CMLL (SUN) 07/10/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Domingos Familiares]
1) Destello & Quca b Avispón Negro Jr. & Micro
Rudos took 2/3.
2) Destructor & Diplomático b El Alteño & Javier Cruz Jr.
Rudos took 1/3.
3) León Blanco, Randy, Star Black b Demonio Rojo, Exterminador, Gitano
Tecnicos took 1/3.
4) Mágico TLDRAW Maléfico [lightning]
10 minute draw, with Malefico seemingly closer to winning at the end. They both asked for a no time limit match to settle it.
5) Esfinge, Flash II, Metatrón b El Chakal, Espectrúm, Furia Roja
Tecnicos took 1/3
Flash II got the winning pinfall in the main event. It feels like something is up with him but they haven’t hinted at a particular feud.
This week’s Box Y Lucha includes an interview with Magnum, openly discussing he’s in charge of programming (booking) for this building. That was known and had been discussed here, but it’s still unusual to see an active luchador talk about it.
CMLL (MON) 07/11/2016 Arena Puebla [CMLL, SuperLuchas, thecubsfan]
1) Astro, Asturiano, Último Dragóncito b Espíritu Maligno, Mini Joker, Pierrothito 
17:38. Tecnicos took 1/3.
2) Black Tiger, King Jaguar, Oro Jr. b Ares, Disturbio, Fuerza Chicana
21:55. Jaguar & Ares continued to feud, but were not directly involved in the finish.
3) La Máscara & Shocker b Ripper, Atlantis, Volador Jr., Tama Tonga, Diamante Azul, Kráneo [seeding battle royal]
3:06
4) Diamante Azul & Rey Escorpión b Kráneo & Kushida [quarterfinal]
5:34
5) Rush & Volador Jr. b Tama Tonga & Tangaroa [quarterfinal]
3:04
6) Atlantis & Último Guerrero b Michael Elgin & Ripper [quarterfinal]
4:36
7) La Máscara & Sharlie Rockstar b Negro Casas & Shocker [quarterfinal]
4:37. Mascara & Sharlie demanded a tag title shot after their win.
8) Rush & Volador Jr. b Diamante Azul & Rey Escorpión [semifinal]
2:35. Rey Escorpion betrayed Diamanate Azul.
9) Atlantis & Último Guerrero b La Máscara & Sharlie Rockstar [semifinal]
3:21
10) Atlantis & Último Guerrero DQ Rush & Volador Jr. [final]
2:31. Atlantis & UG won in straight falls, the last by DQ (Rush unmasking Atlantis to save Volador). Challenges set up a rematch next week.
11) Mephisto © b Mistico [CMLL WELTER]
12:45. Mephisto took falls 1/3 (Rosa Driver) to keep his title. 2nd defense.
Those first two matches going 40 minutes might have messed up the rest of the show. These tournaments always have silly short matches, but it got crazy by the end. Someone must’ve thought the final was going to get some time to make it a three fall match – the finals of these often get a few more minutes, but are never three falls. This time, it got less time than every other match in the card despite going two falls. It was such a ludicrous bit, a designed mockery, that I should’ve laughed. The problem was the last 90 minutes of the show were not much better – that second match was really boring, and the tournament was a lot of nothing. The opener and the title match were fun, but the show was more to be endured than enjoyed. It’s too bad they didn’t deliver more given the big crowd they had; they focused on making matches for next week, but did them in such a way that no one could care all that much about seeing them.
Mascara is friends with Shocker on Fridays and his enemy on Monday. It makes no sense.
CMLL has another random tag team tournament tonight, though luckily a shorter one with only four teams this time. Teams are Kushida & Marco, Tama Tonga & Tangaroa, Rey Escorpion & Shocker and Felino & Niebla Roja. The brothers are the only regular team and the favorites to get the win in their last CMLL appearance for the time being. There’s no obvious strong matches on the entire card; the preview list the Panther instead of his brother Blue Panther Jr. versus Sagrado in a lightning match. Either way, that might be the best match of the night. The show leads off with minis and women’s trios, and the semimain has Blue Panther, Stuka Jr., Valiente versus Kraneo, Okumura, Ripper.
The show airs at 7:30pm CT, on CMLL and YouTube. This strongly seems like a show you may want to skip watching, at least live.
There’s another CMLL show you can watch for a small price. CMLL is offering Sunday’s show, complete and with announcing, for $0.99. It’s a rental, not a purchase – you have 30 days to start watching it, and 72 hours to finish once you’ve started. CMLL did this with the Gran Prix (though never put up Cavernario/Cometa), but I believe this is the first time a lucha libre show that wouldn’t have otherwise been aired on TV or PPV was sold in this fashion. The closest to this is what Black Terry Jr. has been doing on his own, selling individual matches on his own, but not by an official promotion.
Elgin/UG is absolutely worth the $1; I’ll have a review of that and maybe another match later on. The big hope here this is the beginning of a trend. I’m not sure if this works for all of CMLL’s shows – if tonight’s show was $1, I’d skip it – but if it’s cheap enough to do, it seems absolutely worth doing for any big matches like that. And it makes sense for indie groups; I’d happily give money to see a professional version of the latest Chairo show (and haven’t gotten around to watch the few camera phone videos because those aren’t usually worth the effort.) Piracy is an issue, dealing with getting the money actually from YouTube is an issue, but this has always seems like an easy source of money that lucha libre hasn’t used. I haven’t really been able to convince people of this, but maybe CMLL will have enough success that other people borrow the idea.
LigerFever translated a Pentagon Jr. podcast interview from March, and it’s so great. I’ve grouped the 7 posts into this storify to bundle, and it’s worth reading if you’re interested enough in lucha libre to find your way to this site. The stories are good, and you get a great insight into his personality and his drive. Pentagon is a very driven guy with a strong idea of what a rudo should be. The stories are worthwhile too: Pentagon believes he was Lucha Underground’s final pick of the AAA guys who started with the promotion (Blue Demon, Sexy Star, Fenix, Drago, Cuerno, Muertes) because they wanted flyers, and he and Fenix and Drago just blew everyone away with their three way match. Pentagon Jr. explaining he spent two years as a handball player in the park, making money off people gambling on his game, is my new favorite story. You should read the entire thing.
The reason the Fenix/Pentagon match got scuttled from Oaxaca is because they (and Drago) are booked in Atlanta that day. The good news is AAA may have gotten a calendar and fixed the error before the date officially got out, and they’ll probably have a good match in Atlanta. Hopefully Fenix/Pentagon happens another day.
A new lucha libre exhibit opened in Tijuana, which included a rare public appearance by Lutteroth family as part of the opening ceremony.
Zeuxis retained the national middleweight championship over Princesa Sugehit in Monterrey, though Sugehit had her foot on the ropes on the finish. This was said to be the best match of the night.
AAA posted the mixed match from Naucalpan, the last missing match from that taping.
LuchaWorld has the latest Poster-Mania.
Cross Arm Breaker has reviews of Mogur vs As Charro, Mascara 2000 vs Mogur, Kushida vs Volador and Mascara Dorada, Titan & Rey Cometa vs Cavernario, Rey Escorpion, Dragon Rojo Jr.
Konnan Big has signed with the FILL promotion. I have no idea what this really means, though it’s reported as he’s no longer with Llaves y Canados. It may just be a way of saying Konnan Big won’t be on ColiseoMania 4, which was announced for September 4.
Tirantes was honored in Arena Xalapa.
Atlantis reached 33 years of wrestling yesterday.
Canek is listed as working in Arena Olimpico Laguna this Thursday, which is quite a trip for a one off in a small-ish arena. Maybe he’s hanging around Torreon for the weekend.
Video of the Dos Caras/Elite press conference and of Mil Mascaras being awarded by the Mexico Olympic Medalists group.
The 07/23 ILLM show has Sharlie Rockstar and Mr. Electro on opposite sides.
Carlitos is advertised in both WWC and in CMLL this Saturday.
Lineups
IWRG (WED) 07/13/2016 Arena Naucalpan
1) Kamilión & Lady Dark vs Kamilión & Lady Monster
2) Aramis, Black Dragón, Omega vs Adrenalina, Atomic Star, Skanda
3) Dragón Fly, Hijo de Máscara Sagrada, Hijo del Alebrije vs Demonio Infernal, Rayan, Spartan
4) Freelance, Pantera, Zatura vs Diablo Jr., El Hijo del Diablo, Violencia Jr.
5) Imposible © vs Emperador Azteca [IWRG IC Light]
14th defense. Second shot for Azteca during this reign.
Impossible title matches are the only thing that pop out to me to watch in IWRG, even though he has a little bit too sameish stuff in his matches. (Everyone should be countering the silla off the stairs at this point.) Semimain might be good as well.
CMLL (MON) 07/18/2016 Arena Puebla
Arena Puebla 63rd Anniversary
1) Arkalis, Meyer, Rey Samuray vs El Heredero, El Malayo, Hijo del Signo
2) Black Tiger & King Jaguar vs Ares & Disturbio
3) Estrellita, La Vaquerita, Lluvia vs Dalys, Reyna Isis, Zeuxis
4) Máximo Sexy, Stigma, Valiente vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Rey Escorpión, Skándalo
5) Atlantis & Último Guerrero vs Rush & Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]
6) Negro Casas & Shocker © vs La Máscara & Sharlie Rockstar [CMLL TAG]
10th defense
Mascara & Sharlie winning would be weird, but too weird for CMLL? Fifth match can only be better than last week. Disturbio & Black Tiger were involved in the finish last night, enough so that a mask/hair vs mask/hair match seems possible (and maybe they planned to do the apuesta match the week after to see if they can draw a second big turnout.)
El Heredero is another Puebla indy guy, showing up since at least 2015.
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This will be hard to believe for those who didn’t watch the Puebla show, but you’re almost being too kind in describing the tag tournament. I want to be excited about the semimain next week but last night made it really hard to care. Next week’s main event is complete garbage. Even if Casas decides he cares.
Cmll had a great week last week, the best super virtues top to bottom, Elgin vs Guerrero, but some of these Puebla shows are killer. I can’t look forward to any Puebla match because it’s 50/50 if it’s gonna be any good…
The tournament was pointless and awful, I’m so tired of Atlantis and Guerrero being in the same match as allies or enemies, it’s been run in to the ground, I didn’t care about the final just wanted it over!
The title match disappointed me too, maybe it’s because of the great run of title matches recently, but this was a guy who likes to do just spots against a guy who can only do spots.
This wasn’t the Mephisto we’ve seen this year and most of last, I was ready to see what mistica could do but now I’ll be happy if he goes back to making highlights in trios matches. It felt like he regressed here, he got a good reaction but I doubt the Friday fans feel the same. It really felt like mascara should have been involved as it just felt awkward for Mephisto to just go over clean at the end. They were selling the third fall like we’d missed 10 minutes of the match where they mite actually be worn out between spots.
Less said about mascara/shocker booking the better.