MLJ: Maximo Monday: Terrible © vs Máximo for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship

Aired: 2015-02-07
taped: 2015-01-30 @ Arena México
Terrible © vs Máximo for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship

This was interesting for a lot of reasons that don't necessarily have to do with the match itself. It's part of what seems to be a larger Terrible/Bucanero vs Maximo/Volador feud that might lead to a double hair match to help leverage Rey's recent taking of Felino's hair into something vaguely marketable. The idea of a title match as just a cog in a greater machine and not the end all is still a little jarring to me, but that's just the way it is, especially, I gather, with the Heavyweight title. Terrible has held the thing since January 1, 2012 (it was vacated when Garza left the promotion before that). It looked at points like Rush or Marco might win it, with Maximo not exactly a front runner. Exoticos don't often win singles titles in CMLL from what I can gather. So, because in some ways this was meant to be as much angle as match, or at least as much an angle-furthering element, and because Maximo, whose very existence stretches realities in some ways (his finish is, more often than not, a knock out kiss), there was definitely more BS in this match than you'd expect out of a CMLL title match. That said, I think it worked for what it was supposed to be. It's just that what it was supposed to be rubbed some people the wrong way and I think that's a completely understandable mentality. It didn't bother me too much because I was able to put it in context and I don't think that this was a precedent, though, of course, since Maximo won the belt, it almost has to be in some ways.

Structurally, it was definitely a CMLL title match in 2015. Feeling out to begin, followed by an escalation and a lightning pin by Maximo to end the primera. The segunda was extremely brief with Terrible catching Maximo out of nowhere and putting him down. It was also a momentum change so that Terrible could control the first part of the tercera. Eventually Maximo fought back and hit a dive and they both started selling. There's the finishing stretch with a few call backs to the primera and some big moves and fake finishes and then the BS card got played heavily for the finish.

In general, Terrible is one of my favorite Maximo opponents. I really like when they're paired off in trios. You're not always going to get the best action but Maximo plays off of Terrible's presence so well. In years past, that was through spine-chilling fear. In the weird world of modern CMLL where there really aren't a ton of tecnicos cheered for being tecnicos, Maximo, exotico as he is, stands out. I thought, given the storyline, they did a good job showing meaningful reactions from the seconds (naturally Rey and Volador) throughout the match too.

The tercera worked mostly well until the finish. Maximo came back with a couple of dives and the bombs were sufficiently meaningful to justify the selling. There was a Terrible superplex and the Maximo "run up the ropes for a top rope arm drag" that he beat Casas with a few weeks prior. Towards the end, he ran down the ramp trying to vault in but flubbed it, but frankly, they recovered so well by making it a fairly believable near-fall, that it didn't bother me.

The finish was sort of what you would expect. Maximo failed to lock in the same casita he won the primera with. The kiss of death didn't work (and that move is super protected so that was a surprise). The seconds became involved instead, with ref distractions and fouls, and a big dive by Volador that sent Bucanero into the stands. In the end, it almost felt like a team effort, which plays into the upcoming match, but didn't do a whole lot for the title change in the grand scheme of things. Not a bad match by any means, and the BS was totally functional and probably will serve its purpose in helping to heat up the upcoming match, but I don't think we're looking at a MOTYC or anything.