CMLL
Today’s show
CMLL (FRI) 07/14/2023 Arena México
1) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs Difunto, Furia Roja, Zandokan Jr.
2) Reina Isis vs Lluvia [MEX WOMEN, final]
vacant title (Silueta injury/Japan trip)
3) Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja © vs Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr. [CMLL TAG]
tenth defense
4) Akuma & Dark Magic vs Espíritu Negro & Rey Cometa [hair]
5) Cavernario, Templario, Virus vs Máscara Dorada 2.0, Metalik, Titán
6) Atlantis, Atlantis Jr., Octagón vs Averno, Fuerza Guerrera, Último Guerrero
This lacks the novelty of the FantasticaMania show. It might be as good a show. Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja just have really good tag title matches. Rey Cometa usually has really good apuesta matches, though the challenge is much higher with Dark Magic involved. That semi-main is lined up to be an outstanding match. Three quality matches is enough for a high-end CMLL show.
I wrote a longer preview over on Voices of Wrestling. I’m still stuck on the finish of the double apuesta match; Atrapsuenos should win, Akuma is fine bald and Dark Magic doesn’t matter. I’m not confident they will win. The Chavez seems safe bet to win. Reina Isis figures to win the national women’s title the way CMLL spreads out the tag titles, and Lluvia becoming double champion would set off another round of “Ultimo Guerrero is controlling everything” talk that benefits no one. The big question is if the main event sets up another teased Aniversario match or if we’re free of the old men this September.
Metalik has been good a lot but rarely great in his post-WWE run. He’s either going to be great on this CMLL tour or it’s never happening.
Airing schedule of this show
- live and VOD thru Sunday via Boletia for about 5 USD
- Televisa Canal 9/TUDN will air the TV version of this show on July 22nd (and repeat it through the week)
- CMLL YouTube subscribers should get this full card starting on July 23rd
- CMLL YouTube freeloaders should get the TV version of this show on July 30th
I’m not entirely sure about that last part. CMLL should upload the TV version 06/30 Fantastica Mania show on YouTube this Sunday. CMLL technically didn’t specify they would continue putting up those TV versions, and the Coliseo live/not-live thing makes me feel like it’s better to pay close attention to what CMLL actually says. We’ll find out this weekend.
Thursday, Atlantis participated in a march and a special mass in celebration of his anniversary. CMLL had mentioned this about a month ago but not much then. Atlantis talked with the press, said the usual things about retirement (and his unwillingness to do it.)
CMLL (SUN) 07/16/2023 Arena México
1) Bengala & Retro vs Grako & Príncipe Odín Jr.
2) Último Dragóncito vs Angelito [lightning]
3) Astral, Neón, Valiente Jr. vs Ángel Rebelde, Brillante Jr., Futuro
4) Cancerbero & Luciferno vs Okumura & Pólvora
5) Dark Panther, Panterita del Ring, Valiente vs Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Rey Bucanero
6) Máscara Dorada 2.0, Metalik, Místico vs Ángel de Oro, Euforia, Mephisto
Nothing too notable here. Metalik and Euforia reunite. The minis match reminds me this is the time of year where CMLL often runs a Pequeno Estrellas anniversary match. (That led to Ultimo Dragoncito losing his mask last year.) Principe Odin Jr. is back for the first time since March.
CMLL (MON) 07/17/2023 Arena Puebla
***Arena Puebla 70th Anniversary***
1) Asturiano, Prayer, Xelhua vs Futuro, Neón, Vegas
2) La Jarochita & Lluvia vs Hera & Olympia
3) Rey Samuray vs Perverso [CMLL BARROCO]
new championship
4) Magia Blanca © vs Pegasso [MEX WELTER]
3rd defense
5) Máscara Dorada 2.0, Metalik, Stigma vs Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black
6) Atlantis, Octagón, Templario vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Fuerza Guerrera, Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]
CMLL announced they’ll stream this Arena Puebla show live for their YouTube subscribers. This is absolutely what they should be doing, and it’s a relief to see them do it.
I’m guessing Samuray & Peagsso win those title matches, but I’m not certain about it.
CMLL also had a couple of wrestler-related announcements on Informa;
Dark Panther appeared to announce the return of his brother, Blue Panther Junior. The oldest Panther brother has not wrestled since September 2019, when he suffered an eye injury that could not be fixed by surgery and seemed like it could possibly end his career. That condition has gotten better and there’s been hints he’s been back in training – he showed up in a CMLL Father’s Day promo last month – and Tuesday will be his official return. Blue Panther Jr. wasn’t putting in great performances before he left, but he’s coming back from an eye injury, I’m just happy for him that he’s healthy enough to return. And maybe having two working eyes will help his wrestling.
Dark Panther & Blue Panther Jr. will face another set of brothers on that Tuesday show. Hijo del Villano III Jr. appeared next to announce his brother was coming in. Villano III Jr. appeared, announcing he was now in CMLL (and so had left AAA.) Both sets of brothers were very emotional about being reunited; there were lots of tears on Informa.
The Villano III brothers made cameos in both AAA and CMLL with their father as teenagers. I believe both were training with CMLL, as well as wrestling some indies. Villano III Jr. must’ve gotten frustrated waiting to debut at some point, because he surprisingly popped up in the 2017 AAA La Llave de la Gloria talent search. That’s the same contest that introduced Hijo del Vikingo to AAA; Villano was one of the better wrestlers in that batch, and had since become a regular fixture in AAA. He was marginally involved in the Lady Maravilla/Big Mami feud, holding the Mixed tag titles with Maravilla for a while. Villano quietly left AAA during the pandemic, then returned to in May 2021 as AAA started taping more regularly. Villano III appeared to suffer a concussion in that return match, and AAA used that to start a feud with Octagon Jr. over it. AAA later used also used Octagon’s real eye injury as part of an angle where Villano III stabbed him in the bad eye with a key. The two continued to feud in meaningless trios matches, never having a singles match and never progressing. It came off like the wrestlers wanted to do more, but the promotion saw as something to fill TV time when the ‘real’ stars weren’t booked. Villano III thanked AAA in a statement on Thursday and said he was leaving from the front door (he told AAA he was leaving ahead of time.) Villano didn’t give his reasons for leaving AAA, but tagging with his brother seemed more interesting than waiting for AAA to get on with it. (It also seems like Villano III Jr. is not the type just to sit around and wait forever for a chance – he’s left AAA twice now and maybe CMLL once, it’d be a surprise if he just stayed with CMLL for the next twenty years.)
Villano III Jr. jumping to CMLL is great news for Hijo del Villano III; CMLL loves doing things with families, and now he’s got a family member in. It’s interesting news for Villano III Jr.’s long time partner Persephone, who probably won’t be in AAA any longer. She didn’t make a big impression on me in her AAA TV debut, but that’d still be better than many of the women in the cibernetico last week. (Persephone seems to be still based in Juarez/El Paso, so it may not be a realistic possibility right now.) It’s probably relevant news for Atlantis Jr., who now will have two Villano III brothers coming after his mask for feuds. It’s not great for Octagon Jr., who will have to wait until AAA pulls a name out of a hat for him to feud with forever. It’s also not great for people who watch AAA TV; Villano III Jr. wasn’t as exciting of late, but losing him, Bandido and Flamita from those shows while a lot of other names are off TV because of US wrestling commitments is going to cause some depth issues.
Anyway, those dual announcements lead into the Tuesday Arena Mexico card, announced much earlier than usual.
CMLL (TUE) 07/18/2023 Arena México
1) Micro Gemelo Diablo I & Micro Gemelo Diablo II vs Chamuel & Periquito Sacaryas
2) Astral, Leono, Oro Jr. vs Dr. Karonte I, Dr. Karonte II, Enfermero Jr.
3) El Audaz, Guerrero Maya Jr., Hombre Bala Jr. vs Difunto, Sangre Imperial, Zandokan Jr.
4) Blue Panther Jr. & Dark Panther vs Hijo del Villano III & Villano III Jr.
5) Último Guerrero vs Averno [lightning]
6) Dragón Rojo Jr. & Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro & Templario [Relevos Increíbles]
They’re trying here much harder than usual. I’m not sure trying hard is going to get people to pay for a CMLL subscription service but people playing might as well enjoy it while it lasts. The four people who wanted the Anniversary match team up, Ultimo Guerrero and Averno have a rare singles match, Villano III Jr. debuts and Sangre Imperial is officially a rudo.
Guadalajara is busy as well.
CMLL (TUE) 07/18/2023 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
***Atlantis 40th Anniverasry***
1) Ángel Rebelde, Halcón Negro Jr., Optimus, Trono vs Futuro, Max Star, Neón, Vegas
2) Gallo Jr., Ráfaga Jr., Último Ángel vs Atilus, Maximus, Rey Uranio
3) Dark Silueta, Náutica, Sanely vs La Catalina, Maligna, Valkiria
4) Barboza, Draego, Persa vs Pegasso, Perverso, Rey Samuray
5) Máscara Dorada 2.0 & Metalik vs Euforia & Soberano Jr.
6) Brillante Jr., Dulce Gardenia, Vaquero Jr. vs Furia Roja, Guerrero de la Muerte, Mephisto
7) Atlantis, Atlantis Jr., Místico vs Hechicero, Rey Bucanero, Satánico
Metalik is on the normal foreigner schedule, working every show possible.
AAA
TripleMania is Saturday
AAA TV (SAT) 07/15/2023 Estadio Chevron, Tijuana, Baja California
***TripleMania XXXI Tijuana ***
1) Willie Mack vs Mr. Iguana, Jack Cartwheel, La Hiedra, Flammer, Myzteziz, ?, Puma King, Niño Hamburguesa, Dinámico, Gringo Loco, Laredo Kid, Taurus, ?? [Copa TripleMania]
Laredo & Taurus added on 06/21.
2) Dalys, Lady Shani, Sexy Star vs Kamille, Natalia Markova, Viva Van
3) Bestia 666, Mecha Wolf, Pagano vs Aramis, Jack Evans, Vampiro Canadiense
4) Argenis, Chessman, Daga, Negro Casas vs Damián 666, Nicho el Millionario, Rey Horus, Xtreme Tiger
Baja vs Mexico City
5) Pentagón Jr. vs Qt Marshall [ambulance]
Originally Laredo & Penta vs QT & Taurus. Changed to a singles match on June 21st.
6) Psycho Clown & Sam Adonis vs LA Park & Rush [Guerra de Rivalidades, semifinal]
7) Hijo Del Vikingo © vs Kenny Omega [AAA MEGA]
This show starts
- 6:30 pm in Tijuana
- 6:30 pm in Los Angeles
- 7:30 pm in Mexico City
- 8:30 pm in Chicago
- 9:30 pm in New York
- 2:30 am Sunday in London
- 10:30 am Sunday in Tokyo
FITE still has the time wrong, has no idea what timezone Tijuana is in. I’m keeping with my promise not to mention this on Twitter, letting FITE & AAA see if they can figure this out on their own.
I also wrote a longer preview for Voices of Wrestling on this one. That I’m writing bits about how I don’t want to offer the slightest bit of help to AAA kind of tells you where mind is on this promotion. It could still be good, my bitterness aside. Vikingo/Omega could be the match of the year, the tag match could be amazing, Pentagon/QT could surprise people, and I’m just so tired and frustrated with this promotion. I guess, at least we’re getting good matches this week – Verano de Escandalo next week isn’t even promising that – but the other half this card is stuff that won’t be good or is a waste of the people involved.
Rush released a video Wednesday, announcing he was not scared of LA Park and that he would be professional and show up at TripleMania Tijuana out of respect for everyone who’s followed their rivalry. This seemed like the more likely outcome when AAA never announced a replacement, but they sure waited until late to get word out. Weirdly, AAA themselves has not gotten word out – they didn’t post Rush’s announcement video and haven’t restarted promoting the match.
AAA posted a vignette late Thursday night announcing Don Callis would second Hijo del Vikingo on this show. (Callis is also doing careful Spanish promos.) Callis is feuding with Kenny Omega in AEW, and so either Callis or his charge Konosuke Takeshita are now seem likely to get involved in the finish. I don’t want the main event of AAA shows to be angles to heat up AEW storylines, I think it’s something that’d make me annoyed with both promotions if they got involved before the match was over. I also don’t get a vote here.
Where will there be a clean finish on this TripleMania?
- Vikingo/Omega: AAA has usually done clean finishes in the Mega titles during this era, but Callis getting involved suggests that may change
- LA Park & Rush vs Psycho Clown & Sam Adonis: not only is it impossible to believe these guys would do a clean finish, everyone would be offended if they did not produce something weird that made for good GIF content.
- QT Marshall vs Pentagon: the default ambulance match finish is QT and a bunch of heels stuffing Penta inside to win
- Team TJ vs Team CDMX: I have less of a feel if this is meant to be something beyond this show (Casas has to get involved with the mixed tag titles at some point right?), but Nicho cheating to beat Casas also feels possible
- Team Pagano vs Team Vampiro: someone’s doing a “shocking” turn here, funniest possible option is Aramis, but this is intended to set up a CDMX match
- Team Mexico vs Team Rest of the World: maybe Kamille just wins again? And then AAA just runs back Taya/Kamille at TripleMania again? And all the AAA women’s wrestling fans would be so so so angry – this would be a dream Elmo posing in front of fire scenario of fan anger on Facebook. Anyway, this seems like a decent chance for a clean finish because it’s not a storyline match
- Copa TripleMania: usually ends clean, seems the safest best
SEScoops has an interview with QT Marshall, who explains the origin of this Pentagon feud came from when the Lucha Brothers were negotiating a contract and asked him to leave the room because they had no idea why he was. Marshall was personally offended and vowed to run Penta’s life. Like most foreginers, he sees this AAA match as a stepping stone to get a bigger role someplace else (that actually matters to him.) Can’t knock the mindset.
QT did film a video to promote the match; he wants to make it a big deal for his purposes, but it helps AAA in the process. All the hype for this match has been those QT videos (or Penta response videos), and one of the big questions for this show is if those videos are enough to get Mexican fans excited for a match featuring someone they’ve never seen in AAA before. Those vignettes air on the Space and other TV airings, as well as going up on AAA’s social media. Azteca usually cuts out the non-wrestling portion of the program when they air AAA. The Azteca airing is believed to be the most viewed weekly AAA telecast because it’s free over the air, but I’m not confident sure if that’s still true given the post-midnight timeslot. (It wasn’t the most viewed this past week; Azteca didn’t air an AAA episode.) A good discussion about AAA’s woes on Mas Lucha’s Llaves y Contrallaves cited Azteca moving the AAA TV show from an afternoon spot to post-midnight as one of the reasons they’re struggling to draw right now.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter says Andrade has interest in returning to AAA. You may remember Andrade from “complaining AAA lied to him in multiple interviews” and “blaming AAA for not being able to work Forbidden Door.” Time/money heals all wounds.
There’s apparently a AAA meet and greet in Tijuana tonight with Vampiro.
Mecha Wolf is scheduled to wrestle Mamba for Martinez Entertainment on 08/12. That’s the day of TripleMania. Is it confusion over the date? Is it a guy who’s been featured heavily on AAA all year not working the biggest show of the year? No idea.
Konnan, doing an interview with Record, said Kenny Omega will not appear again in AAA this year. That’s two finishes from this card he’s given away in interviews, after previously explaining on his podcast there was no way Rush & LA Park had their apuesta match this year. (Counterpoint: plenty of people are not appearing in AAA this year, have no clear return date, and are still champions. Omega might still have a shot.)
He also said AAA is not competing with CMLL, but instead with US companies like AEW, WWE, ROH, and Impact for US eyeballs. This is delusional about a promotion that will cease to exist for US fans as soon as the Mexico City TripleMania happens. AAA may aspire to compete with those promotions but they don’t exist in the US outside of the TripleMania shows. Konnan’s bigger point was that AAA’s coming to the US next year. Konnan did an interview with Nick Haussman a couple of weeks ago when he said AAA coming to the US in two years. I don’t think the timeline has sped up that much in the last month, I think this is an aspiration goal that keeps getting sold as a real plan, and they should stop talking about it until they have something to announce. They won’t though, they want the attention and they’re not getting it from talking about Mexico stuff.
Konnan also popped up on the Muscle Memory YouTube show to promote TripleMania. He did so, but he also said some things that just didn’t make sense for a regular AAA viewer. Konnan mentions a bit where QT Marshall tied Pentagon to a chair and explained why he was feuding with him. No such skit has aired on AAA TV or on social media. I guess it was filmed and Konnan saw it, and just assumed it was on TV at some time. Maybe it’ll turn up later.
Later, Konnan explains that the Pagano and Vampiro feud is between two babyface factions, specifically calling Mecha Wolf & Bestia 666 as faces. La Rebelion are clearly rudos on TV; they won their last match via foul, they jumped Komander and Arez after they won the tag team titles, they’ve argued with Psycho Clown. They’re pretty terrible babyfaces if they’re meant to be babyfaces (and the original storyline was Vampiro thought they were bad guys and Pagano should stop hanging out with them for that reason.) I guess, if they are babyfaces, we’re supposed to be shocked if/when they turn on Pagano.
Gronda feels AAA’s new wrestler Belecgor is a rip off his character – and that anyone wearing a red mask with devil themes is stealing from him. It’s a bit of a stretch.
IWRG
IWRG (THU) 07/13/2023 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG]
1) Adrenalina & Kenji b Latino Boy & Legado 
2) Danessa & Lolita b Alisha La Guerrera & Princesa Legna
3) Noisy Boy © b Águila Roja [IWRG REY DEL AIRE]
first defense. Match stopped after a Aguila Roja suffered an elbow injury after being hit with a tornillo suicida.
4) Imposible, Relámpago, Tonalli DQ Hell Boy, Puma de Oro, Spider Fly
Hijo del Pirata Morgan attacked Spider Fly after the match, then beat up the other Mexa Boys as they tried to make the save. Hijo de Canis Lupus finally made ran out to segue into that match.
5) Hijo de Canis Lupus DDQ Hijo del Pirata Morgan
both brawled outside, then tossed the referee when he tried to separate them. The commission stopped the match. They somewhat tried to sell it like the match really broke down.
The main event “post match” was those two guys punching, then people getting in the middle, then people getting out of the middle, and then repeat again for about five minutes. Pirata seems to be having fun destroying the Mexaboys; it’s very much the old Electroshock/Super Fly feud.
An impossible thing happened on this show: IWRG ran a show that was just two hours. A reasonable time! It took a match getting cut short by injury and no deadtime between match four and five, but still a small miracle.
IWRG (SUN) 07/16/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Fussion & Gannicus vs Águila Roja & Rey Halcón
2) Leo & Mike vs Noisy Boy & Spider Fly and León Dorado & Mr. Leo
3) Mega, Puma de Oro, Revolucionario vs Black Dragón, Bombero Infernal, Oficial AK47
4) Dr. Cerebro & Dr. Cerebro Jr. vs Cerebro Negro & Cerebro Negro Jr. [super libre]
5) Máscara Sagrada Jr. & Rayman vs Capo Mayor & Hijo de Canis Lupus
6) Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Pirata Morgan, Pirata Morgan Jr. vs Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. and Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool
7) Hell Boy, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Penta 0M vs Rey Espectro, Taurus (Indie), Tonalli
This is the Festival of la Mascaras show. Black Terry will be honored but is not wrestling. They’re running out of old luchadors who can put their mask back on one night (and so Rayman is back in to feud with some Dinamitas.) This is a member-only show. Quite a group of bases in the main event.
There was a Revolucionario briefly in 1996 IWRG; I have no idea if that’s meant to be the same one back here, or if we’ll find out who it was.
Other Notes
DTU and Mas Lucha announced a open entry tournament in Tulancingo. It costs 100 pesos to enter, various wrestlers and Mas Lucha personalities will be judges, and the winners get prizes like new gear and a booking in Cancun’s TWS promotion. The local government is sponsoring this, and local governments seem to love talent search concepts.