12/02 AAA TV Lineup (Zapopan) – Guerra de Titanes

AAA TV (SUN) 12/02/2012 Auditorio Benito Juarez, Zapopan, Jalisco
***Guerra de Titanes, 2012***
1) ?, ??, ??? vs ????, ?????, ??????
2) Juventud Guerrera vs FénixDagaTeddy HartPsicosisJack EvansJoe Lider? [AAA CRUISER, Ladder]
Juventud Guerrera is the champ
3) ?, La Parka, Octagón vs ??, ???, Silver King
4) Monster Clown, Murder Clown, Psycho Clown vs Devil Rocker, Machine Rocker, Soul Rocker
5) El Mesías vs Texano Jr. [AAA HEAVY]
Mesias is champion. Fenix will be his second, Silver King will be Texano’s second.
6) Cibernético vs VampiroDr. Wagner Jr.LA Parkel Hijo del Perro AguayoChessman [cage, hair, mask]

Air Date: 12/08 & 12/15 – which would mean year end stuff could run 12/22, 12/29 and 01/06. This is really early in December, maybe they’ll tape and air more new stuff yet in 2012.

A full card! Well, close to a full card.

I’ve talked about the main event. It’s probably Chessman losing his hair, though there’s always a chance Vampiro could lose. This might be the only way Vampiro could lose his hair, since no one seems to trust him in a singles match, but it still seems to be unlikely.

Texano isn’t being built like a guy about to win the heavyweight title. That match is more interesting for the performance than the outcome. It looks like it’ll be the only singles match on the card, and it might be the only significant match without a lot of outside shenanigans (though Silver King ensures at least something with the finish – Consejo isn’t going to last a year without a split up.) Other matches might be bigger stunt shows and spectacles, but Texano vs Mesias will either be the best match of the show or a really disappointing match for Texano.

Infierno Rockers will be putting their win streak on the line versus Psycho Circus, and probably should keep winning at this point. They’re the only two set trios, so this is probably the first of a lot of these matches.

Weird to have all the mystery people in the tercera. Based on current storylines, La Parka & Octagon should be teaming with Octagon Jr./Samuray del Sol and Silver King should be with Toscano and Mascara Ano 2000. Not sure if there’s a problem with availability or if they’re just not sure if other people are going to be worked on the card. (This is somewhat more an issue of only having six matches, at least one less than usual for a major show.) By the way, Octagon’s still red because he never actually turned. I’ll fix it later.

Ladder match is the usual lack of ideas for midcard guys. Look at Daga, turning to join the Perros del Mal and getting the cruiserweight title shot he would’ve gotten anyway. There’s a partial problem of Juvi being hurt maybe affecting plans, but the problems with that group of guys go back longer than that. They got thrown in to a random tag match at Rey de Reyes, they got thrown into a random cage match at TripleMania, they got thrown into random matches at Heroes Inmortales, and here’s a match with zero build and a bunch of guys who are going to fall off things in big spots that AAA will forget about in two weeks. The people in charge appear to have no interest in these luchadors as individual characters (even the guys who aren’t) and just throw them all out there indiscriminately. It makes it very harder to take seriously consider their complaints about other company’s booking when they’re doing these sort of things. AAA is lazy as everyone else.

(This is also why the TNA wrestler is pointless; if it’s Zema Ion or whomever, he’s the 8 guy in an 8 guy match, it’d hard to believe he’ll mean much. The only reason to use a TNA guy here is to keep the relationship going to eventually get Jarrett for the blow off match – except they’ll have to run another angle to heat it up again, which seems to mean to me that there’s nothing to blow off.)

I don’t want Teddy Hart to be suspended forever, but it’s a bit depressing he’s getting to come back for a major show and Dark Dragon may make a dark match or may just work a spot show that night. I wonder if Fenix was in that match before Extreme Tiger told them he was leaving.

It’d be weird to be spending so much time on TV about the Apaches for them not be on the show. Halloween, Mari Apache and Maestro de Maestros vs Fabi Apache, Atomic Boy and another guy makes the most sense. They could sub someone in for Gran Apache if they needed to get more people on the card.

Update: the press release announced the opener: Cuervo, Fabi Apache, Mascairta Dorada, Pimpinela vs Halloween, Mari Apache, Yuriko, and Mini Charly Manson

Guerreros vs not-Guerreros, Dr. Wagner leaving AAA?, Garza benefit show

photo by CMLL

CMLL (TUE) 11/20/2012 Arena Mexico [CMLL, Yahoo Deportes (Photos)]
1) Cholo & Zayco b Freesbe & Robin
2) Camaleón, Höruz, Molotov b Bobby Zavala, Disturbio, Inquisidor
Tecnicos took 2/3, Molotov beating Zavala both times.
3) Pierrothito b Bam Bam [lightning]
Pierrothito won in 8:04 with his trademark hold. Pompin, ref for this match, has reached 55 years of being a referee.
4) Diamante, Fuego, Sagrado b Arkángel de la Muerte, Sangre Azteca, Skándalo
Tecnicos took 1/3. Sagrado pinned Sangre Azteca in the third.
5) Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr., Valiente b Felino, Negro Casas, Puma
Tecnicos took 2/3.
6) Euforia, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero DQ Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión
Escorpion’s crew wore Revolutionary-era outfits on the day of the 102th Anniversary of the start of the Mexican Revolution. Polvora fouled Niebla Roja for the loss. Polvora is definitely in this trio full time, and the group announced they’d have a team name next week.

Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. posted Tuesday on his Facebook that his father, Dr. Wagner Jr., has left AAA. I’d heard that earlier from someone else, so it’s not a kid saying things to rile up social media. It’s more likely an adult saying things to rile people. Technically, Dr. Wagner Jr. is not booked on AAA show until Guerra de Titanes, so whatever is going on, it’s mostly irrelevant until 12/02. The only way we’d be able to tell if Wagner really has left is AAA removing him from the Guerra de Titanes lineup. The only match AAA has so far promoted for Guerra de Titanes is the one with Wagner in it. Since they started hyping it less than a week ago, in the midst of these Wagner rumors, AAA must’ve felt pretty confident Wagner wasn’t actually going anywhere. They could’ve changed it on Sunday on the Fusion show if plans had changed, and did not.

There’s been two rumors around Dr. Wagner Jr. for years. One is that he’s just about to leave whatever promotion it is he’s working at that moment. He never seems to actually leave that much, but it seems he does tell people he’s leaving often. The other rumor is Dr. Wagner Jr. really wants to lose his mask and this just might be the year if he can find someone to pay for it. These two rumors are usually connected; a limited run indy promoter is probably more willing to promise Wagner a lot more money for his mask match than someone who runs regular shows and has a realistic understand of how much money they can offer and still stay in business. I think that’s what is happening here – Wagner probably has an offer, he’d stay with AAA if he could make more over the course of a year, AAA hasn’t made that offer, Wagner is saying he’s leaving, but things could still change.

(This is three steps down the line, but much more fun – who’d Wagner face in a mask match? Hijo del Santo would be epic. Blue Demon Jr. would not be as much, but they’d still get a lot of mainstream press. LA Park would also be huge, and terrible for AAA since he and Wagner have been the tentpoles of the company since they jumped.)

The Perros del Mal benefit show for Hector Garza this weekend will now double as AAA’s Fusion taping for early December. This will include Perros, AAA, DTU and XMW wrestlers, so likely some luchadors who don’t normally make TV will turn up on TVC Deportes. Just the first top two matches have been announced. If they post a full lineup, I’ll post it separately later.

A couple in the Chicago suburbs has been making custom masks, and is trying to raise money to start a fair-wage sewing factor in Mexico City. It’s 2012, so this is a Kickstarter-like project, with a goal of $20000.

Rob has highlights of 10/26/12 CMLL.

Links

Lucha Libre in Japan

11/21 NJPW: Rush [O] & Diamante Azul b Hiroyoshi Tenzan [X] & Satoshi Kojima in 10:49 [WORLD TAG LEAGUE]
Rush & Azul are 1-0.

In case you’ve haven’t been paying attention to CMLL’s adventures in NJPW tournaments, this is a very unprecedented result…

2012 G1: Rush won his first 2 matches
2012 BOSJ: Angel de Oro won his first 4 matches
2011 G1: Sombra won his first match
2011 BOSJ: Mascara Dorada won his first match
2010 G1 TAG: Terrible & Texano won their first match
2010 BOSJ: Sombra won his first match

This is less about CMLL and more the way Japan as a country normally books outsiders. Team Rage has Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka, and it’s possible the early wins continue.

Stuka & Arkangel are headed to Japan Thursday for Mr. Cacao’s Fukumenmania XX show. Their match, on 11/25, is Arkangel & Okano (“a black belt in karate”) vs Stuka and Mr. Cacao. Arkangel is annoyed they’re not doing the mask match yet and vows to make the challenge again after this one. Stuka is happy to make his first trip to Japan. Stuka will be signing autographs at a couple stops before the show, while Arkangel will be teaching a seminar. The highlight of this trip to Japan is the promotion posting Stuka’s entrance video.

Lineups

IWRG (SUN) 11/25/2012 Arena Naucalpan
1) Alas de Acero & Serpiente de Oro vs Dragón Celestial & Power Bull
2) Dinamic Black, Golden Magic, Niko vs Araña de Plata, Eita, Imposible
3) Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro, Veneno vs Alan Extreme, Canis Lupus, Carta Brava Jr.
4) el Ángel, Hijo de LA Park, Hijo de Pirata Morgan vs Hijo de Máscara Año 2000, Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., Oficial 911
5) Factor vs Cien Caras Jr. [IWRG Rey del Ring]
Factor is the champion

3 shows to go. Nice to have a week off from a tournament, but I’m a bit concerned the Cerebros won’t get to their match before the clock runs out. Also, I wish Alan Extreme was in the segunda.

Power Bull has appeared on the trainee shows, but this would be his first main show appearance.

CMLL (TUE) 11/27/2012 Arena Mexico
1) Höruz & Oro Jr. vs Ramstein & Zayco
2) Dark Angel, Goya Kong, Silueta vs Amapola, Princesa Sugheit, Zeuxis
3) Fuego, Hijo del Fantasma, Triton vs Namajague, Shigeo Okumura, Virus
4) Blue Panther, Guerrero Maya Jr., Valiente vs Black Warrior, Ephesto, Felino
5) Pólvora vs Niebla Roja [lightning]
6) Marco Corleone, Máximo, Super Porky vs Tama Tonga, Terrible, Último Guerrero

This week’s foul leads bot next week’s lightning match.

CMLL (TUE) 11/27/2012 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Black Metal & Virgo vs Infierno & Thunder Boy
2) Esfinge & Smaker vs Espectrum & Ráfaga
3) Ángel Azteca Jr., Magnus, Pegasso vs Espanto Jr., Hijo del Signo, Hooligan
4) Princesa Blanca vs Estrellita [MEX WOMEN]
Princesa Blanca is the champion
5) Ángel de Oro, La Sombra, Titán vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Negro Casas, Psicosis

Ah, the unfinished Blanca/Estrellita feud – abruptly ended in Mexico City when Estrellita cut her hand – finishes in Guadalajara. At least it finishes here for now, it’s kind of being built up by El Luchador…

Magnus’ first match in Guadalajara since his return. I look forward to the Twitter updates!