CMLL Gran Prix team announced, Impact in Mexico CIty

CMLL officially announced the CMLL Gran Prix would take place on August 30th. The announcement took place on CMLL Informa. This is an annual Mexico versus the Rest of the World 8 v 8 cibernetico which has had strong turnouts in recent years. The Rest of the World team usually includes Ring of Honor wrestlers, August 30th is an open weekend for ROH, so it’s looked like this date for a while.

The CMLL team was announced on the show:

• Negro Casas
• Diamante Azul
• Dragon Lee
• Barbaro Cavernario
• Volador Jr.
• Forastero
• Rush
• Soberano Jr.

Forastero sticks out as a person who would not be expected in this match – he’s the third guy in his own trio – and so there might be something more to him and Volador. Ultimo Guerrero is usually in the matches and is not, so he may be busy doing something with Cibernetico. This is a good group of people and also Diamante Azul.

The Rest of the World Team will be announced next week. Count on Okumura and Dark Magic for two spots. Kawato too, if he’s not injured. (CMLL will probably have to address his disappearing act in some way.) Kenny King was said to be coming in to CMLL in August and August 30th still counts as August. NJPW has a show on August 31st, so most of their big names are going to be busy.

CMLL hasn’t announced the date of the Aniversario show. 09/13, the day most people seem to think is the date, is only 29 days away. CMLL waiting until very late to announce a match is no longer strange, but typically at least the date is out there four weeks prior. It’s already strange for it not to be out – maybe it’ll be just mentioned in commentary tomorrow, but maybe also something else is going on. If that date got pushed back, there’s no need for it to be announced yet.

Former Gran Prix winner Michael Elgin is in Mexico today, though not for CMLL. He’s part of two nights of Impact tapings on Thursday & Friday. AAA’s been promoting the shows on social media but no one from AAA is currently advertised for tonight’s show. Dr. Wagner Jr. is announced for tomorrow’s show. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter says Golden Magic, Nino Hamburguesa, and Taurus are scheduled for the shows, though Hijo del Vikingo is not because he’s got another booking. Nino Hamburguesa and Hijo del Vikingo are booked on the same shows on Thursday & Friday. I suspect Hijo del Vikingo’s other booking might not be a literal booking the same day, but that he’s booked to make his next TV appearance in AEW (whenever that can be worked out), and not in Impact.

The WON also mentions AAA is telling luchadors that the only way they’ll get to work with AEW is if they sign a deal with them. This is the same line AAA used for Lucha Underground, which didn’t seem to work out for many of the people who were signed. In that case, it appeared that part of the set up with LU was the only people they’d used from Mexico would be thru AAA. It’s not clear that’s actually the deal with AAA & AEW. Laredo Kid worked an AEW show and he’s a freelancer who works with AAA but isn’t signed with them. On the other hand, Laredo Kid can work in the US on his own and opener-level wrestlers may have trouble getting work visas in the US without the support of AAA-level company to prove they’ve got something to return to Mexico and aren’t just coming to the US to stay.

On the other hand, even an AAA level company might not be able to help them get to the US. The visa situation is cited as one of the issues with the AAA New York show in the WON; some were applied for “eight months ago” (last year?) and still haven’t come. I’ve written many times that this was going to be one of the big issues with the show from the moment it was announced. It sounds like AAA saw the same if they were working on it months before the show was announced but haven’t been able to solve it. (On the other hand, AAA not wanting to announce a lineup because they’re not sure if it’ll be correct is very unlike AAA.) On Twitter, Konnan mentioned there will be some Impact wrestlers on the show. Taya/Tessa is expected to happen, which is why Tessa had to win the title on TripleMania. Even a healthy Keyra was going to lose the title.

WWE announced a bunch of new signings yesterday. They did not announce Hijo del Fantasma, though he was introduced to everyone there. NXT tapes TV today so perhaps they’re waiting to debut him there.

La Magnifica says she expects to be a regular in CMLL. She mentions she was close to making the 2008 Olympics but suffered an injury that prevented her from qualifying.

Kairos says he’s been training with CMLL for five years, first with Tony Salazar and then with Virus and Ultimo Guerrero. He’s 19, so he started at the age of 14.

Mesias says he can be Mesias in everywhere but Mexico because AAA registered it and he didn’t. He feels better now as an independent wrestler but calls his time in AAA generally good times.

Super X held a press conference to build up the Fuerza Guerrera vs Octagon issue. Fuerza says he’ll never retire until he takes Octagon’s mask, which is probably true. Juventud & Fuerza are now friends again, which hopefully will last a long time but usually doesn’t.

Arena Lopez Mateos is advertising the debuts of Hijo de Silver King & Karis La Momia Jr. on their 08/31 show. Silver King’s sons had not been luchadors previously, but that might have changed after he passed away. Karis La Momia Jr. is the son of AAA’s La Parka taking his original gimmick.

Planchitas says Sangre Azteca debuts on the 08/24 Nacion Lucha Libre show in Ecatepec. That’s their next show.

09/07 The Crash lineup

• Dan Moloney vs Mesias vs Ricky Martinez
• Los Traumas vs Sanson & Cuatrero
• Super Astro, Super Astro Jr. & Mr. Iguana vs Triple Amenaza
• Travis Banks, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate vs Rey Horus, Bestia 666, Mecha Wolf – new

That’s probably all the main matches and the full card will be out soon.

Segunda Caida watches Sangre Chicana vs Satanico.

LuchaTalk has a new episode.

Lineups

CMLL (MON) 08/19/2019 Arena Puebla
1) Asturiano, King Jaguar, Meyer vs Centella Roja, Guerrero Espacial, Rey Apocalipsis
2) Arkalis, Millenium, Tigre Rojo Jr. vs El Malayo, Hijo del Signo, Toro Bill Jr.
3) Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Stigma vs Hechicero, Máscara Año 2000, Tiger
4) Atlantis, Stuka Jr., Valiente vs Cavernario, Felino, Negro Casas
5) Cuatrero, Forastero, Místico, Sansón vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Soberano Jr., Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]

The main event seemed headed to Mistico/UG but we’ve seen those things change from week to week. I often wonder why CMLL is using Mascara 2000 the way they do. This lineup makes me wonder why Mascara 2000 wants to work these dates; surely a late-night Monday tercera isn’t really that appealing to a 60-year-old man. That seems like a booking to pawn off on Universo 2000 Junior.