I’d expect he’s not coming alone. Penta el Zero M teased an appearance in Arena Mexico on the most recent The Crash show and in interviews after. Fenix teases the Rebelion coming in the promo. The possibility of these luchadors coming in to CMLL was first hinted at by the Wrestling Observer recently.
This, as well as the LA Park appearances, suggest the thought process on booking outside luchadors has greatly changed recently. Park, Fenix and anyone else are not expected to be full time with CMLL. They can plenty of their own bookings outside of the CMLL office. CMLL has previously avoided using outside wrestlers on per date bases. The only exceptions I can think of are legend shows, and luchadors brought in thru their partnership with ELITE. There are always rumors of ELITE returning, but this was presented as Fenix coming directly to CMLL.
Fenix and anyone else would be expected to continue working their scheduled date – this might primarily mean some open Friday nights are now filled, but they’d be picking their other promotion to work with. I’d expect they’ll still work Impact if they want to work Impact. AAA is the obvious big question. Fenix & Penta were supposed to work some dates, still have not been announced for anything, but the slow moving MAD angle (Konnan’s still unrevealed) could mean they weren’t planned to come in yet. I know it’s crazy, but I think that deal still might be on. AAA’s not going to have a problem with them working CMLL as long as they’re still working for AAA, and CMLL would be aware of any plans for them to work with AAA before agreeing to use them. Fenix mentions them not coming just to CMLL, and AAA would be another place. Konnan’s talked a lot about wanting a wrestling world where anyone could freely worked anywhere, and this would be two of his friends getting to live that out.
The sound is off for nearly the complete first fall of the fourth match.
Magia Blanca, a late fill in for Sensei, tears his ACL at the end of his second match. Akuma just happens to fall on the back of Blanca’s leg taking an armdrag on Akuma.
Thoughts:
Hechicero
CMLL Tuesday main events following a singles matches are never great. This one was especially nothing for two falls, even though they got more time than usual for this spot. The end of the second fall had some of the most transparent rudo feeding for rudo moves you’ll ever see. Action picked up a little bit in the third fall, until Atlantis came in. He did just get Mephisto up in the Atlantida, so point for him.
The title match was a standard Último Guerrero big match, up until Stuka got his foot on the ropes on the Guerrero Special. It seems like he’s aware enough of everyone catching on to the same thing finish every time that it’s not the ending right now, but there was no strong twist or novelty to the match to that point. Último Guerrero didn’t go thru everything he could do, but it felt about the same as normal. The sequence after Stuka got his foot on the ropes was surprising and the match itself was well done. Beyond that finish, it’s going to be hard to separate this from all the other UG singles matches.
Triton versus everyone
Shocker pulling a middle rope elbow drop is more amazing then CMLL forgetting to turn the sound on. That happens all the time. That match wasn’t the greatest set up for the Panthers, though Hechicero seemed to have fun knocking Blue Sr. around. Felino seemed to be barely in the match, though it wasn’t much of a match to be in.
The tercera had the names from good matches but didn’t mesh in any way interesting. The match slowed way down with the rudos in charge, and the técnicos never made much of a comeback. Triton’s fish outfit doesn’t really work without the shirt. Okumura doesn’t really work as Triton’s base.
RIOT (SAT) 05/26/2018Arena Femenil, Monterrey, Nuevo León[LuchaMania Monterrey]
1) Erick Ortiz b Mr. Iguana Show was delayed due to local power outage about 90 minutes before the show. Ortiz & Iguana volunteered to go wrestle in the dark to keep the fans interest, and did so with cell phone flashlights on the ring for most of the match. Light was restored near the end of the match.
2) Byron & Kaientai b Príncipe Legendario & Psicótico and Azrael & Muerte Extrema Psicotico & Alberto Dos Rios and Azrael & Muerte Extreme were both surprise teams for the Unamericans, who still won and have a winning steak.
3) Low Rider b Furor Furor replaced Caifan II (injury)
4) Lady Flammer b Chik Tormenta
5) Aaron Solow & Ricky Starks b Kratoz & Prometeo Debut of Extra Talente-ed. Prometeo is the former Kamikaze. Kratoz landed a 630 on Solow which seemed to be a three count, but was only counted two. Solow and Starks came back to win.
6) Último Ninja b Bandido (Indie) good match
The RIOT show was delayed around an hour due to the power outage. They offered refunds to anyone who didn’t want to stick around until someone was able to fix the power issue. I’m told only two people on a date asked for a refund. It was a sell out, the biggest turnout they’ve had. There were a couple people hanging around outside who hadn’t been able to get tickets, and they bought those two tickets as soon as they were refunded.
Sounds like the last two matches were the best two and people appreciated Ortiz/Iguana wrestling in almost no light.
CMLL (TUE) 05/29/2018Arena México [CMLL, Lucha Central]
1) Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Violencia b Acero & Aéreo
2) Akuma, Hijo del Signo, Nitro b Dick Riviere, Star Jr., Starman Dick Riviere (France) and Nitro (his trainer in France) replaced Pegasso & Espanto Jr. Rudos took 1/3.
3) Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr., The Panther b Dragón Rojo Jr., Kawato San, Pólvora Panthers took 2/3. Dragon Rojo suffered an injury on the final dropkick.
4) Fuego b Virus [lightning]
5) Ephesto, Felino, Luciferno b Stuka Jr., Titán, Tritón
6) Atlantis, Valiente, Volador Jr. b Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Negro Casas Tecnicos took 1/3.
Sure seems like it’s a lot easier to get your friends booked in CMLL than usual. It also seems like CMLL is less concerned with good B-shows than ever. These two things might be related.
CMLL (TUE) 05/29/2018Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) Gemelo Pantera I, Gemelo Pantera II, Pantera Blanca Jr. ?? Carlo Roggi, Maléfico, Mr. Apolo match skipped in results.
2) Marcela, Mystique, Princesa Sugehit vs Amapola, Dalys, La Metálica Mystique replaced Estrellita. Rudas took 2/3.
3) Audaz, Star Black, Stigma b Cancerbero, Difunto, Raziel tecnicas took 2/3.
4) Furia Roja, Mephisto, Okumura b Esfinge, Niebla Roja, Soberano Jr. Niebla Roja replaced Diamante Azul. Rudos took 2/3. Furia Roja snuck in a foul on Niebla Roja for the win. Niebla Roja challenged for a hair match.
5) Carístico, Kráneo, Último Guerrero DDQ Mistico, Mr. Niebla, Rush [Relevos Increíbles] Team Mistico took fall 1, team Caristico took fall 2, and Caristico & Mistico unmasked each other for the double DQ. Caristico worked as the tecnico.
There was a press conference here to hype an upcoming month of shows. That’s probably why those Sundays shows are suddenly including CMLL DF wrestlers. It might also explain the bits on this show: Caristico vs Mistico seems like it’s coming to Guadalajara soon, and Niebla Roja and Furia Roja in an all Roja hair match seems a definite possibility.
On Facebook, Lady Maravilla announced she was leaving CMLL and going independent. (Her statement is set to friend only but has been reposted plenty elsewhere; here’s the copy on her fan club’s page.) Maravilla never mentions AAA by name, but alludes to working for other promotions for dates only, not signing a full time contract.
Lady Maravilla’s name appeared on the Verano de Escandalo lineup on May 12th. Maravilla sent word to friends that it wasn’t true. (That fanclub went strongly with the idea that listing was false and now is just going with this story.) She then worked her already announced matches in Coliseo & Puebla and hasn’t been on a CMLL card since. I’d guess there was some other CMLL show we didn’t hear about that she was waiting to work before announcing this move. CMLL hasn’t acknowledged her leaving like they did with Zeuxis.
Lady Maravilla was in CMLL only ten months, which is maybe a reason they’re not making as much deal with it. She debuted last year in the Copa Natalia Vazquez. Her spot was said to be based in part on a Lucha Memes recommendation, and believed to be first offered to Keyra. She passed on to stay indie, and that seems like the right decision. Maravilla’s best match was her only singles match in that time, a lightning match with Zeuxis. Maravilla was getting about one CMLL booking a week, never a feud, and didn’t seem likely to get anything to do for a while. Like Zeuxis, Maravilla seemed like someone CMLL should be treating as a star in this moment, but would’ve instead had to wait years for the older women to finally decide to leave to get that chance. This is the third departure this year in CMLL’s women division for similar reasons- Silueta seems to have quietly left CMLL with her career also going nowhere. I’d suspect CMLL will not be particularly alarmed, seeing these women as replacement roster filler which can easily be replaced by trainee graduation (Mystique & Guerrera) or bringing back people (Lluvia). The CMLL matches aren’t going to be much good, though.
Women’s matches elsewhere could be good. Keyra, Zeuxis and Maravilla are about three of the four best women’s wrestlers in Mexico right now. (I’d put Faby on the list too.) Keyra & Maravilla are already a team, just find Zeuxis a partner and there’s a match they can take to every indie.
Kráneo, Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero beat La Bestia Del Ring, Rush, Terrible (11:52 [2:00, 2:54, 6:58], 2/3 DQ, ok, via: VideosOficialesCMLL)
What happened:
introducing King Rocker
Terrible fouled Último Guerrero for the DQ in the main event, setting up a trios match next week.
Third fall of the semimain is really longer than listed up there. The two teams brawl on the ramp between falls, so the edecan doesn’t walk out past the entrance with the ring fall, so the ring announcer doesn’t think to blow the whistle to start the fall. Mephisto pulled off Sanson’s mask for the DQ, then the two teams set up a rematch for next week.
Thoughts:
a Policeman GIF
The main event had a lot of Los Ingobernables fooling around in usual fashion. Terrible/Ultimo Guerrero doesn’t seem to fit the flow of the match early on. They’re just randomly paired up with the attention on Kraneo & Rush in the first couple of falls. You can spot if you’re looking for it in reverse, seeing Terrible duck out on Último Guerrero early in the third fall in the fashion people do when they’re setting up a match. It’s just confusing the first time thru.
The semimain was a generic feeling match, strangely so for both teams getting a rare rudo opponent. It felt like the first part of a feud in effort if not in build. The NGD were slightly better. Going for and missing the triple swandive headbutt against the Hijos del Infierno is deep cut luchadork stuff.
closer
I rated the third match OK, but it was borderline below average considering the people involved. The rudos were really not feeling like doing all that much, and this felt like everyone’s B or C match. The rudos losing both falls due to not paying attention was perfectly lazy. Malayo is fine, but the reasons he’s being featured more aren’t obvious.
King Roker – which he seems to want to spell King Rocker, and CMLL might catch up to at some point – seems to move well and takes good bumps. He’s Rey Samurai’s older brother, and hopefully we get to see what they can do together. The opener was better than usual for the first two falls and then seemed to fall into the usual meandering ways.
