It's issue (volume? edition?) #3 of The Single File. This week, we look at the opening match from the nameless 3/17/00 CMLL (1) PPV, with Ricky Marvin taking on Sangre Azteca.

Before I go further, let me state that this PPV was, bar none, the best show of 2000. Yeah, I know, I liked a lot of WWF PPVs, too, but there was usually some junk on there, be it topless septagarians or Acolytes matches. But the 3/17/00 show was pretty great from top to bottom, with a rocking opening match (as detailed below), a killer 16 man elimination match, two fun 6 man tag matches, and the MOTY is Villano III vs. Atlantis. If you dug the old Cruiserweight matches in WCW, for God's sake, go track this down. You won't be disappointed.

Anyhoo, you've probably heard of Ricky Marvin, a budding young superstar that's earning a lot of buzz as being the next Rey Mysterio Jr. He's kinda like the Billy Kidman of the fed: the young, handsome turk in a sea of masked wrestlers. I've seen a handful of his matches, and this guy is the real deal.

If Marvin is the next Rey Jr., then Sangre plays the role of Psicosis, i.e. the rival who, although very talented, doesn't get nearly as much coverage as he should. Sangre Azteca means "Aztecan Blood," which in addition to being a neat name, also denotes some national pride (the Aztecs being the ancient Mexican civilization that was slaughtered by Cortez). He's got a sort of Ultimo Dragon look going, with a mask, long pants, and shoulderpads. The best part about his mask is that it's actually got a attached tongue sticking out, like someone's checking his tonsils and asked him to say "ahhh." While there's about a million jokes you could make, the tongue is actually based on Tonatiuh, the Aztec sun god, from the Aztecan Sun Stone. Who says you don't learn anything in wrestling (2)?

Ricky Marvin/Sange Azteca, 2/3 falls, 3/17/00

Backstory: Marvin and Azteca have been feuding for a while, and they get the opening slot on the PPV, presumably to fire up the crowd. Both men come out accompanied by buxom ladies. Sangre gets a neat sounding metal instrumental I don't recognize, while Ricky unfortunately gets saddled with "Livin' La Vida Loca." After instructions, we're ready to go.

Primera Caida
Marvin and Sangre tie up to start, but both break off the hold. They tie up again, with similar results. Third time's the charm, as Ricky manages a armdrag and turns it into an armbar. But Sangre manages to get to get to his feet, grabs one of Ricky's legs and trips him, knocking Marvin on his back. Sangre applies an kneebar, but Ricky fights him off with some kicks to the back of the head. They tie up again, and Ricky applies a really funky move...here goes...he turns Sangre sideways and picks up his leg like he was going for a capture suplex, then gives him a backdrop suplex, but turns in mid-air so it ends up as a pinning powerbomb. It gets a 2 count. They tie up again, and Marvin goes for the same move, but Sangre turns it into a mid-air body scissors, and uses leverage to get Marvin into a pinning position for a 2 count. They tie up again, and Ricky manages a go behind, so Sangre races to the ropes and manages to elbow Ricky off. Ricky rolls backward and lands on his feet, so Sangre charges and knocks him down with a shoulderblock. Sangre then hits the ropes and knocks Marvin down again with a shoulderblock, and gives him a "C'mon, punk!" gesture. Sangre bounces off the ropes again, but this time Ricky sidesteps him and hits a huge overhead belly to belly throw off the rebound. As an added bonus, Ricky doesn't land on his back after the move, but instead bridges on his head like he just hit a Northern Lights suplex. Unreal. Ricky gets back to his feet and bumps Sangre, then tries a quebrada bodypress, but gets caught. Sangre tries to toss Ricky, but Marvin turns it into one of those elaborate lucha armdrags you know you love that sends Azteca to the outside. Yeah, like he's safe there. Ricky proves me right by hitting the most sensational move of 2000, the running no hands springboard corkscrew plancha that wipes out Sangre and almost a guy in the front row. Sangre gets tossed back into the ring and Ricky applies a Romero Special for the submission and the first caida (2:46).

Segunda Caida:
Sangre tries to shake the cobwebs in the corner. Ricky charges him, but Sangre drop toeholds him in the bottom turnbuckle. Sangre picks up the youngster and slaps him for good measure, then hits a rude tornado DDT. Sangre picks up Ricky and slaps him in the back of the head, and then goes for another Tornado DDT. But since moves never connect twice, Ricky tosses Sangre off in mid-move, sending him face first to the canvas. Ricky goes up to the top rope, but Sangre quickly recovers and smacks Marvin, knocking him off the top rope to the floor in a nasty bump. But Sangre says "Forget that! I'll show you a bump." After asking the referee to get out of the way, Sangre runs up the turnbuckles and dives to the floor. Problem is, Sangre either came up short or Ricky was out of position, and Sangre lands headfirst on the concrete floor. Good God, that was nasty. Ricky and a trainer immediately check to see if Sangre's still alive (he is okay, amazingly). Meanwhile, CMLL lovingly replays the bump repeatedly so both wrestlers can get in the ring. Back in the ring, Sangre puts Ricky in the tree of woe and gives him a baseball slide to the face that would make Tajiri proud. Sangre hits another baseball slide for fun. He then puts Ricky on the top rope, gets him in position, and hits a Fisherman Shoulderbreaker thingee (3). Sangre covers and counts along with the academic three count (2:18).

Tercera Caida:
After some replays of the end of the fall, we return with Ricky on the outside gathering himself. Sangre gets a running start and nails a dropkick through the ropes. Sangre slaps Ricky around on the outside and taunts the crowd. He tosses young Ricky back into the ring and gets him in position for a bodyslam, then tosses him like a frisbee slam. Sangre taunts the youngster and hits some running kicks to the head that send Ricky slumping into the corner. Sangre picks up Ricky and tosses him into the corner, then follows up with another rad move: he goes to give Ricky a spinning DDT, but rotates so he lands outside the ring, giving Ricky a hotshot on the top rope. Sangre gets back in the ring and hits Ricky with a running kick that sends the young one slumping into the corner. Azteca follows up with some dickish boots to the face. He tries a running kick, but Ricky manages to grab the foot and levels Sangre with a clothesline. Ricky hits some running dropkicks to the downed Sangre that knock Azteca to the outside. Ricky then fucks up an Arabian moonsault (4), nailing Sangre in the shoulder with his feet and smacking his face on the apron. We got some lovely replays of the move. Back to real action, they go to the ending (not sure if someone got hurt there), as Ricky slams Sangre, goes to the apron, and hits a springboard corkscrew splash for the pin and the match (2:35) (5).

My first reaction was an Incredible Hulk-esque "Me want more!" Like Benoit/Jericho at Summerslam, what was there really ruled, but there just wasn't enough. But you can take solace in the fact that the rest of the CMLL PPV ruled, while they probably had to cut 7 minutes off the Benoit/Jericho match to make room for the thong stinkface match.

No matter, this match rules...astounding high flying, innovative moves, some sick bumps - what's not to love? I'd put it at about ***1/4, definitely more had it been longer.

Fallout: Ricky also competed in the 2000 J Cup in a good match against CIMA. Not sure what Sangre's been up to. Anyway, both guys are the kind of wrestlers you used to hope would somehow, some way show up and feud on Monday Nitro. Now you're scared they'll appear on Nitro and be forced to compete in Tequila Bottle on a Pole matches. But, with Bischoff coming back and looking for C/W talent, who knows?

I'm adjusting to a new job, so there may not be a Single File next week. I don't know. We'll do something soon. See you then.

Joe Gagne
Flashbacker
[slash] wrestling