Day: June 11, 2008

Jucio Final Preview

thecubsfan 16 Comments

(in case I forget to say it yesterday, lucha times is being postponed until tomorrow on account of bleacher tickets. Also, I wrote this before Mistico’s status became iffy.)

TripleMania has the better card, but TripleMania should have the better card. It’s their big show of the year, this is only the summer cage match show they usually remember to do. That doesn’t excuse CMLL from one again seeking the minimal possible Big Card, but I’d be more upset if this was the 75th Anniversary card.

While the stories and feuds aren’t there, the match quality might be. There’s more matches that have a chance to be a bunch of fun than other recent CMLL shows.

CMLL (FRI) 06/13 Arena Mexico
1) Flash, Máscara Púrpura, Stuka Jr. vs Arkangel de la Muerte, Loco Max, Skandalo

Like this one. This is the protypical CMLL big show opener, a match featuring high flying tecnicos versus rudos just there to catch them. All three tecnicos really were passed over by Hijo del Fantasma (and La Mascara, to a lesser extent) when it came to pushing a new young guy and probably should have some gripes with that. This should be a nice tecnico win to start the show off, and we can sure we’ll see a Purpura shooting star press.

2) Grey Shadow, Sagrado, Valiente vs Averno, Ephesto, Mephisto

Valiente seemed about to springboard into a big push until he springboarded into the floor and broke his wrist. Will he get to pick off where he left off? Any one of the three tecnicos could benefit from being Averno’s next project (he unified the middleweight belts! no one cares!) or perhaps they the Triad of Terror could actually be getting back together. I think this is a tecnico win. I’m not really sure about that, but I am sure this also should be a good match.

3) Dr. Wagner Jr., La Sombra, Volador Jr. vs Atlantis, Rey Bucanero, Ultimo Guerrero

The Doctor is in. And waving to the fans while being punched. I know the idea here is we’re supposed to be Atlantis/Wagner here (soon to be a double mask main event with Octagon/Fuerza Guerrera) and I they’re also hinting as GdA being the first challengers for the winners of the tournaments, but the most interesting possibility to me is GdA being challengers for the other set of trios titles to mix things up. Two of the champs are here, and if there’s chances for them to do their stuff during the Wagner lovefest (and if the fans aren’t burned out with three straight matches of high flyers), this could be pretty fun. I’m with the Guerreros, and hopefully that’ll go better this week.

4) Blue Panther, Dos Caras Jr., Místico vs Hector Garza, Hijo del Fantasma, La Mascara [CMLL TRIOS]

I still don’t believe in the future for this titles, but the present is going to be pretty interesting. We’ve gone from Mistico & Garza being insta-friends to Mistico accusing Garza of stealing from to Mistico and Garza bragging about proving they can get along after all. That might be a bit harder after this one, and the story coming out of this will certainly how those two act towards each other during the match. I presume Garza and his guys will be leaning rudo during this match, but that’s not for sure.

My guess is this a higher profile version of the Kid’s Day match. Probably not in the style, but in the attempt at establishing Fantasma and Mascara as bigger stars, but by coming up just short. (Mascara needs to get a new name if he’s getting his push, by the way.) The other team has the guys CMLL pushes as the best technical wrestler, the most powerful wrestler and the most agile wrestler in the promotion, which seems like an unbeatable trio. Not to mention the possibilities for future matches.

5) el Hijo del Perro Aguayo vs Damián 666, Mr. Águila, Terrible, Texano Jr., Shocker, Marco Corelone, Heavy Metal, Negro Casas, Alex Koslov [cage, hair]

Let’s see: Perro’s not losing his hair. Shocker’s not losing his hair. Marco Corelone’s not losing his hair. Alex’s not losing his hair while he’s working with TNA. The other six have a least a shred of possibility but it’s not a huge deal if they lose. Still, I think there’s a little pressure not to have a Damian lose and prove everyone right about CMLL’s lame booking.

I don’t think much of the match – 10 guys in one ring brawling for a while isn’t going to work most of the time – but I have this feeling Negro Casas might be taking the fall. He’s been winding down his schedule quite a bit lately, but he’s still Negro Casas so it’d mean a little bit and it’d allow them to continue the Heavy Metal/Perro Aguayo story they seem to have latched onto.

What are your picks? I’ll preview TripleMania tomorrow.

Mistico’s Jucio Final Status Unclear Until At Least Thursday

thecubsfan 3 Comments

In an interview with Notimex, Mistico says that’s when his doctor’s visit is. It sounds like they’d like him to rest for ten days but he wants to get cleared to at least do the title match.

The injury was suffered Monday in Matamoros, and Mistico blames it on a poor ring. No idea on who’d substitute for him.

Laredo Kid Out 4 To 6 Months

thecubsfan 6 Comments

El Manana has an article on Laredo Kid. His injury is a broken tibia, so he’s gone for a good long while.

It didn’t occur to me when the injury was reported, but when Laredo suffered this injury it was part of a six way cage match. According to this recap, the Sect must’ve all left after Laredo got hurt but before any one realized how bad it is. The idea obvious was to have Laredo get the hair win over Sangre, but you can’t actually climb out of the cage with a broken leg. This is actually a great reason for CMLL’s “last two to a pinfall/submission” bit – Sangre could’ve just rolled himself up for a pin – but that also wasn’t an option here.

Instead, Sangre just said he didn’t want Laredo to lose his mask because he got hurt, and took a loss by forfeit. Laredo got helped out of the cage and Sangre got his head shaved. Fans were not pleased with the cop out finish.

This interview with Charly Manson says AAA pays some sort of monthly stipend and was hoping AAA would take care of his medical expenses. Probably the same situation here.

06/11: Mexico, Konnan, Torreon

thecubsfan 10 Comments

CMLL

CMLL (TUE) 06/10 Arena Mexico [Superluchas]
1) Pequeño Violencia, Pequeño Warrior, Pierrothito b Peqeuno Maximo, Pequeno Ninja, Último Dragoncito
2) Lady Apache, Marcela, Sahori b Hiroka, Medussa, Mima Shimoda
3) Fabián el Gitano, Mictlán, Súper Nova b Bronco III, Nitro, Virus
4) Felino, Heavy Metal, Hijo del Fantasma b Black Warrior, Sangre Azteca, Satánico
5) La Máscara, La Sombra, Volador Jr. b Averno, Ephesto, Mephisto

Mistico appeared but did not wrestle due to a hurt wrist. Superluchas reports says he’s expected to work on Friday, but CMLL’s recap is less committed. Good thing Volador just happened to have tonight free.

Stories on Mr. Niebla’s jump: notimex and ESTO. No new details. Oddly, CMLL’s website still doesn’t list the card for Sunday, just listing it’s a special Father’s Day show in Arena Mexico.

Konnan’s everyone in AAA is a clown or a dancer and sucks bit got picked up in news coverage again. Interesting way to lead into TripleMania. Konnan’s quoted as saying CMLL has better wrestlers, but they can’t create new stars. The only people Konnan sees as stars are Konnan, Cibernetico, Mesias and Zorro in AAA and Mistico, Dr. Wagner Jr., and “maybe” LA Park in CMLL. Putting aside the thousands of Perros del Mal shirts disagreeing with him, it’s a funny slip of the tongue that he lists the other La Parka and not the one he’s currently feuding with. Konnan brings Parka Jr. up later, so he probably just forget here. He brought up Perro Jr. earlier too.

I know Konnan sees this as speaking in character on behalf of the evil Legion, and he’s probably saying more than this and it’s probably supposed to set up Cibernetico or Roldan talking about how Konnan’s a liar and there’s a lot of great talent in AAA, but the only thing that ever gets attention out of this is one of the leading stars in AAA saying how AAA isn’t as great as it once was and lucha libre isn’t as great as it was (as when he was when just taking off.) That’s dumb, and it’d dumb everytime it happens. If all the AAA wrestlers are awful, why should we be impressed when the Legion beats them?

CMLL (SAT) 06/14 Plaza de Toros Torreon [el siglo de torreon]
1) Espacial & Scriba Jr. vs Moro Jr. & Oso Negro
2) Espanto V & Tackle vs Ministro de la Muerte I & Ministro de la Muerte II
3) Mini Maximo & Último Dragoncito vs Pentagoncito & Ultimo Guerrerito
4) La Sombra, Sagrado, Volador Jr. vs La Máscara, Máscara Púrpura, Valiente [MEX TRIOS]
5) Atlantis & Blue Panther vs Rey Bucanero & Último Guerrero

Paper erroneously lists the title match as for the CMLL World Titles. Maybe it would be if Valiente had stayed healthy. This is Sombra big homecoming match. Ultimo Guerrerito = $$$. UG is actually working AOL on Thursday, coming back to Arena Meixco on Monday, and heading back to Torreon on Saturday.