Lucha Worth Watching: CMLL 6/23/17

1. Pequeno Violencia/Mercurio/Pequeno Nitro vs. Shockercito/Electrico/Stukita (CMLL 6/23/17)

ER: Sometimes you get the feeling that guys are holding back, and then you get a trios on a random Friday where it feels like everyone is firing on all cylinders and the vibe seems light. Violencia/Mercurio are a wonderful tandem, these maskless rudo minis are the best, always super muggy, always jerks, always fun. Shockercito is probably my favorite tecnico mini at this point and this is a nice showcase for his whip fast beautiful headscissors and slick flying, just a really cool guy to watch. Stukita has a couple atypical off moments but makes up for all of it when he hits his torpedo splash from the top to the rampway, and earlier hits a cool headscissors after walking way out on the ring barricade (which CMLL oddly films from the waist up, so it doesn't even read like he walked the plank onto the barricade). Violencia/Mercurio were great show offs, catching guys on springboards and acting condescending (loved Violencia catching Shockercito, setting him down, and superkicking him, and his big splatting senton to end the primera), but stooging great when their cockiness would backfire. We even get cool mat stuff in the primera (which was naturally mostly edited off TV), several cool springboards, just a fun match.

2. Vangellys vs. Pierroth (CMLL 6/23/17)

ER: This is not really the type of guy who gets used in a lightning match, but I think it makes sense as these two can craft a nice single fall ugly brawl that doesn't really need the drama (or length) of three falls. They predictably brawl around ringside and things get good when Vangellys takes a big spill over the barricade and gets hits head rung up in the doorway as a receipt from earlier. The brawling gets really good with Pierroth throwing out nice body shots and punches to the neck, inadvertently stomping him in the balls, even smashing Vangellys with a nasty lariat to the neck. Pierroth splats him with a great senton (theme of the night?) and Vangellys grabs the ref's hand during the pin and then grabs the ropes during his own roll up. This went the right amount of time and was a satisfying slugfest. I'm clearly the one guy excited for a hair match.