RIOT Tonto Evento Sorpresa, AAA/EMW in Tijuana, CMLL results from the weekend, promoter murdered

A lot to catch up on. I’m sure I haven’t gotten all of it.

Shows I Attended

AAA , EMW (FRI) 01/31/2020 Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California [The Gladiatores, thecubsfan]
1) Adrian Quest, Drake, Griff b Éxtasis, Juve Venegas, Romeo
Quest beat Extasis
2) La Hiedra b Keyra ©, Miranda Alize [EMW WOMEN]
first defense (won title in December 2018). Hiedra (replacing Lady Shani) won the title with some help from Rey Escorpion.
3) Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana b Jonathan, TJ Boy, Tony Casanova and Adrian Quest, Lady Lee, Tiago
Tiago & Quest (working twice) replaced Danny Limelight (not there) & Medico Asesino (moved up). Poder del Norte beat Lady Lee. Tiago bled a lot, feuding with Jonathan
4) Black Boy, Fantastik, Rayo Star b Genio del Aire, Kamik-C, Skalibur [hardcore]
both teams brawled before entrances. The TJ crew wanted an apuesta match after they won, the Mexicali guys were not high on that.
5) El Hijo del Medico Asesino & Nicho el Millionario b Pagano & Puma King and Hijo Del Vikingo & Xtreme Tiger
Medico Asesino replaced Gringo Loco (illness). Puma got a visual pin on him before Medico cheated to beat him.
6) Pentagón Jr., Psycho Clown, Rey Horus b Daga, Monsther Clown, Rey Escorpión
Daga and Rey Horus teased a title match earlier. Monster Clown turned tecnico during the match. Psycho beat Escorpion.

This was a good show to see live. All the matches were enjoyable even if maybe nothing was must see. The three way trios match seemed crazy until the locals tried to top it in the following match. Vikingo didn’t show was much as I’d hope in his match but did better working with Puma and Pagano than I would’ve guessed. The downside to this show was the length. It started a late, had a La Parka tribute, had a Rey Horus/Daga in-ring segment and had promos after most every match. Almost all of the talking had a purpose, either building up stuff for later that night or for future shows, there just was so much of it.

There was a very strong turnout for this show. I could see empty seats here or there but the GA was filled up to last row, so it was effectively a sell out. The crowd was into the show all night.

This makes no sense at all, but Monsther Clown looks younger unmasked (with dyed hair and half face paint) then he did with the old mask. Alize got hit so hard by Keyra’s dropkick. That might have been her last moment of the match. It would’ve been the last moment of my life. Lady Lee was also shaken up after taking the Poder del Norte usual corner sequence. Tiago bled early in his match and then may have been busted open again catching a dive; he had a lot of blood on him at the end of his match.

Gringo Loco had been sick most of the week, still traveled to Tijuana, but the doctor did not permit him to wrestle. Medico got moved up to replace him, which didn’t help that match at all. Lady Shani is currently not wrestling due to a minor medical issue. I’m not sure how when she’ll be back but it’s not expected to be a long break.

Psycho Clown showed up late for the pre-show meet & greet. There was a giant mass of humanity who wanted to meet him. I figured he’d go about five minutes and duck back in the door to the lockeroom. Instead, he was signing and spending time with each person, still working his way thru when I left 15 minutes later. He was the most over guy on the show as well.

The next EMW show is March 23rd 13th. It’s a TV taping with MLW – which makes it very strange they spent time building up a Rey Horus (ROH) vs Daga (Impact) match. It wouldn’t seem like that at least couldn’t air and there’d be pressure for those guys to skip that show anyway.

RIOT (SAT) 02/01/2020 Arena Femenil, Monterrey, Nuevo León [@thekoko666, thecubsfan]
1) Mr. Iguana b Muerte Extrema
2) Kratoz & Prometeo b Charro Negro & Oro Negro
3) Rey Hechicero b Erick Ortiz
4) Kaientai & Lord Byron b Bestia 666 & Damián 666
Kaientai & Lord Byron appeared to thank the fans for attending but regretfully announce they had no opponents on the show, they just wanted to say high. Damian & Bestia surprised them. DASH fouled Damian to help Kaientai win; los Unmexicans remain undefeated
5) Black Taurus b Madness, Kill Korton
6) Blake Christian b Jimmy, Aramis, Iron Kid (Estado de México), Baby Extreme
7) Bandido & Flamita b Arez & Látigo
Originally Arez vs Latigo for the RIOT title, then Arez vs Latigo vs Flamita for the RIOT title, then Mexablood vs Arez & Latigo. Flamita pinned Latigo, landing hard on Latigo’s knee. Bandido challenged Arez to a title match, but Latigo fouled Arez before he could accept.

I’m not sure how this show is going to translate on video*. Live, this was among the best indie shows I’ve experienced. It was a crowd packed into the building, excited for everything, amazed when different people would show up. This was an all surprise match show, with the fans speculating and hoping for different people to show up, and I think RIOT still exceeded their expectations. The atmosphere was incredible. One of the wrestlers on the show was telling me how they actually preferred wrestling in a tiny building like this rather than a bigger one when the fans are as intensely into the show as the RIOT fans were on Saturday night. The RIOT shows are fun on video but this is one I would’ve been disappointed about skipping and watching later.

(* It’s also RIOT, so I’m not sure when it is going to be translated into either.)

The attendance for this show was the maximum amount of people allowed in the building and then some. It made some dives dangerous early on, though it did seem to get a little bit more room later. Some people who were stuck standing decided dispersed during intermission. Again, nothing was announced for this show and yet they probably could’ve sold many more tickets had they had the room to squeeze people. They could’ve run a bigger building, but they might lose some of the atmosphere. It’s a good problem to have.

(If this is sounding a lot like a certain southern California promotion, it’s no confidence.)

I don’t want to oversell the matches. All of them had a flub or three, none went so perfectly well as to be held up as one of the best matches you’d see this year. The show was stronger as a whole than broken down as individual matches, and people watching it later won’t get the same feeling of surprise as those who were there. Still, the five way match is worth going out of your way to see, and the Mexablood/Latigo/Arez and Hechicero/Ortiz matches live up to the promise of those matches. The big names took it as serious as the lesser known ones and most of the issues were people trying for things just a little bit out of their reach. (Kill Korton/Madness/Taurus was the least of the matches, mostly with Korton & Madness struggling trying to impress.)

Very few people seemed to know Blake Christian when he came out. RIOT didn’t announce anyone, but did hint at a foreigner wrestler debuting (which somehow turned into Will Ospreay discussion for a day.) I’m not sure the fans knew “Blake Christian” after the match, but there was a ginger guy they nicknamed “Canelo” they were loudly supporting. He did super in a match where everyone was trying a lot. Jimmy looks so much smoother after his Dragon Gate run, though he had a few errors here and there.

I’ve always seen RIOT as a promotion created in part to showcase guys like Hechicero, giving talented local wrestlers a chance to have big matches in more of a US indie style. RIOT didn’t get started until after Hechicero departed to CMLL – he did work the pre-RIOT “LuchaMania Monterrey” show in 2014 – but it was still meaningful to the promotion and the fans to get see him under that banner. Those fans got to see Hechicero against the guy who most resembles his style among current RIOT regulars. They also got to see him on a show with AAA wrestlers; an advantage of not announcing names is making it easier to keep those things quiet.

Arez was double-booked in RIOT and MLW on Saturday. He picked RIOT. Laredo Kid replaced Arez in MLW. I’m not sure who would’ve ended up in that spot had Laredo Kid not gotten off the island. The RIOT show had no one announced as booked, but Arez is the RIOT champion and was planned to be on that show from the moment it was announced. MLW advertised him as an AAA rep later. It was unclear how that would turn out, but Arez picked RIOT over MLW. Arez was announced for the opener on the AAA Guadalajara TV taping. Hopefully he still is able to be part of it. Puma King had also informed people he’d not be on the MLW show. MLW appears to send out something like an insider press release to various news sources, who care just enough about MLW to repeat it and not question it much. I’m anticipating to see what’s said in this one, given how they’ve treated other people missing shows in the past.

Laredo Kid did great in his first match back since getting off the island. Laredo Kid also did great last March in MLW and MLW never used him again. (He was on an island, but there was six months before that where he wasn’t.) Unless you’re a Park family member (or are part of the group co-promoting the show), luchadors seem to only be used to be very good wrestlers who are losing to regular talent or each other. MLW doesn’t seem big enough at this point where just showing up is going to help someone to get booked elsewhere. There are only so many places a wrestler can be on TV, but the value of simply being on TV seems to have been diminished with so much content available.

One of the things that happened with this show is a Mr. Iguana entrance to a children’s song from the previous show went viral. It’s strange in the way that the virality of internet content is a mystery. RIOT posted video of it back in November when it happened, but it took off when I posted the video in the middle of a thread of other bits for the show. (It also took off strangely; I’ve had posts that took off immediately, but this one was ‘found’ after a while and just kept gaining momentum.) The clip got “borrowed” for Facebook sites and wherever else people watch videos today and the ticket sales moved a lot. The prevailing theory is the viral nature of the video didn’t sell as many new tickets as it convinced regulars & occasional attendees that they couldn’t wait until the day of the show to buy tickets because RIOT was now a hot thing, they had to get them ASAP before they were all gone. (And they were all gone, so I guess it worked.) Iguana again did a version of the entrance once more to lead off the RIOT show, though this time he got attacked by his opponent to get the match going. He mentioned that people have been asking him to do it on many shows lately. I apologized for it; getting pinholed into a bit can be tough.

You know who was really over who I would’ve thought would’ve just got a nice reaction? Damian 666. Damian was over huge.

CMLL results

CMLL (FRI) 01/31/2020 Arena México [+LuchaTV, CMLL, Lucha Central, Marca, Ovaciones, R de Rudo, The Gladaitores]
1) Arkalis & Robin b Akuma & Espanto Jr. 
tecnicos took 2/3
2) Kawato San, Okumura, Virus b Diamond, Drone, Fuego 
Diamond’s gear featured more blue than it had before. Rudos took 1/3.
3) Ephesto, Mephisto, Negro Casas b Atlantis Jr., Star Jr., Stuka Jr. 
rudos took 1/3
4) Soberano Jr. b Templario [lightning] 
8:49.
5) Euforia, Gilbert el Boricua, Gran Guerrero b Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Titán 
Rudos took 1/3
6) Carístico, Cavernario, Valiente DQ Diamante Azul, Felino, Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles] 
Cavernario faked a foul as he and Felino continue to feud

CMLL promos: Akuma & Espanto Jr., Diamond, Negro Casas, Soberano, Barbaro Cavernario, and Felino.

Pressroom promos: Soberano, Templario, Barbaro Cavernario, and Felino.

Sounds like Soberano/Templario was good and the rest is stuff not especially worth your time. Cavernario versus Felino continues full bore. It’s the Homenaje a Dos Leyendas main event unless something strange happens in the next few weeks.

Diamond is losing a bunch. Ola Negra is not doing much better. Giving these guys new gimmick or new groups does help a little regardless. Many CMLL wrestlers come off as interchangeable masked men to people who don’t follow the promotion regularly, so any little bit to help them stand is a help. Still, they’re doing about exactly the same as they were before, taking away any extra credibility they might have gotten with the new look and making the idea of new groups/new names less meaningful going forward. CMLL has few tools in their tool box and they’re dulling one of them.

CMLL (SAT) 02/01/2020 Arena Coliseo [CMLL]
1) Cholo & Yago b Bengala & Sonic
rudos took 1/3
2) Amapola, Dalys, Jaelynn Miner b Alexandra, Lluvia, Skadi
Alexander is Alex Gracia, Jaeylnn Miner also wrestles as Melia Jae, all training under Nitro. Rudas took 1/3.
3) Átomo, El Gallito, Microman b Chamuel, Mije, Perico Zakarías
tecnicos took 2/3
4) Pólvora b Flyer [lightning]
Polvora won with the anti-air dropkick
5) Guerrero Maya Jr., Kráneo, Volcano b Rey Bucanero, Shocker, Terrible
Rey Bucanero replaced Luciferno
6) Cavernario, Negro Casas, Último Guerrero b Ángel de Oro, Diamante Azul, Niebla Roja
Rudos took 1/3, Cavernario sneaking a foul on Angel de Oro to set up a singles match.

Povlora did the usual CMLL lightning winner promo then told Box Y Lucha wants to be in a mask match at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. Seems like that plane has already left.

The Texas wrestlers in for this week have been very positive about their trip to Mexico on social media. Alexandra and Miner posted photos.

CMLL (SUN) 02/02/2020 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Mercurio & Pierrothito b Fantasy & Último Dragóncito
2) Akuma, Jerome, Nitro b Aaron Sykes, Remington, Retro
Aaron (Aron) Sykes, (Ryan) Remington and Jerome (Griffey) are Texas wrestlers. Rudos took 1/3.
3) Black Panther, Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr. b Misterioso, Pólvora, Tiger
Panthers took 2/3
4) Vangellys b El Audaz [lightning]
5) Hechicero, Rey Bucanero, Sansón b Kráneo, Soberano Jr., Volcano
rudos took 1/3
6) Ángel de Oro, Diamante Azul, Niebla Roja b Cavernario, Negro Casas, Último Guerrero
tecnicos took 1/3

Vangellys talked about winning. Negro Casas & Cavernario had a conversation for the press, with Casas trying to stop the Felino/Cavernario feud and Cavernario not listening to it.

Puebla tonight has NGD versus Carisitco, Soberano and Titan in the main event. NGD are working very patterned matches but it could go well if the effort is there. Last week teased a Sanson/Caristico feud, the same one that’s happening on Tuesdays.

Peste Negra is scheduled to team in the semi-main, against Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja and Star Junior. Cavernario & Felino aren’t going to get along but maybe the thing to watch to see if Angel de Oro gets himself involved in some way. He does seem to have lost his hair feud.

Dulce Gardenia, Audaz & Fuego against Hechicero, Sagrado and Vangellys could be not bad. The micros make a Puebla appearance. Policeman is booked. The show starts at 9 pm on CMLL YouTube and I have no idea when I’ll get to watching it.

Mistico went in today for his surgery for the loose screw.

Other News

LLB , GAW (SUN) 02/02/2020 Arena Naucalpan [+LuchaTV, +LuchaTV (full), R de Rudo]
1) Divino, Galactus, Randy, Ska Boy b Demonio Gato, Especie Maligna, Slash, Zeus 
2) Teelo & Toxin b Príncipe Diamante & Puma de Oro and Atomic Star & Baby Star 
3) Máscarita Sagrada, Mini Poker, Súper Pinochito b Aguilita Solitaria, Espectrito, Súper Loco 
4) Fuerza Guerrera NG & Hija De Fuerza Guerrera b Fresero Jr. & La Heroína 
5) Big Chico Che, Big Mike, Big Ovett b Carta Brava Jr. (IWL), Cerebro Negro, Fantasma de la Ópera 
6) Trauma I & Trauma II b Dragón Bane & Hijo de Canis Lupus 
7) El Hijo Del Santo & Octagón DQ Dr. Cerebro & Fuerza Guerrera 
Fuerza originally was to team with Angel Blanco, but Dr. Cerebro talked his way into his place via social media by 01/16. DQ for foul. Wagner and his sons appeared post-match to announce he had left AAA, would be an indie now, and asked for a match (fathers & sons)

Santo looked older but still viable in his match, which drew a full house. The match itself got overshadowed by Dr. Wagner Jr. making a surprise appearance and announced he’d finished with AAA and was now an independent. The idea is an AAA wrestler isn’t going to be allowed to face Santo (due to the past legal issues) but newly independent Wagner can. Wagner said he’d be working on new projects, and one of those would be his retirement.

An independent Wagner can still pick up AAA dates, and Wagner seemed to be making his own schedule for quite some time, so it’s unclear how much this actually changes his role in AAA. Wagner’s done this same thing – showing up unannounced at an indie show to declare he was now an independent, then continuing to wrestle with the same promotions – at least once before. Wagner is listed on Saturday’s AAA TV taping, suggesting they didn’t think he was done there. It’s also hard to believe he’d retire.

Wagner did confirm he’ll be appearing on the 02/29 Arena Naucalpan show, which is being billed as the first stop on Fuerza Guerrera’s (year plus) retirement tour.

The promoter of Generacion XXI was assassinated Sunday morning. Gerardo Martin Landeros Mendiola was eating with a woman in Irapuato. Armed men entered the restaurant around 12:20 pm and shot him multiple times. The woman was not shot, and neither was anyone else. Gerardo Martin was dead before the paramedics arrived. The state of Guanajuato had had many violent murders in the past year, and this one reads targeted. Generacion XXI promoted the biggest indie shows in the state of Guanajuato, expanding to running neighboring Queretaro in the last couple of years. The promotion had some very successful shows – those recent Arena Queretaro show had done particularly well – though there seemed early on to be shows with lots of indie names in big buildings with low turnouts. Generacion XXI was part of the PALL alliance for a time and close with some of the promoters involved.

Generacion XXI had a show scheduled for today. It was of course canceled. Their next show was scheduled for 02/16 in Arena Queretaro. There’s no update on that yet but it is believed it will also be canceled.

La Mascara says his cousin Maximo’s health situation is under control. Maximo had pre-heart attack symptoms in November and has been going in for check-ups since that time. His blood pressure went up during a check-up so they held him over for 24 hours but everything is said to be OK. Maximo posted on Instagram indicating he was alive but not giving many details.

AAA finished up airing Guerra de Titanes on YouTube Sunday. Part 2 is headlined by Big Mami & Lady Maravilla. There were two more matches than AAA could fit in two episodes. The locals match was left out, which is no surprise. The Pagano match, ending with Sin Cara running in, was also left out. AAA aired clips of that before on YouTube so it doesn’t appear like they’re running away from that angle, but still a surprising omission.

Halloween and DTU announced the luchador will begin a retirement tour. No end date has been announced; DTU has dates thru early March as “the first shows” of the tour so it may be a while. It’s a retirement deal with an undated end so who knows. Halloween once retired from extreme matches on a DTU show I was at and just started doing extreme matches again.

The DTU run of shows this weekend seem to have drawn really well, especially the Sunday show in Mazatlan. Lucha Libre Vanguardia’s show on Sunday in Pachuca also did well.

Ring of Honor announced Dragon Lee vs Bandido for their 03/13 PPV in Las Vegas.

Guadalajara news site El Polideportivo honored Arena Coliseo Guadalajara for reaching 60 years of existence.

LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.

Lineups

CMLL (FRI) 02/07/2020 Arena México
1) Shockercito & Último Dragóncito vs Pequeño Nitro & Pierrothito
2) Marcela, Princesa Sugehit, Tsukushi vs Dalys, Metálica, Reyna Isis
3) Atlantis Jr., Flyer, Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Okumura, Pólvora, Tiger
4) Ángel de Oro, Diamante Azul, Niebla Roja vs Euforia, Gilbert el Boricua, Negro Casas
5) Bárbaro Cavernario vs Felino
6) Carístico, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón

This is the last show prior to the incredible pairs tournament. They’re peaking these stories with a NGD vs Sky Team main event and the Cavernario/Felino match. That feud might go away for weeks, which helps it for being overextended before the apuesta match. (Or maybe they’ll just be partners in the tournament.) NGD vs those tecnicos also feels like a H2L title match, but I don’t have a great feel for it.

Tsukushi makes her debut after doing well in the recent CMLL Japan matches. She’s said to be in for two weeks.

AAA TV (SAT) 02/22/2020 Domo Panamericano del Parrquia San Rafael, Guadalajara, Jalisco [EF]
1) Aramis & Draztick Boy vs Arez & Látigo
2) Lady Shani, Máscarita Sagrada, Niño Hamburguesa vs Demus, La Hiedra, Lady Maravilla
3) Hijo de LA Park & LA Park vs Argenis & Australian Suicide and Parka Negra & Súper Fly
4) Hijo Del Vikingo, Myzteziz Jr., Octagón Jr. vs Averno, Chessman, Rey Escorpión
5) Fénix & Pentagón Jr. vs Daga & Taurus and Laredo Kid & Puma King
6) Monsther Clown, Murder Clown, Pagano vs La Bestia Del Ring, LA Park, Rush Toro Blanco

There’s a Queretaro taping before this one.  This continues a show every other Tuesday, which would put a show on 03/04. I don’t think it’s going to continue exactly that way but who knows.

Monster Clown is a tecnico, even if I haven’t updated it. Psycho Clown is working for Pro Wrestling Revolucion that day, so it’s a slightly different Psycho Circus reunion.

Either the semi-main will be made a tag title match or Daga’s vow to only come to AAA to wrestle in title matches has ended after one show. I believe the interview where Laredo Kid said he’d be returning in “March” was wrong; maybe he said “next month” and the writer misunderstood.

The fourth match is the current trios champions teaming together for the first time since August, since before Golden Magic was Octagon Junior. They’re headed to a title defense against Los Mercenarios, though it’s possible the OGTs could get involved.

Shani may be back by this match, I’m not sure. It’s close either way.

The opener could be great. It also could change.

The Crash (SAT) 02/22/2020 Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California
1) Black Danger & Gelus vs Discipulo De Mesias I & Discipulo De Mesias II
2) Terror Azteca vs Baby Xtreme, Dinámico [THE CRASH JUNIOR]
2nd defense
3) Arandú, Star Boy, Zarco vs Brazo De Oro Jr., Hijo de Máscara Sagrada, Hijo de Octagón
4) El Mesías & Oráculo vs Angélico & Jack Evans
5) Bandido (Indie) & Dragón Lee (Indie) vs Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham
6) Bestia 666 & Mecha Wolf © vs Trauma I & Trauma II [cage, The Crash TAG]

Full lineup, though I think all the matches were announced before. The names in the opener aren’t the actual name, it’s just a mystery who Mesias is bringing to the show.