Day: January 18, 2013

NJPW CMLL (FRI) 01/18/2013 Korakuen Hall [NJPW]
1) Tama Tonga & Titán b Euforia & Shigeo Okumura
Tonga beat Euforia with the Headshrinker in 8:17. Okumura and Euforia argued in the post-match interview.
2) Ishii, Rey Escorpión, Yujiro b Bushi, Diamante, Ryusuke Taguchi
Escorpion beat Diamante with his double underhook piledriver in 8:29. Diamante had a new green and red version of his current outfit. Prior to the show, it was announced Bushi was no longer on loan from AJPW and had signed full time with NJPW.
3) Rush b YOSHI-HASHI
Rush won in 11:08 with his double underhook piledriver, called the Rush Driver here.
4) La Máscara, Máscara Dorada, Máximo b Taichi, Taka Michinoku, Volador Jr.
Volador (in his Avatar outfit) beat Mascara with the top rope moonsault side slam in 9:38. Taichi and TAKA attacked Maximo after the match.
5) Gedo, Jado, Mephisto b Atlantis, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask
Atlantis replaced Mistico, who appeared at the start of the show to welcome the fans. Mephisto beat Atlantis with a middle rope Devil’s Wings in 11:21.
6) Prince Devitt b Dragón Rojo Jr.
Neither man’s titles were on the line. Devitt won with a Bloody Sunday in 10:21.
7) Hiroshi Tanahashi & La Sombra b Misterioso Jr. & Shinsuke Nakamura
Annual Black Cat memorial match. Sombra beat Misterioso with the Brillante Bomb and a senton in 13:41.

Saturday’s show, which will take place at about the same time (3:30 AM CT), includes the first big match of the weekend shows: Sombra vs Shinsuke Nakamura (c) for the NJPW Intercontinental Championship. That match was teased after the main event. Most of this show was to tease matches for later this weekend.

Attendance was listed as 1,650. That’s the lowest announced number in the 3 years of FantasticaMania shows, but NJPW is no longer counting unused giveaway tickets and this figured to be the weakest of the three shows. They make their money on gimmick sales; the masks are sold at a much higher price in Japan than in Mexico (or the US).

IWRG (THU) 01/17/2013 Arena Naucalpan [Black Terry Jr. (flickr), Estrellas del Ring]
1) Dragón Celestial b Serpiente de Oro
2) Fulgore & Imposible b Astro Rey Jr. & Galaxy
Imposible has changed his look to something like a caveman.
3) Cerebro Negro, Eterno, Súper Nova b Chico Che, Dinamic Black, el Ángel
Dinamic Black was able to make Cerebro Negro, but not beat him. Black challenged for a title match anyway. Cerbero Negro said Dinamic Black was too green and he needs to do better to get a shot.
4) Centvrión & Veneno b Carta Brava Jr. & X-Fly and Eita & Negro Navarro and Hijo del Pantera & Pantera and Saruman & Solar I and Canis Lupus & Pirata Morgan and Fuerza Guerrera & Kiwby [El Protector, seeding battle royal]
by winning the battle royal, Centvrion and Veneno earned a first round bye. Hijo del Pantera’s first match here since July (Japan; came back bigger) and X-Fly’s first since Oc
5) Hijo del Pantera & Pantera b Saruman & Solar I [El Protector, quarterfinal]
6) Carta Brava Jr. & X-Fly b Fuerza Guerrera & Kiwby [El Protector, quarterfinal]
7) Eita & Negro Navarro b Canis Lupus & Pirata Morgan [El Protector, quarterfinal]
8) Carta Brava Jr. & X-Fly b Hijo del Pantera & Pantera [El Protector, semifinal]
9) Eita & Negro Navarro b Centvrión & Veneno [El Protector, semifinal]
10) Carta Brava Jr. & X-Fly b Eita & Negro Navarro [El Protector, final]
Eita accidentally hit the referee, and Carta Brava took advantage to give Eita a martinete for a pin. Negro Navarro fought on, but succumbed to the rudos. Carta Brava & X-Fly are your 2012 winners.

Previous El Protector winners
2012: X-Fly & Imposible
2011: Scorpio Jr. & Comando Negro
2010: Dr. Cerebro & Hijo del Signo – appears to be first year

AAA tapes TV today! HOORAY. It’s the first taping in 28 days, and may be the only taping this month since they haven’t announced another yet. I’m totally biased, because it’s really tough to write about AAA when they’re not running tapings, but there’s plenty of other reasons to be excited about this show: Mini Abismo Negro makes his return in the opening minis match, the 2/3/4 matches all have potential to be pretty good, and the main event pushes the two big heavyweight feuds of the moment (Cibernetico/Perro and Parka/Parka Negra.) No much angle advancement is expected, but they are about eight weeks out from Rey de Reyes and might want to start setting up the card. Toluca usually is one of AAA’s loudest and most responsive venues, though it hasn’t come across as strong the last couple times there.

IWL also has a show tonight in Tlalnepantla with a multiperson hardcore match and Cerebro Negro vs Carta Brava Jr. IWL for their IWL Junior title.

Rush vacating his light heavyweight championship to get a sudden shot at the CMLL Heavyweight championship still seems kind of random. Dr. Lucha might have found the explanation. On last night’s Figure Four podcast, Dr. Lucha says two or three people have hinted to him that Rush is not under contract, has gotten an offer from another company, and CMLL may be offering him the heavyweight championship to get him to stay. That offer didn’t seem to do much to keep Hector Garza. Dr. Lucha noted he’d gotten different reports of who is offering the deal. Some say NJPW (where he’d be a full timer in the same way Ricky Marvin had been with NOAH) or AAA (who would be doing it in part to screw with CMLL.) WWE is not an option, Rush doesn’t speak English. It’s unclear how interested Rush is making these moves, though I guess CMLL must be taking it seriously. (Though not seriously to just put him under contract.)

On the most recent MLWRadio podcast, Konnan says the legal situation with Steven Shipp (not mentioned by name) is almost done and he’ll have some big announcements once it is. Konnan also says they [AAA] will be sending people up to Canada to help Teddy Hart run shows up there. Teddy’s talked about doing a sort of AAA Canada for while. Konnan also explains the deal with the cats and women with Teddy Hart from Heroes Inmortales.

Super Crazy’s goal is a 100 trips to Japan. He’s at 52 right now. He’s headed to Chile, Peru and Brazil this month, England for the first time in February, Germany (WXW) in March, Japan (#53!) in April and then trips to New York and Philadelphia (Extreme Reunion?). Super Crazy must have all the frequent flyer miles.

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.

Rob has highlights of 01/01/13 CMLL and Skayde vs Turbo.

Links

• El Hijo del Santo starts of his column with a hard to verify tale of inspiring a young child who battling cancer. Not sure this is a good week for this.
• Dr. Morales thinks CMLL should use Mr. Niebla often and run an independent rookie tournament, and praises Rey Escorpion.
• Mesias is doing an autograph signing today in Puerto Rico (which means he’s unlikely to make a surprise appearance on the AAA TV taping.)
• Oro Azul kept the San Luis Potosi Light Heavyweight title this past weekend.
• Those coming into for the FCK show will be signing autographs at the Trauma’s stand on Saturday.
• R de Rudo looks back at the start of masks in Mexico.

Lineups

AAA KDNA (SUN) 01/27/2013 Arena Coliseo Monterrey
5) Lolita, Mascarita Sagrada, Orquídea Negra vs ?, Mini Psicosis, Sexy Lady
mystery person is an exotico
6) Drago & Fénix vs Daga & Dark Dragon

That’s a strong main event.