H2L trios tournament + women’s apuesta match announced, Atlantis Jr./Stuka Jr., IWRG

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 02/25/2022 Arena México [CMLL, Cronista del Ring, Estrellas del Ring, Furia de Titanes, Kaiser Sports, R de Rudo, The Gladiatores, thecubsfan]
1) El Suicida & Panterita del Ring Jr. b Eléctrico & Halcón Suriano Jr.   
11:48
2) Akuma, Dark Magic, Espanto Jr. b Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus  
13:15. Ola Negra (now with Dark Magic) took 1/3. The only three fall match on the show.
3) Dark Silueta © b Lluvia [MEX WOMEN]   
15:27. First defense
4) Averno & Templario b Mephisto, Atlantis Jr., Negro Casas, Cavernario, Hechicero, Euforia [Torneo Increible de Parejas, battle royal]
4:05
5) Atlantis Jr. & Stuka Jr. b Blue Panther & Negro Casas [Torneo Increible de Parejas, quarterfinal]
3:48
6) Mephisto & Volador Jr. b Hechicero & Sagrado [Torneo Increible de Parejas, quarterfinal]
3:40. Hechicero & Sagrado had issues after their loss.
7) Soberano Jr. & Templario b Cavernario & Titán [Torneo Increible de Parejas, quarterfinal]
6:39
8) Averno & Místico b Euforia & Último Guerrero [Torneo Increible de Parejas, quarterfinal] 
5:06. Euforia & Ultimo Guerreros had issues leading to his loss.
9) Atlantis Jr. & Stuka Jr. b Mephisto & Volador Jr. [Torneo Increible de Parejas, semifinal]
2:48
10) Averno & Místico b Soberano Jr. & Templario [Torneo Increible de Parejas, semifinal] 
8:55
11) Atlantis Jr. & Stuka Jr. b Averno & Místico [Torneo Increible de Parejas, final]   
6:18. Stuka challenged Atlantis Jr. to a mask match at HTL and attacked him with his trophy. Atlantis Jr. was stretchered out.

The main event angle was really strong, though more so in a vacuum. Atlantis Jr. was the rudo up until now, but Stuka attacked him here and Atlantis Jr. got the sympathy stretcher ride. That’s nothing new with Atlantis Jr.; it continues to come off like there’s an internal disagreement on Atlantis Jr’s role. Stuka also repeatedly challenged Atlantis Jr. to put up his mask at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, which CMLL had said Atlantis would have another match on that earlier in the night. It does appear CMLL’s going with this match, maybe all the way to September.

Stuka did apologize in advance to Atlantis Sr. for going after his son’s mask.

CMLL usually hands out small trophies for these tournaments, so shout out to the person who realized they needed to get something big for the Stuka/Atlantis angle to work.

The opener had good energy. Lluvia singles matches convince me she’s better as a tag wrestler. Really good turnout for this show, the best since the restart show. PPV seemed slightly up as well.

CMLL (SAT) 02/26/2022 Arena Coliseo [Box y Lucha, CMLL]
1) Full Metal & Minos b Acero & Aéreo
2) Dalys, Metálica, Reyna Isis b La Vaquerita, Marcela, Skadi
Rudas took 2/3, Dalys unmasked Skadi to set up the victory
3) Dark Magic, Misterioso Jr., Nitro b Flyer, Guerrero Maya Jr., Volcano
4) Esfinge b Rugido
Esfinge took 1/3
5) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Terrible b Fugaz, Soberano Jr., Star Jr.
Ingobernables took 1/3.

The CMLL recap calls Los Ingobernables as “polemico”. Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja still do get booed but the most recent reason they were booed – taking the Los Ingobernables name when it didn’t feel like they should be the group – feels moot. It’s just a thing faded into the background, people aren’t angry about it any more. That group of title has lots of title belts but don’t feel relevant.

CMLL (SUN) 02/27/2022 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Polvora b Kaligua & Pequeño Magía
2) Cachorro, Diamond, Sangre Imperial b Grako, Inquisidor, Raider
tecnicos took 1/3
3) Hijo del Villano III, Misterioso Jr., Okumura b Guerrero Maya Jr., Hombre Bala Jr., Magia Blanca
Rudos took 2/3. Hijo del Villano replaced Nitro on Friday.
4) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa b Pólvora, Rey Bucanero, Sagrado
Tecnicos took 1/3. Rey Bucanero replaced Hijo del Villano III (moved down) on Friday.
5) Atlantis, Místico, Titán b El Coyote, Felino, Negro Casas
Tecnicos took 2/3.

Nothing much of note here.

CMLL (TUE) 03/01/2022 Arena México
1) Apocalipsis & Valiente Jr. vs Cholo & Retro [Relevos Increíbles]
2) El Suicida, Eléctrico, Robin vs Disturbio, Enfermero Jr., Grako
3) La Guerrera, La Magnifica, Marcela vs Amapola, Dalys, Metálica
4) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Terrible vs Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Sagrado
5) Atlantis, Stuka Jr., Titán vs Felino, Negro Casas, Templario

There is no good reason to have a relevos incredible match in the opener, but there it is. Fourth match is a preview of the trios tournament in the next paragraph. Atlantis & Stuka probably should be fine teaming.

CMLL made a bunch of announcements on the 03/18 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show during and after Friday’s PPV. The full card has not been released, but it looks like:

• Panterita del Ring, Suicida, Oro Jr. vs Robin, Halcon Suriano Jr., Electrico
  • mentioned on the show, hasn’t been advertised elsewhere yet
• a women’s relevos suicidas and a apuesta match
• TJP & Volador vs Mistico & Averno
• and a four-team tournament for the vacant CMLL Trios championship
  • Ultimo Guerrero, Atlantis Jr., Gran Guerrero
  • Hechicero, Mephisto, Euforia
  • Sagrado & Los Gemelo Diablos
  • Angel de Oro, Terrible, Niebla Roja

All rudo teams in the trios title tournament. The Guerreros are the clear favorite for the trios titles, vacant since NGD and CMLL parted ways in August. In another promotion, Stuka might cost Atlantis Jr. the titles but that’s not something CMLL does (and that’s good.) This is a seven-match card as is, including a seeding battle royal, so that’s probably the whole card.

The women’s competition will actually start on March 11th, making for a two week eight-team tournament. It’s incredible pairs like the men’s tournament, except it’ll be the losers who advance. Teams:

• Marcela & Metalica
• La Jarochita & Tiffany
• Dark Silueta & Lluvia
• Stephanie Vaquer & La Magnifica
• Reyna Isis & La Vaquerita
• Princesa Sugehit & La Seductora
• Dalys & Skadi
• Amapola & La Guerrera

The quarterfinals and the finals will take place on March 11th. The final tag team match and the resulting apuesta match (hair/mask or hair/hair) will take place on 03/8. Isis & Vaquerita and Metalica & Marcela both recently feuded on Tuesday Arena Mexico shows, and Vaquerita’s the favorite to lose her hair. The CMLL women’s division has a lot of people who are never pushed and wouldn’t be hurt by a hair loss – Magnifica, Sedcutore, La Guerrera all are possibilities too.

H2L will be a TicketmasterLive show. It’s not up yet, figure on it being the expensive price. No TicketmasterLive shows are up for March yet.

Atlantis was officially added to the Guadalajara sports hall of fame on Friday. Olimpic swimmer and noted lucha libre fan German Sanchez handled his induction speech.

I’ve got into the pattern of just uploading CMLL stuff to the Google Drive and not saying much about it, so just a quick note: MVS’s internet feed was offline all weekend, so no matches from that show this week. The feed was back working Monday, so hopefully, that was just a one-weekend thing. There haven’t been set patterns to the CMLL B-shows since the second restart, so I’m not even exactly sure what was missed.

AAA

AAA aired the first two matches from Rey de Reyes on TV this week, with matches three and four airing next week. There are a lot of interviews and vignettes to stretch out the show, since this is one less week than usual. This week’s TV included the Arcano/Arcano match which joined in progress on the FITE brodcast. The two Arcanos were Komander and Hijo del Vikingo, and there was no explanation why two people in Arcano outfits were fighting. (Maybe the non-storyline reason was so they could do the Spider-Man pointing meme.) It seems crazy Vikingo was wrestling in a dark match to open the show and then came back for the main event, but everyone got away with it this time.

A vignette airing at the end of AAA’s TV show explained Microman is still with La Empresa, but they’re all angry with him and treated him poorly. It’s unclear why he wants to be in the group.

AAA is taping in Madero on Saturday, with a listed start time of 8pm. I’m not sure if we’ll find out if AAA will be streaming that show until the day of the show, so maybe don’t plan your day around it. The big news on the Madero taping teased by a Facebook page on Friday was 2×1 ticket deal in the cheapest section. That’s usually a sign tickets aren’t moving well and tickets not moving well is a reason AAA might not want to tell people you can see their show for free quite yet.

AAA continues to advertise LA Park for the Showcenter debut show even though LA Park isn’t on the lineup they put out. Maybe it’s an issue with the lineup, it’s not like those can be trusted.

Charly Manson says he’s had talks to return to AAA, but nothing has been confirmed. Anyone with AAA history is probably getting a call to see if they’re interested in coming back this year and Charly would make a lot of sense.

EMW says Tay Conti will appear on the 03/26 show, her Mexico debut. Conti was previously scheduled to wrestle in Mexico on the doomed Federacion Wrestling show. Conti and Sammy Guevara did a seemingly random challenge for the AAA mixed tag match last month, so maybe that’ll go somewhere now. Champions Arez (RIOT) and Chik Tormenta (Arena GDL) are advertised elsewhere that day, so the mixed tag title match couldn’t happen that day. They could set up for later. It would be the second pending AAA title match happening because AEW wrestlers pitched it on Twitter, joining Omega/Vikingo.

Between a desire to bring in people from the past and an urge to bring in people from the US, there are sure going to be a lot of people on AAA shows this year. If US wrestlers are only on cards to appeal to the US, this show would seem to be streamed in some way. My post about Conti on Twitter blew up much bigger than most talent announcements of that kind, so there seems like there’d be significant US interest in seeing her on this show. Willie Mack has also been advertised for that show.

Martinez Entertainment posted a low res video of their April 1st show poster. From what I can make out, AAA wrestlers Arez, Taurus, Psycho Clown, Laredo Kid, Mr. Iguana, Faby Apache, La Hiedra, Chik Tormenta, Aerostar, Aramis, Drago, and Pimpinela Escarlata are booked, as are Crazy Boy and Extreme Tiger. That’s probably the bulk of the Mexico-based group working the AAA show in Dallas the next day. AAA still hasn’t announced anything from that show; they’re going much slower than everyone else.

AEW announced they’re running in Ontario, California on June 3rd, which is said to be the start of a west coast tour. AAA has TripleMania in Tijuana on June 18th, which might line up for some crossover.

IWRG

IWRG (SAT) 02/26/2022 Arena Naucalpan [Mas Lucha]
1) Rey De Fuego & Súper Boy b Desastre & Último Caballero 
2) Gran Felipe, Guerrero Olímpico, X-Boy b Güero De Tijuana, Skanda, Villarreal  
3) Carnicero, Perseo, Rey Aztaroth b Blue Win, Jhon Tito, Rey Minos  
4) Caballero de Plata, Hell Boy, Sol b Garra Mortal, Kenji, X-Devil  
5) Fly Warrior, Fulgor, Satania b Karma I, Karma II, Mary Caporal  
6) Águila Oriental, Billy Jones, Calibus, Limbo, Noisy Boy, Spider Fly, Súper Cometa DQ Black Dragón, Cerebro Negro Jr., Cheff Benito, Legendario, Mexica, Puma de Oro, Rey Halcón  
FILL 93. FILL vs NGT. Puma de Oro originally used a foul to get the pin, but the referee reversed the call and awarded Noisy Boy the win by DQ. Both teams brawled post-match as if this was headed to a cage match.

This was good for a trainee show, with the fourth match and the main event getting the most attention. I don’t bother to track down the iTV feed most times but it’s the better version this time out.

IWRG (SUN) 02/27/2022 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, Mas Lucha]
1) Sol & Spider Fly b Águila Oriental & X-Devil  
2) Diosa Quetzal, Jesse Jackson, Sagitarius b Diosa Atenea, Lolita, Satania  
3) Caballero de Plata & Hell Boy DQ Cerebro Negro Jr. & Limbo  
4) Fulgor, Puma de Oro, Tonalli b Billy Jones, Chris Stone Jr., Veneno 
5) Séptimo Dragón & Toxin b Freelance & Relámpago and Accion Jackson & Dinámico and Aster Boy & Noisy Boy 
first IWRG match for Septimo Dragon since the start of the pandemic (and since his motorcycle accident.) Order of elimination: Freelance & Relmpago, Dinamico & Accion Jackson, Aster Boy & Noisy Boy after some interference
6) Alpha Wolf & Dragón Bane b Cerebro Negro & Dr. Cerebro  

This show was said not to have gone as well.

IWRG , LLB (THU) 03/17/2022 Arena Naucalpan
1) Fantasma De La Ópera I, Fantasma De La Ópera II, Power Bull vs Davo, Gravedad Cero, Ska Boy
2) El Divino, Juan Diego, Pinochito vs ?, Demencia, Hijo De Brazo De Platino
3) Big Mami & Mary Caporal vs Artemiz & Princesa Azul and ? & Sagitarius [LLB WOMEN TAG]
4) Freelance vs Aster Boy, Chicanito, Tonalli, Iron Kid, Belial, Impulso
5) Carta Brava Jr. (LLB), Cerebro Negro, Fantasma de la Ópera vs Corsario Negro, Drako, Fulgor
6) Cíclope & Miedo Extremo vs Alpha Wolf & Dragón Bane
7) Canek & Octagón vs DMT Azul & Fuerza Guerrera

This has an “IWRG” logo on the poster, but the card looks to be mostly a Lucha Libre Boom show. That main event shocked me with how poorly designed it is. Canek, Octagon, and Fuerza are very old and hard to watch without some nostalgia, but they generally know how to do just enough to give the people who are still into them what they want. DMT Azul is a guy who struggles working with guys his own age and hasn’t seemed adaptable. He’s in the match because promoters believe him to be a star but he’s a terrible fit for that match. It may just be bad, or it may be just the worst. The semimain too are two teams who are used to primarily doing their own style of matches and those aren’t really the same style; Los Macizos are more likely to adjust than Los Golpeadors. Fantasma de la Opera seems like he runs this promotion and has been around wrestling for a lot longer than I have, so maybe he’s seeing something here (like his fans just want to see the names and don’t care how they do) to put this together, but this has a chance to be a memorably poor show.

Other News

The Mexicali Box y Lucha commission suspended Hijo del Fishman for a year for an attacking local referee Peluche (Edgar Ramirez) on 02/19. Not sure what exactly happened. I’ve only found clips of the match and the referee who starts the match is not the one who ended it, but haven’t discovered why. I’m way behind on cataloging videos and it’s probably out there on one of them.

The RGR shows in the Los Angeles area this weekend seemed to do well; the Friday show was a sell out. PWR in Saturday also was said to do well.

Ciudad Juarez wrestler Hijo del Impostor will be now wrestling as Hijo del Cobrade, both name used by his father though Cobrade was the more important name. Another son had been wrestling as Hijo del Cobrade, though he hasn’t been wrestling much.

In Guadalajara, Demencia took Olimpo’s mask on Friday. Olimpo is Cuauhtemoc Mendoza, 9 years a wrestler, from Guadalajara.

GALLI on 03/13 has Lince Dorado, Psycho Clown, Arez, Aramis and Hijo de Dos Caras.

KAOZ’s return show on March 27th has Alberto vs Konnan Big vs Carlito vs El Divo vs Rey Escorpion in the main event. A lot of random tags underneath with Chris Masters also booked.

Robles Promotions is advertising Dragon Lee, La Bestia del Ring, Dralisitco and two mystery LFI members soon. Dragon Lee and Dralistico had already said Dementor and Rush were coming to the promotion and Rush is advertised for a 04/30 Robles show in Merida, not sure why it’s a mystery. Rush getting in on the Robles money train does explain why he’s probably not been in a hurry to pick up work in AAA or elsewhere.

MLW says they’ve signed Microman to a multi-year deal.

Komander is off, Aramis is on for RIOT’s La Rina tournament

Box y Lucha 3502 has Atlantis Jr. & Mercurio on the cover.

Segunda Caida watches some 1994 CMLL in Los Angeles matches.