Billy el Malo & Escoria vs Argos & Semental: Good match. The audio weirdness detracted a little bit; the crowd seems into it enough to do chants at the proper times, but there was no ambient noise except for the really loud ring, making it feel more like a match in empty arena or a barely attended indy show and not a seemingly packed Toluca crowd. Argos was fine as a rudo, and had less trouble than his AAA técnico appearances. This felt like an opening card match and not one where guys were going any place bigger than this, but it was good for an opener.
strongest ever armdrag
Dr. Wagner Jr. & Drago vs Halloween & Octagón: A match of people clowning around, and occasionally wrestling. The majority of the people involved in this one were not into it, and it was an un-pleasurable television watching experience. If this finish isn’t really going to matter – and it didn’t because Consejo was there to make us ignore it – then there’s no reason to do a foul and a chair shot to the head. This was a match better of not occurring.
brutality
Jack Evans vs Chessman, Texano Jr., Nicho el Millionario in a AAA’s Rey de Reyes semifinal match: This is a rare AAA match I wish got more time; they were doing good until this got taken over by weird storylines – Nicho’s wandering act and Tirantes screwing Texano. There has to be a way to get out of referees screwing the rudos from now on, because it’s going to get odd for the good guys always needing help to win. Everyone looked good here.
LA Park vs La Parka, Electroshock, Silver King in a AAA’s Rey de Reyes Tournament semifinal match: Listed as a four way, but more or less a missing Park vs Parka match due to the editing. La Park destroyed La Parka, who managed to keep surviving for quite a while but never got as much as he took. The powerbomb on the tub looked especially painful, but Parka was bleeding long before that. If you liked their previous matches, this is an 11 minute version of them.
AAA TV (SUN) 04/01/2012Lienzo Charro de Pachuca, Hidalgo
1) Dinastía & Octagoncito vs Mini Histeria & Mini Psicosis
2) Aerostar, Argenis, Atomic Boy vs Ángel Mortal, Gallego, Gran Apache
3) Daga, Drago, Fenix vs Dark Dragon, Decnnis, Octagón
4) Chessman, Silver King, Último Gladiador vs Máscara Año 2000 Jr., Texano Jr., Toscano
5) Cibernético, El Mesías, Zorro vs Halloween, Héctor Garza, Nicho el Millionario
Air Date: 04/15
What I didn’t catch last week is the Perros del Mal show on this day is 12:30 pm. The guys from that show (Consejo, Hector) should have no problem making it here for a show listed as starting at 7pm. Mascara Ano 2000 Jr. is a bit more of a problem, since he’s also on the IWRG card that starts at 6:30 and that’s a title match.
And there’s thing where they keep listing Daga as wrestling when he’s not cleared to wrestle and they don’t seem to expect him soon enough to make these shows.
TripleMania may be a big show that’s only two months away, but neither of the post Rey de Reyes shows seem to be building up anything at all. This one has some really good matches, but there’s a feel of killing time. Main event is essentially the same as the show two days before, with Ciber & Zorro subbing for Jack & Tiger.
Next show is 04/06 in Neza, which will give them enough TV to last into late April.
CMLL (SUN) 03/25/2012Arena Coliseo [CMLL, La Catedral]
1) Apocalipsis & Ramstein b Camaleón & Höruz Rudos took 1/3. Horuz was hurt during the match.
2) Bronco, Hooligan, Nitro b Ángel Azteca Jr., Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso Rudos take 2/3.
3) La Comandante, Princesa Blanca, Princesa Sugheit b Dalis la Caribeña, Dark Angel, Lady Apache Rudas took 1/3.
4) Blue Panther, Máximo, Super Porky b Ephesto, Terrible, Vangelis tecnicos took 2/3.
5) Máscara Dorada, Prince Devitt, Shocker DQ Averno, Último Guerrero, Volador Jr. Devitt started bleeding from the inside of his ear for no apparent reason in the first fall. Tecnicos took 2/3, UG drawing the DQ for fouling Shocker. Shocker wanted a mask vs hair match, UG would agree to only a singles match.
(photo by Black Terry Jr.)
IWRG (SUN) 03/25/2012Arena Naucalpan [Black Terry Jr. (flickr), Estrellas del Ring, The Gladiatores]
1) Andy Boy & Star Boy Jr. b Guerrero Mixteco & Matrix Jr. straight falls
2) Dr. Cerebro, Pacto Negro, The Mummy b Chicano, Saruman, Tritón Mummy & Dr. Cerebro replaced Comando Negro & Impossible
3) Alan Extreme, Black Terry, Bombero Infernal b Dinamic Black, Fresero Jr., Mike Segura Fresero replaced Tony Rivera, which means no Bombero/Tony feud this week. Suicida replaced Golden Magic. Rudos took 1/3.
4) Angelico, Trauma I, Trauma II DQ Bestia 666, Damián 666, X-Fly Angelico wore a Trauma mask to start the match. Tecnicos took 2/3. Trauma I was about to beat Damian when X-Fly hit him with the chair.
5) Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., Pirata Morgan b Hijo de LA Park, Hijo de Mascara Sagrada, Máscara Sagrada Rudos took 2/3.
CMLL TV announced the other eight Gran Alternativa participants: Signo, Triton, Bronco, Fuego, Cancerbero, Hombre Bala Jr., Raziel, Diamante. Triton & Diamante seem like outside chances for winning, but CMLL hasn’t been too strong on either of them. I’m rooting for a Raziel vs Euforia final. Meanwhile, CMLL.com has a photo of Niebla Roja and confirms he’s a Lagunero.
La Catedral suggests the Gran Alternative could set up the new Mistico, and Dragon Lee, Diamante, and Triton would be the tournament favorites in that case. I am skeptical on any and all New Misticos existing, but would strongly root for anything to get Diamante a name change.
R de Rudo’s report on the Perros del Mal new member introduction has some interesting tidbits. The office has moved (or maybe Damian’s keeping the old office.) Perro says the group has always been about bringing in new people and springboarding people to greater success (mentioning Terrible, Texano, Averno & Mephisto here) and hopes that continue. Perros does says that Damian had told him he was leaving 3 months ago, which runs counter to the story Damian’s been telling (but is much more believable.)
Octagon explains he turned on La Parka because Parka was more focused on his feud with Cibernetico than the goals of La Sociedad. Octagon, as leader of Milica, also did not like how Parka was treating his men. La Parka says he knew things were going wrong after a meeting with Dorian and Octagon before the show (maybe something that airs on TV?), but will still not be friends with Cibernetico because Ciber attacked his family. Hey, Ozz & Cuervo are free now, maybe they can put the Inframundo back together. La Parka vs Octagon as a singles match alone is a hazardous idea.
More info on Silver King Jr. (via SML), who’s wrestling on the family vs family Arena Naucalpan show. He’s living in Chihuahua and has used the names Sexi Tiger Jr. and wrestled on the Dr. Wagner Sr. tribute show as Silver Star.
Another long story about lucha libre in Monterrey, including Sangre Chicana declaring “if he dies”, it’ll be in a gym, and Humberto Garza complaining about wrestlers just hitting each other with light tubes and bleeding while Kaientai explains he got his ideas on wrestling from an FMW tape he found.
Hijo del Solitario says he’s counting down the hours until the three way mask. Solitario believes in gods, but not saints.
Lucha Libre in Japan
03/25 FukumenMania: the tag tournament came down to a three way elimination match with Fuego & Mr. Cacao & Arkangel & Skandalo and El Samurai & Great Sasuke. Eliminator order went Samurai, Sasuke, Cacaco, Arkangel and Fuego lost to the Skandalo Driver in 25:40.
Lineups
IWRG (THU) 03/29/2012Arena Naucalpan
1) ? vs ??
2) Charly Madrid & Saruman vs Kortiz & Pacto Negro
3) Centvrión, Chicano, Freyser vs Alan Extreme, Comando Negro, The Mummy
4) Angelico, Dinamic Black, Golden Magic vs Carta Brava Jr., Eterno, Oficial AK47
5) Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Pirata Morgan, Pirata Morgan Jr., Trauma I, Trauma II vs Bestia 666, Damián 666, Halloween, X-Fly, Zumbi
Can the Pirates and the Traumas get along to face Familia de Tijuana? (No, probably not.)
IWRG (SUN) 04/01/2012Arena Naucalpan
1) Chicano, Saruman, Tritón vs Comando Negro, Gemelo Fantastico I, Gemelo Fantastico II
2) Dr. Cerebro, Freyser, Suicida vs Aeroboy, Hormiga, Violento Jack
3) Dinamic Black, Golden Magic, Tony Rivera vs Oficial Factor, Oficial Rayan, Oficial Spartan
4) Hijo de LA Park, Trauma I, Trauma II vs Halloween, Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., X-Fly
5) Cien Caras Jr., Hijo de Máscara Año 2000, Máscara Año 2000 Jr. vs Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Pirata Morgan, Pirata Morgan Jr. [IWRG IC TRIOS]
Some undercard changes. New Oficials may be starting as a rudo. Feels like a title change in the main event.
CMLL NWA (SUN) 04/01/2012 Arena NWA 1) ? vs ?? 2) ? vs ?? 3) Argus & Aztlan vs Ancla & Surdok 4) Black Mamba & Velial vs Ares & Ikaro HD 5) Atlantis & Negro Navarro vs Arkángel de la Muerte & Luger
This doesn’t make any sense but maybe the match will be good?
Metálico & Starman vs Namajague & Shigeo Okumura: A good match to see if you want to see Metálico and Namajague chopping each other a lot. Otherwise, maybe not so much. One of the things that is different about how lucha libre is done is this sort of match would never go fifteen minutes in another promotion; Starman & Metálico are two matches lower than Namajague & Okumura on most days and there’s no plans to change that, but they still had both teams working as essentially even with Okumura barely pulling it out for his team. Everyone gets a chance to look good, but there’s no sense anyone is much better than anyone else, they just happened to be scheduled in different ranges of matches.
Dragon Lee vs Titán, Cancerbero, Stigma, Camaleón, Soberano Jr., Bobby Zavala, Cholo [torneo Sangre Nueva]: There were a lot of guys with not much experience, and even less in matches like this, and if you had to pick the one who looked the least ready for this kind of match, you’d pick the guy who won. Dragon Lee quite nearly ended himself on his dive, and had other subtler screw ups in this match. He’s not worthless, but he continues to be pushed past his level of consistency. Camaleón & Soberano, two guys who are not going to be pushed soon if ever, both looked much smoother. They must feel Dragon Lee has something that none of these other guys have, but I can’t really see it. Match was actually pretty good for essentially rookie match. Zavala also impressed, and I thought Stigma did a good job for his big first match in Mexico City.
Cuje loves it with a plan comes together
Diamante, La Máscara, Sagrado vs Kráneo, Morphosis, Psicosis: I know the finishes suggest this is about Psicosis and Mascara, but it seems to me it’s Mije getting his revenge for the 100 times Mascara has kicked him during a match in the last year. Wait until Zacarais’ plan comes thru. This was the same sort of match they’ve done before, and I’m not sure my new found love of Psicosis is going to over power my new found hate of Mascara.
Atlantis, Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Tiger for the Mexican National Trios Championship: This was really good. I liked this more than the Guadalajara title match (though not quite as much as the title change.) Teams really mixed well. Reyes del Atlantida continue to be great fun, and this might is the best TRT match I can think of with the current configuration. Tiger matched up well here; he was better than Bucanero here. Maya & Terrible worked really well together, especially given the different sizes. That’s a goofy singles match I want to see at some point, but I’m pretty happy having seen this one.
