Dorada defends against Mephisto (and Casas next), AAA in Queretaro

CMLL (TUE) 02/16/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Fuego en el Ring]
1) Capitán Cobra & Neutrón b Carlos Rogi & Mr. Apolo
Tecnicos took 1/3.
2) Robin, Súper Halcón Jr., Vaquero Jr. b Camorra, Hijo del Signo, Maléfico
Robin replaced Sensei (still out with injury?). Tecnicos took 1/3.
3) Cancerbero, Disturbio, Raziel b Soberano Jr., Starman, Tritón
Rudos took 1/3.
4) Máximo Sexy © b Euforia [CMLL HEAVY]
Maximo retained, winning falls 1/3, despite suffering an ankle injury in the third fall. 6th defense
5) Negro Casas, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero b Máscara Dorada, Mistico, Volador Jr.
Rudos took 1/3, the last with Negro Casas cleanly beating Dorada with a casita. Casas demanded a title match.

Negro Casas is pretty set on winning a Welterweight championship: first Volador, now Dorada. Barbaro Cavernario has the third one, hope he tries for that one too. This upcoming week’s Tuesday main event is Marco, Dorada and Volador versus Casas, Cavernario and Niebla. The title match will likely be the week after that (03/01).

Before it can happen, Mascara Dorada has to remain champion tonight. He’s defending the CMLL World Welterweight title for the first time in this reign against Mephisto. They’ve met quite a few times before (this is the fifth time they’ll battle for this title, Dorada winning the previous four), including a 2011 match where Dorada just did every crazy high spot he could try and then won with a submission. That 2011 match as the last title match to make TV, so it’s a bit fresher matchup than those numbers would indicate. Dorada’s almost certain to win, and this is more how he does with the crowd in his first big match since returning from Japan. Dorada is very skilled, but the criticism on him is not connecting with the crowd as well as others. Tonight’s a night to change that.

That’s the one sure high quality match on the show, but it’s probably not the only one with implications from tonight. The fourth match has Dragon Lee, Stuka Jr., and Volador Jr. taking on Kamaitachi, Negro Casas, and Gran Guerrero, in something that might finally set up a match for Dos Leyendas. CMLL typically will have a main event for their big March show sometime in the next ten days, and Dragon Lee/Kamaitachi and Volador/Casas are two of the most likely options. (Ultimo Guerrero/Thunder is conspicuous by it’s absence.) Volador has been all about making the hair match challenges to Negro Casas, who did accept Monday night in Puebla. Lee/Kamaitachi has had no challenges, including for the title rematch, but it’s obviously going to happen at some point.

Neither of those important matches are the actual main event. Instead, Los Ingobernables (Mascara, Marco and Rush) taking on Atlantis, Maximo and Valiente. Rush and Maximo had slight issues last week, CMLL plays that up in the preview and that also might be something for down the road. It’s also possible a teaser for the incredible pairs tournament, which usually takes places at this point on the CMLL calendar. It would have to start next week to get the final in before the Dos Leyendas show; the preview for next week is more important than usual.

The full card is here; the tercera has a chance to be good but also weirdly has the return of Olimpico. The show starts at 8:30pm CT and will air on ClaroSports.com. (Don’t worry if there’s a location warning on that link; they don’t switch it over to CMLL until this afternoon.)

AAA is also in action tonight, taping a show in Queretaro. While CMLL still has plenty of time before it’s March show, AAA show is a week earlier and their taping schedule means tonight’s show will be the last to air before Rey de Reyes. (The following taping will debut a day after the Friday night Rey de Reyes show.) It’s unclear how much this matters – much less so if this card also won’t be on PPV – because the major match is already made, but it might inspire AAA to figure out the rest of the card.

AAA has Mesias versus Texano set for the title match on Rey de Reyes, and they’ll make big progress on the tournament itself tonight. Blue Demon Jr. advanced to the final on the previous taping, and there’s two more blocks tonight. Group 2 is Villano IV, Electroshock, Chessman and Jack Evans, and Group 3 is La Parka, Psycho Clown, Averno and Zorro. They’re both random groups of individuals with no particular feuds. There are a few people to round out. Psycho Clown is probably going with Dr. Wagner at Rey de Reyes, Dr. Wagner isn’t in this tournament, so he can be ruled out. Zorro will likely be in a trios title match. Averno & Chessman could defend their tag titles, but that’s less certain the other things. La Parka seems like he’ll advance to give him something to do but Group 2 is more up in the air.

The most intriguing match on the show is the third match. It is scheduled to be Pentagon Jr. & Sexy Star defending the AAA Mixed Tag Team Championship against Daga & Taya. I’m unsure what it’ll actually be. Back in early February, late one night, Sexy Star posted an angry message on Twitter that she was going to give up these titles rather than defend them. It appeared Sexy had been told she was losing, did not agree with that idea, and was attempting to find a way out of it. By the next morning, everything was deleted. AAA’s acted like nothing had occurred, while Sexy Star has stuck to mostly writing about her child and boxing on Twitter. AAA continues to promote the match, but then they’ve also promoted people who they were aware weren’t going to appear over the last six months (only revealing the change locally as to avoid commission issues.) I’m skeptical the match will happen. I’m not the only one.

Tomorrow, La Reina Sexy Star is scheduled to defend the AAA Mixed Tag Team championship. What will she do?

— luchablog (@luchablog) February 18, 2016

For her part, Sexy Star says today will be a great day. She’s probably right about that.

The thing is – it’s the Mixed Tag Team titles! No one cares about these titles now, won’t care when they change hands tonight, and won’t care three months from now. The people who hold them may be the only exception in the world. There’s hasn’t been as much drama put into them on the screen recently as there apparently is going on behind the scenes. This match only matters if they build something out of it, because there’s nothing there right now.

The big onscreen angle in that title match is the possible dissolution of the Perros del Mal. Pentagon is facing his stablemates Taya & Daga, after previously having a falling out with Joe Lider. Lider’s also on this card, and could play into the finish. If there’s a breakup coming, it probably makes more sense to do it at the bigger Rey de Reyes card, but tonight’s show might push it more in that direction.

The full card is here. Bell time is 8:45pm, which means the actual card will probably start around 9:15 after a dark match. There’s no live video, but AAA’s social media accounts will have results. Jesus Zuñiga also will occasionally post video during the show.

DTU also has a show tonight in Arena Aficion, with a main event of Miedo Extremo & Sharlie Rockster versus Ciclope & Super Mega in a rematch. Miedo Extremo won a shot at Ciclope’s DTU title a while back, but that date hasn’t been set. Ayako Hamada returns to Mexico to wrestle in the semimain, a multiperson match with Drastick Boy, Tony and Pesadilla and a surprise women’s wrestler.

ChilangaMask (03/20, Coliseo Coacalco) 3rd Anniversary card so far
Los Caifanes vs Los Traumas
Tigre Universitario vs Jeque
Makabre, Shiryu Dragon vs Wotan, Impulso
El Sagrado & Sangre Fri & Dorado Jr. vs Aero Boy & Fulgor I & Fulgor II
Hijo del Angel, Fly Warrior, Emperador Azteca, Metaleon, Psycho Kid, Astro, Fly Star, Freelance, Mike Segura in Aerial Assualt
Raymond Rowe vs Masada – video promo to build that up.
Matt Cross, ACH will appear – I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say they’re facing each other, since that’s all that’s left.

 

LuchaWorld has a recap of this week’s CMLL Informa.

RobViper has highlights of 08/07/15 CMLL.

Segunda Caida reviews Virus versus Black Terry from the Lucha Memes show.

Lineups

Chairo (SUN) 03/06/2016 Arena Naucalpan
1) Máscara Dorada vs Extreme Tiger [falls count anywhere]
2) Súper Muñeco vs Máximo
3) Atlantis vs Caifan
4) Hijo del Solar vs Solar I
5) Rey Horuz vs Dragón Lee (CMLL)
6) Zoom Driver vs Karisma
7) Aéreo (Ciudad Juarez), Alas de Acero, Aramis, Iron Kid vs Freelance, Mike Segura, Pantera I, Rocky Lobo
8) Último Guerrero vs Pagano

Ultimo Guerrero versus Pagano in a rematch was announced a couple days ago. That match doesn’t interest me as much as some of the others but should be an easy match to sell. This seems like another really good card.