05/30-06/01 lucha times

site advisement: I’m thinking about dumping MovableType and moving my blog software over to WordPress Friday night. MovableType has just been awful for me lately, and I rather try something else than try. I’m not really worried about doing the software change, it’s a matter of finding out if I actually will have time on Friday to do it, and not wanting to disrupt the usual Saturday discussion thread. (In a perfect world, I’d do it tomorrow, but I’m going to the game.)

Best case would be the site being up Saturday morning, but looking different, without all the sidebar links right away, and possibly the comments flowing a little different. But I haven’t decided if I’m doing it or not.

Anyway, if the site looks weird on Friday night, I’m working on it. And never be your own system admin.

box

AAA-US: Zorro gets a match versus Cibernetico to earn the right to fight Cibernetico. That actually makes more sense than Hart Foundation Dos vs Crazy/Juvi and Bello Stones vs FdT (instead of, say, Jack/Teddy vs Alan/Calo.)

CAN52: wherin we decide the bigger sure disaster – Los Perros members Averno & Mephisto teaming with Olimpico, or Luna Magica trying an Asai Moonsault.

FSE-US: After yet another replay of Sangre/Shadow. “Atlantis vs Shocker” means the main event from the 05/04 show (probably) and Bronco III making his US TV debut. US is now three weeks behind Mexico.

—-

CMLL: Depends on how much time they give the tag team tournament – might get the tercera, might not.

AAA-MEX: Quick turn around on Reina de Reinas. Kenzo Suzuki does wrestle, but in the main event, not the tournament (sadly.)

FSE-MEX: It seems like the Alex/Rey feud is tracking on this show, so we should be on the title match here. Also, Hooligan makes TV.

Cadena3: a packed crowd! A real Nitro main event – actually, no, there was a clean finish and the nWo wasn’t involved.

05/30 Arena Mexico Lineup Changes

CMLL quietly put up a new lineup for Friday’s card. There’s no note on the news page, you’d only see if you checked their lineup page. One team in tournament is gone, Perro’s off his group, and the extra trios match has the left overs.

CMLL (FRI) 05/30 Arena Mexico
1) Astro Boy & Molotov vs Calígula & Méssala
2) Dark Angel, Lady Apache, Marcela vs Amapola, Hiroka, Princesa Sujei
3) Blue Panther, Dos Caras Jr., Místico vs Averno, Ephesto, Mephisto and Sagrado, Sombra, Volador Jr. and Villano III, Villano IV, Villano V [CMLL TRIOS, torneo, sf]
4) Heavy Metal, Marco Corelone, Shocker vs Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Mr. Aguila, Terrible
5) Héctor Garza, LA Park, Negro Casas vs Atlantis, Lizmark Jr., Último Guerrero

The two guys most likely to be added to the tecnico side for the cage match are both on teaming with Heavy Metal this week. Perhaps they’ll add both of them and Aguila to make it a ten man cage match.

At least the Mex Trios champs get the deserved tournament shot. Not that I expect they’ll get past one round. If the Perros and Heavy’s team are out, who do we have left for next week?

– a Guerreros team without Atlantis (since he’s got plans for the June show already)
– uh…maybe this week’s main event tecnico team (even though it feels like we’re due for another Park turn?)
– another under tecnico high flyer team?
– Rebeldes Tuareg? Nuevo Infernales?

If you recall, Averno & Mephisto dumped Ephesto when they joined the Perros, so there’s no way they should be teaming with him here. However, they’ve been teaming with Ephesto like nothing happened at the spot shows, so it’s no big surprise it eventually happened in Mexico City.

In non-tournament replacements, Lizmark Jr. replaces Toscano, who’s MIA again. It’s not a good sign when someone decides Lizmark Jr. is a better shot to show than you.

I’m with Rob on this – someone(s) at CMLL did the lineup for this Friday, and didn’t figure out the lineup for this June 13th show until later on. As a result, everyone in the cage match is now out of the trios tournament with no explanation. They wouldn’t actually be available if they made it to the finals (they’re already in the cage on the same night) and including them was a giveaway that they were losing this week.

Bryan Alvarez recently had an ex-WWE writer on his Figure Four Daily show, and he mentioned WWE’s philosophy is to build backwards from WrestleMania, and then backwards from the last PPV, so everything is laid out when thinking off how it sets up the PPV, and the hottest show is supposed to be the one leading directly into the PPV. People say lots of lucha libre is backwards, and I don’t always disagree, but it sure feels like the creative process works that way. They may have an idea for a major show, but they build forward to it and don’t seem to plan out anything in between until it’s that week. And the product suffers as a result.

05/28: GDL, Mexico



CMLL

CMLL (SUN) 05/25 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [cmll]
1) Thunder Boy b Ebola
2) Oro II & Virgo b Danger (Guadalajara) & Valentin Mayo
3) Exterminador, Güero Loco, Super Maquina b Lider, Metatron, Nube Roja
4) Casanova, Gallo, Rayman b Infierno, Malefico, Vaneglis
5) Black Warrior, Mr. Trueno, Toscano b La Sombra, Máximo, Sagrado
6) Atlantis & Universo 2000 b el Hijo del Perro Aguayo & Texano Jr.

Atlantis actually got Perro Jr. clean with the Atlantida here.

CMLL (TUE) 05/27 Arena Mexico [cmll]
1) Artillero & Súper Comando b Rayo Tapatío I & Rayo Tapatío II
2) Mascarita Dorada, Pequeño Olímpico, Tzuki b Pequeño Damian 666, Pequeño Halloween, Pequeño Warrior
3) Diamante Negro, Ephesto, Misterioso II b Máximo, Stuka Jr., Super Nova
4) Averno, el Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Mephisto b La Máscara, La Sombra, Negro Casas
5) Blue Panther, Místico, Shocker b Nitro, Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero

Panther beat Ultimo one on one in the main event, a little bit of an upset. Nitro replaced Toscano, so still no GdI teamup. At least Toscano waited until after his hair match to miss a show. Super Nova replaced Mascara Purpura, who seems to be more of a ghost than Hijo de Fantasma. Mini tecnicos swept their match.

Ovaciones says Jucio Final, the 06/13 show, will also feature a tribute to Atlantis. His celebration of his 25th anniversary doesn’t seem like it’ll be the four way mask match that’s been suggested, but he’ll get something on that that show.

Ovaciones also previews the IWRG’s title match rich card tonight (tag titles, welterweight, Mexico State trios, and the debut of the totally unnecessary lightweight title), a preview of Friday’s AAA TV taping (including Vampiro looking out of his mind) and previews of smaller cards.

In Reforma (via Jazzo), Shocker tries to talk his way into the Jucio Final cage match, noting the uneven numbers and his success in hair matches. That sounds pretty likely. Also, Mascarita Ano 2000 continued his press tour to speak out against the fake Mini Capos who are stealing his and Mini Universo’s bookings.

Both SuperLuchas and RFC say Monterrey’s Caifan 69/Caifan I is headed in to CMLL.

There’s a message board post on SML saying the DF Commission will not allow AAA President Joaquin Roldan to second Cibernetico, because he’s not a licensed wrestler. I actually can see their point.

Box Y Lucha has an interview with AAA’s Chief of Medical Services, talking about Charly Manson’s injury in details.

Noticas Oaxaca has a bio of local wrestler El Coyote III.

CMLL LLVIP (SUN) 06/01 Arena Coliseo Monterrey [RFC]
1) Dranser, Scravos, Turbina vs Memo Valles, Nightmare, Voltaje Negro
2) Drallion & Mascarita Dorada vs Furor & Mini Hator
3) Hijo del Tureno & Silver Star vs Androide & Potro Jr.
4) Solar I vs Negro Navarro [SALVADOR AMERICA]
5) Héctor Garza & Volador Jr. vs Diluvio Negro II & Pierroth

I’m going to guess that title match will be a draw.

AAA (SUN) 06/01 Arena Solidaridad [Javier Gonzalez @ LMDLL]
1) Aguila Extrema vs Black Rider
2) Baby Fox, Panterita, Rey Imagen vs Ares, Jorobado I, Jorobado II
3) La Momia, Mini Charly Manson, Sexy Star vs Cinthia Moreno, Mascarita de la Muerte, Pimpinela Escarlata
4) Oriental & Super Fly vs Cuervo & Escoria
5) El Alebrije, Octagón, TDN vs Electro Shock, Ozz, Pirata Morgan