Hijo del Tirantes/Lady Shani on Verano de Escandalo, more CMLL Aniversary mask challenges, weekend results

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 07/08/2022 Arena México [AS, CMLL, Cronista del Ring, Estrellas del Ring, Excelsior, Kaiser Sports, R de Rudo, The Gladiatores, The Gladiatores (video), thecubsfan]
1) Angelito, Pequeño Magía, Último Dragóncito b Mercurio, Minos, Pierrothito 
2) Akuma, Dark Magic, Espanto Jr. b Arkalis, Pegasso, Stigma 
3) Princesa Sugehit b Dark Silueta [CMLL WOMEN]    
5th defense
4) Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Hechicero b Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Terrible 
Cavernario beat Niebla Roja to set up a CMLL LH title match
5) Averno, Templario, Volador Jr. DQ Gran Guerrero, Soberano Jr., Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]  
Soberano unmasked Templario for the DQ. They accepted a mask match, and Averno accepted the hair match with Ultimo Guerrero.

Nothing great but a solidly enjoyable show.

Those were the expected challenges. We’re still missing Fuerza Guerrera agreeing to Atlantis’ challenge and Fuerza Guerrera agreeing to anything at all is the biggest possible news, so maybe that’s for last.

A Niebla Roja/Cavernario title match is a surprise, because CMLL should be busy enough Friday without it. Leyenda de Plata historically has been a cibernetico, but was a single-elimination tournament last year. Eight people in a block usually means CMLL single elimination tournament.

CMLL (SAT) 07/09/2022 Arena Coliseo [Box y Lucha, CMLL]
1) Átomo, Chamuel, Periquito Sacaryas b Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Mije 
2) La Vaquerita, Marcela, Skadi b La Seductora, Metálica, Tiffany 
Tecnicas took 1/3. CMLL listed as Hera replacing Magnifica earlier in the night, but Marcela ended up in the spot.
3) Panterita del Ring Jr. © b Inquisidor [MEX LIGHT] 
first defense, said to be one of the best Coliseo matches of the year.
4) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black b Felino, Hijo del Villano III, Pólvora 
tecnicos took 2/3
5) Negro Casas, Star Jr., Titán b Dragón Rojo Jr., Rey Bucanero, Templario 
tecnicos took 2/3

CMLL had a video crew filming the title match, so maybe we’ll get 3-5 minutes of highlights on Informa.

CMLL (SUN) 07/10/2022 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Full Metal, Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Violencia b Aéreo, Fantasy, Shockercito
Rudos took 2/3
2) Enfermero Jr., Inquisidor, Raider b El Valiente Jr., Oro Jr., Suicida
Inquisidor replaced Nitro early Sunday
3) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa b Disturbio, El Coyote, Okumura
Tecnicos took 2/3
4) Ángel de Oro © b Dark Panther [MEX LH]
first defense
5) Atlantis, Negro Casas, Volador Jr. b Euforia, Hechicero, Mephisto

I was told the title match went well by someone who was there. That show will air on AMX on July 22nd, but they only air three of the five matches and those choices seem more about what will easily fit the timeslot rather than picking the most interesting matches.

CMLL (TUE) 07/12/2022 Arena México
1) Bengala & Retro vs Dr. Karonte I & Dr. Karonte II
2) Astral, Robin, Sangre Imperial vs Disturbio, Enfermero Jr., Grako
3) Marcela, Princesa Sugehit, Skadi vs Amapola, Dark Silueta, Reyna Isis
4) Dark Panther, Dulce Gardenia, Panterita del Ring vs Felino, Hijo del Villano III, Pólvora
5) Star Jr., Stuka Jr., Volador Jr. vs Gran Guerrero, Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero

A show taking place on a Tuesday.

CMLL (TUE) 07/12/2022 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Johnny Dinamo, Micro, Último Ángel vs Jabalí, Ponzoña Jr., Tigre Blanco
2) Crixus, Omar Brunetti, Vaquero Jr. vs Bobby Black, Cris Skin, Javier Cruz Jr.
3) Audaz, Guerrero Maya Jr., Panterita del Ring Jr. vs Difunto, Joker, Omega
4) Mr. Trueno & Rey Trueno © vs Furia Roja & Guerrero de la Noche [OCCIDENTE TAG]
5) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs Averno, Mephisto, Zandokan Jr.

That tercera could be good.

The CMLL staffed show in Tijuana on Saturday appeared to draw poorly. Maybe Tijuana is going to struggle to attract a lot of fans following Tijuana, but CMLL outside of their home building doesn’t seem to do well.

AAA

we have a full Verano de Escandalo lineup

AAA TV (FRI) 08/05/2022 Nuevo Lienzo Charro, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes
Verano de Escandalo, 2022
1) ?, ??, ??? vs ????, ?????, ??????
locals dark match
2) Aramis, Mr. Iguana, Niño Hamburguesa vs Diva Salvaje, Dulce Canela, Jessy Ventura
Microman will be with the Iguana/Hambuergesa team
2) Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón vs DMT Azul, Puma King, Sam Adonis [AAA TRIOS]
3) Laredo Kid vs Willie Mack, Bandido, Johnny Caballero
4) Charly Manson, Pagano, Psycho Clown vs Abismo Negro Jr., Cibernético, Psicosis
6) Lady Shani vs Hijo del Tirantes [hair]
7) Fénix, Pentagón Jr., Taya vs Chik Tormenta, Hijo Del Vikingo, Taurus

So there sure was a reason they held off announcing the last match. The local promoter encouraged a round of applause from the assembled for the announcement of the Hijo del Tirantes/Lady Shani hair match. He was definitely excited about (and the media did clap, so I guess they were.) That match is already getting killed among fans on social media, which AAA expect would happen. Their case is probably that they need a mix of matches to appeal to the “family fans” who enjoy the silliness of Hijo del Tirantes rudo referee bit and to the “workrate fans” who are going to like the other matches on the card. Still, building big shows around the heel referee getting his head shaved paints AAA in a way that no amount of ‘workrate’ matches are ever really going to wash clean. AAA’s going be AAA, always.

Faby Apache and Hijo del Tirantes have been feuding for a decade and Faby vs Tirantes would be a bigger match. AAA moved the feud over to Shani earlier this year. It’s probably better long term for Shani to get the high profile win, but there’s little sign AAA is thinking that way. Faby has also vanished from AAA TV since TripleMania Monterrey and seemed downplayed all year.

Verano de Escandalo otherwise comes off as a TV taping with a special name. I was stunned when the press conference mentioned it’d air live on FITE and Space, because it doesn’t feel like something that’s going to get a lot of attention. (Most of the Showcenter lineups look more promising as internet shows, and they gave up on those immediately.) The people who buy everyone AAA show are going to buy this, but there’s no reason for anyone outside of Mexico – anyone who isn’t already getting it for free on Space – to pay $13 USD to see this live.

The main event is a pain point. There is no reason for Vikingo and Taurus, two long-term rivals, to team and there’s no reason to expect AAA will try to explain it. Chik Tormenta doesn’t make sense as a partner for either of them either. It feels like AAA just asked Fenix, Penta and Taya who’d they’d like to work with, and that’s what they came up with. If that is the reason, I’d at least take a promo explaining. Instead, they’ve given us many promos teasing this group, announcing this group, then somehow regressing to pretending they hadn’t announced the group, and all along talked about how important it was to have Arez a part of it. This would’ve been a good chance to actually have Arez as part of the group and he’s not, and I’m not sure why he got destroyed by the Vipers over all of it. The match will be great but AAA is making minimal amounts to make you want to see the great matches.

This trios match as the main event, and AAA’s previous announcements of future shows, also clinches the the matches teased at TripleMania Tijuana won’t be happening until Mexico City. That’s at the soonest; I can’t imagine AAA finding room for a Flammer/Taya title match on TripleMania card, especially when they’ve simultaneously set up a Taya/Thunder Rosa match. (Flammer’s best hope at actually getting that title shot is being an extra woman in that match to get pinned.) A build up Fenix/Vikingo trios match here all but confirms that’s the TripleMania title match. That’ll be great, but also probably closes the book on the Omega/Vikingo match happening as one time promised this year. There are a lot of matches AAA’s failed to deliver on and this one doesn’t even seem their fault, but I suspect people are going to be unhappy about it when they figure it out it’s not happening. (I guess it’s theoretically possible AAA could do a Fenix/Omega/Vikingo match still, but it’s not something fans should be expecting.)

I was surprised to see NGD and La Empresa in the second match after so much time AAA’s spent putting both teams over all the tecnicos for the last year. But, again, nothing really matters here (and both would be facing someone more important if he was meant to be something.) There’s a lot of banking on Bandido vs Laredo Kid vs Willie Mack vs Johnny Caballero will be a great match – Dorian Roldan went as far as saying it’d be a five star match – and that might be an unfair expectation. There’s a lot of goofiness on this show and that and the main event are being expected to be the counter balance.

AAA TV this week was fine, maybe good. The opener (Dulce Gardenia, Mamba, Draztick Boy vs Komander, Aramis, Drago Kid) had the most excitement and the most brutal ankle injury for Mamba. I didn’t get into the NGD vs Psycho, Pagano, Penta main as much as everyone else, but the crowd reacted strong to the idea Pagano might end the NGD win streak. There’s just something missing with NGD for me.

The angle focus was Pagano and Cibernetico teasing their hair match, the same thing they’ve been doing since February and will do until at least October. Nothing noteworthy has happened in between. Zorro got a nice reaction in his return in his old character, though the trios match he was in didn’t go well.

Keyra said she was done with AAA for the time being and fully independent. Keyra hasn’t been used on TV since Rey de Reyes and has been working with Robles since April, so she might have made this move a while ago.

IWRG

IWRG (SUN) 07/10/2022 Arena Naucalpan [Cronista del Ring, IWRG, Mas Lucha, R de Rudo]
1) Spider Fly b Rey Aztaroth  
2) Baby Star Jr. & Brillante Rb b D Andrew & Limbo  
3) Aster Boy, Caballero de Plata, Legendario b Fly Warrior, Fulgor, Hell Boy 
4) Cerebro Negro, Cerebro Negro Jr., Dr. Cerebro b Dick Angelo 3G, Shaun Moore, Tonallli 
win via unseen foul. Black Terry and Legendario got involved post match to tease a 4v4
5) Mary Caporal, Óscar El Hermoso, Yuriko, Zoy Raymunda b Diva Salvaje, Jessy Ventura, Kerya, Paymon   
Paymon betrayed his teammates. Keyra and Mary Caporal added to the match.

Paymon getting something to do suggests he’s not the person just in to lose his hair; it would be unlike a Mexican cage match to resolve an actual feud. Keyra & Mary Caporal were added to the main event because they’re also going to be in the cage match; IWRG’s used women in the La Jaula de las Locas prior.

Other News

Box y Lucha 3501D looks to have Tigre Hispano coverage.

AIW announced Drago for their annual JLIT tournament on 08/19 and 20th.

Photos from an upcoming “El Halcon” movie; they’re taking the mask used by Danny Ortiz for an unrelated drama. Haven’t seen this mentioned before, not sure when it’s coming out.

The family of Queretaro’s Dragon de Oriente I announced he’d be “taking a break” from wrestling due to problems with his nervous and neurological systems. It sounds like they’re still looking for the underlining cause.

Casandro helped cut the ribbon on a photo exhibit about his career in El Paso. Casandro was in a (often hidden) wheelchair last time he appeared in public, so seeing him standing for the ribbon cutting seems like great progress.