CMLL Noche de Campeones, Heroes Inmortales, Roshfrans, MLW

CMLL

I just posted the Friday lineup, you could just scroll down to see it, but I will post it again because it’s a Friday.

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

There are lots of good and interesting matches on this card. Titan/Dorada has CMLL MOTYC potential if they’re on and if the fans care. Catalina & Vaquer appear to be close friends out of the ring and are going to want that match to be special. Los Indestructibles believe this is the only chance they might get at a semimain on a Friday night and are going to want to make something of it. Mistico and Virus have been in CMLL many years but haven’t had a real singles match since the earliest days of Mistico. Cavernario and Esfinge have wrestled a bunch in trios, but haven’t had a singles match since Esfinge joined the main roster. Mercurio and Pierrothito are old hands at this. It’s more a question about how much fans are going to care about these; it’s only a small portion who participates in these “fan choose the matches” polls and some of these are strange pairings to the casuals.

It’s live via Boletia and will go up on subscription YouTube on 10/08.

CMLL has not booked Dulce Gardenia in Arena Mexico since September 3rd. He’s worked only five matches there since July. He’s not turning up on next week’s cards so far. Cholo, Disturbio and Apocalipsis would be unlikely to win national gold as a team in any other situation. There’s a decent chance they win tonight.

CMLL had its usual media session with wrestlers on Wednesday. It was a slightly awkward one because it happened before Informa; no one could talk with certainty about any matches on Friday because nothing was official yet. Tiffany and Skadi promoted CMLL’s upcoming women’s wrestling month instead, but couldn’t really talk much about that because that was also on Informa. Fugaz and Dark Panther, who pretty much knew they didn’t win, could only just thank the people who did support them. Esfinge did give out an interesting fact in his interview.  He said he sold his Aniversario mask to a fan for 9,500 pesos (~540 USD), in an interview with La Posta. That’s the most he’d ever sold a mask for. Esfinge wasn’t planning on selling but he decided he could do a lot with that money. The same fan had bought his 2022 mask, and started asking about this one when Esfinge was just in the Copa Independencia tournament and unsure if he’d make the Aniverasrio.

 

CMLL Aniversario airs on Samurai TV on October 8.

Clearing up a piece of the KeMonito story I was confused on: the most recent CMLL plan was to introduce both a new person in the KeMonito suit and additionally a new KeMalito to feud with him. CMLL has cast people for the roles and those people have been told they’d be starting ‘soon.’ QueMoniito knew what he was talking about when he said they might start last Sunday; that start date just keeps getting pushed back. I’m not sure CMLL can do anything with the new characters right now without a significant backlash.

CMLL (MON) 10/02/2023 Arena Puebla
1) Centella Roja & Hijo de Centella Roja vs El Malayo & Rencor
2) La Vaquerita, Lady Metal, Skadi vs Amapola, Metálica, Zeuxis
3) Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa, Volcano vs El Coyote, Kráneo, Pólvora
4) Star Black, Star Jr., Titán vs Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr., Zandokan Jr.
5) Atlantis Jr., Máscara Dorada, Soberano Jr. vs Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero

Soberano and Ultimo Guerrero will be back playing their game again. Lady Metal went from a last minute replacement to appearing every week.

CMLL (TUE) 10/03/2023 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Frida & Luna vs Estrella Maldita & Yemaya
2) Avispón Negro Jr., Bello Antuan, Samurai vs Ponzoña Jr., Relámpago Azul, Rumbero
3) Flash, Metatrón, Pepe Aguayo vs Exterminador, Javier Cruz Jr., Maléfico
4) Astro Oriental, Persa, Temerario vs El Gallero, Johnny Dinamo, Minotauro
5) Draego, Gallo Jr., Rafaga Jr. vs El Elemental, Futuro, Yutani
6) Bestia Negra, Cris Skin, Ráfaga vs Barboza, Difunto, Zandokan Jr.
7) Adrenalina, Explosivo, Fantástico vs Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black

Less CDMX talent than usual. and less women than last week. The ex-Black Generacion duo of Elemental and Yutani popping up here is intriguing. Yutani suddenly leaving Big Lucha and showing up here suggests a stronger connection than just a one off appearance.

Thursday morning, CMLL and Roshfrans had a press conference to talk about their partnership. CMLL streamed this. I did not watch. I’m sorry for letting you all down. Roshfrans, which produces car oil and related products, resumed their sponsorship of CMLL with the Aniversario show. Roshfrans’ logo appeared from 2016 to February, quietly vanishing just prior to the pandemic. They were also sponsoring AAA that last year and went away from both companies at the same time. A great unwritten Luchawiki page would be to chart the various mat sponsors over time. There’s no mention of the length or terms, only that Roshfrans did not want a sponsored wrestler – they said they want to leave the wrestling up to the wrestling people and focus on what they do.

There were some details reported by other people who did watch this press conference.  Roshfrans was asked if they’d have a character (similar to Fuego as Pelon Encapuchado) and said no. There was talk about possibly a tournament or something along those lines. Salvador Lutteroth was asked about how CMLL takes care of the wrestlers, which seemed inspired by some of the QueMoniito press conference. He talked about how CMLL has beefed up its medical team at shows, and revealed every wrestler goes to sports medical clinic CEVAFIN to get checked out before they start with CMLL.

CMLL/MLW

“The MLW deal is not as big a deal as it was portrayed” is a frequently useful phrase. At least for now, the MLW/CMLL deal fits. The big CMLL name for the 10/14 MLW show is Rocky Romero defending the CMLL Historic Welterweight Championship against MLW Middleweight Champion Akira in a title versus title match. Romero is not losing that title outside of Mexico, so he’ll be coming back to CMLL as double champion if there’s a decision there. Romero’s defended the title on other indie shows, Romero’s worked in MLW before (though not for a couple of years), the only difference is branding it as a CMLL deal. Romero is great, but the tease was someone from Mexico and Rocky’s not flying in from Mexico. MLW is great at playing this game: they’ll get a day’s worth of attention out of hyping the CMLL deal and the Romero title match will be a small line item.

I presume there will be an actual Mexican wrestler on the November MLW taping. I’m skeptical of anything MLW does, but CMLL is only announcing something if they believe they’re getting something more out of it than a Rocky Romero booking. NJPW has also mentioned the deal and they wouldn’t position themselves to look goofy. It just very much comes off goofy to start this way.

MLW’s Court Bauer appeared briefly on Wrestling Observer Live to hype the deal with CMLL. Bauer said he was heading to Mexico at that moment, though it wasn’t clear if that was related to CMLL. He mentioned Mance Warner as someone from MLW interested in going to CMLL. Bauer was asked if there was any NJPW pressure to switch partnerships to CMLL, and Bauer said no, it was his decision to move: “we needed better a partnership in Mexico than we were experiencing [with AAA.]” Bauer and AAA go back to before this version of MLW, so it’s surprising he’d take even a mild dig at AAA.

The deal also came up in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Jacob Fatu is the only wrestler mentioned from either promotion. MLW would like to send him to CMLL, but the WON notes MLW wanted to send him to Japan for NOAH and Mexico for AAA and he never actually leaves the US due to a “legal issue.” MLW also said their wrestlers can only work for CMLL in Mexico, which seems like the most unnecessary stipulation possible. Some of the MLW wrestlers also work for GCW, the GCW guys work with Zona 23 and those two promotions are working together on 12/10 – but CMLL wouldn’t touch anyone working deathmatches anyway, no matter where they’re from.

That is the big obstacle to overcome with a MLW/CMLL deal; their rosters aren’t natural fits for each other. Looking through MLW’s roster page, it’s a lot of guys I don’t know well or that CMLL could’ve gotten before if they had been interested. I would like to see Tony Deppen but CMLL didn’t need an MLW deal to accomplish that. Some guys, like Matt Cardona, make a lot of sense in their current context but would be weird fits in Arena Mexico. Maybe Hammerstone? Maybe Thatcher? Thatcher seems like he should’ve appeared on a DragonMania show wrestling Navarro and Solar, like in a match no one outside the lucha bubble noticed but every six months someone on Twitter ‘discovers’ it on cagematch and starts desperately DM-ing me for video.

I think this is just weird trivia and not important, but it is notable that the current MLW announce team are current are AAA’s Joe Dombrowski and ex-AAA Matt Striker. I really don’t think CMLL cares.

AAA

AAA has Heroes Inmortales on Saturday:

AAA TV (SUN) 10/01/2023 Auditorio Benito Juárez, Zapopan, Jalisco [HBO Max press release]
***Heroes Inmortales, 2023***
1) Mini Vikingo, Mr. Iguana, Niño Hamburguesa vs Dinámico, Kamik-C, Skalibur
2) Dulce Kanela vs Maravilla, Sexy Star, ?, ??, Lady Shani, Reina Dorada, Estrellita, Chik Tormenta [Copa Antonio Pena, semifinal]
Reina Dorada replaced Centella on Tuesday
3) Forastero & Sansón vs Dave The Clown & Murder Clown and Chessman & Parka Negra [#1 Contenders, AAA TAG]
4) Dalys & Negro Casas vs Abismo Negro Jr. & Flammer [AAA MIXED TAG]
5) Hijo Del Vikingo & Myzteziz vs Dralistico & La Bestia Del Ring
6) ? vs ?? [Copa Antonio Pena, final]
7) Alberto el Patrón & Octagón Jr. vs QT Marshall & Sam Adonis
Alberto el Patron replaced Pentagon Jr. (AEW) on Tuesday

This show is listed at 4 pm. Space and HBO Max are scheduled to pick it up at 6 pm local. (That’s the same time as the AEW PPV starts if you’re converting time zones.) My guess is the last four matches will air on Space. It’ll be the less-than-ideal bit of airing a tournament final in the first week and the rest of the tournament in the second week.

I wrote this a bit earlier. Only in coming back later did I realize I didn’t write about any of the matches. There’s just nothing too interesting here. There are ‘good’ matches in some of these will get heat, but there’s nothing I’d be trying to watch on a second screen during the AEW PPV. The main event is building to the Octagon/QT match. The two women’s matches will have lots of moves, plenty of interference in the final, and no drama, like every other AAA women’s match. Match 5 almost certainly won’t happen as advertised. The mixed titles mean nothing to anyone but Dalys and Negro Casas, so they might as well win them, and only won’t if AAA decides they get more heat out of Nicho, costing them the match. I guess Forastero/Sanson are heading towards the tag title match, but who knows when/if Komander and Arez will be around to defend. I would’ve still watched this live if this came around when I didn’t have a conflict, but that’s more just to make sure I got it watched in a timely fashion; I have no excitement for any of this. It’s going to look really great for AAA though, they should draw great in association with this fair.

This is a Sunday show. No AAA Space airing on Saturday this week.

This may be Old News that I just didn’t pick up when it was announced. Back in the women’s match at TripleMania, the tecnicas did a big arm-raised pose before the match and body spray shot out of the corner. It was a sponsored bit with Fraiche Mexico perfumes. What I didn’t know is there are actually AAA body mists as part of this collaboration. (MVS had pointed it out in an press release-ish article.) The three offerings are Mascarita Sagrada, La Parka, and Lady Shani. The Mascarita Sagrada bottle is smaller than the other two, which is cute, and they all cost between 3-4 USD.

IWRG

LLB (THU) 09/28/2023 Arena Naucalpan [Estrellas del Ring, IWRG, Mas Lucha]
1) Hijo De Sparta b Sparta, Ryu, Príncipe Centauro, Latino Boy, Gravedad Cero, Rey Spartano 
2) Amnesia, Gaona, José Caporal b Demencia, Hijo De Brazo De Platino, Reptil 
3) Argus, Eurus, Solido b Oro Blanco, Papelito, Voltio 
Mas Lucha and Estrellas del Ring have opposite results
4) Sádika b Candela, La Brava, Marina, Princesa Azul, Jesse Jackson, Danessa, Reina Obscura, Mary Caporal 
5) Calibus, Hell Boy, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Puma de Oro b Aero Boy, Cíclope, Miedo Extremo, Rey Dragón 
6) Black Dragón, Bombero Infernal, Carta Brava (Llb) b Chico Che, Pantera, Último Vampiro 
Fantasma de la Opera interfered.
7) Lunatik Fly, Lunatik Xtreme, Súper Boy, Toto b Fandango, Hijo De Carta Brava, Noisy Boy, Spider Fly 
8) Espanto Jr., Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa b Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. 
Espanto Jr., Rey Cometa and Espanto Jr. replaced the Pigs (?!?)
9) Místico & Octagón b Averno & Fuerza Guerrera 

There were so many matches that both Mas Lucha and IWRG’s recaps missed two of the results. The show ended some time after midnight. The CMLL guys working as Pig replacements is weird (and also makes one wonder if the Pigs not working a CMLL show is a coincidence.) The show drew well, as Lucha Libre Boom hows always do. I watched the video to figure out who won match 3 and will now move on.

Big Lucha

They’re back on Saturday night, though I presume this isn’t airing until mid week.

Big Lucha (SAT) 09/30/2023 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal
1) Nordico vs Sangre Nueva
2) Helios & Urzus Mendoza vs Black Skayde & Odisseo Mendoza
3) 1 vs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
4) Cometa Maya & Radioactivo vs SB KENTo & Takuma
5) Emperador Azteca, Flamita, Orbita, Vengador vs ?, El Potro de Oro, Jack Evans, Watanabe

It’s a small card than usual, though it may go about as long thanks to another dreaded battle royal. Match four could be great. The mystery person in the Mexico versus the World main event is said to be a familiar face.

Other News

WWE NXT’s Yulisa Leon left the promotion last week. She was among a mass group of cuts but clarified she had asked for her release. Leon was the first Mexican born woman signed to WWE. (Pantera Surena had worked for WWE on a per-night basis in the past.) She’s also the daughter of Monterrey’s Bronco, who wrestled in CMLL in the mid 90s and lost his mask to Black Warrior. She’d never wrestled in Mexico prior to going to WWE, though she’d trained with CMLL (Tony Salazar) and in Monterrey; her background was more in powerlifting. It was uncertain if she was interested in continuing in wrestling. Leon is now apparently counting until her 30-day no-compete period concludes, which sure seems like she’s planning on doing more wrestling. She’d be free just in time for the CMLL Gran Prix if they were very much interested in using her.

Aerostar and Dios del Inframundo (Drago) randomly started teasing a mask vs mask feud on an indie show. It’s probably going nowhere, but it’s a different way to get bookings than teaming. If Dios del Inframundo was really willing to lose his mask at indie prices, he would’ve done it before switching gimmicks.

El Sol de Hidalgo has an interview with Aguila Solitaria. He says he was on break due to COVID and an unspecified operation. He debuted when he was 25, which is late for a Mexican luchador. He says his trainer told him not to wrestle until he got invited to wrestle on big shows, because he’d end up liking the small shows and staying there if he worked those.

The Dragon YouTube channel has a video on Komander’s top 10 moves.