Month: April 2009

04/25: notes

thecubsfan 59 Comments

Not a lot in the way of new news this morning. In Ovaciones, Guerrero del Futuro is quoted as saying this weekend’s cancellations came at request of the government. Refunds aren’t being given out to Monday, probably in an effort to keep people home a bit longer.

Today’s TV ratings in Mexico are probably going to be the highest in a long time. Can’t do much else today.

The Yucatan area AAA promoter, Juan Diego Arjona, is coming to the defense of AAA in that case of the Cancun promoter putting a fake under the Abismo Negro mask. Arjona explains that they usually check to see if everyone’s made it the morning of the show and call back to Mexico City for a replacement if necessary, but if that can’t be done, he always is up front with the fans about who’s no there and the reason if he knows it. He’d never put someone out there as a fake version of someone else, and AAA wouldn’t want him to. Arjona is worried that his business will be hurt by bad promoting elsewhere.

(MT, ESTO)
Earlier this week, CMLL had a press conference for Que Viva la Lucha Libre, a 50 week series of collectible magazines covering the history of lucha libre. It’s being promoted by CMLL, which will surely affect the story that’s told (they are following the “75 years of lucha libre” line), but they promise to cover independents as well, and Dr. Wagner Jr. being on the cover of week one – on sale Monday, maybe – seems to indicate CMLL doesn’t have total control. The writers spent 3 years researching the project, so there’s probably a lot of good stuff here, though doing it over the course of 40 magazines makes it a little harder ot get it all than one book (maybe they’ll do that at the end.) There’s also a card game that goes with the whole package, and Hablando de Catch has great photos from the press conference of Terrible, Texano, Shocker, Felino and Fabian trying to play it.

There’s a website for the magazine, and even a way to subscribe, but I don’t see a way to do it for the US.

Record posts the backstory for their upcoming May 8th Record vs Perros show in GDL. The idea is Record just happened to be having a photo shoot with all these guys and things broke down from there.

WagnerMania looks back at Ola Blanca.

Cesar looks at Flash and Felino.

There’s an exhibit of lucha libre photographs in Guadalajara.

Not sure if we’ll get lineups today. Also not so sure what to do with the lineups that are being canceled – just take them all down?

Major Mexico City area lucha shows canceled this weekend

thecubsfan 16 Comments

Various outlets have this story, but I’ll point you to the Record story because it’s got the most complete list of cancellations I’ve seen. Shows listed as canceled include

  • Tonight’s Arena Mexico show – tickets can be turned in for a refund or for next week’s show
  • Sunday’s Arena Coliseo show
  • IWRG’s shows on Saturday and Sunday
  • AAA’s spot shows in Mexico City this weekend – being rescheduled for later

The cause of all this is a massive swine flu outbreak in Mexico City. At least 60 people are believed to have died as a result of this flu already. It passes from coughing and sneezing, so large gatherings are a bad idea. Schools are being shut down, it’s that sort of thing.

Record says that’s the only other time a Friday night Arena Mexico show was canceled was the 1985 earthquake. It’s not a good sign that we can compare this outbreak this to a natural disaster. Hope everyone in Mexico City reading this takes care of themselves this weekend. If this had to happen, at least it didn’t happen next week with all the Kid’s Day stuff.

The word is (CMLL has a new hi5 up) tomorrow’s CMLL TV show will air matches from Dos Leyendas in place of the usual action, though no UG/V5 yet. No idea what they’ll do for the MVS shows, but they’ve got a week to figure that out.

04/24: Mexico previwe, IWRG, Chicago, Zorro

thecubsfan 10 Comments

CMLL (FRI) 04/24 Arena Mexico
1) Molotov & Sensei vs Apocalipsis & Ramstein
2) Hiroka, Princesa Blanca, Princesa Sujei vs Lady Apache, Lluvia, Sahori
3) Mascara Dorada, Metro, Stuka Jr. vs Euforia, Nosferatu, Virus
4) Mictlan vs Dragon Rojo Jr. [lightning]
5) Blue Panther, Maximo, Volador Jr. vs Felino, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas
6) Dos Caras Jr., Terrible, Texano Jr. vs Hector Garza, La Sombra, Shocker

Previews: SuperLuchas, ESTO, Ovaciones.

Ovaciones says we’re supposed to call the main event rudos DTT, which stands for Doble Tormenta de Terror (and also their initials.) It’s nice Terrible and Texano get to be in a group (oh wait, they already had one.) I also have no idea why three men are a double.

Dragon Rojo and Mictlan had a mask match last year, but this time are limited to 10 minutes. The opener is exactly the same one they did on Sunday, FWIW.

IWRG (SUN) 04/19 Arena Naucalpan [The Gladiatores]
1) Comando Negro b Guizmo
2) Chico del Barrio & Vampiro Metalico b Daga & Eterno
3) Trauma I & Trauma II b Gemelo Fantastico I & Gemelo Fantastico II
4) Oficial 911, Oficial AK47, Oficial Fierro DQ Arlequin, Toxico DF, Veneno
5) Head Hunter I, Mascara Ano 2000 Jr., Negro Navarro DQ Angelico, El Alebrije, Super Porky

Top 3 all DQs, what a sight. Main event ended in DQ when Porky accidently hit a ref while trying to get at Head Hunter. Porky & Head Hunter and Alebrije & Mascara Ano 2000 Jr. paired off to make singles match challenges. Veneno fouled an Oficial. A Gemelo fouled a Trauma for a straight fall loss.

IWRG (THU) 04/23 Arena Naucalpan [Proyeccion Luchistica]
1) Chico del Barrio & Comando Negro b Azoka & Daga
2) Bobby Lee Jr., Freelance, Multifacetico b Arlequin, Bushi, Kushida
3) Negro Navarro, Trauma I, Trauma II b Black Terry, Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro
4) El Alebrije, Fuerza Guerrera, Olimpico b Hijo del Cien Caras, Mascara Ano 2000, Veneno

Navarros asked for and will receive a title shot after their win. Pirata Morgan got involved in the main event, unsuccessfully. PY also has an YouTube interview with Alebrije and Pirata about being out of AAA.

Lucha Va Voom is in San Fran tonight. Mondo Lucha is in Milwaukee tomorrow (and seems to have gotten good coverage.)

In Chicago this Sunday, there are dueling Lucha Libre shows on Sunday.
– Congress Theatre with Santo, Hijo del Solitario, Pirata Morgan and Mascara Sagrada
– El Ray Ballroom (3504 S. Western, Chicago, IL), with Olimpico, Rayman, La Park and Atlantis

Both start at about the same time, for about the same much. Why they’re running against each other, I dunno. GALLI’s also running an outdoor show this Saturday in Lombard, though the poster doesn’t appear to be on the website. I think I may just take a nap thru it all.

Zorro visited ESTO’s offices, saying that he’s reached a good part of his career but will have to be even better with guys like Wagner and Marco in AAA. Zorro’s looking forward to the new challenges they present (and does not sound like a guy looking to leave at all.) Zorro also feels like Juvi should’ve handled his issues with AAA internally rather than go to the press.

(Refoma via Jazzo) Mascara Ano 2000 is soliciting donations to pay Cesar Curiel’s medical bills. He either has diabates or cancer, but he needs help. Interestingly, MA2K has ruled out doing a benefit show, because so little of the money makes it to the person in need. This did seem to be the case for Kato’s. He’s going to the commission instead, which isn’t much more help. His other idea is a home for old wrestlers, but that sounds a long way from happening.

Mascara Purpura is supposed to work Tuesday’s Arena Coliseo Monterrey show. That’s the locals show, not the AAA weekly one, but it’d still be very odd to see a CMLL guy there. Unless he’s not? Or maybe he’s just getting some ring time coming back from injury?

LuchandoLibre notes Los Perros will have an easy oppurtintiy to respond to AAA’s last parody, because both groups are scheduled to work the Sunday Lucha Libre Expo show.

DTU links to YouTube video of it’s last show. I hope Roberto’s getting paid for his work.

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.

CMLL (MON) 04/27 Arena Puebla
1) Black Tiger & King Jaguar vs Karisma & Mr. Rafaga
2) Bracito de Oro, Electrico, Fantasy vs Pequeno Damian 666, Pequeño Universo 2000, Pierrothito
3) Metro, Pegasso, Rey Cometa vs Euforia, Nosferatu, Skandalo
4) La Mascara, La Sombra, Volador Jr. vs Black Warrior, Dragon Rojo Jr., Sangre Azteca
5) Hector Garza, Mistico, Shocker vs Dos Caras Jr., Terrible, Texano Jr.

CMLL (TUE) 04/28 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Thunder Boy vs Milenio
2) Idolo vs Virgo
3) Nube Roja vs Exterminador
4) Casanova vs Rey Trueno
5) Saturno & Ultimo Dragoncito vs Pequeno Black Warrior & Pequeno Violencia
6) La Mascara & Volador Jr. vs Averno & Mephisto
7) Shocker vs Atlantis

CMLL (WED) 04/29 La Takaeria Chabelo [apux @ box y lucha]
1) Astro Boy Jr. vs Ulises Junior [lightning]
2) Goku, Tomrenta II, Tormenta I vs Coby, Principe Valther, Yidra
3) Cyberman, Ministro, Super Camaleon vs Angel Mortal, Inquisidor, Sakura
4) Astro Boy, Flash, Metro vs Caligula, Messala, Polvora

This is way too novato to actually be real. It is a free show, which would partially explain it.

PERROS (FRI) 05/08 Guadalajara [SuperLuchas]
1) Rabia & Ritual vs Kunami & Pesadilla
2) Celestial & Cosmico vs Mr. Aguilita & Pequeno Halloween
3) Histeria, Psicosis, X-Fly vs Damian 666, Halloween, Mr. Aguila [ladder]
4) Intocable, Olimpico, Super Porky vs Cibernetico, Head Hunter I, Super Crazy
5) Dr. Wagner Jr. vs el Hijo del Perro Aguayo

SuperLuchas notes that last year, Record did it’s show with CMLL. CMLL hasn’t announced a special show in ACG for this date, but that’s just got to be a matter of time. I presume this is at the University (as all major non-CMLL GDL shows seem to be).

AAA roster changes since Antonio Pena’s passing

thecubsfan 18 Comments

Things have been active enough on this front that I figured it was worth updating the list from July. This time around, I’m just using names who were around AAA on the day Antonio Pena passed away, so those who’ve come and gone since (Niebla, Juvi, Espectro, Junior Piratas, Head Hunters, others) don’t fit.

Faded away off roster (7)

Brandon
Hombre Sin Miedo
JJ de la Borbolla Jr.
Kaoma Jr.
Mungo
La Hechicera
Miss Janeth
Ultraman Jr.

This group was only part time at best and probably most would’ve been gone anyway, or continued to just been used periodically (Janeth and Hechicera brought back for Reina de Reinas.) It’s years later and I still don’t get the whole JJ/Shocker feud. We never figured out who Mungo was, so he may have been recycled into someone else. Same thing with Brandon, really.

Left (27)

Antifaz del Norte – working sporadic local shows, not traveling
Brazo de Plata – IWRG, high end indies
Cibernetico – Perros, high end indies
Angel – we’ll see
Alebrije – IWRG
Hator – northern indies
Histeria – high end indies, his own shows
Mascara Divina – maybe gone and working Villalobos shows? maybe not?
May Flowers – brought back to fill out spot shows
Mr. Condor – UWE
Pegasso – CMLL
Intocable – high end indies
Pirata Morgan – ?
Psicosis II – high end indies, his own shows
Rey Cometa – CMLL
Sangre Chicana – not working
Shocker – CMLL
Silver Cat – maybe brought back to fill out spot shows?
Scorpio Jr. – seems to be not working again
Zumbido – high end indies
La Diabólica – ?
Martha Villalobos – her own shows
Rossy Moreno – Azteca shows, Martha’s shows
Cuije – IWRG
Mascarita Sagrada 2000 – CMLL
Mini Psicosis – CMLL
Monsther – smaller Mexico City indies

Of those who’ve left, only Pegasso, Rey Cometa, Mascarita Sagrada and Mini Psicosis have made it to CMLL for the first time. Shocker’s returned.

AAA would want to point out that very few of these guys have made much of an impact, either in leaving AAA or joining somewhere else. Cibernetico and Sagrada/Dorada are the two who’ve really meant something. Those both appear to be disagreements with management over how they’re being used rather than AAA freezing them out. Mini Psicosis, Pegasso and Cometa are helpful role players for CMLL but not difference makers. No one’s had grand success on the indies.

Deceased (1)

Abismo Negro

That’s 35 gone. At the time of Pena’s death, I count 87 people on AAA’s roster, so it’s been a 40% turnover. I don’t know how best to provide context for that number without doing a lot more research, but lucha libre rosters are generally seem much more static than that.

Going the other way – here’s the additions since Pena’s death (who are still in AAA)

US Indies (3)
Jack Evans
Teddy Hart
X-Pac

Actually, that header should be “WSX”.

Returning (6)
Black Abyss
Extreme Tiger
Latin Lover
Nicho el Millionario
Vampiro
Mari Apache

Latin and Nicho would’ve made their way back eventually. Probably Vamp too. Mari was Lady Venum way back in 1997. The whole “Super AAA”/”Triple A” characters chronology is vastly confusing to me, so Black Abyss might have been around post-Nautilius, but he didn’t really start as full time guy until 2007. Extreme Tiger was around just before Pena’s death, gone a year, and then brought back to join the Mexican Powers.

Japan (1)
KENTA – part time, but he’s worked more TV than Argenis

Mexico Indies (10)
Argenis
Tigre Cota
Tito Santana
Último Gladiador
Yuriko
Sexy Star
Atomic Boy
Mascarita de la Muerte
Mascarita Sagrada 2007
Silver King

It’s always possible Pena had plans for some of the Mexican indies and they just didn’t make it on screen in time. The Poder del Norte guys have worked as local dark match wrestlers (Rio Bravo was on a lot around the cut off time, so he’s not listed as a return.)

CMLL (7)
Alex Koslov
Chris Stone
Dr. Wagner Jr.
Kenzo Suzuki
Marco Corleone
Psycho Clown
Rocky Romero

Chris didn’t start in the ring till much after Alan, though they he may have been doing the run-ins by this point.

??? (1)
Killer Clown

Still don’t know much about this one.

That’s 28 adds. My count is 83 wrestlers on the roster (with guys like Javi, Ricky and Angel Mortal thrown in), so about 1/3rd of the roster has been added in the last 2.5 years.

Who did I forget?

04/30 AAA TV Lineup (Aguascalientes)

thecubsfan 11 Comments

Edit: Updated 04/24 with full opener

AAA TV (THU) 04/30 Auditorio Jose Maria Morelos Y Pavon, Aguascalientes [luchalibreaaa]
1) Aerostar, Fabi Apache, Gran Apache vs Billy Boy, Sexy Star, Tigre Cota
2) Alan Stone, Crazy Boy, Ultimo Gladiador vs Black Abyss, Decnnis, el Brazo
3) Alex Koslov vs Nicho el Millionario [AAA CRUISER, torneo]
4) Charly Manson & Mesias vs Chessman & Joe Lider
5) Latin Lover & Marco Corleone vs Electro Shock & Kenzo Suzuki
6) Dr. Wagner Jr. & La Parka Jr. vs Silver King & Zorro

2009 AAA TV Taping Chart
Projected Air Date (#888)
Mexico: 05/10
US: 05/30

Not sure on the first match. AAA’s post cuts off the opener, but they mention Aerostar and Billy Boy working this show elsewhere on the site.

Zorro’s still listed on shows, which sounds like he’s staying here. At the same time, he’s probably the guy taking the pin in that match.

Latin & Marco team, take 2. Lots of pairs matches on this show. It’d be nice if any of them were promising.

I think the tournament is more interesting with Alex moving on, but Nicho’s the only rudo left.

No next taping announced, but they’ll probably mention it on TV this week.

04/23: GDL, CMLL in May

thecubsfan 6 Comments

CMLL
CMLL

CMLL (TUE) 04/21 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL, Fuego en El Ring]
1) Angel del Mal b Plata
2) Astaroth b Depredador (GDL)
3) Metatron b Drago
4) Magnum b Infierno
5) Stuka Jr. b Mascara Magica
6) Mascara Dorada & Mictlan b Dragon Rojo Jr. & Sangre Azteca
7) Hector Garza & Shocker b Atlantis & Mr. Niebla

Ref got bumped in the main event, so Shocker snuck in a foul on Atlantis. They agreed to a singles match.

On this week’s Ras de Lona, Maximo does an interview saying he’s 100% in CMLL and not going anywhere. Hope he doesn’t change his mind again.

CMLL announced it’s plans for early May

05/01: Kid’s Day at Arena Mexico. Atlantis’ movie for kis, and plus partial card:

4) Sagrado, Hijo del Fantasma, Valietne vs Dragon Rojo Jr., Black Warrior, Sangre Azteca
5) Mistico, Sombra, Volador Jr., La Mascara vs Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas, Felino, Atlantis

05/02: CMLL Lucha Libre Expo show

05/03: Fan Appreciation show in Guadalajara with Shocker, Panther, Sagrado, Sombra, Lizmark Jr., Mr. Niebla, Draogn Rojo Jr., and Dos Caras Jr.

05/05: Fan Appreciation show in Mexico City (Tuesday)

05/10: Fan Appreciation show in Mexico City (Sunday)

Amapola and Mima Shimoda talked with the press (Ovaciones, MT, Mima’s blog) about the Lucha Libre Expo. They’re both participating in the fashion show at the expo. Amapola still is talking about taking Dark Angel’s hair; she better hurry up.

LuchandoLibre writes about an upcoming Magno (El Paso) vs Magno (Tijuana) agreeing to a name vs name match.

(Reforma via Venom) While promoting the raffle to win dinner with Santo & Demon, El Hijo del Santo claiming the previous event to benefit Kato Kung Lee – the show at Arena Lopez Mateos – ended up with the building owner keeping 85% of the money.

DTU posts Chris Hero talking to Tercera Caida about his upcoming appearance.

Cesar rates Heavy Metal, Neutron, Sombra de Plata, Amapola

ESPNDeportes and kcidis both discuss Dos Caras Jr.’s rudo turn, but kcidis has much the better art. I would buy that t-shirt, no doubt.

WagnerMania has video of Dr. Wagner, LA Park, Blue Demon Jr. vs Perros del Mal

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update, and Robert on CMLL 01/19/08, ACM 03/07/04, AAA 01/26/08, and AULL 12/27/07. That’s a lot of recaps.