Day: August 18, 2004

Ultimo Guerrero did retain the CMLL LH Title over Atlantis yesterday.

I kinda think those two have to match up somewhere along the lines in the tournament, but I haven’t really thought it out yet. Perhaps later.

The Big News: El Hijo del Santo and El Hijo de Perro Aguayo resolved nothing. Their Arena Mexico main event was a draw due to a third fall brawl outside of the ring leading to a DCO. This has all the makings of the undercard for the Rayo/Universo show, which sounds like it should be loaded.

Arena Mexico Results
– El Hijo del Santo DCO El Hijo de Perro Aguayo
– Mascara Sagrada, Negro Casas, Shocker b Hector Garza, Tarzan Boy and Terrible
– Black Warrior, Felino, Blue Panther b Pierroth, Averno, Mephisto
– Mistico b Virus in the lightning match [good match]
– Loco Max and Super Comando beat Brazo de Oro Jr. and Sombre de Plata

This week’s card – the first of the Olympic ones – is focused on the Gran Alternativa tournament. I mentioned the teams before, but let me just c&p:

Shocker and Alan Stone
El Santo and Mistico
Mascara Sagrada and Sagrado
Misterioso I and Misterioso II
Perro Aguayo Jr and Sangre Azteca
Ultimo Guerrero and Dr. X
Ultimo Dragon and Neutron
Atlantis and Volador Jr.

That’s quite the lineup. The older stars in the Gran Alternativa tournaments usually are upper midcard guys but not the tippy top guys, probably partly because it’s usually an Arena Coliseo event. There’s tremendous CMLL star power here; more gathered here than they usually put on non-major Arena Mexico shows. I guess that makes this a major show?

Lots of intersting parings as well. Guapo 2004 winner Alan Stone is finally teaming up with Shocker, for the first time, months after Alan supposedly won the right to join the Shocker and Magica in a new trio. Giving Mistico the win over Virus last week in the lighting match kinda indicated they had big plans for him (and a CMLL SL feud? Is it dead already?), but pairing him up with Santo takes that to a different level. And you’ve got the last (failed? I don’t know if it’s too soon to say that with CMLL’s glacial pace) new character Sagrado teaming up with the new comer Sagrada in an effort to make spelling difficult. It’s a surprise that they’d bring in Ultimo Dragon for this, and it’s also a little surprise he wouldn’t somehow talk them into using Taiji Ishimori. Maybe they need someone to take the pin.

This is the original Misterioso‘s first match in CMLL in 12 years. The La Arena bio I’ve got linked there should bring you up to speed, but as far as this tournament is concered, I suspect his background will lead to a match against the Atlantis/Volador Jr. team. That Volador/Misterioso mask finish is too good to be true.

Given the Santo/Aguayo stuff, those two teams will meet at somepoint down the line. Beyond that, it’s not particuarlly obvious how this is going to break down. I’d bet on Santo’s team, just because they seem to be giving Mistico a big opening push. This would be nice to watch – even with 4 minute matches, there’s going to be some fun matchups – but it’s unlikely ever to get to US TV.

The complete Arena Mexico lineup is
– Rayo de Jalisco, Canek, Mr. Niebla vs Universo 2000, Hector Garza, Vampiro
– Gran Alternativa Tournament
– Black Warrior, Safari, Satanico vs Okumura, Emilio Charles, Olimpico
– Tigre Blanco, Texano Jr. vs Mr. Mexico, Nitro

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Hall Of Fame voting results was announced in it’s latest newsletter. Here’s how the lucah guys did:

                2004  2003 
Ultimo Dragon    62%   58% - IN
Villano III      43%   47% 
Blue Panther     39%   43%
Eddie Guerrero   31%   11%
Atlantis        >10%   17%
Gordman/Goliath >10%   n/a
La Parka        >10%   n/a
Dr. Wagner Jr.  >10%   n/a

You could see Eddie getting in someday, but the declining totals for others makes it seem that no one earlier than him has a realistic shot of making it. Ultimo Dragon going up enough to make it this year surprises me, but I guess the Japanesse votes gave a lot more cred to his WWE stint than the rest of us.

I feel like we have the 2002 numbers around here as well, though I haven’t turned them up.
(2004 votes were out of 58 voters. 2003 data from tOA)

CMLL LH Title Match: Haven’t heard if Ultimo retained or Atlantis won the title last night. I’ll let you know.

Lucha Times to come later today.