Day: August 22, 2006

–Roberto Rangel, a fixture at a referee for CMLL dating back to 1953, passed away this morning due to complications from diabetes. (thanks to Steve “Dr. Lucha” Sims)

– WrestlingObserver.com

There’s a thread on box y lucha here

Back in January, Box Y Lucha had an article about Rangel (sometimes listed as Guëro Rangel) being out of the ring due to injury. I recall there was some publicity after because he was not in the best of financial situations. There was a benefit show held for him (and Solitario) in April, and there was announced one to happen at Arena Coliseo coming up in October (which I presume will go on to help his family.)

Among the famous matches Rangel refereed as part of CMLL was the Santo/Espanto I mask match. Both men bled quite a bit (“their masks turn red with blood” is the usual description), Espanto was caught in the camel clutch and would not give, but Rangel stepped in and stopped the match because of what shape Espanto was in.

Rangel is credited with recuriting Lizmark into lucha libre and coming up with the Espectro gimmick.

Like many referees, he started out as a wrestler, but he was too small. If you search thru this thread, it says Rangel wrestled at 48kgs (105lbs) and never won, so it was an easy switch to make when the referee position was offered to him.

Outside of the ring, Rangel also ran the first Super Luchas magazine (a predecessor to the one Ernesto Ocampo runs nowadays) and wrote for Box Y Lucha at other times, mostly focusing on the history of lucha libre.

CMLL (MON) 08/21 Arena Puebla Results
1) Siki Osama Jr., Super Star b Ares, Mr. Rafaga
2) ?, Asturiano, the Tiger b Espiritu Maligno, Toro Bill, Toro Bill Jr.
3) Fabian el Gitano, Lestat, Tigre Rojo b Blade, Canek Jr., Furia Chicana
4) La Mascara, Mascara Purpura, Maximo b Hombre Sin Nombre, Misterioso II, Terrible
5) Heavy Metal, La Mascara, Mistico DQ Black Warrior, Olimpico, Ultimo Guerrero
La Mascara worked twice to replace Negro Casas, who’s been out injuried since Friday (so why didn’t they send a replacement?)

Guerreros del Ring #49 has a cover of…Silver King. I guess it was too late to change their cover.

MLS team LA Galaxy will be having pre-game lucha libre matches before their 09/02 game versus the Kansas City Wizards.

Victor recapped FSE and GALA AAA shows. Jose Payan recapped the FSE show on f4wonline.com and would really like some feedback. (So would Victor, I’m sure!) The glamorous life of recapping lucha libre television on the web is neither glamorous nor something indicating a life.

El Halcon #68 is up!
– Interview with Shocker. He would’ve led his team to the win in the TNA X Cup, but he a bunch of young guys. He also says he’s headed back in to TNA in two weeks. He feels like he’s too big (weight-wise) to be in the X-Division, but he’s not big enough to be in the Heavyweight Division, so to the X he goes. Shocker’s very complimentary towards CMLL, and makes it sound like he left CMLL to go straight into rehab and AAA picked him up on the rebound.
– Results from Arena Queretaro 08/08

CMLL (TUE) 08/08 Arena Queretaro Results
1) Pantera Gris b El Rojo
2) Ozuno, Ursus b Drabek I, Drabek II
3) Chamaco Valaguez Jr., Sensei b Neurosis, Startron
4) Hijo de Pierroth, Misterioso II, Sangre Azteca b Felino, La Mascara, Maximo
5) Dr. Wagner Jr. b LA Park

The biweekly Arena Queretaro show should be today, but I haven’t seen a lineup. Mistico is going to on it, I think.

– Interview with Los Dragones de Oriente. This is one where the text is in graphics so I can’t just hit the translate button and have to read and think and guess. Actual work is so tough. Anyway, this is a bio piece.

– Results from an AAA house show
AAA (SAT) 08/05 Auditorio Arteaga, Queretaro Results
1) Atomico, Dance Boy, Red Star Jr. b Money Pack, Pony, Cometa de Fuego
2) Picudo & Silver Cat b Hijo de Anibal & Dragon de Oriente I
When you’re losing to Picudo and Silver Cat, isn’t it time to give up the Hijo de Anibal name?
3) Martha Villalobos & Cinthia Moreno b Miss Janeth & Rossy Moreno
4) Electroshock, Histeria, Kaoma Jr. b Super Fly, Nemesis AAA, Rey Cometa
Electro snuck in a foul on hometown boy Rey Cometa and got the win
5) La Parka Jr. & Dos Caras DQ Muerte Cibernetica & Chessman
Muerte’s foul on Parka was noticed, and so his team lost. He and Chessman were not getting along as partners. Dos Caras replaced Vampiro.
– Short Bio of Gallo Tapado Sr.
– There should be an Olimpico article, but it’s missing. Too bad.