Jack Evans, Joe Lider, Nicho el Millionario vs Hernandez, Nosawa, Zorro: I think someone in AAA has invented a Universal translator. Both this and the main event seemed like a lot of one side doing offense, then the other side doing an offense, and not as much a battle as it should be.
Cibernético, El Mesías, La Parka Jr. vs Damián 666, el Hijo del Perro Aguayo, LA Park (and part 2): This match seemed destined to break the record for longest boring beatdown on AAA TV*, but they pulled up a minute soon. This match never felt special to me, and the finish didn’t look all that impressive, but I guess the people in first couple of rows got Perro Jr. punching Mesias right in front of them so that must’ve been cool for them.
* – Ayako Hamada, Kenzo Suzuki, Kaoru Ito and Mr. Niebla working over Fabi & Gran Apache for 9 minutes in 2007; this match clearly still haunts me to remember it 3 years later
I updated the post below with a better take on Mistico’s complaints about CMLL. Take a look at the article yourself and tell me who you think he’s calling out.
Edit: now updated with details from CMLL.com and elsewhere.
This is what I got off CMLL’s Twitter feed, a few more things may always turn up later.
The big news is the Invasors vs Pesta Negra hair match was finally set up. It was originally announced as Mr. Aguila & Charly Manson vs Rey Bucanero & Negro Casas, but Mr. Aguila missed his flight. (????) For some reason, even though plenty of people have missed this press conferences, that was enough for him to be out of the match. Rey & Negro both challenged Charly, and somehow we ended up with Negro Casas vs Charly Manson, with Charly vowing to get Rey’s hair next.
Yes, October 15th, two weeks later than we expected, and after the WWE tour instead of before. I guess the idea is that people are more likely to save money up for a WWE show and not go to events the next couple of weeks, but I don’t know that they’re going to want to spend extra money on a show one week after WWE comes thru either.
(Also, if it’s not until 10/15, couldn’t Aguila just sign the contract tomorrow? He just doesn’t want to put up his hair, you see.)
Other Notes
The Arena Coliseo Tag Team titles are vacant again. Stuka & Fuego were the champs after winning the last tournament for the vacant titles, but haven’t defended them since Fuego was Flash. They’ve split those up (and seemingly given up on Fuego), so they’ll hold another tournament starting on 10/03. I think the problem with Flash & Stuka is they moved rapidly up after winning the titles, and CMLL didn’t want to lose them to someone who was beneath them. It’d be nice if they had a better long term plan this time, but since these titles should often go to luchadors on the rise, I’m expecting this problem to come up again.Edit: CMLL.com explains that it’s actually a #1 contenders tournament. So that last paragraph is mostly worthless. Oh well. Block A on 10/03, Block B on 10/10, final on 10/17, and title match on 10/24.
Ex-AAAers Tiffany & Estrellita were introduced as new members of CMLL (though sort of Invasors.) Tiffany actually debuted last week and there’s been rumors of Estrellita coming in for months, back to when she no-showed her first big Perros del Mal show. It appears they’re both coming in as rudas – The Gladiatores quotes Estrellita talking about taking Dark Angel’s hair.
With Lyger leaving on 10/01, his place will be taken by the returning Taichi. Eh. He returns on 10/04, to debut on the 10/08 show. There’s been no mention of Yoshihashi either way, which makes me now assume he’s actually staying.
Lots of news about CMLL guys going to Japan as well. Terrible & Texano wil be part of NJPW’s G1 (Heavyweight) Tag League. The tour is listed as 10/22 to 11/07, not sure if that means they’ll be there the whole time. Those two were in Japan earlier this year to challenge No Limit for the IWGP Tag Titles and probably will pick that feud back up. Also, as leaked last week, Sombra & Mascara Dorada will head over for the Super J Tag League, which immediately follows the other tag league. CMLL wrestlers will also be on NJPW’s traditional 01/04 Tokyo Dome show WrestleKingdom), but names and matches were not mentioned.
The bodybuilding contest will be in November. There’s a weekend where I’m unlikely to do any posts, and I hope that’s the weekend they show the video from that contest.
CMLL’s roster is unhappy, and unhappy enough to let the press know. There’s a big article on Record (not on their site, but there’s a partial scan here.) It’s really two different stories, and hopefully I’m understanding them correctly.
In one, Mistico – who notes you get in trouble if complain to the press, and one wonders if that’s actually stopped him ever – complains about the business of CMLL. Mistico says people think he’s a favored pet of the promotion, but he gets no favors – this week, he’s only getting to work one the Friday night match and have nothing else. Mistico is upset with the promoters for not doing the big matches the fans want to see (Volador vs Mistico for the masks) and because they’ve focused too much on the Indepedents and the young wrestlers instead of “us”. Since they’re the young guys being pushed, it sure seems like he’s saying CMLL is doing too much with Mascara Dorada & Sombra. Anyone else have a different read?
The other article mentions a meeting of about 50 luchadors (including Mistico) with Paco Alonso, talking about reduced attendances. The problem is blamed on the economy and specifically not the luchadors themselves or the programming. Averno is quoted talking about everyone needing to work a little harder. This not the first meeting they’ve had of this exact sort – the WON had a mention of one a few months ago – so the interesting thing is they’ve made this public. Maybe there’s a feeling that empty arenas are breeding empty arenas, and they feel the need to get the message out to the people that the shows are still good.
Whatever it is, it’s not a good sign that people are concerned about attendance being down right after what should be their biggest business of the year. If this wasn’t the turnaround, it’s a long way off.
the Wrestling Observer Newsletter announced it’s annual Hall of Fame voting. Lucha related results
(60% is the cut off)
Rey Mysterio 75%
Chris Jericho 64%
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Dr. Wagner Sr. 55%
Dr. Alfonso Morales 43%
Atlantis 39%
Karloff Lagarde 35%
Blue Panther 33%
LA Park 31%
Villano III 31%
Vampiro 27%
Perro Aguayo Jr. 25%
Cien Caras 24%
Huracan Ramirez 15%
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under 10% (off ballot)
Cibernetico
Dr. Wagner Jr. (for the second time?)
The one thing that bugs, so much that this is the third or fourth time I’m writing it the last 24 hours, is LA Park and Dr. Wagner Jr. are similar level stars to me and I can’t understand how one can get 31% and the other can’t get any. Maybe it’s because no one watches AAA TV and that’s really changed my impression of Wagner’s ‘fame’, but he’s been clearly the biggest star in that company over the last year and a half, and there are guys on the list who were never the top guy in the company for tha tlong.
I also think that if we had loads of attendance figures for El Toreo, Villano III would be in already. It actually helps that he’s not wrestling as much (or at least not as visible), so the depressing present doesn’t shadow his past as much, but the results sure seem to indicate that he was booked as a lighter version of Canek and Canek is in. We’re just missing the proof that it worked for Villano 3.
El Siglo de Torreon has a career retrospective interview with Hilario Martinez, who talks about wrestling as Olimpico, Mr. Violencia, Super Maquina 82, and Gran Markus II
CMLL (TUE) 09/28 Arena Mexico
1) Rayo Tapatío I & Rayo Tapatío II vs Apocalipsis & Disturbio
2) Bam Bam, Eléctrico, Tzuki vs Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Warrior, Pierrothito
3) Fuego, Metro, Stuka Jr. vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Loco Max, Skándalo
4) Hijo del Fantasma, Rotoporky, Toscano vs Héctor Garza, Olímpico, Ray Mendoza Jr.
5) La Máscara, Místico, Strong Man vs Averno, Mephisto, Volador Jr.
2/3 matches look pretty good. More Mistico/Volador. Mascara appears still to be on Shocker replacement duty, since he usually teams with Strong Man in that spot. Part of that is because Shocker speaks English, just like Mendoza has teamed with No Limit for a while because he spoke some Japanese. Dos La Mascara speak English?
CMLL (TUE) 09/28 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Angelo & Thunder Boy vs Acertijo & Templario
2) El Divino & Idolo vs Ángel del Mal & In Memoriam
3) Black Metal & Leo vs Drago & Ebola
4) Blue Panther, Máximo, Sagrado vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Euforia, Último Guerrero
5) La Sombra vs Mr. Águila
Sombra has Lyger on Monday, Aguila on Tuesday, and hopefully a good nap on Wednesday. This’ll be the first singles match between the two. Black Metal seems to have ascended the cards rapidly.
