star rating for tonight’s show at Congress

from lowest to highest

-***, *, *, *, **, ***

And yet, they sold out the (reconfigured) building, probably out drawing that show going on in Chicago Ridge tonight. I don’t want to make an tough to defend argument, I just want to point out a lot of people paid money to see wrestling in the Chicago area tonight.

I’d do a recap if any wanted to read it, but I don’t know that I have much to say that I don’t always say or I didn’t express already. I scribbled notes on my iTouch, so I might as well type out results. Names may be wrong fro the random undercarders I’ve not seen

1) Jay? Jensen b ? Acid (not Trent Acid or Acid Jazz – two indy gringos)
2) Tigre Oriental b Silueta Azul
3) Great Malaki DCO Fuzio? (both helped to the back after a Fuzio dive)
4) Bazooka & Angel de la Muerte b Impacto & Pentagano
5) Slayer & Principe Franky b Guerrerito del Futuro & Aguila del Azteca
6) LA Park & Rey Misterio Sr. b Dr. Wagner Jr. & Infernal (no mention of Toscano all night)

note to world: sorry for not being able to track anyone down. Complete failure on my part.

CMLL CAN52 GdR #114

taped 01/18 and 01/20, aired 01/26

I should be at the lucha show as you read this, but hopefully I’ve scheduled this late enough not to interfere with the CadenaTres comments.

I presume Rey was working tecnico here because they didn’t know he was turning when they announced this match (before they announced the change in Friday’s main event), but it’s still odd that the major angle in the promotion was pretty much ignored here. This was more Perros/Corelone with two more tecnicos hanging around.

Inferanles + Virus are still good. Talk about a team that needs to go on a long winning streak…

Galavision US is airing the Best Of (Part 1), by the way. Fast recapping this week.

02/10 AAA TV Lineup (Ixtapaluca)

Previous: 01/19 (Guanajuato), 01/26 (Puebla, 1), 02/01 (Puebla, 2)

AAA TV (SUN) 02/10 Plaza de Toros de Ixtapaluca, EdM
1) Aero Star, Estrellita, Fabi Apache vs Gran Apache, La Diabólica, Mari Apache
2) Mini Charly Manson, Mini Dizzy, Octagoncito vs Mascarita de la Muerte, Mini Abismo Negro, Mini Chessman
3) Joe Lider, Juventud Guerrera, Ultimo Gladiador vs Extreme Tiger, Halloween, TJ Extreme
4) Abismo Negro vs Mr. Niebla
5) Intocable, Laredo Kid, Octagón vs Decnnis, Scorpio Jr., Zumbido
6) Alan Stone, Charly Manson, El Alebrije vs Kenzo Suzuki, Ron Killings, Zorro

The return of Mini Dizzy! Also, Laredo Kid. You’d think he’d wrestle against the guy who injured him over El Alebrije. That’s quite a wacky main event tecnico crew.

Looks like Ultimo Gladiador is the Crazy Boy fill in for now. Mascarita de la Muerte seems to be getting an extended shot as a mini.

01/29: AAA’s added Abismo Negro vs Mr. Niebla for leadership of the Vipers

Ovaciones had a whole bunch of upcoming dates earlier this week. Here’s the upcoming schedule

TAPE  MEX   US
01/19 01/27 02/16 Parque de Beisbol, Guanajuato (*)
01/26 02/04 02/23 Plaza de Toros Teziutlan, Puebla (*)
02/01 02/11 03/02 Plaza de Toros El Relicario, Puebla (*)
02/10 02/18 03/09 Plaza de Toros de Ixtapaluca, EdM
02/15 02/25 03/16 Auditorio Jose Maria Artega, Queretaro
02/23 03/03 03/23 Centro de Convenciones, Minatitlan
02/29 03/10 03/30 Plaza de Toros La Concordia, Orizaba

01/26: Mexico, lineups, GdR

The 2007 Tapatia Awards are ongoing. You can get info about the awards or fill out a ballot right now. The deadline is MONDAY

CMLL (FRI) 01/25 Arena Mexico [ovaciones, superluchas, ESTO]
1) Hooligan & Loco Max b Sombra de Plata & Trueno
2) Diamante Negro, Ephesto, Misterioso II b Felino, Neutron, Stuka Jr.
3) Alex Koslov, Sagrado, Último Dragón DQ Black Warrior, Lizmark Jr., Olímpico
4) Averno & Mephisto b Dos Caras Jr. & La Sombra [torneo, final]
5) Atlantis, Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero b Blue Panther, Marco Corelone, Místico

A banner night for rudos!

Rey is firmly back with the Guerreros del Atlantida. Rudos got a showy three on three posing submission to win the first fall, tecnicos came back to win the second, and Atlantis and UG powerbombed Panther and Corelone to win the third fall and the match. Clean win, though no pin on Mistico (he’d gotten a dive on Bucanero.) Every report says something like “Rey Bucanero is much better as a rudo, and the rudo fans are happy to have him back.”

Averno & Mephisto are surprise winners based on who the champs are. They’re a much more experienced team, so I’m not sure it’s an upset. Rudos took the first fall, Dos & Sombra came back in the second, and things got complicated in the third. Averno & Mephisto pinned Sombra, Dos got Averno with his German suplex, so it was down to Mephisto and Dos. As Dos and Mephisto battled in the corner, the two eliminated men trying to get involved. Referee Rodolfo Ruiz cut off Sombra, which allowed Averno to sneak in and yank Dos’ mask as he held Mephisto up for a press slam. Dos went to cover up, Mephisto covered him, and the team claiming to the best in the world will get an opportunity to prove it next week. Tecnicos complained to the commission after.

Note the only match the tecnicos won all night, the tercera, was won on a DQ for excessive rudo violence. Quite a night.

CMLL (TUE) 01/29 Arena Mexico
1) Super Camaleon & Super Tri vs Artillero & Súper Comando
2) Molotov, Starman, Trueno vs Arkangel de la Muerte, Loco Max, Nitro
3) Fabián el Gitano, Leono, Super Nova vs Diamante Negro, Ohara, Shigeo Okumura
4) Alex Koslov, Sagrado, Valiente vs Misterioso II, Olímpico, Sangre Azteca
5) Marco Corelone, Negro Casas, Último Dragón vs Damián 666, Mr. Águila, Texano Jr.

CMLL (FRI) 02/01 Arena Mexico
1) Ángel Azteca Jr. & Neutrón vs Calígula & Méssala
2) Mascara Purpura, Mictlán, Stuka Jr. vs Euforia, Nosferatu, Satánico
3) Blue Panther, La Máscara, Shocker vs Misterioso II, Mr. Águila, Villano V
4) Grey Shadow, LA Park, Místico vs el Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Héctor Garza, Terrible
5) Atlantis & Último Guerrero vs Averno & Mephisto [CMLL TAG]

Who’s the Grey Shadow? He appears to be following in tradition of the legendary Black Shadow. There’s been two Black Shadow Jr.’s – one who wrestled in the UWA and lost his mask to El Hijo del Santo, the other was an indy guy who may have no had permission to use the gimmick. There’s no details on the Grey Shadow besides his name being listed in the lineup, but obviously they’ve got big plans for him if they’re putting him in that spot

I didn’t know how much a rudo vs rudo main event is going to draw, but the names in the semimain should make it a non-issue. If they had done Atlantis/Rey tension in yesterday’s match, I’d be sure of a title change. Now, I have no guess.

CMLL (SUN) 02/03 Arena Coliseo
1) Sensei & Sombra de Plata vs Pólvora & Vaquero
2) Astro Boy, Metálico, Tony Rivera vs Dr. X, Hooligan, Skandalo
3) Luna Magica, Marcela, Princesa Blanca vs Amapola, Medussa, Rosa Negra
4) Damián 666, Misterioso II, Texano Jr. vs Alex Koslov, Dos Caras Jr., Último Dragón
5) LA Park, Místico, Negro Casas vs Atlantis, Black Warrior, Lizmark Jr.

CMLL CAN52 GdR #114 has
01/18 Mexico: Euforia, Nosferatu, Virus b Fabián el Gitano, Mictlán, Starman
01/20 Coliseo: Marco Corelone, Rey Bucanero, Stuka Jr. DQ Héctor Garza, Mr. Águila, Texano Jr.
Outside the ring: Nitro