La Mascara will face Averno in a mask vs mask match on June 17th. The show will use the Jucio Final name. The rest of the card will be announced later.
Those two have been feuding for over a month, in mask ripping matches. It’s a surprise that it’s happening in that CMLL loves to start feuds in this direction but often does not follow thru on them to their logical conclusion. Times are tougher and CMLL needed (wanted) a match to compete with TripleMania, taking place the next night, and this is the most meaningful match of any current feud. (Blue Panther/Negro Casas might actually be a bigger match, but those masks are worth more than these hair.) CMLL will still need a notable semimain to sell out Arena Mexico, but this is a better start than Dos Leyendas.
There is no strong favorite here. After five years of feuding with Mistico, it’s hard to believe Averno would lose his mask to La Mascara. Mascara has been pushed harder the last year, but he’s still at least a step below Sombra & Mascara Dorada; either of them would seem better choices for knocking off Averno. La Mascara not having a mask would be weird (though neither Mascara Magica nor Mascara Ano 2000 changed their names after losing theirs.) He’s not a guy near the end of his career cashing in, he’s a guy who probably has many more years in front of him and losing his mask would probably prevent him from moving any higher up. I lean towards Averno winning, setting up a bigger mask match down the road, but I do not feel strongly about it.
La Mascara vs Averno happening now means there’s no obvious ongoing feud set up for Anniversary. It being the June match means the end point of Rayo Tapatios vs Hombre Bala/Guerrero Maya/Dragon Lee is unclear (unless they run that on the Sunday after TripleMania, which I believe is still a real possibility.)
The other big news from the press conference is the NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Championship has been vacated. Shocker won that from Texano back on December 13, then injured the knee the following week on a dive. The hope was Shocker would be back around now and be able to participate in next month’s Universal tournament – he was even advertised for Arena Mexico two weekends ago – but apparently he’s not going to be able to make it. (Officially, it’s vacant due to lack of defenses.) The Universal tournament is really the tail that’s wagging the CMLL dog, but this means there will be yet another tournament sometime very soon.
Today is AAA’s TV taping in Toluca. The AAA Trios tournament continues on, with the Perros del Mal vs the Air Force and Bizarros vs team IWRG. Electroshock & Heavy Metal put aside their feud to team up against Maniacos Chessman & Ultimo Gladiador. Main event is scheduled to be Mesias & Wagner vs LA Park & Zorro, but the rudos aren’t much friends and Zorro isn’t much wrestling lately.
Forjando un Idolo
CMLL in Japan
05/26: Best of Super Juniors – Mascara Dorada [3] CO Jushin Lyger [0] (3:18)
Good start! These tiger/lion hybrids are no problem. (Sombra beat Lyger the same way last year.) Mascara Dorada has a few days off to celebrate; no show Friday and he’s got the show off on Saturday. Next match is Sunday vs TAKA Michinoku, who lost his opening match.
This may or may not mean anything, but Ayumi forfeited her NEO titles in preparation to challenge Amapola for her CMLL Women’s title. NEO has closed at the end of the year, but Ayumi had kept the titles until now. Maybe this is just the Mexican ethos, but luchadors are usually reluctant to give up the even the least meaningful titles possible, unless they might be getting a new one.
Other News
Perros del Mal held a press conference to hype Sunday’s third anniversary show this Sunday. (Scroll down for the full lineup.) TVC Deportes announced the show will air live on their channel, which is sometimes broadcast on uStream. (See the sidebar for that.) Perro Jr. figures that being lighter than Clowns is a big advantage, and his team will all climb out first, leaving the Clowns to fight themselves.
On his Facebook page, Rellik (well, Johnny Stamboli) apparently complains Lucha Libre USA isn’t honoring his contract, not paying what they agreed to pay him. I guess he won’t be on the taping this weekend!
LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update and Alfredo’s weekly ramblings.
Rob has highlights of the first half of March 2001 AAA.
Links
Lineup
PdM (SUN) 05/29/2011 Plan Sexenal
***3rd Anniversary Show***
1) Dinastía vs Drastik Boy
2) Celestial & Cósmico vs Mr. Aguilita & Talisman Jr.
3) el Ángel, Golden Magic, Skayde vs Ek Balam, Maldito Jr., Samot
4) Black Fire & Low Rider vs Pesadilla & Ragde
5) Tony Rivera, Turbo, Zumbi vs Bestia 666, Halloween, X-Fly
6) Monster Clown, Murder Clown, Psycho Clown vs Damián 666, el Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Super Crazy [cage, hair, mask]
I still expect someone not in the main event to lose. Should be a fun show, hope the feed is up.
CMLL (TUE) 05/31/2011 Arena Mexico
1) Freesbe & Trueno vs Camorra & Zayco
2) Fantasy, Mascarita Dorada, Shockercito vs Demus 3:16, Pequeño Universo 2000, Pequeño Warrior
3) Virus vs Tiger Kid, Fuego, Pegasso, Sensei, Metal Blanco, Dragon Lee, Super Halcon Jr. [cibernetico, CMLL SL, semifinal]
4) Sagrado, Sangre Azteca, Stuka Jr. vs Shigeo Okumura, Vangelis, Yoshihashi
5) Máximo, Rush, Super Porky vs Héctor Garza, Psicosis, Volador Jr.
Tough to pick who’s going to advance. Virus is a former champion and would allow for an interesting rudo/tecnico battle. Fuego has been hot lately. Another match with Metal Blanco would build off Forjando un Idolo (impossible!) Dragon Lee exists. Super Halcon Jr. might have been downgraded to Halcon Jr., that’s what they’re using on the posters lately.
06/07 is probably a Fan Appreciation Show, and likely one with two title matches. Besides the Super Light final, main event follows up on this week’s issue between Volador & Rush. It’s been less dramatic than Fantasma (because he is still in main events), but Volador has just been hanging around for months. Maybe the lesson is “don’t appropriate John Cena hand signals for yourself”?