The first FantasticaMania show will take place before the next time I write one of these posts. The full schedule for the weekend is like this:
All three FantasticaMania days will air at 4:30 AM ET, 3:30 AM ET, 1:30 AM ET. They’re all on NJPW World and you will have to subscribe (for about $9 USD month, automatically renews on the first day of the month) to see them. It’s probably a sane thing to get normal sleep and just watch these shows in the morning, but you’ll need to stay away from Twitter and this website tomorrow if you want to watch without being spoiled.
Friday’s main events have the highest upside of the tour. Dragon Lee versus Kamaitachi (Takahashi) was the best match last year, and both of them will have singles matches against guys just about as good. Dragon Lee defends the lightweight title against Cavernario in the main event, and Titan gets a non-title match against the top junior in NJPW in the semimain. The undercard should be good – it’ll be the one and only time you ever see Ephesto & Will Ospreay as two man team! – but those main events are worth sacrificing some sleep on a work day.
CultIcon has a preview of tomorrow’s FantasticaMania show. I wrote about the whole tour over for Voices of Wrestling. NJPW has their official preview of the big matches (in Japanese) and a report on the rudos meet and greet.
The 01/13 tour opening show aired on NJPW World earlier this morning and may soon be available to download.
NJPW’s Twitter says they’ll have Spanish Commentary on Sunday.
CMLL Informa actually had news this week. I’m confused too. The biggest news was the announcement of this year’s Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. It’ll take place Friday March 17th. Villano III will be honored. He was interviewed at the end of Informa and in tears over the honor. Villano III is obviously worthy of being recognized by CMLL. He was chosen specifically for this year because this show will be exactly 17 years since his famous mask match with Atlantis.
This is far earlier than CMLL usually announces a major show and is good news to anyone who might want to make a trip to Arena Mexico from a long way away. We have no idea what will main event the show yet (though Blue Panther Jr. & Ripper seem to be feuding towards this point), and I’m not sure if if any indie promotions will be running around Mexico City that weekend, but H2L is usually one of the best CMLL shows of the year and most attended. If you want to attend a loud CMLL show, you’ve got two months notice instead of the usual two week notice.
CMLL Informa also had an announcement of Astral moving up to the main division. They explained Paco Alonso himself gave the approval. Astral’s last match as a mini will be this Sunday, and then he’ll be start in the main division on February 10th (Friday). Astral relinquished the CMLL Minis championship on Wednesday as part of this move. There was no word on how they would determine a new champion,
Astral’s technically the second person to move from the mini division to the main division in the last year, but we don’t think of Principe Diamante as a mini because he rarely appeared before winning this year’s bodybuilding contest. Principe Diamante has amusingly lost every single match he has had since re-debuting. CMLL midcard booking is fairly random, but that seems to be the welcoming pattern for minis moving to the main division. When Demus moved to the main roster, he was the lowest rudo on the totem pole, and eventually felt the situation was so bad that he’d rather just move back to the minis division. It’s not impossible to do well, Virus has made a name for himself, but moving form the minis to the main division is just the start of the battle.
Informa aired a video of Ray Rowe highlights, and confirmed he’d be wrestling on the 01/27 CMLL Arena Mexico show a couple days prior to the Lucha Memes show. Lucha Memes had been hinting at that for a while, with the idea that it’s the start of a pattern of CMLL/ROH/Lucha Memes talent sharing.
WWE recently sent out a survey to Mexican subscribers of the WWE Network, asking them questions including their interest in lucha libre programming on their network. AAA & CMLL were name checked (and the only two name checked.) WWE routinely sends out these surveys to different countries to gauge interest in other promotions, and there’s rumors they will be adding outside promotions to their service in 2017. This is the first time CMLL & AAA have been brought up. Even if CMLL & AAA wanted to get on the WWE Network (and there’s no indication of that), both have existing deals that would make it tough for them move their shows onto any new service in the short term.
The debut of the Blue Demon series in the US, aired on both Univision and Unimas, had 1.7 million viewers. There were 1.3 million watching on Univsion (more than ABC & CBS among 18-34) and 400K on Unimas. The show is airing on Unimas nightly so far, and we may be able to find out how it’s doing later; Univision posts it’s ratings on Tuesdays. This show probably will end up with enough visibility that it would increase in interest in a Blue Demon luchador, but Blue Demon Jr. wants nothing to do with it and there’s no one else to take advantage.
The chain of Plaza Sendero malls often host lucha events. A few are hosting them next week. What’s odd about them are the main events: Ciudad Juarez has Taurus (quit AAA) & Gronda (AAA?) vs Cibernetico (quit AAA) & Elegido (AAA). That probably isn’t going to be allowed unless people have quit or un-quit. Los Mochis has Intocable in Cibernetico’s spot, Toluca has Monster & Murder vs Intocable & Elegido.
The AAA show last night in San Luis Potosi looks like a sellout. Ayako Hamada is back in Mexico and was with the Perros del Mal. Not sure if that means she’s back in AAA for the moment, though the Apaches vs Ayako & Anyone is much better than another Apaches vs Chessman & Averno match.
El Siglo de Torreon, starting a weekly column spotlighting local luchadors, profiles Psycho. Psycho shows up in La Sombra’s photos as a trainer or workout partner when he’s back in Torreon. Psycho has been wrestling for 15 years, and claims he kept his wife in the dark about his wrestling career for two years until a neighbor spilled the secret
Rey Fenix says he’s not booked on the 02/18 show in New York. The promoter posted messages to prove Fenix had a conflict with the date, and says Fly Warrior will be in his spot.
Alberto el Patron, hyping Thursday’s Comabtes Americas show, says he (still) plans to retire in mid 2018.
Legend posted the flyer for the first ever show in Arena Aficion in 1952. They have a couple walls of old posters hanging in the waiting room area outside the main arena but I didn’t get a photo of that one.
Local Cancun luchador Pegasso passed away. He was 32. He’s not related to the CMLL one.
LuchaWorld has a recap of this week’s CMLL Informa.
The latest EN+CARADOS podcast has interviews with Taya, Mr. Niebla and Astral.
CultIcon picks the best matches of Lucha Underground season 3 part 1.
Lineups
Lucha Memes (SUN) 01/29/2017 Arena Naucalpan
1) ?, Demasiado, Diva Salvaje vs Black Dragón, Demonio Infernal, Dragón Negro
2) Astrolux, Baby Star, Black Metal, Jack Evans vs Alas de Acero, Aramis, Iron Kid, Rey Horuz
3) Fly Star & Toxin vs Laredo Kid & Ronnie Mendoza
4) Supermega vs Último Vampiro
5) Hechicero vs Dr. Cerebro
6) Keira vs Silueta © [REINA IJ]
7) Rush vs Ray Rowe
Full card, with the Super Mega versus Ultimo Vampiro match being added. Super Mega was Ultimo Vamprio at one point. Rush versus Raymond Rowe is a two out of three falls match.
Lucha Memes also announced Zack Sabre Jr. would be coming to promotion soon.
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