CMLL
CMLL (MON) 09/25/2023 Arena Puebla [Porra Fresa]
1) Centella Roja, Hijo de Centella Roja, Xelhua b Dreyko, El Malayo, Sombra Diabólika
2) Hera b Lady Metal [lightning] 
3) El Perverso, Prayer, Vegas b Historico, Novato, Valiente Jr.
4) Crixus, Difunto, Kráneo b Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Volcano
5) Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero b Máscara Dorada, Soberano Jr., Titán
UG snuck in a foul on Dorada
6) Ángel de Oro b Templario
Templario continues to fill the role of Volador, taking the loss to the person Volador beat at Aniversario. I need to work on some of this tecnico/rudo coding. CMLL’s definitely landed on Vegas as a rudo. Lady Metal may be a tecnica in Puebla but a ruda elsewhere.
CMLL (TUE) 09/26/2023 Arena México [CMLL, Kaiser Sports, thecubsfan]
1) Acero, Aéreo, Galaxy b Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Polvora, Pequeño Violencia 
2) Brillante Jr. & Oro Jr. b Dr. Karonte I & Dr. Karonte II
3) Neón b Raider [lightning]
best match of the night
4) Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido b Arkalis, Pegasso, Stigma
5) Dark Panther, Fugaz, Guerrero Maya Jr. b Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Hechicero
6) Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible b Atlantis Jr., Blue Panther, Star Jr.
Blue Panther replaced Volador (shoulder) earlier Tuesday.
Neon/Raider was for the luchadorks not so dissimilar from Virus/TJP. The style of match was different and the older guys tried to make it a battle, but both were about doing a lot of cool stuff for nine minutes and putting together a finish. Neon is Mr. Leap To The Top Rope and he did a lot here. Raider occasionally crushed him. It was great fun. The rest of the show was an ordinary Tuesday show.
Volador was a late sub and isn’t on any of the upcoming bookings, which sounds not good about his AC joint. It did read like he was coming back too soon, but we have no idea when he’ll be back now.
Someone asked in the comments if the CMLL subscription channel was now a good value. I’m still not high on it. The “bonus matches” have dried up off recent and the historical content never showed up. You’re just getting the Tuesday stream live and the Friday stream really late on Sunday night. CMLL seems to purposefully book more matches subscribers might like on Tuesdays than they did before, but it’s still generally “wrestling you have on in the background” rather than must see stuff. The channel is overall a decent amount of content compared to other streaming services but having to wait for the Friday makes it worse than most and there’s no great additional content to make it up. (It’s too late now, but CMLL should’ve tossed a bone like ‘the subscriber members only get to pick of the night Night of Champions matches’.) The CMLL YouTube channel works if you just want a good way to dip in to catch up on CMLL and will grow stronger with that in time, but it lacks any also sort of collation or easy way to navigate to find the best stuff; you have to really know what you’re looking for already. If your standard is comparing to other streaming offerings, CMLL’s YouTube channel isn’t great, but it’s also still the easiest way to CMLL.
(All that said, I’ve kept the Aniverasrio show off the Google Drive so far because I feel unfair to the people who actually paid for it. I’ll add it eventually. I’m sure there are other ways to find it if you really want it and can’t/won’t pay.)
CMLL (TUE) 09/26/2023 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Arena Coliseo Guadalajara, Mas Lucha]
1) Atilus, Maximus, Rey Urano b Black Boy, Calavera I Jr., Yaky Boy 
Calavera I Jr. replaced Thunder Boy
2) Adira, Andrómeda, Katara, Magia Azul b Centinela, Hatana, Lady Metal (Puebla), Perse
Andromeda is the ex-Estrellita Lagunera/ex-Centella.
3) Arlequín, Furia Roja, Guerrero de la Muerte b Akuma, Dark Magic, Espanto Jr.
4) La Catalina b Sanely [lightning]
Catalina used the ropes to beat Sanely.
5) La Jarochita, Lluvia, Valkiria b La Maligna, Stephanie Vaquer, Zeuxis
6) Atlantis, Atlantis Jr., Máscara Dorada b Gran Guerrero, Soberano Jr., Último Guerrero
Soberano Jr. and Ultimo Guerrero are still banned from touching each other during matches, which makes being a team very hard. They both were in the ring at the same time and slightly interacted, but mostly were wrestling separate matches that happened to be taking place at the same time. They’re apparently not even allowed or interested in tagging each other, which led to a moment where Ultimo Guerrero tagged Gran Guerrero, and then Gran Guerrero just turned on the apron tagged Soberano in. It could not be sillier. The main event wasn’t otherwise that worth watching; it was not said to be not a good Mascara Dorada day.
The former Super Estrella (sister of La Magnifica, daughter of Gran Cochisse) is working as a referee for some women’s matches in Guadalajara.
CMLL (SAT) 09/30/2023 Arena Coliseo
1) Fantasy, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito vs Angelito, Kaligua, Pequeño Magía
2) Hera & Skadi vs Metálica & Reyna Isis
3) Hombre Bala Jr. vs Misterioso Jr. [lightning]
4) Arlequín, Furia Roja, Guerrero de la Muerte vs Akuma, Dark Magic, Espanto Jr.
5) Panterita del Ring, Star Black, Valiente vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
6) Ángel de Oro, Dragón Rojo Jr., Niebla Roja vs Averno, Euforia, Mephisto
Match 4 is a home/home match from Arena Coliseo Guadalajara.
CMLL (SUN) 10/01/2023 Arena México
1) Cachorro & Grako vs Leono & Retro [Relevos Increíbles]
2) Diamond, Robin, Valiente Jr. vs Apocalipsis, Cholo, Disturbio
3) Astral vs Sangre Imperial [lightning]
4) Capitán Suicida, El Audaz, Pelon Encapuchado vs El Coyote, Okumura, Pólvora
5) Soberano Jr., Titán, Valiente vs Ángel de Oro, Hechicero, Niebla Roja
6) Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero vs Euforia, Templario, Terrible
Gran Guerrero and Stuka haven’t been around Arena Mexico much of late, but are back here.
One of the prime goals of the KeMonito press conference was to get attention and that part has been a definite success. That story has gotten picked up in most every news story has gotten picked up everywhere in Mexico, so that part of the press conference was a definite success. (There’s almost no other lucha news because that was the news.) One of the threats in the press conference was a demonstration that would shut down Arena Mexico. Ironically, there were demonstrations that affected Tuesday’s crowd – streets near the arena were shut down and wrestlers arrived late – but they weren’t lucha libre or KeMonito related.
CMLL Informa announced the October run of Friday night shows
- 10/06: Torneo Universal de Amazonas Block A
- 10/13: Torneo Universal de Amazonas Block A
- 10/20: Torneo Universal de Amazonas Final/Blue Panther 45th Anniversary show
- 10/27: Gran Prix Femenil
The 10/20 lineup will be announced next week on Informa. Minus the tournament final, of course.
Estrellita Lagunera/Centella/Andromeda/(whatever her name is this week) jumps to CMLL
La Andromeda is the now former AAA wrestler Centella, who was Estrellita Lagunera in the indies. AAA believed she quit because she had a CMLL offer, and they turned out to be absolutely correct. The Guadalajara poster with “Andromeda” on it was out last Thursday, which means CMLL was advertising her before she even gave AAA notice. She probably knew for weeks and just didn’t tell AAA until the last moment. AAA’s inconsistent TV schedule meant she hadn’t actually worked for them in five weeks (since the 08/20 Showcenter card), though she was figured in shows going forward.
Whatever you want to call Andromeda, she showed up wearing a Gran Jefe headdress. Her brothers are Gran Jefe IV and Gran Jefe V, and V appeared in the Torneo de Escuelas earlier this year. They seem to be a CMLL family and likely “guided” her towards CMLL once that became an option. I don’t think AAA did anything specifically wrong. The issue is just they were AAA. She’d barely been in AAA (two TV matches) though it still feels like a blow. Konnan had talked about wanting a high flying luchadora for some time and seemed excited to have her part of their roster. Andromeda probably would’ve stood out more in the short term in AAA, because she’d work mixed tag where men could base for her. She might have more success long term in CMLL, who seem more interested in putting their homegrown talent in higher positions.
CMLL appears to be recruiting women heavily, especially for these Guadalajara shows. It took me until now to realize the Centinela that’s here is the same one who popped up on AAA’s military base show earlier this year. CMLL’s big advantage here is volume. That eight women’s match can more easily exist because CMLL has 40+ matches every week, and they can easily set aside one a week to a bunch of young luchadoras who may be years away from making Friday night Arena Mexico shows. AAA, as they currently run, has about three matches a week. It’s not a fair battle. AAA has Luchatitlan too, but I’m not sure how much development can be done when everyone’s doing the show night after night; maybe they’ll get very good in a specific way.
(Irrelevant fact: There was a previous La Andromeda between 1999-2001 in CMLL, when CMLL’s women’s division was essentially one match every couple of months before dropping the concept entirely for years. That Andromeda returned to CMLL when the division got relaunched and wrestled as Rosa Negra from 2006 to 2009. In a trivia note, TNA wrestling ran vignettes for an Andromeda in 2009, but the person never debuted. That person was supposed to be current movie star Cassandro.)
Centella’s match on this week’s AAA TV was the one I wasn’t able to record. If I can’t catch it on a repeat and if AAA cuts it out of their YouTube (which I would totally do if I were them), it will be lost for all time and it’ll drive me mad.
Noche de Campeones
CMLL revealed the full lineup and card order on Informa on Wednesday.
CMLL (FRI) 09/29/2023 Arena México
1) Bárbaro Cavernario © vs Esfinge [CMLL LH]
2nd defense, first this year
2) La Catalina vs Stephanie Vaquer [CMLL WOMEN]
vacant championship (Stephanie Vaquer neck injury)
3) Mercurio © vs Pierrothito [CMLL MINI]
6th defense
4) Místico © vs Virus [NWA MIDDLE]
7th defense
5) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa © vs Apocalipsis, Cholo, Disturbio [MEX TRIOS]
fifth defense, 1st this year
6) Titán © vs Máscara Dorada [CMLL WELTER]
8th defense
The trios title match swung back and forth in the last few hours. Los Indestructibles won by 295 votes, the closest contest of the six. La Catalina eeked out Stephanie Vaquer for the most votes among the women, though it doesn’t really matter who is one and two between them.
All the challengers appeared on Informa to discuss their finish, some of them talking about how much they were encouraging friends and family to accept. The Indestrucibles team of Cholo, Apocalipsis and Disturbio might have been the happiest; none of them thought they’d be in a title match, much less the semi-main on a Friday night Arena Mexico show. All those guys have been in apuesta matches, but seem to feel as if this is as big of any of those. Friends and countrywomen Catalina & Vaquer were also beaming up about the chance to wrestle each other in a title match. Titan/Dorada should be great but everyone seems motivated to reward the people who voted for them with a good performance.
Vote entirely was up 42% for last year. CMLL seems pretty happy with how it went and will surely be running it back in 2024.
(Mercurio did tell the press he’d rather face Minos, because he’s defeated Pierrothito & Angelito already. He’s out of luck. They may want to give the minis a year off next year.)
CMLL also surprised Mascara Dorada with an announcement that he’d be going to the UK as part of RevPro’s British J Cup on October 21st. Hechicero and Atlantis Jr. earlier talked very positively about their FantsticaMania UK experience.
CMLL now working with MLW and NJPW
CMLL Informa had a brief mention of a new promotional alliance with Major League Wrestling. MLW confirmed a three-way deal between CMLL, MLW, and NJPW starting next month. The press release mentions the leaders of the three organizations and Rocky Romero, which may be a tell. This is probably the same sort of deal CMLL has going with NJPW Strong: a few wrestlers going to a US based TV taping every one or two months. MLW shows air live as PPV before getting cut up for TV. MLW’s next show is 10/14 in Philadelphia.
It’d be a sound idea if this wasn’t MLW. MLW’s alliance with AAA ended with a weird title change or two, some matches that didn’t get anyone over, and a couple of wrestlers trapped under a lowball contract without being used. It helped in AAA in that it was a couple of extra paydays and as something for people to put on their resumes, but not much beyond that. Maybe CMLL will be fine with the same. AAA and MLW’s brand of weird seemed a much better fit.
I don’t follow MLW closely, but I did see manager Salina de la Renta returned to the promotion recently and noticed promo included a line about questioning why all the luchadors have disappeared. That was foreshadowing, I just assumed it was the Parks coming back again or something along the lines. Just browsing the YouTube channel, they also seem to have suddenly written out Sam Adonis and Dario Cueto, as well at least teasing Microman being out of the group. This was all probably a plan for a bit.
MLW/CMLL will probably amount to some extra CMLL matches on a different YouTube and a few extra bookings for a while. MLW tapes about once a month, so it’s not going to much work. It’s also probably not long for this world; MLW seems to shift promotional alliances every 4-5 anyway. (They’ve had deals with Dragon Gate, NOAH, AJPW along with AAA, all of which quietely disappeared.) We’ll all get through it fine as long as no one signs a contract.
AAA
Alberto el Patron will replace Penta on Sunday in Guerra de Titanes. AAA acknowledged Penta had a commitment with AEW and that they’re be changing the match. Alberto & Octagon Jr. versus Sam Adonis & QT Marshall is the new main event. I was suspicious AAA wouldn’t announce a change and they did in advance this time.
The plan seemed to be to build Octagon Jr./QT Marshall, but that seems less likely to happen with Alberto involved. Alberto’s a downgrade for my interest but that event is going to draw a very casual audience – they’re people coming for a fair who decide to stick around for a wrestling show – that I think it’ll be fine. AEW may not be pleased to have one of their VPs be in the ring with Alberto though. Alberto being involved is a heavy negative to the US audience but the US audience has no real way to watch this show normally and the people who’d be upset are probably going to be watching the AEW show instead. I wouldn’t want Alberto around but this is the easiest place
Reina Dorada also replaces Centella in the Copa Antonio Pena. (The two mystery spots remain a mystery.) Hijo del Vikingo is still listed on the card, but then he was listed on last week’s card too. My impression was Vikingo was going to be out two weeks so I wouldn’t expect him to wrestle.
Tickets for Sunday’s AAA show go from 250 to 600. They got a huge crowd in that arena last year and will get the same.
AAA officially announced Guerra de Titanes would take place November 19th in Ciudad Juarez. We worked this out earlier, it’s just now official. It would make sense to have one more big Pagano/Texano match on Pagano’s hometown show; he’s over huge every time they run that city.
Roberto Figueroa announced the 11/26 Showcenter will have 8 matches and include 10 wrestlers from US/Canada. Impact previously told their wrestlers they’d be taping in Mexico this year, so I presume this is them. I’m just not sure if this is the taping itself or if they’re doubling up on the weekend with an Impact taping elsewhere. Impact tends to tape twice at a time. Figueroa said the card would be announced this Wednesday, which turns out to mean October 4th and not today.
Komander returned to Reynosa to a big reaction.
IWRG
Thursday’s show is a Lucha Libre Boom show with a hundred people
IWRG (THU) 09/28/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Sparta vs Ryu, Príncipe Centauro, Latino, Hijo De Sparta, Gravedad Cero, Rey Spartano
2) Demencia, Hijo De Brazo De Platino, Reptil vs ?, Amenesia, Gaona
3) Oro Blanco, Papelito, Voltio vs Argus, Eurus, Solido
4) Sádika vs Candela, La Brava, Marina, Princesa Azul, Jesse Jackson, Danessa, Reina Obscura, Mary Caporal
5) Fandango, Hijo De Carta Brava, Noisy Boy, Spider Fly vs Lunatik Fly, Lunatik Xtreme, Súper Boy, Toto
6) Chico Che, Pantera, Último Vampiro vs Black Dragón, Bombero Infernal, Carta Brava (LLBL)
7) Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool vs Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr.
8) Hell Boy, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Puma de Oro vs Aero Boy, Cíclope, Miedo Extremo
9) Místico & Octagón vs Averno & Fuerza Guerrera
I will not watch this show. I apologize to Aeroboy.
IWRG (SUN) 10/01/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Dinastía & Tornado vs Kurama & Superboy
2) Príncipe Arkano vs Low Rider, Lanzeloth, Águila Roja, Rey Aztaroth
3) León Dorado & Mr. Leo vs Elemental & Puma de Oro
4) Dr. Cerebro Jr., Noisy Boy, Spider Fly vs Mr. Mike, Relámpago, Tonalli
5) Cerebro Negro & Cerebro Negro Jr. vs Hell Boy & Shocko [seconds hair]
referee Reyes Rosas (Cerebros) and Sonrisas (Hell Boy) hair on the line
6) Galeno del Mal & Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Hijo de Canis Lupus & Ivan Rokov
The referees have been feuding lately. I think the Wagners were rivals last time here but I guess Canis Lupus & Ivan Rokov aren’t friends either. Dinastia showing up to Naucalpan to work an opener is strange, but maybe he won’t show up.
Other Notes
Ensenada’s government website has a story story on how successful it’s “La Lucha Libre es Cultura” event was last weekend. AFN Noticias has a bit on a part of the event that goes unmentioned; the wrestlers invited fans in the ring to take a chop to see how hard it hit, and a minor got chopped repeatedly and needed medical treatment. The dad threatened criminal complaints against everyone. I think the issue starts with the parent saying it was OK for the child to go get hit.
Other Notes
An interview with Puebla’s Astaroth.
Box y Lucha 3570 has Cassandro, KeMonito and the CMLL show.
Cassandro was honored by the El Paso government. I remain confused if not surprised by the wrestling sphere in totally ignoring this movie. It’d be less weird if they just watched and decided they didn’t like it, but people who seem to absorb anything tangentially related to wrestling seem to have let this one slip by. I’ll stop writing this paragraph after today.
Impact Wrestling “Before the Impact” (the show that airs for free on YouTube) has Laredo Kid & Black Taurus versus Sami Callihan & Rich Swann on Thursday. I assume it’s a Callihan farewell match, as he’s said he’s finishing with the promotion and Swann is one of his good friends. Did you know: Laredo Kid has won two matches over the last calendar year in Impact. He has lost many more than two.