Tiger beat Disturbioin a lightning match (5:47, casita, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Ephesto, Luciferno, Pólvora beat Blue Panther Jr., Guerrero Maya Jr., Stuka Jr. (13:09 [4:55, 3:07, 5:07], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Ángel de Oro, Dragón Lee, Rushbeat Cuatrero, Shocker, Terrible (8:42 [4:06, 4:36], 1/2 DQ, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
What happened:
Cuatrero & Angel de Oro feuded in the main event.
Thoughts:
sliding is tough when you’re 50
The main event was mostly the Angel de Oro/Cuatrero build up. They played it up well, though it still feels manufactured. Angel de Oro blocking the foul only for Cuatrero to unmask him was cute. Rush seemed to have more fun teaming with Dragon Lee than he does even with Pierroth. I think I would enjoy them as mismatched tag team champions.
The semimain had both the pump armbar spot and the star, so they were really into old lucha libre bits. More than half the luchadors were wrestling in t-shirts, which is a bit more modern. The match was the sort of usual offense exhibition you’d expect from both of those situations, plus Stuka trying to do a death valley driver on Luciferno on the apron for some reason.
Rush and Mini Rush
Tiger and Disturbio went better than Puma and Disturbio, but it still felt like a random collection of moves and sequences with no order or meaning. The moves were performed well, the dive looked nice, Tiger slightly played técnico, I didn’t understand why Mije was there.
The third match was better than it looked on paperp Audaz worked with Raziel in the open, Cancerbero in the second fall, and had Tirantes marking out for him. The grumpy guys were noticeable less grumpy this match, but very noticeably not ambushing Audaz like they might otherwise do to a novato. They did drop Triton on his head and Audaz took the piledriver so not everything can work out Nitro being be unable to do the corner slide out spot seems like a really big neon sign he shouldn’t be doing this any more. The third fall wasn’t much but playing with Fuego’s mask so I wouldn’t recommend the match in total. It is a good sign if Audaz is having a good night even with the guys.
CMLL (TUE) 02/20/2018Arena México [CMLL, Wrestling With GIFs]
1) Acero & Aéreo b Pequeño Nitro & Pequeño Violencia tecnicos took 2/3.
2) Cancerbero, Metálico, Raziel b Magnus, Metatrón, Sensei Rudos took 1/3.
3) Lady Maravilla, Princesa Sugehit, Sanely DQ Amapola, La Comandante, Reyna Isis Straight falls, Amapola getting DQ for not letting go of a choke by a five count.
4) Pólvora b Tiger [lightning]
5) Johnny Idol, Mephisto, Okumura b Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr., The Panther Rudos took 2/3.
6) Diamante Azul, Mistico, Valiente b Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero tecnicos took 2/3.
Amapola attempting to murder Sugehit was the only notable thing on this show. That looked like a planned weird finish and not a Tirantes finish, though they played it up like one after the fact.
CMLL (TUE) 02/20/2018Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) El Mágico & Star Black b Frezzer & Ráfaga Star Black replaced Capitan Cobra. Tecnicos took 1/3.
2) Arkángel de la Muerte, Difunto, Sangre Azteca b Astral, Robin, Vaquero Jr. Rudos took 1/3.
3) Audaz, Esfinge, Tritón b Kawato San, Sagrado, Virus Kawato Guadalajara debut. Tecnicos took 2/3.
4) Felino, Hechicero, Luciferno b Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa, Titán Rudos took 1/3.
5) Atlantis, Marco Corleone, Rush b Cavernario, Ephesto, Shocker Tecnicos took 2/3.
Caristico, critical of Mistico for not making more of the name, says Mistico won the lottery without buying a ticket. Caristico says the people know he’s the real Mistico and they always cheer him over guys like Mistico & Volador. Volador might have kept the title, but Caristico says he won the real prize, the affection of the people. This reads like Caristico saying things he’d like to say in the guise of being part of the storyline.
Uproxx’s McMahonsplaining podcast has an interview with AR Fox & Shane Strickland about Lucha Underground the Hell of War match. It’s a good interview, with a lot on how they got to Lucha Underground. Fox says that, when he was told they were having the match, he stayed up all night thinking about things they could do in that set up. Not to each other, Strickland explains both he and Fox came up with just crazy spots they wanted to take, not what they were going to do to the other people. They both trusted each other a lot going in and were really happy to come out of it as well as they did. They’ve got some interesting ideas about who they’d like to see coming aboard in season 4.
IWRG (SUN) 02/25/2018Arena Naucalpan
1) Full Contact vs Skanda
2) Haziel & Súper Brazo Jr. vs Adrenalina & Atomic Star
3) Chico Che & Freelance vs Gallo Frances & Máquina Infernal
4) Emperador Azteca, Hijo del Alebrije, Hijo del Pantera vs Ovett, Trauma II, X-Fly
5) Eterno, Liderk, Spartan, Spector vs Capo Del Norte, Capo Del Sur, Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro
6) Lunatic Xtreme & Máscara Año 2000 Jr. vs Ram El Carnero & Trauma I and Shadow Boy & Villano V Jr. and Dinamic Black & Internacional Pantera and Black Dragón & Veneno and Black Warrior & Dragón Bane and El Hijo del Medico Asesino & Leroy and Aramis & Hijo De Dos Caras [Gran Protector, battle royal]
7) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [Gran Protector, quarterfinal]
8) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [Gran Protector, quarterfinal]
9) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [Gran Protector, quarterfinal]
10) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [Gran Protector, quarterfinal]
11) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [Gran Protector, semifinal]
12) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [Gran Protector, semifinal]
13) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [Gran Protector, final]
IWRG’s Gran Protector – their version of CMLL’s Gran Alterntativa veteran/rookie tag team tournament, features the usual IWRG oddness. Villano V Jr., who’s been Villano V Jr. for about five minutes, is a veteran. Black Dragon is a recent champion in the promotion, Dinamic Black won his title a while back but that’s because he’s been around IWRG forever and isn’t close to being a rookie. Aramis & Hijo de Dos Caras even gives us the annual team of the rookie being a lot better than the veteran.
The winning team will get a tag title shot. Black Warrior & Warrior Jr. are current champs. The Traumas won a #1 contenders match on New Years Day and everyone seems to have forgot.
The top two matches were set up on Monday. Soberano winning the world welterweight title and vacating the national one wouldn’t be impossible – it’d be another tournament! – but it’s unlikely. Still should be good. No idea why they’re doing the weird sides in the fourth match. Rey Samuray versus Templario could be the best Arena Puebla match of Rey Samuray’s life.
The Hardy Boys title reign ends after 396 days and zero defenses. The Crash is also running the Dragon Gate match, along with Aeroboy & Septimo Dragon as the third team. I hope Violento Jack isn’t upset about Aeroboy cheating on him like this.
Rich Swann debuts, along with ROH’s Shane Taylor. Arkangel gets a much higher position than usual and a chance for some revenge after the Rebelion Amarilla messed him up on the lasts how.
The main event will sure say a lot about how sure Rey is going to be around the rest of the year. Bestia, as the hometown rudo, is as good a choice to win the title as any.
AAA TV (SUN) 03/25/2018 Arena Jose Sulaiman, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
1) Mamba & Pimpinela Escarlata vs Ashley & Estrella Divina
2) Dark Cuervo & Dark Scoria vs Monsther Clown & Murder Clown and Joe Lider & Mr. Águila
3) Hijo del Fantasma vs La Parka Negra [AAA CRUISER, #1 Contenders, bull terrier]
4) Aerostar & Drago vs Rey Escorpión & Texano Jr.
5) Máximo, Pagano, Psycho Clown vs Averno, Chessman, Súper Fly
6) Dr. Wagner Jr. & La Parka vs Blue Demon Jr. & Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. and Hernandez & Vampiro [Copa Leyendas]
Vampiro teaming with Hernandez suggests one of them is turning or it just doesn’t make sense. Probably doesn’t make sense, but I’d also really like see the story that logically explains Hijo del Fantasma & Parka Negra meeting in a chain match to face Australian Suicide. Fourth match looks good.
El Hijo De Centella Roja & Milleniumbeat Ares & Sombra Diabólika (9:09 [4:12, 2:05, 2:52], 2/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL
Asturiano, Lestat, Príncipe Diamantebeat Espíritu Maligno, Guerrero Espacial, Rey Apocalipsis (10:38 [6:10, 1:14, 3:14], 1/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Tiger beat Blue Panther Jr., Stigma, The Panther (15:05 [6:24, 3:04, 5:37], 2/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Rey Bucanero, Shocker, Terriblebeat Ángel de Oro, Diamante Azul, Niebla Roja (16:03 [7:40, 2:40, 5:43], 1/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Atlantis, Dragón Lee, Rushbeat Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero (10:11 [4:16, 1:47, 4:08], 2/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
What happened:
UG feuded with Atlantis and unmasked him for the DQ.
Tiger fakes a foul in the third fall of the tercera, convincing Tirantes that Stigma did it to draw the DQ.
In the second match, the second fall ends prematurely when Lestat is disqualified for crotchinig Guerrero Espacial on the post by referee Pompin. Neither team believes that’s the right call.
Thoughts:
The tercera was the most promising match on the show and a borderline good match. Misterioso & Sagrado were good at feeding the rudos, Tiger antagonized Stigma well (especially after the foul) and Blue Panther Jr. had one of his positive matches. They put a lot of energy in third fall and made the most of the fake foul finish.
