CMLL (MON) 01/09/2017 Arena Puebla [+LuchaTV, CMLL]
1) Centella Roja, Meyer, Millenium b Fuerza Chicana, Guerrero Espacial, King Jaguar 
2) Espíritu Maligno, Mini Joker, Pequeño Violencia b Astro, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito
Violencia used the ropes to beat Shockercito, who wanted a rematch.
3) Kráneo, Olímpico, Ripper b Blue Panther Jr., The Panther, Titán
4) Johnny Idol, Marco Corleone, Valiente b Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Vangellys
5) Atlantis, Carístico, Diamante Azul DQ Cavernario, Gran Guerrero, Negro Casas
Diamante Azul returned to replace Maximo. Negro Casas pulled Caristico’s mask for the DQ, setting up a singles match.
Sounds like the show was OK at best. Ripper pinned Blue Panther Jr., so that may have legs. Negro Casas turned 57 on his way back to Mexico City last night. Wrestling With Words has a thread of great Negro Casas matches. CultIcon looks back at the Hijo del Santo/Negro Casas feud in 1996 and 1997.
On tonight’s Arena Mexico show, the fourth match will be Titan, Stuka, Dragon Lee versus Ephesto, Niebla Roja, and Hechicero. It might be a pretty good match. It also might be Dragon Lee’s final match in Arena Mexico for the time being. Many people, myself included, figure Dragon Lee to stay with NJPW after FantasticaMania, in a repeat of what played out with Mascara Dorada two years ago.
Dragon Lee and NJPW have not announced anything official and no one else is reporting it; this is another dot connecting exercise which can sometime lead us to trouble. What we do know is NJPW flew Dragon Lee all the way to Tokyo just to do a run-in, and today announced Dragon Lee’s title match with Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship will take place 02/11 in Osaka. Both the set up and the title match could’ve been done on the FantasticaMania shows, so NJPW at least has bigger plans for Dragon Lee great than CMLL cross promotion.
We also know NJPW wants to secure international talent before WWE gets to them, and Dragon Lee said last year he would’ve gone to WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic if he had not injured his knee. WWE probably will run that competition again and generally continues to recruit more talent. If Dragon Lee stays in one piece (and his knees don’t break down), WWE will make another run at him. If NJPW doesn’t sign Lee soon, he may not be available to them later.
(CMLL seems like a bystander in all of this. CMLL is always said to have few people actually under contract, and it may be more done as a guaranteed income reward for the long time veterans than something to prevent people from going elsewhere. Sombra & Dorada going to WWE on their own timelines, as well as Averno’s jump to AAA, suggests they weren’t under contracts, or the contracts weren’t very binding. It’s a situation which seems like should be reconsidered given the landscape, but there’s been no sign of a change so far.)
NJPW announced the Mascara Dorada one year loan on the last day of FantasticaMania two years ago. We don’t know it’s going to happen with Dragon Lee, and it could be just anything as little as sticking around Japan for an extra tour or to being gone for a year plus. We probably won’t know if this is it until a week from Sunday, so maybe it’s a good idea to check him out tonight while you can.
Maximo versus Negro Casas is the biggest match tonight, even though it’s only the semimain. The rules are the unclear; it’s been promoted as a normal singles match all week, but the CMLL preview mentions it as a shorter lightning match instead. Maximo missed last night’s Puebla show, so it might have been shortened if he’s dealing with an injury and about to go to Japan. Or maybe they cut the match in half as a birthday present to Negro Casas. Or the preview guy could’ve just read the card wrong.
The actual main event is Euforia, Gran Guerrero and Ultimo Guerrero versus Volador, Atlantis and Mistico. That sounds good, but – between it being a Tuesday show and the last show before many people head off to a lucrative tour – we might see guys taking it easy tonight. The tercera has Blue Panther Jr., Pegasso and Stigma against Virus, Okumrua and Forastero (who says he’s working thru his injury.) Principe Diamante wrestles on a Tuesday again time, this time teaming with Oro & Robin against Disturbio, Cancerbero and the rarely seen Grako. Stukita & Fantasy vs Mercurio & Pequeno Olimpico open the show.
CultIcon also previews the show. The show will air CMLL’s YouTube channel at 7:30, Dragon Lee’s match should be just after 9.
Guadalajara has Caristico, Diamante Azul, Marco Corleone versus Cavernario, Felino, Mephisto. Poor Cavernario has to wrestle in Guadalajara tonight, ride back to Mexico City late tonight/early tomorrow morning, grab the rest of his luggage and join everyone else flying out of Mexico City to Tokyo (probably with a stop in Dallas along the way.) That’s a very long day of travel.
Soberano, Raziel and Miguel Reducino headed to Japan last night. I’d guess that means Miguel is announcing the final (Sunday) FantasticaMania show in Spanish again.
Lucha Memes Chairo 8 on 01/29 in Arena Naucalpan
1: Hechicero vs Dr. Cerbero
2: Silueta (c) vs Keira [REINA IJ]
3: Raymond Rowe vs Rush
+LuchaTV released a video confrontation setting up that last match. There’s a couple extra tidbits: that match, one more match and some bonus content will be sold via +LuchaTV’s channel for 50 pesos, or about $2.33 USD. (Presumably, it’s a match not yet announced, or they would’ve just listed.) This is obviously an experiment to see if it’ll work, while also making sure people still have to show up to see the complete show.
The other hinted at deal is in Lucha Memes saying this is a part of a deal with CMLL & ROH which will extend for the whole weekend. The implication is Rowe will be working the Friday CMLL Arena Mexico show (and maybe even the Saturday Arena Coliseo show), before the Chairo show. Lucha Memes’ Dhani Ledesma has hinted at some some tie up with CMLL for a while and this would make sense for both sides: it’s a lot most cost effective for both promotions if there’s some sort of talent sharing agreement, Lucha Memes gets access to ROH wrestlers, CMLL gets someone who actually knows the ROH wrestlers. We’ll have to see how it works in practice.
This week’s Luchas 2000 #856 hypes a La Parka, Rush, and Masada from Chavo Guerrero, Carlito and Hernadez for MDA in Arena Coliseo Monterrey sometime in March.
The biggest story in this week’s Box Y Lucha #3266 is Marisela Pena talking about Donald Trump.
AIW released the Laredo Kid vs Big Damo match from their May 28th show for free.
LuchaWorld has this week’s Poster-Mania and the latest Lucha Report.
Mark Coale writes about the Panther & Guerrero Maya vs Black Terry & Negro Navarro.
R de Rudo interviews recent Copa Higher Power power partcipatant Demus Black.
Voices of Wrestling has a review of this week’s Lucha Underground and a write up of Trauma I & Canis Lupus.
Lineup
CMLL (MON) 01/16/2017 Arena Puebla
1) Centella Roja & El Hijo De Centella Roja vs Rey Apocalipsis & Toro Bill Jr.
2) Black Tiger & Tigre Rojo Jr. vs Fuerza Chicana & Policeman
3) Astro, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito vs Espíritu Maligno, Mini Joker, Pequeño Violencia
4) Ángel de Oro, Guerrero Maya Jr., Stigma vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Skándalo
5) Johnny Idol, Marco Corleone, Valiente vs La Máscara, Máscara Año 2000, Vangellys
6) Carístico vs Negro Casas
That main event is historically a good time. Tercera has the minis rematch, and a hair match between Shockercito & Pequeno Violencia seems like a possible outcome. It’s more likely than them just doing a normal singles match.
CMLL is so short on rudos that Mascara 2000 goes on the road. CMLL really could use some rudos.
Toryumon Japan (SUN) 01/29/2017 Gimnasio Cuauhtemoc, Domo del Deportivo Plan Sexenal, Miguel Hidalgo, Distrito Federal
1) Fire Man vs Makiavelico
2) Íkaro & Pequeño Olímpico vs Latin Star & Sonic
3) La Comandante vs Reyna Isis
4) Ángel de Oro, Fiero Jr., Súper Ciudadano vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Patán, Sam Adonis
5) Argos, Starman, Último Dragón vs Daisuke Hanaoka, Douki, Rey Bucanero
Starman resurfaces on the quarterly Toryumon show. Hanaoko & Douki attacked Ultimo Dragon on the last Toryumon show, and they actually remembered it.
IWRG (SUN) 01/15/2017 Arena Naucalpan
1) Black Dragón vs Omega
2) Aramis vs Demonio Infernal
3) Dragón Fly, Golden Magic, Hijo De Dos Caras vs Herodes Jr., Negro Navarro, Pirata Morgan Jr.
4) Trauma I vs Máscara Año 2000 Jr.
5) Mr. Electro © vs Pirata Morgan [IWRG IC HEAVY]
first defense
6) Imposible © vs Apolo Estrada Jr., Relámpago [mask, hair, IWRG IC MIDDLE]
4th defense
That was quick to those matches. The main event is set up for Imposible to lose his main singles title for the first time since 2013 (!), possibly without even taking the fall. That’s an underwhelming to end his story but it’s IWRG. At least it got the main event spot.
Hijo de Dos Caras being listed in the tercera. He was advertised two of three weeks, didn’t show either, and there’s no real reason to think he’s going to appear this week either or maybe any time soon until things cool down.