Month: May 2006

CMLL (TUE) 05/02 Arena Coliseo Results
1) Espiritu Maligno, Karisma b Polvora, Vaquero
2) Apocalipsis, Ramstein, Super Comando b Leono, Sensei, Trueno
3) Kronos, Metro, Virus b Arkangel, Hooligan, Loco Max
4) Brazo de Plata, Lizmark, Sagrado DQ Hijo de Pierroth, Okumura, Terrible
Hijo de Pierroth low blowed Lizmark. That’s not a feud I need.
5) Rey Bucanero, Ultimo Guerrero, Universo 2000 b Dos Caras Jr., Hijo de Lizmark, Mr. Niebla
Universo pinned Dos while grabbing the ropes.

The big news: CMLL announced the participants in next week’s Gran Prix. They split it up into a Mexican team and International team, so I suspect this will be a cibernetico.

TEAM MEXICO
LA Park
Dos Caras Jr.
Dr. Wagner Jr.
Heavy Metal
Mr. Niebla
Hector Garza
Olimpico
Ultimo Guerrero

Mr. Niebla? Though I guess he’s probably better than Magno. The story will probably be how Garza and Ultimo (and everyone else) tolerates each other, as well as Park’s turn/not-turn. Looking at who’s left off, I’d suspect we get a trios main event will be something like Rey/Tarzan/Atlantis vs Perro/Damian/Aguila.

TEAM INTERNATIONAL
Ohara
Tanaka
Okumura
Milano Collection AT
Takemura
Johnny Stamboli
Marcos Corelone
Pierroth

You’d think they could’ve just pulled someone else out of the Toryumon Gym to work in Pierroth’s place, but I guess the stature of the two sides would be too uneven. Marcos Corelone is certainly Mark Jindrak doing an Italian gimmick.

I was racking my head yesterday, trying to figure out who in the Dragon-sphere ‘Tanaka’ could be. Which was my problem; it’s not someone related to Toryumon really. It’s probably Minoru Tanaka, who’ll be in North America to work as part of Team Japan in TNA that Sunday. (He did promise to come back to CMLL, but then, he was Heat at the time.) Too bad Lyger can’t stop by as well and take Pierroth’s place.

This doesn’t include Muta or Dragon, both who are scheduled for this show. So that’s probably another trios match.

Ovaciones gets around to mentioning AAA results from their TV Taping. Difference/additions then earlier reports
– Fabi Apache appeared at the end of the Gran Apache/Billy Boy match
– Charly Manson won the three way
– Mocha Cota, La Fiera, and Sangre Chicana all interfered to help Shocker, so either the Guapos is really expanding or something else is up
– Juvi, Psi II and Crazy Boy are “Los Mexican Powers”

As usual with Dragon shows, the 05/13 Dragonmania (at Arena Mexico) show will not have tickets publically sold, but it seems you’ll be able to get free tickets thru lucha mags and such.

I may have spoke too soon about only Sangre Azteca getting into NJPW’s Super Junior tournament this year. In addition to the Best of American Juniors tournament scheduled for NJPW-LA on 05/19, the same promotion will be running “La Gran Concocatoria” for the other open slot on 05/14.

I’d guess these would be mostly if not all So Cal luchadores who normally work NJPW-LA shows (and maybe a Dragon Solider #2 winning it), but I’m a horrible skeptic. We should find out more today, as they’re supposed to announce the full participation for both tournaments.

News articles
– the IWR show in Detroit this weekend is getting a fair bit of local press – read here and here (be warned that they’re newspaper articles about wrestling). It’s still only six hours from my house with a 9 PM bell time (which means I’d get home about noon the next day – and I’m still considering it!)
– el diario de Juarez has an article about a local women wrestler who’s also a soccer referee, among many other things
– Univision has an interview transcript from a recent Latin Lover TV appearance.

Rudopolis updated earlier this week and I keep forgetting to mention it. So there you go.

CMLL (TUE) 05/09 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara Lineup
1) Ray Romero vs Mileino
2) Exterminador vs Fraile de la Muerte
3) Estrella de Jalisco vs Mr. Trueno
4) Leono vs Magnum
5) Stuka Jr. vs Malefico
6) La Mascara, Sagrado, Texano Jr. vs Cien Caras Jr., el Hijo de Cien Caras, Mephisto
7) Averno vs Mistico [NWA MW]

CMLL (SUN) 05/07 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara Lineup
1) Golden vs Flama
2) Bracito de Oro, Tzuki vs Fire, Sombrita
3) Leono, Makabre, Nube Roja vs Antrax, Evola, Super Maquina
4) Sagrado, Stuka Jr. vs Cesar Dantes, Malefico
5) Blue Panther, Mr. Niebla, Texano Jr. vs Cien Caras Jr., Hijo de Cien Caras, Mascara Ano 2000

Everything on at normal times this week.

Saturday: Atomicos match to set up the Santo/Casas title challenge; Roebrt’s review said the semi-main and the main were good.

Sunday: And Mistico, Casas and Santo team up here as well.

GdR: There was some talk that someone was going to buy the TV rights to the Kid’s show, but I haven’t heard anything substantial to that. I expect it to air, with lots of kid vignetes, the main event, and I’m just guessing at the earlier match. No women’s match this week makes it tough.

CMLL (MON) 05/01 Arena Puebla Results
1) Fuerza Tiger, King Jaguar vs Ares, Super Star
2) Bobby Jack, Karissma, Murcielago DQ Centella de Oro, the Tigre, Zigma
3) Lestat, Stuka, Volador Jr. b Hijo de Gran Markus, Maniacop, Misterioso
4) Hombre Sin Nombre, Olímpico, Tarzan Boy b Satánico, Siki Osama, Volador Jr.
Both Lizmark’s no showed. Runs in the family!
5) Atlantis, Rey Bucanero, Ultimo Guerrero b Dr. Wagner, Negro Casas, Ultimo Dragon

Ovaciones hypes “Great Moutoh” coming to Arena Mexico for the Gran Prix. Are you dying in anticipation of how they spell Jindrak? Somehow, they get “Mima Shimoda” correct.

Vampiro was on Figure Four Daily on Monday. He mentioned Angel and Chessman (in particular) as guys who have some good matches in the US, but thinks most of the roster just knows how to work with each other and wouldn’t do as well wrestling other people. Vampiro is apparently handling the international aspects of AAA at the moment, and says there’s plans to go to Italy and the US later this year.

TNA’s Team Mexico is still a fluid situation. Abismo Negro was planned to be in for at least last week’s TV tapings, wrestling instead of Magno, but his visa expired a week prior. The PPV is May 14th, so hopefully they’ll get something settled by then.

Catching up on Sangre in Japan (Strong Style Spirit)
04/28: Wataru Inoue b Sangre Azteca
04/29: Jushin Liger, Jado, Gedo b El Samurai, Taguchi, Sangre Azteca [Liger brainbuster Azteca]
04/30: Jushin Liger, Jado b Sangre Azteca & Prince Devitt [Jado crossface Devitt]
05/02: Justin Liger, Jado, Gedo b Samurai, Taguchi, Sangre Azteca [Gedo clutch Azteca]
05/03: off!

Those finishes don’t look so great for him, but it’s a long tour, and you can get tired, you know? That’s totally it. The good news for him (but no one else in lucha world) is he’s among the announced participants in this year’s NJPW Super Junior tournament (05/27 to 06/18).

Block A
Jushin Liger
Minoru
El Samurai
Taguchi
Jado
Sangre Azteca
? (either the BOSJ US winner OR a name to be selected)

I think 6th is a fair expectation, but it’s possible he could beat Taguchi or Jado. Higher than 4th would probably require an injury (not cool) or the three best weeks of Sangre Azteca’s life (cool.)

Besides the Detroit indy/lucha show this Saturday, Ultimo Dragon’s apparently going to work on the East Coast a bit. That story yesterday about Ultimo Guerrero originally scheduled to face Chris Daniels has also been told as “Mistico original scheduled” in some places. I don’t know what the exact deal is, but if you remember back to the original plans for Team Mexico, Ultimo Dragon was supposed to be the contact to get UG, Rey and Mistico okay’d to come in; I’m guessing the same thing happened here, and Dragon filled in because CMLL said no or something. (I don’t know why “broken ribs” is a better story than “he was scheduled elsewhere, outside of his control”, but what do I know?)

Box Y Lucha’s articles from this past week are up.

Since it was Kid’s Day last weekend, they’ve got an article talking about the evolution of lucha catering to children. Kids (15 and under) were banned from lucha libre shows for a time, because they were imitating their favorite stars and getting hurt. Later on, they figured out they were giving up a truckload of cash, and the promoters allowed kids again.

One of the writers talks about moving to Mexico City, and desperately wanting to see El Santo vs Espanto I in a mask match, but since he was 13, they wouldn’t let him in. When he couldn’t sneak in, he hung outside Arena Mexico all night, following the match second hand, just to find out it his hero won.

Tinieblas is particular cited as a wrestler kids loved, and he explains the whole idea of Alushe was to have a mascot for the kids. Tinieblas explains he’s refraied from unnessary violence in his matches, because he doesn’t want the kids to see him covered in blood.

There’s also an article taking about Trio Fantasia – Super Rato, Super Muneco and Super Pinocho, as a group of kid-aimed gimmicks. Super Muneco gets his own article; he went to a lucha show at 4, was greeted by a clown, and it changed his life. Rambo tells a short about facing Super Muneco; his young daughter was very upset with Rambo for fighting the clown, so Rambo took her to meet Super Muneco and show it was okay. Super Muneco ended up giving his mask to her.

Kids love minis, so their history is told. They were around before the ban on wrestling on TV, but really weren’t popular till 1975 in LLI (UWA). It was really only one generation of wrestlers, and when they retired, there weren’t others replacing them. In 1991, Antonio Pena decided to reintroduce the idea, debuting Mascarita Sagrada, Octagoncito, Pirata Morgan, and Espectrito. Mascarita tells Box Y Lucha they were very nervous and worried the people wouldn’t accept it, but the kids loves them. Pierrothito points out that the average mini is a bit taller nowadays, but the children still like them.

In non-kids stuff
– a obit for Sexy Danny, who died recently of leukemia. He was originally from Acapulco and wrestling in the Mexico City area till about three months ago.
– Santo talks up a possible hair/mask match with Perro Aguayo Jr. in Merida, Yucatan, and one again says Axxel is not good enough to use the name Santo.

Running late. Can you tell? No Ovaciones news.

Slam has an article on the Detroit indy/lucha show on the 6th. (I’ve noticed no one’s taken my up on my road trip offer.) Take a look at this paragraph:

Securing Ultimo Dragon on the show came with a little misfortune. Ultimo Guerrero, originally scheduled, broke three ribs during a match in Mexico. The booking agent in Mexico helped IWR secure a new name, and when Ultimo Dragon was given as a possible alternate, he was signed.

Ultimo worked six times that I know of last week, including doing a double shot on Kids Day. Either he’s a tough, tough man (in Mexico City, it’s not like he’s getting a lot of air to start with), or something’s off there. I guess you could say “it gets worse when he takes a plane”, but you could also say “they announced Dragon months ago, and even if Guerrero was secretly hurt then, he’d probably be better by now.” Whatever.

Other news articles
– ehui.com has a general article about Arena Mexico.
– Arizona Central’s La Vez has a bio of Perro Aguayo Sr., who recently visited Pheonix. This is a “Universo gave him a tombstone and broke four vertebraes” story, be warned.
– eluniversal.com.mx has a story about wrestling boot and mask makers.

Remaining lineups for the week are at the link.k

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CMLL (SUN) 04/30 Arena Mexico Results
1) Sombra de Plata, Valiente b Ramstein, Super Comando
2) Kronos, Tigre Metalico, Virus b Arkangel, Hooligan, Loco Max
3) La Mascara, Sagrado, Satanico b Hombre Sin Nombre, Misterioso II, Nitro
4) Blue Panther, Brazo de Plata, Virus b Olímpico, Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero
Virus worked twice, filling in for Volador.
5) Damian 666, Hector Garza, Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Mr. Aguila b Heavy Metal, LA Park, Mistico, Negro Casas
The big story was Park once again not getting along with his tecnico teammates, even with Wagner not being there. In the end, the rudos won on kids day (!!!!!) and Park teased joining Perros del Mal.

AAA TV (SUN) 04/30 Plaza de Toros Monumental Nuevo Progresso de Guadalajara Results [box y lucha foro]
Flash I and Flash II, formerly of CMLL Guadalajara, worked the local opener
1) Martha Villalobos, Mascarita Sagrada 2000, Oriental, Pimpinela Escarlata ?? Cassandro, La Diabolica, Mini Abismo Negro, Psicosis II
2) Cuervo, Escoria, Espiritu, Ozz b Laredo Kid, Nemesis, Rey Cometa, Super Fly
Chessman helped his friends to win. Tecnicos all did a dive at the same time.
3) Gran Apache b Billy Boy [hair]
4) Zorro DRAW Electro Shock and Charly Manson
It went three falls and each won a fall. I think that’s a DRAW, but it wasn’t clear.
5) Cibernetico b Vampiro and Konnan and Shocker [bull terrier]
the surprise was Psicosis II, Juvi, and Crazzy Boy helping out Cibernetico. AAA and the X-LAW/NGW guys are a better fit.
6) Chessman, Muerte Cibernetica, Ron Killings DQ Intocable, La Parka Jr., Octagon
Intocable pulled Muerte’s mask.

Box & Lucha #2764’s cover is up. It has Ultimo retaining his belt and Perros bald. No articles are up.

Super Luchas #159 has a well timed interview with Cibernetico. There’s more pictures from the magazine here. Super Luchas Graphico #12 is all about Atlantis.

CMLL Magazine #47 has this week’s posters (inside, outside

There’s a ton of articles about Kids Day in Mexico, mentioning lucha libre as part of the activites. Some of the Guadalajara wrestlers visited kids in the hospital.

El Halcon #61 is up!
– Newsbits
– Interview with Dr. Wagner! Wagner feels he never changed sides, but the people changed on him. He respects the rights of those who boo him to continue to boo him. He blames the promoters for not having the vision to do a mask match against Canek or Park or Atlantis. He disputes Atlantis’ claim that he won’t sign a contract – he hasn’t been presented one. He’ll keep fighting as long as the people keep cheering for him. Dr. Wagner wants more lucha on the internet. (I’ll work on it.)
– Addicion Luchistica debates if The Fight is truth or lie, and comes to the conclusion “it was great publicity.”
– Interview with Gallo Tapado Jr. He does pose with the rooster. He explains he’s wrestling more in the US than Mexico because they pay better in the US. Seems smart enough.
– Lizmark Jr. Q&A. He feels his best match is the last title match with Ultimo, and he doesn’t mention a bad match. (He also says he has a bad memory!) Lizmark has been wrestling since 1991, and he’s won no titles and no masks.
– Interview with Arkangel. He mentions he had a cousin who wrestled, Ave Asesina, but he actually started because he wanted to strike down his brother-in-law because he didn’t think he was good enough for his sister. His brother-in-law knew karate, so he figured he had to be a luchadore to take him down. His debut was September 91 (as Arkangel, I guess), teaming with Guerrero de la Muerte & Septiembre Negro II vs Oro, Plata and Platino. He’s wrestled in Guatemala, el Salvador, Panama, Philippines, Japan (20 times), the United States (30 times) and Korea; he’s got plans to go back to Japan, the US and Italy for the first time. Having been all around the world, he knows for a fact that the best wrestling is in Mexico, of course, and the people in the US and Japan know it. He started off as “Angel de la Muerte”, but someone was using it, so he switched to Archangel. I believe he credits Solar with some of his technical training. He remembers the mask match against Angel Azteca as being very hard, and people doubting that they’d he win. When Arkangel’s not wrestling, he’s like a normal father – he goes to the supermarket like any common person.
– Results from the 04/25/06 Queretaro results
– Interview with Rambo, who was on that show. He’s thought about retiring, but he figures he’ll keep going like he’s going (a small schedule) for a long time. His toughest rival was Villano III. He thinks the kids today are very spectacular.

Vampiro is today’s guest on Figure Four Daily. I’m begging Bryan not to spend a half hour talking about the same ICP/WCW/Mike Awesome-type things that have been talked about a billion times. (Google it if you want the answers.) I wouldn’t even ask him the half-joke “do you know the rules to lucha tag matches”, because AAA certainly doesn’t use those rules.

Ideas from alternative questions

– Are there any plans for TripleMania?
– Are there are definite plans for US shows? for getting back onto US TV?
– Why did you leave CMLL? (I think I know, but I like to hear it from him, and those that don’t know will think it’s a great story)
– What did you think of all the jumping back and forth around that time – Shocker to AAA, Perro and Hector and Aguila to CMLL?
– Konnan’s said there’s no real stars in AAA of the homegrown talent – do you feel the same?
– Who do you think are the relatively unknown guys that are or should make it huge?
– Is Italy burnt out already?

No card listing; box y lucha doesn’t have it’s update yet, so I’m going to wait a day.