Month: July 2018

CMLL (FRI) 07/27/2018 Arena México [CMLL, Lucha Central, Marca, Ovaciones, thecubsfan]
1) Pequeño Nitro & Pierrothito b Kaligua & Último Dragóncito 
Ultimo Dragoncito replaced Stukita (US bookings.) Kaligua debut. 13:29. Rudos took 1/3.
2) Okumura, Templario, Tiger b Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Guerrero Maya Jr. 
14:22. Rudos took 1/3. Panther Jr. was hurt after slipping on a ramp dive.
3) Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón b Soberano Jr., Titán, Valiente 
16:28. NGD took 1/3.
4) Carístico b Cavernario [lightning] 
8:45. La Mistica.
5) Atlantis, Diamante Azul, Volador Jr. b La Bestia Del Ring, Rush, Terrible [Relevos Increíbles] 
10:03. Tecnicos took 2/3.
6) Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero b Ciber the Main Man, Scharly Rockstar, The Chris 
Straight falls. Klan Kaoz was DQed in the first fall, then UG used the ropes to beat Ciber in the second fall. The Chris was hurt going over the rail on a dive.

CMLL promos: Kaligula (Ultimo Guerrero, Arturo Beristain trainee), Caristico (won because he’s more experienced and used his head more than Cavernario), Diamante Azul (briefly forgets what Los Ingobernables are called, they didn’t have him redo it), Los Guerreros (stopped the Kaoz), Klan Kaoz (says they won’t rest yet)

Post-show interviews: Kaligua (Box Y Lucha,, NGD (Box Y Lucha, +LuchaTV), Barbaro Cavernario (Box Y Lucha, +LuchaTV), Caristico (Box Y Lucha, +LuchaTV), Los Ingobernables (Box Y Lucha, +LuchaTV), Klan Kaoz (Box Y Lucha, +LuchaTV), Los Guerrero (Box Y Lucha, +LuchaTV)

There’s also a medical update on Blue Panther Jr. (“only knocked out temporarily”). The Chris/Zorro was back on Twitter after the show, so I guess he’s OK after being hurt at the end of the show.

On paper, it reads like they’re still moving on with the Klan Kaoz/Guerreros Laguneros feud. On screen, it felt like that was the end of it, that they gave Klan Kaoz a screwy loss so they save face on their way out more than continue this feud. We’ll see on 08/10. The good stuff was less good than usual.

Maybe the biggest thing from the show was the announcement that 85th Anniversario will go on sale a week from today, August 4th. Prices are not yet available. Matches are not yet available. We’ll definitely get the first thing this week but I’m unsure about the second. They’ve built enough hype to get people to buy tickets without knowing for sure what they’re going to get, but it’d be nice if people knew. Ideally CMLL runs a press conference this week to announce a main event, but they might just as much wait until Friday to run an angle. Tickets are not going to sell out on the first day, and a lot of the close tickets are going to be kept internally and sold thru other means. You’re going to be able to get in if you wait, though you might not get super close if you do.

The Televisa network which airs AAA in Mexico (and used to air CMLL) was known as Galavision or GalaTV. It’s now rebranded to El Nueve. It’s still the same programming. AAA’s already aired by the time you read this.

Saturday shows of note

• Pro Wrestling Revolution is back on Twitch with Rey Bucanero & Damian 666 vs Skayde & LA Park on top.
• Kamicazes del Ring runs the Crash’s building in Ecatepec, with Flyer vs Mr. Leo vs Emperador Azteca as the main event, and Bandido & Flamita facing Latigo & Toxin.
• RIOT returns with a Sammy Guevera birthday party. That’ll probably end badly for Sammy, and great for the rest of us. The main event is Erick Ortiz vs Ricky Starks (replacing Ultimo Ninja.) These all continue to be listed as for Powerbomb.TV, though only one has ever gone up.
• Arena Coliseo has Diamante Azul vs Shocker in a revenge match for Shocker’s jaw.

Sunday shows of note

• AAA airs on Twitch, starting around 6:30pm. The main event is scheduled to be Killer Kross, Texano Jr., and Rey Escorpion against Pagano, Psycho Clown and Dr. Wagner, but will likely be something else.  The OGTs are now feuding with MAD, so they logically face Juventud Guerrera and two people who are not in MAD in Hijo del Fantasma & Taurus. The really good opener has Astrolux, Lady Marvilla, and Vanilla against Keyra, Starfire, and Latigo, but the show stealer will probably be Flamita & Bandido (re)starting in AAA with Aramis against Poder del Norte. I have no idea when anything is airing on TV right now, so you might have to find a bootleg if you can’t watch it live.
• LA Park vs Dr. Wagner and Rey Wagner vs Penta headline the MDA show in Monterrey. Wagner has been cutting promos for this match for a while, so I expect him to be here. The question is more if the fans will be; Revolucha just ran their own loaded show in the market last week, and there’s heavy soccer competition.
• Tortas Super Astro runs in Arena Azteca Budokan. There appear to be different levels of funding for different Super Astro shows, as this one is headlined by Lizmark, Scorpio and Zumbido vs Oriental, Hijo del Angel, and Dos Caras Jr.
• CMLL has an ordinary Sunday show.

Arena Coliseo Guadalajara on 08/11 will have another Saturday show, with LA Park, Hijo de LA Park, and Volador vs Rush, Mistico, La Bestia del Ring.

El Hacker’s column at R de Rudo says wrestling licenses outside of Mexico City (Mexico State & Hidalgo) are going for around 800-1000 pesos.  You just a doctor’s signature and a commissioner to sign off, not the in-ring exam done in Mexico City.

Lineup

IWRG (SUN) 07/29/2018 Arena Naucalpan
1) Chicanito vs Black Puma
2) Alas de Acero & Shadow Boy vs Death Metal & Dowki
3) Lunatic Extreme vs Hijo del Mosco X-Fly
4) Freelance, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Relámpago vs Demonio Infernal, Diablo Jr., Gallo Frances
5) Cerebro Negro & Hijo del Alebrije vs Trauma I & X-Fly
6) Dr. Cerebro vs Trauma II
7) El Hijo del Medico Asesino, Eterno, Hijo de Pirata Morgan vs Capo del Norte, Capo del Sur, Máscara Año 2000 Jr.

The Capos are back, for all the people who’ve been asking. IWRG has been built around X-Fly and Ovett’s families feuding so, when the kids finally have their match, it’s third on the card because they’re still kids and apparently can’t be put in a high position. Semimain is setting up a title match.

CMLL (TUE) 07/31/2018 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Black Sugar, Mágico, Star Black vs Bobby Black, Guerrero de la Muerte, Thunder Boy
2) Acero, Aéreo, Stukita vs Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Olímpico, Pierrothito
3) Astral, Eléctrico, Pegasso vs Kawato San, Okumura, Virus
4) Esfinge, Soberano Jr., Titán vs Cavernario, Mephisto, Rey Bucanero
5) Ángel de Oro, Atlantis, Niebla Roja vs Ephesto, Shocker, Terrible

Not sure if I missed this or it was just quietly posted before. Titan and Mephisto are headed towards a match.

CMLL (FRI) 08/03/2018 Arena México
1) El Audaz & Fuego vs Templario & Virus
2) Ángel de Oro, Blue Panther Jr., Niebla Roja vs Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
3) Carístico, Hijo de LA Park, Mistico vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
4) Atlantis, Blue Panther Jr., Negro Casas vs Fuerza Guerrera, Octagón, Solar I
5) Matt Taven © vs Volador Jr. [NWA WELTER]
first defense
6) King Phoenix, LA Park, Penta El Zero M vs Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe, Rush

We knew the top three matches already. CMLL is loading up the undercard too: NGD vs the Misticos & the manadtory Hijo de LA Park booking would be about a main event on a Tuesday. Audaz gets to face his two rivals in the opener. This could be the best show of the year in CMLL.

AAA TV (SAT) 08/18/2018 Centro de Espectaculos el Carma, Valle de Chalco, Estado de México
1) Angelikal vs Black Danger, Último Maldito, Arkángel Divino
2) Hijo Del Vikingo & Lady Shani vs Arez & Faby Apache
3) Argenis, Golden Magic, Puma King vs Jack Evans, Parka Negra, Taurus
4) Mamba, Máximo, Pimpinela Escarlata vs Hijo de LA Park, Rey Escorpión, Texano Jr.
5) Aerostar, Drago, Pagano vs Averno, Chessman, Súper Fly
6) Hijo del Fantasma & Psycho Clown vs Dr. Wagner Jr. & LA Park

The final TV before TripleMania. Not released by AAA yet, but being promoted on Facebook already. Dr. Wagner is still booked, in a sort of preview for TripleMania (or another gang beating for Fantasma.) There’s no obvious sign of any other TripleMania match in progress. The only story point is Maximo teaming with Mamba & Pimpinela Escarlata. At this point, it seems fair to expect the rest of TripleMania just to be a series of CMLL style random matches to fill out the card. They may be pretty good and fans will give them more a chance because it’s a big show, but it’s going to just be a lot of getting people on the card.

Speaking of people who are not getting on the card: Fenix! Fenix was canceled from a Pro Wrestling Revolution show this same day by AAA, seemingly to work this card, except he’s not in a match. Maybe he replaced Wagner, maybe he’s just doing a run in, maybe PWR will announce tonight that AAA wanted to make it good for them and told Fenix to work that show. (The most unlikely outcome of all!) As it stands right now, Fenix will not appear on any AAA TV show leading up to TripleMania – which would’ve been doubly weird if he had won the AAA title at Verano de Escandalo, as seemingly planned. When the talk of Penta & Fenix coming to AAA started a few months ago, it was always talked about being limited dates and not full time, but I don’t think I grasped how limited it was going to be.

Faby Apache & Lady Shani are consistently been booked in the second match. Will their mask versus hair match be the second match at TripleMania too?

That opener is a four-way match and will be insane.

AAA TV (SUN) 09/02/2018 Arena Jose Sulaiman, Monterrey, Nuevo León
1) Arkángel Divino, Draztick Boy, Hijo Del Vikingo vs Arez, Belial, Último Maldito
2) Faby Apache vs Lady Shani
3) Hijo de LA Park, Joe Lider, Laredo Kid vs Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana
4) Rey Escorpión & Texano Jr. © vs Mamba & Máximo and Aerostar & Drago and Jack Evans & Teddy Hart [AAA TAG]
5) Dr. Wagner Jr., La Parka, Murder Clown vs Brian Cage, Jeff Jarrett, Killer Kross
6) Psycho Clown vs LA Park vs Hijo del Fantasma

Maybe the first post TripleMania TV taping, doing some rematches eight days after the show. EMW announced their next show in Tijuana for the end of August and people weren’t sure if it was meant to be TV or not.)

That semimain seems like a particularly bad mix of people. The opener should be good.

AAA (FRI) 11/16/2018 Movistar Arena, Bogota, Colombia
1) Arcángel Divino & Black Boy vs Black Danger & Último Maldito
2) Faby Apache vs Lady Shani
3) Aerostar & Drago vs Laredo Kid & Máximo
4) Psycho Clown vs Hijo del Fantasma

AAA’s not sending a lot of people to Colombia, but the card they’re sending is pretty good.

Tonight’s CMLL show does not have the trios titles on the line, and that fact is probably more interesting than the match itself. Klan Kaoz has defeated Los Guerreros the last two times they’ve met. Ciber was pretty clear about wanting a championship match for the CMLL rudos trios championship. It remains a non-title match.

It’s not unusual for CMLL title match builds to go a week longer than the people involved with them seem to think. There’s plenty of times where one person challenges for a title “next week” and it turns out to be two weeks later because that’s just the pace CMLL scheduled. This is a slightly different case: Klan Kaoz is probably not on the 08/03 show, because it’s already one of the most loaded non-big 2 cards of the year. Kaoz would be working fourth from the top at best, underneath LA Park/Rush trios, Taven/Volador and Negro Casas’s anniversary match. There’s no point in bringing these guys in that low, so they’re getting at least a week off. Maybe more.

Pick your favorite theory:

1. CMLL is disappointed about how Klan Kaos haven’t gotten over, didn’t think they were wrestling well enough to have ‘earned’ a title match, and they’re ending the feud tonight without one.
2. CMLL is pleased about how well Klan Kaoz has drawn. They’re not at LA Park levels, but shows focusing on this batch of ex-AAA have been part of CMLL drawing 8,500 or more for nine straight weeks and CMLL wants to stretch it out. Klan Kaoz won’t be on 08/03, but this theory supposed they’re saving the title match for 08/10 when the ROH guys and legends won’t be around.
3. Klan Kaoz is going to be around for a lot longer because some or all of the people in this feud are going to be part of a cage match on 09/16. The idea of a cage match hasn’t made any sense so far, because the only people who would be involved would be much more valuable in a singles match situation. LA Park & Rush in a multiman match would be a waste, Fuerza Guerrera versus Atlantis as the end of a cage match would be a waste, and so on. On the other hand, it would tough to sell a singles Ultimo Guerrero vs Ciber the Main Man (or The Chris or Scharly Rock Star) stand-alone apuesta match, and more appealing to throw in about eight other people around them to confuse the issue.

I’m still betting against a cage match. At the same time, it’s probably not an accident Cibernetico has pinned Ultimo Guerrero in both of the lead-up matches so far.

Don’t trust my thought process alone. I said this week I needed to do a list of every feud Cavernario has lost, forgetting I had just done that two months ago, so my mind isn’t what it needs to be. Having already done that already, I wanted to put Cavernario’s run of feud losses – likely to continue to tonight against Caristico – in some bigger context. That took creating a list of every feud that’s taken place in CMLL this year, including figuring out who won and lost the most.

Barbaro Cavernario has lost 7 feuds in 2018 going into tonight’s show. (That chart shows 8; neither he or Caristico gets credit for a Win until this show is over.) No one in CMLL has lost as many as Cavernario in 2018. Ultimo Guerrero has lost 6 (+this current Klan Kaos feud), but Ultimo Guerrero has also won 6. Cavernario has won 0. Diamante Azul is 1-6, only beating Terrible in Guadalajara in January. Mistico is 1-4, only getting the April CMLL Trios title defense in Puebla to his win count. This is no great insight, but the people who win feuds in CMLL are people who have title belts, and people who are tecnicos. Volador has won 10 feuds because he is both. Cuatrero has won 7, because he is a champion and he’s owned Angel de Oro thru the year.

That Diamante Azul is back on Fridays for the first time in his latest return from France. He teams with Atlantis & Volador against Los Ingobernables. CMLL announced LA Park as appearing on the Anniversario show last Friday, so maybe they’ll announce Rush this night. NGD take on Soberano, Titan, and Valiente, which should be pretty good. The Panther Kids take on Okumura, Tiger, and Templario, who really seems to have been given Puma’s spot at the moment.

The show opens with Pequeno Nitro & Pierrothito (first streaming match since May) against Stukita and the debuting Kailgua. Kaligua appears to be a new luchador. He was out doing press yesterday. He’s got a Facebook page It’s mostly private, though it looks like it was told he would be debuting back in June. A Kaligua has been wrestling around Mexico State and Mexico City since 2014 and I’m assuming that’s the same one. He hasn’t ever turned up on video. Long time CMLL fans will remember the promotion used to have a “Caligula”, who became Raziel, who became a person who doesn’t seem to exist at the moment.

CMLL streams at 8:30pm on Marca (geoblocked currently) and Facebook, though I bet you knew that if you made it this far. Maybe I should put that up higher in this post. It’ll be up on YouTube after the show. Lucha Central has a preview of the show.

Terrible doesn’t want to give Ciber the Main Man a title shot because he doesn’t think Terrible is in good enough shape or good enough at wrestling for it, and the fans will all boo him Ciber for not being good enough.

CMLL held a press event for Negro Casas’ 40th Anniversary at a nightclub yesterday. Reporte Indigo has quotes from Casas about his career, his injuries, and rejecting a chance to work in the US because his fans were in Mexico. With everyone trying to bring LA Park to English speaking US indies because of his popularity, I hope Casas somehow gets that same bit.  A special Negro Casas meet & greet package (a shirt, poster, photo with Casas) will cost 899 MXP ($48.50 USD.) The Atlantis one seemed like it did well, and maybe CMLL will start celebrating more anniversaries if they’re making money off of them.

A lot of the AAA roster, plus Fenix & LA Park, are in Tijuana tonight for an EMW show. It’s not a Twitch streamed event. It is Tijuana, so I’d expect handhelds to show up on YouTube over the weekend. Main event is scheduled to be Psycho Clown vs Fantasma vs LA Park in a TripleMania preview. Fenix teams with Nicho & Pagano against Rey Escorpion, Texano, and Juventud Guerrera. Sammy Guervera is in Mexico, working a three-way match with Taurus and Hijo de LA Park. He’s working the Tijuana-Monterrey->Mexico City (Ecatepec) loop.

Dragon Lee & Penta are off in PCW Ultra tonight. Penta is in the main event trios against OVE, while Dragon Lee faces ACH. Lee and ACH have been in NJPW’s Best of Super Juniors tournament the last two years, but both times in opposite blocks so this is their first singles match. The show will air live on Fite for $15.

Add 10/03 San Luis Potosi to the AAA upcoming taping list. That’s probably a memo I need to give myself to update the list.

MDA is hyping Sunday’s Blue Demon vs LA Park match on Sunday as a first time ever meeting. (This may not be true.)

A local promoter says Alberto el Patron & Rey Mysterio Jr. will headline a The Crash show in Puebla on 09/21. Garza Jr., Bestia, and Daga are also mentioned. It’s notable that Rey Mysterio is being advertised that far in the future with his WWE status seemingly up in the air. I hope he’s not pulled off for the people involved, but they should have a plan for him not be there. Alberto versus a mystery rival (which may have intended to be Mysterio) was announced for TripleMania months ago, though hasn’t been brought up in recent months. It doesn’t seem as though Alberto will be appearing in AAA before the show, so his match would feel out of place to someone following AAA – though I’m not sure a good chunk of people who will be watching the show follow AAA anyway.

Mucha Lucha Atlantis is advertising LA Park and Rush for 10/07. The poster teases it as a singles match, which it could be, but family members of both being added shouldn’t be a surprise.

Televisa has a video interview with Mistico (which seemed to be blocked in the US, so I’m not even sure which Mistico.)

El Hijo del Santo got some attention after pointing out cars in front of his shop stripped of tires, and the government checking out the situation quickly (while insisting they weren’t doing it quickly just because was Hijo del Santo.) The article ends as it must, with Hijo del Santo complaining about the style of wrestling today.

Shocker says he still needs another operation his jaw.

An article about the AAA Colombia show mentions the golden era of lucha libre in that country is in the 70s & 80s. AAA’s gone to Colombia in past years, but this will be the first time since they’re on TV there via Space.

+LuchaTV streamed the Muchas Luchas (Guadalajara) 3rd-anniversary show last night. It’s still up. Card didn’t seem much see but it’s interesting to see them try a different approach to posting content. They also have a new edition of Aqui Esta La Lucha.

Mexa Wrestling is organizing a bus service to get to their 08/03 show from Naucalpan.

LuchaTalk is back with a new episode.

On yesterday’s CMLL Informa, another match was added to the 08/03 Arena Mexico show. The card is now

• Negro Casas, Blue Panther, Atlantis versus Octagon, Fuerza Guerrera, Solar
• Matt Taven defending the NWA Welterweight Championship against Volador
• LA Park, King Phoenix & Penta el 0M versus Rush, Mark Briscoe, Jay Briscoe

That’ll probably be the order it goes. This is ostensibly the Negro Casas Anniversary show, and he’ll be working third from the top.

LA Park & Penta will be teaming on the AAA taping on Thursday and the CMLL taping on Friday. That goes against CMLL’s idea that these guys wouldn’t be working with them while they were working with AAA. The situation appears fluid.

Dragon Lee & Mistico were also announced for the 09/14 CMLL Anniversario show, joining Caristico & LA Park. both are guys who’d be assumed to be on every Anniversario show barring injury, so this isn’t the biggest news. Penta & Fenix haven’t been announced for that show yet but I think it’s pretty safe bet they’re on it, and Mistico/Lee vs Penta/Fenix seems like a decent possibility of happening. The biggest reason a cage match might not be happening is Penta & Fenix have been telegraphing the idea of a 2v2 match on Anniversario since they came in. There doesn’t feel like enough viable people to put in a cage if you’re taking those guys out.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter says Zeuxis won’t be back in AAA after her match this past Saturday. It’s implied AAA wasn’t happy with her. They also mention Sam Adonis was supposed to debut on the ELITE side, but he was wrestling in the US last weekend.

In Acapulco, Joker saved his mask and took Mercurio’s hair. (Those are local guys, not CMLL guys with the same name.) Keyra wrestled on that show, so her knee must be doing better. Zorro & Cibernetico beat Rush & La Bestia del Ring in the main event by DQ.

Bandido was announced for the 09/01 All In show. For fun, read the replies for the people who think Bandido is actually Flip Gordon under a mask.

Faro Aragon in Mexico City will hold a young wrestler tournament on 08/03 08/04, with trainees from Ultimo Guerrero, Rey Bucanero, Caristico, and Valiente.

LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.

Lucha Memes + Lucha Libre Boom on 08/19 in Coliseo Coacalco

• Kamikazes del Aire (Alas de Acero, Iron Kid, Aramis) vs Saetas (El Pantera, Freelance, Mike Segura)

Generacion XXI in Celaya on 09/12 will have Rush & Mistico vs Los Traumas vs Fenix/Penta.

Solar and Tiger did the weekly interview on Marca, though whoever did the graphics for the segment thought it was Solar and Extreme Tiger. This is maybe why having a one-word name is a bad idea.

Shocker has launched his own video channel. I can’t promise to keep up with everyone’s vlogs.

(Nino de) Ebano was among those wrestling on the Zocalo show this past Saturday. He’s the former AAA Ludxor who had a bad falling out with the promotion over how he was treated when injured and hasn’t been seen much since.

Tinieblas Jr. teased the idea of a new Tinieblas debuting sometime in the future.

Chicago lucha promotion GALLI now has a Powerbomb.TV logo on their upcoming poster. No deal’s been announced as far as I can tell, but I know Powerbomb’s reached out to them in the past about getting their library on the service.

Lineups

CMLL (MON) 07/30/2018 Arena Puebla
1) Black Tiger, Lestat, Rey Samuray vs Ares, Fuerza Chicana, Guerrero Espacial
2) Astro, Asturiano, Shockercito vs Joker, Mercurio, Saurón
3) Esfinge, Guerrero Maya Jr., Tritón vs Olímpico, Templario, Universo 2000 Jr.
4) Niebla Roja, Soberano Jr., Stuka Jr. vs Hechicero, Mr. Niebla, Shocker
5) Carístico, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero vs Flyer, Mistico, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]

The minis/locals match a couple weeks ago was good. The main event will be better than last week. This doesn’t seem like an interesting show otherwise.

CMLL (TUE) 07/31/2018 Arena México
1) Retro & Sangre Imperial vs Apocalipsis & Inquisidor
2) Estrellita, Lluvia, Princesa Sugehit vs Amapola, Metálica, Tiffany
3) Drone, Star Jr., Stigma vs Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Universo 2000 Jr.
4) Disturbio vs Tiger [lightning]
5) Dragón Lee, Rey Cometa, Stuka Jr. vs Hechicero, Máscara Año 2000, Pólvora
6) Carístico, Diamante Azul, Kráneo vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero

The non-Friday streams are even more boring with CMLL trying on Fridays now. They’re overdue for a title program here and the trios champions are teaming in the main event.