EDIT: the original version of this post completely missed Lucha Underground, which possibly shows how strongly it’s in my mind at the moment. Hopefully it sticks in my head after the first episode. The episode guide preview highlights finding out about Dario Cueto’s status along with the new Temple and a Pentagon Dark title defense. I believe they start the show off pretty big, perhaps designed to make sure people start mentioning them on social media so the rest of the world remembers they exist.
The big news is the CMLL Friday night Facebook feed appears NOT to be geoblocked at the moment. I guess I’m not breaking 8,000 simultaneous streams for Rey Fenix’s debut. Doesn’t feel like it’s a coincidence CMLL is putting on good shows with the guests in.
AAA did not actually air that Tijuana opening match on Televisa, which makes it all the weirder that they’re probably airing Wagner versus Hernandez. That’s the MAD debut match, so they kind of have to. Wagner might have not audibly declared his decision at that point, but I’d guess he knew he was leaving AAA soon when he downplayed that angle.
Drone vs Audaz on CMLL Martes is the most interesting match in a not a greatly interesting week.
CMLL tried to explain what exactly is going on right now on CMLL Informa, though the answers have left me slightly more confused than beforehand. @therealfredo has the best recap of what was said, and probably will have more detail in the next Lucha World Lucha Report.
Fenix appears on the show at 1:17:55
On Sunday in AAA, Fenix explained he was the freest man in lucha libre and that’s why he showed up on Verano de Escandalo. On Wednesday in CMLL, Rey Fenix explained he has a contract in the US (LU) that requires him to work for other companies (AAA & Impact) and that’s why he was at Verano de Escandalo. Fenix surely is under contract to Lucha Underground, but our previous understanding of those deals was that wrestlers weren’t allowed to work for competition to AAA in Mexico, not that they were required to work for AAA.
Julio Cesar Rivera stated Rey Fenix would work his dates with AAA, and then be a regular in CMLL. That doesn’t seem correct. We know Fenix isn’t working for AAA any time soon, because AAA’s not taping TV for over a month. It’s also unlikely Fenix would be a regular in CMLL; he’ll work some Friday nights, but regularly seems unlikely.
Rey Fenix explained coming to CMLL as the one place he hasn’t been in Mexico that he really wants to be. Rey Fenix has modeled his career after Rey Mysterio Jr., who worked CMLL shows late in 2001 for similar reasons. Mysterio’s appearance place between his WCW and WWE stints, where he probably could’ve taken better paying bookings elsewhere (CMLL just paid him just the usual amount they pay people for those matches), but no one else could offer the chance for him to work in Arena Mexico. That’s the appeal for Fenix too. Unlike Mysterio, Fenix and Penta were training in CMLL’s school at one point, left when they realized they were years away from getting onto shows if they’d ever get that chance, and now are coming back to make the debut they had been working towards. It sounds like Fenix came off great on the show.
The only other thing of note is Zeuxis made a surprise appearance. She hope she’ll be back in CMLL some day in the future, but wants to take the chance for other opportunities right now. She obviously would like to be in WWE and the Mae Young Classic, and I have no idea if she will be.
Lucha Memes posted a promo with Mike Quackenbush, announcing he’d be coming in September. No date is announced. CHIKARA has a show on 09/22 so it wouldn’t be that weekend. The week of CMLL’s Anniversario show would make a lot of sense, but Memes did not run that weekend last year.
Monsters & Critics has a Lucha Underground Season 3 review video. It’s an approved Lucha Underground story, so some stuff that people involved or at the shows who have been not permitted to talk about (Antonio Cueto) seem to be fair game if it’s mentioned there.
Lineup
CMLL (TUE) 06/12/2018Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Luminoso, Magnum, Star Black vs Carlo Roggi, El Chakal, Mr. Apolo
2) La Vaquerita, Marcela, Sanely vs Dalys, La Comandante, Reyna Isis
3) Esfinge, Titán, Tritón vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
4) Dragón Lee, Soberano Jr., Volador Jr. vs Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas
5) Niebla Roja vs Furia Roja [hair]
6) Carístico vs Mistico
The loaded month of shows continues with a rare double main event. Caristico won the other match between the two men in Puebla, and Mistico is again the rudo in this rivalry.
CMLL (TUE) 06/12/2018Arena México
1) Acero & Aéreo vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Violencia
2) Magnus, Príncipe Diamante, Robin vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Cancerbero, Raziel
3) Fuego, Oro Jr., Stigma vs Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Virus
4) Drone vs Audaz [lightning]
5) Blue Panther, Rey Cometa, Stuka Jr. vs Hechicero, Shocker, Templario
6) Ángel de Oro, Atlantis, Rush vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Rey Bucanero
A less exciting card, though Audaz gets his first aired singles match. Bucanero/Atlantis continues to a singles match. Rush is a tecnico this night.
IWRG (SUN) 06/10/2018Arena Naucalpan
1) Arquero vs Power Bull
2) Mexica & Shadow Boy vs Demonio Infernal & Psycho Kid
3) Hijo del Olímpico, Relámpago, The Tiger vs Apolo Estrada Jr., Dragón Bane, Lunatic Xtreme
4) Leo, Mike, Rafy vs Dr. Karonte, Lunatic Xtreme, Tortuga Teelo
5) Danny Casas, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Relámpago, Veneno vs Eterno, Ovett, Pit Bull, X-Fly
6) Emperador Azteca & Imposible vs Cerebro Negro & Dr. Cerebro and Trauma I & Trauma II
The Cerebros riped up Azteca/Imposible’s mask last week, and this figured to be even more of a brawl with the Traumas involved. Not sure if that’s Rush’s uncle Pit Bull or a different one.
