It’s a new season, and so a double length episode. Or I put together decent notes and we remembered all we wanted to talk about for once. Three hours of lucha libre and lucha libre adjacent talk. Rob and I talk about going to PWG 200 & The Crash and watching Homenaje a Dos Leyendas & Rey de Reyes. I also try to go thru every lucha libre match on WrestleMania weekend, which means saying Fenix & Pentagon’s names so many times.
CMLL (MON) 03/18/2019Arena Puebla [CMLL, Lucha Central] Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2019, Salvador Lutteroth & Estrella Blanca
1) Fuerza Chicana, Policeman, Sombra Diabólika b Astro, Rey Samuray, Sonic Rudos took 1/3.
2) Cancerbero, Perverso, Raziel b King Jaguar, Star Black, Tigre Rojo Jr. Rudos took 2/3.
3) Felino, Templario, Tiger b Audaz, Drone, Stigma Rudos took 2/3. Estrella Blanca was honored after this match as part of the Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show.
4) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Valiente DRAW Cavernario, La Bestia Del Ring, Terrible Terrible wrestled despite the shoulder injury. Rudos took falls 1, tecnicos took falls 2, Niebla Roja & Bestia went to a double pin in the third.
5) Hijo de LA Park, LA Park, Volador Jr. DQ Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero Familia Real took 2/3. LA Park tossed his mask to Ultimo Guerrero to draw the DQ.
LA Park worked very hard in the main event and mostly worked with Ultimo Guerrero. They set up a trios rematch, but the direction seemed to be for a Park/UG singles match on 04/01. That’d be a busy week for LA Park.
Dragon Lee has been CMLL Lightweight Champion for three straight years. He’s almost at four years if you combine his first reign (only broken up by about a six-week Kamitachi break.) His title is not on the line tonight but it should be the end of his title reign. CMLL’s otherwise designated the lightweight as midcard wrestlers, ones who Dragon Lee is never going to lose to as long as he stays in CMLL. He’s just on a much higher level. Dragon Lee could face all the same people as the Welterweight champion, and it would put another title back in play for younger and lesser pushed luchadors to get something to do.
Mephisto has held the CMLL Welterweight championship for nearly three years himself. He won it from Mascara Dorada, in a title change that appears to have been prompted by Dorada taking a WWE in retrospect. Mephisto has some good defenses and some very formula ones. He also hasn’t defended it since last August and could be just as useful as a challenger at this point. I have no feel if a title change is going to happen, but it seems like one should. It also seems like I’ve probably given this way too much thought and more than CMLL did but I’d like to get some Virus title matches again.
The rest of the Tuesday show is very much a Tuesday show, maybe a little worse than usual. The semi-main is fine, Negro Casas teaming with two guys on opposite ends of a mobility scale, Templario & Rey Bucanero, facing Atlantis, Mistico and Valiente. I just have no idea what is happening in the fourth match, where Hechicero teams with Kawato and La Bestia del Ring against Kraneo, Volcano and Blue Panther. Maybe Panther & Hechicero can just never tag out. Panther’s sons unite with Guerrero Maya against Tuesday mainstays Misterioso, Sagrado, and Tiger. Magnus, Robin and Star Black are a potentially fun team against the no-fun team of Hijo del Signo, Nitro and Disturbio. This show opens with a minis match, which seems to be the case for most minis matches. Angelito & Fantasy takes on Mercurio & Pequeno Olimpico.
The show starts at 7:30 pm local, which remains one hour later than usual if you’re on daylight savings time.
Guadalajara has their Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show tonight. Americo Rocca will be honored. Caristico & Cavernario face off in the main event, They’ve met three times in singles matches ( a lightning match and a tournament match in there) and Caristico has won every time. NGD defends the trios titles against OneAtosStyle (Esfinge, Titan and Triton), where a title defense is unlikely.
Pro Wrestling Revolution has Caristico, Titan, Cavernario and Bestia 666 on June 22nd in San Francisco and LA Park, Drago and Hijo de LA Park in King City on 07/27.
CMLL (SUN) 03/24/2019Arena México
1) Retro & Sangre Imperial vs Espanto Jr. & Inquisidor
2) Fantasy, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito vs Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Olímpico, Pierrothito
3) Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Star Jr. vs Sangre Azteca, Universo 2000 Jr., Virus
4) Tritón vs Soberano Jr. [lightning]
5) Dragón Lee, Místico, Stuka Jr. vs Dark Magic, Ephesto, Luciferno
6) Carístico, Diamante Azul, Valiente vs La Bestia Del Ring, Negro Casas, Terrible
Bestia & Terrible had a bad match but they did it in the main event of a big show so they’re an important main event act for the moment.
