strong Lucha Capital episode, Dragon Lee in (another) title match

AAA , CAPITAL (WED) 11/13/2019 Pinche Gringo Barbecue, Miguel Hidalgo, Distrito Federal [AAA, Furia de Titanes, Lucha Central, thecubsfan]
1) Laredo Boy b Drago Kid, Parkita Negra 
10:18. A non-tournament match. Laredo Boy beat Parkita Negra.
2) Mr. Iguana b Mamba, Villano III Jr. 
7:31. Iguana beat Villano III Jr.
3) Lady Shani b Hades, La Hiedra 
11:05. Lady Shani submitted Hiedra
4) Hijo Del Vikingo b Flamita, Carta Brava Jr. 
10:40. Vikingo beat Flamita with a 450 splash.
5) Psycho Clown b Súper Fly, Taurus 
9:41. Psycho Clown beat Super Fly.

This was really good. The Vikingo match seems like the best match of the season so far, with all the matches being good. Laredo Boy & Drago Kid popping up regularly is good news, but Parkita Negra has been just as good as them. There’s a bit of dead time between the matches due to selfies, but this is an easy watch otherwise.

Next week is the final group stage, 11/27 is the semi-finals and 12/04 is the finals. There should be only two semi-finals and one finals, so maybe there’s room for a lot of extra matches.

The concept was three men’s teams and two women’s teams would reach the semi-final. (The final is a battle between the winning team members.) The Faby Apache, Lady Shani, and Big Mami team has 3 wins already and is sure to be in the semi-final. In next week’s match, Vanilla & Lady Maravilla can each advance their teams with a win. Big Mami winning would make for a tie. I assume Maravilla is getting the win.

On the men’s side,

• The trio of Dinastia, Drago and Psycho Clown are going to the semifinal.
• Willie Mack & Bengala will get their teams to the semifinal with a win. They may advance even without a win.
• Aerostar would force a tie with a win (and there’s no telling how AAA will handle a tie)
• all the other teams are done unless the point system changes, which is always possible.

The easiest solution is WIllie Mack & Bengala win their matches and that’s that. The hangup is the Aerostar team is the one with Octagon Jr. and Hijo del Vikingo, which may be the two reasons to finagle a way for them to advance.

Ciber sent out a video statement (posted here to +Lucha, Box Y Lucha had it too) expressing support for La Parka while also making it clear that AAA has a duty to support Parka; Parka shouldn’t look at it as a favor owed to AAA, but something that AAA owes to him for what he’s done for them. Azteca reported the hope was Parka would be transferred to a Mexico City hospital this week, but there’s been no word if that happened.

The El Planchitas column has mostly been aggregating news bits from English sources and passing them off as his own scoops for the last while – that’s where today’s story about “Sin Cara was going to leave WWE to go to MMA” seems to comes from. That’s not without its use, sometimes it brings to light things that may be forgotten. The second story today is a reminder that spot Puma King got last year in the AAA/ELITE feud was originally going to Diamante Azul; Planchitas adds that Azul was slated for a feud with Blue Demon. Diamante Azul instead backed out, staying with CMLL with the idea he’d get a bigger push. Planchitas point is “look what a bad decision Diamante Azul made” but my thought about it is more “AAA really dodged a bullet that time.” AAA eventually de-emphasized La Mascara in AAA to the point where he got the message to go elsewhere, so maybe Diamante Azulw would’ve done better or eventually left too, but I wouldn’t want to see Azul in the current AAA structure.

Dragon Lee challenges Shane Taylor for the ROH TV Championship on their 12/13 PPV in Baltimore. Lee and Taylor had a face-off back in September to set this up, though it doesn’t feel like it had been followed up much since then. Dragon Lee seems like an underdog in that match. Like with the AAA title match, it’s tough to put a title on Dragon Lee in 2019 when no one (himself perhaps included) quite knows what he’s doing in 2020.

12/06 EMW in Auditorio de Tijuana

• Drake, Mirage, Fantastick vs Romeo, Extastis, B-Boy
• Black Boy & Tiago & Chris Dickinson vs Abismo Negro, Flash Gordon, Rayo Star vs Genio del Aire, Skalibur, Kamikaze – new
• Arez, Nino Hamburguesa, Villano III Jr., Miranda vs Jonathan, Tony Casanova, TJ Boy, Lady Lee

Chris Dickinson is listed as “Dickerson”. I wonder if Flash Gordon is Flip Gordon similarly misunderstood. It seems odd to fly people cross country to work segundas but they are trying to compete with The Crash on that front.

Box Y Lucha is holding their award voting via emoji reaction on Facebook.

LuchaTalk has a new episode of their podcast.

Segunda Caida reviews Lucha Underground episode 4×16.

Voices of Wrestling reviews the “Nail in the Coffin” Vampiro documentary.

An interview with long-time Torreon luchador Chamuco Trevino, who is retiring in December at the age of 60.

Lineups

CMLL (SUN) 11/17/2019 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) El Alteño, Logan, Tigre Blanco vs Destructor, Jabalí, Thunder Boy
2) El Divino, Fantástico, Mr. Samurai vs Cris Skin, Fúnebre, Paymon
3) El Rielero, Explosivo, Reycko vs Carlo Roggi, Frenético, Mr. Apolo
4) Bobby Black, Joker, Sádico, Vaquero Jr. vs Difunto, Frezzer, Furia Roja, Guerrero de la Muerte
5) Atlantis Jr., Fugaz, Titán vs Hijo del Villano III, Ráfaga, Shocker

Shocker is officially back here, so he’ll be on the regular shows soon enough.

CMLL (TUE) 11/19/2019 Arena México
1) Bengala & Sangre Imperial vs Apocalipsis & Inquisidor
2) Eléctrico, Halcón Suriano Jr., Oro Jr. vs Espanto Jr., Hijo del Signo, Nitro
3) Blue Panther Jr., Pegasso, Príncipe Diamante vs Cancerbero, Espíritu Negro, Raziel
4) Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Vangellys [lightning]
5) Dulce Gardenia, Kráneo, Rey Cometa vs Ephesto, Kawato San, Luciferno
6) Ángel de Oro, Carístico, Niebla Roja vs Cavernario, Felino, Mephisto

Principe Diamante & Espiritu Negro are higher than usual and matched up against each other, so that’s a real thing. Kawato also seems to be booked higher on his return, though it is a Tuesday show. We are treated to another Vangellys singles match for some reason.

NLL (SUN) 11/24/2019 Domo del Deportivo Plan Sexenal, Distrito Federal
1) Halcón Negro Jr. & Zumbi vs Alas de Oro & Alas De Plata and Fly Warrior & Garra de Águila
2) Baronessa vs Tyra Fly, Kong Alvarado
3) Emperador Azteca & Sangre Azteca vs Hijo de LA Park & LA Park Jr.
4) Brazo De Oro Jr., Mr. Electro, Sharlie Rockstar vs Apolo (Puerto Rico), Cuervo, Dark Scoria
5) Cibernético, Hijo De Dos Caras, LA Park vs La Bestia Del Ring, La Máscara, Rush

NLL returns to Mexico City. You’re not a real “alternative to CMLL/AAA TV promotion” until you end up running Plan Sexenal. There’s typically more matches on these shows to take up TV time, so maybe something gets added day of the show. Apolo is back for the first time since August.

Tyra Fly appears to be the latest Mexican to be doing a Dragonball gimmick, but that’s not right. It turns out she’s actually the latest Chilean to be doing a Dragonball gimmick, in Mexico.

This is one of two shows in this building on this day; Ultimo Dragon runs in the afternoon.