Maybe…Toryumon doesn’t want ‘Mistico’ to work a Toryumon Mexico show until he makes up his DragonDoor date in Japan? I’m completely reaching at this point.
Ovaciones mentions Terrible (right eye) and Loco Max (hernia – didn’t know he was hurt) are back from their injuries.
The main article is a long interview with Villano III (though the title says II), talking about his career and the upcoming tribute show. He’ll reach 30 years of wrestling this December; he says he’s going to keep on going as long as he’s wrestling well. While the Atlantis rivalry is well known, he pegs the feud with Pegasus Kid Chris Benoit as his best.
NJPW posted lineups for their next tour, which include Lizmark and Texano Jr.
09/01: Lizmark Jr. & Texano Jr. vs Blue Wolf & Tiger Mask
09/02: Lizmark Jr. vs Yutaka Yoshie
no Texano Jr. match listed yet.
09/04: Lizmark Jr. vs Texano Jr.
09/06: Lizmark Jr. & Texano Jr. vs Masahiro Chono & Black Strong Machine
09/08: Lizmark Jr. & Texano Jr. vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Yutaka Yoshie
09/09: Lizmark Jr. & Texano Jr. vs Masahiro Chono & Hiro Saito
09/11: Lizmark Jr. & Texano Jr. vs Masahiro Chono & Tatsutoshi Goto
Since they face each other, they’re assured of not going 0 for the tour! I suspect they’ll sneak in a win on one of the tag matches as well.
In the same press conference, they confirmed Nakamura and Tanahashi will be heading to Mexico. Based on their comments, they plan on defending the IWGP Tag Team Titles, as part of the current NJPW push to make themselves a global promotion. (Oddly, CMLL’s statement contribution included claiming saying NJPW is a stronger promotion, but CMLL is bigger worldwide. Riiiight.)
Taguchi, sending word back, is apparently blending in well:
He faced Negro Casas as a rookie and that was actually his first big win, so would like to face him, and is also interested in facing Gronda, who intrigues him.
Intriguing for all the wrong reasons.
Anyway, as usual, we get more of an idea of upcoming CMLL booking from NJPW than CMLL; Nakamura and Tanahashi will be on the Anniversary show, and will participate in a 09/30 “G1 WORLD BIG SHOW” two weeks later. No details, but I’m thinking they might sort out a few things about what they’re going for with the G1 at that event. (Or they could just be more confusing and random, whatever.)
In other fun NJPW news, Black Tiger IV (Rocky Romero) is expected to win the NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship from Jason Rumble tonight, to bring in back to NJPW for a title feud with Black Tiger. However, instead of discussing that match, Tiger Mask told the press Black Tiger is participating in a tournament in Mexico to try and win that championship. Uh huh. Just to be a help to Simon Inoki, here are some fictional brackets you can pretend happened!
Virus----------
|Virus----------
Loco Max------- |
|Virus----------
Dr. X---------- | |
|Dr. X---------- |
La Mascara----- |
|Black Tiger IV
Black Tiger IV- |
|Black Tiger IV- |
Volador Jr.---- | |
|Black Tiger IV-
Sangre Azteca-- |
|Misterioso II--
Misterioso II--
See? Looks fun. NEXT, getting Psicosis II back his stripped championship…
Where this leaves the CMLL Super Light Championship, who knows. Maybe Black Tiger IV will show up with it, though that would kinda give away everything about his secret identity (unless, while we’re playing pretend, let’s say Black Tiger IV beat Rocky Romero in Kalamazoo or Arena Neza or something.)
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I spilt my drink laughing after reading the fictional brackets. New Japan did this before for a World League that never happened, just to put over Inoki some more! I’m guessing the idea is that the NWA still has some name value in Japan, and Japanese fans finding out it is around the waist of someone called Jason Rumble (who?) would kind of lower the value.
By the way, I don’t think Lizmark/Texano will sneak in victories… I think they will win most of those matches cleanly. Chono is paired with old undercarders for a reason it appears. I suppose it depends on how they view Texano. If they feel he’s more than a young lion, then they could actually win all of those except for against Tenzan & Yoshie (where Yoshie will probably pin Texano as payback for losing to Lizmark). I think Lizmark will indirectly beat Chono numerous times if the plan is to have Chono beat him in a Japan G1 vs. “Mexico G1” singles match at some point.
If Simon Inoki actually uses those brackets, it will be so amazingly greater than Meltzer’s writeup of last week’s Sunday Arena Coliseo show.;)
Rob
If Simon Inoki actually uses those brackets, it will be so amazingly greater than Meltzer’s writeup of last week’s Sunday Arena Coliseo show.;)
Rob