MLJ: Rush vs Shocker/Casas Bonus: Negro Casas & Shocker © vs Marco Corleone & Rush for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship

Aired: 2015-03-28
Taped: 2015-03-17 @ Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
Negro Casas & Shocker © vs Marco Corleone & Rush for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship

I'm a little pressed for time this week and haven't had a chance to watch the Lucero vs Hechicero title match, so that'll be next Monday. Also, I'm going to take a look at almost any Shocker/Casas title defense against Rush and a partner. We've seen Mascara and Sombra in that role and I was looking forward to this, both to see Marco who is very different from the two of them, and to see how they evolve this match as it's the fourth or fifth time they've run Rush vs Shocker/Casas in a title match.

All of the previous ones have begun with Los Ingobernables feigning some primera caida lucha title matwork but swarming the second they lose the advantage. It's a good bit of heeling since it plays with the fans' expectations and blatantly goes against respect for the sanctity of title matches, but when you've seen it three or four times, it loses some sting. Here they let things run a bit first, which had its upside and downside. The upspide was that the opening Casas vs Rush exchange was very good. I've not seen Rush much since his return so this was both familiar and refreshing. They really went at it mixing at least some matwork with the usual aggression.

Then they moved to Shocker vs Marco and this was disappointing. Yes, I'm high on Marco, higher than most, but really only in a specific setting. I like him a lot as a role player in trios matches. I think he brings an element that almost no one else in CMLL does, in that he's big enough to be dangerous, has the killer game-changing punch, and a number of comedy spots that can only be done with him. I think he's a great foil, for, let's say La Pesta Negra in a trios match. In a tag titles match, however, he's way more out of place. Thematically, they had an exchange that took the place of an opening matwork exchange, but it was just a lot of posing and gyrating with a few strikes and I wanted something a little more for a title match. Regardless, it ended quickly enough with Marco calling in Rush. They went underhanded and swarmed, but it didn't mean nearly as much because it wasn't breaking up the promise of anything sanctified or special.

The beatdown had its high and low points too. Especially when Shocker was in there, it wasn't great. I don't think that was necessarily his fault. Marco seemed a step behind here on certain spots and Shocker wasn't compensating. Even on the attempts at double teams that should have been more compelling, that half step took some of the oomph out. Casas did better, looping in more struggle and a surprising amount of hope for a lucha beatdown. I love how he tried to keep distance and avoid the double team, and how it led organically into Rush's reverse course clothesline:

The comeback was short and sweet based off of a corner charge reversal. The best part was Casas counting Shocker's pin while he had Rush in the Scorpion Deathlock.

Tercera was a lot of fun with endless pin and submission breaksups. I loved Shocker's casual kicking of the leg after Rush's Northern Lights Suplex, for instance:

And when Marco and Casas were just stomping and kicking the crap out of their respective opponents as their partners were locked a reverse figure four:

And maybe my favorite bit when Casas was obviously late for interference after a Rush double stomp and Shocker had to roll him up instead, only for Casas to make it the rest of the way over anyway and stomp Rush while he was being pinned.

The finish was fun as it played into the endless pin breakups and had a parallel spot. Marco snatched the ref's leg after La Casita, breakaing the count. That let Rush foul Css to eliminte him, leving it two on one. Shocker hit his trademark roll up, and for the life of me I have no idea why Marco didn't break it up. That left Shocker and Marco with the latter getting the advantage with his punches. He went off the ropes though and Casas grabbed his leg from the floor. The ref admonished him. Shocker used the opportunity for a foul of his own and the champs retain.

More fun than great and it highlighted some of Marco's weaknesses. Title matches are just not the right place for him.