Gran Alternativa tonight, AAA iPPV?, Elite, Mr. 450

CMLL (SUN) 03/20/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) Black Sugar & El Tapatío b Diplomático & Guerrero de la Muerte
Tecnicos took 2/3.
2) Dark Fire & El Alteño b Mr. Brisa & Payaso Infernal
Tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Cosmos & Metatrón b Gran Kenut & Thunder Boy
Tecnicos took 2/3.
4) El Chakal, Joker, Sádico b León Blanco, Nautilius, Neutrón
Rudos took 2/3.
5) Gallo, Magnum, Vaquero Jr. DQ Espectrúm, Maléfico, Ráfaga
Tecnicos took 2/3. Espectrum snuck in a foul on Vaquero behind the referee’s back, but the fans convinced referee Willy to call the DQ. Vaquero wants that hair match with Espectrum.

CMLL (MON) 03/21/2016 Arena Puebla [thecubsfan]
1) Espanto Jr. & Fuerza Chicana b Astro & Asturiano
11:41. Rudos took 1/3.
2) Astral & Eléctrico b Mini Joker & Saurón
12:24. Tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Black Tiger, Hombre Bala Jr., Súper Halcón Jr. b Espíritu Maligno, King Jaguar, Metálico
17:58. Tecnicos took 1/3.
4) Fujin, Okumura, Raijin b Blue Panther Jr., Stigma, The Panther
8:11. Japan took 2/3, Okumura cleanly beating the Panther after last week’s cheating.
5) Cavernario, Felino, Mr. Niebla b Dragón Lee, Máscara Dorada, Volador Jr.
11:08. Felino replaced Negro Casas. Pesta Negra 1/3, with Cavernario going after Dorada all match and beating him clean. Cavernario demanded a title match next week.
6) Carístico b Último Guerrero
14:07. Caristico took 1/3, the last with La Mistica

Really good Puebla show, with a strong main event and the undercard as good or better than you’d expect. The big crowd helped the matches and the matches helped the big crowd.

Tonight’s CMLL show is the Gran Alternativa tournament (7:30pm local, 8:30pm CDT.) If you’re new, or just checking in because Raijin and Fujin are being involved, Gran Alternativa is once a year (more or less) single elimination tag team tournament where an upcoming and coming wrestler teams with a veteran. It’s the original way CMLL used to promote a new wrestler, with the idea that the winner would get a shot at the top of the card for a few weeks and end up being a star. It’s worked out sometimes, though more in the early run.

1994: Hector Garza (success)
1995: Shocker (success)
1996 (1): Chicago Express (not a success - suffered an injury)
1996 (2): Rey Bucanero (success)
1998: Tony Rivera (mild success)
1999 (1): Ultimo Guerrero (success)
1999 (2): Tigre Blanco (not a success)
2001: Sicodelico Jr. (not a success)
2003: Alan Stone (not a success)
2004: Mistico (success)
2006: La Mascara (success)
2006: Misterioso Jr. (mild success)
2007: La Sombra (success)
2008: Dragon Rojo Jr. (mild success)
2009: Okumura (not a success)
2010: Polvora (mild success)
2011: Rey Escorpion (success)
2012: Euforia (mild success)
2013: Boby Zavala (mild success)
2014: Barbaro Cavernario (success)

The tournament has been supplanted by the more elaborate En Busca de un Idolo in the last few years, but the Gran Alternativa is still loved by older fans – when CMLL only had 60 or 90 minutes of TV, this tournament would be the only time the rookies would make tape in complete matches. Calling them complete matches might be a bit of an  exaggeration, CMLL one night tournaments are notoriously full of short unsatisfying matches. Figure them as being as long as one fall of a normal match, with the finalists getting about the same amount of time if they had a normal three falls match.

This year’s tournament is a sixteen team tournament, which means the winners of tonight’s block of matches and the winners of next Tuesday’s block of matches will meet on April 5th to determine the winner. (That will likely be a normal three falls match.) There are no brackets; seeding is determined by a (really dumb) battle royal prior to the tournament.

Teams in this Block, veterans listed first

• Mistico & Tritón
• Último Guerrero & Magia Blanca
• Atlantis & Flyer
• Negro Casas & Rocky Casas
• Máximo Sexy & Súper Halcón Jr.
• Rey Bucanero & El Cuatrero
• Oro Jr. & Valiente
• Rey Escorpión & Fujin

Oro, Halcon, Flyer and Triton have no shot. Magia Blanca, teaming with UG, has the best shot of the winning but there are imaginable scenarios where Casas, Cuatrero and Fujin all have shots.

Guadalajara has Cavernario challenging Dragon Lee in a title match. It’s going to be a quite a busy week for our caveman amigo, though it seems unlikely he’s going to win either championship. The match will be taped for Guadalajara TV, and there’s a shot it could surface.

MedioTiempo has a video story on the Perro Aguayo Jr. mass. Earlier, they looked back at Hijo del Perro on other TV shows. +LuchaTV has interviews with Canek, Familia de Tijuana, Mil Mascaras, and Caristico about Perro. Independent luchadors talk about how medical support at their show is close to nil. KronosSports looks back at highlights of Perro Aguayo’s career.

Today’s also the seventh anniversary of Abismo Negro’s death.

Rey de Reyes is on iPPV – probably. Their iPPV site has been updated with Rey de Reyes info; it had not been last week. The page lists it as $15/150 MXP, but no one can actually pay that amount. If you bought the previous show, the website doesn’t know this is a new show and will allow you in without paying more. If you haven’t signed up before, it’ll prompt you to pay $19 USD. AAA hasn’t advertised this iPPV at all and I would not pay for this show until they do, just to safeguard yourself from them resetting the sale history and unintentionally wiping out your purchase.

Mr. 450 says he’s no longer working with AAA. He’s was only used a few times on TV late in 2015 and didn’t settle into a permanent role, but it was said they wanted to use him more. (Edit: he was also a lumberjack on Guerra de Titanes despite not having a match.) That was with Konnan in charge and AAA more willing it bring outside people in; neither are true so this isn’t a big surprise – I think people mostly had assumed he wasn’t coming back if they had thought about it. He may still continue to turn up on indie Mexico shows (and so it’s surprising he’d rule out going to AAA, since happening to be in Mexico in the first place seemed to be how he got first booked; there’s no reason to say no unless he’s got something else planned.) Mr. 450’s a guy who also might fit into WWE Cruiserweight Series, as he’s been in on NXT TV already as enhancement talent.

Cibernetico joins Zumbi as being announced as being announced part of the Liga Elite via interview on Azteca. Rush and Brian Cage are part of it too, given their match announced. There probably is a press conference on Wednesday to announce the whole field, and it’s likely more unexpected people will be included.

Lucha Underground starts on France’s ACTION channel on April 9th (Saturday) at 10:20pm. The deal had been announced a few weeks ago, but this is the first time we’ve seen a start date. Like Canada, expect for the show to air from season 1. LU’s not touring, so having all the shows in sync doesn’t matter as much.

Lucha Memes says they’ll be running two shows the same weekend in September. There’s been talk in the past about trying to book shows around the CMLL Anniversary show and that may be this. Previously this week, the group teased Zack Sabre Jr. coming in, and the possibility of iPPVs

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update and this week’s Poster-Mania.

Aero Boy defeated Black Terry in Tulancingo.

Utlimo Guerrero beat Caifan in Monterrey.

SuperLuchas looks back at Pedro Septien.

Box Y Lucha #3226 has a recap of Homenaje a Dos Leyendas.

JVDA Photography has high quality photos of lucha libre shows, include the recent RIOT show.

Gran Nikolai visited the lucha libre exhibit at MODO, which is closing down soon.

Lineups

IWRG (SUN) 03/27/2016 Arena Naucalpan
1) Black Dragón vs Ram El Carnero
2) Dragón Fly & Freyser vs Matrix Jr. & Picudo Jr.
3) Diablo Jr. I, Dragón Fly, Zatura vs Black Terry, Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro
4) Diva Salvaje, Miss Gaviota, Pasion Kristal vs Apolo Estrada Jr., Canis Lupus, Eterno
5) Solar I, Súper Nova, Veneno vs Máscara Año 2000 Jr., Negro Navarro, Trauma I
6) Golden Magic © vs Danny Casas [IWRG JUNIORS]

No Wednesday show, no Toluca/EDM feud. Danny Casas gets his title shot earned two weeks ago.

CMLL (MON) 03/28/2016 Arena Puebla
1) Flyer & Zaeta Roja vs Rey Apocalipsis & Toro Bill Jr.
2) Arkalis & Rey Samuray vs Cancerbero & Raziel
3) Estrellita, Marcela, Princesa Sugehit vs La Comandante, Reyna Isis, Tiffany
4) Stigma, Titán, Tritón vs Bobby Z, Kamaitachi, Skándalo
5) Máscara Dorada © vs Cavernario [CMLL WELTER]
Dorada second defense.
6) Mistico, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión

Dorada/Cavernario in the semimain means they should have plenty of time. Are they returning to doing a big match in Puebla every week? Sky Team versus Revolucionarios in the main event could set up a trios title. Kamaitachi still around in the fourth, good Puebla tecnicos vs the Cancerberos in the segunda, Batillon del Murte in the opener.

CMLL (TUE) 04/05/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2016 (Lutteroth & Asesino Negro)
1) ? & ?? vs ??? & ????
2) ? & ?? vs ??? & ????
3) Fuego, Stigma, Tritón vs Sangre Azteca, Skándalo, Virus
4) Atlantis, Titán, Valiente vs Kráneo, Olímpico, Ripper
5) Carístico & Mistico vs Cibernético & Último Guerrero

Caristico & Mistico team up as the main event of Guadalajara’s H2L show. It’s possible the Vaquero/Espectrum hair match ends up here, though I’m less certain since they moved it to a Tuesday.