Images: CMLL
A son honored the memory of his father with a tribute inside the cathedral of lucha libre in Mexico City on Friday night. For the main event, La Mascara and Volador Jr. headlined a CMLL card at Arena Mexico in what became a memorial to Brazo de Oro on the day of his passing.
The Friday card was only the beginning of a busy weekend for lucha libre with Children’s Day (el Dia del Nino) on Sunday. CMLL also has a show that day with a heavily-promoted mascot tag team match geared towards drawing kids. Likewise, countless smaller independent shows in various rather random venues over the weekend are all part of festivities related to Children’s Day.
Plans for a weekend of focusing on youth became altered upon the death of a legend. Fate intervened in changing the theme of the Friday night card from focusing on the children to honoring the legacy of a father.
Legendary luchador Brazo de Oro passed away yesterday morning. That evening his son, La Mascara, was scheduled to headline against Volador Jr. in the main event at Arena Mexico.
Though he could have understandably canceled because of the death in his family, La Mascara instead chose to honor the memory of his father by performing in a venue where Brazo de Oro is known as a beloved figure in the history of lucha libre. He is from the the legendary Los Brazos trios and the famed Alvarado family. La Mascara looked to carry on that legacy as the show must go on.
The legacy of family was on display elsewhere on the show during a weekend that celebrates the next generation. The finals of a tournament involving second generation luchadors culminated in Soberano Jr. winning La Copa Junior Nuevo Valores. In addition, the rest of the undercard featured trios matches with a minis tag match opening the show.
Joining the announce team as the opening match began, luchadora Amapola provided guest commentary during the card.
Electrico & Fantasy defeated Pequeno Olimpico & Pequeno Nitro
The tecnicos won after dropping the first fall then winning two straight. For the first fall, Nitro assisted with a dropkick so Olimpico could pin Electrico. Meanwhile, Fantasy was counted out of the ring to give the rudos the opening fall.
The tecnicos evened the score in the second fall with Electrico pinning Olimpico after a Spanish Fly while Fantasy submitted Nitro. To end the third fall and decide the match, Electrico jumped off the middle rope with a guillotine lionsault to pin Nitro. Olimpico was also counted out.
La Metalica, Sanely & captain Estrellita defeated Marcela, Zeuxis & captain Dalys
The story of the match was Marcela’s teammates turning on her. Their opponents swept them in two straight falls.
They all took turns squaring off at the start. The rudas then went on to dominate in the first fall. Estrellita took out Dalys with a tope suicida before Sanely rolled up Zeuxis for a pin after a sit-out bomb. Metalica also flew into a senton bomb and pinned Marcela.
The tecnicas made a comeback heading into the second fall, or at least they all seemed like tecnicas at first. Dissension within the team emerged after some miscommunication stirred the pot. It boiled over when Marcela inadvertently hit Dalys with a missile dropkick, and they began to fight amongst themselves.
The ruda team swooped in as Estrellita rolled up Zeuxis with a schoolgirl as Sanely did the same to Dalys for dual pinfalls, winning the match in two straight falls. Angry over losing and blaming Marcela for the loss, Zeuxis and Dalys put the boots to her afterwards as they stomped on Marcela.
Soberano Jr. defeated Sanson to win La Copa Junior Nuevo Valores tournament
For the finals of the tournament, the luchadors had seconds in their respective corners. Dragon Lee was the second for Soberano and El Cuatrero was in Sanson’s corner. En route to winning the Copa Junior tournament final, Soberano won the first and third falls.
Soberano executed a guillotine lionsault to pin Sanson in the first fall. Quickly retaliating, Sanson jumped off the top rope with a guillotine knee drop to pin Soberano in a short second fall.
They went on to trade big moves in the third fall. They even brawled on the ramp, where Sanson took a running powerslam. Soberano followed that by leaping high off the stage into a plancha. Back at ringside, Soberano leapt off the barricade into a senton in the aisleway dividing the ringside seats.
Soberano practically flew all over the place heading into the closing moments. Sanson had cut off Soberano only for Soberano to launch into a quebrada. From there, he hoisted Sanson for a jumping sit-out piledriver before pinning him in the deciding fall.
Winning the tournament of second generation luchadors, Soberano celebrated with his trophy commemorating La Copa Junior Nuevo Valores. The cheerful atmosphere was remarkably different a few moments later.
The triumph of the Copa Junior gave way to a more somber occasion afterwards. Officials and fellow luchadors joined La Mascara in the ring to honor the memory of his father, Brazo de Oro. A video tribute aired and Mascara said a few words. Other luchadors also joined him in a chant for Los Brazos.
Marco Corleone, Diamante Azul & captain El Valiente defeated Kraneo, Ripper & captain Hechicero
After some shenanigans at the outset, the rudos dominated a quick first fall. Hechicero pressed mascot KeMonito overhead and teased hurling him into the crowd. In the ring, Kraneo pinned Corleone and Ripper pinned Valiente to capture the fall.
The rudos continued their onslaught until Corleone fired up as the tecnicos made a comeback. Azul and Valiente rushed into the ring and Corleone ran down the ramp to leap over the ropes into a crossbody on all the rudos. All three tecnicos covered the rudos for a dogpile pinfall, winning the second fall.
The mascots got involved again when KeMonito splashed Kraneo. The rudo mascot, Mije, taunted Corleone at one point. Later during the finish, Corleone press slammed Mije high into the air and he crashed down onto Kraneo.
Corleone then covered Kraneo while Azul used a German suplex with a bridge on Hechicero. They simultaneously pinned them to end the third fall and win the match. The tecnicos fought back from defeat to win a crowd-pleasing trios match.
Dragon Lee, Caristico & captain Mistico defeated Mephisto, Barbaro Cavernario & captain Negro Casas
Though the match itself was entertaining enough, arguably the most spectacular flyer in the match was mostly overshadowed by his teammates. The story of the match involved Dragon Lee slugging it out with Casas while Mistico and Caristico got to shine with their flying arsenal.
Despite only being part of a subplot within the body of the match, Dragon Lee did eventually get to shine in the finish by scoring the deciding fall.
The tecnicos were like a proverbial house of fire at the outset, leading to a dive by Dragon Lee. The rudos quickly put out the fire as Mephisto pinned Mistico and Cavernario pinned Caristico in the first fall.
A brawl erupted in the second fall and the rudos had a triple-team advantage on Dragon Lee. Caristico flew in to make the save, followed by Mistico flying in as well. In a double submission to win the second fall with each applying La Mistica, Mistico submitted Cavernario and Caristico submitted Mephisto.
As the third fall began, Mistico and Caristico mirrored each other again with both doing planchas leaping off the stage with major hang time as they glided down to the entrance ramp.
Caristico and Mistico did more dives as the action built to Dragon Lee squaring off with Casas. Perched on the turnbuckles, they fought into the finish. Dragon Lee jumped off the top rope with a double foot stomp as Casas hung in the ropes. Lee covered Casas for a pinfall on the team captain to win the third fall.
La Mascara defeated Volador Jr.
No matter what outcome was originally planned nor what direction was intended for this main event singles match, that all changed with the passing of Brazo de Oro. Whether or not he would have otherwise done so, La Mascara almost had to go over here in this match on an emotional night where the promotion was paying tribute to his late father.
Mascara and Volador went on to showcase their talents in a good enough main event considering the circumstances. Normally a rudo as part of Los Ingobernables, the character dynamic for La Mascara was different than usual with the crowd sympathetic to him over the loss of his father.
Before the horn sounded to start the match, Volador rushed towards Mascara on the ramp and they began brawling. Not long into the first fall, Mascara was pummeling Volador until suddenly Volador caught him with a superkick. Volador followed with a lung-blower to score a pin in the opening fall.
Having taken the first fall, Volador went into the second doing handsprings, followed by a running leap over the ropes into a dive on the floor. Mascara countered with superkicks along with running double knees in a corner, scoring a sudden pinfall on Volador in another quick fall.
The climactic final fall began with them brawling around ringside and out into the crowd. They whipped each other into the barricade and fought in the front row before eventually getting back into the ring. The action spilled outside again when Mascara did a tope suicida, followed by a plancha off the top to the floor.
Mascara climbed the turnbuckles and missed a senton bomb with Volador rolling out of the way. Volador went up the ropes to spring into a quebrada, but Mascara got his feet up to block it.
They traded near falls and Mascara argued with the referee about the count. Mascara held on and stayed hooked after delivering a superplex, rolling through to execute a brainbuster for another near fall. Mascara ran up the turnbuckles again only to get caught with a spectacular Frankensteiner.
They each went to the air once more before Mascara tied up Volador in a submission hold. Volador submitted and Mascara won on an emotional night for himself and his family.
The crowd showered Mascara with love and chants for his father as the show closed. Before leaving, Mascara went into the crowd to grab a banner with a message about Brazo de Oro. He brought it in the ring and displayed the banner. Mascara left the ring clutching the banner that honored his legendary father, ending a tribute to Brazo de Oro on the day of his unfortunate passing.
