08/25: WB/CMLL tieup

Ovaciones: CMLL has signed a one year image licensing deal with Warner Brothers. It covers rights for official shirts/jerseys, hats, action figures, games, cartoons and comic books for twenty wrestlers. Wrestlers listed are Mistico, La Mascara, Terrible, Perro Aguayo Jr., Damian 666, Hector Garza, Negro Casas, Averno, Mephisto, Ultimo Dragon, Dr. Wagner Jr., Hijo de Lizmark, Dos Caras Jr., Tarzan Boy, Rey Bucanero, Black Warrior, Sagrado, Mr. Aguila, and Atlantis.

It seems as though this is an attempt to official license CMLL merchandise for (most of) the top stars, so CMLL can push the fans away from the bootleg stuff and towards the items the wrestlers (and the promotion) actually get income from. By licensing it out, CMLL only has to worry about promoting the wrestlers; WB takes care of the merchandise for them. The article states that this is primarily going to be about shirts and action figures (no luck on an AVERNO comic book, I guess.) Masks do not appear included in the agreement; maybe they just figure there’s no chance to compete with the bootlegging there. No mention of financial terms.

Notable omissions from the list: LA Park (independent?), Heavy Metal (independent?), Pierroth, Universo 2000, Canek (independent), Blue Panther, Olimpico, Satanico (they may have preferred younger more colorful guys), Volador Jr., Halloween (independent/injury?), Mr. Niebla (official sign he’s out of the company again?), Terrible (has appeared in commercials so probably has someone already taking care of his image). Santo has his own deal with Cartoon Network. Nacho Libre is a Warner Brothers film, which may partly explain how they got involved here.

The merchandise will start going on sale the second week of September. To promote it, Paco Alonso says the five Friday shows in September will be special events, and the anniversary show (on 09/15) will start early to be a longer show than usual.

Paco Alonso also says they’re in talks with Latin Lover, and Latin wants to join CMLL soon.

Both CMLL.com and NOTIMEX’s preview of tonight’s Arena Mexico card bring up Perro breaking the Leyenda de Plata plaque, which makes me happy. NOTIMEX likes Heavy Metal, Rey Bucanero (“the idol of the ladies” – oh no, he IS John Cena), Ultimo Guerrero and Misterioso II in the match.

AAA still hasn’t updated their site. I can tell you that they’re doing a AAA vs TNA theme for the Verano de Escándalo show. Names have been mentioned, but they’ll change between now and October.

Zumbido appears to be MIA.

WWE is claming their 09/20 Mexico City show (Palacion de los Deportes, ~18,000 seats) sold out in 1 hour 53 minutes. (That doesn’t include pre-sales.) Tickets are still available on the other tour stops in Guadalajara, Tijuana and Monterrey. Speaking of WWE tours, Rey Mysterio collects exotic colognes as he tours around the world. He must have a pretty good system to prevent them from breaking in his suitcase, or that’d be a stinky hobby.

indy (SUN) 08/20 Arena Queretaro Results
1) Luminoso b Stranger
2) Fuira Dorado Jr. b Hombre Sin Rostro
3) El Rebelde & Drabek II & Pantera Gris b Neurosis I & Neurosis II & Star Tron
4) Caligula, Mesala, Macabro b Soberano Jr., Ursus, Polvora
5) Vaquero b Lince [hair]
Lince got hurt in the final fall. They had to stop the match, but Lince shaved his hair anyway.

This Sunday, Queretaro runs a Artillero & Super Comando vs Ozuno & Sombra de Plata match for Artillero & Super Comando’s Queretaro Tag Team championship.

At a CMLL show this week, Mini Damian 666 & Mini Halloween came to the ring looking hurt, and asking the crowd for money to help take care of their injuries. After getting money from some fans, Mini Damian revealed they were actually not hurt, but in fact rich and planning to use this money to buy tacos. (They were beat soundly by the tecnico minis.)

I forgot to do lucha times. I’ll try to fix that later today.