Volador wins Copa Bicentenario, Dorada picks up title 4, Demon, IWL

CMLL (TUE) 09/07 Arena Mexico [@cmllmagazine, Cesar]
1) Rayo Tapatío II & Robin b Disturbio & Zayco
2) Goya Kong, Luna Mágica, Marcela b Amapola, Mima Shimoda, Seuxis
3) Averno & Mephisto b Dragón Rojo Jr. & Sangre Azteca [Copa Bicentenario Rudos, eigthfinal]
4) Atlantis & Último Guerrero b Héctor Garza & Mr. Águila [Copa Bicentenario Rudos, eigthfinal]
5) Mr. Niebla & Volador Jr. b Jushin Lyger & Shigeo Okumura [Copa Bicentenario Rudos, eigthfinal]
6) Terrible & Texano b Felino & Rey Bucanero [Copa Bicentenario Rudos, eigthfinal]
7) Averno & Mephisto b Atlantis & Último Guerrero [Copa Bicentenario Rudos, quarterfinal]
8) Terrible & Texano b Mr. Niebla & Volador Jr. [Copa Bicentenario Rudos, quarterfinal]
9) Mr. Niebla & Volador Jr. b Averno & Mephisto [Copa Bicentenario Rudos, semifinal]
10) Volador Jr. b Mr. Niebla [Copa Bicentenario Rudos, final]
11) Máscara Dorada b Negro Casas [CMLL WELTER]

Mascara Dorada won the final two falls for the surprise title change; this felt like a status quo title match and just a continuation of the off & on Tuesday feud between the two. (Mascara Dorada lost a previous challenge back in December.) Dorada is now a four belt champion: CMLL World Trios Champion, Mexico National Trios Champion, CMLL Super Light Champion, and CMLL Welterweight Champion (which are adjacent championships, so it actually makes sense.)

Mistico was a five belt champion. This is arguable more impressive because Mistico won both WWA & IWRG titles and never actually did anything with them (and didn’t defend the Mexican Light Heavyweight Championship much.) Dorada’s defended (or won) all four of his titles in the last three months. If this wasn’t already Sombra’s year, it might be Dorada’s.

The final format for the Bicentnario tournament are two sets of eight team tag team tournaments, with the winning tag team facing off, and then the tecnico winner face the rudo winner. It’s not a tough concept, but CMLL didn’t really explain it well.

Usual battle royal to set up seeds. Interesting to see the current tag team champs not escape the opening round. Garza accidentally fouled Aguila to set up the finishes, so they were slightly protected. Otherwise, everything looks to have been a clean finish, which seems incredible for a tournament full of rudos. (Figure they’ll make up for it on Friday.) Loco Mr. Niebla beat Jushin Thunder Lyger with La Nieblina, which is the greatest thing ever (today.)

Volador was the tecnico-ish guy in the final. The teammates hugged before the fought, and Niebla attacked Volador via hug. Niebla tried three straight powerbombs, but Volador was able to get a ‘rana on the third for a near fall. Volador ended up winning with a “frontcracker’ followed by a backcracker.

Now, Volador faces the winner of Friday’s tournament. One more look at those teams

• Blue Panther & Máscara Dorada
• Hijo del Fantasma & Stuka Jr.
• La Sombra & Místico
• Sagrado & Toscano
• Brazo de Plata & Máximo
• Rayo de Jalisco Jr. & Valiente
• Rush & Strong Man
• La Máscara & Shocker

Remember, if a team wins, they immediately face of in a singles match. If Mistico & Sombra win, like most figured when these teams were announced, that means Mistico vs Sombra for the first time ever, with little advance bill (I still don’t think this concept is over to the public) and with high stakes. Either man versus Volador is a huge match, and surely big enough to not do a hair match on the same show. In the big picture, if Friday’s tournament ends with Sombra defeating Mistico, fresh off winning his second significant mask of the year, then CMLL might have reached a point where Mistico is no longer the undisputed top guy on whatever side he’s on. He’d still be Mistico and still be a catalyst, but Sombra beating Mistico changes the natural order of things.

Also, how would this month look?

09/03: Sombra wins Olimpico’s mask
09/10: Sombra vs Mistico
09/17: Volador vs Sombra or Mistico
09/24: maybe Charly Manson vs Rey Bucanero in a hair match

Absurd. So they’ll probably have Mascara and Shocker go to the final. They really can’t do Sombra/Mistico like that. (Can they?)

I can’t believe I buried this all the way down here, but the real big news from this show Sexius might have gotten some actual gear. HOORAY.

Diario Basta has the poster for Heroes Inmortales IV, which hypes the Mesias vs Perro Aguayo Jr. show. It’s usually a show where every match has a stipulation, but that match does not appear to have one. There’s also an interview with Sexi Star, about how she got into lucha libre.

Despite ceasing publication, Dos de Tres’s facebook is still being merrily updated. Meanwhile, Dorian’s announced a new project named “Hurracarrana“. I think these news bits are related. There was a recent lucha magazine named Hurracarrana – I have a copy on my desk at home! – but I don’t think this is quite that.

CMLL (TUE) 09/07 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Thunder Boy b Metalik
2) Black Metal & El Divino b Ángel del Mal & In Memoriam
3) Hierro & Magnum b Drago & Ráfaga
4) Hijo del Fantasma & Rush b Ephesto & Vangelis
5) La Máscara, Máximo, Shocker b Charly Manson, Olímpico, Psicosis

Nothing really of note here.

Blue Demon Jr. says canceling the show in Guadalajara had nothing to do with CMLL’s show across town, and they won’t move to Sunday, because people are clearly going to come to see them. (Except they weren’t, and that’s why the show was moved to December.) Demon says he’s still working on those NWA tournaments. In the same interview, Santo says they can’t do Santo vs Demon in a mask match, because people would be too sad if someone lost.

Fuego en el Ring has a short profile with Escorpion, but doesn’t ask where he’s been since January. I’m going to guess he was in the Mojave deserts, studying scorpions to become a more effective one. Where ever Escorpion’s been, he’s got a hair cut.

Message board gossip: Diamante & Angel del Oro are dating daughters of Negro Casas. Diamante had been mentioned previously.

El Manana has an interview with Monterrey refreee La Maestra, who says her name came from her previous gig as a music teacher for children.

Arena Xalapa is holding a benefit show on 09/19 for local wrestler Crazy Man, who’s out six months with a leg injury.

Hereos del Ring: bio of Gran Apache.

Ohtani Jacket watches an AAA 1994 trios match, finds it forgettable. As someone who finds himself watching a lot of AAA I don’t actually like: don’t do that.

Lineup

CMLL (MON) 09/13 Arena Puebla
1) Black Tiger, Milenium, Stigma vs Ares, Espiritu Maligno, Karisma
2) Leono, Lestat, Tigre Blanco vs Bronco, Camorra, Hooligan
3) Ángel de Oro, Fuego, Stuka Jr. vs Euforia, Nosferatu, Pólvora
4) Blue Panther, La Sombra, Sagrado vs Averno, Jushin Lyger, Mephisto
5) Máscara Dorada & Místico vs Héctor Garza & Mr. Águila [CMLL TAG]

Can Dorada get up to five? I put nothing past him. This is an interesting time.

CMLL (TUE) 09/14 Arena Mexico
1) Horus & Robin vs Disturbio & Semental
2) Ángel Azteca Jr., Ángel de Plata, Fabián el Gitano vs Cancerbero, Dr. X, Raziel
3) Ayumi, Goya Kong, Luna Mágica vs Amapola, Mima Shimoda, Tifany
4) Metro, Toscano, Valiente vs Averno, Jushin Lyger, Shigeo Okumura
5) Blue Panther, Máscara Dorada, Shocker vs Atlantis, Último Guerrero, Volador Jr.

Poor AYUMI. I hope she gets better partners for her Friday match. I’m just thrilled to see a non-evil person from Japan. Kinda worried about whatever must be going on there, an island full of rudos or something. This time for sure for Tiffany?

Lyger’s never going home.

CMLL (TUE) 09/14 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Thonder vs Templario
2) Astaroth & Metatrón vs Acertijo & León Blanco
3) Mr. Trueno & Rey Trueno vs Exterminador & Malefico
4) Metal Blanco, Palacio Negro, Rush vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Misterioso II, Sangre Azteca
5) Hijo del Fantasma, La Sombra, Strong Man vs Mephisto, Mr. Águila, Mr. Niebla

Palacio Negro semifinals are always wins, but Palacio Negro vs Poder Mexica is booking for things which will entertain me particularly on a future Sunday (if Teleformula doesn’t suck.)

IWL (SAT) 09/25 Deportivo Tlalli, Tlalnepantla
1) Daga vs Eterno, Low Rider, Fantasma de la Ópera, Naruto, Suicida, Freelance, Lobo, ?, ?? [TLC, IWL INTERNET]
2) Tiffany vs Medussa
3) Super Crazy vs Charly Manson [IWL CONTINENTAL]
4) Canek vs Heddi Karaoui

IWL is moving to the same building AAA is taping from next. I believe IWL is moving to this building because they can’t fill Arena Lopez Mateos, and that’s the building AAA is taping from? Huh.

The Internet Title is the fifth different title IWL has created since forming in August. They might actually give this one out. Main event may be in the title tournament (they’ve both advanced, thought the brackets worked differently), may not, may not matter.

On Lo Mejor de La Lucha, there’s a lineup for a 10/23 (Saturday?) show at Arena Coliseo Monterrey with CMLL wrestlers (and, oddly, Lyger & Shinsuke Nakamura from Japan, when a NJPW tour would be kicking off.) No one else in the thread believes the lineup to be accurate.