The CMLL bodybuilding contest took place Wednesday. I forgot how very long it can be. This year’s edition clocked in at over two hours fourty minutes. The winners in every division:
Beginner (School): Scorpio Jr. (a new one)
Beginner (2): Akuma
Novato 1: Hombre Bala Jr.
Novato 2: Diamond
Women: Olympia
Main: Astral
Astral was the overall winner for winning the main men’s class. They’ve had the winners of each division pose off at the end in previous years. There would’ve been no point here anyway, the top male division would win.
The women’s division has gone from Dark Angel winning all the bodybuilding contest and almost no one else participating to Dalys and almost no one else participating, and now it looks like it’ll by Olympia who wins all the time. Reina Isis and Bengalee were the runners-up this year.
CMLL (FRI) 12/01/2023 Arena México
1) Pequeño Magía, Pequeño Violencia, Último Dragóncito vs Mercurio, Pierrothito, Shockercito [Relevos Increíbles]
2) Futuro, Halcón Suriano Jr., Neón vs Apocalipsis, Cholo, Disturbio
3) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido
4) Flip Gordon, Titán, Valiente vs Averno, Euforia, Mephisto
5) Stephanie Vaquer © vs Tessa Blanchard [CMLL WOMEN]
2nd defense
6) Máscara Dorada, Místico, Volador Jr. vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible
Los Barbaros debut (under that team name) in the main event. Match four should be a solid match. Match three is a rematch from last week. Match one will end up in a DQ. I originally had Vaquer as a 60/40 favorite, and now I think it’s 60/40 Blanchard.
The PPV link is here. For what it’s worth, Boletia has links up for all Friday nights through December. They’re all 5 USD. The minis cage match is likely to be 01/01, and I wonder if that’ll just be part of the CMLL YouTube subscription. Lining up the big shows with the PPVs has not been a priority in the past.
The new Stolas gimmick in Guadalajara appears “borrowed/inspired” from a character of the same name on the YouTube anime series Helluva Boss about an assassin business in heell. I’m completely unfamiliar with this series (and hoping not to sound a million years old.) Plenty of people seem to know it; the channel has close to 9 million followers. I stumbled upon that mention of that show Tuesday when trying to find social media info on the luchador, just thinking it was a similar name. The “Stolas” name for a Demon does reach back to a far older creative work. The fans of the anime seem certain it’s the inspiration for the gimmick’s look. I can see it.
AAA
AAA will air an hour and a bit ore early on Saturday. It’s a 5:19 pm CT start time. They’ve got a live sports event later in the night bouncing everything around. This week’s episode will be the first part of AAA/Impact Ultraclash, which might last three weeks. No knowing what’ll air. Impact is also starting on Ultraclash next Thursday.
AAA’s 01/06 Retro show is headlined by La Secta. They’re also on the 01/19 The Crash show. AAA’s rule is no one can work both; the rule isn’t consistently applied and may not apply at all to guest talent. Cibernetico previously worked The Crash shows and is back again in AAA on the 01/06 show.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter briefly mentioned Konnan hadn’t had a chance to QT Marshall this week following his announcement that he was leaving AAA. It was left unsaid if AAA was among those who knew about Marshall’s plans in advance (and is that affected the AAA booking) or if it was just a lucky break to change the title.
IWRG
Mas Lucha (THU) 11/30/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Arceus, Drakula, Thunder Storm, Tornado b Caballero de Plata, Nativo, Sol, X-Devil 
Drakula pinned Caballero after a foul, setting up a hair match
2) Julissa b India Sioux [Torneo Suprema, quarterfinal]
3) Mary Caporal b Big Mami [Torneo Suprema, quarterfinal]
4) Mary Apache b Sádika [Torneo Suprema, quarterfinal]
5) Kayo Kobayashi b Diosa Nix [Torneo Suprema, quarterfinal]
6) Cerebro Negro, Cirujano Jr., Relámpago b Hell Boy, Tonalli, Yorvak
Relampago beat Tonalli. Hell Boy and Cerbero Negro had a pull apart post match to build to their 12/17.
7) Julissa b Mary Caporal [Torneo Supremo, semifinal]
8) Kaho Kobayashi b Mary Apache [Torneo Supremo, semifinal]
9) Flammer & Maravilla ?? Cinthia Moreno & Reina Dorada
no finished reported
10) Julissa b Kaho Kobayashi [Torneo Suprema, final]
I haven’t seen much of Julissa and came away with a positive impression. She was working a power style for a luchadora, and seemed to mesh fine with India Sioux. She’d fit in fine with CMLL. She’s the sort of person AAA would get very excited about six months before getting very excited by something else.
The finish of Caporal/Mami appeared to be Flammer distracting the referee and Maravilla hitting Big Mami with a chair when Mami turned around, but Mami didn’t do her part and time stood still until Marvilla just hit her in the back. It was not good. Apache/Sadika was as wild as expected, Kobayashi/Nix was fine.
Cerebro Negro/Hell Boy fought ‘for real’ after their match. I think that’s going to be the best IWRG match all year and they’re probably going to to talk me into the Mas Lucha subscription on 12/17.
IWRG will have its annual holiday party on 12/15. It’s back open to the public this year.
Big Lucha
They’re back streaming tonight.
Big Lucha World (FRI) 12/01/2023 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal
1) Ditto vs Morfosis
2) Radioactivo vs Skayde
3) Vengador vs Black Andrómeda
Ditto finally gets a singles match, might be the biggest match on the show.
The next big show is
Big Lucha (SAT) 12/16/2023 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal
1) ? vs ??
2) Dios del Inframundo & Súper Fly vs Cometa Maya & Radioactivo and Limbo & Torito Negro
3) Platino & Skayde vs Black Terry & Negro Navarro
4) Elipse, Iku, Orbita, Vengador vs Atómico Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., Súper Nova, Tito Santana
5) Viajero vs El Brujo [mask]
6) Emperador Azteca, Flamita, Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Dark Cuervo, Dark Ozz, Dark Scoria
The main event is for control of the promotion. I would prefer new control of the promotion; one match with guest stars is good, all of the matches with guest stars is less of what I’m hoping for. Seeing Super Fly and Drago in the second match is cool but it seems to reduce their importance to bring them in for a low level match. It seems weird to have spent so much time on someone like Black Andromeda for them not to be on the show, but that’s the direction they’re going.
Other News
Gran Hamada has been hospitalized all week in “delicate” condition, according to his daughter Ayako Hamada on Thursday. She seemed hopeful things had gotten better on Thursday. Gran Hamada has seemed frail in his public appearances this year.
Black Taurus, Latigo and Toxin wrestle Iron Kid, Aramis, and Wicked Wickett on Sunday in West Coast Pro Wrestling. That match streams for free on their YouTube channel.
12/09 RIOT
- Takuma & SB KENTo vs Arez & Latigo
Erik Ortiz vs Bandido– canceled- Aramis vs Prometeo – new
Bandido is off the 12/09 RIOT because he has not been medically cleared since undergoing wrist surgery. Bandido took to Twitter to clarify the situation: his wrist hasn’t gotten better, he’s got three paths he can choose to get them fixed. Two would be more surgery, the other therapy, but he’s got to wait long to see how it’s healing. He does not have a return date at this point; it may be a long wait.
Komander defeated Gringo Loco on Thursday’s ROH on Honor Club, as part of the Survival of the Fittest tournament. That means Komander will wrestle in a six way on the 12/15 Ring of Honor PPV for the vacant TV title. (Dalton Castle is the only other wrestler who’s advanced so far.)
AAA Cruiserweight Champion Komander being on that show means there will be no CMLL talent. I had looked at that Final Battle as maybe a side door for some CMLL/AEW involvement – being a different show and promotion in name could help with the issues and Texas always seems like a good place to bring in luchadors. Instead, there has really been no CMLL wrestlers in AEW outside of that one Mistico match on Rampage nearly two months ago.