What's the story, devotees of dramatic drop zones?!
An action packed week of wrestling from across the globe! I was digging into the last few shows in the DPW library on my Twitch stream, catching up on an exciting CMLL show, as well as AEW's weekly offerings! Grand Slam Australia was a PPV worthy show! Dynamite was exceptional! Not a bad match this week!
Let's see what was worthy of getting the review spotlight this week, yeah?
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CMLL |
Here's what I watched for the week;
Here’s what we’re reviewing for the Watchlist;
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Titan vs. Mascara Dorada - The Golden Mask Challenges the Titan
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| CMLL |
Not wasting any time, Dorada makes it to the ring and Titan (pronounced Tee-Tan, instead of Tie-Ton), charges across the ring, looking for a dropkick to the leg of Dorada. Dorada avoids, and the two begin moving at a blistering pace, which will be consistent for the rest of this match. Titan goes for a waistlock but Dorada slips free, going for the ropes where Titan tries for a tornado DDT, but Dorada holds fast. A headscissors takes Dorada down, sending him slipping out to the floor, with Titan wasting no time and soaring through the ropes, crashing into Dorada and sending him hard into the barricade. Seriously, that landing looked nasty.
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| A hot start! CMLL |
My favourite referee in wrestling, second only to Bryce Remsburg, Edgar Noriega, is reffing this match. Counting both men out on the floor but they are quick to get back within the ropes, with Titan attempting a cover but Dorada breaks free. Moving quickly which, again, is the consistent pace for this match, Titan ties up the legs of Dorada in a figure four of sorts, but Dorada is able to crawl for the ropes and nearly break it, but Titan changes position and adjusts the hold into a modified surfcoard stretch. Doing whatever he can to break free, Dorada shifts to the side and creates a double pin, with all four shoulders on the canvas. Noriega counts the pin on both, with Titan forced to break the hold.
Except he doesn't! He keeps the legs tied and stands through the hold, this time bending back into a modification of a front chancery. Dorada is close to the ropes, pulling and reaching for the bottom, but Titan is able to grab the hands of Dorada and hold him with a straight jacked hold as well. It's safe to say, Dorada is sufficiently tied up right now, may want to leave a message after the tone. Eventually, he's able to slip a hand free and get to the ropes, forcing Titan to break the hold.
Tossing Dorada through the ropes and up the ramp, Titan looks to go for the mask but thinks otherwise. Reversing a ripcord from a waistlock, Dorada takes Titan off the ramp with a quick headscissors, sending him flipping down to the floor below. Wasting no time, Dorada slips back inside the ring and takes flight, catching Titan with a corkscrew crossbody, landing awkwardly but able to roll through and come out on top. Man, I wish I could move like that, if only.
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| Brother has springs for legs! CMLL |
With Titan back inside the ring, Dorada ascends to the top rope and crushes him with a Swanton Bomb, even mocking Jeff Hardy's signature gesture while up top. A pin is attempted, but Titan gets out at two. Back in the middle, Dorada pulls Titan up into a modified Gory Special, grabbing opposite arms for the hold and stretching him more to the side than north to south. It's still effective, just looks different is all. Shifting with Titan still on his back, Dorada gets closer and closer to the corner with each shift, eventually using the bend of Titan to his advantage, letting his arms go and allowing Titan to uncoil like a spring, landing face first on the top turnbuckle.
Back to the top, Dorada flies with a 450 splash, but Titan gets his knees up, pumphandling Dorada up to his shoulders before drilling him into the canvas with a slick powerslam. A quick cover sees Dorada kick out at two, with Titan chopping his kneeling opponent as both men work their way to their feet. Back and forth they chop, heavy hands staggering the other man. Titan is the first man to land a different strike, a spinning kick catching Dorada in the gut before darting for the ropes. Titan thinks he has the advantage, but Dorada is right behind him, catching him with a running knee strike under the jaw as Titan turns to catch the ropes.
Titan attempts another tornado DDT, but Dorada is able to land in a handstand, saving his neck from certain disaster. Springing out to his feet, Dorada tries a superkick but Titan rolls back and kips up off the canvas, landing a Pelé kick to the back of Dorada's head the second he lands on his feet. Back on his feet, Dorada shoots Titan into the ropes and tilt-a-whirl's him around into a backstabber, both men catching their breath on the canvas.
Both men roll to the apron, using the ropes to pull themselves up, noticing they are on opposite sides of the ring from one another. Dorada makes the challenge, with Titan accepting, both men soaring with springboard's off the top, crashing mid air with a pair of lariat's. Both men are down as Noriega counts them out, but both men nip up to their feet in unison. Both men soak up the excitement of the crowd, with Noriega actively encouraging the crowd to get amped up, one of the reason I love this referee as much as I do.
⚡Move of the Match⚡
Titan charges Dorada, with Dorada not moving, but waiting, perfectly positioned to back body drop Titan into the top turnbuckle. God, what a nasty landing.
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| Could have found a better spot to land, honestly. CMLL |
Pulling Titan into a powerbomb position, Dorada seamlessly flips him up onto his shoulders, twisting around to hold him in a firemans carry position, then dropping him into a front powerslam in the centre of the ring. A pin attempt is made, but Titan escapes, holding his back as he stumbles to the corner. He stops Dorada's charge with a boot, but isn't quick enough to stop a Pelé kick after rising to sit on the top, getting sent tumbling to the floor. Dorada goes to reboudn off the ropes, set to fly, but Titan is back on the apron, catching him in a version of a headscissors and taking him down to the floor instead, a unique counter I've never seen done before. Taking off from the top rope, a gorgeous springboard moonsault takes Dorada out on the floor.
Opting to climb to the top rope this time, Titan lines up Dorada and looks to try a double stomp, but Dorada gets to his feet and avoids the shot, dropkicking the legs out from under Titan. Hopping to the apron and then to the middle rope, Dorada flies with a springboard shooting star press, crushing Titan with the impact! Back inside the ring, Titan crawls on one leg to the far side of the ring, finding a neutral corner while Dorada amps up the crowd and lines up Titan from an opposing corner.
Charging in, he blocks a boot and lands a dragon screw leg whip on the bad wheel of Titan, exploiting the weakness as best he can as quickly as he can. He pins Titan, but he breaks free, despite having his bad leg hooked. Titan attempts another tornado DDT, but Dorada not only blocks the hold, but slows his momentum to a halt and holds him in the centre of the ring. Snatching the head of Titan in a front facelock of his own, Dorada twists him around into a backbreaker. Ascending to the top with Titan flat out in the middle, a shooting star press is landed, but Titan escapes the pinning predicament.
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| Gotcha! CMLL |
Reversing a whip from Dorada, Titan stands firm in the centre, ducking a lariat, Matrix-style, before catching Dorada with a jumping thrust kick to the jaw. Titan rolls for the pin, but Dorada escapes, with Titan crawling to the corner, still dragging his bad wheel behind him. Pulling himself to the top rope, Titan seats himself high, but Dorada climbs to meet him, sitting on the top rope as well. Titan seats himself on Dorada's shoulders, obviously hoping to turn things around in his favour, but Dorada is able to maintain control, flipping Titan down off the top and drilling him into the canvas. Dorada pins, but Titan gets free.
A 450 splash off the top crushes Titan, but he's able to not only kick out, but grab the bottom rope to ensure the pin is broken. Something I never see but I kinda like that, removes any ambiguity about whether you got out in time. Dorada tries to finish Titan off big time, pulling him into the Electric Chair (aka piggy back) position, but Titan slips free, shooting Dorada into the ropes and finally landing a tornado DDT, spiking Dorada heavy in the centre of the ring! Maintaining the facelock, Titan pulls Dorada up and into a cutter, finally feeling like he's got this match in hand. A double stomp off the top, despite the bad wheel, nearly grants Titan a three count, but he counters the kickout into a Sharpshooter!
Dorada crawls for the ropes, with Titan dragging him back to centre before banding backwards into a bridge, bending the lower half of Dorada at a vicious angle. Desperately, Dorada waves his hand in the air, signalling to the referee that he gives. Noriega calls for the bell, with Titan winning the match!
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| All tied up and nowhere to go! CMLL |
Match length: 16:06
Overview & Final Rating
🟢 - Highly recommended
A legitimate Match of the Month contender, I liked this match twice as much as the main event between Mistico and Templario that went twice the length and got twice the praise. Honestly, the story in this match was tight, is was fast paced, and brilliantly done by both men. Dorada had this match well in hand until Titan managed to land his tornado DDT, with it being curtains from that point on. Really, really fun stuff from both men. Find this match and thank me later.
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There we have it, friends! Another exciting week of wrestling behind us! As always, any feedback, recommendations, or inquiries as to my whereabouts so you can send your hitmen after me can be send to the email below.
Until next week. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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