Rey Bucanero attacked Angel de Oro as soon as he was safely down the stairs for the main. Angel de Oro was fist out, so he head to wait for help to show up. Marco was in a little bit more of a rush than Volador. Rey Bucanero sneaks off Angel de Oro’s mask between the first and second fall. Tirantes doesn’t notice but we can see that Angel de Oro has a lot of hair. Oro did appear to the back to get a new mask, and came just in time to get a clean house on the rudos. Terrible pins Marco, Angel de Oro wraps Terrible in a huracanrana to tie, but trying to do the same on Rey Bucanero led to a powerbomb for the rudo win. Bucanero challenged to a title match next week.
Sagrado unmasked Stigma for the finish of their match. It went nowhere.
Good on the sliding scale of Tuesday openers, as they did enough to actually get the crowd into it. This was a more active match than usual and had some highlights; Fiero’s third fall run really impressed the announcers. Sangre Imperial didn’t screw anything up but still looks slow. Yago did fine here, but he looks a little heavier than last year. He has Pentagon Jr.’s body and is doing a ninja gimmick, that’s going to be a problem once people notice Yago.
a Yago highlight
Arkángel de la Muerte, Cancerbero, Sangre Azteca beatAstral, Oro Jr., Star Jr. (17:14 [6:15, 5:40, 5:19], 2/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Slightly better than usual because they kept it moving better, but it still wasn’t interesting. Astral’s backlflip escape doesn’t seem to work out for him ever.
Blue Panther Jr., Stigma, The Panther beat Disturbio, Misterioso Jr., Sagrado
(12:49 [3:23, 4:26, 5:00] , 2/3 DQ, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Fine enough Tuesday match, with action if nothing we don’t see three times a week. Misterioso has lured Distubrio into his fall choking ways, that’s not good for him. The Panthers looked OK.
Sagrado does a lot of things
Rey Cometa beat Virusin a lightning match
(7:54, frog splash, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
A higher end lightning match. They battled dramatically for a win rather than just going thru their sets of moves. It wasn’t revolutionary in what they did and they weren’t doing all their biggest spots, but they were clean in what they did and maybe the last few minutes feel important. I got a Virus ringpost armdrg and that’s a lot.
The semimain was a delight for Dragon Lee not understanding the concept of a B-show and just throwing himself all over the place for Dragon Rojo dropkicks. Everyone was giivng a little bit more than expected for this one and it made it stand out for a Tuesday show, but Lee really came out looking like a star. Idol did a lot in the third fall but still seems a step slow and I’d rather see Drone in his spot. The rudos attempting to destroy the Dragon Lee banner after the fact was amusing. I really need Dragon Rojo to stop doing the top rope double stomp.
Dragon Lee gets Vangellys
Negro Casas, Rey Bucanero, Terrible beatÁngel de Oro, Marco Corleone, Volador Jr.
(4:12 [1:45, 2:27], 1/2, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
A super quick, a length unbecoming of what should be ending the show. (They ended early than usual too, so it wasn’t a timing issue.) They did do a lot for the time they had and I guess that’s better than standing around for a while, but there are people in this match who might have no have even bothered putting on their gear. Bucanero’s post match promo building up Angel de Oro as tecnico was good and I suspect that’ll be the same in their title match.
Tonight begins a run with a lucha libre event in Mexico City about every other weekend
08/04: Adonis vs Panther
08/12: La Llave a la Gloria Final – ok, this may only be a big deal to me
08/26: TripleMania
09/01: Gran Prix
09/16: Anniversario
There’s room for more, and it doesn’t count shows like The Crash (running tonight in Mexicali) or The Crash or Lucha Memes or MDA (all of which are tougher to count when we can’t count on seeing them.) On paper, this is the weakest of all the major shows – an unproven foreigner against a legend in the final moments of his career. In reality, this might have as loud as any of the shows.
Sam Adonis and Blue Panther main event tonight in a hair versus hair match. It’s Adonis’ first time in a singles main event in this building, and it’s been five years since Blue Panther had this sort of match. The crowd were reacting loudly to Adonis even before CMLL really started going anywhere with his pro-US act, and today’s the test to see if those reactions will turn into ticket sales. There’s mixed success with these sorts of characters, but it feels like this going to be a big deal.
+LuchaTV has an interview with the Panthers and a promo from Sam Adonis. Adonis saying this match is a battle between an idol of Mexican wrestling and Blue Panther is a troll line I would be proud of. The Panther & Blue Panther Jr. being part of the interviews is interesting; it’d make more sense for CMLL if one of the kids were the ones to get the big win over Adonis than a luchador closer to the end of his career.
That is the thing though: as a person who watches wrestling a lot, I’m pretty safely assuming Adonis is winning tonight because there’s more left for a second match and there’s no reason for him to lose before the Gran Prix. (Panther getting the submission win in the lead up is a signal too.) If you’re a casual fan just going to see the match, I think you’re absolutely expecting the Mexican to triumph over the loud American, and I wonder how they’re all going to react if/when that doesn’t happen. Mexican fans like booing Adonis because he’s a fun non-threatening guy to boo, but he might be a little bit more threatening if he takes a legend’s hair. I don’t expect a bad scene, but I do wonder if this going to light up this issue even hotter. The only people who are going to be busier than beer vendors are going to be the security people.
This match up still could use some support, and I had been expecting some sort of title match or other big singles match. CMLL went with the micros instead, and that’s probably the right call for this audience. This show should draw a lot of people who don’t closely follow CMLL but just know a heroic Mexican is going to try to take down an evil American. Those people aren’t going to be all that aware of the history of a Niebla Roja or the Princesa Sugehit/Zeuxis feud. Something with more universal appeal, like four tiny people in wacky outfits in a lucha libre battle is going to get over a lot easier with them.
This is a good show even beyond the two matches, with CMLL doing their usual big show loading up of the card. Fuego, Pegasso, and Drone face Virus, Sagrado and Disturbio in an opener that’s usually about the fourth match on a Tuesday. The NGD face Rey Cometa, The Panther and Soberano, which should be as good as last week’s match. Marco Corleone, Angel de Oro and Diamante Azul face Pierroth, Rush and Hechicero, which sticks out as odd on the card; maybe they just needed to get people on, or maybe they’re setting something up. The semimain is the weekly Niebla Roja/Guerreros match, with Roja teaming with Volador & Caristico against his old rivals.
CultIcon also previews this show. It’ll air on ClaroSports and Facebook normal; this probably could be an iPPV but it’s a free show.
Matt Taven told a fan asking if he’s coming to ROH UK tour that he’ll actually be in CMLL at that time. I think that may be the end my theory of a Ultimo Guerrero/Matt Taven Anniversario match. For one, Taven may not be going to the UK but Ultimo Guerrero is on that tour so it’s not like Taven is going to feuding with him at least at the start. For another, Taven would have to be around 5-6 Fridays for the Anniversario show, longer than he’s been in the past and longer than CMLL usually keeps people. Three Fridays, ending with the Gran Prix, is more normal. The possibilities which aren’t “Niebla Roja vs Gran Guerrero” for the Anniversary show are getting whittled away.
At any rate, that UK tour starts two weeks from today, so Taven and perhaps the other Gran Prix foreigners may start in CMLL on at least by the 18th. The G1 final is on the 13th so the NJPW would be free by then, though probably pretty tired. The next NJPW tour starts on 09/06, only a few days after the Gran Prix, so I could see those guys being saved for last to get a rest.
I think AAA’s trip to Colombia this month is off. AAA announced two tours of Colombia back in April, part of their press conference to announce their partnership with TNA/Impact/GFW. AAA said they’d be going to Bogota on August 8, 9 and 10, and Medallin in October. The Bogota trip were to be free shows as part of an annual summer festival. The program for the festival is out, and AAA is not listed. (An indie lucha group seems to be running earlier in the festival instead.) It could just not be in the program, but it’s also a tour AAA hasn’t talked about in months. They promoted their similar shows in 2015 pretty strong. AAA may have quietly canceled it a while back, and I’m just catching up to it now. Three shows at a free festival is not going to make or break AAA, but these shows seemed to be part of larger plan: AAA’s not had success moving northward, so maybe they could advance the other way instead to build a fanbase in South America countries. This seems a set back in that direction, and it makes me think about how all the countries Vampiro was hopeful about AAA being in (and probably just listing off the top of his head) were in Europe, not Latin America.
AAA TV (MON) 09/04/2017 Palenque Inforum, Irapuato, Guanajuato
1) Big Mami vs Ayako Hamada, Faby Apache, La Hiedra
2) Dinastía, Lady Shani, Máscara de Bronce vs Goya Kong, Marty The Moth, Mini Psycho Clown
3) Aerostar, Drago, Raptor vs Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., Soul Rocker
4) Argenis, Lanzeloth, Ricky Marvin vs Averno, Chessman, Súper Fly
5) Texano Jr. vs Hijo del Fantasma
6) Kevin Kross & Psycho Clown vs Dr. Wagner Jr. & Pagano
AAA posted this lineup the same day as they posted a Q&A with Vampiro saying AAA will change lineups whatever, so this is sort of whatever. It’s also a taping after TripleMania and a month away, so the chance of it all going down like this is nil. Ayako & Marty being around are the things to take from it; I’d expect at least Marty to be in the Copa TripleMania.
After this card got announced, some Elegido fans complained about him not being used on TV tapings; Vampiro told them Elegido is injured, while Elegido RT-ed the people complaining about him not being used. Elegido’s been booked most weekends (though not this one), and is advertised on a show before this taping. Meanwhile, the local promoter of this taping says Elegido is no longer in AAA. This has been more than you need to know about El Elegido.
Volador wears a Ingobernables jersey and works rudo in the main event, but it dropped after this match. Rush puled Caistico’s mask to win, and a post match argument set up a match between them.
In classic Tirantes form, Shockercito kicks out at 2.9 on a sunset flip and Tirantes counts three and then mocks Shockercito for not kicking out. This sets up a title match for next week.
Matches:
I had three separate GIFs of Tirantes doing something dumb on this show but I’ll just use this bump
Guerrero Espacial & Perverso beat Arkalis & París
(12:48 [5:31, 3:56, 3:21], 2/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Opener had better action and more of it than usual. Tecnicos looked really good in the first fall and rudos did more than the usual time killing. Arkalis did a nice bit of grabbing Guerrero’s arm and rolling him over in the first fall that came off as really slick. Not the greatest flow and this is an anti destroyer pick, but most watchable locals only match in a while.
Shockercito beat Pierrothitoin a lightning match
(7:38, sunset flip, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
match was a really good match in their usual style up until the screwed up finish. They both are good singles wrestlers who don’t get to do it much here and have a lot of stuff they can only break out in matches like this. From the opening comedy to Shockcercito’s big dive, this really works. Maybe this might be skippable because of that messed up finish and the fact they’re probably be better next week.
La Vaquerita, Princesa Sugehit, Sanely beat La Seductora, Tiffany, Zeuxis
(12:29 [6:32, 2:56, 3:01], 1/3, ok, via Video: VideosOficialesCMLL)
An alright women’s match that’s probably generous to be called OK but I don’t care. Vaquerita looked cooler in her white shirt than her normal outfit, which might say she needs a new outfit. That’s all the deep insight I have on this one.
Shockercito ha a good tope
Ángel de Oro, Stigma, Stuka Jr. beat Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
(14:19 [4:21, 2:27, 7:31], 2/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Effective well worked match with lots of topes. Rudos were finishing out their run strong, looking good as a team and rolling along the match well. The técnicos didn’t stand out but did well. This was the second match of the night where no one understood what was going on because Tirantes messed up a count.
This was not too far off from the previous match, but shorter and a less to it. Enjoyable but a good version of the usual match and just not enough of it to recommend. Not a bad effort by any means. Negro Casas versus everyone is good, but we haven’t got to see him much Titan of late and they did well n in the third fall too.
Carístico, Diamante Azul, Euforia vs Pierroth, Rush, Volador Jr.in a relevos increíbles match
(5:59 [2:51, 3:08], 1/2, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
What we learned here is heel Volador wears his hair in a dumb pony tail. This is important info. Volador can also do headscissors while wearing a baseball jersey. I can wear a baseball jersey but can not do a headscissors. They got to next week’s match fine but this wasn’t exactly promising big things in it. The post match promos were good at least.
Casas/Lee is headlining Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2018
