La Mascara & Maximo have been fired from CMLL for their roles in destroying Ultimo Guerrero’s car on Friday morning in incident captured by video, according to SuperLuchas. (I was told the same this morning, but was unable to confirm it.) Maximo is currently the CMLL heavyweight champion. La Mascara is CMLL’s current CMLL Light Heavyweight champion. Neither of those belts mean all that much. Both are free agents and would be obvious signings by AAA, but pending civil and criminal lawsuits may stand in the way. CMLL has made no public statement on this situation as of Saturday afternoon (and may not until Monday).
Mascara is still being advertised for tonight’s show in Arena Coliseo, but will not work that or any other shows for CMLL. Maximo is additionally advertised as being on the annual DragonMania show next Saturday, a tag match with Marco opposite Rey Bucanero & Ultimo Guerrero of all people, but probably will not work that show either. AAA has a previously scheduled TV taping on Friday in Mexico City, and they theoretically would be free to work that show.
This all stems from the death of Brazo de Oro and the future of the CMLL in house union. While the organization is usually quickly referred to as a wrestler’s union, it’s kind of not either: SuperLuchas points out it technically represents a different group of people and the head of the union is led by someone appointed by CMLL head Paco Alonso (instead of actually controlled by the people who work there, like a normal union.) Brazo de Oro had run the union for the last couple decades, and there had always been quiet rumors of corruption and favoritism, but no one wanting to speak publicly about it for fear of reprisal. Those who disagreed with the union felt it supported management more than the wrestlers, took bribes to get around drug tests, and generally stole from the wrestlers, but there was nothing they could really do about it.
Nitro is currently technically head of the union – he had a role with the group and was next in succession when Brazo de Oro passed. La Mascara wanted to take over his father’s role in the union, fitting the dissenter’s sense that the union was more a Alvarado family business than something representing them. There was a meeting on Thursday where the future of the union was talked about, and Ultimo Guerrero said negative things about Brazo de Oro, maybe voicing some of those complaints, and possibly said some negative things about La Mascara replacing him. La Mascara and Maximo were there. The Alvarados were angry, and smashed up Ultimo Guerrero’s car.
It’s not clear Ultimo Guerrero even wanted to be head of the union himself, but saying negative things about the union and paying a price was the reason everyone had stayed quiet about it until now. In the end, it’s still Paco Alonso who gets to decide who’s head of this union and it’s not clear who he’ll pick. It’s also Paco Alonso who gets to pick who’s working for CMLL, and he’s decided La Mascara and Maximo will no longer work there.
Ultimo Guerrero indicated on Facebook he’s going to press charges. That’s a fair response to what happened, but also complicates the next step for La Mascara & Maximo. AAA is absolutely going to want to sign them. They desperately want names. Latin Lover revealed he was contacted by Vampiro about coming back a few weeks ago, and it’s been clear they’ve been looking to bring in starts this year to offset the losses with not a lot of success. It would be perfect timing for Maximo & Mascara to debut this coming Friday on their Mexico City taping, but would risk very bad press given this situation. It’s unclear if AAA is really worried about bad press at this point. (There were also rumors of WWE being interested in La Mascara last year. That might be something he’ll be looking into again.) Psycho Clown may also be facing legal charges since he was part of the incident.
CMLL owns the trademarks to La Mascara, Maximo Sexy and Los Ingobernables. They were in a protracted fight for simply “Maximo” with a non wrestling business, did not get it, and that’s why Maximo Sexy had the awkward name change. He could make another change, and La Mascara had already suggested changing his name to something Brazo de Oro related.
This situation may end up sucking in a lot more than these three people. He’s not been identified because he’s not as big a name as his cousins, but I’ve been told Robin was part of this as well. He may be fired, or he may just quit to go along with his family (that sort of jump worked out a lot for Argenis & a little bit for Argos.) Brazo de Plata is unlikely to return to CMLL, as had been his plan – he’s going to stay loyal to his family. You can keep spiraling it from there – how does this affect La Mascara’s great friend Rush? The rest of Rush’s family? Negro Casas with his son in law involved? Two main event CMLL luchadors being fired would be big in itself, but this has the potential to really change the landscape of lucha libre.
That video out there changes everything. It’s no surprised it got passed around and leaked after it was taken, but it was taken in the first place. I made a mistake yesterday – CMLL’s parking garage is public, but there are private restricted areas in there, and that’s where the incident looks to be taking place. Whoever took that video probably had a good idea it was going to happen, and wanted it on film for their own reasons. This is just a story, maybe even an urban legend without that video.
CMLL (FRI) 05/19/2017 Arena México [CMLL, CultIcon, thecubsfan]
1) Magnus & Sensei b Akuma & Espíritu Negro
11:05. Tecnicos took 1/3.
2) La Jarochita, Princesa Sugehit, Silueta DQ Amapola, Dalys, Zeuxis
14:47. Tecnicas took 2/3, the last by DQ when Zeuxis unmasked Princesa Sugehit
3) Drone, Guerrero Maya Jr., Stuka Jr. DQ Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Sagrado
15:52. Tecnicos took 2/3, the last by DQ when Polvora fouled and unmasked Stuka. Sagrado replaced Bobby Villa.
4) Cavernario b Titán [lightning]
9:17. Cavernario submitted Titan to a cavernaria.
5) Ángel de Oro, Atlantis, Valiente b Gran Guerrero, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero
7:22. Tecnicos took the match in straight falls. Niebla Roja tripped up UG to cost him the first fall, then superkicked UG in the second fall. The Guerreros were rolled up while beating up Niebla Roja. Angel de Oro helped his brother. UG kicked out Roja out of the group and demanded the mask back. Roja dared UG to take it, and UG attacked and took the mask. Roja ended up wearing an Angel de Oro mask.
6) Carístico, Marco Corleone, Mistico b Ephesto, Mephisto, Negro Casas
11:16. Tecnicos took 2/3. Marco Corleone replaced Maximo.
This show was good. I’m so not going to remember this show from this weekend.
FULL’s tour started in Puebla, though it started more than an hour and half late. They posted some results and some videos from the show, but seemed cautious to avoid crowd shows. The floor seats seemed reasonable full as Alberto and Jack Swagger (wrestling in something like basketball shorts and looking in less than great shape) brawled thru them. A photo about an hour after it was supposed to start (and 40 minutes before it did) showed the building around 10-15% full. It must’ve gotten better, but I suspect it didn’t get a lot better the way they were showing it. FULL tries their luck in Toluca tonight, and has the biggest show of the tour in Mexico City on Sunday.
Diosa Quetzal lost her mask to Keira in their mask match last night.
Vampiro, in a since deleted Facebook post, mentioned he was really unhappy and loud with unnamed wrestlers at the TV taping in Pachuca.
Besides the Coliseo show, RIOT has a show in Arena LLF in Monterrey with Ultimo Ninja vs Flamita.
Silver King & Santo Jr. are in Guatemala, and teased a fight at the press conference to build up the match.
Mr. Niebla still wants Atlantis’ mask on the Anniversary show.
Kcidis draws luchadors’s wants for the Anniversary show.
RobViper has a music video of 10/28/16 ELITE.
+LuchaTV put up the Rush/Masada cage match from MDA complete.
Lineups
CMLL (FRI) 05/26/2017 Arena México
1) Flyer & Oro Jr. vs Cancerbero & Raziel
2) Fuego, Star Jr., Stigma vs Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Virus
3) Blue Panther Jr., Rey Cometa, The Panther vs Puma, Sam Adonis, Tiger
4) Stuka Jr. vs Pólvora [lightning]
5) Ángel de Oro, Mistico, Niebla Roja vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero
6) Carístico, Marco Corleone, Valiente vs Mr. Niebla, Pierroth, Rush
Niebla Roja is still listed on the rudo side the rest of the week, but starts as a tecnico here. Mr. Niebla being the fill in for someone missing the show is weird.
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Thank you for keeping us up-to-date about this, Cubs. I thought it was an angle but I’ve been watching wrestling so long I assume most things are a work. That being said, this is one of the darndest things I’ve ever seen.
I wonder if Muneca de Plata pulls a Dalton & jumps from finalist to main roster angle now. If AAA wants to wait out legal issues with La Mascara & Maximo, she & Goya could act as placeholders.
Finalist in Llave de la Gloria.
I am surprised that CMLL fired them and will probably blacklist the whole Alvardo family for awhile now (Especially since they seemed untouchable). AAA are probably so happy that this has happened. Should be an interesting next few months for Lucha Libre.
Could this possibly give Dr. Wagner an out for TripleMania now? I can see him arguing that there’s no point of having a mask match with a guy who’s identity was made public by this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nHzkPSQbxc