Templario aims for Rey del Inframundo, FantasticaMania roster, Heroes Inmortales, Dia de Muertos

CMLL (FRI) 10/26/2018 Arena México [CMLL, Lucha Central, Marca]
1) Misterioso Jr. & Sagrado b Príncipe Diamante & Star Jr. 
Rudos took 2/3.
2) Dragón Rojo Jr., Okumura, Pólvora b Drone, Fuego, Pegasso 
Rudos won in straight falls.
3) Templario b Guerrero Maya Jr., Esfinge, Audaz, Black Panther, Tritón, Flyer, Cuatrero, Forastero, Virus, Kawato San, Tiger [Rey del Inframundo, #1 Contenders] 
Rudos vs tecnicos. Elimination order: Kawato San (by Triton), Black Panther (Virus), Tiger (Audaz), Triton (Forastero), Audaz (Cuatrero), Virus (Flyer), Guerrero Maya (Templario), Forastero (Esfinge), Flyer (Cuatrero), Cuatrero (Esfinge), Esfinge (Templario), leaving Templario as the challenger to Sanson next week.
4) Ángel de Oro, Mistico, Niebla Roja DQ Cavernario, Dark Magic, Negro Casas 
Cavernario unmasked Mistico. Straight falls.
5) Carístico, Diamante Azul, Valiente DQ La Bestia Del Ring, Rush, Terrible [Relevos Increíbles] 
Rush fouled Caristico.

CMLL promos: Caristico, Los Ingobernables, Barbaro Cavernario, Mistico, Angel de Oro, and Niebla Roja, and Templario. Both Ingobenerables and Cavernario are fine with their disqualifications. Caristico & Mistico want singles matches.

Press room interviews: Templario (The Gladiatores)

I watched part of this show while at another wrestling show – a sad commentary on myself – but not enough to really get a sense. The cibernetico sounds like it was the best match and maybe the only really good match. It might a better match after the fact without the creeping dread of Esfinge winning a cibernetico and getting a big match next week. I’m really surprised CMLL did teases to singles matches in the final two. My sense is there were more blown spots than usual in the early matches, with the opener being especially poor.

Templario isahead of Audaz in the battle of the 2018 rookies. It’s not without reason – good basing rudos are in shorter supply in CMLL than good flyers – but it still was a bit surprising to see it happen.

CMLL & NJPW released the list of luchadors for the 2019 FantasticaMania tour (01/11 to 01/21)

• Atlantis
• Místico
• Caristico
• Volador Jr.
• Dragón Lee
• Titán
• Ángel de Oro
• Soberano Jr.
• Flyer (NJPW debut)
• El Audaz (NJPW debut)
• Atlantis Jr. (first match!)
• Último Guerrero
• El Terrible
• Gran Guerrero
• Bárbaro Cavernario
• Sansón
• El Cuatrero
• Forastero (NJPW debut)
• Okumura
• Templario (NJPW debut)

NJPW’s preview confirms Atlantis Jr. will be making his official debut on this show. (At least under that name; he’s snuck in a few shows as Tiburon.) He won’t be wrestling in Mexico prior It seems like they’ve got big expectations for him if they’re giving him this tour as his debut.

Caristico is making his first FantasticaMania appearance since the very first tour. He’s been the top guy left behind to main event Arena Mexico in recent years. Rush will be doing that instead – maybe that also means Rush/Park is going again around that time. In theory, Dragon Lee is off the island in January – I think they’ll give until at least December to find out.

There’s nine different championships which could be defended. Angel de Oro vs Cuatrero seems a lock, since there’s always a rematch from a big CMLL show. (Can’t do the Aniversario show this year.) Cavernario & Titan will be challenging for titles as always. Audaz, Flyer, and Templario are the low men on the totem pole and are least likely to get any big matches.

Estrellas de Lucha Libre points out Rey Bucanero is being advertised for the 01/19/2019 Mr. Cacao/Fukuemanmania show.  Unlike Euforia & Puma King the last two years, he won’t also be on FantasticaMania but he may physically be hanging out at the shows given the overlap timing.

Meanwhile, Volador & Soberano lost their tournament matches to the Suzuki Gun team and to RPG2K, and seem destined to finish last in their tournament. When I joked about a CMLL team finally winning a match in this competition, I didn’t realize it would be the only one.

AAA has a busy weekend. Tonight, the crew is in Tijuana for an EMW show. It’s a TV show style lineup without the TV cameras, and with a few more locals. I have no great interest in the main event hardcore match, but Daga/Puma vs DJZ/Everett, Arkangel/Vikingo/Laredo vs Pain/Taurus/Maldito, the three was tag match and the women’s match would all be matches I’d go out of my way to see if I could actually do that.

Sunday has Heroes Inmortales. It also has a daylight savings time ending, which makes this a 6:30 pm CT start in Mexico and a 7:30 pm CT start. I wrote a long preview for Voices of Wrestling, mostly struggling with the belief that Jeff Jarrett is actually going to lose his hair this time. Something always happens, and there’s nothing happening with this feud – this is the least over Jarrett’s been since he’s come to Mexico. There’s the theoretical build of having Wagner beat Jarrett to set him up for LA Park, but it doesn’t feel like a big win going into it, and it’s unclear what the deal is with LA Park & AAA at this moment (or will be in the next moment.) It’s unlikely 2018 Dr. Wagner Jr. & 2018 Jeff Jarrett can have an ok match on their own, and so this is going to be a cast of thousands running in. This match will be something but maybe not a good something.

The tag title match should be good. The women’s four way should be good, even if they put Scarlett into it. The three-way trios and the Copa should have enough people to keep the action going. But it could be better and could be making the TV more meaningful. It’s instead a card believing seeing Jeff Jarrett & Dr. Wagner in a hair match is all you need to know, and that’s not worked for me.

LuchaWorld has the latest edition of the podcast.

A profile of Zacetecas‘ Artikus.

Hijo del Santo writes about last week’s trip to New York, and a previous trip that didn’t go as well. You’ll be surprised to find out that he was the hero of the story.

Lineup

CMLL (FRI) 11/02/2018 Arena México
1) Oro Jr. & Súper Astro Jr. vs El Coyote & Grako
2) Átomo, Gallito, Microman vs Chamuel, Mije, Perico Zakarías
3) Ángel de Oro, Audaz, Stuka Jr. vs Hechicero, Rey Bucanero, Terrible
4) Atlantis, Hijo de LA Park, Mistico vs Cavernario, Ephesto, Mephisto
5) Sansón © vs Templario [Rey del Inframundo]
6) Diamante Azul, LA Park, Michael Elgin vs King Phoenix, Penta 0M, Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]

Elgin being back is a genuine surprise. He’s only worked the Gran Prix related shows prior. I assume he’s not in just for one show: maybe they’re doing the Elgin/Guerrero rematch quickly? Maybe Elgin is hanging around to enter the bodybuilding contest.

Semimain is a good matchup that’s also one we wouldn’t normally get. Historically, these sort of annual tournaments (like the Leyenda de Plata) see the champion lose every year.

The micros are usually in costume for these shows, so they have to pull some double duty.

Coyote & Grako have been good in limited appearances, and this might be a really good opener for once.