CMLL Arena Mexico results: La Gran Alternativa tournament continues

Images: CMLL

An annual lucha libre tournament continued at Arena Mexico on Friday night in Mexico City where veteran stars teamed with younger luchadores.

Caristico teamed with Soberano Jr. to win the B Block of the Gran Alternativa tournament, advancing to the grand final next week where they meet the A Block winners. Soberano got victories over some very established stars on the way to him and Caristico winning the block.

Dragon Lee and Volador Jr. were home again in Arena Mexico after being in Japan and having taken part in the Best of the Super Juniors. Volador had already appeared on the card this past Tuesday since returning to Mexico, but this show was the first appearance for Dragon Lee at Arena Mexico since the conclusion of the Super Juniors tournament.

Volador found himself in yet another tournament, whereas Dragon Lee teamed with two of the promotion’s top stars in a trios match against Los Guerreros Laguneros. The matchup was a departure for the Guerreros, whose routine lately is beating up Niebla Roja and taking his mask. Ultimo Guerrero even stole his mask again this past Monday night at Arena Puebla. On this Friday night show, though, they just had a heck of a match without all the theatrics of their ongoing storyline.

Instead, someone else unmasked Niebla Roja during a tag team match in the tournament. After that particular match, Vangellys attacked Pierroth in a follow up from the angle last week where Vangellys tried in vain to join Los Ingobernables.

The rest of the tournament arguably was far better than last week, with the pairings of the B Block giving great performances in intriguing matchups. Pitting high flyers against each other resulted in some incredible displays of movement and aerial artistry.

Although the tournament’s battle royal was again unnecessary, the match itself was even much better than last week despite one terribly botched spot.   

The show itself opened with a tag match where Tiger replaced Arkangel de la Muerte for a late substitution.

Metalico & Tiger defeated Principe Diamante & Robin

In the first fall, Tiger pinned Diamante with a sunset flip powerbomb, and Metalico then pinned Robin after a sit-out powerbomb. Into the second, Robin pinned Metalico with a senton bomb. Diamante then pinned Tiger after a plancha.

They went into the third fall where Tiger catapulted Diamante into the air for Metalico to powerbomb him. Tiger then finished off Robin with a Canadian Destroyer to conclude the third fall of the opener.

Estrellita, Marcela & captain Princesa Sugehit defeated Amapola, Zeuxis & captain Dalys

The focus of the match was on the ongoing feud between Sugehit and Zeuxis. The tecnicas won the match in two straight falls. The rudas looked to gain an advantage as they cut off the tecnicas in the second fall, but it was to no avail.

During the first fall, Sugehit springboarded into a plancha on the ramp to dispatch Zeuxis. Meanwhile, Estrellita pinned Amapola with a backslide into a bridging cradle, and Marcela submitted Dalys with the Romero Special to end the first fall.

For a tecnica sweep in the second fall, Sugehit submitted Zeuxis with a hold similar to a Black Widow. Moments after being eliminated from the match, Zeuxis got the rest of the ruda team disqualified by jumping back in the ring to attack Sugehit.

Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Misterioso Jr. ended in a double countout

This was a lightning match, meaning one fall with a ten-minute time limit.

Misterioso tried to tear at Guerrero Maya’s mask. They were fighting outside the ring when the referee counted them both out. They just kept fighting, so the ref went to break them up only to get chopped and thrown into the barricade by Misterioso.

The brawling continued as they simultaneously​ unmasked each other. They each put on the other’s mask, and squared up to proceed fighting. The ref finally broke them up. Judging from a finish like that, THIS FEUD MUST CONTINUE.

Gran Guerrero, Euforia & captain Ultimo Guerrero defeated Dragon Lee, Atlantis (w/ KeMonito) & captain Mistico

During his entrance, Dragon Lee wore football shoulder pads with spikes looking like a wickedly cool mashup of Bruce Lee and the Road Warriors.

Los Guerreros Laguneros took a break on this night from what has become their usual beatdown and unmasking of Niebla Roja. The rudo faction instead had a good match with an accomplished team of tecnicos, just like they used to do before the vendetta with Niebla Roja recently consumed them.

The first fall ended with a triple submission in what could be described as a Gory Special do-si-do square dance. Now turn your partner round-and-round as the trifecta of submissions gave Los Guerreros Laguneros an early advantage.

The second fall gave way to stereo dives with Dragon Lee and Mistico each doing a tope con hilo. Evening the falls at one apiece for each team, tecnico captain Atlantis submitted rudo captain Ultimo Guerrero with La Atlantida.

Going into the third fall, the crowd was hot. Dragon Lee got to shine with a flurry of flying moves. Mistico showcased his aerial arsenal as well. The wily veteran Atlantis even joined the parade of flying as he did a tope suicida through the ropes, showing the youngsters a thing or two.

The finish saw Euforia powerbomb Mistico as Gran Guerrero gave Dragon Lee a wacky release pumphandle suplex. Winning the deciding fall for the rudos, Euforia pinned Mistico and Gran Guerrero pinned Dragon Lee.

Gran Alternativa B Block Battle Royal

Oro Jr. & Soberano Jr. were the survivors of this melee. That began a big night for Soberano. The order of elimination determined the seeds for the tag team tournament. Being eliminated first meant that luchador and his veteran teammate were first to wrestle, and so on in descending order.

Canelo Casas was eliminated first in a spot he botched. Astral was eliminated next, followed by Drone and Akuma. Flyer was the next-to-last elimination, and the final luchador sent over the ropes was Raziel.

B Block quarterfinals —
Negro Casas (w/ El Perico Zacarias) & Canelo Casas defeated El Valiente & Astral

Astral went for a moonsault on Casas only to eat knees as they went into the finish. Casas countered with La Casita to roll up Astral for the pin. Canelo Casas submitted Valiente with a guillotine choke.

Pierroth & Akuma defeated Niebla Roja & Drone

This got more time than the previous tournament match, giving them all ring time since neither team would actually go on. An angle afterwards ensured even the winners ended up losing out on advancing further.

Akuma gave Niebla Roja a modified muscle buster, but Drone made the save on a pinning attempt. Drone then began putting together a flurry of offense that led to him getting a pin on Akuma.

However, Pierroth cut him off to deliver an inverted Gotch piledriver to pin Akuma. Behind the referee’s back, Pierroth then kicked Niebla Roja with a low blow before he also unmasked him. With Niebla Roja trying to cover his face while selling his groin, Pierroth covered him just as the ref turned around to make a three count.

Pierroth looked unstoppable, but it wasn’t for long. Suddenly, Vangellys attacked Pierroth on the ramp with a baseball bat. Vangellys was in street clothes that included a leather jacket. Dude, it is freaking summer time. Anyway, this was a violent attack where Vangellys targeted an arm. He threw Pierroth into the barricade and generally administered a beatdown.

Vangellys cut a promo in the ring. He was also in a pre-taped promo earlier in the show plugging the card for next Friday in a bit of foreshadowing. More likely, it was CMLL revealing their hand before the bets are placed. Either way, Vangellys has beef with Los Ingobernables.  

Volador Jr. & Flyer defeated Mephisto & Raziel

This was wild with good sequences and flying. Fittingly, there was flying since one of the luchadores was indeed named Flyer. He and Volador popped the crowd with stereo running flip dives over the ropes to the floor.

In another crazy spot, Mephisto gave Flyer a neckbreaker while Raziel had Flyer in a Rito Romero Special. For a close near fall, Volador kicked out after taking a Falcon Arrow off the top from Raziel. Flyer executed a Spanish Fly on Raziel before covering him for a pin. Volador then did a Frankensteiner off the top rope to score a pinfall on Mephisto​.

Caristico & Soberano Jr. defeated Angel de Oro & Oro Jr

This was wilder than the previous wild match. They started slow before quickening the pace and throwing in a lot of near falls. Soberano did a crazy corkscrew plancha from the top to the outside.

For the finish, Soberano springboarded into a guillotine lionsault to pin Oro Jr. while Caristico submitted Angel del Oro with La Mistica. Medical personnel with a stretcher came into the ring tending to Angel de Oro. Caristico helped him to his feet and Oro stumbled out of the ring and limped away.

B Block semifinals —
Negro Casas (w/ Zacarias) & Canelo Casas defeated Pierroth & Akuma by default

Still selling his arm during his entrance, Pierroth was met on the ramp by an official from the commission. He would not allow Pierroth to compete after the injury angle earlier. Pierroth & Akuma protested to no avail as the official forced them to forfeit by default. Los Casas basically received a bye to the B Block final. 

Caristico & Soberano Jr. defeated Volador Jr & Flyer

This was a spectacle of flight. All four involved were high flyers, so they took to the air early and often. Amid all the flying around, Flyer ripped and tore at the mask of Soberano.

The crowd was buzzing as they went into the finishing sequences, which included a hip toss over the ropes to the floor, planchas, an escape of La Mistica, a moonsault, a Canadian Destroyer, a reverse rana, and a backdrop over the top.

To conclude the chaos, Soberano pinned Volador after a Frankensteiner off the top before Caristico submitted Flyer with La Mistica.

B Block final —

Caristico & Soberano Jr. defeated Negro Casas (w/ Zacarias) & Canelo Casas to advance to the grand final of the Gran Alternativa tournament

Not nearly quite as spectacular as the other B Block matches, the atmosphere along with the work of Negro Casas kept the match interesting. Zacarias got involved at one point. In a surprisingly quick conclusion, Soberano and Caristico scored consecutive pinfalls with dual la magistral cradles.

Caristico and Soberano Jr. advance to meet Ultimo Guerrero and Sanson in the grand finale of the tournament next week.