Mistico/WWE, Guadalajara

This originally appeared in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (sign up! or don’t!). Normally I’d paraphrase, but since Dave Meltzer has had a rough week with misquoting, it’s presented in full

Mistico has made inquiries about coming in. When Mistico was super hot in Mexico, they were in talks with him and he did a tryout match behind the scenes one day in San Jose and everyone was impressed with his chain wrestling. But he was making so much money in Mexico that it made no sense to leave. Because of how people like Psicosis and Super Crazy were treated, there has been a stigma among the wrestlers in Mexico that if you go to WWE, you’ll just be topped out unless you’re Mysterio so people who were stars in Mexico didn’t want to risk it. Even in recent years, when WWE has made inquiries with El Hijo del Santo, he was leery because when he was here in the 90s WWE wanted him to take off his mask, and that’s his very being and would see it as disrespecting his late father. But now that Del Rio is being groomed for a headline position, it’s made people think less negatively about their chances. But how many top stars in Mexico have Del Rio’s size, and he really is a special case.

This is the third or fourth time this particular story has come and gone. The last time was early this year. Perhaps not coincidentally, Mistico suddenly got a big feud to start 2010 and I wonder if that’s as much the motivation as actually wanting to go to 2011. While CMLL is a tournament laden coma at the moment, they’re about to put together their plans for 2011 and this is a nice reminder that if Mistico doesn’t get something to do, he might actually have more options.

It certainly means something that this rumor gets out; as far as I know, this is the first time recent discussions between Santo & WWE have ever been publicly revealed.  That never got out, and it’s about as a big a deal. (It also cast a new light on Santo’s recent column in Record weighing the tradeoff of Del Rio joining the WWE while losing his mask. He had to do similar math for himself.) I don’t know if Mistico is any more likely to go this time than the last few, but he surely wants people to know he might.

We’ve had the discussions about what this would mean for CMLL the last couple times, so it doesn’t seem worth repeating. The one thing that’s changed this year is Sombra could much easier take over the spot as the new top tecnico. Still, he wouldn’t be a Mistico level star unless he manages to surpass

CMLL (TUE) 12/28 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) Titanio b Metalik
2) Drago & Infierno b Idolo & Metatrón
3) Dalys la Caribeña, Luna Mágica, Marcela b Amapola, La Seductora, Princesa Blanca
4) Hooligan, Loco Max, Skándalo b Ángel Azteca, Ángel de Oro, Ángel de Plata
5) Hijo del Fantasma, La Sombra, Máscara Dorada b El Alebrije, Olímpico, Psicosis

Randomlly, Perico accompanied the tecnicos in the main event. (Fantasma also replaced the double booked Mascara.) Perico and Cuije battled. Perico even pulled off a dive! Sombra pinned Olimpico for the iwn.

Angel de Oro took the lost in the semimain to Skandalo. CMLL has noticed how weird it is Angel de Oro is not teaming with the other Angels in the latest tournament, and pretends there’s a plan behind it. I’m more concerned that they’ve developed from running angles at press conferences to running angles in press releases. Only a step away from the only storyline development happening on twitter and absolutely not in the ring or on TV.

Recap actually lists Trueno in the opener, but I’m in no position to point out the wrong people being listed.

Links

• SuperLuchas is running website awards, starting with promotion of the year. I neglected to mention their new iPod/iPad app, but it’s because I’m holding out for the Android version.
• Mi Lucha Libre looks back at dramatic (bloody) images of the past year.
• MedioTiempo has their list of the top 30 luchadors of the year. Any list that puts Perro Jr. above Sombra is just plain wrong, but nice effort.
• DJ Spectro has a roundup of hair/mask loses in the the last three weeks.
• Cesar continues his Mistico rumor roundup: poor attitude (which he agrees with!), stealing the idea from Mystico and being pushed because of his relation with Televisa., plus looks at moves from Delta and Angel Azteca
• Great Lucha has reviews of Comando Negro’s recent apuesta match with Chico Che and El Pollo, and the Gladiatores has post match interviews from Pollo and Comando Negro

Lineup

CMLL (TUE) 01/04 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Thunder Boy vs Templario
2) Höruz & Magnum vs Exterminador & Malefico
3) Aereo, Pequeño Halcón, Último Dragoncito vs Mercurio, Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Universo 2000
4) Delta, Fuego, Stuka Jr. vs Shigeo Okumura, Vangelis, Yoshihashi
5) Blue Panther, Rotoporky, Toscano vs Felino, Negro Casas, Rey Bucanero

Trios champs (?) actually team up before their big title match. Who will be left to announce the main event when this airs on Teleformula?