Arena Coliseo Guadalajara did not end up streaming Tuesday’s return-to-fans show. Not sure why, and also no results posted; there may have been more people there but we know less about the event than in past weeks. The building said they were allowing 300 people. I’m not confident about the “7,200” figure we have for that building on the luchawiki – that seems too big – but 300 is a small percentage number whatever capacity. There are photos of the show. It looks like they got all 300. I’m not sure about the idea that of roping off seats to the left and right of a group if someone’s still sitting directly behind them, but I’m not a doctor.
AAA held a virtual press conference (video via the Gladiatores) to talk about the AutoLucha shows, which start this Saturday. They’re two shows a day, at 6 pm and at 8:30 pm. The 6 pm show will have Poder del Norte versus Nino Hamburguesa, Laredo Kid, and Faby Apache in a main event and will also have a minis title match. The late show gets Chessman & Parka Negra vs Hijo del Vikingo & Psycho Clown. Each show will have four matches. Full cards for these shows usually came out a day or so prior, and that may be the same here. Tickets are 900 for cars, 1000 vans, and 1800 for special VIP seating, and bus tickets are 680 pesos for adults and 450 for kids.
A press release announcing tourist bus service for the shows (on the top section of an open-air bus) previously announced additional shows on Fridays April 2nd and April 9th, which Dorian Roldan confirmed. The March 20th show – this Saturday – will be taped for TV and at least one will stream on AAA’s social media (but for Mexico only.) The press conference notes suggest the April shows are being taped; I believe that’s a misunderstanding.
On Mas Lucha’s podcast, Jose Manuel Guillen mentioned AAA’s on the road to a Rey de Reyes show, but they’re not sure exactly when it’ll be.
Mas Lucha posted a video labeled “Important message from Blue Demon.” That important message is he’s’s doing an autograph signing. The comments are full of people who thought Demon was going to address his charges of death threats. Blue Demon’s strategy appears to be to pretend no one said anything. Maybe someone will ask at the autograph signing.
Demus and Akuma did a YouTube interview talking about Demus’ time and departure from CMLL. MicromanFever has a recap. It’s interesting. It is not the Demus thing people are about. Facebook page Motivacion Lucha Libre has a post of Whatsapp screenshots alleged to be Arena Rey Bucanero trainer Demus repeatedly hitting female his students going as far as accusing Demus of sexual assault. There are muddy issues here; it’s a Whatsapp conversation with no verification it’s actually Demus, there are different conversations and gossip between people who aren’t Demus thrown in, Rey Bucanero shows up to say Demus is not a trainer at his school and hasn’t been there for some time (he’s at CAR The Crash now), Motivacion Lucha Libre is a Facebook page which was pretty much dormant before this came out and wasn’t posting anything like this, and the person behind the page has reframed it as a “gossip people are talking about” rather than an accusation. On the other hand, there are always muddy issues with these things, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not true. If you want to experience the actual worst in internet discourse, travel into the comment section of that post and read the various debates on if the consensual or non-consensual nature of Demus’ Whatsapp conversation. Demus posted a video on his Facebook page (with a man with a distractingly failing face mask) denying the charges; that comment section is also a quagmire.
If this is true about Demus and he’s really hitting on his students, then that’s creepy and terrible. I don’t know for a fact that it’s true – even beyond the gossip and rumor, it’s also people talking in slang in a language I barely speak. This is also coming into a larger context of “how men treat/respect women” being the biggest political story in Mexico at the moment, and that’s transparently guiding some of the responses towards this situation. I feel highly unqualified to write about any of this, but it also feels impossible to not write about it. There’s enough there that I’d discourage a female friend from training with Demus to be on the safe side, though not enough that I solidly understand to be verifiable that he needs to go away. (And I’d probably always discourage any female friends from getting into wrestling on that level anyway because there are plenty of others who are like that and nothing is particularly done to drive them out, as much in Mexico as anywhere else. Which sucks.)
“Luchadoras”, a documentary about four female Mexican wrestlers from Ciudad Juarez, premiered at the SXSW Online Film Festival on Tuesday. It’ll likely appear at other film festivals, such as they can be held this year. Cine-Vue has a highly positive review of the movie, which deals with their struggles in a city with a high rate of violence towards women in general. Screen Anarchy talks to the directors, who hope viewers take some inspiration from the luchadoras fighting past the rough conditions. Arena Kalaka – the arena associated with Pagano – gets noted for being especially helping women.
CMLL Informa will have Felino Jr. (Tiger), Gran Guerrero, Amapola, and Oro Jr. as guests.
MLW tonight
- Los Parks (c) vs Injustice for the MLW Tag Team Championship
- Mil Muertes vs Parrow
I expect The Parks are retaining but I was dead wrong about a screw finish last week. They’re also teasing more information on their fake-LU “Azteca Underground” storyline.
AEW tonight
- Penta vs Cody Rhodes
- this will open the show
- Rey Fenix vs Angelico
Rey Fenix versus Angelico as a singles match is a first-time-ever in this hemisphere. It happened in England, but never in AAA, Lucha Underground, or The Crash.
It appeared Angelico had some issue that prevented him from making it to Jacksonville for the PPV but turned up on Dark. (Where his interference was ineffective, Jack still lost, Jack busted open 10 badly, the match had obvious problems before that, and now the entire episode is missing from AEW’s YouTube channel. Not a good night for TH2.)
03/21 RIOT “COVIDIOTAS” (streaming live for free)
- Latigo vs Erik Ortiz (winner gets a title shot)
- Hijo del Vikingo vs Arez
- Aramis vs.
JimmyIron Kid - Willy Banderas & Brian Villa vs Kamikaze & Prometo
Jimmy is off due after picking up an injury on Sunday; RIOT says Jimmy wanted to work through it but they told him not to take the risk. Still, no word on the severity, just that it’s still hurting him.
There’s one more match left to announce, but those are the key matches. The show will stream on the LuchaMania Monterrey YouTube channel. My understanding is the show will only be available live; it’ll go on the promotion’s Pivotshare later. The show will stream at 7 pm CT local (8 pm if you’ve changed your clocks; so starting against the second hour of the WWE PPV.)
Tamaulipas will now allow lucha libre events (& circuses) to run with 35% capacity. There’s been a scattered few no-fans shows in the state, but it’s largely been shut down for a year.
Lucha Time announced they’ll be running a show with fans on April 9th. They’ve had shows with fans already, this is just streaming live. Shows with fans are currently illegal in Monterrey, but Lucha Time has seemed to exist outside of those rules for months.
Lucha Memes announced 4th Anniversary shows for 04/18 and 04/25.
Mexico City luchador/local promoter Ice Killer & his wife Martha Valero are hospitalized due to COVID-19 complications. Axel is leading a fundraising drive.
DTU announced Hialdgo based luchador Aguila Misteriosa (38) passed away on Tuesday. Box Y Lucha notes he also wrestled as Super Mega Junior. He wrestled for DTU in their earliest years, showing up on cards from 2008 to 2014.
Puebla indie luchador Specimen (Jorge Eduardo Resendiz Palacios) passed away Sunday. Periodico Central says Specimen was riding on his motorcycle when he was by a car and died because of the accident. The car driver was taken into custody and released; Specimen’s daughter put a message on Facebook asking for more information and justice.
Luchador Gorilita Flores Jr. (68) passed away Sunday according to Box y Lucha. He was a Torreon luchador who was part of the Pavillon Azteca group in the 80s, credited with innovating on the tope.
The head of the Salamanca Box y Lucha commission, former luchador Sergio Gonzalez Castro (Acuario II), talked to the local paper about getting his COVID-19 vaccine. He had been infected by COVID earlier, though it wasn’t a serious case.
Lineups
IWRG (SUN) 03/21/2021 Arena Naucalpan
1) Cheff Benito, Chicanito, Halcón Galáctico, Legendario, Mexica vs Carrillo, El Manchas, Internacional Mara, Jorge El Salvaje, Pistoler [cage]
2) Baby Xtreme vs Baby Star, Relámpago, Aster Boy, Puma de Oro, Sobredosis [cage, #1 Contenders, IWRG REY DEL AIRE]
first who escapes gets the title match
3) Death Metal, Dick Angelo 3G, Súper Nova, Veneno vs Hombre Rojo I, Hombre Rojo II, Hombre Rojo III, Hombre Rojo IV [cage]
4) Eterno & Hijo del Espectro vs Demonio Infernal & Fresero Jr. [hair, mask, IWRG IC HEAVY, IWRG Rey del Ring]
5) Pasion Kristal vs Big Chico Che [hair, cage]
This doesn’t follow the card of last week. It instead appears to be the show originally planned for December with some slight adjustments. (The original main event was probably Pasion Kristal & Jessy Ventura versus Chico Che & Ovett.) The mystery men in red was an angle from late last year that didn’t seem to progress beyond “there are some mystery men in red attacking people”, but now they’ll have a match.
The poster for the semimain says the last person or last team will be the loser; I’m not sure how a team can lose, but maybe something weird will happen. It is strange to have Eterno put up his hair when Abismo Negro Jr. exists.
Vanguardia (SUN) 03/28/2021 Pachuca, Hidalgo
1) Devitt Rodríguez & Edward Guiterrez vs Dayami & El Mago
2) Amnesias, Cíclope, Gallo Extreme, Rey Furia, Slapier vs Billy, Dragón Boy, Falcón Fire, Jeff Killer, Lobo Blanco
3) Drolux & Moria © vs Gasparín & Simolo Azteca [BMLL TAG]
4) Jimmy vs Rey Dragón
15 minute time limit
5) Aeroboy & Calibus vs Ciclón Infernal & Jitsu
6) Crazy King & Miedo Extremo © vs ? & ?? [VANGUARDIA TAG]
Semimain is Vanguarida vs IAW. Second match is the Tijuana crew versus the Hidalgo guys. No hint on the main event team.