CMLL
CMLL (MON) 02/19/2024 Arena Puebla [Mano a Mano, Porra Fresa]
1) Rayo Metálico & Xelhua b Asturiano & Novato
2) Astral b Enfermero Jr. [lightning] 
3) Amazona & Zeuxis b Marcela & Skadi
Originally Vaquer vs Catalina
4) Arkalis, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Samuray b El Malayo, Rey Apocalipsis, Siky Ozama
Rey Samuray’s first match since his father, King Rocker, passed away on February 4th.
5) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black b Ángel de Oro, Hijo del Villano III, Niebla Roja
Fugaz & Star Black beat the Chavez, asked for a tag title match
6) Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible © b Atlantis, Flip Gordon, Star Jr. [CMLL TAG]
Cavernario submitted flip.
King Rocker (Ignacio Sandoval) was a wrestler for 30 years and a mask maker for 25. He wrestled as King May, Chupacabras, and King Rocker. Rey Samuray, King Rrcker Jr. and King May Jr. followed him into wrestling; I presume it was “King Rocker Jr.” who was wrestling in Arena Puebla shows in 2018 and 2019.
There’s no mention of why the women’s match got challenged. Both women, but Catalina especially, have a lot of social media admirers. Those fans seemed displeased she wasn’t there. It was odd CMLL had that match booked back to back nights; maybe there was a change but the only person who does the posters was busy in Japan at that moment?
CMLL (TUE) 02/20/2024 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Mercurio, Minos, Pequeño Violencia b Fantasy, Galaxy, Shockercito
2) Dr. Karonte I, Enfermero Jr., Sangre Imperial b Diamond, Robin, Valiente Jr.
3) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa DQ Akuma, Dark Magic, Espanto Jr.
Dulce faked a foul on Akuma after Akuma repeatedly tried to use the ropes to win. Challenges followed.
4) Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr., Zandokan Jr. b Futuro, Max Star, Neón
Villanos seemed to get a tights pull on the finish but it wasn’t played up.
5) La Catalina DQ Stephanie Vaquer
Vaquer got willingly DQed using the hanging in the ropes armbar
6) Esfinge, Flip Gordon, Star Jr. b Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible
The women’s match came off as a story match: Vaquer kept going after Catalina’s arm, apparently more to injure her (and prove Catalina isn’t on her level) than to actually win the match. Catalina eked out the second fall with a reinera, and maybe a reason the match was three falls was just so Catalina wouldn’t get totally squashed. She got other comeback in there, but the match ended before either women came close to having a match. It was good in an contextless space, but if it’s meant to be character building (in other words, if I’m reading into it something that was actually meant to exist), it was effective in it’s aims. La Catalina was in a sling on Wednesday selling the beating.
I think Vaquer is better playing the cruel rudo than just doing action matches, and Catalina fell into the role of sympathetic tecnica. Vaquer wrestles a lot like her training/ex Ricky Marvin, and CMLL needs to find her the female equivalent of an Arez to beat up on. That may be a tall task; I’d settle for finding more happy young foreigners who don’t mind being kicked very hard.
La Escudra versus the tecnicas was not the crazy go nuts match those two teams are capable and have shown to be capable of in the past. It was a good match with solid teamwork. The tecnicos had good nights in terms of hitting what their big moves, and the rudos had good energy. (The Barbaros had some weird and not great energy at times in their match, but that’s a different story.) Those two teams have a better match in them but this one was pretty good for a Tuesday.
There’s clearly something coming with the Atrapasuenos, Ola Negra, Cancerberos and (less so) Indestructibles all having cheating finishes versus each other. A multiteam trios feud is unusual ground for CMLL, no knowing how it’s going to work out. Or when – there’s no room for it on Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, but the Arena Coliseo & Arena Mexico Anniversary shows are coming up in April.
Corey Taylor of Slipknot met Atlantis before the show. It is unclear if either man knew who the other man was before their meeting.
CMLL (TUE) 02/20/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Arena Coliseo Guadalajara, Mas Lucha]
1) Atilius, Maximus, Rey Urano b Avispón Negro Jr., Lince Del Bajio, Último Ángel
2) Arlequín & Garrabato b Guerrero de la Muerte & Shezmu and Cowboy & Omar Brunetti and Abigor La Pesadilla & Cris Skin and Bestia Negra & Rav and Johnny Dinamo & Prince Drago and Adrenalina & Obek and Amenaza Negra Jr. & Minotauro and Demonio Maya & Mandala and Leo & Temerario and Canalla & Principe Daniel and Fantástico & Halcón de Plata [Gran Alterantiva Tapatia]
worked as a cibernetico, though teams worked together at random parts. Garrabto got hurt on a tope con giro (didn’t turn over enough, opponent was too far away, landed on shoulders/neck) and was stretched out; Arlequin quickly won on his own.
3) Gallero, Halcón Negro Jr., Vaquero Jr. b Azteca Warrior, Desafio, Gato Fantasma
4) Barboza, Draego, Persa, Satánico b El Coyote, Felino, Felino Jr., Pólvora
Peras beat Felino Jr. via mask pull
5) Dark Silueta b Estrellita Mágica [lightning]
6) Lady Amazona, Sexy Sol, Skadi b Hera, Metálica, Olympia
I don’t understand this Gran Alternativa at all. I’m also confused how they went two straight women’s matches at the end.
CMLL Informa today has
- Mascara Dorada (FantasticaMania, AEW, other shows he may or may not be working)
- Zeuxis, La Catalina, Skadi (?)
- Fugaz (challenging Magia Blanca again)
- Dulce Gardenia & Akuma (whatever’s going on with the trios)
- Xelhua (Torneo Escuelas)
That’s a low amount of guests for Informa, so maybe more segments. The incredible pairs tournament is the next item on the calendar to announce. There’s still three more Informas to announce so it might be too soon to even get the first team announced.
At today’s CMLL media day, Tony Salazar took credit for training KeMalito. True evil.
Mascara Dorada is off the Prestige Wrestling show this weekend in Los Angeles. I believe he’s working that Sunday Arena Coliseo Guadalajara show. Rey Horus will now face a mystery wrestler, who I believe is a Mexican wrestler. Mascara Dorada is still working the Pro Wrestling Revolucion show on Saturday in San Jose.
Lluvia & La Jarochita teaching lucha libre on morning TV (in a pre-taped segment, i’d assume.)
Box y Lucha 3591 has the Torneo de Escuelas final.
AAA
AAA has no update on Hijo del Vikingo. I mean, they’ve not mentioned Hijo del Vikingo even getting hurt yet on social media. His injury (more so the lack of stretcher) was a viral story for a day there. Just not one AAA was participating in.
Mas Lucha posted a lot of interviews from after the Showcenter taping. They used to hold these back until the tapings aired. Maybe AAA’s very delayed airing schedule has caused them to no longer wait. (That taping may air mid March.) The New Taurus talks about how the previous Taurus left the name very high and there are going to be someone new people who like him and some people who hate him. I’m guessing more in one category than the other. I keep going negative on this strategy so here is a roundabout positive: he’s probably not goin got get over Taurus but AAA also probably wasn’t going to get him over as Dick Angelo 3G. If, for whatever reason, he gets over on his own or AAA decides to actually push him, at least they have him under a gimmick they’re comfortable. It’s going to be tough to get him over when he has to get out of the shadow of the previous guy but it doesn’t really matter either way if he’s just going to be a prelim guy. He lost in a fourway in his debut, he’s probably going to be a prelim guy. Abismo Negro Jr., who’s in the same spot and is a mentor to both the new Taurus and the new Bengala, wrote a long Facebook post defending them against the haters.
Flammer & Hiedra said Maravilla is injured and that’s why she missed that show.
Other News
Damian 666 told Guadalajara’s Lucha Libre Select that he plans on retiring on August 9th of this year. That sounds like there’s a show already booked.
Laredo Kid will face Jake Something on 02/24 for TNA in New Orleans. That doesn’t appear to be an Xplosion match for Laredo. It also doesn’t appear to be a win but you take what you can get. I wonder where the sources complaining about Pentagon not being used on Dynamite were when Laredo and Taurus were frequently being flown in to TNA’s taping and either only on Xplosion/BTI or not at all last year.
Thunder Rosa, doing an interview written up by Ovaciones, mentioned she has plans to run a show in Arena Mexico in mid-September where the profits would go to food banks. This is a thing a wrestler might say and then it doesn’t actually happen, but there’s at least a chance it’s a real thing with Thunder Rosa.
GCW announced Myron Reed versus Oni El Bendito for their 03/01 show in St. Louis.