On this week’s CMLL TV show, they announced an upcoming region based tag team tournament. (Note Dr. Lucha called this about three week ago, in what seemed to be a random guess, but I was too distracted by his league format hypothesis to make mention of the important bits.) Teams announced, via polloxxxcuemanco @ Box Y Lucha
Guadalajara
– Atlantis & Mascara Dorada
– Rush & Texano Jr. (though Texano was actually born in DF, and is named “Texano”)
– Shocker & El Sagrado
Laguna
– Blue Panther & Misterioso Jr.
– Ephesto & Euforia
– Sombra & Dragon Rojo Jr.
– Ultimo Guerrero & Stuka Jr.
Nuevo Laredo
– Héctor Garza & Toscano
– Terrible & Volador Jr.
DF
– Mr. Niebla & Maximo
– Místico & Averno
– Hijo del Fantasma & Mephisto
– Negro Casas & La Mascara
– Ray Mendoza Jr. & Brazo de Plata
– Rey Bucanero & Valiente
– Sangre Azteca & Felino
Tournament will take place on the Friday shows of 01/22, 01/29, and 02/05. Except the usual rushed 7 matches per show.
Maybe Rush/Texano is actually meant to be DF; that’d give us an even 8/8 split between DF teams and other ones. (Probably worth noting that Mictlan is definitely hurt or gone from here if they went with Rouge over him.)
There’s also the issue of Mr. Niebla (MIA and CMLL doesn’t appear as if they’re going to bother with an explanation), but it would seem easy to be find a replacement DF wrestler on CMLL’s roster. (Randomly, I’ll pick Virus.) A Shocker missing act would be more problematic, but I guess Metatron is around.
The name says it’s parajes increíbles, but it looks like they ran out of partner teams. This seemingly gives an advantage to Shocker/Sagrado, Epehsto/Euforia, Garza/Toscano and Sangre Azteca/Felino.
Among the actual rudo/tecnico teams, there seems to be an idea to match up some rivals. Like, Villano V & Porky are probably having a hair match as a fan appreciation ‘treat’ at some point down the road, and Mistico/Averno, Terrible/Volador, Sombra/Dragon Rojo are all rivals teaming up. They could’ve done a couple more, if they had switched together Sangre Azteca/Valiente, Stuka/Euforia, and Texano/Shocker.
These teams are they way they are because they must be setting up something. If there’s not at least one new team or one new feud out of all of this, it’s a waste of time. (This is January, so that’s very possible.) Mistico remains the favorite of any tournament he’s in, but it may be a loss that’s ultimately more meaningful.
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I think this could possibly lead to a Rey Bucanero vs. Valiente feud. Leading to a lucha apuestas, with Valiente winning.
In a lot of ways, I do not get the way they paired up the teams. Like you said, they could have gone for more rivals than they did, and it is supposed to be a “Parajes Increíbles Tournament”…
But on the other hand, if this is about regional/training school supremacy, why didn’t they keep some logical teams together to prove their region’s superiority? Examples: Misterioso/Rojo would be a logical team, as would a duo made from Porky/Maximo/Mascara, or Negro/Felino/Niebla, or Ultimo/Panther… or a number of others.
I think you are right – *something* must be coming out of this tournament. The question is what. Too many teams that shouldn’t get along at all here, which means there are also too many that *should* get along.
This might be stupid, but, wouldn’t it be a bad move to put a non-DF team over on a show in the DF? Or, is that maybe the rational for the rudo/heel teams – so that there is a boo/cheer factor for every team?
I’m thinking our info on Texanito is wrong. Texano Sr. lived in Guadalajara and both Super Nova/Mictlan (from the same family tree) were born in Guadalajara so it stands to reason Texano Jr. was as well.
The live crowd reaction will be interesting. I can’t see the DF teams being more over than the other teams because the fans aren’t “smart” enough to understand the concept. It’s very inside. It’s like WWE booking a tournament teaming up guys who trained in FCW, guys from Deep South, guys who were in California indies and guys who came in from other countries. The crowd would still just cheer whoever was popular. I expect that to be what happens here. Nobody will cheer Fantasma/Mephisto b/c they are DF. They’ll cheer Garza/Toscano b/c they are already popular and will be stripping.
Should be an interesting test to see if it draws any non-regular fans though. It’s a concept that should intrigue sports fans but I wonder how many of those are left. (i.e. sports fans that consider Lucha Libre a sport)
I like the tournament and hope it’s leading somewhere. I just have no faith in CMLL…
Cubs, don’t act like Villano V/Porky wouldn’t be a potential MOTY for CMLL.
A Valiente/Bucanero feud is something I could get behind, which probably means it won’t happen.
Villano V/Porky would be a MOTYC for those who wear their blinders and just want to pretend they are watching a 1988 match between the two. Kinda like the southerners who still flock to see RnR vs MX matches.
Is there gonna be some mass suicide in 10-15 years when the 80’s wrestlers begin dying off/retiring for REAL? Or will the fans who can’t move on just become Meltzerific and become UFC lovers?
I hope they use this tourney to set up the 2 Leyendas main event feud, but really, really hope it is not Porky/Villano that they go with. Lots of other good options there though.
Porky had an awesome hair match with Asesino Negro in 2004. All he needs to do is bleed, sell and do a few spots and you’ve got your CMLL MOTY right there.
I don’t think anybody will kill themselves in 10 or 15 years time. I’m sure the CMLL Universe will be full of CMLL Superstars by that stage.
@ohtani’s jacket: I actually like watching Porky live. That being said, there are a few problems with your argument. First, 2004 was five years ago. Second, if you are asking Porky to bleed, CMLL is not the promotion where they should be doing this match. Third, “a few spots” would be expecting a bit much of these two at this point in their careers.
@ohtani’s jacket: Time flies. 2004 was 6 years ago. Back when Perro Aguayo could walk, Villano III still meant something in Mexico and Cien Caras had yet to have his first official retirement match.
Bleeding, selling and doing a few spots sounds like the standard formula for the weekly Super Brazo hair loss to Signo in Coacalco. You have to wonder if they keep producing MOTY’s why only 20 fans show up to see them…
Alan beat me.:(
For the record, I don’t mind Porky. In small doses he is a blast. Surely even a huge fan of his (OJ) could see the issue Cubs has with having to see him on TV weekly though.
And even though Mendoza is a complete joke by this point, at least he put Guerrero over before he stopped caring about wrestling and his cholesterol.
@Rob: I may have been faster, but your math was better. Damn you Canada with your higher taxes leading to better public education!
Why are you making Super Brazo vs. El Signo hair matches sound like a bad thing? Porky could have his 50th heart attack and still put on an entertaining hair match.
Besides, there’s so much CMLL programming on TV, it can’t hurt to run a Porky hair match or two. If only they were at Guadalajara.
I know you’re all salivating over the prospects, but calm down boys, there’s still a lot of crappy CMLL to get through first.
If it was held in Guadalajara you would never see it. They haven’t had TV for 2 years now.
Nothing is impossible in the youtube era.
@Alan: If higher taxes lead to better education, NYC would have the best public schools in the nation. I think my combined city/state rate was 8.5% when I lived there, and most of my friends were working OT or a second job to send their kids to a private school.
Before this goes even more off track, I will say I’d rather see Mendoza/Porky over Toscano/anything at this point.
@thecubsfan: Sorry about that. I can’t wait to see what happens in El Paso. WON reports that some top stars from CMLL are working a little ballroom in that town.
@ohtani’s jacket: “Nothing is impossible in the youtube era.”
Hard to get footage of a Porky/Mendoza GDL hair match when the attendance will be 0.
Empty arena match! This could be epic.
It’s too bad I won’t lose any money over attendance. Instead, I’m losing something over matches of 0 worth.
@ohtani’s jacket: Which begs the question why do you keep watching?
I have stopped watching CMLL, unless it involves Virus, Valiente, minis or Puebla locals.
@ohtani’s jacket: Those are four things we can all agree on!
@ohtani’s jacket: If you’ve stopped watching CMLL, how can you know what you aren’t watching is worthless? How can you know Porky and Mendoza still got it? For that matter – why didn’t they make your list of what you still watch in CMLL?
I must be in a pissy mood b/c I actually like OJ’s comments and opinions (for the most part).
On a totally unrelated note although definitely another reason I’m pissy… I think the CMLL webmaster is fucking with my heartstrings.
TZUKI IS BOOKED IN PUEBLA NEXT MONDAY!
C’mon – there’s no chance he no-shows that too! Right? He made his last booking there while being suspended in DF!
@Rob:
Because I watched the tag title match at the end of last year.
I was actually being facetious about the Villano/Porky match, though I’d watch it out of curiosity.