08/03: main lineups

(the rest of the news is to come)

CMLL (FRI) 08/03 Arena Mexico
1) Shockercito & Tzuki vs Pequeno Violencia & Pierrothito
2) Dark Angel, Diana la Cazadora, Lady Apache vs Amapola, Hiroka, Mima Shimoda
3) Heavy Metal, Sombra, Stuka Jr. vs Averno, Ephesto, Mephisto
4) Alex Koslov, Dr. Wagner Jr., Volador Jr. vs Atlantis, Sangre Azteca, Ultimo Guerrero
5) Blue Panther, Mistico, Negro Casas vs Hector Garza, Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Lizmark Jr.

Tonight’s big focus is on Perro (and Lizmark)’s return to the ring. Figure Perro gets a win to restart with, probably by cheating Panther since that’s the way things have been going for him. We’re still far enough away from the anniversary where CMLL doesn’t actually need to have a direction, and it’s not like they’ve been doing other major shows in between this year. Anytime Mistico teams with Negro, I wonder if they’re setting up something with the tag titles, but it’s equally likely (read: not very) they could do something with this tecnico trio challenging for the Perro’s CMLL Trios belts. Most likely, they’re just going to try to coast off the momentum of Perro being back in the ring.

The semimain is all about the continuing Wagner vs Ultimo feud. I think that one will have some sort of short term climax, maybe a singles match at some point soon, but I don’t actually know anything.

Ovaciones and NotiMex have the usual previews. ESTO profiles Perro Jr’s return and has a fun interview with Ultimo Guerrero, where he states
– Atlantis warned him about teaming with Dr. Wagner, but Ultimo made the mistake of trusting Dr. Wagner. Now, CMLL’s not big enough for the both of then.
– Ultimo vows to retire before he ever teams with Mistico
– Ultimo says Perro Jr. got the benefit of his father’s name and hasn’t learned a wrestling hold. If Perro’s going to be around, Ultimo wants to get his team another shot at the trios titles.

Meanwhile, AAA’s taping in Queretaro

AAA TV (FRI) 08/03 Auditorio Jose Maria Artega de Queretaro
1) Mascarita Divina & Octagoncito vs Mini Abismo Negro & Mini Histeria
2) Aero Star, Pegasso, Rey Cometa, Super Fly vs Cuervo, Espiritu, Scoria, Toxico AAA
3) Alfa, Apache, Fabi Apache vs Cinthia Moreno, Laredo Kid, Oriental
4) Alan Stone, Super Calo, Zumbido vs Crazy Boy, Extreme Tiger, Joe Lider
5) Elegido, Intocable, Zorro vs Abismo Negro, Antifaz, Histeria
6) Charly Manson, Chessman, Cibernetico vs Kenzo Suzuki, Ozz, X-Pac

(more about this show here)

This is being touted as Intocable’s return. It’s the 5th straight taping with a Hell Brothers vs Foreign Legion themed main event, and 12 out 13 since Rey de Reyes. (The other was AAA Tecnicos vs Foreign Legion.)

AAA always hypes “surprises” for their shows. Usually, I just figure that means “run-ins”, but Ovaciones today revealed AAA plans on creating their own World Heavyweight Championship, and the process for determining the champion would seem to be announced on this show. (For the love of all that’s holy, do not do a league again.) Ovaciones also mentions AAA will downplay or drop other World Title belts that are hanging around.

I am 100% behind this idea, and have been expecting it since Konnan got involved. I’m all for adding titles if it means we’re getting rid of more pointless ones. If I got to make these decisions, I think I’d say

DELETE
– AAA Campeon de Campeones (held by Cibernetico – a previous kinda attempt at this same concept)
– GPCW Super-X Monster Title (held by La Parka Jr. – it can disappear till the next time Juvi runs a show)
– AAA Americas Belt (shows up once a year with Sangre Chicana)
– UWA Light Heavyweight (let it float back to Monterrey, but not on TV unless they’re taping there) and any other UWA belt I can’t think of (Miss Janeth’s Women’s title, if she still has it)
– Any IWC or WWA belt which may or may not still exist. Any belt that I don’t mention below.

PUT ON THE SHELF
– Mexican Heavyweight Championship (Charly Manson; eventually, you can use it as a secondary title, but it confuses the issue when you’re trying to make up a new belt)
– Any Mexican National Championship Octagon or La Parka Jr. holds – the Cruiser belt may be lost in some closet, let’s leave it there. They haven’t done a thing with the Middleweight Title since Octagon won it, that’s perfect. The new AAA Tag belts have supplanted the Mexican ones, which is exactly right. All this needs to be taken a step further – you don’t have to vacant them if the wrestlers insist, but don’t make any references to these belts. It’s a bigger deal for someone to win a championship if they don’t already have two other ones they don’t care about.

KEEP
– AAA Heavyweight
– AAA World Tag (Crazy Boy & Joe Lider – would like to see more with this, but it’s fine enough so far)
– Mexican Atomicos Title (La Secta – though they’ll probably want to upgrade this to World at some point)
– AAA Mascot Tag Titles (Alebrije, Cuije – not wild about these, but they work fine enough)
– AAA Mixed Tag Titles (Oriental, Cinthia – only as long as they’re doing something with them)

That’s five. Five is usually plenty, though the those two special tags make it seem not as much. I’m anticipating that the end result of Mascarita Sagrada 2000 issues with AAA will be him walking off with the National Title and Mini Histeria winning a new AAA Minis Title (though there’s the difficulty of doing two new titles at once.) I wouldn’t be surprised by women’s title or some sort of cruiser/middleweight midrange getting added down the road either.

Wow, I wrote way too much about that, without even spitballing ideas for who’d win the new title. (It’s going to be Mesias vs Cibernetico, obviously.)