CMLL weekend results, IWRG turtle unmasked

The 2022 Tapatia awards are now open for the best of 2021.

CMLL

CMLL (SUN) 01/02/2022 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Angelito & Shockercito b Acero & Aéreo
2) Diamond, Magia Blanca, Magnus b Dark Magic, Disturbio, Enfermero Jr.
Tecnicos took 1/3. Disturbio replaced Espanto.
3) Dalys, Princesa Sugehit, Stephanie Vaquer b La Jarochita, La Vaquerita, Reyna Isis [Relevos Increíbles]
La Vaquerita replaced Lluvia. Team Sugehit took 2/3.
4) Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Sagrado b Hombre Bala Jr., Kráneo, Volcano
rudos took 2/3
5) Negro Casas, Niebla Roja, Terrible b Dark Panther, Soberano Jr., Titán
Dark Panther, Negro Casas replaced Volador Jr., Angel de Oro on Sunday. Rudos took 2/3.

Sugehit’s promos on Saturday talked about challenging for the tag titles with Dalys, so maybe that was the idea for the trios match here before Lluvia got removed.

CMLL (SUN) 01/02/2022 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Arena Coliseo Guadalajara, Arena Coliseo Guadalajara]
1) Aurelius & Maxiums b Atilius & Rey Urano 
2) Adrenalina, Estrella Oriental, Minotauro b Destrucción, Onix, Sombra Dorada 
Coliseo vs Jalisco
3) Bestia Negra, Difunto, Omega b Draego, Reggae Boy, Reycko 
Coliseo vs Jalisco
4) Explosivo, Fantástico, Gallo DDQ Makabre, Rey Tritón, Sniper 
Coliseo vs Jalisco. Gallo and Rey Triton unmasked each other for the double DQ. Challenges followed, as well as fighting in the interview area.
5) All Carrillo & Zandokan Jr. b Blue Panther & Cachorro Lagunero 
Zandokan Jr. unmasked Cachorro to pin him
6) Furia Roja, Guerrero de la Muerte, Ráfaga b Bárbaro Cavernario, Demonio Maya, Principe Daniel [super libre] 

Arena Coliseo Guadalara’s Facebook aired this show too; their willingness to stream everything for free is another sign of the difference between this branch and the main Mexico City office. Attendance did not look impressive but these Sunday shows weren’t drawing well prior to the pandemic; these might have done a little bit better than the 2019 versions.

CMLL (TUE) 01/04/2022 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Avispón Negro Jr., Bobby Black, Capitán Cobra vs Destello, Gran Kenut, Jabalí
2) Adrenalina, Estrella Oriental, Minotauro vs Destructor, Persa, Quka
3) Joker, Omar Brunetti, Vaquero Jr. vs Bestia Negra, Crixus, Omega
4) Blue Panther, Cachorro, Niebla Roja vs Maléfico, Satánico, Zandokan Jr.
Niebla Roja replaced Dark Panther on Monday
5) Bárbaro Cavernario, Demonio Maya, Principe Daniel © vs Furia Roja, Guerrero de la Muerte, Ráfaga [OCCIDENTE TRIOS]
first defense
6) Dr. Karonte I, Dr. Karonte II, Místico vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Averno, Templario
Averno replaced Polvora on Monday.

CMLL booked Dark Panther in both Arena Mexico and Arena Coliseo Guadalajara, so being pulled here isn’t a COVID issue. Or at least it wasn’t his COVID issue, maybe he was already a sub for someone. I believe the Dr. Karontes are Argos & Mini Murder Clown.

Puebla has a rematch of Negro Casas, Mistico and Volador versus Atlantis Jr., Soberano Jr. and Templario. Tuesday has the debuts of Pequeno Magia and Minos.

Marca lists CMLL as one of their 2022 streaming shows, noting it’ll only be available in Mexico.

On the 12/30 Kingdom show, Felino and local Matamoros wrestler Jaivo IV agreed to a hair match on a future Tamaulipas show.

Other News

IWRG (SUN) 01/02/2022 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, Mas Lucha]
Guerrero de Acero, 2022
1) Noisy Boy b Hell Boy, Lolita, Legendario, Rey Halcón Jr., Shalom [cage, Tesoro del Pirata Moreno] 
billled as wrestlers from Lucha Time, MexaWrestling and GALLI, though it’s mostly the usual crew. First two out advanced to a final match for the prize. El Tesero is a Money in the Bank like item, where Noisy Boy gets a title match or an apuesta matc h of his choosing.
2) Freelance b Aster Boy, Puma de Oro, Billy Jones, Sol, Legendario [cage, IWRG REY DEL AIRE, #1 Contenders]
3) Toxin b Jessy Ventura [IWRG MEXICO, cage, Ladder]
Sixth defense, 2nd straight against Ventura. Cage match but win via ladder match rules. Toxin asked for a IWRG WELTER title match.
4) Hijo del Fishman b Hijo del Espectro, Dick Angelo 3G, Hijo De Dos Caras, Canek Jr., Súper Nova, Texano Jr. [cage, IWRG JUNIORS, #1 Contenders]
the first person who escapes (after 10 minutes) wins a title shot on 01/08 against Hijo del Alebrije. Texano Jr. was added to the match.
5) Freelance b Dragón Bane © [IWRG REY DEL AIRE, cage]
Freelance won the title. Noisy Boy appeared to tease cashing in on Freelance.
6) Tortuga Leo L Satania, Bugambilia, Benga Lee, Hijo del Alebrije, Alpha Wolf, Diva Salvaje, Cerebro Negro, Akbal, Oficial AK47 [hair, mask, cage]
Bengalee defeated Leo, who was unmasked as Alejandro Mendez, 27, 12 years a wrestler

Mas Lucha has a photo of the unmasked Turtle. (No one else seems to cover the subscription-only show.) Leo doesn’t look very Turtle-ish without the mask. That main event finish is a rare bit of a woman defeating a man in a mask match. It was a multiperson win by escape match, but those are typically not mixed. Even when they re, they tend to end with man versus man or women versus woman playing off existing feuds. Bengalee was feuding with Satania towards a mask match before Bengalee picked up an injury and this might be a win on the route to that match.

Freelance as a singles champion in 2022 is odd. Maybe Dragon Bane and Alpha Wolf aren’t hanging around for long but Bane and IWRG are still on good enough terms to lose the title before moving on. They’re listed as card as far out as 01/15 so they don’t appear to beleaving soon.

I didn’t watch this but I was told there were issues with the stream.

On his podcast, Konnan mentioned AAA had plans to go to Japan and Colombia, though he took that last one back and said “South America” more generally. AAA ran a successful show in Colombia back in 2018, and then a much smaller and much less successful show in 2019; I think that one got canceled after the four AAA wrestlers who were sent got there. The successful show is well remembered, the follow-up not so much. AAA’s made many trips to Japan over the years; the most recent shows have been with small groups that just mostly exist to help out the shows together. That again seems more likely than AAA suddenly announcing a partnership with one of the bigger groups. Konnan did not mention the US, though I’m pretty sure AAA has plans for to go the US and it’s more Konnan being asked not to mention it. Who knows if any of this will or can even happen.

Konnan also said he was unsure if Rey de Reyes will be back on Fite but AAA plans to have different English announcers next time they do run PPV. He also mentioned Scarlett Bordeaux and Killer Kross among other ex-WWE people he expected to be back in AAA in 2022.

Meanwhile, AAA uploaded a Best of John Hennigan in AAA video to YouTube. “Johnny Mundo” is a Lucha Underground name which may be the reason they’re not using it, but that would also suggest they’re not that close to solving the issues with FMV. Which wouldn’t make sense with planning to run internationally in 2022.

The power went out during Saturday night’s Arena Neza show before the semimain. It had nothing to do with the building – a nearby transformer exploded – but it caused the show to be delayed for a while, then resumed with the ring light mostly by cell phones. They finished out the show as scheduled, with Fresero Jr. taking Mr. Electro’s hair in a cage match well after midnight. It looked like, at least when the lights were on, one of the biggest Neza crowd in some time. A lot of the crowd stuck with the show despite the power issue, though it’s a little harder to tall.

The last EMW show on 11/26 included a speech by Konnan stating EMW would be staying at a new Tijuana venue (Palenque del Parque Morelos); the idea seemed to be that EMW and The Crash would run different places in Tijuana and not be in conflict with each other. That concept has lasted zero shows. EMW has announced their weekend of shows, including a 02/05 show back at Auditorio de Tijuana. That’s one week after The Crash runs the same venue. Both The Crash and EMW are announcing names for that next show. EMW’s announced AAA names, The Crash has not, but they’re both just a couple of names in.

Rush posted a dramatic return video. Rush, Dragon Lee, and Bandido are officially free agents now; I’d guess Flamita and Rey Hours are as well given when they signed but I don’t know that for a fact. I’d bet on some ex-ROH wrestler showing up on one of the (three) AEW TV shows this week, though the hints point more towards Brody King than any of the luchadors.

San Luis Potosi luchador Tiger Boy (Joaquin Gustavo Chavez) passed away suddenly on Friday. This Tiger Boy was a long time regular at many of the local venues; I have him on shows going back to 2006, but it’s probably longer than that. He was active recently; he was on a lineup this weekend. No cause of death is mentioned. This is not the Tiger Boy who was in AAA in recent years.

Milenio visits Big Mami’s shop.

LuchaWorld has its picks for the top 10 luchadors of the year.