CMLL
CMLL held a private sponsored show to promote the Mexico City Half Marathon on Wednesday. The marathon itself takes place on July 16th (and they’ve moved up the start time because it’s so hot in Mexico City.) We only find out about these if someone posts a poster or a photo on social media. There was another private show on Thursday for the IMSS government agency.
Today’s show:
CMLL (FRI) 06/23/2023 Arena México
1) Astral vs Inquisidor [lightning]
2) Capitán Suicida, Fuego, Valiente Jr. vs Brillante Jr., Max Star, Neón
3) El Audaz vs Magnus [lightning]
4) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa vs Akuma, Dark Magic, Espanto Jr.
5) Bárbaro Cavernario, Euforia, Mephisto vs Gran Guerrero, Hechicero, Último Guerrero
6) Místico, Soberano Jr., Templario vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Titán, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]
The main event mixes the Mistico/Titan issue (heading to FantasticaMania next week) and the Templario/Dragon Rojo/Soberano potential Aniversario main event. CMLL often likes to have a main event announced by the time they put tickets on sale and Aniversario tickets go on sale next Saturday. Making the match almost official tonight, then doing the contract signing next Wednesday would fit that pattern. On the other hand, stuff like Mephisto/Hechicero seems to exist to still cloud the issue or even to set up another tournament, so maybe they want to draw it out longer. I also don’t think CMLL needs to advertise a match to move tickets to the Aniversario show; those are going to move, and it’s going to sell out if the prices are even close to reasonable.
The semi-main has the ex-Infernales colliding: Euforia & Mephisto teaming with Barbaro Cavernario versus Hechicero, Gran Guerrero, and Ultimo Guerrero. Euforia & Hechicero appeared separately on Informa, both saying they’re leaving the decision for the future of the Infernales to Satanico. That answer might come next week. JCR pushed the idea of Averno teaming up with Mephisto & Euforia as the new team, which we be great if Averno appeared in Arena Mexico more than twice a month.
(The Euforia part of the show brought up Nosfeartu and Soberano in a discussion as past and future partners. It clicked to me that the only way Sobearno could draw more girls is if he was also somehow a vampire.)
Match four is another Atrapsuenos and Ola Negra, on the road to the double hair match on 07/14. Match two could be spectacular or a spectacular mess.
This show is on TicketmasterLive as always. It’ll go up on YouTube on July 9th.
CMLL mentioned Tiger Mask IV will be signing autographs before Sunday’s show. He’s not wrestling that day. None of the other NJPW wrestlers are mentioned as being there. I do not expect Desperado, Naito, BUSHI, DOUKI, or Rocky Romero to be in Mexico on Sunday.
CMLL (MON) 06/26/2023 Arena Puebla
***FantasticaMania 2023 (Puebla)***
1) Centella Roja, El Novato, Hijo de Centella Roja vs Rey Apocalipsis, Siki Osama, Sombra Diabólika
2) Astral, Black Tiger, Oro Jr. vs Nitro, Perverso, Prayer
3) Fugaz, Pegasso, Stigma vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
4) Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido, Volador Jr. vs Bushi, Naito, Rocky Romero, Titán
5) Averno, Mephisto, Satánico vs Atlantis, El Desperado, Tiger Mask IV
Deperdadores versus LIJ & Rocky would be fascinating if it was streaming (and if LIJ weren’t battling jetlag.)
CMLL (TUE) 06/27/2023 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
***FantasticaMania 2023 (Guadalajara)***
1) Gallo Jr., Ráfaga Jr., Último Ángel vs Obek, Rav, Temerario
2) Barboza, Draego, Persa vs Bestia Negra, Cris Skin, Ráfaga
3) Estrella De Jalisco, Flash, Pepe Aguayo vs Exterminador, Maléfico, Okumura
4) Adrenalina, Explosivo, Fantástico vs Arlequín, Leo, Omar Brunetti
5) La Jarochita, Lluvia, Maligna vs La Catalina, Stephanie Vaquer, Zeuxis
6) Averno, Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero vs Bushi, Naito, Titán
7) Blue Panther, Fuerza Guerrera, Satánico vs El Desperado, Rocky Romero, Tiger Mask IV
The top matches had been announced previously. Maligna replaces Princesa Sugehit, who has not wrestled since May 8th.
Satanico is doing a lot of press ahead of his 50th anniversary show. Mas Lucha has a long interview cut up into a lot of bits on their channel. In Mural, Satanico’s asked about how much longer he expects to wrestle. He says he’s been retiring for 25 years. He notes he actually did stop wrestling in 2009, feeling the programmer in Arena Mexico didn’t like him and started putting him too low on cards. Paco Alonso suggested Satanico take over the school in Guadalajara, he moved there, local promoters started asking him if he would return, and he ended up wrestling again. Tthe same people who were down on booking Satanico 14 years ago are now building a week of shows around him, in theory.
AAA
AAA starts the 05/25 TV taping this week. No idea which three of these matches will air this week:
- Arkángel Divino, Fantastik, Último Maldito vs Genio del Aire, Kamik-C, Skalibur
- Dalys, Drago Kid, Sexy Star vs Chik Tormenta, Kempo Jr., Maravilla
- Aerostar, Arez, Octagón Jr. vs Parka Negra, Psicosis, Villano III Jr.
- Myzteziz & Zorro vs Argenis & Gringo Loco
- Aramis, Mr. Iguana, Willie Mack vs Emperador Azteca, Látigo, Toscano
- Psycho Clown vs Sam Adonis [flag]
It’s the usual 6:30 pm CDMX start time. This is the show where a dog hanging out in the front row went viral, wonder if we’ll see the dog on TV. It was an event at a fair, so it might be a different look than usual.
Dralistico fired back at Konnan in a Facebook, saying Rush didn’t quit AAA over the promotion refusing to give La Besita del Ring work. Dralistico said the proof is he himself had still been working there of late; Dralistico would’ve left to support his father if that was the issue. Dralistico didn’t reveal Rush’s real issue, saying it was Rush’s personal reasons, but didn’t think their father should be blamed. He also defended his father against (fairly regular) negative criticism, saying Bestia del Ring was much better than many who get regular work.
The only problem here is that Konnan didn’t say anything about Besita on his podcast. It’s not in the clip that’s being passed around. Konnan’s complaint there was mostly about the price and a bit about Rush not handling things professionally. This seems like a game of telephone where people aren’t talking directly and things are getting misconstrued.
The clip of Konnan criticizing Rush and Bandido was pushed out on the podcast’s YouTube channel, then transcribed and circulated social media Thursday. The bit about Konnan wanting to book Cuatrero as soon as he’s out of jail has gotten criticism.
AAA’s social media play of inviting Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to have a domo de la muerte match at TripleMania Tijuana has gotten slightly more attention the previous Christian Pulisic attempt. They’ve at least got Mexican sites to pick it up as a story.
IWRG
IWRG (THU) 06/22/2023 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, Mas Lucha]
1) Kenji & Rey Aztaroth (Estado de México) b Latin Boy & Rey Esprtano 
2) Águila Roja & Johnny Santos b Caballero de Plata & Jhon Tito
3) Puma de Oro © b Rey Halcón [IWRG REY DEL AIRE]
4) Diva Salvaje & Mamba b León Dorado & Mr. Leo [RGR TAG, torneo]
5) Pig Decapitador, Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool b Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Pandemónium Jr.
Team Pirate Pandemia won with a foul and a mask pull, then unmasked their opponent post-match.
Las Shotas were total faces in the post-match, shaking hands and hugging their opponents (and trying to get people to throw in money). Maybe the bit on Sunday was not a rudo turn but something that just didn’t go well.
IWRG (SUN) 06/25/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Golden Power vs Rey Aztaroth
2) Fussion, Jhon Tito, Tirano vs Águila Roja, Centurion, Mr. Mike
3) Hijo Del Enigma, Leo Christianni, Súper Mario 47 vs Jhon Santos, León Dorado, Rey Halcón
4) Cerebro Negro & Cerebro Negro Jr. vs Noisy Boy & Spider Fly
5) Hell Boy & Puma de Oro vs Hijo de Canis Lupus & Tonalli [RGR TAG, torneo]
6) Asterboy, Relámpago, Tinieblas Jr. vs Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Rey Wagner, Shocko
Not sure why Wagner and Tinibelas are on a random Sunday show but the crowd should be good for this one.
IWRG’s news show announced a FILL trainee show for Tuesday.
Other News
GCW tonight in Chicago (8 pm CT) has matches, including
- Komander vs Jordan Oliver
- Arez vs Komander
- Ciclope & Miedo Extremo & Rina Yamashita vs 1 Called Manders, Mance Warner and John Wayne Murdock
- Metalik vs Hijo del Vikingo
- Blake Christian vs Gringo Loco
I’ll be there; kinda have to be there if they’re doing Metalik versus Vikingo in driving distance for all the obvious reasons (AAA/CMLL and also it should be good and also it’s two guys who were the same person at different points in time.) Going to a third wrestling show in a week is very WrestleMania-ish, and I’m pretty sure I’m heading out to a movie theatre watch Forbidden Door on Sunday. I miss my home. You, a smarter person, can just watch on Fite+.
Big Lucha announced their pre-anniversary show will be on 07/29. Big Lucha also said they’re discounting their tickets to their spot show this Sunday in Amecameca. They’re also offering rebates to the new price for anyone who bought the tickets early, which I can’t think of another promotion doing.
RIOT announced Laredo Kid vs Erik Oritz for the RIOT championship on July 22nd. If RIOT pulls off this show, they’ll have run more 2023 events in Nuevo Leon (2) than both KAOZ and AAA combined (1) despite RIOT being run by goofballs.
Daga & Chris Ridgeway won the GHC Junior Heavyweight tag championships on NOAH’s Show Thursday.
NOAH announced Rey Escorpion, Dante Leon, and Hayata versus Dralistico, Ninja Mack, Amakusa for their 07/15 show. Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. is also part of their N-1 Victory tournament, as should be expected every year at this point.
Box y Lucha will be part of an exhibition of Mexico boxing, wrestling, and soccer media at the Mexican National Newspaper Library. Did I tell you about when I happened to be at the Mexican National Newspaper Library, which would have newspaper archives covering all these old lineups I like, but I didn’t have enough of the grasp of Spanish to figure out how to access those newspapers? That’s pretty much the entire story.
AEW’s Tony Khan, in a traditional pre-PPV press call, was asked if the Forbidden Door successful co-promotion could lead to other AEW pair ups. Khan specifically mentioned he’d like to do more with lucha libre, really enjoying the style and the guys who are already on the roster. He noted the complex relationships, where NJPW works closely with CMLL and AEW with AAA, making some plans difficult. He said he didn’t want to get involved in any issues between CMLL and AAA and mess with either of their business, driven in part from his experiences of others messing with AEW. However, it was clear that if CMLL and AAA would ever allow it, Khan would also like to use stars from CMLL in AEW. It is the impossible dream.
Khan mentioned being a fan of CMLL in post-WCW era (early 2000s), bringing up the Los Infernales feuds from that time period. Tarzan Boy, Ultimo Guerrero, and Rey Bucanero versus Satanico (and eventually Averno & Mephisto) were great matches. It’s what got me into watching lucha libre as well; there’s a pretty good chance you wouldn’t be reading this blog if not for that rivalry. There are also some obvious comparisons between 2000s Tarzan Boy and 2020s Jungle Boy beyond the name.
Box y Lucha mentioned Argentina luchador Tutumba el Enterrador (Juan Enrique Arias, 68) passed away on Thursday. The obit mentions he wrestled under many names and started using the Undertaker-inspired character in the Lucha Mundial promotion in 1993.
A wire story profiles Miss Gaviota as the first Mexican transexual wrestler. (There’s an English language video as well.) I think this article gets re-written every year for Pride Month. Gaviota hasn’t worked as much this year – really not at all before May – so I wonder if they had an injury.
That reminder of Pride Month is a rare one for Mexican wrestling. There was at least one all exotico show for that reason but not much else. There are wrestlers – especially in CMLL – who are wearing rainbow patterns on the gear either as support for the LGBT+ community or because they’re a member of it. The announcers bring no attention to it, though also the promotions don’t seem to have an objection to it. I don’t know that many major wrestling promotions outside of the US acknowledge the month.
We also got the yearly “Tacubo, the anti-bullying luchador” article this week. Just missing a cholita story.
Zeta has an interviewer with Oscar Fernandez, author of “El Color de La Lucha.” The concept here is this is a fiction novel, but based on the real stories of a luchador from the 80s, 90s, and early 00s, and who passed away in 2022. The identity of the luchador is unrevealed. This is an ebook for 99 pesos. I’m intrigued enough to buy it and see if it matches up with someone lucha fans might be know.
El Sol de Orizaba has a profile of local wrestler El Ausente.
Discover more from luchablog
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.