The Big News: I can not believe it, but Rayo de Jalisco Jr. and Universo 2000 are going to have a mask vs mask match. Really.
It’ll be the main event of the annual summer (September 17th) anniversary show, which means there likely won’t be any thing major happening between Canek and Wagner on the show since they’ve already got their drawing card. Early fake betting favors Rayo winning Universo’s mask.
There’s no particular storyline stimuli for this match to happen after years of feuding. It’s more of a business decision.
The slightly less big news: Cien Caras is set to retire at the big Decemeber Arena Mexico show. He had talked about having done it earlier, but I believe they wanted to build a show for him.
Other news: Mascara Sagrada will be able to wrestle under that name, and he’ll return to CMLL to do so this week. Sagrada was involved in a court battle over ownership of the name and gimmick with AAA, and won the decision. No word on what’ll happen with the AAA Sagrada’s identity.
This is nearly identical to Park’s situation, where after the court battle is settled, the wrestler wants to get on TV to showcase himself to fans and local promoters as the real authentic version of the character; it makes it harder to get quality bookings when people aren’t sure which one is the clone. Sagrada’s got the advantage of keeping his name, so thing should pick up for him.
Mascara Sagrada stopped by the Box Y Lucha office to celebrate.
Dr. Wagner was suspended from wrestling in Mexico City for 15 days (which is to the 8/23rd, I believe) for attacking an official. I’m guessing this is an angle and he’s off wrestling elsewhere for a couple weeks, but you never know with lucha suspensions.
Meltzer says Fishman is broke and selling all of his lucha things. That’d be a wicked garage sale.
Meltzer also had some (monthly?) rumblings of people wanting to jump from AAA.
Arena Mexico results via KrisZ
– Los Platas (Brazo Jr/Sombra) d. La Flecha & Koreano
– Loco Max/Mr. Mexico/Sangre Azteca d. Chris Stone/Tigre Blanco/Tony Rivera
– Felino/Mistico/Ricky Marvin d Averno/Mephisto/Violencia
– Warrior/Porky/Rayo Jr. d Rey/Ultimo/Universo
– Perro Jr./Garza/Tarzan d Atlantis/Santo/Perro
Santo was fouled by Perro, which sets up this week’s main event.
Black Warrior was a sub for LA Park, who was double booked with Tijuana. No word if he’s in trouble for it, but he’s not on Mexico City cards this week.
Arena Mexico lineup
– Brazo de Oro Jr & Sombra de Plata vs Loco Max & Super Comando
– Mistico vs Virus (Lighting Match)
– Negro Casas, Felino, Blue Panther vs Pierroth, Averno, Mephisto
– Canek, Rayo, Porky vs Vampiro, Universo, Apolo
– Shocker, Mascara Sagrada, Negro Casas vs Hector Garza, Tarzan Boy, Terrible
– Hijo Del Santo vs Hijo del Perro Aguayo
That main event looks a lot of fun, and I’m thrilled they went to it this soon; figured we might not get to see it.
I don’t think Negro is supposed to be double booked here. Given Panther is in the match, the correct partner may be Atlantis.
I believe that’s Vampiro’s return. They were building up a Vamp/Niebla thing a couple weeks ago, but that’s not happening here.
Elsewhere:
Park (and Nicho) are headed in to NWATNA tonight to work their 20 Man X Division Gauntlet match, and I’m presuming the Impact/Xplosion taping on Thursday.
Park and Nicho being brought in follows TNA having yet another fall out with AAA. Their new plan is to just bring in guys who are not contracted to either promotion. That probable means the return of Hector Garza and maybe some other familiar CMLL names, since they’re apparently independent guys being contracted in on a per-show basis. Bringing Garza in would give them some nice continuity as they rearrange their Mexican team (if that’s even an issue of late, since all of them except Team Canada seem to have been disbanded.)
The minis made it all the way to a segunda on an Arena Coliseo show, without the title being on the line! The opening tag matchup sounded like quite the Who’s That? lineup of unknown mex indy guys, but I’m sure the short guys will take it.
TV Note: The Olympics should preempt lucha from being shown in Televisa Mexico the next three weeks. Gala appears to just take the tape from Mexico to reair it, so if Televisa doesn’t air it, Gala can’t. (I think.) I don’t even know if this means the shows in Arena Mexico will or will not be taped.
In late October/early November when those episodes are supposed to air on GALA, what actually airs will be completely unpredictable. The smart thing to do is skip to the next tape they do have, cutting out three weeks of TV but halving the gap between when it tapes in Mexico and airs here. The GALA thing is to air three weeks of random reruns.
I’m going to keep listing the episodes as if I expect them to air, because they still do matter in CMLL even when they don’t. But don’t plan on seeing episodes 153, 154 and 155, either on GALA or your favorite tape dealer.
No word on whom Olimpico is rooting for this year.
Lucha times will get updated later tonight.