Day: April 21, 2016

ELITE (WED) 04/20/2016 Arena México [+LuchaTV, SuperLuchas]
1) Pegasso & Rey Cometa b Imposible & Karonte Jr.
2) Dinamic Black, Emperador Azteca, Hijo de LA Park b El Cuatrero, Eterno, Fresero Jr.
Park won in his debut with a Canadian Destroyer on Eterno. Dinamic Black needed stitches after a bad landing on a dive.
3) Felino, Puma, Tiger b Jinzo, Rocky Lobo, Súper Crazy
Felinos took 2/3. Tiger beat Crazy.
4) Máscara Dorada b La Máscara [Liga Elite]
La Mascara replaced Negro Casas. Mascara Dorada is 2-0, La Mascara is 0-2
5) Pierroth, Rush, Toscano DQ Cibernético, Mephisto, Sharlie Rockstar
Pierroth replaced Mascara. Hellbrothers took 1/3, Ingobernables were DQed in the third.
6) Atlantis b Carístico [Liga Elite]
Atlantis won with an Atlantida. He now is 2-0, and Caristico is 1-1.

Atlantis defeating Caristico would be a more surprising outcome if Caristico didn’t lose a lot in Elite. It’d be a good idea for him to have a strong run at the end if they planned this out, but it’s hard to believe that.

Liga Elite explained Negro Casas was out due to injury. His last known match was April 4th in Puebla. He hasn’t been regularly in the ring since Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. There’s been no public mention of Casas being hurt in the hair match, but given the blows he took against Volador, it seems the most likely situation. I’d assume he’s doubtful for the match with Hechicero in Monterrey this weekend.

Liga Elite standings, way too soon.

IWRG (WED) 04/20/2016 Arena Naucalpan [+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores]
1) Guerrero 2000 b Demonio Infernal
Black Dragon replaced Demonio Infernal
2) Galaxy & Matrix Jr. b Acero & Kanon
No Freyser (Elite) or Salchichita or Acero (who knows), with Kanon added. Unclear why Matrix Jr. has reverted characters, since he should also be one of the Infernales.
3) Hijo del Pantera & Leo b Diablo Jr. I, Emperador Azteca, Hijo del Alebrije, Mike, Mike Segura, Rolling Boy [IWRG IC WELTER, seeding battle royal]
vacant championship, apparently. Rolling Boy & Apolo Estrada replaced Zatura & Emperador Azteca. Emperador Azteca appears in the match
4) Hijo del Alebrije b Rolling Boy [IWRG IC WELTER, quarterfinal]
5) Cerebro Negro b Hijo del Pantera [IWRG IC WELTER, quarterfinal]
6) Apolo Estrada b Mike Segura [IWRG IC WELTER, quarterfinal]
7) Leo b Diablo Jr. I [IWRG IC WELTER, quarterfinal]
Diablo Jr. 1 replaced Hijo del Diablo (?)
8) Cerebro Negro b Hijo del Alebrije [IWRG IC WELTER, semifinal]
9) Mike Segura b Leo [IWRG IC WELTER, semifinal]
10) Cerebro Negro b Mike Segura [IWRG IC WELTER, final]
Cerebro is new champion
11) Freelance b Imposible
Freelance wants a title match.
12) Canis Lupus b Trauma I
Bloody match. Canis wants a title match against whoever is heavyweight championship after Sunday (Trauma or Mascara 2000 Jr.) Trauma wants a mask match.

Edit: results updated on 04/24

Let’s just go with the idea that Canis decided to change out of the Welterweight division and that’s why the title was vacant. This sounds like a good show, hope it airs.

Way back in 2009, AAA brought in Hijo del Santo. It was the first time he’d worked with the promotion since 1995. He made a surprise appearance at one TV taping and wrestled the main event of that year’s TripleMania, an AAA versus Foreign Legion cage match where the winner got control of the company. Santo got the big win for AAA. AAA, thru Televisa, attempted to market a (cut down) DVD of the event. Santo objected, saying he’d agreed to work the show but not for his likeness to be used on DVD. AAA claimed Santo verbally agreed. Santo took the issue to court.

Santo attended the case as the plaintiff. In the opening moments of the case, Marisela Pena (in her role as a lawyer) demanded Hijo del Santo unmask. Her point was it was impossible to be sure that the man standing in court was really the person who owned the Santo likeness, or just some other person who was wearing a Santo mask and claiming to be El Hijo del Santo. (This appeared to be a publicly attended case, so Santo would’ve been seen by many unmasked.) Most people would just unmask in that situation to keep things moving, but Hijo del Santo is not most people, and he refused. The ongoing legal situation from that moment – both money owed on identity and the the question of a masked man has to unmask in open court to prove his identity – has gone thru the legal system for seven years and all the way to the Supreme Court of Mexico, the highest court in the land. Santo had been claiming the court case was still going, and recently said it was close to completing, but it wasn’t known it had gone so far – or at least I hadn’t heard that until I read the news last night.

The Supreme Court ruled that Hijo del Santo – or anyone else in his situation – does not have to unmask in open court. Unmasking before the judge and the defendant in the judge’s quarters and proving his identity is sufficient. The Supreme Court also ruled in favor of Santo in the overall case, meaning AAA owes Santo money for using his image. It’s not said exactly how much they own.

Back when this started, Santo was said to want a big amount of appearing on the DVD. It’s unclear if the DVDs ever sold well. AAA not continuing on with them suggest they did not make money on the deal. (As shown with Octagon, legal threats wouldn’t stop them from pressing on.) And Hijo del Santo’s long battle to preserve his identity is mitigated by stories reporting on this case listing his real name.

Dr. Wagner Jr. will be part of Azteca’s La Isla reality show, a show in the vein of Survivor. It’s an all return episode, and Dr. Wagner was on a previous season. Not sure when it’s taping or how long he’ll be out of AAA.

Lucha Memes 05/15 in Coacalco
1: Hechicero vs Virus
This show has a Monterrey versus Mexico City theme.

A new edition of +LuchaTV is up.

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.

Segunda Caida finally watches Aerostar, Drago & Fireball versus La Anarquia, makes me miss La Anarquia much.