bust open Tarzan Boy early. Tarzan Boy just gets abused. After he gets thrown into seats, some fan actually touches the covered in blood Tarzan Boy. No way would I touch a bloody wrestler. Satanico is completely vicious in this match. He bites, chokes, and headbutts Tarzan Boy. You can hear the crowd roar as Tarzan Boy makes his comeback in the second fall, but Satanico shamelessly low blows him. This feud has been thoroughly entertaining with the quality performances by Satanico and Tarzan Boy.

[KB8]

How about that for a first caida mugging? I mean, if you're going to have a fall get thrown out in this feud now then you really need to make me believe it's warranted, and I'll be damned if they never made me believe it. This might've been Tarzan Boy's finest hour. He mostly spent the match staggering around bleeding and getting beat on, but he sure garnered sympathy and it was some great staggering and bleeding. At one point I think he tried to run the ropes and just kind of crumpled in a heap. Satanico continued his hot streak in mesmerising fashion and there are few wrestlers to ever do it that make me believe they want to truly tear a guy apart like he does. The way he opted for the foul at the end despite knowing they'd lose the match was pretty perfect. He didn't care about the result as much as what he'd be able to dish out after it was over. And of course he dished out plenty. It's already been said plenty of times, but the build to the hair match has been exceptional.

[WingedEagle]

This really was a terrific mugging of Tarzan Boy building to his comeback in the second fall. Satanico remains the standout in CMLL to this point, as he brings an aggression and purpose that doesn't seem to translate for everyone else in the picture. If somehow a match with great fire and heat can lack action this may be it. There's certainly something to be said for not giving away too much here, but the action didn't quite seem up to par with the energy and hate, if that makes any sense.

 

***1/4

[Sean Liska]

Standard rudo domination first fall. Nothing special but Satanico elevates everything he’s involved with. Second fall is more rudo domination until the technicos turn the momentum to quickly win the fall. Third fall starts with some intensity with good brawling in the aisle. It escalates with Bucanero and Guerrero taking some nice big bumps, some dives from the technicos, and we go to the finish with Tarzan Boy and Satanico. Very good Arena Coliseo match. Can’t wait to see the big stuff from Satanico/Guerrero/Bucanero as the year goes on.

[aethelred]

Damn. Not much to add here that hasn't been said, but CMLL is doing things very right at the moment.

[Stiva]

Another heated trios that does a fantastic job of building more heat heading into big matches. Satanico is just a sublime heel, relishing in every punch and kick he dishes out to Tarzan Boy, who hits a hell of a blade job within the first 10 seconds. His comeback was great with a couple of nice looking backbreakers but Satanico just nut-shotting him was a brilliant, asshole finish. And then, Satanico doesn't let up, headbutting Tarzan Boy in the chest as the dude is lying in a heap on the mat. Everything surrounding the main angle was typically good too; really nice dive sequence with Antifaz and Felino crashing into each other and a really spirited Technicos fight-back in the second fall but this was all about Satanico and Tarzan Boy; the former being a total master in these last few matches.

[grendel]

What can I say that hasn't been said already? Awesome match, I love the heels, Satanico is boss!

[klhare]

I love that Tarzan Boy is covered in blood before he even got to the ring. This feud has been the highlight of the project so far. So much hatred. Awesome stuff.

 

****1/4

[Chess Knight]

I haven't got a whole lot to add because this thread got a fair bit of activity and I agree with most of it, but this match has me buzzing so I can't keep my mouth totally shut. Satanico is my favourite wrestler in the world so far in 2000, despite this only being the second match I've seen him in through all of January. It changes when TNN airs that Meixcan death match and Tajiri rules eight planets, but still Satanico's been so excellent both trios and I can't name anybody thus far who's come close to drawing me in like he has. Comes as off as violent on a whole 'nother level; his delivery of every pretty much every move is sublime and I don't care how much we all know that already. It surprises me every time, like those headbutts at the end just look so goooooooood. Big shout out to the bit where Antifaz just ran into the ring to confront all three guys because he was just so utterly and purely fed up of it all. Going off of raw emotion.