Mistico out 2-3 months, Maximo hospitalized, Zona 23/GCW

Mistico will be out two to three months following surgery to remove a loose screw. He announced the medical issue on CMLL Informa yesterday. The surgery will take Wednesday. Mistico was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle on May 3, 2014, suffering a broken right tibia and fibia among other injuries. Doctors placed a rod in the legs to help heal it, and the screw came loose from that. This means the teased Gran Guerrero/Mistico big match last week won’t be happening at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, though it remains a possibility for later in the year.

In theory, CMLL could declare the CMLL tag team championship vacant. Mistico is going to be gone around as long as Kawato San. (They do have a tag team tournament coming up, of sorts.) They’ll probably just leave it alone.

CMLL announced Diamante Azul & Gilbert el Boricua and Caristico & Forastero as teams for the Gran Alternativa. They join Bandido & Ultimo Guerrero as three teams announced so far. A fourth team will be announced tonight on CMLL’s Facebook page as part of their weekly interview. The tournament begins on February 14. Ovaciones says Azul & Boricua are in Block A on 02/14 and the full team will be announced this weekend.

Tsukushi will come to CMLL next week for a two-week tour. She was the woman was going to get a chance to go to Japan if she could beat La Jarochita on the CMLL Lady’s Rin show. They went to a draw, but Tsukushi & Tsukasa Fujimoto defeated Dalys & La Jarochita in a subsequent tag title match in Ice Ribbon. Maybe that counts too. People who know Tsukushi say she’s rather good.

Maximo is currently hospitalized. No report has the health issue as currently seriously. The exact issue is unclear. It was originally reported as a heart attack, which made it to places like El Universal. Other sources responded saying it Maximo had just been held over after found having high blood pressure. It appears both of these stories are coming from Maximo’s family; I guess you need multiple distinct sources even when trying to get information on a family member’s health. The stories don’t totally match up beyond the health issue and family members posting about it sounded more concerned than just an overnight blood pressure checkup. A heart attack is going to leave Maximo out of action longer than high blood pressure, but it doesn’t appear he’s in danger at the moment either way.

The mass for La Parka was held yesterday. You can see video of it. Marisela Pena announced La Parka will be inducted to the AAA Hall of Fame at this year’s TripleMania. She also said Karis la Momia Jr. will be La Parka, but at the right time.

Arena Coliseo Monterrey, the site of La Parka’s life-ending injury, hasn’t held a show since November 17th. There are been two shows since that KAOZ show. The promotion has been in the process of remolding the arena, and will hold a show on February 23. That appears to be the grand re-opening but not sure.

There are not many details on last night’s IWRG show. The Welcome to My Barrio team won the main event, though it reads as the team members changed. They’ll face an IWRG team on a future show.

ESPN has a story on Geroge Kittle’s love of 0M.

New York’s ICW announced a Pagano vs Nick Gage match on 03/22. Pagano’s worked in the US some, but almost all for lucha libre focused promotions. Promoters had previously said the price to book Pagano was more than they wanted to pay.

GCW announced a combination show with Zona 23 on 05/03. Zona 23 has grown strong cult fandom over the last year in the US indie scene, helped a lot by their shows going up on Independent Wrestling TV. GIFs and short videos of the shows have gotten passed around a lot. Carxyus, who did some filming for CaraLucha and other Arena San Juan, is doing the same for Zona 23. I remember him talking disappointingly about how there weren’t really that many people buying DVDs of those CaraLucha shows years ago. Zona 23 is doing a lot better clearly. The unique look and atmosphere helps it stand out, as do the performers with only slight regard for their (or their opponent’s) safety. Still, the shows had been happening for a few years, with Estrellas del Ring and others filming it. The hockey stick growth among US indie fans didn’t seem to take place until Zona 23 was showing up behind an IWTV subscription wall. That’s counter-intuitive – it’s more expensive to see, but opened itself to a new audience who isn’t digging thru lucha libre channels to find content.

GCW is a promotion built on unusual concept shows, so working with Zona 23 is a natural fit.

Dr. Wagner, promoting a show in Torreon, says the local talent is great but they just need local business people to adapt to new ways of promoting wrestlers.

Rey Apocalipsis is the first to make it on to +LuchaTV using the Psicosis slap to Konnan to build up his own match with Psicosis.

San Luis Potosi’s Principe del Futuro/Venganza passed away Tuesday. This is the third San Luis Potosi luchador to pass away this year. Killer Machine was older, but Principe del Futuro & Vaquero de Texas Jr. were rather young. Principe del Futuro seems to have stopped wrestling in 2016.

Morelos luchador Fussion talks about teaching wrestling.

Lineups

CMLL (MON) 02/03/2020 Arena Puebla
1) Espíritu Maligno, Rey Apocalipsis, Toro Bill Jr. vs El Malayo, El Perverso, Policeman
2) Átomo, Gallito, Microman vs Chamuel, Mije, Perico Zakarías
3) Dulce Gardenia, El Audaz, Fuego vs Hechicero, Sagrado, Vangellys
4) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Star Jr. vs Cavernario, Felino, Negro Casas
5) Carístico, Soberano Jr., Titán vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón

The main event is a rematch. The micros make a rare Monday night appearance. The opener is all rudos for reasons only understood by Black Tiger.

CMLL (TUE) 02/04/2020 Arena México
1) Bengala & Halcón Suriano Jr. vs Apocalipsis & Príncipe Odín Jr.
2) Graham, Magnus, Oro Jr. vs Ayden, Grako, Nitro
3) Black Panther, Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr. vs Dark Magic, Misterioso, Universo 2000 Jr.
4) El Audaz vs Templario [lightning]
5) Kráneo, Stuka Jr., Volcano vs Rey Bucanero, Shocker, Terrible
6) Atlantis Jr., Carístico, Soberano Jr. vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón

Graham & Ayden are more of the Texas wrestlers. It looks like Nitro led a training session with them last night. Audaz and Templario meet here (and next month in Pittsburgh)

IWRG (SUN) 02/09/2020 Arena Naucalpan
1) Águila Oriental Jr. & Cheff Benito vs Dick Angelo 3G & Voltrex
2) Legendario vs Rey Halcón Jr.
3) Hades, Lolita, Puma de Oro vs Diosa Quetzal, Ludark Shaitan, Lunatik Xtreme
4) Fresero Jr. vs El Hijo del Medico Asesino
5) Big Chicoche, Big Mike, Big Ovett vs Capo del Norte, Shun Skywalker, X-Fly
6) Chicano, Mamba, Tiago vs CIMA, Lindaman, T-Hawk
Estrella Divina will be with Mamba’s team
7) Demonio Infernal, Dragón Bane, Hijo de Canis Lupus vs Emperador Azteca, Fuerza Guerrera NG, Relámpago

Chicano, Mamba, Tiago and Estrella Divina are new group El Imperio. They’ll face Stronghearts in their debut on the card.

This will be the first show with (current Dragon Gate) Shun Skywalker and (ex-Dragon Gate) Stronghearts on the same show. They don’t tend to associate with each other; the breakup there still seems bitter. (CIMA was pointedly excluded from all video clips at a recent Dragon Gate anniversary celebration.) This was the third of three announced dates and I’m not sure if they’ll be back beyond. The angle this past Sunday seemed to set up something with the Stronghearts against Dragon Bane, Hijo de Canis Lupus, and Relampago, that match is not happening and the impression is that’s no accident.

CIMA posted a photo of the group at the AAA offices. This show is one day before AAA’s taping in Queretaro. Stronghearts are not announced but it seems likely they’ll be there.