Dragon Lee (oddly) in CMLL today, RIOT, Douki BOSJ

RIOT (SAT) 05/04/2019 Arena Femenil, Monterrey, Nuevo León [LuchaMania Monterrey]
1) Sayrus b Erick Ortiz
2) Silencio b Muerte ExtremaHijo Del Espectro Jr.
Scheduled as Muerte Extrema vs Golden Boy vs Hijo del Espectro. Golden Boy was hurt before the match (Silencio his replacement) and Espectro was hurt during it.
3) Low Rider b Madness
4) Kaientai & Lord Byron b Fresero Jr. & Mr. Iguana
Un-Mexicans remain undefeated in RIOT, this time with the help of a Mini B(ryon). Fresero Jr. threw Mini B off the dressing room loft onto the Un-Mexicans post match.
5) Black Terry b Símbolo
Terry blocked a casita into a pin.
6) Iron Kid (Estado de México) b ArezKratozLátigoAramis (Estado de México)
Match of the night, including an Arez Spanish fly on Aramis off the loft. Iron Kid beat Kratoz with a Destroyer.

RIOT is ahead of Lucha Time and Kaoz in getting their results out there. Part of the reason you want make sure results get out of your show is so people know the exciting things they missed that they should come to see next time. The exciting thing we missed from this show seems like the main event. There’s a clip of that big spot that got a lot of attention. Maybe it’ll make it up as a full show to Pivotshare sometime in 2021.

Dragon Lee’s first match in the Best of Super Juniors as IWGP Junior Champion takes place around 6:30 AM on Monday. Dragon Lee apparently will be wrestling in Mexico City around 10:30 PM tonight. He’s got about 56 hours to fly to Tokyo, except he has less than that with the press conference on Sunday. I completely believed Dragon Lee being listed on tonight’s show would be one of CMLL’s usual routine match changes when it was announced last Friday. CMLL has made no change. Dragon Lee previously said he’d be in Japan for two months, so it is strange to see him back in Mexico. It is hard to make two cross-Pacific trips for a few days at home. I’m kind of both hoping Dragon Lee had a bigger reason to do this than a one-off Arena Mexico match and also hoping he did not really have a reason. Most of the reasons I can come up with aren’t happy reasons, so maybe this is better just figuring it as a 23-year-old kid thinking he can do everything. Dragon Lee tonight teams with Mistico & Volador Jr. against Cavernario, Negro Casas and Mr. Niebla. With anyone but Mr. Niebla, that’s probably a high flying action match. Mr. Niebla may keep it a bit more grounded and sillier.

Mascara 2000’s apparent feud with Ultimo Guerrero continues in the semi-final. The oldest Dinamita still wrestling teams with nephews Cuatrero and Sanson, while UG is with Gran Guerrero and Euforia as usual. They seemed to be setting up a singles match for 05/17 last week. Kaho Kobayashi & Amapola is the other rivalry seemingly setting up a hair match. They finally get to have their own singles match tonight as a lightning match.

Everything else is the “maybe OK” range. Atlantis & son team with Soberano against the Villanos and Rey Bucanero. Drone, Fuego & Guerrero Maya face Polvora, Vangellys, and Kawato, probably one year away from his own BOSJ matches. Magia Blanca makes his return to Friday shows by teaming with Stigma & Espanto Jr. & Hijo del Signo, maybe not the best guys to show what he’s got.

CMLL streams on Marca (currently Mexico only) and Facebook tonight at 8:30 pm. I will be streaming the show on YouTube tonight unless I’m secretly booked for a Guerrila Warfare match in PWG tonight. (If I am, the stream will be a couple of minutes late.)

Lucha Central has a preview of the show.

Amapola says she was surprised Kaho Kobayashi beat her. Amapola does like having rivals and is ready to fight her in hair match, be in Mexico or Japan.

Back at Fantasica Mania, Dragon Lee & Mistico celebrated their win on the final day by declaring their dreams for 2019. Dragon Lee said his goal was to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Mistico said his goal was to beat Mephisto in a mask match. Dragon Lee’s accomplished his goal. Mistico was still talking about his own in an interview with Marca, saying he wants Mephisto and him to headline Aniversario. CMLL hasn’t moved much in that direction.

Today is Mother’s Day in Mexico. Record has an article on Marisela Pena as a mother running AAA. Marcela & Skadi did a CMLL Facebook live interview last night. Arena Mexico will be open early at 7 pm tonight for mothers to take free photos with various luchadors.

Douki is now in the Best of Super Juniors, as a replacement for El Desperado. Desperado suffered a jaw injury. Flip Gordon is all out due to a visa issue, so the B Block is changed a bit. Douki has been in Japan – which is actually his home country, I forget that at times – working for Michinoku Pro and for a Taichi/TAKA promoted show. He’s coming into NJPW as an associate member of Minoru Suzuki’s group. A last minute replacement probably isn’t going to get many wins, but it does mean Bandido gets to face a fellow indie Mexican luchador on the 19th. They’ve never actually been in the same match in Mexico.

A thing I did not know: Douki was going to be in Dragon Gate’s Millenials at one point, decided to hang around Mexico instead.

The reverse-Douki known as Violento Jack is scheduled for some GCW shows this August in Japan. I don’t write much about Violento Jack in Japan because anything that isn’t New Japan is more work to find out about than I’m willing to make, but Jack still seems to be doing well in FREEDOMS and just generally in Japan.

The Lucha Libre London shows are tomorrow, and the Santo/Casandro led group is doing the usual heavy promotion. There’s an interview with Independent. There’s a video segment with Santo, Casandro, and Fantasma.

Puma King talks about being in 9 matches in 5 days.

IWRG trying to get a hold of Vampiro reminds me of his 2014 run, where he last five matches, won the heavyweight title and then immediately retired. I think there was an interview with +LuchaTV where Vampiro said he was a bad wrestler but the people liked him.

R de Rudo points out a story behind a famous Lourdes Gorbet photo. Masked luchadora La Briosa is helping a baby drink from a bottle. A few months ago on Instagram, occasional AAA luchador Halcon 78 Jr. revealed he was actually the baby in the photo.

AAA posted a video of the top five championship matches this year. More of these.

LuchaWorld has a new edition of that podcast.

Lineup

CMLL (TUE) 05/14/2019 Arena México
1) Arkalis & Halcón Suriano Jr. vs El Coyote & Grako
2) Eléctrico, Retro, Súper Astro Jr. vs Metálico, Nitro, Sangre Azteca
3) Fuego, Pegasso, Stigma vs Kawato San, Misterioso Jr., Sagrado
4) Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Templario [lightning]
5) El Audaz, Flyer, Kráneo vs Mr. Niebla, Rey Bucanero, Shocker
6) Ángel de Oro, Atlantis, Niebla Roja vs La Bestia Del Ring, Rush, Terrible

Maya/Templario should be good. It is going to be interesting to see what happens with Electrico for the immediate future. CMLL seemed lost as to what to do with Tiger after Puma left, and I wouldn’t complain about getting a few Electrico lightning matches.

lucha TV preview for weekend of May 10th, 2019

full size

Space’s site is down, so I don’t know what is actually going to air on AAA on YouTube this week. The YouTube still (of course) is of the women’s match so that’s one.

Do you want to watch another incredible pairs tournament? Something is wrong with you. But also watch Puebla.

Guerrero Maya vs Templario is a new match-up on Tuesday. Must be an accident.