Month: February 2011

What we know so far. @dr_landru, of the Gladiatores, was really good at getting this info out. CMLL.com will have the official version soon and I’ll update with more details as they turn up.

Mistico was addressed. Panico said Mistico would not be appearing with CMLL, but maintained that they owned the rights to the name and likeness. They did acknowledge the actual luchador is heading to WWE and were not complimentary towards him, but also declared plans to eventually put a new kid from their school under the mask as a new Mistico (modeling it after Tiger Mask.) That’s going to be a very tough role to fill. My guess it’s still going to be Magnus, but not right away.

CMLL says they have been trying to get Mistico to a sign a new deal for two weeks, and Mistico saw the deal but never got back to them. They consider him gone because of that, but would be willing to talk a new deal under different terms. The timeline makes no sense – two weeks ago would’ve been 02/10. The SuperLuchas cover story about Mistico signing was on 01/30, and Mistico is believed to have signed 01/25. If we are to believe CMLL, they offered him a deal 10 days after it was announced he had signed elsewhere. That actually does sound like CMLL’s usual efficiency. CMLL phrases this as an attempt to re-sign Mistico, but it’s not clear if Mistico was without a contract or just in one that allowed him to freely leave to WWE. There’s no sense they could try to stop Mistico from leaving, only that they made an offer and he wouldn’t take it.

Texano & Terrible vs Maximo & Super Porky in a hair match is signed for Dos Leyendas. In the last 11 years, the only person Super Porky has beat in a hair match is Asesino Negro. Neither of those men are Asesino Negro.  Dos Leyendas will take place on March 18th.

Based on their recent feud, Demus challenged Virus to a hair match. Virus accepted and raised the ante: the loser of their match must return to the minis division. Demus just joined the “major league” last year as winner of the Torneo Cibernetico, and has spent a lot of time fighting the likes of Fabian el Gitano & Angel de Plata instead of Bam Bam & Ultimo Dragoncito. Virus going to the minis would allow for more fan faction about the Cancerberos (who will lead? Polvora? Euforia? Cancerbero & Raziel in a power share agreement?)

Averno will finally defend the NWA Historic Championship against Mascara Dorada. This is the same championship Mistico won from Averno when he took off. Averno won it back from him in 2007. The title’s not the biggest thing: if Mascara Dorada wins, he gets a mask match with Averno. We have no date for the title match or when the mask match would be, but it may have been mentioned at the press conference.

Mr. Niebla returned. Peste Negra took the opportunity to rename Perico as”Sacarias”

That’s it. WWE’s press conference will take place around 3:30-4 pm Central Time. Word is already out about Mistico’s debut – Tercera Caida says he’ll be called “Sin Cara”, which translates to “Faceless.” It’s not a very catchy name, but it does fit the style of mask Mistico’s worn – closed mouth, no sense of a face outside of the eyes.

The Wrestling Observer reported yesterday that Mistico would skip FCW, skip working on his language skills and go straight to the main roster. I’d imagine that means he goes to SmackDown (so they can edit out problems) and doesn’t talk for a long time, but that’s going to be a tough culture shift.

Update

Tuesday’s lineup

CMLL (TUE) 03/01/2011 Arena Mexico
1) Höruz & Trueno vs Disturbio & Semental
2) Ángel Azteca Jr., Magnus, Rey Cometa vs Dr. X, Hooligan, Nitro
3) Demus 3:16 vs Virus
4) Metro, Stuka Jr., Toscano vs Averno, Ephesto, Mephisto
5) Blue Panther, La Máscara, Máscara Dorada vs Atlantis, Dragón Rojo Jr., Último Guerrero

The poster lists no stips for Demus vs Virus. Unclear if this is the match, or if they’re being a big tease.

Tecnico side is the same as Magnus’s debut, with Dr. X and Nitro replacing Skandalo and Bobby Zavala.

CMLL (TUE) 02/22/2011 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Fuego en el Ring]
1) Metatrón b Evola
2) Astro Boy & Leono b Drago & Exterminador
3) Black Metal & Palacio Negro DQ Hooligan & Skándalo
Hooligan & Skandalo were strong in this match, but earned the DQ by tossing Metal out of the ring onto Negro. That’s a super rare DQ, and rarer still outside of Mexico City.
4) Sangre Azteca, Stuka Jr., Valiente DQ Rey Bucanero, Shigeo Okumura, Yoshihashi
Rey Bucanero fouled Sangre Azteca right in front of the refs for a DQ.
5) Terrible, Texano, Volador Jr. b Hijo del Fantasma, La Sombra, Máscara Dorada
Volador crushed Sombra with a Canadian Destroyer to take the win.

Today is Press Conferencemania!

The CMLL one takes places at noon (all times central.) The big item is the Dos Leyendas date and main event. They’ve set up a  number of feuds as possible main events. In order of most hyped:

1. Texano & Terrible vs Maximo & Super Porky
2. Averno vs Mascara Dorada
3. Mephisto vs Hijo del Fantamsa
4. Sangre Azteca vs Polvora or Misterioso or Dragon Rojo

Virus/Demus seems to be contained to Tuesdays. Rush/Texano and Volador/Panther or Porky seem to have gone to the side for now. I’m not sure if any one of those is strong enough headline a show with increased ticket prices alone – Averno/Dorada or Mephisto/Fantasma for a title does not work, and I’m not sure if the fans care enough about the tecnicos to accept a mask match. Texano/Terrible vs Maximo/Porky as a main event with no strong semimain would be cynical and depressing.

CMLL has other items to discuss. There will be hype for the National Tournament finals. Maybe talk about some of pending notable matches this upcoming week (Demus/Virus, Cancerberos/MexTriosChamps, Inquisidor/Metal Blanco!) Mr. Niebla’s return will be announced, and it’s likely he won’t be the only one. Black Warrior may return at any time. Hijo del Lizmark was suppose to be on AAA’s taping Saturday, and it’s possible he may have used that to get a deal here. CMLL still hasn’t announced the winners of their 2010 awards, maybe that’ll start to happen.

WWE is holding a press conference at 2:30 pm in Mexico City. They’ve got four shows in May to promote, and they’ll probably just focus on hyping the names. They may announce a TV taping, though I feel doubtful about that.

And very little of any of this will be focused on by the end of the day, because Mistico will dominate the conversation once more. It’s been over four weeks since he signed with WWE (ESTO just caught on), and he should make that deal public at their press conference. WWE wants to make it clear that they’ve signed THE Mistico, so expect them to do everything legally possible to let you know it’s the same guy who beat Black Warrior in Arena Mexico. I keep thinking back to a skit very early in LA Park’s CMLL run, where he transformed from his old outfit and name to his new duds, and I expect the same here. Will they have a new name and mask for him? Will CMLL criticize him, or even mention him at all? We’ll find out in a few hours.

Perro Aguayo Jr. tells Mi Lucha Libre that he wants a hair vs mask match with Dr. Wagner, and that they had actually agreed to one in CMLL before they both left.

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.

Links

• Mi Lucha Libre has a good interview with Argenis, about growing up the littlest of eight sons of a luchador. “Argenis”, to him, means the line between good and evil.
• Rush & Demus talk about their Tuesday wins.
• Sexi Star still considers herself Reina de Reinas
• R de Rudo’s latest interview included Los Porros.
• The big goal of the news Tapachula, Chiapas Box Y Lucha Commission: make sure no one dies in the ring.
• Nikita watched Ultimo Guerrero vs Psicosis
• The show with Colt Cabana, Adam Pierce, Carlito vs Maximo, Olimpico and Mil Mascaras happened, and sounds like it sold out.

Lineups

CMLL (MON) 02/28/2011 Arena Puebla
1) Asturiano, Milenium, Stigma vs Fuerza Chicana, King Jaguar, Siki Osama
2) Dalys la Caribeña, Dark Angel, Luna Mágica vs Princesa Blanca, Princesa Sujei, Zeuxis
3) Arkángel de la Muerte, Loco Max, Skándalo vs Cancerbero, Escorpion, Raziel
4) Ángel de Oro, Diamante, Rush vs Euforia, Pólvora, Virus [MEX TRIOS]
5) Máscara Dorada vs Averno

Hey, it’s that match again.

I know Rush just picked up another title, but I can’t see that group of tecnicos losing to that group of rudos. Angel de Oro & Rush are being programming very strongly. CMLL can’t remember they broke up Euforia and Nosferatu months ago. This is just a first defense.

Loco Max vs Escorpion up to a tercera! Because there’s a women’s match, but hey.

Arena Puebla has run big shows for it’s second March show the last few years

2008/03/10 – Garza/Mistico vs Averno/Mephisto [CMLL TAG]
2009/03/06 – minis cage match (friday)
2010/03/15 – Bam Bam/Violencia [hair]
2011/03/14 – Loco Max vs Escorpion?

CMLL (TUE) 02/22/2011 Arena Mexico [CMLL]
1) Freesbe & Höruz b Apocalipsis & Mortiz
2) La Comandante, Mima Shimoda, Zeuxis b Estrella Mágica, Lluvia, Luna Mágica
Zeuxis replaced Tiffany, Luna Magica replaced Goya Kong. First Estrella Magica since October, only the third time she’s teamed with her sister in main CMLL rings.
3) Arkángel de la Muerte, Demus 3:16, Hijo del Signo b Euforia, Raziel, Virus
Demus took the first and the third, sneaking in a foul on Virus to take the match, just like the cibernetico that started this. Virus wanted a singles match, and Demus accepted, saying he wanted the chance to prove he had surpassed Virus.
4) Rush b Ephesto [CMLL LH]
New Champion! Dragon Lee seconded his brother, who won his first world championship. A big double stomp set up the final pin.
5) Averno, Mephisto, Último Guerrero b La Máscara, Super Porky, Toscano
La Mascara had Ultimo Guerrero in the campana, but Ultimo reversed it into his own and beat La Mascara with his own hold! Poor La Mascara.

New hero to old hero: in addition to CMLL’s press conference tomorrow at noon, WWE will have a press conference at 2:30 pm in Mexico City. I expect Mistico to appear at the WWE press conference, officially announcing his WWE contract. No idea if he’ll have his new name ready, but at least a brief appearance under the CMLL name. CMLL doesn’t seem to have much high ground to stand on about people taking gimmicks one company developed and using them somewhere else. (Also, RJ says they’ll announce a TV taping in Mexico – their May tour is Wednesday thru Saturday, not their taping days, so maybe sometime in the future?) If I was CMLL, I would pretend I didn’t announce this press conference too, because WWE will steal a lot of the spotlight. All of the spotlight, if they announce Los Renegados vs Maximo & Porky as an actual main event of a major show.

Mistico was advertised for next Tuesday in Arena Queretaro, but they’ve canceled his appearance. So much for working all his scheduled dates.

Box Y Lucha has been running parts of a long interview with Maricela Pena in each weekly’s edition. AAA reposted the most recent part on their website, because it deals with El Hijo del Santo‘s appearance at TripleMania. According to Maricela, Santo’s wife (/agent) came to AAA’s offices to ask for her husband to be added to TripleMania. TripleMania was totally booked at that point, but the Santos wanted to get him in a wrestling match on TV. Maricela says she agreed to include Santo, though she now regrets it, but wanted to know how much Santo wanted to be paid. Santo and his wife said they didn’t care as long as he was on television. Neither Santo or his wife visited AAA’s offices after the show to get paid, but much later came by demanding an astronomical amount. Maricela refused to pay because it was not what they agreed on. And they’ve been arguing since.

If that was all true, it still doesn’t explain why Santo was given the big win on the show. If it was truly already planned out, they would’ve had someone else in that spot (Parka) and if they knew Santo was so desperate to be on TV, they probably didn’t need to give him the win to get him to stick around.

Tickets went on sale for Rey de Reyes today.

Black Terry Jr. posted video of Golden Magica, Hijo del Pantera, Eragon vs Carta Brava, Impossible, Pollo Asesino: fall 1, fall 2, fall 3

Hijo de Rey Misterio will be wrestling in my city on Sunday. It looks like a new one, so I really should finally go to a show. A couple weekends later, Mascarita Dorada and Pierrothito are coming back to the area, along with Low Rider and others. Should go to that one too. We’ll see!

LuchaWorld had a KrisZ’s news update.

Links

• Cesar can’t believe a lucha libre journalist hasn’t yet got an interview with Mistico. He was never on that clown show, by the way.
• The Gladiatores has video of Fantasma’s speech at yesterday’s education/lucha libre for children initiative announcement
• Mi Lucha Libre has group 3 of the Rey de Reyes tournament and visits a Bracito de Platino’s school.
• Toscano is teaching a lucha libre class tonight with Angel de Oro & Sombra. He wants to see more hard hitting “to battle the Japanese.” That hair loss to Naito must still be haunting him.
• Estrella del Ring has video interviews with Chica Tormenta (about her DTU match) and Crazy Star (hoping to return to CMLL)
• Record has a random Solitario bio. I think they’re launching a new Record Luchas section, but it’s half working now.
• Box Y Lucha has edition #3014 an interview with young luchadora Sexy Polvora.