01/11: Mexico preview, Azteca, Neza, GDL

CMLL (FRI) 01/11 Arena Mexico
1) Molotov & Starman vs Calígula & Méssala
2) Luna Magica, Marcela, Princesa Blanca vs Amapola, Hiroka, La Nazi
3) La Máscara & Volador Jr. vs Blue Panther & Sagrado and Dos Caras Jr. & La Sombra and Rey Bucanero & Valiente and el Hijo del Perro Aguayo & Texano Jr. and Héctor Garza & Pierroth and Villano IV & Villano V and Ohara & Shigeo Okumura [torneo]
4) Pequeño Damian 666 vs Mascarita Dorada [CMLL MINI]
5) Místico, Negro Casas, Shocker vs Atlantis, Black Warrior, Último Guerrero

Notimex’s article on Mistico’s return has been picked up in a lot more places than the usual Friday preview. ESTO’s general version has nothing much different. The articles seem to be under the impression that Mistico hasn’t been wrestling all week and this is his return from injury.

A story about Mistico’s new CD/DVD has him asking fans not to pirate it. Looks like the matches are his mask win over Black Warrior and a cage match. ESTO’s version has the song list, so maybe us people who don’t live in walking distance of Arena Mexico can make our CDs off iTunes.

Vanguardia’s bio of Mistico includes rumors (and clearly indicates them as rumors) about Mistico actually being four different people. This is totally false, yet I paused to consider who would work as the three fake Misticos. Astro Boy, Volador and Flash?

Mistico is quoted as critizing Cibernetico for his relationship with TV/sex show star Sabrina, because of the bad morals it’ll teach Ciber’s young fans. Well, Mistico is a man of the church after all.

The Minis title match is hyped up in ESTO, and I’d totally steal that picture for this blog entry if I had time today. Virus has apparently passed on his half face painting techniques to the next generation.

ESTO’s notes column details Lady Apache’s right knee surgery. It took three hours to repeat ligament and meniscus damage, and actually took place on December 22. Maybe they were waiting to see how recovery started before telling anyone? Injury estimate here is 6 to 8 months. They’re going with the story that Lady Apache hurt her knee in the title match with Amapola. You may see this as excuse making, but I prefer to see this as warning to all not to mess with Amapola, or she will break you.

I don’t think we’re going to get a big official 2008 Kick Off Show, seeing as there’s no need to promote a return to Arena Mexico when they’ve been running there all winter. Unofficially, this is it – putting CMLL’s Top Three Tecnicos (in their minds) against three of their bigger rivals and a title match AND part one of long tag tournament signals CMLL is back up to 100% effort (relatively.)

I’m more hyped up in this tag team tournament than Robert sounded in the comments. I still think it’s going to Mistico and either Shocker or Negro as the eventually challengers, but there’s at least a reasonable pool of choices so far. Atlantis and UG being the champs allow the tecnico teams as a challenger, but you can also make the Perros or Villanos work too. If CMLL were interested in running tag team title matches on a regular monthly basis for the Coliseo shows, most of these teams would work for main event opponents. Ohara/Okumura aren’t at that level and Pierroth/Hector Garza is an angle masquerading as a tag team, but I’d be very happy to get something like Guerreros vs Dos/Sombra on GdR, because it might turn out to be fun.

Anyway, working backwards, if Mistico’s going to get the title shot, they’re probably going to face a rudo team coming out of this side of the bracket. Will they tease Perro vs Mistico again by having their teams in the final? I think we’re more likely to get the Villanos here, to tease their feud with the Guerreros instead.

I’m totally confident Mascarita Dorada will win the minis championship. They’ve been steadily building to this since day 1, direct enough that I don’t think they’re going to bother making this a longer chase. Damian’s been strong enough leading up to this, so he won’t lose anything by losing here, and Dorada gets crowned as the centerpiece of the division.

I hope they have a plan of what to do next. I’ve been thinking back on the year, trying to sort out my mental ballot before I get around to opening the votes, and CMLL in 2007 was marked by building up a moment for a wrestler for a couple months, and then not building or capitalizing on the momentum at all. (See: Blue Panther.) Just doing (televised) trios for the next month after this would be fine, but I hope they’ve already penciled in a date for a title rematch by the end of that month.

and maybe they’ll run a cibernetico for the Mexican Minis title this summer? That’d be neat.

In other news…

AAA (TUE) 01/01 Arena Azteca Budokan [the gladiatores]
1) Rey Diamante & Star Boy (AAA) b Clinico & Imperial
2) Principe Gitano I, Principe Gitano II, Rey Neza b Brozo, Golden Bull, Kaburra
3) Demente, Espiral Negro, Ricky Gonzalez b Cristal y Acero, Galactico, Skyderman
4) Mini Oriental b Mini Cibernetico [fan’s hair]
5) Gran Apache & Mari Apache b Rossy Moreno & Super Calo [AAA MIXED TAG]
6) Mr. Niebla & Pirata Morgan b Octagón & Oriental

I hope The Gladiatores continue to write about Azteca Budokan shows, because it seems the equivalently of the Arena Neza shows, with interesting stuff going on with the regular midcarders. It’s the Moreno’s who run this building, right?

CMLL (THU) 01/03 Arena Neza [The Gladiatores]
1) Hombre Bala Jr. & Meteoro b Bismart & Miedo
2) Astro Boy & Sombra de Plata b Artillero & Súper Comando
3) Mr. Aguilita, Pequeño Damian 666, Pequeño Halloween b Bam Bam, Electro Shock, Tzuki
4) Arkangel de la Muerte, Dr. X, Nitro b Fabián el Gitano, Felino, Leono
5) Dr. Wagner Jr., Sagrado, Shocker b Mr. Águila, Terrible, Texano Jr.

Wagner led his team to 2nd/3rd fall wins in the main. Nitro snuck in a foul on Felino the refs missed.

CMLL (SUN) 01/06 Arena Neza [The Gladiatores]
1) Black Danger & Black Heart b Iron Black & Lobo Azul
2) Chac Moll, Custodio, Piel Roja b Kripta, Lapida, Sepulcro
3) Luis Cirio, Manny Cirio, Tony Cirio b Black Bird I, Black Bird II, Rayo Tapatío I [WLL TRIOS]
4) Bravo del Norte b Rayo Tapatío II [NEZA WELTER]
5) Máximo & Rey Bucanero b Black Warrior & Ramstein

As Robert noticed elsewhere, the belts the Cirio’s were defending here very clearly said WMW on them. INDY LUCHA. Bravo del Norte retained his title in the other title match, and his belt had a big piece of tape on it, coincidentally covering where a logo or name might be.

CMLL (TUE) 01/08 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [KrisZ]
1) Magnum b Infierno
2) Satánico b Neutrón
3) Leono & Tony Rivera DQ Malefico & Máscara Mágica
4) Cien Caras Jr. b Asesino Negro
5) Damián 666, Mr. Águila, Texano Jr. b El Gallo, Rayman, Sagrado

CMLL (SUN) 01/13 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Thunder Boy vs Milenio
2) Carlo Roggi & Ebola vs Extermiandor & Valiente Mayo
3) Metal Blanco, Metalik, Metatron vs Danger (Guadalajara), El Egipcio, Infierno
4) La Máscara, Leono, Tony Rivera vs Angel Blanco Jr., Sangre Azteca, Texano Jr.
5) Rayman & Sagrado vs Atlantis & Último Guerrero [CMLL TAG]

This is culmination of a rivalry between these teams. Rayman and Sagrado are still West Tag Team champs and might have defended their titles against this Guerrero team already.

Mr. Reyes’ photos of last night’s IWRG card include Japanese wrestler “Kalimari” now unmasked. I don’t think we ever confirmed who it was, but that should help. Oficial Fierro beat one of the Ninja Turtles in the three stage cage match.

SuperLuchas says the NOAH guys will be in AAA on 02/01 for the Puebla taping. That’s a Friday, and I wonder if there’s a yet to be announced Sunday taping too.