Day: June 26, 2005

the big news (ovaciones): NJPW, CMLL and a unnamed United State promotion (you’d have to assume either ROH or TNA, and assume they’re not saying who to hint it might be WWE) are in talks to create a new multi-promotional super championship. Basically, it’s an attempt to recapture the prestige and status of the NWA World Title in a new belt (since presumably the old NWA Title would be off limits.)

Lots of little things aren’t touched on and the article doesn’t say the deal is done, but does give the annual NJPW January Tokyo Dome show (01/04/06 this year) as a date for either the finals of the tournament, or just the NJPW section.

I believe this is a NJPW concept which will ultimately have little long term to do with CMLL or ROH/TNA activities. They’ve pushed the concept of ‘becoming an international company [to rival WWE]’ as a huge goal for the last couple of years, and this sort of belt furthers the cause. CMLL doesn’t seem to have that desire (or one for belts), and whatever US promotion they team up probably won’t have the means. I suspect the new belt will supplant (or combine with) the IGWP Championship to become NJPW’s main crown, with CMLL getting a couple token dates and the US promotion just happy to brag that their guys were involved.

Cynicism aside, the initial tournament could be incredibly fun. The article says that each group will have mini-tournaments to decide the participants in the final title tournament, and each can do it their own way, so I’m thinking bonus cibernetico sometime this year.

CMLL (FRI) 06/24 Arena Mexico Results [superlucha]
1) Mini Pierroth & Fire vs Ultimo Dragoncito & Mini Olimpico
2) Safari, Virus, Misterioso II vs Nitro, Sangre Azteca, Dr. X
3) Dr. Wagner, Mistico, Ultimo Dragon b Averno, Mephisto, Mascara Magica
4) Rayo de Jalisco Jr, Dos Caras Jr, Hijo de Lizmark b Pierroth, Blue Demon, Hector Garza
5) LA Park, Bronco II, Elektro b GdI (Tarzan, Ultimo, Rey)
Every recap of this match, including the notes section on CMLL’s website, mentioned that Elektro looked bad. They were booing him before he started, and his performance – and Bronco, who also struggled – was not enough to turn the crowd. In the end, the tecnicos won, but the crowd was cheering for the rudos. This must’ve been the overwhelming impression of the show, because neither superplex nor Ovaciones reported much else about it. All reports had Bronco not fitting Black Tiger’s body type, so we have a mystery. O’Campo had a great line – if Bronco’s really a new star, why is he being put in the main event, and not part of the Gran Alternativa tournament?

Either CMLL has a lot of faith in Elektro, or they book next week’s show before this week’s happens, because they’re basically doing a rematch of this match next week. We’ll handle that and the other lineups on Monday.

Intocable had a steel plate attached his spine to release the pressure that was causing his paralysis on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he was able to take steps again, which sounds great. >Super Lucha’s cover includes a picture, presumably of the dropkick that injuried him.

This weekend’s lucha (TakemuraMetal @ LuchaWorld)

Taped: 1/4/05 – Arena Coliseo
Felino/La Mascara/Tigre Blanco II/Tigre Metalico/Virus vs. Averno/Dr. X/Maximo/Mephisto/Nitro (Cibernetico)
Taped: 1/7/05 – Arena Coliseo
Arkangel/Mr. Mexico/Sangre Azteca vs. Sagrado/Alan Stone/Volador Jr.
Brazo de Plata/Negro Casas/Super Parka vs. Black Tiger III/Damian el Terrible/Shigeo Okumura
Atlantis/Blue Panther/Mistico vs. Olimpico/Rey Bucanero/Tarzan Boy

The FMLL/ELL-Mex results below should have the correct names now.

Doing this from my head (bad idea), because I left my notebook in my car and I’m not going back out to it tonight. Should be mostly accurate. Show was announced as a ELL-MEX/FMLL crosspromtion for alphabet fans, and taped for local airing, though they didn’t do an espically great job of explaining which channel (maybe I’m too gringo to get it? Maybe they’re still working on it?)

Show was listed with times of 6:30 and 7:00, and bell was 7:45.

1) El Reo b Atomico [2-0]
Atomico, normally a heel with a slight exotico bent, worked as a face. This might have been a ‘dark’ match.
2) El Reo & Yakuza b Amenaza del Siglo & El Tigre [2-1]
No angle to explain El Reo working twice. Mascara de Jade was listed on the lineup but never appeared; maybe he was supposed to be the face in the opener. The red ring finally broke during this match, but thankfully everyone survived and they were able to put it back together.
3) SWAT Kat & Acero Dorado b El Dorado and Principe Azteca [2-1]
I believe that’s the correct name.
4) Cobarde & Shamu Jr b Principe Franky & Piloto Suicida [2-1]
Dos Caras’s absence on the tecnico side not mentioned. Post match angle involved setting up a California/Chicago, though Suicida stuck with his partner
5) La Parka & Blue Demon Jr. b Blue Panther & Universo 2000
Didn’t hear a reason for Rayo’s abscene, but it was pretty clear early that we were getting Demon as a replacment.

Next Show: Announced for 07/23, with Rey Bucanero and Tarzan Boy as the announced headliners.

Neither have the energy nor the passion to do a full recap, so I’ll probably grab some notes I made, discuss the show over on CW.com, and throw something up here after the fact.

Later than I promised, I know. Sorry.

Only news in Ovaciones was partial Arena Mexico results. I’ll take care of them in the morning, but the Ovaciones themes was “tecnicos doing badly, getting booed”, and Elektro and Bronco’s debuts did not get over.

Lucha on Saturday was CMLL; matches from the Colsieo exclusive span. The afternoon airing started 5 minutes later and yet ended on the top of the hour, so I figure something must’ve been cut. The replay’s airing right not, and I’ll get you a lineup tommorow, but the matches are from the 01/04 and 01/07 tapings.