CMLL (& NFL mascots) at Arena Mexico tonight, legends cibernetico on Dia de Luchador

CMLL

Tonight’s show:

CMLL (FRI) 09/08/2023 Arena México
1) Kaligua & Pequeño Magía vs Mercurio & Pierrothito
2) Lluvia & Stephanie Vaquer vs La Jarochita & Zeuxis
3) Dulce Gardenia vs Star Black, Stigma, Dark Panther, Hombre Bala Jr., Max Star, Zandokan Jr., Akuma, Rugido, Hijo del Villano III, El Coyote, Crixus [Copa Independencia, semifinal]
4) Volador Jr. vs Bárbaro Cavernario
5) Atlantis Jr., Máscara Dorada, Místico vs Guerrero Maya Jr., Templario, Titán [Relevos Increíbles]

It’s a show of good matches with not much obvious story to them. Guerrero Maya in a Friday main event – his first one in 12 years – is a cool novelty. It may have to do with the NFL Mexico mascots deal they’re doing, since the preview art has many of them wearing NFL themed gear or colors

• Mistico – Denver Broncos (lead sponsor)
• Atlantis Jr. – Dallas Cowboys
• Mascara Dorada – Los Angeles Rams
• Templario – Las Vegas Raiders
• Titan – Arizona Cardinals?
• Guerero Maya – Kansas City Chiefs?

Mascots for those six teams are scheduled to do some amateur wrestling at 7:30, so the stream will start an hour early. Who even knows what that’ll be. The KC Wolf hasn’t appeared in the promotional stuff so far but I believe they had a game last night. He might just be a late arrival.

Cavernario/Volador is an interesting test to see what both are willing to do in a random Friday singles match. The mixed partners match will probably fall apart but it is at least the best women involved, and the minis match has a good selection as well.

The Copa Independencia is the big event of the night. CMLL just ran Esfinge/Zandokan so that’s probably not getting run again. Akuma got his big match with the hair match, so maybe it’s Rugido’s turn? That’s my best guess.

It’s on Boleita/Neerme for $5 USD as usual.

CMLL (SAT) 09/09/2023 Arena Coliseo
1) Micro Gemelo Diablo I & Micro Gemelo Diablo II vs Mije & Periquito Sacaryas
2) La Magnifica, La Vaquerita, Metálica vs Amapola, La Guerrera, La Maligna [Relevos Increíbles]
3) Arkalis, Pegasso, Rey Samuray vs El Coyote, Okumura, Pólvora
4) Valiente vs Felino [lightning]
5) Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa, Volcano vs Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Sagrado
6) Atlantis Jr., Soberano Jr., Star Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Hechicero, Niebla Roja

A show.

CMLL (SUN) 09/10/2023 Arena México
1) Galaxy & Shockercito vs Minos & Pequeño Violencia
2) Astral, Diamond, Valiente Jr. vs Dr. Karonte I, Dr. Karonte II, Raider
3) Blue Panther Jr., Flyer, Magia Blanca vs Difunto, Felino Jr., Misterioso Jr.
4) Reyna Isis vs La Catalina [lightning]
5) Blue Panther, Panterita del Ring, Valiente vs Magnus, Rey Bucanero, Villano III Jr.
6) Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Niebla Roja, Soberano Jr.

Not much with the anniversary here.

CMLL (MON) 09/11/2023 Arena Puebla
1) Amnesia & Millenium vs Dreyko & Rey Apocalipsis
2) Micro Gemelo Diablo I & Micro Gemelo Diablo II vs Átomo & Chamuel
3) Meyer vs Disturbio [lightning]
4) Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa, Stigma vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
5) Máscara Dorada, Soberano Jr., Titán vs Crixus, Difunto, Zandokan Jr.
6) Atlantis Jr., Star Jr., Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Dragón Rojo Jr., Niebla Roja

Atlantis Jr., Star Jr., and Volador Jr. are the trios champs that no one remembers are the trios champions.

CMLL (TUE) 09/12/2023 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Adira, Alondra, Lady Shadow vs Hatanna, La Pantera, Sexy Sol
2) Katara, Magia Azul, Náutica vs Centinela, Perse, Valkiria
3) Barboza, Draego, La Fashion, Persa vs Bestia Negra, Leo, Omar Brunetti, Vaquero Jr.
4) La Jarochita & Lluvia vs Stephanie Vaquer & Zeuxis
5) Templario & Último Guerrero vs Averno & Dragón Rojo Jr.
6) Místico & Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja

A lot with the Aniverasrio here! Top two matches preview the apuesta match, match 4 is a dry run of the tag title match.

The CMLL Japan Women’s championship has been vacant since Dalys left for AAA. CMLL Lady’s Ring will have a decision match between Dark Silueta and Japanese wrestler Kohaku on their 09/17 show. That means Dark Silueta is probably winning the belt and Kohaku is likely coming to Mexico in October.

On Informa, CMLL announced a legend’s cibernetico for their 09/22 Dia de Luchador show. CMLL likes to do legend’s themed matches for this annual event, and it helps to bring people in when about a dozen people will be on their way to England for the FanasticaMania UK shows. It’ll be a 12 person cibernetico with pre-determined sides; in other words, CMLL decided they can’t risk these guys taking battle royal eliminations.  Group A is Felino, Aguila Solitaria, Solar, Black Terry, Octagon and Satanico. Group B is Atlantis, Blue Panther, Panterita del Ring, El Pantera, Negro Navarro and Rocky Santana. This is a one night match; I think the Group A/B designation confused the WON today into thinking this was a multiweek event. A cibernetico generally sounds like a better way to get the legends in long enough to do a few trademark moves and get them out of the way before it gets too much. We’ll see how it works in practice, but the idea seems solid.

The field itself is interesting. (International) Pantera (II) has not wrestled in CMLL since 2006. He lost his mask to Misterioso in a cage match that year, then left a few months later. Pantera has generally wrestled under the same mask for the decade and a half since. Pantera’s claimed that CMLL didn’t pay him the full amount owed to him for the mask match, and so he felt he had the right to put it back on. He also made it clear you weren’t supposed to ask him about the mask, and so people stopped asking. Pantera’s mask/unmasked status is irrelevant for this show – the commission will allow everyone to wear their old mask if the so choose for the night – but it does change the story. Either CMLL’s done something to resolve the situation, or the real situation was just an older wrestler who didn’t want to look like an older wrestler coming up with a story to allow him to cover up his face.

Fuerza Guerrera is a notable omission. He wrestled as recently as Sunday in Merida, so it doesn’t appear to be an injury issue. Guerrera is scheduled to be on the Aniverasrio show, so maybe we’ll get more information this weekend.

NJPW announced a couple of CMLL matches for their 10/28 Las Vegas show

• Atlantis, Mistico, Tanahashi and Atlantis Jr. vs Rocky Romero, Tiger Mask, Soberano Jr., and Adrian Quest
• Lluvia & Johnnie Robbie vs Stephanie Vaquer & Zeuxis

Johnnie Robbie is a NJPW LA Dojo trainee. The atomicos is an Atlantis 40th anniversary match, though it might also be about Mistico and Romero. October is CMLL’s women’s wrestling month so it might be until November for the Mistico/Romero feud to pick back up in Mexico. Robbie being included here means she’s at least a possibility for the CMLL Gran Prix, which we should start to hear about after the Aniversario. Dave Meltzer had previous heard Giulia versus Stephanie Vaquer was planned for this show, so I wonder if this is a sign they’re holding it off for a later date or if Giulia got a more interesting opponent.

Mundo Deportivo has an interview with Titan.

AAA

Space will finish off the Orizaba taping:

• Lady Shani, Reina Dorada, Sexy Star vs Flammer, La Hiedra, Viva Van
• Myzteziz & Octagón Jr. vs Argenis & Puma King
• Dalys & Negro Casas vs Chik Tormenta & Daga

Vary Morales posted Thursday about challenging QT Marshall for the AAA Latin American championship in some US indie promotion, then deleted the post. He probably just announced it too soon.

Octagon Jr. did some press to hype the Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera taping, talking about being in AAA four years and possibly challenging for the Latin American championship.

Negro Casas talked about the time he wrestled in a telenovela.

IWRG

IWRG (THU) 09/07/2023 Arena Naucalpan [Mas Lucha]
1) Ryu & Tornado b Adrenalina & Thunder Storm 
2) Sádika & Satania b Bengalee & Sagitarius 
Sadika & Santaia took out Sagitarius before hse made it to the ring, then beat Bengale. They’re doing by Las Diosas de la Destrucción.
3) Cerebro Negro Jr. b Dr. Cerebro Jr. 
Negro snuck in a foul on Doctor.
4) Brazo Celestial, Brazo Cibernetico, Brazo De Oro Jr., Pig Decapitador b Arkano, Hell Boy, León Dorado, Mr. Leo 
Brazo de Oro Jr. beat Hellboy, setting up a title match.
5) Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. b Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool [EdM Trios] 
First defense. Clean win.

I read Mas Lucha’s recap of the main event, which didn’t say anything about the finish, and thought it must’ve been so weird as to be indescribable. Nope, frog splash, two guys covering, no mask pulls or fouls. Unexpected. Crowd seemed to be about normal for a Thursday, which may mean that was the right decision – the pigs appear to have peaked.

IWRG (SUN) 09/10/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Águila Oriental & Blue Win vs Águila Roja & Histeriosis
2) Noisy Boy, Pequeño Arkano, Spider Boy vs Centurion, Gannicus, Rey Espartano
3) Hellboy, Shocko, Último Legendario vs Cerebro Negro, Cerebro Negro Jr., Kiki Roberts
4) Ivan Rokov vs Sádika
5) Diva Salvaje, Jessy Ventura, Mamba vs León Dorado, Mr. Leo, Tonalli
6) Hijo de Canis Lupus vs Toxin [RGR HEAVY]

The main event looks good until it becomes an IWRG match. Ivan Rokov vs Sadika is one for the sickos. Canada’s Florida’s Kiki Roberts is back for a least a little while; he’s listed on at least one card for the holiday weekend.

Other News

Michoacan luchador Genio (Jorge Gerardo Huape Mora) passed away on Wednesday. He was a second generation wrestler, and one of five brothers who were in lucha libre.