NJPW & CMLL announced the 2018 FantasticaMania lineup:
- Atlantis
- Místico
- Volador Jr.
- Dragón Lee
- Niebla Roja
- Ángel de Oro,
- Soberano Jr.
- Fuego
- Drone – debut
- Star Jr. – debut
- Rush
- Último Guerrero
- Negro Casas
- Gran Guerrero
- Bárbaro Cavernario
- Sansón – debut
- Cuatrero – debut
- Okumura
- Puma – debut
- Disturbio – debut
This tour is usually built around title matches on the last three shows of the tour. Atlantis, Volador Jr., Dragon Lee, Niebla Roja, Angel de Oro, Soberano Jr., Sanson and Cuatrero are champions at this point and would all be in line for big matches in January. It’s possible another gets added to the list if one of these wrestlers picks up the heavyweight title on Sunday (though it seems more unlikely; Rush versus Gran Guerrero is the only heavyweight title match I could imagine on this show.)
The match making problem is the top of the card hasn’t changed much: Ultimo Guerrero’s had his tour ending matches with Atlantis and Mistico and Volador already. Gran Guerrero & Niebla Roja will probably repeat their Anniversary match, maybe Angel de Oro/Ultimo Guerrero is the b-side, Soberano figures to be with Cavernario, Sanson & Cuatrero are probably getting two of Fuego, Drone and Star, and they’re running low on rudos already. I’d like to get one more Negro Casas/Jushin Liger match while it can still happen. Rush being on the tour means Los Ingobernables de Japon will also be on the shows, so maybe they’ll fill the gap and perhaps mix in NJPW’s version of the trios titles to give Atlantis and Mistico and a three person to take the falls (Fuego?) something to do. There’s a chance, a decent chance, Hiromu Takahashi will be IWGP Junior champ by the time this show rolls out. Puma & Disturbio are likely just there to make up the numbers but will hope to do well enough that they get invited back in 2019 in a bigger role.
It’s notable that Atlantis is included given there’s no announced return date from his knee injury. He’s hinted at coming back soon on Twitter. CMLL posted a teaser of him returning on Facebook today.
CMLL held a press conference yesterday. It’s on their YouTube channel. You don’t need to watch it. The only news was the news you already knew: Dia De Muertos shows on November 3, 5 and 7th. They did some interviews, they did some pageantry for people taking video, but they didn’t announce a match. They didn’t talk much about the matches they have announced. The most they said was Caristico & Ultimo Guerrero would be on the 11/03 show, Angel de Oro & Mephisto will be on the 11/05 show, and Barbaro Cavernario & Niebla Roja will be on the 11/07, though those aren’t necessarily the big matches.
I think one of the reasons CMLL is not streaming their press conferences live is because they want people (media) to attend and not be able just to watch the video to report on what’s happening, but it’d help if there was something happening at these.
CMLL writes about the NGD having two defenses in two days. There’s also a history of the national heavyweight title, which stops mentioning people once they get past 1994.
Monterrey’s KDNA says they’ll have two AAA TV tapings next year: one in March or April, and the second in October for Heroes Inmortales. I wonder if AAA’s going to release another full year schedule of (tentative) tapings as they did for this year.
This week’s WON says Kevin Kross has quit AAA. He’s scheduled to be on the TV taping tomorrow.
The new episode of Lucha Talk is up.
LuchaWorld has the latest news update.
Lady Shani was on this week’s Zona Ruda.
Polvora (the website, not the luchador) interviews WWS’ Sexy Angel and Kali.
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