Sky Team keep the trios title, Super Comando, AAA TV in the US?

CMLL (MON) 01/04/2016 Arena Puebla [thecubsfan]
1) Arkángel de la Muerte, Nitro, Policeman b Arkalis, París, Rey Samuray
18:37. Rudos took 1/3.
2) Estrellita, Lluvia, Princesa Sugehit b Dalys, Reyna Isis, Tiffany
11:42. Tecnicas took 1/3.
3) Stigma DQ Skándalo [lightning]
9:07. Not listed as a lightning match but announced (and wrestled) as one. Skandalo pulled Stigma’s mask for the DQ. Challenges followed the match.
4) Euforia, Felino, Hechicero b Ángel de Oro, Black Tiger, Stuka Jr.
13:31 Black Tiger replaced Super Porky. Rudos took 1/3.
5) Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Vangellys b La Máscara, Marco Corleone, Máximo Sexy
14:32. Rudos took 2/3, the last when Vangellys beat Maximo. Marco & Mascara refused to help Maximo at various times in the match. Vangellys and Maximo may be feuding.
6) Mistico, Valiente, Volador Jr. © b Kráneo, Mephisto, Ripper [CMLL TRIOS]
8:19. Sky Team took 2/3 to retain. Fifth defense.

Main event was good, but I’m getting (unfortunately) used to these main events going absurdly short.

Super Comando has left CMLL. He said this was a possibility in a post mask loss match interview on CMLL Informa. Opening match CMLL luchadors losing an apuesta match near the new year and the leaving CMLL entirely has become a pretty common occurrence in CMLL: that’s how the Rayo Tapatios, Tigre Blanco and Ramstein left in recent years (and Molotov had his own lose a few months before that this year.) Super Comando is a bit difference because he’s only 35 and most of those guys were well into their 40s and beyond. Super Comando’s message (reposted by Ana Gutierrez) says he’s leaving CMLL, not that he’s retiring, though he also says he’s not going elsewhere (AAA) to wrestle under a new mask and identity. Many of those who have left the CMLL have wrestled infrequently on indie shows in the last few years; hopefully Super Comando gets a chance in the Lucha Memes/Cara Lucha type promotions at least once if he wants one.

CMLL has a show tonight. Yep. The big news is Copa Junior starting, with this week’s field announced as Blue Panther Jr., Puma, Magnus, Skándalo, Hombre Bala Jr., El Cuatrero, Oro Jr., and Hijo del Signo (though they’ve changed it around a little bit both times.) Puma seems like the obvious favorite in this block, but CMLL has also not been as high on Puma or Tiger as it seems they ought to be and definitely not as high on them as people on the internet. Hombre Bala, Blue Panther Jr. & Cutarero all have upset chances.

The actual main event is Marco, Maximo and Stuka Jr. vs Kraneo, Niebla Roja, Ripper. Marco will likely be a nice guy to Maximo after being mean last night – the (completely fake, never ever brought up on TV and is just a patch by me) storyline seems to be Marco is only a jerk when he’s around the rest of the Ingobernables. Friends are tough. Ripper beat Maximo last week, so they may be setting up a match tonight. Lightning match is Guerrero Maya & Sagrado, which may turn up on the YouTube site. Fantasy is listed in Aereo’s spot in the preview.

Guadalajara has the Sky Team versus Rey Bucanero, Terrible and Vangellys. Always possible they start a trios title program here as well. Shocker hasn’t been seen since the 18th, though he’s definitely wrestled on indie shows, and Vangellys seems to be back in the trio. Maybe don’t make your group name dependent on initials.

Ray Flores, an boxing/MMA announcer in Chicago possibly best know as a news update guy on the local ESPN Radio station, says he’s heading to New York to work on an AAA project with Dorian Roldan and Court Bauer. AAA’s English language Twitter has been hinting around about some mystery project to make AAA available in the US for a couple weeks: here, here, here, and here.

The easy guess is this is something with AAA’s TV situation. The last anyone knew, the rights to AAA’s TV show in the US were owned by Univision, just one of a large bundle of programming Univision buys from Televisa to air in the US. Univision used to air the show on Galavision, has not for many years, but the understanding is they still maintain the rights on the programming and it can’t air elsewhere. It’s a big missed opportunity for AAA, since it hurts AAA’s visibility in the US and it’s missing out on the (probably small) extra money CMLL gets from selling it’s TV shows to various networks.

These hints suggest something changed, and the hints are certain enough about AAA TV airing in the US in 2016 that this is probably more than just some pilots being shot. Flores makes sense as an English language announcer for the shows. The timing suggests Matt Striker isn’t involved since he’s still in Japan, but maybe he would be at some other point or maybe AAA would want this show to have a different set of voices than the Lucha Underground to keep them with separate identities. It’s completely unclear what network those shows would air and when they’d start airing. Maybe just something to keep an eye on for now.

There’s plenty of news in NJPW the last few days, but no FantasticaMania lineups as of this writing. Mascara Dorada’s appearance on the Tokyo Dome ended with him being eliminated while the cameras were not showing the ring. Dorada’s appearance on today’s show saw him get pinned by BUSHI. That makes some level of sense to build up a title rematch on FantasticaMania, but it came of more that NJPW was getting BUSHI ready for a title match with Kushida, and so Dorada is not guaranteed to get his win back.

ChilangaMask will be running a 3rd Anniversary show on 03/20 in Coacalco. This is the first we’ve heard from the promotion since part of the ownership split off into the Lucha Pop/Chairo name.

DTU announced shows on 01/29 in Arena Queretaro, 01/30 in Arena Roberto Paz (Guadalajara) and 01/31 in TBD (a first time venue.)

Black Fire says he’ll be heading to Germany’s WXW from the first week of February to April. They’re running almost every weekend, so he should get plenty of work.

Kamaitachi says he wants to stay in Mexico to gain revenge on Dragon Lee & Maximo. It’s good to want things.

Flamita says he wants a mask versus hair match with Sadico. This one might happen.

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update, this week’s Poster-Mania and a ranking of the top 10 lucha libre stories of the year.

Segunda Caida reviews Hechicero vs Rush and Blue Panther, Rey Cometa, Angel de Oro vs Virus, Polvora and Dragon Rojo.

Lineups

CMLL Elite (SUN) 01/10/2016 Arena México
1) Lluvia & Silueta vs La Seductora & Tiffany
2) Fuego & Pegasso vs Eterno & Fresero Jr.
3) Guerrero Maya Jr. & Rey Cometa vs Argos & Karonte Jr.
4) Blue Panther & La Máscara vs Bestia 666 & Damián 666
5) Ángel de Oro, Golden Magic, Super Crazy vs Felino, Puma, Tiger
6) Canek, Carístico, Octagón vs Cibernético, Fuerza Guerrera, Volador Jr.

Canek’s first match here since a 2006 charity show on a Monday, when he looked washed up. He’s back ten years later. Good luck to Volador.

CMLL (MON) 01/11/2016 Arena Puebla
1) Asturiano & Zaeta Roja vs Ares & El Malayo
2) Black Tiger, Starman, Tigre Rojo Jr. vs Nitro, Rey Apocalipsis, Toro Bill Jr.
3) Blue Panther Jr., Stigma, The Panther vs Puma, Sangre Azteca, Tiger
4) Atlantis, Blue Panther, Valiente vs Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas
5) La Máscara, Marco Corleone, Máximo Sexy vs Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Vangellys

oh great they’re redoing one of the worst matches from last week. Maybe a Maximo/Vangellys match coming, which would be Maximo’s toughest test yet.

Third match could be good. Second match sees the return of the Batillon, and Tigre Rojo Jr. hasn’t been here much. Too bad Nitro’s in the match.

LLDLJ (SUN) 01/17/2016 Coliseo Coacalco, Coacalco, Estado de México
1) Keira vs Ludark Shaitan
2) Emperador Azteca & Golden Magic vs Brole Extrem & Prayer
3) Jeque & Judas el Traidor vs Bobby Jack & Toro Bill Jr.
4) Mini Multifacético vs Belial
5) Stigma vs Skándalo
6) Arez & Impulso vs Metaleón & Mr. Leo
7) Misterioso Jr. (CMLL) vs Herodes Jr. [bull terrier]

Full card for the promotion that’s been running in Puebla and is debuting in this arena. (Brole, Prayer, Bobby Jack, and Mini Multifacetico are all Puebla luchadors.) Not sure if Stigma/Skandalo will mean as much here. Semimain looks good. Card order is subject to change and probably will – Arez & Keira are working another indy show in Ecatepec which starts an hour after this one.