Day: November 8, 2016

IWRG (SUN) 11/06/2016 Arena Naucalpan [+LuchaTV, Black Terry Jr. (Flickr), The Gladiatores]
1) Fireman & Omega b Atomic Star & Fly Tiger
2) Adrenalina, Araña de Plata, Douki b Black Dragón, Cadillac, Keshin Black
Douki replaced Hanaoka, Keshin Black replaced Alas de Acero.
3) Diablo Jr., Dragón Fly, Emperador Azteca b Demonio Infernal, Hip Hop Man, Skanda
Diablo Jr. replaced Zatura. The Gladiatores says Dragon Fly teamed with him, though TV said it was “Gremlin” (and it was definitely someone in a Gremlin mask, but maybe Dragon Fly had a weird mask for the night?)
4) Pantera, Pantera I, Relámpago b Black Terry, Cerebro Negro, Dr. Karonte Jr.
Pantera I wants a shot at Cerbero Negro’s IWRG Welterweight title.
5) Canis Lupus b Bobby Lee Jr., Chicano, Danny Casas, Freelance, Hijo De Dos Caras, Suicida, Súper Nova, El Hijo del Diablo, Dr. Cerebro, Eterno, Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Imposible, Máscara Año 2000 Jr., Negro Navarro, Trauma I [Copa Huracan Ramirez]
Canis Lupus beat Hijo de Dos Caras for the win. Karla, Daniel Garcia’s daughter, and her husband (luchador Axel) and their son Daniel presented Canis Lupus the trophy. Hijo del Diablo replaced Veneno.

I had to check to see which title Cerbero Negro actually held before writing that. Diablo Jr. actually hadn’t been from early September until Castillo del Terror match last week; it never occurred to me that he was out of action, since his father is wrestling a lot and we saw him second Imposible when we were at Arena Naucalpan, but that explains why the Mariachi Locos haven’t been a trio much of late.

Axel being there seemed to be part of the Huracan Ramirez ceremony and not any angle. He still wrestles fairly regularly around Mexico, but came off like a retired guy who’d moved on.

CMLL (SUN) 11/06/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) Guerrero de la Muerte b Micro
Rudos took 2/3
2) Avispón Negro Jr. & Black Sugar DQ Destello & Quca
Avispon Negro Jr. replaced Capitan Cobra. Tecnicos took 2/3, the last by excessive violence DQ. (Injury?)
3) El Yaqui & Reycko b Carlo Roggi & Mr. Apolo
tecnicos took 1/3.
4) Exterminador, Relámpago, Rey Trueno b León Blanco, Neutrón, Smaker
Relampago replaced Espectrum. Rudos took 1/3, the last when Leon Blanco betrayed his teammates and joined the rudo side.
5) Pitbull I, Pitbull II, Sádico b Frezzer, Gallo, Omar Brunetti
Rudos took 1/3, Pitbulls sneaking in a foul on Omar and a mask pull on Gallo.

All sorts of new stuff going on and people back who weren’t here before. Maybe there’s some sort of change going on?

CMLL (MON) 11/07/2016 Arena Puebla [+LuchaTV, CultIcon, El Popular, R de Rudo, Terra.com.mx]
1) Espíritu Maligno, Mini Joker, Saurón b Asturiano, Centella Roja, París
2) Lestat, Pegasso, Tigre Rojo Jr. b Ares, Metálico, Policeman
3) Felino, Puma, Tiger b Guerrero Maya Jr., Stigma, Stuka Jr.
4) Dragón Lee, Máscara Dorada, Máximo Sexy b Ephesto, Mephisto, Pólvora
Tecnicos took 2/3. Dorada got the deciding pin on Mephisto, and the locker room emptied to congratulate wish him farewell and carry Dorada on their shoulders. Dorada waved goodbye to the Puebla fans and kissed the mat.
5) Bárbaro Cavernario, Negro Casas, Volador Jr. DQ Atlantis, Rush, Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]
Barbaro Cavernario replaced Mr. Niebla. Team Volador took 2/3, the last when he was fouled by Rush.

I skipped this show to catch up on other stuff. That did kind of work – I got thru 1.5 shows in the time of 1 – but it didn’t work because it sounds like this show was really good. Main event seems to be setting up Rush/Volador, but the Mascara Dorada goodbye was the big story: the locker room lifting Dorada up on their shoulders was unexpected and neat to see. It sounds like the rest of the show was good as well.

+LuchaTV has a farewell interview with Mascara Dorada. He also talked to MedioTiempo, saying CMLL actually wasn’t onboard with him him working the CWC, but supported his decision to go to the WWE.

Today’s Arena Mexico show restarts the sequence: last show had two title matches, so this one has no current feuds at all. It does bring back an old one: Guerrero Maya & Virus reunite in the lightning match. They’ve had some great title matches in the past, and Maya’s recent lightning match with Hechicero was good too. It’ll be an upset if it’s not the best match on the show.

The main event is Dragon Lee, Mistico and Volador teaming up Rey Bucanero, Terrible and Vangellys, which doesn’t seem like the best mix of people. The semimain has a random assortment of rudos – Felino, Niebla Roja and Ripper – taking on Blue Panther, Drone and Titan. The second match has more natural teams. The Dinamtias (Cuatrero, Sanson and Forastero) face the Panther brothers and Pegasso in a match with lots of potential. The women’s match will have Estrellita, Lluvia and Princes Sugehit against La Comandante, La Seductora and Zeuxis. The opener features the debut of Sangre Imperial – two children of Sangre Chicana on the same show – teaming with Bengala against Apocalipsis & Artillero.

CultIcon has a preview of the show, noting this is a rare Zeuxis’ appearance. She was on the Sunday special show for Dia de Muertos, but hasn’t been on a regular Monday/Tuesday/Friday streaming show since September. Today’s show will air at 7:30pm and air on CMLL/YouTube. I probably won’t learn my lesson and will wait to later to watch this.

Plantilla Deportiva catches up with Hijo del Fantasma. Most of it is just talking about current storylines, but the last part is more interesting. He’s asked about people who’ve left the company (Rey Fenix seems to be the idea, but he’s not mentioned by name), and Fantasma compares that to his own angry departure from CMLL. Fantasma said other wrestlers agreed with his negative comments about CMLL at the time, but Fantasma feels he made his own mistakes and was eventually rewarded by AAA for improving himself. Fantasma’s feelings now is that it’s bad for wrestling (both as a business and a family) to have said those things, and people who leave should stay silent and work on getting better.

This week’s Estrellas de La Lucha (CMLL’s in-house magazine/program) has a Dinamitas cover. They include Universo 2000 Jr. on the cover, so he’s probably coming at some point.

There’s a poster for an AAA spot show in Arena Aficion on 12/01 that’s a little funny: they’re advertising a mystery person in the main event, with a silhouette that’s very obviously Bengala. Last time a promoter did this, it was a Pentagon Jr. image that turned out to be Joe Lider, but I’m not sure why you would tease Bengala. More importantly: Star Fire is listed as wrestling! She’s been out over a year after a severe knee injury in Japan; it sounds like she had to go thru two knee surgeries to get back. It’ll be great if she’s back to her old form (where she was one of the better indie luchadoras), but it’s also just great she’s able to wrestle again. Star Fire’s also listed on a 12/10 Gimnasio Hercules show.

Vice Mexico has a strong profile of Rosalio Vera & Alexis Salazar, CMLL’s photographer. It’s in Spanish, but you find out how they came to their jobs and the injuries they’ve suffered to it. The article suggests Alexis was going to switch to being a luchador, joining his brother Magnus, until he tore up his knee last year.

LuchaWorld has this week’s Poster-Mania.

There was a press conference yesterday for DTU’s training seminar this weekend in Tulancingo.

There’s an exhibition of lucha libre posters in San Luis Potosi.

Lineups

CMLL (MON) 11/14/2016 Arena Puebla
1) Meyer & Millenium vs Fuerza Chicana & Guerrero Espacial
2) Black Tiger & Tigre Rojo Jr. vs Cancerbero & Raziel
3) Astral, Astro, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito, Vega vs Demus 3:16, Espíritu Maligno, Mini Joker, Pequeño Nitro, Saurón [cibernetico]
4) Dragón Lee, Máximo Sexy, Valiente vs Gran Guerrero, Hechicero, Pólvora
5) Atlantis, Rush, Último Guerrero vs Cavernario, Negro Casas, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]

Main event is a rematch. Valiente literally takes Mascara Dorada’s place in the semimain. Cibernetico’s usually set up a match – maybe Astral defending the minis title? Three of the last CMLL minis title matches have come in this building, with Demus 3:16 getting two shots and Sauron getting one. Pequeno Nitro’s only title match came six years ago. I’d love to see Espiritu Maligno to get the shot to see what thing he does in a title match.

RIOT (SAT) 11/19/2016 Arena Femenil, Monterrey, Nuevo León
1) Hooligan Byron & Kaientai vs Dulce Kanela & Larry Miranda Jr.
2) Drastik Boy & Ronnie Mendoza vs Arez & Belial
3) Kamikaze vs Erick Ortiz
4) Alberto Rios vs Dralion
5) Último Ninja vs Séptimo Dragón
6) Impulso vs Kratoz

If things go as planned, this show should turn up Powerbomb.TV this fall. (Which reminds me: if things go as planned, there’s probably going to be a craving for content explaining who all these Mexican indie guys are, and which ones ought to be saught out.) Match 2 looks like it could be the best match, but others aren’t far behind.