This is not an AAA week.
If you want Volador matches, his singles match from Sunday and Puebla should air this week.
GDL is iffy to record. All my Saturday plans are iffy except I think I’m making it to AEW (because I’ve pre-paid for the parking.) Trying to do everything often ends badly for me.
TripleMania is scheduled for August 22nd, according to multiple sources. AAA has not announced the date as of yet, though an announcement often comes around this time. The show will take place in Mexico City as it has for the last several years.
I write “scheduled” in part because it is AAA and these things do change before they’re officially announced. There’s an internal schedule with the date, similar to the one AAA announced in 2018, but we saw dates move around as it got later in this year. Dates have moved around this year as well; the Merida taping was advertised for 03/14 at one point, and sources continue to differ on the existence of a 04/04 show (which might conflict with WrestleMania weekend bookings.) AAA can always change their mind.
The other part of it why it may just be “scheduled” is August 22nd is the same night as a WWE NXT Takeover event and NJPW’s solo return to Madison Square Garden for WrestleDynasty. It’s a conflict, though maybe not as big as it seems. The WWE & NJPW shows aren’t going to affect the Mexican audience. TripleMania is going to be the most-watched show that weekend if it is on over-the-air Azteca like last year. (It also may have the most fans attending.) If you are reading this ultra-niche website, you are probably going to watch TripleMania regardless of what else is going on – maybe there’s a chance you’ll watch it on delay or have two or three screens going, but you’ve already made your decision on watching AAA already. It’s the people who follow those other promotions or just follow what happens to be the big show of the night, who will probably be skipping out this year. TripleMania seemed to have it’s best-ever performance among casual and new viewers last year and it’s a shame the date conflict will make that harder to build upon. My educated guess is AAA didn’t know the date of at least the NJPW show when they set their date. There’s always a chance it could move, though airing on Azteca and availability for Arena Ciudad de Mexico would seem to make that tougher than any other show they run.
(Even if there is a conflict, I’m not sure raising the profile outside their home country totally matters to AAA. Last year’s positive reaction to TripleMania led to one scaled-down show in New York, a Pro Wrestling Tees store that was mentioned once and like never again, and little else. It’s good to have more people care about you but not so helpful when you’re not using that power.)
CMLL Informa mentioned Valiente will be out a week after being knocked out on Tuesday. He’s off Saturday and scheduled to return on next Tuesday’s Arena Mexico show. CMLL Informa has been announcing blocks for the tag team tournaments but there did not appear to be an announcement of Block B of the Mexican National Tag Team Tournament on the show.
El Planchitas has a story on the demise of Nacion Lucha Libre, who’ve not run any shows since November and are not expected to run shows again. The story told there is basically that it wasn’t Alberto’s fault even though he was the face of the company, Daniel Leal was the money guy, and Alberto believes even Daniel Leal got ripped off and is owed money. This seems to be said because there’s many wrestlers (Sangre Azteca, Ciberentico, Mr. Electro, Emperador Azteca, Super Nova named among them) who didn’t get paid for between two and five shows. I’m sure Alberto would prefer those people not come to him to ask for the money.
The story I had heard was Nacion Lucha Libre never did well and was originally going to be shut down after the third show (08/04 in Monterrey which turned out to be Hijo del Fantasma’s final pre-WWE show.) They decided to keep going, after a short break, but the lineups cut out almost all fly-in talents – and I guess they “saved” more money by just not paying people. The promotion never drew well, often drew poorly, and didn’t have any business plan outside of “Alberto and his friends will be there so of course people will show up.” Anyone paying attention to the initial press conference could tell Daniel Leal was a money guy over his head and being taken for it by everyone else involved. It is hard to find sympathy in people not getting paid when this was always going to be the end point; it was always going to last until no one could get any more money out of it, it never seemed like an actual business.
Planchitas also has a missing piece on the AAA & Aeromexico press conference, which was put together by the Mexico Tourism board. CMLL people were scheduled to be part of the press conference, got there, saw the AAA people, and walked out. This is pitched as a CMLL people being weird, which they are. It also seems like someone at the Mexico Tourism board didn’t do their job well if they didn’t realize CMLL & AAA at the same place would be an issue.
Audaz faces Templario on the WrestleRex show tonight in Pittsburgh. Audaz & Templario will be doing a meet and greet before the show. WrestleRex has streamed the show in the past though I’m not sure if they’re doing it this time.
03/14 MexaWrestling at Arena San Juan
Estrellita is wrestling on a 04/11 show in Mesa, Arizona. I don’t see Estrellita wrestling much anywhere (she was good for one match a month in CMLL and didn’t get one this month), so her popping up on a US indie show is unexpected.
Wotan & Hijo del Fishman will have a mask match on June 27th in Arena Xalapa. It seems odd to announce an indie match four months ahead of time but perhaps they’re expecting a lot of attention
Lineups
CMLL (MON) 03/02/2020 Arena Puebla
1) Astro, Asturiano, Meyer vs Centella Roja, Guerrero Espacial, Sombra Diabólika
2) Fuego, Joker, Stigma vs Dark Magic, Diamond, Okumura [Relevos Increíbles]
3) Audaz, Dulce Gardenia, Kráneo vs Hechicero, Shocker, Virus
4) Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero
5) Volador Jr. © vs Templario [NWA WELTER]
fifth defense
Some pleasant surprises: Volador & Templario is actually happening and the tournament finish seems to be going anywhere. Maybe the Puebla H2L show gets the first (and overdue) Guerreros/NGD trios title match? The second match feud continues as well.
CMLL (TUE) 03/03/2020 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Javier Cruz Jr., Leo, Omar Brunetti vs Frezzer, Furia Roja, Guerrero de la Muerte
2) Avispa Dorada, La Magnifica, Marcela vs Amapola, Dalys, La Comandante
3) Diamond, Explosivo, Pegasso vs Disturbio, Joker, Universo 2000 Jr.
4) Blue Panther, Fugaz, Kráneo vs Luciferno, Negro Casas, Terrible
5) Carístico, Diamante Azul, Volador Jr. vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
Main event is a rematch from last week. Both Jokers are making TV this week.