Electrico & Volador keep their titles (but challengers look better), AAA schedule, whatever the 3rd headline was supposed to be

CMLL (MON) 08/05/2019 Arena Puebla [CMLL, Lucha Central]
1) Centella Roja, Espíritu Maligno, Fuerza Chicana b Astro, King Jaguar, Millenium 
rudos took 1/3
2) Fuego, Star Black, Stigma b Difunto, Misterioso, Okumura 
Star Black replaced Triton, Difunto replaced Tiger. Tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Eléctrico © b Virus [MEX LIGHT] 
fifth defense, first in 21 months. Electrico took 2/3 to retain in a very good match.
4) Ángel de Oro, El Audaz, Niebla Roja b Ephesto, Mephisto, Vangellys 
Tecnicos took 2/3.
5) Carístico, Diamante Azul, Valiente DQ La Bestia Del Ring, Rush, Terrible 
Ingobernables took 1/3. Rush unmasked Caristico in the second for the DQ. Rush faked a foul from Caristico in the third. Challenges for a match followed. Diamante Azul’s return from injury.
6) Volador Jr. © b Dragón Lee [NWA WELTER] 
third defense and first time match between the two. Volador took 2/3, won via flipping DDT.

Volador/Dragon Lee was the hardest Volador has worked in a while and it was still not close to Virus/Electrico. If you’ve got time for one match, that’s the match to see. Electrico’s not on the level of all the other three guys, but Virus put together a match showcasing the things Electrico can do well while making it very exciting in the third fall. Virus is easily the most underutilized luchador in CMLL after killing it in this match and Metalico one, and I hope there’s more coming for him.

Electrico called the win the most important of his career. I have no idea what CMLL will do with him or his title next and suspect the answer is “nothing again”, but at least he got one good moment for moving out of the minis division.

Dragon Lee was nearly literally running laps around Volador in their match, just moving so fast that Volador really struggled to keep up. Volador failed on a top rope move twice, something you hardly ever see from him. It was not a bad match, it had good moments, but it wasn’t the dream match people might have been expecting. Volador just can’t go at that level and got shown it last night. Volador won because CMLL has to have titles for everyone, but the better man definitely didn’t win.

They gave both title matches plenty of time and everyone worked hard in Puebla. It is possible.

It probably isn’t happening today. Arena Mexico has Atlantis, Caristico, and Soberano versus Gran Guerrero, Rey Bucanero and Terrible in a main event that doesn’t promise much. Audaz and Polvora find themselves in plenty of matches together and will be again with Kraneo, Stuka, Felino, and Vangellys. The Black Panther vs Hijo del Villano III match is the most interesting on the card. Blue Panther is in a tercera for some reason, teaming with Pegasso & Guerrero Maya against Olimpico, Tiger and Universo 2000 Jr. Not really sure why Olimpico is in that match either. The segunda has the all-star team of Star Black, Star Jr., and Super Astro Jr. against Cancerbero, Raziel and Difunto. Those rudos haved teamed a few times in Guadalajara. Arkalis & Robin face Coyote & Grako in the opener. The show streamed at 7:30 pm on YouTube but seems like one you can wait to watch if you’re going to watch.

Guadalajara has Dinastia Munoz (Dragon Lee, Mistico, and Rush) against Negro Casas, Ultimo Guerrero, and Cavernario. A Mistico/Cavernario match was teased last week.

+LuchaTV has a new edition of their podcast, talking about TripleMania a lot early. Feeding my easter egg hunt for info, Jose Manuel Guillen goes thru AAA schedule for the rest of the year around 1:03:00. This is what I got:

• 08/10 (SAT) Saltillo
• 08/16-17 Impact in Mexico City
• 09/08 (SUN) Puebla
• 10/05 (SAT) Culiacan
• 10/19 (SAT) Orizaba
• 10/26 (SAT) Toluca
• 11/09 (SAT) Torreon
• 11/17 (SUN) Ciudad Juarez
• 11/30 (SAT) Veracruz
• 12/14 (SAT) Ciudad Madero

Ciudad Madero will be the site of Guerra de Titanes (or at least that’s the plan.) Either Orizaba or Toluca will be Heroes Inmortales, Guillen wasn’t sure which one it’d be. The long break after Saltillo would sure explain why I haven’t been able to find another lineup in a while.

There was noticeably no mention of the AAA New York or Los Angeles shows. Perhaps JMG isn’t being flown to the US for those or he’s just sorted them into a different list because they’re US ones. There’s is just an increasingly. AAA has not mentioned their New York or Los Angeles shows on social media following TripleMania. They didn’t mention those shows during commentary on TripleMania. For most promotions, this would mean those shows are being changed or canceled. For AAA, there’s a decent chance they just haven’t gotten around to it. I was really expecting a hard push for those shows during TripleMania and after. Maybe my expectations are just incorrect. Tickets remain on sale at last check.

(The Colombia tour seems unmentioned as well and I’m not sure exactly where it would go. Maybe late November?)

El Planchitas column on TripleMania notes he got the pick of the main event incorrect. He also mentions Villano III Jr. picked up a concussion and was showing memory issues after the match. That doesn’t seem great. It could explain why the mixed tag finish was weird, Villano III Jr. just forgetting to kick out or something. Planchitas also says there was much-vocalized unhappiness between the women after the TLC match didn’t turn out the way they were expecting.

The Planchitas also includes the explanation of how Vampiro’s ended up wrestling. It turns out that when Vampiro said “I will die if I have another match“, he actually meant “the best thing for my mental health issues is to continue to get paid for wrestling while a lot of people cheer me.” You can see how those two things can be confused. The good thing is, if you believe Vampiro has the brian disorders he’s talked about, Vampiro also seems pretty set on taking no bumps or selling at all so that shouldn’t be a big issue. In a video today, Vampiro restates this idea of wrestling being good for his health in a Facebook video and talks about returning to AAA again in October. He also explains he pitched AAA and their wrestlers about coming to work his upcoming shows in Las Vegas, saying what good experience it would be for them.

There’s no attempt to explain how Vampiro didn’t end up announcing.

I missed (or misunderstood) AAA’s announcement of an online store coming soon.  That did get plugged again on social media. No idea when soon will be or if it’ll include international shipping.

Dragon Lee was announced as the 22nd participant in PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles. It’s his first appearance in that promotion. He’s got a strong record in California tournaments, though maybe some people would say too strong. There are two spots left. Penta is expected to be in because Fenix is, but he pretty much has to be #23 if he’s part of the tournament. The 24th name is usually saved for a big surprise.

Dragon Lee was also announced for Defy’s 08/23 show, facing Douglas James. That’s the off-day between Super J Cup stops.

I didn’t realize it, but when Flamita & Draztick Boy came back to Mexico from Dragon Gate, Jimmy ended up staying. He’s still on tour right now, eating a lot of pins but sounds like he’s enjoying it. Jimmy is scheduled for shows at the start of September so maybe he’ll be done in a few weeks, maybe after the August 24 Dangerous Gate show.

Hijo del Fantasma says he’s going off social media for a while. Alberto said Fantasma was going to WWE in a post-show promo, though Fantasma again did not say it himself. (I think it’s good enough to take “REPORT: ” off the headlines at this point though.) Nacion Lucha Libre also did some bit where the foreigners were being rough with the Mexicans, which may be a bit or may not be a bit, but probably doesn’t really matter either way.

Bandido is facing Marty Scurll on the 08/24 ROH show.

LuchaWorld has this week’s Poster-Mania.

14 people earned professional luchador licenses in San Luis Potosi, bringing the total licensed in the state as above 120.

Guatemala luchador Mascara Roja has passed away.

Lineups

CMLL (FRI) 08/09/2019 Arena México
1) Magnus & Oro Jr. vs Nitro & Sangre Azteca
2) Atlantis Jr., Dulce Gardenia, Titán vs Ephesto, Mephisto, Okumura
3) Dalys vs Lluvia, Silueta, La Comandante, Mystique, Stephanie Vaquer, La Jarochita, Skadi, Reina Isis, La Magnifica [CMLL Universal de Amazonas, semifinal]
4) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Valiente vs Cuatrero, Negro Casas, Sansón
5) Último Guerrero © vs Ciber the Main Man [CMLL HEAVY]
fourth defense
6) Diamante Azul, Dragón Lee, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Forastero, Gran Guerrero

I think the best CMLL match on Friday is in Ring of Honor. The fourth match looks best on this show. Ultimo vs Ciber will be the latest attempt to try to get something out of that feud. A title change is definitely possible.

Metalica winning Block A normally suggests a tecnica coming out of Block B. I can not imagine Metalica versus Llucia or Silueta or whomever else happening. More likely Dalys eliminates nine people herself.

CMLL (SAT) 08/10/2019 Arena Coliseo
1) Angelito & Shockercito vs Mercurio & Pequeño Nitro
2) Eléctrico, Magia Blanca, Príncipe Diamante vs Disturbio, Hijo del Signo, Yago
3) Drone vs Tiger [lightning]
4) Black Panther, Fuego, Rey Cometa vs Dark Magic, Olímpico, Sagrado
5) Atlantis, Blue Panther, Flyer vs Felino, Hechicero, Rey Bucanero
6) Carístico, Místico, Titán vs Gran Guerrero, Templario, Último Guerrero

Caristico & Hechiceor being back here suggests CMLL expects those wrestlers back from Toronto rather quick (or haven’t worked out how long that’ll take.)

Drone versus Tiger seems like a fun match for a show that’s recorded. This isn’t one of those.

CMLL (SUN) 08/11/2019 Arena México
1) Fantasy & Kaligua vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Violencia
2) Blue Panther Jr., Drone, Star Jr. vs Disturbio, Universo 2000 Jr., Virus
3) Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Misterioso Jr. [lightning]
4) Blue Panther, Flyer, Volcano vs Dark Magic, Hijo del Villano III, Pólvora
5) Atlantis, Atlantis Jr., Kráneo vs Hechicero, Rey Bucanero, Terrible
6) Carístico, Místico, Valiente vs Euforia, Negro Casas, Último Guerrero

Note this is the Minis Anniversary weekend. They’re celebrating by working openers.