Elite gets a new location, CMLL gets new TV, CaraLucha

If you missed it, the CMLL VOD is now downloadable. Due to my own stuff going on, I have not watched it yet. Monday is a holiday in the US and I expect to watch it then. The show is $3 and I have no doubt it’s worth that much.

Results

Cara Lucha (SAT) 09/03/2016 Arena San Juan Pantitlan, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Estado de México [+LuchaTV, Black Terry Jr. (Flickr), Estrellas del Ring, Kronosport, The Gladiatores]
1) Pardus b Maldad
2) Fly Star, Keira, Toxin b Fiero, La Jarochita, Tiago
Jarochita & Keira continue to make mask match challenges.
3) Danger b Toro Negro Jr.
Makabre made a surprise appearance, helping Danger to win and setting up a three way apuesta match.
4) Black Terry b Hijo De Sangre Chicana, Heddi Karaoui
Hijo de Sangre Chicana replaced Guerrero Mixtico
5) Trauma I & Trauma II DQ Herodes Jr. & Mocho Cota Jr.
Hijo del Pirata ran in, attacking the Traumas. Pirata said he was now again an independent and was targeting Rush, and would also challenge Trauma I should he keep his mask on Sunday.
6) Hechicero & Máscara Dorada b Ángel Blanco Jr. & Flamita
said to be very good. CMLL team took 1/3

The main event got strong reviews. Flamita did not appear to have made ColiseoMania on Sunday (as did others), so I wonder if he hurt his arm more here or he just worked the home building show before taking some rest.

Hijo del Pirata teased he was rejoining the independents after his recent IWRG appearance, then just kept wrestling with AAA. It makes it a little hard to take him seriously on this one either. He’s scheduled to be on the Hard Rock show on the 16th, and getting on those shows is seen as a perk for AAA wrestlers, so I’d be surprised if he’s quitting before it. I’d understand him quitting, since they’ve now slotted him as an opening match wrestler and that’s a hard stigma to break without changing places.

CaraLucha announced the three way hair match would take place on 09/16. CaraLucha also quietly seems to be putting some multipromotion alliance. Makabre was wearing a Muchas Luchas shirt, as CaraLucha and the Guadalajara promotion have run combo shows in the past. They’ve been part of the Crash shows in Tijuana, and they sent wrestlers to the PILLA show in Cuernavaca in Morelos. Depsite their own shows not drawing particularly well (this one included), they seem to have built a some brand value.

Maximo, Robin and Flyer defeated Demasiado, Dinamic Black and Neza Kid in the main event of Saturday’s Neza show. (Full results box.) Demasiado & Maximo made hair match challenges, for as soon as next week. This surprises me, because they’re already scheduled to have on 10/30 in Xalapa. Perhaps that changed. The card was changed around, changing a trios match to brothers Puma & Tiger versus brothers Metaleon & Mr. Leo, ending in DQ and with both teams fighting each other to set up a four way.

Psycho Circus beat Chessman, Taurus, Parka Negra in the main event of the AAA/Legend show in Arena Lopez Mateos. Mil Mascaras, Dos Caras and Canek beat Negro Navarro, Scorpio Jr. and Villano IV also in the main event of the same show in Arena Lopez Mateos. The Psycho Circus match went last, but they were careful to call both matches main events, probably for Mil Mascaras reasons. (Results box.)

Psycho Cirucs beat Pagano, Nicho, and Damian in Tijuana on Friday. Results.

Trauma I did defeat Canis Lupus in their mask versus mask match tonight. I’ll wait for full results tomorrow  (there might have been some live video but I haven’t see it.) Imposible won the middleweight title on the same IWRG show.

CMLL

CMLL (SAT) 09/03/2016 Arena Coliseo [CMLL]
1) Aéreo & Fantasy b Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Violencia
2) Leono, Magnus, Sensei b Canelo Casas, Hijo del Signo, Metálico
Tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Arkángel de la Muerte, Disturbio, Skándalo b Soberano Jr., Starman, Stigma
Skandalo replaced Nitro.
4) Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Kráneo b Guerrero Maya Jr., Johnny Idol, Titán
Kraneo replaced Niebla Roja
5) Mr. Niebla, Rey Bucanero, Terrible b Ángel de Oro, Dragón Lee, Máximo Sexy

As an aside, CMLL mentions these shows will now air on Fox Deportes in the US. I have no idea when; maybe we’ll get an idea on Wednesday. Stay inexplicable, CMLL. It makes me wonder if that was in the works for a while and maybe that’s the real reason Sabado Retros got dropped. They are pitching this show as Lucha Clasico, but CMLL’s so far in the past that their normal style is classic.

CMLL (SUN) 09/04/2016 Arena México
1) Cancerbero & Raziel b Magnus & Oro Jr.
Oro Jr. replaced Starman.
2) Puma, Tiger, Virus b Blue Panther Jr., Star Jr., The Panther
Rudos took 1/3.
3) Dragón Rojo Jr., Olímpico, Pólvora b Fuego, Rey Cometa, Titán
Rudos took 1/3. Olimpico pinned Titan.
4) Guerrero Maya Jr., Stuka Jr., Valiente b Bobby Z, Gran Guerrero, Kráneo
Tecnicos took 1/3.
5) Atlantis, Mistico, Volador Jr. b Euforia, Terrible, Último Guerrero

Nothing much happening on this show, except for the Olimpico/Titan decision of sadness. No idea why it’s Saturday instead of Sunday getting the TV.

What We Know About Elite

They still exist! Their TV aired in the normal slot, a best of the show so far. Some picks made some sense – Tiger/Dorada, Volador/Mistico, Volador/Elgin, the two Elite title matches –  but they interestingly aired a Rush/LA Park trios instead of the obvious match. They still air footage of that match in highlight packages.

Right before the show aired, Elite said they’d have a surprise, and then announced their next lineup

ELITE (FRI) 09/09/2016 Arena Naucalpan
1) Chik Tormenta & Lady Maravilla vs Keira & Muñeca De Plata
2) El Bandido, Emperador Azteca, Hijo de LA Park vs Alan Stone, Decnnis, Zumbido
3) Trauma I & Trauma II vs Argos & Karonte Jr.
4) Octagón vs Fuerza Guerrera
5) Carístico, Golden Magic, Xtreme Tiger vs Magno (Chihuahua), Sharlie Rockstar, Toscano
6) LA Park vs Blue Demon vs Silver King

It’s a switch to Friday nights, and a debut in Naucaplan. Elite mentions they’re in Naucalpan for just one week. (A yet to be announced AAA show has the holiday 09/16 spot.) I don’t have it confirmed, but I believe Elite will continue running Friday night shows but in Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera starting on 09/16. CaraLucha indicated they were running on the September 16th too – it’s going to be overloaded with shows.

The most important guy on this show is Caristico, because Caristico is also listed in the main event of CMLL’s show. It’s an 8:30 start, same as CMLL. It’s physically impossible for Caristico to be in both places. Caristico was billed as an Elite star until recently. I’m not sure exactly where he’ll be; CMLL is the bigger and safer deal, but Caristico’s is treated as the top guy (of his size) in Elite, and as just one of many guys in CMLL. Golden Magic, Bandido and Sharlie Rockstar, who were presented sometimes as Elite and sometimes as CMLL, all are over with Elite. Super Crazy is not in either place yet. Cibernetico isn’t either. He was supposed to be back in the ring around this time, maybe he’ll return as a big deal in the next few days.

There are no CMLL wrestlers on the card, and none should be expected as long as they’re running Fridays. The advantage to Fridays is it’s a quick turnaround to airing Saturday nights. The disadvantage is that lineup, which has some clunkers of matches and a lack of depth. Blue Demon is one of the notable additions. He’s said in the past he’s an independent, and must still be, because there’s no other way luchadors allied with a Televisa company would show up on Azteca. Demon worked the AAA World Cup, but hasn’t been used on AAA TV since he didn’t make the Rey de Reyes show.

The bigger loss for AAA is potentially Juan de la Barrera itself. It’s AAA’s home venue in Mexico City, and has been their fallback plan for if/when a major show falls apart. I’m not sure where they run normal TV shows in Mexico City if not that building, though maybe the city will allow the promotions tho share it. Elite’s history says every plan changes after about six months, so maybe this will be resolved by the next time AAA needs the building.

The Elite/CMLL split means the LA Park vs Rush match is less likely to happen, but it didn’t seem like it was ever going to happen on either of their shows and would have to be put together by a 3rd party promoter who would be willing to take a giant risk on their own. As far as anyone call, there’s not a block like AAA/CMLL, and CMLL & Elite guys are still allowed to work on shows together. A block along those lines would be bad for everyone.

An unexpected part of this is it seems to finally confirm Elite and CMLL are two separate entities; there’d be no point in doing all of this if they Elite had been a CMLL offshoot all the time. (It can’t even be considered an angle, because no one’s doing it.)

Other Stuff

Aerostar won CHIKARA’s Rey de Voladors, defeating Tony Nese (replacing Frightmare) in the final. It’s the second year he’s won a CHIKARA tournament, as he Drago & Fenix won the King of Trios there last year.

Box y Lucha #3249 is out early, and an Anniversary recap.

This week’s AAA TV is up.

Segunda Caida reviews Lucha Underground 2×17 (Matanza vs Cage)

CultIcon takes guesses as Lucha Underground Ultima Lucha 3 before the seasons starts.

Lineups

WMC (FRI) 09/16/2016 Gym de Box Mimados, Iztacalco, Distrito Federal
1) Ancal Jr., Íkaro, The vs Antar, Kronoz, Reina Obscura
2) Mr. Leo vs Lokillo
3) Belial & Heronia vs Felina Metálica & Fly Star and Luna Mágica & Terremoto and Ancla & Diosa Quetzal
4) Gran Guerrero vs Fly Metalik, Canis Lupus, Demoledor
5) Arez vs Freelance

Add another one to the 16th. I believe this is a new location for WMC (which might mean other people are running Salon Citalli or Gimnasio Hercules.) Arez/Freelance is the match of note.