top six stories of the last two weeks

1. Sin Cara/Mistico will now be known as Myzteziz. AAA announced the name in between tapings this week, at a Thursday press conference. AAA owns the rights to the name and new mask. The luchador has said he will continue to use Sin Cara on non-AAA shows for the time being.
2. Verano de Escandalo was another AAA ‘major card’ which were actually only a chapter in a bigger story. Myzteziz made his AAA in-ring debut after weeks of post match run-ins. Texano defeated Psycho Clown to keep the heavyweight title thanks to an evil referee again. The evil referee happened to be ex-CMLL referee Rafael el Maya, making his debut here. Bengala won a multiman match to get a cruiserweight title match at some future point. Nothing was announced for TripleMania, though Psycho Clown did challenge Texano to a mask versus hair match. The show sold out or came very close to it.
3. CMLL continues to focus on the Sombra/Rush/La Mascara trio versus Volador and the older rudos (Shocker and Negro Casas most of all.) Sombra’s group is being billed as tecnicos but working the matches completely as rudos, including Rush dropping Volador with his finish to set up Sombra beating him last Friday and picking up another title belt. The much delayed Rush & La Mascara tag title defense against Negro Casas will happen this Friday, with Shocker in what was originally Mr. Niebla’s place.
4. En Busca de un Idolo round two began, with every one going 1-1 in the first two matches. Hechicero continues to dominate the voting and seems safe for the final, but the fan voting is making it close between Cavernario, Dragon Lee and Cachorro. Hechicero faces Cachorro and Dragon Lee faces Cavernario on Friday, and it’s possible no one will know the final matchup until CMLL Informa next Wednesday.
5. CMLL announced Juicio Final on 08/01. It’s much later than usual, likely due to the World Cup. Juicio Final is usually a cage match show and probably will end up this year, though CMLL has begun strongly hinting Ultimo Guerero/Atlantis and Rush/Negro Casas are coming any day now. Juicio Final and TripleMania are both scheduled for August, and Hijo del Santo has told people he will hold a retirement show that busy month.
6. Prior to Verano de Escandalo, AAA taped in Celaya mostly to fill a gap in their TV schedule. Taya won a shot at the Reina de Reinas championship for some time down the road. Psycho Clowns beat el Consejo in a trios title match, in the upteeneth matchup between those two teams. Averno continued his winning streak in the main event, and the-not-yet-Myzteziz appeared in Sin Cara gear after the main event.

Other stuff.

• LuchaMania Monterrey announced they’ll run a show on 07/05 with Charles Lucero/Black Terry, Hechicero/Caifan, Princesa Sugehit/Dark Angel
• Sin Cara and friends ran into problems in Campeche, where the promoter had no money for the luchadors or just wouldn’t pay.
• Exterminador took Evola’s hair in Guadalajara.
• People who kept their titles: Titan.
• Rocky Lobo and Jinzo are headed to Japan. Mascara Dorada should be wrapped up with his NJPW tour, but he’s curiously absent from lineups.