TxT (SUN) 03/25/2012 Lienzo Charro Sta. Maria Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco [Fuego en el Ring]
1) Burrito Norteño & Hombre Araña b Cuatero & Sansón
Donkey & Spider-Man won the opener.
2) Mascarita Dorada & Mascarita Sagrada b Mini Monster & Mini Rockerito
No Tzuki.
3) El Dandy & El Fantasma b Fuerza Guerrera & Universo 2000
everyone made every sort of challenge after the match.
4) Cien Caras & Cien Caras Jr. DQ Rayman & Rayo de Jalisco Jr.
Cien fouled Rayo.
5) Angel Blanco Jr. & El Hijo del Solitario b El Hijo Del Santo & Villano IV
Rudos took 2/3, then attacked Santo again during a post match TV interview.
In an interesting way to build the match, Hijo del Santo says Saturday’s match may be the last time he puts his mask on the line. He does say he may do just one more match, versus Fuerza Guerrera or whoever survives of Solitario & Angel Blanco but he doesn’t want to risk it again. Very few luchadors in Mexico are ever willing to signify their career being over while there’s a chance they could get paid a bit more, but if Santo stole a page from WWE and did a Santo vs Fuerza mask billed as “Final de una Era”, that would be a really good hook. In things that have equally little chance of happening, Santo notes that any double pin in the three way mask match means both people will unmask. He’s counting on the referee and the commission to make sure nothing illegal happening.
Vampiro, last not seen at the taping after Chilpancingo (with word AAA didn’t have any plans for him after that), turns back up later this month on AAA spot shows. As far as I can tell, Vamp hasn’t wrestled in Mexico since 2010 and was limited at that point, but they’re sticking him in singles matches on every show he’s working. They are giving him good people to work with: vs Ultimo Gladiador 04/20 @ Guadalajara, vs Silver King 04/22 @ Arena Coliseo Monterrey (show should air on Noches de Coliseo) and vs Chessman on 04/27 @ Veracruz . All three cards are full five match cards, the last two with TV taping level cards. Some tour promoter must be spending a lot of money on these shows, and you get to pick whoever you want when you spend a lot of money on shows. This doesn’t necessarily mean Vampiro will be back as a TV character; look at Argos still being booked as a rudo two months after he’s turned on TV, and you can see these lineups aren’t done in tandem with the main direction.
Steve Ship of Lucha Libre USA says they hope to draw 3,000 per show on this 10 event run, then double that the next time thru. That first show drew 1,000, so that’s not a good start. If they’re hoping for 3,000, it’s kind of odd for them to be running 10,000 seat buildings:
03/25 HP Pavilion: 17,496
04/13 Pico Rivera Sports Arena: 6,250
04/14 Selland Arena: 11,300
04/20 Verizon Wireless Arena: 2,400 – success!
04/22 Mesquite Arena: 5,500
04/29 Celebrity Theater: 2,650 – success!
05/11 the Alamodome: 20,000 is smallest configuration
05/12 The Dell Diamond: 12,000
Sometimes, when I talk about attendance, people get the impression I am interested in attendances. This is a misunderstanding. I am interested in absurdity, and that’s all absurd.
That same interview says they’re running the east coast in the fall. (United Center?) Dr. Pepper is sponsoring shows, which should help make the money work a bit better, and they are charging a high price for tickets, but it’s still hard to figure how someone’s not taking a big loss on these.
There’s also a whole bunch of Lucha Libre USA hype articles, in case you’ve been missing RJ Brewer in character interviews, as well as the follow up does this character go too far? If you scream ‘fire’ in an empty movie theater, are you causing a panic? The group is really good at getting advance press, and convincing journalists RJ is both well known and highly loathed, where he seems to get about the same reaction anyone would get doing the same bit at any lucha show. The character came off as a generic on the TV show, but it has worked as a way to get people to write about the promotion. They get a couple articles written about him before every show; newspapers aren’t writing about Lizmark Jr. in the same way. If only they could find a way to turn into to people actually coming to their shows, it’d be a good deal.
Trauma II talked to Fuego en el Ring to clarify the Traumas joining the Perros del Mal. Dos says the brothers are remaining independent and have complete control of their own schedule, they’ll just be working with the Perros as their schedule allows. Trauma II mentions they would not go to CMLL because they have different policies, and CMLL doesn’t have interest in them. As of now, they have no start date. They’re not going to AAA right now. Trauma II says Perro called them in January, which was unusual since it’s usually them calling people for work. (It also lends credence to the story Perro knew Damian and others were leaving months ago.)
Rob has highlights of 02/23/12 AAA.
LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news report.
Links
Lineups
CMLL (SAT) 03/31/2012 Palenque de la Feria, Tlaxcala
1) Eléctrico & Último Dragoncito vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pierrothito
2) Dark Angel & Marcela vs Amapola & Princesa Sugheit
3) Ángel de Oro, Hijo del Fantasma, Sagrado vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Misterioso Jr., Pólvora
4) Black Warrior, Brazo de Plata, Máscara Dorada vs Felino, Terrible, Volador Jr.
5) Blue Panther vs Negro Casas [super libre]
first rematch between the two. This may be the first Dragon Rojo match since January, which is really going to cut into his commentating duties.
CMLL (TUE) 04/03/2012 Arena Mexico
1) Camaleón & Höruz vs Camorra & Zayco
2) Dalis la Caribeña, Lady Apache, Marcela vs La Seductora, Princesa Blanca, Tiffany
3) Eléctrico vs Pierrothito [lightning]
4) Dragon Lee, Pegasso, Rey Cometa vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Hooligan, Skándalo
5) Sagrado, Stuka Jr., Titán vs Misterioso Jr., Niebla Roja, Pólvora
6) Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Tiger vs Máximo, Rush, Shocker
Nothing really of note here. Maybe the Tuesday lightning match is the new thing. Niebla Roja’s level seems set pretty early. There hasn’t been a formal reward or even a noticeable change in position for the Gran Alternativa winners in recent year:
- Rey Escorpion moved up as a result of Atlantis’ turn
- Polvora didn’t move up until the Cancerberos were formed later that year
- Okumura had already been moved up
- Dragon Rojo got the new gimmick the same day as he won and that might have been more important
- Sombra actually did move up right away in 2007.
but with Titan & Niebla Roja among others already wrestling at a high level, the importance of the tournament has been diminished. It’s quite nearly just another tournament in a promotion full of them.