Perro Aguayo Jr.
The funeral was yesterday. The church was overfilled, with what looks to be at least hundreds of people standing outside, just wanting to be there. (R de Rudo has a video of what the scene outside looked like.) The service was a a celebration of Perro’s life. Rey Misterio, Konnan, Latin Lover, Rayo de Jalisco were among those who stood as ceremonially guard next to the casket the entire time. There were many wrestlers in and out of masks at the service, but Konnan and Latin Lover being on opposite sides of the casket was striking. Those are two men who’ve not gotten along at times, and very much not gotten along at other times. Perro Aguayo Jr. was friends with them both. Rayo’s knew Perro Jr. since he was child. I believe I saw Terrible at the service in another picture; his biggest break was teaming with Perro Aguayo Jr. in a hair match. X-Fly’s visible in the second row with his blond hair; Perro Jr. knew him since he X-Fly was a kid hoping to get in the wrestling business and hoping to find a home. The lucha libre world can be a fractious, divisive place, but Perro had a connection with everyone and was friends with many. He reached so many very different people.
Hijo del Santo voiced a theory, one that others have brought up, that Perro Aguayo Jr. was already dealing with a back or spine injury prior to the match. The Aguayo family doctor told the press yesterday that, as far as he knows, Perro Jr. did not have any pre-existing spine or back injury. The doctor does not that luchadors often have at least two doctors. The doctor continued to absolve everyone involved of blame. A Yahoo article quotes an AAA spokesman as saying “they could’ve had 50 doctors in the arena” and it wouldn’t have helped.
Rayo de Jalisco Jr. took solace in Perro Aguayo Jr. dying doing what he loved. Rayo pushed for better protection for luchadors generally, in both insurance and medical services, but does not believe anything different could’ve been done in this case. Rayo was one of a few people noted as talking to Rey Misterio Jr. at the service; Rey (who did not wear his mask) is reported as being completely devastated. Rey’s friends surrounded as he left, to protect him from the media. The Tijuana commission has talked about wanting to talk to Rey to get his statement about what happened – they only talked to him briefly that night – but the lucha libre commission has repeatedly said they do not expect any charges to be filed.
El Universal has a video interview with Negro Casas, Blue Panther and Vaquerita about Perro’s passing. Casas is very emotional.
The next AAA TV taping is April 1st in San Luis Potosi. The local promoters have asked all their fans to wearing their Perros del Mal gear as part of a memorial.
Masked Republic will be releasing a special Perro memorial t-shirt, with the profits benefiting the family.
Boxer Jhonny Gonzalez, who been associated with AAA for a while, said he’s dedicating his fight on Saturday to Perro. There was a moment of applause for Perro in Arena Puebla.
Kcidis says goodbye to Perro Aguayo.
Related News
This is a lot of fallout, what’s next, and tangential items.
A photographer at the Tijuana show noted that all three men involved in that crazy Spanish Fly spot on the Tijuana show ended up taken to the hospital. A commentator on the photo claims Super Nova fractured his clavicle, Star Boy had an unspecified injury, and Tony Casanova had a lumbar injury. Lumbar is lower back, the type of injury you’d keep on a stretcher. Nova’s confirmed the shoulder injury. If that rest of the story is true, it matches the story the commission has been giving. (Also, if it’s true, it shows what a drastically ill considered spot it was.)
A senator will propose a bill on Thursday calling for establishing protocols for medical care in lucha libre and boxing, and establishing compensation for families when a luchador passes away or is permanently disabled in a match.
Dr. Alfonso Morales ripped the authorities for their post injury medical situation. A member of Mexican Red Cross listed all the mistakes the medical team made in treating Perro Aguayo Jr.
CMLL’s Miguel Reducino said it’s referees are instructed to stop a match immediately if there is a severe injury. Reducino says the DF commission requires a medical test to renew their license and says CMLL conducts periodic tests and random doping tests at events. Reducino also says medical insurance is impossible – no one would offer it to the luchadors – but the union does pool money together as fun to support luchadors, and CMLL itself has an relationship with two nearby hospitals in case of an injury. Reducino goes onto say CMLL has specifically banned the usage of chairs, tables and other weapons to avoid greater injury and because it doesn’t fit with their seriousness. Reducino says luchadors are examples for children and it’s not a good thing for children to see luchadors use weapons and bleed.
The licensing thing has a loophole – a license in any state is valid in all of them, and there’s been plenty talk in the past of wrestlers traveling to commissions with lax or no standards to be renewed to avoid tougher standards elsewhere. I don’t know if that’s the situation with Brazo de Plata, but any commission that’s found Super Porky OK to wrestle for most of the last ten years is conducting some strange medical tests. I know of no story of anyone being denied of a wrestling license because they failed a medical test. It has to have happened, but it’s never been talked about as happening. Same thing about the drug tests; they do come up when these sorts of stories are written but there’s never any talk about anyone being suspended (which may just be a private issue) or what is actually being tested for (which ought to be public knowledge.)
The insurance bit is confusing, since AAA talked a lot about getting it’s wrestlers insurance over a year ago.
Psicosis (II) actually inadvertently pokes a hole in the idea of the commission doing it’s job. He does say the commission will have doctors at shows, conduct testing and require a yearly medical checkup (which he feels should happen more often, but he also goes onto say there wasn’t actually an ambulance on hand at a recent show he worked in Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera. That would have to be the Vamper Revolution show. If the commission isn’t mandating an ambulance at a building that size, they’re hardly ever doing it.
AAA posted the TV show from last week. I’m not sure what will end up on TV next week; they aired the tease of the Mesias turn, but the match where he actually turned in Mexico City did not air. It’s possible they may have been planning on airing two weeks from Mexico City despite having less matches than usual. It’s also possible it just becomes a Perro Aguayo tribute and his Rey de Reyes appearances are never shown.
This death has journalists digging into lucha libre who wouldn’t normally pay much attention to it. Judging form Twitter, this has resulted in an immense amount of idiotic things being said on TV channels. It’s also brought to light things which would be interesting under other circumstances. Universal has an article talking about how little luchadors are actually paid. The story says they’re usually only getting 50-75% of what the local promoter is paying for them, with CMLL or AAA keeping the rest the promoter is getting 50-70% of the booking fee, and the luchador is keeping the rest. I’m skeptical of all the numbers in this story – there’s a list of prices that places indy Rayman working small Jalisco shows at the same price as Volador Jr. & La Mascara – but the general concept mentioned is what I’ve been told in the past. Those on top still do very well; Dr. Lucha mentioned on Sunday’s Wrestling Observer Live that Perro Aguayo Jr. was actually making more money on his merchandise sales than wrestling for a number of years.
An interview with the commission in Puebla says all shows are required to have medical personal and an ambulance. Promoters should already be following their local rules, but this is obviously a moment for promoters to be sure they’re following all regulations. Other people will be checking.
Results
IWRG (SUN) 03/22/2015 Arena Naucalpan [The Gladiatores]
1) Hip Hop Man b Electro Boy, Atomic Star, Alfa, Dragón Celestial
2) Liderk, Rayan, Spector b Diva Salvaje, Estrella Divina, Miss Gaviota
3) Golden Magic, Hijo de Mascara Sagrada, Veneno b El Hijo del Diablo, Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Rayan
First Sagrada appearance here in nearly 3 years. Rayan worked double, replacing Eterno. Money thrown in.
4) Eterno, Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., Negro Navarro DQ Hijo de Máscara Año 2000, Universo 2000 Jr., X-Fly
Eterno replaced Pirata Morgan. Wagner refused to get along with his partners, since he had feuded with Navarro the previous week. Wagner even stopped to hug X-Fly at one point. Navarro team took 2/3. Match came to an end with X-Fly, Wagner and Navarro in the ring. Wagner tossed his mask to Navarro (to cost himself the match?), but Navarro tossed it to X-Fly, and X-Fly had it in his hands when the referee turned back around. Perro Aguayo Jr. was honored after the match.
5) Hijo De Dos Caras © b Pirata Morgan [IWRG IC HEAVY]
Original plan was Super Nova defending IWRG Juniors championship against Dos (Dos had won the title shot a couple weeks previously.) Nova suffered an arm injury taking a Spanish Fly in Tijuana and could not wrestle. Instead, Hijo de Dos defended his own heavyweight championship against what was ruled to be his #1 contender – Pirata Morgan. Pirata submitted Dos in the first, but would not let go and was DQed. Pirata had Dos beat again in the second fall after a powerbomb, but the referee belatedly noticed Pirata’s feet were on the ropes. Dos wrapped Morgan in a rana for a three count, but Pirata argued he had his shoulder up and the match continued. The referee was soon knocked down and Hijo del Pirata Morgan interfered. Veneno (Dos’ second) made the save with karate chops and Dos submitted Pirata as the referee recovered. Straight falls. Fourth defense.
Super Nova’s injury messes up plans here – Dos seemed sure to beat him for the title, he wins all his other big matches – and they might actually not strip him of the title and delays things so Dos can get that win later on. It also comes at a poor time for Nova himself. He had seemed to make it into AAA as a regular, and it’s no sure thing he’ll have the same chances when he gets healthy.
CMLL (MON) 03/23/2015 Arena Puebla [El Popular, Periodico Enfoque]
1) Artillero, Policeman, Súper Comando b Arkalis, Meyer, Zaeta Roja
Zaeta Roja’s debut in a loss.
2) Dalys, La Comandante, Tiffany b La Vaquerita, Marcela, Princesa Sugehit
3) Kamaitachi, Okumura, Puma b Delta, Fuego, Guerrero Maya Jr.
4) La Máscara, La Sombra, Rush b Negro Casas, Rey Bucanero, Thunder
Rush got away with a low blow and a mask pull on Thunder.
5) Último Guerrero DQ Mistico
Tecnico took 1/3. Ultimo Guerrero took Mistico’s mask for the DQ. He kept the mask and left.
That’s a strangely flat way to end that program.
Other News
Today’s Wrestling Observer Radio clarified the Alberto el Patron situation. Alberto is hurt, and Dave Meltzer revealed it actually came in training for a kickboxing match against Bill Goldberg for the Glory promotion. (This is a real story.) Alberto probably said he got hurt in a match in Mexico because he didn’t want to give away he was training yet. It’s unclear if the injury means the fight is off; Alberto’s claimed it wasn’t as bad as originally reported. I’ve got no idea how his matches in Australia went, but those would probably indicate his condition. There’s no reported date of when that fight would take place.
CMLL updated Sunday’s lineup. Mistico vs Casas is now the main event. Gran Guerrero replaces Barbaro Cavernario in what’s now the semimain. Niebla Roja replaces Virus in the fourth match; that seems to throw off the Virus vs Dragon Lee feud. CMLL continues to list Dragon Rojo on Sunday, and even pushes him as part of the preview for tonight’s show, so maybe there’s something they know about his injury status that they’re keeping quiet. A promotion insisting they take the best care of their luchadors probably shouldn’t be pushing someone into the ring too early.
LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update, this week’s Poster-Mania, and a recap of the Lucha Libre VIP show with Sombra vs Volador Jr.
SuperLuchas looks back at past March 23rd shows.
Tercera Caida added Keira vs Impulso to it’s 04/12 Coacalco show.
DJ Spectro looks back at Black Man & Blue Panther vs Sombra de Platas and Mascara Roja.
Lineups
IWRG (SUN) 03/29/2015 Arena Naucalpan
1) Araña de Plata vs Atomik Star, Hip Hop Man, Alas de Acero, Aeroman
2) Diva Salvaje, Estrella Divina, Miss Gaviota vs Apolo Estrada Jr., Avisman, Liderk [lumberjack strap]
3) Chicano & Danny Casas © vs Rayan & Spector [IWRG IC TAG]
Rayan & Spector previously won a #1 contenders match. Chicano & Casas’ 2nd defense.
4) Hijo de Pirata Morgan © vs Veneno [IWRG IC MIDDLE]
Pirata’s 4th defense.
5) Hijo De Dos Caras & Máscara Sagrada vs Negro Navarro & Pirata Morgan
Eh.
Guessing that’s actually not the 2010 Aeroman in the opener.
CMLL (MON) 03/30/2015 Arena Puebla
1) Asturiano, Paris, Rey Samuray vs Disturbio, Espíritu Maligno, Inquisidor
2) Dark Angel, La Vaquerita, Syuri vs La Seductora, Skadi, Tiffany
3) Stigma, Stuka Jr., Tritón vs Puma, Sagrado, Tiger
4) Ángel de Oro, Atlantis, Dragón Rojo Jr. vs Ephesto, Mephisto, Shocker
5) Rush, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Negro Casas, Rey Escorpión, Thunder
Rush/Thunder feud here as well in DF. Maybe a dry run?
Syuri starts here again on Sunday. Skadi’s been moved to the ruda side – an experiment with Zeuxis out? Women of Skadi’s size are usually rudas.
DTU (MON) 04/06/2015 Auditorio Municipal, Pantepec, Puebla
1) Artikus, Lanzeloth, Rocky Lobo vs Jimmy, Kevin (DTU), Tony
2) Hormiga & Yuriko vs Chica Ye-Ye & Príncipe Halcón
3) Lady Apache, Lokillo, X-Fly vs Drastik Boy, Keira, Paranoiko
4) Hijo De Dos Caras & Súper Nova vs Black Fire & Slayer Pack and Cíclope & Miedo Extremo
5) Crazy Boy, Dr. Wagner Jr., Pesadilla vs Aero Boy, Hijo de Máscara Año 2000, Violento Jack
The Wagners on a DTU show is pretty surprising, but it seems to be sponsored by the town as part of their fair, so they could be footing the bill.
