Negro Casas versus Volador, Konnan on GdT

CMLL (SUN) 12/15/2013 Arena Mexico [CMLL]
1) Leono & Robin b Akuma & Inquisidor
Tecnicos took 1/3, but not before the rudos ripped up Robin’s America jersey.
2) Demus 3:16, Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Warrior b Astral, Fantasy, Shockercito
Rudos took 2/3 in a quick usual match.
3) Cancerbero b Súper Halcón Jr. [lightning]
Cancerbero won via motocicleta in 7:47.
4) Guerrero Maya Jr., Sagrado, Stuka Jr. b Misterioso Jr., Puma, Sangre Azteca
Tecnicos took 1/3.
5) Blue Panther, Rush, Thunder b Pólvora, Rey Bucanero, Tiger
Tecnicos took 1/3.
6) Felino, Negro Casas, Pierroth b Atlantis, Valiente, Volador Jr.
Maximo was announced originally, but replaced by Mistico on Monday, then by Atlantis on Wednesday. Rudos took 1/3, Negro popping up from a front cracker to sneak in a foul on Volador. Negro belittled Volador and challenged for a title shot.

Really dead show. I think they’re turning up the ring sound to make it seem louder, but it still can’t hide when there’s not many people in the seats.

CMLL (SUN) 12/15/2013 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [@acogdl]
1) El Piraña b El Capitan
One fall.
2) Acertijo & Sádico b Halcón de Plata & Javier Cruz Jr.
Rudos took 2/3, Acertijo sneaking in a foul on Cruz.
3) León Blanco b Magnum
One fall. Leon one with a cristo.
4) Esfinge, Gallo, Leo DQ Demonio Maya, Infierno, Maléfico
Tecnicos took 2/3, Malefico pulling Gallo’s mask.
5) Diamante Azul, Titán, Tritón b Bárbaro Cavernario, Espectrum, Ráfaga
Tecnicos took 2/3.
6) La Máscara b Gran Guerrero
Mascara took 2/3.

Arena Coliseo Guadalajara announced the Tuesday shows on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Even would be pushed back to Wednesday. That’s the usual practice – CMLL always runs on the holiday, never the eve – and Arena Mexico will announce the same in the upcoming days.

Today’s MLW Radio includes some AAA tidbits about Guerra de Titanes. It’s about 16 minutes in and not long, but there are two main news items. Konnan does not use almost anyone’s name in talking about the show, seemingly feeling his podcast friends and listeners are mostly unfamiliar with a product his company will make a big splash in the US in 2014. It means I may be confusing a “that person” with a “that person”, and Konnan notes (discussing another subject) he may be getting people or words confused because he’s so high. It’s not really a podcast about getting every little fact right. It’s always worth listening for yourself if you want to figure it out, but I’m going to spend a lot more words unravelling in than Konnan did explaining it.

Yuriko quit because he was going to lose his hair in the cage match. (Konnan does not say Yuriko, but there’s only one person who quit.) It’s not totally clear when Yuriko found out and when he quit, but it sounded like the quitting was very late and they were working on a solution the day of the show. It was Konnan’s bosses who thought Pimpinela might be okay with it, and it sounds like Pimpi had no problem. There was a little extra drama because Konnan said the a different third was going to lose when going over the match with the eight people in it, and that person about fainted when they heard they were losing. Konnan straightened it out and it all turned out okay, but it was an extra hassle in a day where he’s got a full plate.

The bigger news is the surprise Konnan hyped last week was Konnan’s own tecnico turn. It was not explained how it would’ve worked, just that it was decided he needed to be a heel for the US promotion so they couldn’t turn him here. The next idea was an unnamed main eventer turning from tecnico to rudo. “And that…that didn’t go down. So, at the last minute, we had to change things.” It’s never said who refused, if that’s what happened, but it would have to be one of Cibernetico, Mesias and La Parka.

So Konnan had to spend the night rebooking the angle and getting all eight guys on the same page (and in the right spots) for what they did instead. That was complicated by the Jarrett’s not showing up until the semimain due to fights issues. (Boring aside: Jarretts had flight delays due to ice issues in the US, but the only flights going from DF to Nayrit that day left at 3pm and 7pm. The Jarrett’s flight schedule seemed like they wouldn’t have ever been able to make that 3pm flight. At any rate, normal practice is to be in town the day before the show to avoid these kind of issues and it probably was the Jarrett’s call to make it same day.)

(I know, I can’t believe I looked up flight times either.)

One of the things had to be rebooked was Zorro’s run in. Konnan wanted the lights to go out for Zorro’s appearance after one tecnico had turned on another. Again, no names, but that sounds like Perro was supposed to turn on Cibernetico, Zorro makes the save, only Zorro’s evil and helps Perro. The people in charge of the lights and Zorro’s run-in didn’t understand their cue or just didn’t execute right, because they actually turned off the lights before Perro turned, so Zorro was making a save for no reason. (This is probably why no one was quite sure right away what how Perro figured in – his moment got skipped over.) Konnan feels like it worked in the end but seemed to really like the idea of the save swerve and was disappointed it didn’t happen.

That change in plans explains the final product seemed so uninspired. AAA probably wasn’t putting together a Nueva Sociedad, and definitely not one with the same people, if either of Konnan’s first two plans came together. They did what they could with what they were left with, but did not go into this major card cycle knowing they’d end up there. (The negative reaction to GdT was not mentioned at all.)

When I first was thinking about this, I also thought it as Perro’s turn was a makeup because other people weren’t turning – but I guess Perro and whoever else could’ve both turned rudo at the same time. There didn’t seem to be a concern about doing too many things in the same segment as it was, so one more would not have been a problem.

My hunch, based on absolutely nothing and assuming I’ve got this story right, is Mesias passed on turning. I can’t imagine AAA even asking the other two.

Pasion Kristal took Diva Salvaje’s hair on Saturday.

La Vaquerita explains she’s out of action due to a right knee injury suffered in her final match in Japan. The doctors told her she’d need surgery at first, but now believe she may just be able to rest and rehab it. That’s her hope, as well as to challenge for the CMLL title in 2014.

Super Libre had interviews with El Faraon & Chik Tormenta.

Rob has highlights of 10/02/13 AAA and 10/04/13 CMLL.

Black Terry Jr. has photos of the AULL show on Saturday.

SuperLuchas #515 has a Guerra de Titanes recap.