Negro Casas & Dalys jump to AAA, Rocky Romero dethrones Volador Jr., Cassandro

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 01/20/2023 Arena México [CMLL, Estrellas del Ring, Kaiser Sports, Quadratin, R de Rudo, The Gladiatores, The Gladiatores (videos), thecubsfan]
1) Leono, Neón, Valiente Jr. b Apocalipsis, Enfermero Jr., Nitro   
12:34
2) Metálica, Reyna Isis, Tiffany b La Jarochita, Lluvia, Princesa Sugehit   
15:27. Isis pinned Sugehit with help from Metalica, setting up a rematch next week
3) Euforia, Hechicero, Mephisto b Blue Panther, Panterita del Ring, Valiente   
15:06
4) Ángel de Oro, Bárbaro Cavernario, Niebla Roja DQ Dragón Rojo Jr., Oráculo, Templario   
13:40. Straight falls, Oraculo fouling Angel de Oro in the second fall.
5) Rocky Romero b Volador Jr. © [NWA WELTER]   
16:56. Rocky wins with a top rpoe cross armbreaker. Volador falls on 9th defense. Romero is 10th (or 67th) champion. Romero declared himself the new face of CMLL and said Volador would have to defeat him to get his hair match.

This show aired for free on YouTube. CMLL claimed TicketmasterLive had an issue making them unable to carry the show. TicketmasterLive still took money for the show and continued to have the listing up after the CMLL announcement that they wouldn’t carry the show. (I know, I accidentally bought it without realizing it wasn’t airing.) Everyone is supposed to get a refund for the show automatically; that took a while last time, but it did happen. It was very fortunate timing for CMLL to happen to have a show for free, with a hot crowd and a big main event clearly intended to set up more matches down the line. This was a show CMLL ought to offer for free if they had a choice in it. I’m a little suspicious about the Ticketmaster issue, but I’ve got nothing beyond suspicions. It was really good luck for CMLL if it just worked out that way.  I was too distracted by the match to keep an eye on the numbers, but a Twitter poster said CMLL hit around 12,000 live viewers during the main event. That’s much better than they’ve done on their other streams.

Volador/Romero is the best match in Mexico so far. They worked well together, they took the match up and down, Volador showed a lot of range, Rocky worked well as his opposition and the crowd was totally there for the match. It was something watching this match on Friday and then seeing the AAA on Space replay of Saturday where Vikingo & Bandido were doing more incredible stuff but with a fraction of the audible reaction. Rocky focused on Volador’s arm before finally winning it by submission cleanly; they made Romero look as strong as possible.

This is clearly not the end of the story. It’s also a clear difference between CMLL and AAA. CMLL put rudo Romero over clean, where championship winning foreign rudos in AAA always have to cheat to try to get that extra portion of heat. CMLL and AAA both seem convinced that the outsider will come back to put over their homegrown wrestler later on; CMLL historically has been more effective at pulling off that part of that deal.

The rest of the show was fine. The opener felt long and not good, the women’s match had it’s weakpoints. Blue Panther is the undisputed “old man who gets the crowd going” with Casas out of town. Semi-main was not much, and it’s notable how Barbaro Cavernario just kind of fades into the background nowadays.

CMLL (SAT) 01/21/2023 Arena Coliseo [CMLL]
1) Bengala, Cachorro, Retro b Cholo, Inquisidor, Príncipe Odín Jr. 
Tecnicos took 1/3 despite Bengala leaving on a stretcher
2) La Guerrera, Marcela, Skadi vs La Seductora, Metálica, Reyna Isis 
Skadi return from injury. Tecnicas took 2/3.
3) Arkalis, Guerrero Maya Jr., Stigma b Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido 
Fuerza Poblana took 2/3.
4) Euforia, Oráculo, Rocky Romero DQ Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero 
Team Orcaulo took 1/3, Angel de Oro fouling Oraculo
5) Soberano Jr. b Templario 
Soberano took 2/3.

Templario/Soberano sounds like it was along the lines of their previous matches. (Their previous one went up on CMLL’s YouTube this weekend.)

CMLL (SUN) 01/22/2023 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Pequeño Polvora, Pequeño Violencia, Pierrothito b Acero, Aéreo, Fantasy
2) Capitán Suicida, Diamond, Eléctrico b Dr. Karonte I, Okumura, Raider
Suicida now known as Capitán Suicida (but gimmick is otherwise the same.) Tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa b Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
Dulces AtrapaSuenos took 2/3.
4) Sagrado © b Valiente [MEX HEAVY]
2nd defense
5) Ángel de Oro, Místico, Volador Jr. b Atlantis, Oráculo, Rocky Romero [Relevos Increíbles]
Team Volador took 2/3, a clean victory. Angel de Oro & Volador challenged Oraculo & Rocky Romero to a hair match.

No title change. Angel de Oro & Volador vs Orauclo & Rocky Romero would be very good, but I’m not sure why they’d combine those two feuds after Friday.

Suicida is now Capitan Suicida, which is probably due to Mike (Suicida) Segura having that name first. Capitan Suicida needs to get at least a hat.

CMLL Guadalajara also had a charity show on Sunday, but there’s no results and I haven’t had time to work them out myself yet. Maybe later.

CMLL (TUE) 01/24/2023 Arena México
1) Acero, Aéreo, Último Dragóncito vs Pequeño Polvora, Pequeño Violencia, Pierrothito
2) La Guerrera, La Magnifica, La Vaquerita vs Amapola, La Seductora, Tiffany
3) Fuego vs Felino Jr. [lightning]
4) Astral, Hombre Bala Jr., Volcano vs El Coyote, Kráneo, Okumura
5) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs Euforia, Hechicero, Mephisto
6) Místico vs Stuka Jr.

Stuka and Mistico was agreed to last Tuesday. The lightning matches appear to be back, though it may be connected to having a singles match main event. (Or a tournament on Friday.) Three Tiffany matches in eight days seems wrong.

CMLL (FRI) 01/27/2023 Arena México
1) Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso, Stigma vs Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido
2) La Jarochita, Lluvia, Princesa Sugehit vs Metálica, Reyna Isis, Tiffany
3) Capitán Suicida vs Virus [lightning]
4) Místico vs Templario, Atlantis Jr., Gran Guerrero, Fugaz, Stuka Jr., Soberano Jr., Dragón Rojo Jr., Panterita del Ring Jr., Bárbaro Cavernario [Reyes del Aire]
5) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Volador Jr. vs Oráculo, Rocky Romero, Titán [Relevos Increíbles]

Volador and Titan being in the main event explains why they’re no in Reyes del Aire. I hope they go with the storyline that NJPW’s Rocky Romero is forcing Titan to team with him.

Suicida & Virus should be fun. Women’s match is the rematch. This should be a good show. CMLL says this is back on Ticketmaster.

CMLL wrestler(s) will participate in the All Star Junior Festival on March 1st. It includes about 20 different Japanese promotions; CMLL is the only promotion participating outside of Japan participating. March 1st is the day after Fantastica Mania ends, so all it takes is an extra hotel day and a later flight to get some CMLL people on the show. Everyone is already booking big singles matches but a one-night show with 20 promotions sounds like many tag matches.

TUDN has a video interview with Chamuel.

AAA

AAA TV (SAT) 01/21/2023 Auditorio General José María Arteaga, Querétaro, Querétaro [AAA, Lucha Central, Mas Lucha]
1) Dark Crazy, Kastigador, Vengador b Galáctico Dragón, Gremlin, Samuray Azteca
Locals dark match
2) Brazo De Oro Jr., Drago Kid, Mini Vikingo DQ Demus, Dinámico, Iron Kid
Demus got DQed for using a chair (which is illegal in AAA now?)
3) Flammer, La Hiedra, Maravilla b Dulce Kanela, Lady Shani, Sexy Star
Lady Flammer did have her mixed tag team belt
4) Mr. Iguana & Niño Hamburguesa b Kento & Takuma [lumberjack]
Kuuaki & Nishikawa joined Kento & Takuma in beating up the tecnicos post match.
5) Bestia 666, Mecha Wolf, Pagano b Aramis, Vampiro, Willie Mack
Pagano didn’t want to fight Vampiro
6) Komander b Jack Cartwheel
Said to be a great match
7) Daga & Sam Adonis b Pentagón Jr. & Psycho Clown
Daga replaced Taurus well prior to the show. Daga & Adonis attacked Penta & Psycho earlier. No DQ match, but they still did a bit where La Rebellion distracted the referee so the rudos could sneak in fouls. Mystery wrestlers in Psycho Clown masks cleared the ring, then unmasked to reveal themselves as the debuting Negro Casas & Dalys.

There’s a Facebook fan cam of the whole show in one two parts. The Casas/Dalys angle is about 1h20m in the second video. I’m going to wait for it to air and watch the rest of it then.

Negro Casas and Dalys appeared along with their grandsons, Psycho Clown’s two sons. Many people know Psycho Clown is married to a Casas and the son-in-law of Negro Casas & Dalys, but not everyone until the angle. They haven’t been connected on screen before. Negro Casas jumping is the talk of Mexican wrestling this weekend.

Dalys has been wrestling in CMLL since 2009 and is the current CMLL Japan Women’s Champion. Negro Casas has been constantly in CMLL since 1991, and his history with Arena Mexico goes back all the way to his 1981 matches with Fuerza Guerrera that put them both on the map. He spent more time in UWA/LLI in the 80s, as they focused more on lightweights, made the jump to CMLL full time just before LLI started going down, and stayed with CMLL even as his father (referee Pepe Tropi Casas) and youngest brother (Heavy Metal) both jumped to AAA at it’s founding.

CMLL did not appear to know the jump was coming. Negro Casas is listed on tonight’s Arena Puebla card. (Atlantis replaces.) Both Casas & Dalys were booked for Tuesday’s Guadalajara show. (Hijo del Villano III & Reyna Isis replace.) Both won their final matches in CMLL this past Tuesday. Dalys pinned champion Princesa Sugehit, which probably wasn’t to set up a title match and more just CMLL normally booking Dalys as the real top woman in the division regardless of the belt) Wrestlers have left CMLL for AAA and elsewhere before, and those who do not give CMLL notice they’re leaving have a hard time returning later. On the other hand, it’s Negro Casas, he may get a legend’s pass to return easier than anyone else.

Everyone wants to know why Negro Casas & Dalys made the jump. Hugo had an interview with them, Konnan, Penta, and Psycho on Lucha Libre Online, but it’s more celebratory than explanatory. Negro Casas & Dalys talked more to Mas Lucha, framing their decision as having done everything there was to do in CMLL and wanting new challenges, as well as working with their son-in-law. Working with Psycho Clown is one strong reason to go to AAA. CMLL will never work with Psycho Clown due Psycho and other Brazo family members destroying Ultimo Guerrero’s car, while AAA has no problem bringing in any star name.

There’s a second story going around, but it’s more hearsay and rumor than a firm report at this point. R de Rudo’s Krudemmon CMLL had talks of running a show honoring Negro Casas that may have doubled as a retirement. Infamous (and unreliable) CMLL defender Twitter account Los Colisenos also referenced plans for CMLL to honor Casas, though they’re less certain about a retirement. Negro Casas has said he plans on wrestling as long as he’s physically able to get in a ring, and making this move from CMLL to AAA would make some sense if he believed it’d keep him wrestling. (Still, going AAA’s running 1-3 tapings a month and a CMLL wrestler might wrestle 8 times a month, it’s a lot less wrestling unless Casas is working spot shows or taking indie dates.) Again, this is just conjecture – even R de Rudo’s report says CMLL only had thought about Casas retiring, no one’s saying it was a firm plan and no one’s confirming it.

Negro Casas is an odd fit for 2022 AAA. I mean, Negro Casas in any place but CMLL is going to be very hard to wrap my brain around. Casas is still good, but he’s slowed down over the last few years and is best with opponents who know how to work with him. AAA wrestlers tend to work in a more chaotic and energetic style than CMLL. Wrestlers going from CMLL to AAA have adjusted in the past and Negro Casas is better than most wrestlers, but Negro Casas is also 63. Casas coming in does work with the Psycho Clown/Sam Adonis feud – Casas beat Adonis in 2018 for his hair – and there’s definitely a novelty value in seeing in AAA. There’s a value in Casas going to places he hasn’t been in a long time. CMLL wrestlers have taken fewer outside dates, and it’ll be the first time in years he goes to some of these TV taping locations. Casas can also have a reduced schedule or work more indie dates without as many restrictions if he’d like. I don’t want to ever bet against Negro Casas figuring something in wrestling out, but this is not a move I would’ve suggested.

Dalys seems like a tougher fit. She was a tough fit in CMLL, but she grew up there and everyone learned to adapt to her quirks. She was pushed as a star for so long and so hard that the promotion itself believed Dalys was a star and gave her leeway for some of her selfish antics. Dalys doesn’t have that history in AAA. She’s coming in as someone who expects to be the top woman, hasn’t been much interested in allowing her opponents look good, and hasn’t drawn fans to support that behavior. Dalys is also a woman with a strong ego in a promotion that has struggled dealing with women who have strong egos. The immediate comparison is to Faby Apache, positioned similarly and moving into the other direction. Faby’s a better worker, much more over and CMLL’s been careful to only use her when they have something meaningful for her to do. Dalys in CMLL more has the feel of Sexy Star (I)’s last run in AAA, where the locker room couldn’t stand her from the moment she came back and treated her so harshly (and she the same to them) that Rosemary got caught in the middle and purposefully injured. Maybe Dalys will adapt and get some help from her family. There’s also a chance this will end up in a disaster.

CMLL’s worse off with no Negro Casas. He wasn’t going to be around forever, but he was going to be an easily over every time he appeared. It may be better long term to be giving bigger spots to a Guerrero Maya or Villano III Jr. or whomever, but no one’s going to able to replace Negro Casas. Dalys leaving CMLL is an easy plus, moving on someone who had maxed out their contributions yet would need to be constantly pushed for many years to come. (CMLL women’s wrestlers are no doubt privately celebrating.) CMLL was already setting up Reyna Isis for a title match this past Friday, and she’s among a few who could get bigger chances.

One other thing I took from those interviews is it didn’t seem like either side in this new relationship did a lot of studying on the other before they linked up. Hugo didn’t know Dalys’ name in his interview (and then thought it was Alice.) Negro Casas & Dalys were all hyped for new experiences and new opponents but didn’t name a single name they wanted to face. Negro Casas was visibly surprised when Dalys mentioned they could team in AAA and had to confirm that with Psycho Clown. AAA people will no doubt talk about how great this partnership will be and I hope they’re right, but I don’t think either side really understands what they’re getting into here. The other negative comparison here is Felino, who jumped to AAA in April 1999 looking for new opponents, and was back in CMLL by October 1999 very unhappy on how it all went. Six months is the early under/over for this move as well.

Box y Lucha 3535 has this Negro Casas & Dalys on the cover. I like their new style of cover.

sidebar: There’s a section of fans who saw Negro Casas moving to AAA as a story about Negro Casas possibly showing up in AEW. I don’t think the odds of Casas have changed at all. AEW can offer Negro Casas just as much now as they could before and probably won’t. AEW did their one lucha match with Bryan Danielson and they won’t feel a need to do another for a long time.AEW and AAA also seem to have some tension following the issues around Noches de Campeones show. (I think AEW fans are not grasping that there’s a real issue between AEW and AAA.) AAA’s not closing the door because they still want Omega, but they’re mentioning AEW a whole lot less. Negro Casas being in the news probably helps a little to get attention, but going to AAA doesn’t change things for the US much at the moment.

There were other things on this show! (Although even AAA didn’t report on the main event on social media, caught up in the Casas/Dalys appearance.) AAA people raved about Komander/Jack Cartwheel. I don’t understand the Pagano/Vampiro angle but there is at least a purpose for Vampiro to be in the ring. Anyone Japanese in Mexico has a chance to feud with Mr. Iguana in 2023. Lady Flammer did get her mixed tag title belt, though I’m not sure most people were looking at the belt in that photo. This show should start air on 02/04 and 02/11.

Hijo del Vikingo missed this taping working the US. His GCW match against Gringo Loco got a lot of attention for some of the crazy (and self sacrificing) offense he pulled off during the match. It’s still up on FITE+. The Flamita/Rey Horus/Vikingo match on Saturday in Warrior Wrestling got attention for one spot, but not a lot from the match itself – and that was a clip in person, not on TV. That show is on VOD for $20. I hope these companies are getting sweet deals from ProWrestling.TV because they don’t seem to be getting fans to check out that site on their own.

Taurus also missed this main event working in the US, him for Impact. He did not actually wrestle on either Friday or Saturday; his feud with Trey Miguel has flipped to Crazy Steve wrestling Trey Miguel instead. Taurus seconded Steve on Friday’s taping and only appeared in a pre-show meet and greet on Saturday. Great work if you can get it.

AAA on Space had the unaired Marvel Lucha Libre match. It was about normal for those: decent action, confusing finish, and a feeling of missing a greater context. They aired Bandido/Vikingo as well if you missed it.

I never recorded ticket prices for the TripleManias:

• 04/16 Monterrey runs between 250 pesos to 3000
• 08/12 Mexico City runs between 440 pesos to 8040

Those are nearly exactly the same prices as last year. I have Mexico City top ticket as 8030 instead of 8040, close enough that I may have had a typo. Monterrey is the same. No tickets are on sale for Tijuana, but I’d expect tickets between 200 and 3000 pesos there.

Daga is headed to NOAH for the Keiji Muto retirement show on 02/21.

IWRG

IWRG (SUN) 01/22/2023 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, La Tijera, Mas Lucha]
1) Ajolotl b Rey Eclipse  
2) Jhon Tito b Alan Extreme, Baby Star, Águila Oriental [IWRG IC Light, #1 Contenders]  
Tito already owns a title shot whenever he wants, also is a #1 contender.
3) Diosa Quetzal & Hades DRAW Black Fury & Lolita  
Lolita & Quetzal double pin
4) Hip Hop Man, Karaoui, Shocko b Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. and Diva Salvaje, Jessy Ventura, Paymon  
Team Hip Hop Man cheated to win
5) Noisy Boy, Spider Fly, Tonalli b Dick Angelo 3G, Legendario, Puma de Oro  
Legendario & Dick Angelo betrayed Puma de Oro, with Aster Boy & Tonalli making the save (and orming a team of the three people who were in a mask match last month.) The two sides talked about a match to determine who gets to keep the El Jaucan name going forward.
6) Hell Boy, Hijo De Canis Lupus, Luka DQ Abismo Negro Jr., Hijo del Fishman, Hijo del Pirata Morgan  
A fan threw a drink at Fishman at the end of the match and Fishman tried to punch him out

I haven’t seen any of this show outside of putting together the results. The main event finish is Fishman throwing powder (from a ziplock bag?) in Canis Lupus face, the referee counting the pin and then calling the DQ. Abismo and Fishman started playing with the powder, throwing it over the cameraperson (El Monje!) and in the direction of the crowd. I don’t know that the crowd got any of it, but the fan throwing the drink was a response. Fishman pretty much missed on his punch, the fan didn’t fight back, and it didn’t escalate beyond that.

Big Lucha

Big Lucha , GALLI (SUN) 01/22/2023 Walther Christian Academy, Melrose Park, Illinois
3) Torero & Viajero (Indie) b El Potro de Oro & Sobrino Azteca
(new tecnico) Potro de Oro and Sobrino Azteca didn’t get along.
4) Missa Kate b Sussy Love [GALLI WOMEN]
5) Dreamerbreaker b El Bandolero, Skayde [GALLI DISCOVERY]
6) Gravity (Indie) & Komander (Indie) b Bendito (Big Lucha) & Elemental and Joey Marx & Mason Conrad
7) Bandido (Indie), Galeno del Mal, Rey Horus b Action Jackson, Emperador Azteca, Flamita and Axel Rico, Chuko, J. Manny [Copa Beginning]
The two rudo units beat up the tecnicos after the match

This was more a fun show than a good show, though the main event was Great in person and everyone worked hard. I was surprised the Golden Guns won both matches; it would’ve been nice for one of the local teams to win and they both worked hard enough to justify it.

There were two locals matches in these results not included because I didn’t catch all the names. The show moved pretty well for a GALLI event, which probably was helped by it being on PPV. The attendence seemed about normal for a GALLI show at this venue. Bandido had a lot of people looking for post match autographs. Komander seemed to have a minor hand injury. Potro del Oro brought his Golden Ticket to Chicago and there were more fans who definitely knew the characters than I would’ve thought.

This should be back on ProWrestlingTV at some point; it took about a day for the Warrior Wrestling VOD to turn up. This is more a show to see if it turns up on Mas Lucha or IWTV than to pay for a one time show.

Other News

LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.

Benny Galant (Benny Galan, 93) passed away on Sunday. Galant was a Spanish wrestler who wrestled in EMLL from 1962 and 1968. EMLL in that time would bring in foreign wrestlers to push them hard for a 6-12 months, and then those wrestlers would move elsewhere. Galant got their early push – he beat Cavernario Galindo for his hair in September in September 1962, lost his hair to Santo in April 1963 – but he stuck around for longer. He and Rayo de Jalisco traded NWA Middleweight Championship in 1964 as his other big positive highlight.

“Cassandro” debuted in Sundance on Friday and the reviews (IndieWire, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, ) were very positive. It’s the sort of reviews that suggest it’ll be in award competition later this year, especially for lead actor Gael Garcia Bernal. I’ve seen some summaries of the movie which suggest there’s been creative storytelling on Cassandro’s career – it seems to be a plot point that exoticos never win any matches until Cassandro comes along – but it’s a movie condensing a long story to 100 minutes, that’s going to happen. No word on the Amazon Prime release date. Cassandro attended the premier; he hasn’t been seen in public much since his stroke last year, but seemed in good shape, considering.

Contra La Cuerdas, the lucha libre-themed Netflix series, debuts on the service on Wednesday. The series is 10 episodes long. The stars of the show were in their luchadora gimmicks at Arena Mexico on Friday. I have not seen many reviews of the show, though this one seems positive.

Mascara Dorada announced he’d be a free agent in four months and asked people where he should sign. It’s unclear who had Mascara Dorada under contract – maybe NJPW? Dorada’s inability to travel outside of the US (believed to be due to long delays immigration/work visa issues) has stifled his career.

A comeback artist under the name Misterio Azul Jr. has a Twitter thread complaining about Rey Mysterio’s lawyers blocking his copyrights because of perceived similarities. It’s an issue if Rey Mysterio is the only luchador or lucha libre related person who can use the name Mysterio in Mexico.

Vinegar Syndrome is re-releasing the 1974 Santo vs Dr. Death movie, in a limited quantity.

West Coast Pro has Latigo, Toxin and Black Taurus vs Rey Horus, Aramis & Viento on March 4th. Their shows airs on IWTV.

Diario de Xalapa has an interview with lucahdora/high schooler Lady Wind.