Imposible keeps his title, another Canis/Trauma match set up, Elite gets US TV

IWRG (SUN) 09/18/2016 Arena Naucalpan [+LuchaTV, thecubsfan]
1) Demonio Infernal & Skanda b Astro & Black Dragón
Rudos took 2/3
2) Diva Salvaje & Juana La Loca b Óscar El Hermoso & Tesorito
Team Diva took 1/3
3) Black Terry DCOR El Hijo del Diablo
Both men were counted out after a Diablo tope. Both bled and fought more after the decision.
4) Dragón Fly, Pantera I, Veneno b Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Killer Jr., Trauma II
Tecnicos took 1/3 despite both Pantera and Veneno getting hurt in the match. Trauma II replaced Toscano.
5) Canis Lupus, Máscara Año 2000 Jr., Súper Nova b Demon Clown, Negro Navarro, Trauma I
Super Nova replaced Hijo de Dos Caras. Demon Clown was DQed in the first fall when Mascara pulled the referee into the way of a corner charge and the referee was squashed (and stretchered out.) Lupus submitted Trauma I cleanly in the second for the straight fall win, then challenged for a heavyweight title match on 10/02 (the next IWRG show.)
6) Imposible © b Rey Misterio Heredero [IWRG IC MIDDLE]
Imposible took falls 2/3 to keep his title. First defense.

I was at this show! It was good. Third match was the best match, with the other matches all having moments and nothing being terrible. This Rey Misterio did not look so great but Imposible had a fine enough title match. The real teases for a title change were an unseen foul and a martinete attempt (broken up by second Diablo Jr.), not really much Misterio did.

The fifth match was truly more of a rudo/rudo match than than anyone playing tecnico. Canis Lupus had a big cheering section, which worked well with the match outcome they wanted to tell. Super Nova was a fill in and may not be around much more with his AAA commitments.

Pantera got hurt on a fall finish. Veneno got checked hard into a guardrail and was done for a while, but both finished. Dragon Fly is very much the latest in the line of Dinamic Black, Golden Magic, Metaloen and whoever else I’m not thinking of as the young star tecnico. They did a whole thing about him refusing to back down from Hijo del Pirata Morgan early on.

IWRG is setting up another exoticos cage match and the Terry/Diablo hair match for some point. I’m not sure which one is getting the 10/02 show but both seem to be the plan for right now.

CMLL (SUN) 09/18/2016 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Pequeño Nitro & Pequeño Olímpico b Acero & Shockercito
2) La Seductora, Tiffany, Zeuxis b La Vaquerita, Princesa Sugehit, Skadi
3) Ángel de Oro, Guerrero Maya Jr., Star Jr. b Bobby Z, Dragón Rojo Jr., Hechicero
Star Jr. replaced Rey Cometa. Rudos took 1/3.
4) Vangellys b Rey Escorpión
Vangellys took straight falls, the first by DQ, the second clean.
5) Ephesto, Matt Taven, Mephisto b Mistico, Valiente, Volador Jr.
Rudos took 1/3, the last when Taven stole Mistico’s mask and beat him.

Rey Escorpion is still booked for Monday, but I’m not entirely sure what happens that. That finish suggests he’s on the way out, and it may be that Escorpion is just an occasional CMLL participant with Elite being the priority.

Taven pinning Mistico when they’re not getting to the singles match is a surprise, but maybe it’s just a way to build up Friday.

Other people who may be making moves: AAA’s Venum posted something vague about the start of new stories for him, and it appears he was not on the Arena Lopez Mateos show. Full results haven’t turned up, but Lanzeloth replaced him, and it was one of those days where anyone healthy in AAA probably was wrestling somewhere. I wouldn’t take this as for certain, but something to check for if results of small shows turn up.

Ludark won the four way main event of the HUMO show, defeating La Magnifica, Lady Star and Felina Metalica.

Elite appears to have taken over CMLL’s spot on US TV. The US “Lucha Azteca” did not air the expected CMLL Friday Arena Mexico show, but instead an edited version of first episode of the Elite show that’s been airing in Mexico. It’s a shorter version – it’s about a half hour longer in Mexico – but it represents CMLL losing a big outlet (and maybe some money.) Azteca US could easily air both new CMLL & Elite, as they’re just showing a two months old repeat of CMLL’s show as a lead in, and maybe they’ll figure it out eventually.

This outcome is actually the reverse of what Leo Riano had suggested was going on: instead of CMLL stealing Elite’s Mexico’s TV spot, Elite’s ended up with CMLL’s largest US slot. If CMLL knew this was happening, it certainly put a whole different spin on the CMLL/Elite breakup.

Hulu has the Lucha Underground panel from the PaleyFest. I can’t watch it in Mexico, the LU region blocks have finally gotten me.

Segunda Caida reviews some recent CMLL.

LuchaWorld has the latest news report.

AAA posted part two of TripleMania.

Satanico congratulated Satanico on Satanico’s performance on Friday.

Black Terry Jr. posted photos of the CaraLucha show.

Cronicas Y Leyendas looks back at Negro Navarro becoming world champion 31 years ago.

CultIcon has a tribute to Titan.

RealHero posted Caristico’s first round tournament match in Michinoku Pro. Caristico will take on Sugi later today in the semifinals of that tournament.

Lineup

ELITE (FRI) 09/23/2016 Arena Neza
1) Shaolin & Solaris vs Mini Sharlie & Pequeño Warrior
2) Neza Kid & Rocky Lobo vs Diamante (CMLL) & Imposible
3) El Hijo De Amo De Los 8 Angulos, Hijo de LA Park, Zumbi vs Heddi Karaoui, Herodes Jr., Samoano
4) El Bandido, Golden Magic, Último Ninja vs Hijo De Dos Caras, Karonte Jr., Magno (Chihuahua)
5) Rey Escorpión vs Cibernético [Liga Elite]
6) Xtreme Tiger vs Carístico [Liga Elite]

Elite moves to Arena Neza, which never looks particularly good on TV. All the Elite banners are still hanging in Naucalpan, so this was made with the usual Elite foresight.

They have four people left in the Liga Elite, and they’re all having matches again each other, and maybe these are matches which haven’t happened in the tournament. I think? Myself and Rob spent 15 minutes working thru the matches and the substitutions and Rob was convinced they were new matches and I was mostly convinced but wanted the pain of figuring out Liga Elite to end.

Shaolin worked the last Neza guy so is probably a local. Solaris appeared in IWRG as Hip Hop Man trainee. The best possible Mini Sharlie is Tiago. No idea on Samoano; there’s a guy who wrestled on small shows with that name, but none show up in 4 years.