lights out in IWRG, Pentagon win in GALLI, Elite talks plans

IWRG (SUN) 09/11/2016 Arena Naucalpan [+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores]
1) Demonio Infernal & Skanda b Aramis & Cadilac
straight falls
2) Astro, Black Dragón, Dragón Fly b Luis Cirio, Manny Cirio, Tony Cirio
First match here in 10 years (at least) for the Cirios.
3) Diosa Atenea, La Tesorito, Óscar El Hermoso b Diva Salvaje, Lilith Dark, Soy Raymunda
hair, mask and cage match challenges post match.
4) Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Negro Navarro, Toscano, Trauma II b Leo, Mike, Rafy, Teelo
5) Chicano & Veneno b Hijo del Pantera & Pantera © [IWRG IC TAG]
Lights went out during the second fall. Fans shined cell phones onto the ring to see. Chicano & Veneno won the titles. 3rd defense.
6) Canis Lupus, Máscara Año 2000 Jr., Rey Misterio Heredero b Imposible, Texano Jr., Trauma I
The recap says this is the original Hijo de Rey Misterio who’s back in Mexico City area for the first time in years (2010). Lights were still off during this match. Misterio beat Imposible, asked for a title match. Canis submited Trauma I to his own hold in revenge as well.

Black Terry Jr. posted video of people wrestling in the dark of Arena Naucalpan. No one’s said what caused the power outage. I don’t see AYM’s cameras after the power went out, so the power might have gone out on them too. I’ll see what airs. It actually looks like better than usual attended show with the cell phone lights; it’s a good thing this didn’t happen on some of those trainee Wednesday shows. It really doesn’t matter if AYM airs or not, but I wonder what would’ve happened if this took place on an Elite show. (Or, if maybe whatever Elite put in to better light the arena might have eventually caused the power outage.)

All the names in black = I’ve generally given up on trying to figure out tecnicos/rudos.

GALLI (SUN) 09/11/2016 Arena GALLI, Villa Park, Illinois [thecubsfan]
1) Valentino b Golden Dragón
Valentino asked for a surprise opponent. Dragon was the opponent.
2) Chico Suave & Mike Anthony b Dan El Intenso & Pentagono
Mike Anthony attacked his parnter after the match.
3) Acid Jazz & Bryce Benjamin b Barry Ryte & Dds
4) Fúnebre & Slayer b Eros & Golden Star
Someone – Eros? – was hurt in this match, causing a sudden win for the rudo and a delay in the show.
5) Draconis & Mojo Mcqueen b Mason Conrad & Tritón (CMLL)
Triton landed the 450 splash and they played his music, but he never actually covered. A Unmasked Person (who I didn’t recognize) distracted Triton leading to his pin, unmasked Triton and challenges set up a possible hair/mask match.
6) Furia Roja & Rey Furia © b Billy Star & Skayde Jr. [GALLI TAG]
A ladder came into play, and one Furia was taken out with a backdrop onto it. Somehow, the other Furia still won moments later, apparently pinning Billy Star. Skayde Jr., Skayde Sr., Gringo Loko, and Valentino all were angry at Billy Star, eventually attacking him. Discovery made the same (somewhat successfully) and DJZ revealed Discovery would second him for his hair match.
7) Traidor b Atómico
mask ripping, with Traidor winning clean. A mask match was agreed to for GALLI’s December hsow.
8) DJZ b Gringo Loco [hair]
Only two out of three falls show. Gringo Loco attacked DJZ from behind and beat him in seconds for the first fall. DJZ eventually railed back to win the second fall. Discovery got involved late in the third fall to foul Gringo Loco, but DJZ (politely) told him he wanted to win on his own, and did. Loco got parts of his head shaved in the ring – not bald, but his head was made to look silly.
9) GPA © b Skayde [GALLI UNIVERSAL CHAMP]
GALLI’s belts are confusing, but it appeared only GPA’s main GALLI championship was on the line. GPA won in about eight minutes and they shook hands after the match. GPA said he was upset the main championship was in the semimain, and added himself to the main event.
10) Pentagón Jr. b Marshe Rocket, Prince Ali, GPA
GPA’s GALLI Universal championship and Marshe Rocket’s GALLI Junior championship were on the line, but they would only change hands if the champion got pinned. Pentagon beat Prince Ali (so no titles changed hands.) Pentagon thanked the fans. Jaque Mate, who happened to be in Chicago and stuck around an extra day for show, praised Pentagon and the other guys in the match.

I liked the main event and the Gringo Loko/DJZ hair match as big matches, and Benjamin/Jazz (wearing a wig because reasons) versus Barry Ryte & DDS was a fun basic tag match. Skayde/GPA was fine, but it was also a bit slight. Maybe they took it easy since GPA was sticking around for a second match.

I’m not out to GALLI often (though apparently more lately), but this was the most crowded I’ve seen a show at this venue and at a higher than usual prices. He seems to have been a difference maker for AAW in Chicago as well, and it sounds like the show in New York on Saturday did well too. Fenix beat Pentagon Jr. to win the Perros del Mal Light Heavyweight championship on that show.

I tried taping the last three matches at GALLI, but my recording of Gringo Loco/DJZ is not so good. It’s tough shooting fighting in the crowd when you’re totally unwilling to go into the crowd. I may put it up, but match deserved better. They were taping it to put on YouTube someday, so hopefully a better version will be out there.

By the way, AAA mentioning every time Pentagon wins a title and not mentioning when Fenix wins the same title is one of those not so relationship subtle signs. Everyone’s kind of waiting for some formal announcement to be made, but both Fenix and AAA are operating like they’re no longer working together at this moment.

Puebla tonight has a main event of Carisitco, Mistico and Volador Jr. against Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas and Shocker. Mistico & Negro Casas feuded last week and probably will again. The odd semimain is Euforia, Maximo and Ultimo Guerrero against Rey Escorpion, Pierroth and Marco Corleone. Angel de Oro, Rey Cometa, Starman taking on Dragon Rojo, Niebla Roja and Skandalo in the fourth match. Zeuxis and Princesa Sugehit face off again in the lightning match. The second match is another Black Tiger versus King Jaguar trios, and the opener sees the Batillon del Muerte return again.

CultIcon also previews the show. It’ll air on CMLL.com & YouTube at 9pm.

Elite’s Karlo Colin was on Super Libre talking about the status of the promotion. Colin is not believed to own Elite, but is the usual spokesperson for the group. He said Elite has not split from CMLL and they would still work with CMLL luchadors, with Rey Escorpion specifically cited. Colin also said their fans were requesting the promotion tour, which is why they’re going to Naucalpan and other venues. He reassured the Guadalajara based radio show that Guadalajara was one of those places, as well as Acapulco and Aguascalientes. Karlo was insistent that Liga Elite would continue on, only without Teddy Hart (injury) and Bobby Lashley, but either seemed confused on who had been replacing whom or described it in a different way than had been described prior. Elite will continue to air on Azteca7.

The part about fans wanting Elite to go on tour so they went to Naucalpan doesn’t hold much water. As Caristico showed Friday night, it’s not hard to get to Arena Naucalpan from Arena Mexico quickly, and generally the same people who could’ve gone to Arena Mexico will go to Arena Naucalpan. It’s hard to believe they would purposeful schedule a week where they had no TV if everything went as planned. Elite may eventually run TV in those other locations -there’s been Elite branded shows in those locations prior – but right now it looks like they’re running the nearest reasonably sized and priced venue in the Mexico city area because they can’t run the other one.

The best I can figure, Elite and CMLL are no longer working together, but CMLL is also not blocking their wrestlers from working for Elite. Rey Escorpion is working both, some of the guy who are almost never booked are working both, but they haven’t come to terms with everyone else. I really don’t understand why they’d bother to continue the Liga Elite, even as much as I liked many of the matches, because that format hasn’t seemed to work for them. Maybe it’s just something Azteca wants.

(I suspect some of the missing details in this story may also be playing out in the Luchas 2000 magazine, edited by Colin, which is not available digitally and not discussed much online.)

This week’s TV show included the CMLL edecanes in the previously filmed intros/outro segment, but they had their own separate crew of edecanes on the show. Erika Canseco, who’s in charge of the CMLL group, says they’re also no longer working with Elite but spoke highly of the new women.

LuchaWorld has an interview with Ronnie Mendoza. He mentions WWE asked him to change names because Konami had trademarked the name. There’s a Yu-Gi-Oh card named Jinzo, so I guess that must be it (though the trademark search engine says they gave up trying to get the name back in 2003.)

Box Y Lucha #3250 has lots of people coming and going.

Lineups

CMLL (SUN) 09/18/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Micro vs Destello
2) El Alteño & Johnny Dinamo vs Linterna & Mr. Brisa
3) Cosmos & Smaker vs Exterminador & Relámpago
4) El Divino, Reycko, Star Black vs Évola, Sádico, Thunder Boy
5) Esfinge, Magnum, Vaquero Jr. vs Espectrúm, Furia Roja, Joker

I’m not sure exactly what the feud is here now – Star Black/Sadico? Guess we find out when the results get posted.

No Arena Mexico card for Sunday yet.