Black Tiger & Meyer beat Fuerza Chicana & King Jaguar
(17:33 [8:11, 5:29, 3:53], 1/3, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Akuma & Espanto Jr. beat Rey Samuray & Tigre Rojo Jr.
(9:54 [3:59, 3:13, 2:42], 1/3, n/r, below average, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Audaz, Stigma, Tritón beat El Malayo, Puma, Tiger
(15:25 [5:27, 3:28, 6:30], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Hechicero, Kráneo, Stuka Jr. beat Johnny Idol, Sam Adonis, Titánin a relevos increíbles match
(11:55 [2:48, 1:17, 7:50], 1/3 DQ, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
La Bestia Del Ring, Mistico, Rush beat Diamante Azul, Euforia, Mr. Nieblain a relevos increíbles match
(9:02 [2:41, 3:18, 3:03], 2/3 DQ, n/r, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Cavernario beat Volador Jr.
(3:49 [2:16, 1:33], 1/2 DQ, bad, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
What happened:
Samuray & Tiger have good teamwork
A minute and change into the second fall, Volador goes for a superkick, Cavernario moves, and Tirantes covers up and turns around. Cavernario slaps Tirantes on the back hard, then walks into a Volador submission. Tirantes turns around and breaks up the hold, which Volador assumes to be a submission victory since Cavernario was giving up. Tirantes instead raises Cavernario’s arm, apparently believing it was Volador who hit him and calling it a ref attack disqualification. It’s very absurd. Cavernario challenges Volador to a title match next week.
The semifinal sees both teams trying be the rudo team at times, and a foul that comes out of nowhere. It’s not getting a review but it is not worth your time.
Sam Adonis fouled Kraneo for the DQ in the fourth match. Johnny Idol attempted to choke Kraneo with a cord after the match.
Thoughts:
The main event here was a thoroughly disappointing match. There probably won’t ever be a worse Cavernario/Volador singles match unless one of them is seriously injured during a match. There’s an extenuating circumstances – Volador still has the nose injury and is coming off a crazy travel schedule, Cavernario is in his second of three straight singles matches, the person truly at fault is whoever decided to book this match this week – but it doesn’t change the fact this was a stinker of a match. They didn’t much of anything and they got out of there as quick as possible. This would be a scandalous match in some other promotions (AAA would be excoriated if they did the same thing). CMLL only gets it away with it because there’s so much content that every bad mistake is quickly paved over with something new, and they make it immediately clear they’re going to try this again next week. Still, there’s no way to have seen this and not feel cheated.
The first relevos incredibles worked as a change of pace. Titan seemed to be having fun playing rudo, and got to do much more than Hechiceor as a técnico. Adonis & Idol worked out well as comedic foils to Kraneo and the rest of his team, and it come together as a fun match that wasn’t particularly hard on anyone. I’m disappointed the direction changed from the absurdity of Kraneo versus one of the foreigners, because that would’ve been a different kind of weirdness than we usually get on these shows.
The tercera was the usual Tiger/Puma match with the added fun of Audaz. Audaz makes everything he does look simple right not, which makes me wonder what he’s going to be like when he starts trying things that are actually hard for him. Malayo generally didn’t look out of place but the submission he used to win the second fall took half forever.
The tag match came off as sloppy. It wasn’t just one guy, it was everyone contributing to be off at times. It was not good early, and ending with Espanto struggling to powerbomb Tiger Rojo Jr. without dropping him on his head. I’m not sure what springboard move Samuray was trying which ended up as a kick, and there were other spots that just didn’t look. The doomsday dropkick do go well and they were trying, they just weren’t pulling it off.
CMLL (MON) 03/26/2018Arena Puebla [CMLL, Lost In Lucha, Notimex, R de Rudo, thecubsfan]
1) Black Tiger, Centella Roja, Meyer b Espíritu Maligno, Fuerza Chicana, Sombra Diabólika 16:02. Tecnicos took 2/3.
2) Hijo del Signo, Metálico, Policeman b Eléctrico, Millenium, Rey Samuray 16:59. Rudos took 1/3.
3) Ángel de Oro, Esfinge, Stigma DQ Máscara Año 2000, Pólvora, Universo 2000 Jr. 17:36. Tecnicos took 2/3, the last when Mascara fouled Angel de Oro after they had feuded all match
4) Dragón Lee, Matt Taven, Niebla Roja b Rey Bucanero, Shocker, Terrible 15:51. Tecnicos took 2/3.
5) Carístico, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero b Mistico, Valiente, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles] 10:47. Straight falls, setting up a trios title match next week.
I watched this live. It was not a great decision. The building was packed and the atmosphere helped the matches. The trios title match next week could be very good, even if the chances of a title change are very low.
Today’s big CMLL match is Soberano/Cavernario. It’ll probably be very good, it usually is. It’ll probably be a loss for Cavernario, it almost always is. Since Cavernario took Rey Cometa’s hair for a second time in 2016, Cavernario has lost his last 17 programs. (I’m calling a program anything that CMLL built up or intended to build up.) The closest Cavernario has come was winning the Rey del Air in 2016, but then he lost to Volador anyway. Cavernario was getting one of these programs a month for a while, it’s just been bugging me because CMLL’s gone crazy with them in the last month: he’s lost a feuds on Sunday to both Dragon Lee & Matt Taven, in Puebla to Volador, in Guadalajara in Atlantis and probably tonight to Soberano. It’s a sign of CMLL’s confidence in Cavernario that they see him as a great guy to get a tecnico over, but it’s not great for him to be in perpetual big match loser spot, and it’s really not great for CMLL for Cavernario always to be in the spot instead of a Sagrado or a Polvora or a Disturbio or whoever to get those chances in programs.
I’m not sure CMLL planned this specifically out, it may just be a situation where they don’t want to put a Casas or Mephisto or Shocker in those spots as much any more. The real problem is CMLL doesn’t look at the big picture. Maybe the championships have to be on certain order for precious Universal tournament, but tonight is a non-title match and there’s been plenty of those in these feuds before, and there’s no reason Caveranrio should be losing all of them.
The actual main event is Diamante Azul, Matt Taven, and Dragon Lee versus Ephesto, Mephisto and Terrible, which seems like it’ll have a hard time following the Soberano show. Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa and Stuka take on Disturbio, Misterioso and Universo 2000 Jr., which will be useful to see if Universo is actually good now. The bottom half of the card is dire: the ex-Minis & Pegasso vs grumpy rudos, a minis trios match with a lot of the lesser lights, and an opener where Inquisidor & Apocalipsis are involved. The show starts 7:30 pm locally, 8:30 CDT in the US, and you may want still give it at least an hour more before starting to watch it.
There’s no single big match in Guadalajara, though it’s a big show overall. CMLL is holding a Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show where Cien Caras will be honored. His sons and nephew are in the semimain, facing Esfinge, Titan and Triton. I thought that might be the start of a title program, but it’s hard to have the NGD lose on the day Cien Caras is being honored. The main event has Caristico teaming with Mistico & Volador against the Guerreros, which doesn’t fit well along side the Puebla feud. The micros are also on the card.
For reasons unknown to me, CMLL has changed Friday’s title match from being called “Historic NWA Welter” to “Welter National Wrestling Alliance NWA”. Short version: CMLL was part of the National Wrestling Alliance when it formed to around 1991, fell out of when it ceased to exist in it’s old form but still kept the title names and belts, and finally got new belts and (slightly) new names in 2010 when Blue Demon Jr. wanted to promote in Mexico using the NWA Mexico name, and that went nowhere. The titles that Volador, Ultimo Guerrero and Hechicero hold are technically ‘new’ titles, but we’re meant to think of them as carrying on lineages which go back to the 1930s. The NWA has gone thru a lot of owners, some of whom may have tried to re-establish a relationship without it going anywhere. CMLL actually swooped in and got the Mexico trademark to the “National Wrestling Alliance” name in 2010 when this was all happening, but haven’t ever used it.
For CMLL to go out of the way to use the name suggests something must be going on, but there’s always a good chance this just lucha libre randomness or something which will never be explained.
Ricky Banderas/Mesias held a press conference today. It had been originally billed as Mesias talking about his post-AAA plans. What’s going to get the most attention is talking about his AAA exit. +LuchaTV posted live video on Facebook. I’m working off notes from SuperLuchas and Twitter (@LuchaParaTodos, @therealfredo @apolovaldes) for this, and I’m sure MedioTiempo & LuchaWorld will have more later.
Banderas says he suffered his knee injuries last June, and AAA insisted on him to continue to work on it thru October, thru his matches on the Japan tour. Banderas said Dorian Roldan gave him less money than what he was promising during his injury, and was told by Gonzalo Pérez Rodríguez, (AAA director of programming) that any more money AAA would give him would be considered a loan he would have to repay. When he finally did finish five months and rehab, he felt disrespected for being asked to lose to La Parka in his return. Banderas didn’t want to do it, not because of Parka, rather because it was a dumb way to return to TV. Banderas didn’t officially quit at Rey de Reyes, but he already made up his mind after that and just waited until he returned to Mexico after LU was done to make the announcement.
Banderas says he’d been asking to see his contract from AAA, and both Dorian Roldan and Marisela Pena had been giving him the run around about it for four years. He has no idea how long he’s still under contract. Banderas is not the only wrestler to note this same difficulty in getting their AAA contract from AAA. Banderas claimed Roldan threatened to make his life impossible if he left AAA, and is not the same person he first knew when he came to AAA. He’s was especially upset about sarcastic comments Roldan has made about him and other people who’ve left AAA in recent years.
Banderas was shown a paper in showing that AAA owned his name, but pointed out he was using “Ricky Banderas” long before he was in AAA. AAA’s exact trademark appears to be the phrase “Ricky Banderas el Mesias”. He believes he’ll still be able to work Lucha Underground, as the other AAA wrestlers were not stopped from working there. I’m a little curious if he’ll be allowed to use Mil Muertes. He’s been advertised as that name already. If Dorian Roldan still controls the LU trademarks thru Lucha Libre FMV, then maybe it’ll shut him down, but it’ll continue to push the idea Lucha Libre FMV exists primarily as a way to punish Lucha Underground wrestlers for not working with AAA and not to help with Lucha Underground.
Mini Rey Mysterio, the most recent Octagoncito, was there to support Banderas. Misterio said AAA didn’t book him much for the last two and half years he was there because of their fight with Octagon over the name, and his professional life has gone much better since becoming an independent. Misterio knows it’ll go even better for Banderas, since he’s a much bigger star. Many other people in AAA would like to leave, Banderas says, but they’re comfortable there and fear the unknown of the promotion. Banderas feels he’s done everything there is to do in AAA so it’s time for him to move on. His first match in Mexico will be 04/28 versus Cibernetico, and he’s open to working with anyone (CMLL, The Crash, indies) after that. He plans on wrestling 3-4 years, and is not sure if he’ll stay in Mexico after he’s done.
With Mesias/Mil Muertes out of AAA, that leaves just Fantasma/Cuerno, Drago, Aerostar and Vamprio as the prominent on-screen members of Lucha Underground who are still in AAA. There are others like Texano who’ve been around in secondary roles, but it’s shrinking numbers. I don’t know the full results of this season of Lucha Underground – I’ve heard surprising little about Ultima Lucha so far – so I’m not sure if other people might have been added. It has appeared LU has gone more towards US based talent due to visa issues.
On Facebook, Vampiro says Verano de Escandalo is in Monterrey. That’s the June AAA major show, which doesn’t appear to have been announced yet, though I haven’t seen recent AAA TV and it could’ve been slipped in there, and Vampiro could just be saying things. Vampiro brings this up in the first place because his thinking about his last TV match has gone from “no more TV any more” to “this match in Monterrey is my last one” to “no, really, the next match in Monterrey is my retirement match (except for not TV matches and I’ll still do LU if they’d want to use me but maybe they don’t).” Vampiro’s Mexico career started in Monterrey and the idea is he’d like to end it there, though it’s hard to imagine he won’t want to find a way to keep going for TripleMania.
04/22 Lucha Memes vs CaraLucha in Coliseo Coacalco
CMLL (SUN) 04/01/2018Arena México
1) Bengala & Sangre Imperial vs El Coyote & Yago
2) Shockercito, Stukita, Último Dragóncito vs Mercurio, Pequeño Nitro, Pierrothito
3) Drone, Fuego, Tritón vs Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Virus
4) Hechicero vs Forastero [lightning]
5) Soberano Jr., Stuka Jr., Titán vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Ephesto, Pólvora
6) Diamante Azul, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Mephisto
Definitely a Sunday show.
IWRG (SUN) 04/01/2018Arena Naucalpan
1) Sombra vs Celestial Boy
2) Príncipe Mexica & Toto vs Atomic Star & Dragón Bane
3) Black Dragón, Dinamic Black, Dragón Fly vs Gallo Frances, Hip Hop Man, Lunatic Xtreme
4) Factor & Spector vs Rafy & Teelo and Capo Del Norte & Capo Del Sur
5) Hijo del Alebrije, Imposible, Internacional Pantera vs El Hijo del Medico Asesino, Máscara Año 2000 Jr., X-Fly
6) Hijo De Canis Lupus, Mr. Electro, Veneno vs Ovett, Trauma I, Trauma II
The original Canis Lupus hasn’t been seen since the end of 2016 (unless he’s a Capo now or something.) This is not his son, it’s IWRG bringing back a character they created themselves with a new person underneath it.
Azteca is airing the CMLL show in increasingly poor quality. I’m uploading the iPPV because it doesn’t exist to purchase any more, so it works out anyway.
I posted one of the IWRG 03/14 taping last week, and the rest has slowly turned up over the week. The 03/21 show did not air at all.
IWRG Zona XXI: 2018-03-17
taped 2018-03-14 @ Arena Naucalpan – Mega/YouTube
1) Chef Benito vs Power Bull
2) Ángel Estrella Jr. & Toto vs Dark Alfa & Guerrero 2000
3) Shadow Boy & Súper Brazo Jr. vs Dragón Yuki & Leroy
4) Black Dragón, Dinamic Black, Dragón Fly vs Diablo Jr., Gallo Frances, Lunatic Xtreme
5) Factor & Spector vs Mike & Teelo and Capo Del Norte & Máscara Año 2000 Jr.
CMLL iPPV: 2018-03-16
taped 2018-03-16 @ Arena México – Mega/YouTube
1) Audaz, Flyer, Star Jr. vs Disturbio, Templario, Virus
2) Kaho Kobayashi, Marcela, Princesa Sugehit vs Dalys, La Seductora, Zeuxis
3) Dragón Lee, Mistico, Rush vs Forastero, Máscara Año 2000, Sansón
4) Atlantis, Matt Taven, Niebla Roja vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero
5) Valiente & Volador Jr. vs Rey Bucanero & Terriblefor the CMLL World Tag Team Championship in a tournament final match
6) Ángel de Oro vs El Cuatrero, mask vs mask
IWRG Zona XXI: 2018-03-26
taped 2018-03-25 @ Arena Naucalpan – Mega/YouTube
1) Emperador Azteca & Imposible vs Gallo Frances & Séptimo Dragón
2) Mike, Rafy, Teelo vs Factor, Spartan, Spector and Capo Del Norte, Capo Del Sur, El Hijo del Medico Asesino and Ovett, Trauma I, Trauma II
3) Dr. Cerebro vs Ricky Marvinfor the hair
