Images: CMLL. Photography by Alexis Salazar.
Champions from CMLL faced off in Arena Mexico for the ongoing Universal tournament on Friday night in Mexico City.
After months of feuding, two rivals happened to face off in the finals of Block B. Ultimo Guerrero and Niebla Roja each advanced through two other rounds to meet each other in the tournament. In the end, their issues remain unsettled as they keep building towards a mask vs. hair match down the line.
Pitting the promotion’s various champions against each other, the Universal championship tournament is an annual tradition in CMLL. The vast amount of matches in a short amount of time usually leads to those matches being rushed. That was the case on Friday night as well.
The tournament continued without one legend that was scheduled to participate. A knee injury took Atlantis out of the tournament, and Diamante Azul replaced the injured Atlantis.
The show opened with a women’s trios match.
Jarochita, Silueta & captain Princesa Sugehit defeated Seductora, Zeuxis & captain Dalys
Continuing their ongoing feud, Sugehit met Zeuxis on the entrance ramp and they started fighting before the match could even start. They continued to focus on each other, and Sugehit eventually jumped off the apron to the floor with a senton on Zeuxis as the first fall began to wrap up.
The tecnicas went on to win that first fall when Silueta pinned Seductora using a fisherman’s buster. Almost simultaneously, Jarochita did a moonsault off the top rope to pin Dalys. The referee counted both pinfalls at the same time.
The second fall saw the rudas quickly take control, evening the falls. Dalys eliminated Jarochita with a torture rack into a sit-out powerbomb. Seductora then stretched Silueta into submission.
In the third fall, the rudas and tecnicas traded eliminations. Silueta did a moonsault off the top to eliminate Seductora via pinfall. Dalys countered to eliminate Silueta using a Black Hole Slam for a pinfall. To win the match for the tecnicas, Sugehit trapped Zeuxis in a Black Widow to submit her.
Pegasso, Rey Cometa (w/ KeMonito) & captain Blue Panther defeated Misterioso Jr., Virus & captain Sam Adonis
Adonis had a ton of heat as usual with his Trump supporter gimmick. He soaked up the cheap heat like a sponge, also continuing to feud with Panther.
The match started in the ring, then a brawl erupted. The rudos ganged up on Panther for a beatdown, leading to them winning the first fall. Adonis pinned the tecnico team captain, Panther, after a legdrop. A “Real American” would likely approve of that finisher, brother.
Panther led a comeback for the tecnicos in a short second fall. For simultaneous pinfalls, Pegasso used la magistral cradle on Virus and Cometa rolled up Misterioso with a sunset flip.
As the third fall began, Virus was bullying mascot KeMonito. Cometa made the save with a superkick. Cometa then picked up KeMonito, placed him atop the barricade, and helped him splash Virus.
The finish was awkward as Panther submitted the rudo captain, Adonis, with an armbar. The referee seemed confused as he waved it off only to award the submission to Panther moments later.
After the match, Misterioso continued his gimmick of stealing masks as he stole Peggaso’s mask. Misterioso switched masks so he could parade around wearing the stolen hood.
Ripper (w/ Mije), Rush & captain Pierroth defeated El Terrible, Shocker (w/ La Comandante) & captain Vangellys
Los Ingobernables attacked Vangellys during the introductions, leading to a brawl around ringside. The rudos dispatched the other tweeners, then they ganged up on Vangellys. They used duct tape to tie him in the ropes, which got them disqualified in the first fall.
The brawling continued into the second fall, where Vangellys and his tweener crew fired up into a comeback. Vangellys choked Pierroth with the tape used earlier, and he got disqualified for doing so. Pierroth began backpedaling from the onslaught brought by Vangellys. With two different DQs, the falls were even heading into the third.
The match settled into a more traditional trios bout in the third fall with them fighting in the ring instead of outside of it. That did not last long. The focus remained on Vangellys feuding with Pierroth.
Shocker eliminated Rush by cradling him for a pinfall. Pierroth then eliminated Shocker by pinning him with a schoolboy. Pierroth and Vangellys squared off once again. Pierroth used brass knux to lay out Vangellys before pinning him with one foot on his chest.
The rudos draped the Los Ingobernables flag over Vangellys as Rush cut a promo. Pierroth also took the microphone and cut a promo on Vangellys as he stood over him. Medics came out with a stretcher for Vangellys. Pierroth snatched it away from them and hit a prone Vangellys with the stretcher.
After Los Ingobernables finally left, the medics tended to Vangellys and stretchered him out of the ring. Next Friday night, Pierroth and Vangellys meet in a singles match.
Universal championship tournament — Block B
The second phase of the ongoing tournament started with a very short battle royal. The order of elimination seeded the proceeding matchups. That order was Ephesto, Diamante Azul, Marco Corleone, Ultimo Guerrero, and Mephisto.
Mistico then climbed the ropes only to get dropkicked over and out by Soberano for the last elimination. That left Soberano Jr. and Niebla Roja as the final two, meaning their singles match would take place after all the others in the opening round. With so many matches having to take place, all of them were rushed.
Block B opening round —
Diamante Azul defeated Ephesto
They traded strikes and dives before Azul pinned Ephesto after a fallaway uranage slam.
Ultimo Guerrero defeated Marco Corleone
The crowd was hot for this with two of the more popular luchadores on the rudo and tecnico sides. Corleone leapt into a crossbody over the ropes on to the ramp. When he did a second crossbody back into the ring, Guerrero rolled through to cover him for the pinfall.
During a crowd shot in between matches, luchadora Tiffany was shown hanging out in the restaurant area.
Mistico defeated Mephisto
They traded several near falls and were having a good match by the time it abruptly ended, though this still got much more time than the other opening round matches. Mistico did some spectacular flying in arguably the best match from Block B. For the finish, Mistico applied La Mistica to submit Mephisto.
Niebla Roja defeated Soberano Jr.
Not to be outdone by Mistico in the previous match, Soberano showcased his aerial arsenal like with him doing a Fosbury Flop. He also did a springboard legdrop for near fall. Niebla Roja executed a chicken wing gourdbuster to score a pinfall.
Block B semifinals —
Ultimo Guerrero defeated Diamante Azul
Guerrero attacked Azul on the ramp to start the match as he also tugged at Azul’s mask. Azul soon fought back with him firing up. While many of the other tournament matches focused on high flying, this was more about power moves that displayed their strength.
With that said, Azul did run down the ramp and leap into a senton on the floor at one point. Soon thereafter, Guerrero submitted him by applying Pulpo Guerrero.
Niebla Roja defeated Mistico
They shook hands at the outset, then immediately started trading strikes. Despite losing, Mistico got to shine once again by flying around with moves such as a springboard senton bomb. Niebla Roja executed a Canadian Destroyer to pin Mistico.
Block B final —
Ultimo Guerrero defeated Niebla Roja
The crowd was buzzing as the two rivals finally squared off in a singles match after months of feuding. Guerrero ripped and tore at Roja’s mask. The two began throwing lariats like they were at a rodeo. Guerrero took the fight outside, where he did his signature leap over the barricade.
Back in the ring, Roja got a near fall with a springboard missile dropkick. Undeterred, Guerrero taunted Roja before giving him a super gourdbuster for a near fall. Setting up another near fall, Guerrero delivered a powerbomb off the middle rope.
Moments later, Guerrero lifted Roja in an electric chair position only to take a super Frankensteiner for yet another near fall. Roja also got two after a sunset bomb.
Setting up the finish, Roja bumped the referee. He then tried to foul Guerrero with a low blow kick, but Guerrero caught his leg. Guerrero then unmasked Roja, with the ref still down selling. With Roja trying to hide his face, he was vulnerable as Guerrero covered him while the ref crawled over for the three count.
Following the match, they both cut promos on each other. They challenged each other to a hair vs. mask match. Before that can happen, Guerrero moves on to the grand final of the Universal tournament.