Arturo Rivera (1954-2022), Fugaz/Volador tonight, Mascara Dorada returning to CMLL,

Arturo Rivera

Arturo “Rudo” Rivera (67) passed away Wednesday night. Arturo Rivera had been ill for a while – a notice asking for blood donations went viral last week – but the exact specifics of his illness had been kept private. Wrestlers memorializing his death hinted it being COVID-19, though far from definitive (and doesn’t seem to explain the need for blood donations.) Arturo Rivera Jr. didn’t mention what happened, but talked about his father being taken to the hospital by ambulance, then showing signs of recovery the last few days before it turned much worse.

Arturo Rivera was famous for being the first and most well-known heel announcer in Mexican wrestling. There are others who’ve done the heel bit since, but no one as well known and well-identified with it. Rivera had an unplanned entry into wrestling. Televisa treated their coverage of (then) EMLL wrestling as just another sport and would pull in announcers from other sports the network covered when they needed a fill-in. Rivera, who mostly worked on soccer, and his long-time partner Dr. Alfonso Morales were two such people who ended sticking in lucha libre. Morales grew popular because deeply studied lucha liber to catch up. Rivera also learned, but it was his big personality and idiosyncratic sayings that caught on. Antonio Pena selected Rivera to call AAA’s matches when the promotion started and encouraged him to take more of a Jessy Ventura rooting for the heels personality. The idea hadn’t been done in Mexico prior, but it worked for AAA & Rivera, and he became a signature part of AAA through its 26 year run on Televisa.

Arturo Rivera remained technically a Televisa employee though he was only covering AAA after the promotion got started. He also worked as a commentator for morning TV shows (talking politics as much of sports), had a popular radio show, and wrote columns for the lucha libre magazines at times. AAA left Televisa in 2019 to go to TV Azteca, and Rivera stayed behind with Televisa. Rivera’s performance had diminished greatly by the final few Televisa years, seeming disinterested in the wrestling and more prone to digress into other topics. He also battled alcoholism and talked later in life about friends convincing him to go to rehab. Azteca supplied their own announce crew for the AAA show after the move, and AAA went with other people for their own in-house broadcast on Space. Televisa used Rivera as a personality on other TV shows for a year before letting him go in a wave of cuts, after 37 years total with the TV company. AAA brought Arturo Rivera back as a guest host on their Lucha Capital Facebook series and other content but seemed to quietly part ways again. Rivera had done interviews talking about his life over the last month and seemed upset about how his time with AAA ended, accusing them of blocking him for working with AAA wrestlers. He seemed like a guy who believed he would be with Televisa and AAA for his entire life and was bitter it wasn’t the case. Rivera ended up with many other ex-AAA wrestlers in Robles Promotions over the last year, working in a sort of master of ceremony role. He remained well-known, though the same issues seen in his last few AAA years were visible there as well.

A journalist who becomes more of a wrestling character could engender disdain from his fellow (or former) media friends, but Arturo Rivera seemed very well liked by other journalists. There were nearly as many media people talking about how much they liked Rivera as wrestlers.

One of Arturo Rivera’s most famous sayings was “Arriba los rudos, los rudos, los rudos y el Atlante”, the latter in tribute to his favorite soccer team. Atlante paid tribute to him on Twitter. Rivera noted in one of those interviews that he actually got the idea for the saying from an Arena Coliseo fan, who turned out to be the father of a famous bullfighter.

Another of Arturo Rivera’s bits was yelling “It’s not going to happen like it did in (the town of) Caborca”, while never explaining what terrible thing happened in Caborca. Knowing Rivera’s style, it was probably just a phrase he made up with no meaning, but one news article went over the many guesses at what Rivera was referncing.

Infobae relates a story about Arturo Rivera confronting then Mexico City Lucha Libre commission head Luis Spota in 1985 to interview/interrogate him about why lucha libre wasn’t permitted on TV locally. The version of the story told by Rivera is Spota said they were worried children would begin to emulate the luchadors, which Rivera counted by pointing out none of the children who watched Superman were trying to fly. (The “kids might try to do wrestling moves” concern was used when lucha libre was originally banned from Mexico City TV in 1950s.) Spota died soon after and the article tries to imply this discussion and Spota’s passing led to the policy changing with the next leadership, though in reality there was still a few years before lucha libre would be back on TV.

Marisela Pena announced Arturo Rivera would be added to AAA’s Hall of Fame.

ESTO points out Arturo Rivera called the 1997 Royal Rumble as part of AAA/WWF partnership at the time.

Mas Lucha did a special late night show on Wednesday talking about both Super Muneco and Arturo Rivera.

CMLL choose not to acknowledge Arturo Rivera’s passing, something that was noted on social media. CMLL nowadays gets few responses on Twitter in general so the negative ones stick out more, and there were people who were angrily asking CMLL to say something. Arturo Rivera worked on EMLL shows as a Televisa employee from about 1983 to 1992, then returned in 2006-2007 when Televisa reunited him and Dr. Morales as hosts as a ratings stunt, one CMLL wasn’t thrilled with. Rivera was critical of CMLL and may have tried to recruit people to AAA upon its founding, something CMLL always has held against people from that era. (It’s why Octagon returning to CMLL was so unexpected; suing AAA certainly helped absolve him.) Rivera wasn’t a perfect soul, there’s gossip about negative choices he made that I don’t have the proof or the inclination to write about upon his passing, but it’s enough to say others might feel the same disdain towards him as the people in charge of CMLL. The difference is CMLL is a public-facing entertainment company, and almost all of those would normally would put out a memorial statement even through gritted teeth for a famous person they didn’t like, if only to avoid the negative reaction for doing so. It’s a reaction people take for granted in a culture where protecting the brand matters more than anything else. For better or worse, CMLL is different, and negative fan reaction to a decision is a very low, perhaps non-existent concern.

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 02/11/2022 Arena México
1) Angelito & Último Dragóncito vs Mercurio & Minos
2) La Vaquerita, Marcela, Skadi vs Dalys, Reyna Isis, Stephanie Vaquer
3) Dulce Gardenia, El Audaz, Esfinge vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
4) Volador Jr. © vs Fugaz [NWA WELTER]
9th defense
5) Euforia, Hechicero, Mephisto vs Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Terrible

This is a TicketMaster Live show for 99 pesos. Fugaz gets a really big chance and has had inconsistent results. I’m not sure if CMLL has enough attention to even make a new big star at this point, but this would be the match to do it if they could. CMLL again is calling this “Historic Welterweight” without mentioning the NWA, but the media hasn’t picked up on it. Fugaz didn’t seem to know last week.

The main event is Infernales versus Ingobernables, a big match on paper that doesn’t feel like one. The new Ingobernables barely team, are inconsistently aligned, and haven’t been accepted in that identity. The Reyna Isis & Vaquerita feud may move to Friday or might be ignored.

Minos makes his return. There’s a minis match just about every show right now. Minis generally get the worst pay on the CMLL roster, so frequent minis matches may be a way for CMLL to run less expensive shows while still booking the same number of bodies. In CMLL’s defense (kinda), this could also be the result of not enough people passing COVID tests to put on more main division matches.

CMLL (SAT) 02/12/2022 Arena Coliseo
1) Acero, Aéreo, Pequeño Magía vs Mercurio, Pequeño Pólvora, Pequeño Violencia
2) Eléctrico, Leono, Retro vs Disturbio, Grako, Inquisidor
3) Diamond, Guerrero Maya Jr., Hombre Bala Jr. vs Dark Magic, Nitro, Okumura
4) Dulce Gardenia vs Virus
5) Místico & Templario vs Atlantis Jr. & Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]

Templario & Ultimo Guerrero keeps going. CMLL Informa had no highlights of Templario/UG, so it may have not been taped.

CMLL (SUN) 02/13/2022 Arena México
1) Kaligua, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito vs Full Metal, Mercurio, Minos
2) Eléctrico, Robin, Sangre Imperial vs Inquisidor, Nitro, Raider
3) La Guerrera, La Magnifica, Lluvia vs Amapola, Dark Silueta, Tiffany
4) Ángel de Oro, Dulce Gardenia, Niebla Roja vs El Felino Jr., Pólvora, Rey Bucanero
5) Cavernario, Místico, Star Jr. vs Atlantis, Atlantis Jr., Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]

Star Jr., La Guerrera, La Magnific and Dark Silueta pop up as names who haven’t been around here for a while. angel de Oro & Niebla Roja back to being a tecnico.

CMLL (MON) 02/14/2022 Arena Puebla
1) Espíritu Maligno & Siky Ozama vs El Malayo & King Jaguar
2) Pegasso & Sangre Imperial vs Enfermero Jr. & Grako
3) Panterita del Ring Jr. vs Rugido
4) El Audaz, Fugaz, Stigma vs Felino, Hijo del Villano III, Luciferno
5) Místico, Titán, Volador Jr. vs Averno, Cavernario, Templario

Panterita Jr. & Rugido is weird enough to be interesting. Averno returns after being missing for a month; maybe CMLL is reaching on the other side of this.

CMLL (TUE) 02/15/2022 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Cosmos, Micro, Último Ángel vs Destello, Ponzoña Jr., Relámpago Azul
2) Náutica vs Valkiria
3) El Divino, Luminoso, Mágico vs Gran Kenut, Javier Cruz Jr., Quka
4) Crixus, Flash, Gallo vs Joker, Omar Brunetti, Vaquero Jr.
5) Principe Daniel vs Zandokan Jr.
6) Exterminador & Maléfico vs Bestia Negra & Difunto [super libre]

Like I mentioned Wednesday, the main event feels like it’s going to a hair vs mask match. It’s also tough to imagine doing one with crowds low due to current pandemic situation. Mexico seems like they’ve just reached the other side of the most recent COVID-19 wave, and it may take a while for more people to feel comfortable attending shows again.

Mascara Dorada made a surprise (remote) appearance on CMLL Informa Wednesday, announcing his imminent return to the promotion. Dorada said he was waiting on some paperwork to be finished for a specific date; perhaps that’s a work visa. The show heavily teased Templario as his first opponent. Templario or Euforia would be the best possible opponents for a Mascara Dorada return match.

Julio Cesar Rivera was back on the Informa show after being off for the last two weeks. He was previously said to be on vacation. CMLL’s been shady about talent missing shows due to COVID, so it’s hard to believe someone who is on TV every week being gone for two weeks in the middle of February on a vacation. A column in this week’s Box y Lucha #3500 mentions JCR is officially part of the CMLL booking committee; he’s been contributing ideas in the past and the column credits the renewed focus on trios (like the Gemelos/Sagrado Los Malditos team) to his influence. Mascara Dorada could’ve made the same announcement last week and it’s unlikely a coincidence CMLL held it off until Julio Cesar Rivera to present it.

A different column in the same edition of Box y Lucha says the CMLL wrestlers were backed out of shows in late January/early February (Ultimo Guerrero with Vanguardia, Mistico & Mephisto with Legend) were told they would be suspended for a month if they worked those shows over COVID-19 concerns. Box y Lucha typically doesn’t have many scoops, with this one turning up mostly because the author was upset about those late changes.

Reyna Isis mentioned she’s working through a right shoulder injury, pushing the idea she needs it 100% because of the seriousness of her feud with Vaquerita.

Atlantis’ induction into the Jalisco sports hall of fame will take place on February 25th.

Stuka Jr. made the case that Atlantis Jr. could actually could possibly lose his mask (and he could be the one to win it) because an unmasked Atlantis Jr. could then go to the WWE and have a good career there. This is a good crazy Stuka bit. The problem is there’s a growing discrepancy in how Atlantis Jr. is viewed in Mexico (one of the brightest young stars in wrestling) and how Atlantis Jr. is viewed in the US (not at all.)

Volador would like an Anniversario hair versus hair match.

Japan’s ambassador visited Arena Mexico as part of a photo opportunity.

AAA

Not much. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter mentions Konnan is questionable for Rey de Reyes due to ongoing health problems, which will eventually require another kidney replacement.

The WON also mentions the Showcenter Monterrey shows will air on Multimedios, which I should’ve pieced together since Multimedios was part of the presentation on Tuesday. Multimedios is on some cable systems in the US and has an internet stream. I should be able to record/stream it if AAA doesn’t. Let’s hope AAA does anyway.

Saturday’s AAA show on Space should be another collection of matches from late 2021 as a “the road to Rey de Reyes” episode.

Rey de Reyes is not listed on FITE as of yet. Impact, who is running the same day, has had their show listed for weeks. This would be concerning for any other promotion and is normal for chronically chaotic AAA. Maybe start to care if it’s still not on sale on Monday, but the worst that’ll happen is I’ll just end up streaming it on Twitch if it’s not offered on by FITE for whatever reason. It’ll be a problem for AAA but at some point it becomes hard to care about promotions causing problems for themselves. (Your next question might be “is there any update on the lawsuit and could this be related to that?” and there is no update on the lawsuit.)

Black Taurus will face (and likely lose to) JONAH on Impact’s No Surrender PPV on 02/19. That’s the same day as Rey de Reyes and why he’s not on the AAA show.

AAA posted a video of Puma King berating some unseen person off-screen. This was a bit started a few weeks ago and hadn’t been followed up lately; maybe it was supposed to play out over in Merida. El Consejo has had unnamed (and unexplained) masked minions helping them in their matches, which usually seemed like either prelim wrestlers or other people just who happened to be around that week. It was often incredibly lame for unexplained people to be doing top rope moves during matches on the tecnicos, but AAA didn’t seem too bothered. This angle might be getting someone permanently in the role and gave them an identity, which would be a slight improvement.

Other News

Both LuchaWorld and SuperLuchas have good obituaries for Super Muneco. Both note it was not-yet-Super Muneco’s high school girlfriend who found out he was a luchador and suggested the idea of a clown luchador based on popular clowns Cepillin and Chuchin.

Ricky Boy mentioned he was the one who took Super Muneco to the hospital and says Muneco died of a lung issue. It’s believed to be COVID-19 but wrestlers generally are reluctant to say so.

Aguila Dorada (Juan Alcazar, 86) passed away Wednesday. He was a luchador in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, where his biggest moment in history was founding the old wrestler’s union with Adolfo Bonales and later founding a retired wrestler’s group with Pompin and Caballero Tiger. He also founded two different soccer teams.

Aguila Dorada’s death got a lot more media coverage than usual for someone who hasn’t been active in wrestling for 40 years; it came off as sites got (perhaps unexpectedly) high traffic for Super Muneco and Arturo Rivera stories and gave more attention to the next lucha libre death as a result. It’d be nice if that translated to coverage of lucha libre outside of deaths.

San Luis Potosi luchador Steel Fox (Octavio Hernandez Gonzalez) passed away on Thursday. His brothers Galaxia 79, Dimension 2000 and Cirujano were also wrestlers, with Cirujano passing away last year.

Penta teased “the return of Penta Oscura” on AEW this Wednesday. This appears a take on his Lucha Underground Pentagon Dark version without getting in trouble for the name; Oscura is close enough to Dark. Here is an incomplete list of names this man has used playing largely the same character

• Pentagón Jr.
• Pentagón Dark
• Penta El Zero M
• Penta el 0M
• Penta 0M
• Penta Zero M
• Pentagon Zero M
• Penta
• Penta Oscuro

The Pentagón Dark character was storyline born out of the idea of Vampiro becoming Penta’s manager. (In real life, it appeared to exist because LU/FMV wanted to make sure they owned part of the wildly popular character.) I would be stunned if Vampiro showed up in AEW and I wouldn’t imagine him being happy there for long if he did show up in AEW.

Pagano challenged Hammerstrone for the MLW title on yesterday’s YouTube show. It looks like Microman’s debut match airs in two weeks.

Lucha Memes (SUN) 03/06/2022 Arena Querétaro
1) Rey Apocalipsis & Toro Bill Jr. vs Alex Guajardo & Lince
2) Corsario Negro Jr. (Estado de México) & Drako (Estado de México) vs Drabek I & Trono
3) Rey Cometa vs Miike
4) Hijo del Solar & Solar I vs Dragón de Oriente I & Dragón de Oriente II
5) Aeroboy vs Kastigador
6) Ricky Marvin vs Vengador
7) Hechicero (CMLL) vs Matt Makowski

I’m still a little concerned CMLL wrestlers will be allowed to wrestle outside dates, but I supposed we won’t know for sure until day of this show. Mike/Cometa might be the match of the night if they’re motivated. This will air on IWTV at a later date.

LuchaWorld has the Lucha Report.