Day: August 10, 2016

CMLL held a press conference today to announce the card for their 83rd Anniversario show.

CMLL (FRI) 09/02/2016 Arena México
1) Amapola, Dalys, Zeuxis vs Lluvia, Marcela, Princesa Sugehit
2) Ephesto, Mephisto, Shocker vs Marco Corleone, Máximo, Stuka Jr.
3) Súper Crazy vs Rey Bucanero [hair]
4) Cavernario, Felino, Negro Casas vs Atlantis, Carístico, Máscara Dorada
5) Mistico, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero [CMLL TRIOS]
7th defense
6) Dragón Lee vs La Máscara [mask]

Tickets go on sale tomorrow. As of now, there’s no price listing on Ticketmaster.

At the press conference, they noted La Mascara would be the first Alvardo to headline an Anniversary show and Dragon Lee would become the youngest ever to be in any apuesta match on these shows (younger than Puma in 2012, which was only an undercard match.)

The trios match is the only big addition we did not previous, and should be a stellar match. The overall card is not at the star power of recent years. It was going to be impossible without another Atlantis mask match, but this is much close to the level of the Terrible/Rush main event prior to it, and arguably less than that.

Rush is very noticeably not included on the card. He could’ve fit into the segunda, but it’d been hard for CMLL to explain him on the tecnicos side after he turned on Maximo & Marco earlier in the year. (Rush would’ve been better than Ephesto as a rudo though.)

The Anniversary show will NOT be transmitted live via PPV, but instead be put up on demand the next day on YouTube. The plan is for it to be up Saturday at 8AM. No price was announced. That’s not nearly as fun and ruins the community aspect of watching a show, but at least it should go up complete. It does indicate CMLL considers the Sunday VOD show successful if they’re trying it again. This show not being as big a deal as years past takes away the sting – the results are obvious or unimportant, I’m more interested in how they get there – but it does stink not having an official live option. People are just going to end up watching iffy Periscope streams instead.

It does appear this will not be the only major show in September. JCR ended the press conference by mentioning other surprises and festivities planned for the month, and announced a September 7th press conference to discuss those. That happens to be the same day as the Lucha Underground Season 3 debut; their trailer also dropped today.

A few other items were mentioned

• Matt Taven will come to CMLL as a ROH representative on 09/09. It wasn’t if it was meant to be the start of a few week run like the NJPW guys, or a one night thing. JCR hyped CMLL, and speculated about someday having a NJPW/CMLL/ROH super show, but that seemed to be just his speculation. JCR hyped Taven’s title wins in ROH, but it’s worth noting he’s suffered a knee injury in December, has not returned to wrestling, and has no real specific role since his tag partner and manager left the promotion right after the injury. (It’s a odd first person to send – it feels like AAA sending Argos to TNA because they didn’t have any plans for him, only Taven should bebetter than Argos.)
• Fantasy vs Electrico in Guadalajara next Tuesday is the Minis Anniversary celebration
• Coliseo shows were officially said to no longer be “Sabado Retros”. They haven’t been for over a month. Caristico was interviewed to talk about wrestling there this Saturday for the first time in years. (He was there earlier this year, but for Elite.)
• CMLL announced a photo exhibit at Liverpool stores from 08/25 to 09/23.

CMLL (TUE) 08/09/2016 Arena México [CMLL, Culticon, thecubsfan]
1) Acero & Astral b Pequeño Universo 2000 & Pierrothito
13:44. Tecnicos took 1/3.
2) Amapola, Tiffany, Zeuxis b Estrellita, La Vaquerita, Sanely
11:44. Rudas took 2/3. Esterllita replaced Marcela on Tuesday.
3) Blue Panther Jr., Stigma, The Panther b Fujin, Okumura, Raijin
14:14. Tecnicos took 1/3.
4) Fuego b Puma [lightning]
7:50. Fuego wrapped up Puma in La Guelauetza.
5) Kráneo, Niebla Roja, Ripper b Johnny Idol, Rey Cometa, Star Jr.
16:10. Rudos took 1/3. Star Jr. replaced Super Porky.
6) Máscara Dorada, Pierroth, Rush b Shocker, Terrible, Vangellys
9:47. Tecnicos (?) took 2/3.

Nothing much happened, but there matches were generally OK. Super Porky missed the show again; I wonder if CMLL doesn’t bother to get a bigger name replacement around in case, or if they somehow don’t know he’s not wrestling until the last moment and grab whoever they can get. (Star Jr. was fine in that match though.)

CMLL (TUE) 08/09/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Metatrón & Vaquero Jr. b Carlo Roggi & Joker
2) Disturbio, Metálico, Sangre Azteca b Flyer, Oro Jr., Robin
3) Fantasy DQ Último Dragóncito, Cosmos, Shockercito, Stukita, Pequeño Olímpico, Mercurio, Relámpago, Pequeño Violencia, Pequeño Nitro [MEX LIGHT, #1 Contenders]
Fantasy upset Mercurio to get the title shot.
4) Atlantis, Marco Corleone, Valiente b Cavernario, Hechicero, Rey Bucanero
5) Dragón Lee, Mistico, Volador Jr. DQ Ephesto, La Máscara, Luciferno
La Mascara unmasked Dragon Lee for the DQ.
6) Carístico b Mephisto

I usually wait for the full results to be posted from Guadalajara, but worth noting the two finishes in the main event. No sign of an angle for Caristico/Mephisto, and Dragon Lee and La Mascara continue to feud. This is also another good turnout for Guadalajara, thanks to some combination of Caristico and summer holidays.

Santo Jr. will debut in Tijuana on Saturday. Dr. Wagner Jr. is off the show, so it’s now the Santos against Angel Blanco Jr. & Rayman. Santo Jr.’s match in Torreon on the 18th – originally planned to be his Mexico debut – has him teaming with Magnifico II against Silver King & Hijo de Dr. Wagner. Magnifico II is Elite/CMLL’s Bandido, and CMLL luchadors have been blocked from appearing on shows with Hijo del Santo in the past. I assume that block extends to his son, but it did seem like Magnifico II

Dragon Rojo Jr. & Polvora will help train police in self defense in Mexico City.

LLC 08/29 in Nuevo Laredo has Rey Horus vs Extreme Tiger on top, plus Valiente & Flamita vs Ozz & Espiritu. Ozz had quit AAA and stopped wrestling outside of his hometown back around 2014, but has turned up a couple times in the last couple months, including last weekend in Texas for Martinez promotion.

Apolo Valdes writes about the many valueless championships in Mexico.

Cross Arm Breaker writes about La Fiera vs Babe Face.

Lineups

CMLL (TUE) 08/16/2016 Arena México
1) Leono & Sensei vs Espanto Jr. & Inquisidor
2) Oro Jr., Soberano Jr., Starman vs El Cuatrero, Sansón, Skándalo
3) Fuego, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa vs Hechicero, Misterioso Jr., Sagrado
4) Stuka Jr. vs Luciferno [lightning]
5) Mr. Niebla, Shocker, Terrible vs Ángel de Oro, Johnny Idol, Titán
6) Máscara Dorada, Rush, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero

Rush being on Tuesdays suggests he won’t be on Fridays and such won’t be added to the Anniversary main event, but we should know all we need to know on that. It does leave for a pretty good main event for a Tuesday.

Niebla, Shocker & Terrible against Angel de Oro, Johnny Idol and Titan to CMLL really needing another group of semimain rudos who are good against high flyers.

This might be the last show for the guys going to the Super J final; they could pop up on the Elite show on Thursday but likely would be have to leave before Friday’s show.

CMLL (TUE) 08/16/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Johnny Dinamo & Magnum vs Diplomático & Mr. Apolo
2) Blue Panther Jr., Esfinge, The Panther vs Disturbio, Puma, Tiger
3) Eléctrico © vs Fantasy [MEX LIGHT]
third defense
4) Blue Panther, Dragón Lee, Valiente vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Niebla Roja, Pólvora
5) Marco Corleone, Máximo Sexy, Súper Porky vs Kráneo, Mephisto, Rey Escorpión

Fantasy winning the cibernetico is pretty unexpected. He doesn’t seem to stand much of a chance.

Niebla Roja is listed on both shows. Super Porky is listed at all is just as unlikely.