fantastic FantasticaMania, Dante bailes on mask match, AEW/VIX

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 06/30/2023 Arena México [AS, CMLL, Es Euro, ESTO, Estrellas del Ring, Excelsior, Kaiser Sports, MT, Publimetro, R de Rudo, The Gladiatores, thecubsfan]
1) Dark Silueta, Lluvia, Zeuxis b La Catalina, La Jarochita, Stephanie Vaquer [lightning]   
5:34. Lightning match stipulation added a show time.
2) Douki & Okumura b Audaz & Capitán Suicida   
10:54. Originally Audaz, Capitán Suicida, Hombre Bala Jr. vs Akuma, Dark Magic, Okumura, changed on 06/14. one fall match
3) Satánico TLDRAW Tiger Mask IV [lightning]  
Satanico 50th Anniversary match. He was honored before the match, then spent most of the match trying to get Tiger Mask’s mask.
4) Máscara Dorada 2.0 b El Desperado    
12:53. Debut of Mascara Dorada 2.0 (former Panterita del Ring Jr., acknowledged as such.) Clean win via SSP.
5) Bushi, Naito, Titán b Atlantis Jr., Místico, Soberano Jr.    
18:28. Soberano hit the referee by mistake. BUSHI spit mist in Atlantis’ eyes, Naito fouled Soberano, and LIJ got the win.
6) Rocky Romero © b Volador Jr. [NWA WELTER]     
22:02. Rocky cleanly submitted Volador to keep the title. He briefly confronted Volador’s second Mascara Dorada 2.0 after the match.

This was going to be one of the best CMLL shows of the year if the two singles matches delivered and they got anything else. Those two singles matches delivered and everything else was fun, if short.

Mascara Dorada 2.0 versus Deseperado was a perfect re-introduction. Dorada hit everything, had new ideas in reserve to break out, and Desperado was right there with him. The crowd was into Mascara Dorada 2.0 before the match started, and that’s a crowd that’s normally reluctant to get behind new wrestlers. This could not have gone better for CMLL.

Volador Jr. vs Rocky Romero was proper conclusion to the series of matches. Romero before and after insisted that was going to be the last match between them, and most assumed that meant Volador was winning to bring it full circle. Volador seemed to take more of the match and come closer to winning too, with Romero coming off like he had few answers. Romero blocking a counter of his armbar and locking it back on in the middle of the ring was a totally fair ending while also a shocking one.

The match was excellent, maybe just a shade behind the first match, but it wasn’t what I was left thinking about. CMLL is a land where someone annoys Mistico for two weeks, Mistico defeats him in week three, and that’s the only story that’s told. A guy like Volador doesn’t lose this feud. It says something for him that he was willing to, and that Rocky’s been so good that everyone’s cool with it.

LIJ didn’t show the same effort as the other NJPW guys, but they were there to be stars and they came off as stars. They were having fun, their opponents worked hard, and the crowd seemed to enjoy the experience. The tag match had a bit more work, and some weird music for DOUKI. He seemed happy though.

The two slight flaws were the opener going so short and the Satanico/TIger Mask going long. It’s hard to talk about the “Las Infernales” concept for years and then give them six minutes. Maybe we’ll see them again. The legend’s match was fine and they had no issue going ten, but the crowd was just dying for Satanico to unmask Tiger Mask and get himself DQed, and he ended up spending more time arguing with Olimpico instead. (This also had the “referee refuses to count the pinfall because it’s too close to the time” bit that just gets heat on the referee.) There are points in Satanico’s 50 year career where he would’ve been allowed to listen to the crowd and just do an unplanned mask pull finish, just not at this point.

Satanico didn’t want to address the Los Infernales situation in his post-match interview.

Referee Edgar Noriega was oddly missing, when he’s usually the lead referee on these Friday shows. He was off Saturday too and back Sunday.

CMLL (SAT) 07/01/2023 Arena Coliseo [CMLL]
1) Angelito, Kaligua, Pequeño Magía b Full Metal, Minos, Pequeño Polvora
2) Oro Jr., Retro, Robin b Apocalipsis, Cholo, Disturbio
3) Hijo del Villano III b Crixus [lightning]
4) Difunto, Douki, Zandokan Jr. b Esfinge, Star Black, Volcano
Rudos took 2/3.
5) Bushi, Naito, Titán b Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Terrible
LIJ took 1/3.
6) Bárbaro Cavernario, El Desperado, Volador Jr. b Máscara Dorada 2.0, Místico, Rocky Romero [Relevos Increíbles]
Volador won via mask pull on Mistico

A good turnout. Naito again stated he doesn’t recognize Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja and Terrible as real Ingobernbles. No one else does.

This is the source of some controversy. CMLL did promise to air this show for people who subscribed to their YouTube channel. They did not say when. Fans assumed it would be live, signed up, and were upset to find the show didn’t air as promise. CMLL could’ve fixed this by simply saying “we’re airing this at a later date”, but instead got people to pay for a few days of a subscription service where’s there’s absolutely no subscription content. My expectation is there will be a curt “we never promised live” explanation on Informa this week, and then the show will turn up something next weekend. You can trust that CMLL does not care about any subscriber complaints in this matter.

You should expect some streaming announcement sometime this week. This Friday’s card no longer has the “on TicketmasterLive” wording that’s been on every show since the pandemic restart. It simply says the shows will be available as paid per event. I know people are hoping it’ll be added to the YouTube subscription package, but I wonder if that wording means it’s a PPV on some other site. We probably won’t know until Informa.

CMLL (SUN) 07/02/2023 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Bengala, Cachorro, Retro DQ Enfermero Jr., Grako, Raider
rudos DQed for attacking Monito
2) La Magnifica b Metálica [lightning]
3) Diamond, Flyer, Stigma b Ángel Rebelde, El Novato (Puebla), Neón
Team Stigma took 1/3. Novato’s debut in Arena Mexico; he’s a recent debutee in Arena Puebla.
4) Kráneo, Magnus, Rugido b Esfinge, Fugaz, Valiente
Rudos took 1/3. Magnus & Rugido beat Fugaz & Esfinge again, setting up a tag title match.
5) El Desperado & Hechicero b Douki & Templario [Relevos Increíbles]
Desperado/Hechicero took 1/3.
6) Star Jr., Tiger Mask, Volador Jr. b Bushi, Naito, Titán
Tecnicos took 2/3.

That wraps up FantasticaMania. Feels like CMLL could’ve bigger more big matches but everyone seemed to have a fun time.

CMLL (TUE) 07/04/2023 Arena México
1) Angelito, Kaligua, Pequeño Magía vs Mercurio, Minos, Pierrothito
2) Leono vs Sangre Imperial [lightning]
3) Adrenalina, Explosivo, Fantástico vs El Coyote, Okumura, Pólvora
4) Astral, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa vs Akuma, Dark Magic, Espanto Jr.
5) Blue Panther, Octagón, Panterita del Ring vs Felino, Fuerza Guerrera, Virus
6) Místico, Soberano Jr., Templario vs Niebla Roja, Titán, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]

This turns out to be the first YouTube subscriber only show. It’s not that much better than a usual Tuesday show. Seeing Fuerza and Octagon is meant to be a treat, though maybe it’s more of an indication to what kind of fans CMLL feels like they’re going to pull in.

Titan remains a sort of rudo even with LIJ gone. Hair match feud continues on Tuesdays with Fridays booked up. Leono and Sangre Imperial had weird issues last week.

CMLL (FRI) 07/07/2023 Arena México
1) Acero & Aéreo vs Kaligua & Pequeño Magía
2) Volcano vs Kráneo [lightning]
3) Lluvia vs Amapola, La Jarochita, Reyna Isis, Sanely, Tiffany, La Vaquerita, Hera, Skadi, Olympia, La Magnifica, Valkiria, La Guerrera, Náutica, La Maligna, Metálica [MEX WOMEN, semifinal]
vacant title (Silueta injury/Japan trip)
4) Valiente vs Star Black [lightning]
5) Averno, Euforia, Mephisto vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Hechicero, Templario
6) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Terrible vs Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero

Averno teaming with Euforia & Mephisto is the idea Infernales teamed on Informa, and they’re together here.

Marcela and Princesa Sugehit are among regulars missing from the tournament. Marcela has mentioned an injury. Sugehit has said nothing. Hera may actually have an injury as well. Nautica and Valkiria are in from Guadalajara to round out the field.

The free show sponsored by the Cuajimalpa’s Mayor Office was to have draw 3,500 people. This has been reported as a way for this borough’s mayor to raise his profile before running for a bigger office.

AAA

AAA TV this week was ok. The Octagon/Arez/Aerostar vs Villano/Psicosis/Parka Negra match would be a fine heat up to any of those singles matches if there was any reason to believe they were happening. The Mexicali/Tijuana match was a good one to half pay attention to, because the flaws were visible if the most you paid attention. The main event was a fine enough house show main event style match.

The big angle on the show was Pagano returning with a new look, and getting attacked by a mystery person again. In a show closing (and badly miced) segment, Pagano told Konnan he believed Vampiro must be behind these attacks. Vampiro is the only other character involved in this storyline so that seems like a solid assumption. AAA is spending a lot of time building towards what’ll be an surely terrible Pagano/Vampiro match, but there’s hope – they spent a lot of time building to a plenty of other matches that never happen.

On his podcast, Konnan explained the Puma King challenge to Fenix. He says that match was going to happen at Verano de Escandalo, as Puma King said. Konnan was then subsquentally by Fenix (and Penta and Komander) that he was needed on the Ring of Honor show instead, and essentially puts the blame on the wrestlers for not letting AAA know sooner. ROH’s been advertising that date for months with the current ROH tag team champions the Lucha Brothers on the poster, so the idea is Fenix didn’t specifically let Konnan he’d be on it.

Konnan did not have an update on Rush and TripleMania. That show is 13 days away.

Drago appeared on Mas Lucha’s Relevos Suicidas show to announce he was no longer Drago. He’ll now be going as “Dios del Inframundo.” This is being reported as Drago leaving AAA but I think it’s a more of a sliding scale. He’s not working there much and he might work there even less, but nothing’s preventing him from doing both gimmick. Drago hasn’t been on AAA TV since late 2021. Drago has been working spot shows, he may continue to show up on them, but the name (and slight mask) change is so he can work his own bookings without AAA getting a cut. Drago had taken AAA out of his social media names and changed them to Dios Drago way back in August 2021, so it’s something he’s been thinking about for quite a while.

Psycho Clown and Hijo del Vikingo are announced for a show in Israel on September 14th, which reads like it won’t ever actually happen or the promotion will be running out of money after show one and never run again.

IWRG

IWRG , RGR (SUN) 07/02/2023 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, Mas Lucha]
1) Mr. Leo b Cerebro Negro, Jhon Tito 
2) Keira & Rey Halcón b Fussion & Princesa Azul 
3) Aster Boy, Noisy Boy, Spider Fly b Brazo Celestial, Brazo Cibernetico, Brazo de Oro 
4) Pig Decapitador, Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool b Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Pandemónium 
Pirata betrayed his parnters
5) Diva Salvaje & Mamba b Hijo de Canis Lupus & Tonalli [RGR TAG, final]
6) Jessy Ventura b Pimpinela Escarlata [hair] 

Strong turnout for this show. I’m told the second match is good and I might pause long enough to watch it.

Pimpinela teased a retirement after the hair loss, and I’m sure I’ve typed that exact combination of words before.

Big Lucha

The next gym card:

Big Lucha (SAT) 07/29/2023 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal
1) Helios vs Reieyl, Morfosis, Steel Dragón
2) ? & India Sioux vs Diosa Nix & La Brava
3) Carito, Mr. Win, Tirano vs Andrómeda, Macho I, Máscara Año 2000 Jr.
4) Skayde & Viajero vs Brujo De Iztapalpa & Forneo
5) Bendito, Flamita, Yutani vs Elipse, Iku, Orbita and Gravity, Potro, Rey Horus and Monsther Clown, Panic Clown, Parka Negra [tlc]
6) Emperador Azteca © vs Negro Casas [BIG LUCHA CHAMP]

This is the pre-Anniversary show. Big Lucha’s first show was July 17th, 2021, so doing the Anniverasry in August only makes lucha libre sense. The same sense that there’s a random TLC match on this show. Forneo/Skayde and Carito/Andromeda continue their feuds.

Other News

The concept of the Mas Lucha Ruleta Suicida tournament was the fans would choose which wrestlers move on each round, essentially picking the final two. The fans eventually picked Dante and Ultimo Legendario, and the mask match was scheduled to take place Saturday night. The result of that match was Mr. Leo defeating Camaleon for his mask. You may notice those are two different names and realize something went horribly wrong.

The in-ring bit started with Ultimo Legendario and special guest referee Hijo del Tirantes coming out, then Legendario announcing Dante did not show up for the match. He asked for Dante to be counted out, which Tirantes started and then stopped. Hijo del Tirantes, the unlikely voice of reason, noted the fans had paid for a mask match and demanded other Ruleta Suicidas come out. Mr. Leo & Camaleon, who had wrestled against earlier in the show, came up to make a new three way mask match. Mr. Leo defeated Camaleon in the final, and Camaleon was unmasked as Erick Alejandro Serrano Ramirez, 42 years old. Camaleon could be retiring; he wasn’t wrestling much before this tournament.

It wasn’t immediately clear what happened. Mas Lucha didn’t say anything about Dante no-showing until the in-ring angle, and it felt like an angle. It appears Dante was scheduled to lose his mask, and just didn’t show.

Dante posted his side of the story in many places on Facebook on Sunday morning; here’s one. His version is neither Mas Lucha nor the Mexico State commission ever presented with him a mask match contract. He also says the promoters dared to offer him money to lose the match, and he’s offended they weren’t just going to let them go and fight it out. (Yes, Dante is going with the idea that wrestling matches are real fights and accusing Mas Lucha of asking him to throw a real fight.) Dante says Mas Lucha threatened him, said they were going to ruin his career, and warned him about how much power they had. Dante challenges Mas Lucha to show a contract that he agreed to put his mask up, and says none exists. He’s content with his career coming to an end if it meant it protected all the work he’s put into this point.

Camaleon seemed to be the person Mas Lucha wanted to lose the Ruleta de la Suicida all along, and Mas Lucha may have had some agreement to take his mask – they seemed to be setting up that match with Mr. Leo for another show, and they may have just moved up the timeline.

Dante was completely unprofessional in how he acted and Mas Lucha deserves some sympathy for a wrestler pulling such a boneheaded move. I even have some sympathy for Dante not wanting to lose his mask – but then don’t be in a mask tournament where you can lose your mask! Dante deserves most of the blame, but Mas Lucha needs the share too. I’m sure no one know one knows more horror stories of Mexican wrestlers being absolutely dummies like Dante was here than the guys who film every show, they knew the fire they were playing with, and they got burned. Mas Lucha will definitely have time to show a contract later on if one exists, but they’re also the ones who decided Dante was trustworthy enough to include him in something like this. Mas Lucha promised something, charged people for it, and then was unable to deliver on it.

The other part of this is all of the Mas Lucha work to promote the Ruleta Suicida tournament and the final match this week ended up adding up to not much. This show had a bad turnout; this concept that caused all this drama wasn’t a draw either. Mas Lucha has the subscriber numbers we don’t have, but they’d have to be out of this world for anything like “fans pick the mask match” again. The fans who are picking the match on Facebook aren’t so invested to buy tickets to the show, or at least they weren’t here.

(Ironically, Mas Lucha posts results for all other shows but didn’t for their own. I put together some of them off the broadcast in the database.)

Lady Apache told Milenio that she’s banned from CMLL. Her story is that she got into a custody battle with the father of her daughter, but that man was also the head of CMLL’s union and used his power to block her from appearing. That man has since passed away, but she’s under the impression the block will not be lifted. Lady Apache never says the man was Brazo de Oro but that’s who she’s describing. Lady Apache says this has inspired her to fight for woman’s rights, though he wishes the luchadoras were more united.

AEW appears to be back on screens in Mexico. There’s a lot of brands here that may be unfamiliar to you unless you live in this sphere already, I’ll go slowly. “TUDN” is Televisa’s sports production arm. “Vix” is Televisa’s owned streaming service. It’s a FAST type service with round the clock channels (think PlutoTV), and one of those channels is TUDN. Promotional art for the VIX TUDN channel this weekend includes the AEW logo. A Televisa announced subsuqentially confirmed Dynamite and Collision would be airing on VIX live. Dynamite has only been available on FITE TV in Mexico recently, and Collision has been blocked on that service for no known reason.

There has been no confirmation of this story by AEW or TUDN as far as I’ve been able to find. We’re missing a lot of details; no one seems to know if this is a Mexico deal or a Latin American deal. I can’t find any mention of AEW on Vix itself, though it’s hard to find much on there. The Televisa announcer said the commentary would be “from the origin”, but no idea if that means Spanish or English. Vix has both a free and paid tier and that’s another open AEW question.

If this is true, this is a nice help for AEW. I’m not sure if it’s strong enough to actually run shows in Mexico, but it’s much better than they were at. VIX to have 25 monthly users , though it wasn’t clear if that was worldwide and the LigaMX moving on there is going to change things.

(The bigger story is there’s an arms race between Azteca & Televisa to beef up their cable and streaming offerings, which involves a lot of LigaMX games disappearing from their over the air homes, the UEFA’s Champions  League games moving around, and other sports properties being scooped up. This would be a good time for CMLL or AAA to have extra TV. It’s also is probably a boon for WWE if their Mexico deal comes up soon; both Azteca and Televisa are likely to be much more involved as bidders now that they more hours to fill.)

07/22 RIOT

• Laredo Kid vs Erik Ortiz for the RIOT championship
• SB KENTo & Takuma vs Kratoz & Prometo
• Willy Banders vs Core vs Chris Carter
• Un-Mexicans (Byron & Kaientai) vs Los Vipers (Latigo & Toxin)

El Destape has a profile of Martin Karadagain.

Chilango visits Mexico City’s Gladiadores free wrestling school. There’s a trainer who talks about wrestling for years in Japan, which does not appear to be true.