Torneo de Escuelas final, AAA upcoming TV lineups, Parejas Incredible teams

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 02/23/2024 Arena México
1) Micro Gemelo Diablo I & Micro Gemelo Diablo II vs Mije & Periquito Sacaryas
2) Marcela & Skadi vs Hera & Olympia
3) Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible vs Averno, Euforia, Mephisto
4) Alom (CDMX), Astro Boy Jr. (CDMX), Dragón de Fuego, Forneo, Hunter (CDMX), Legendario vs El Hijo De Centella Roja, El Malayo, El Novato (Puebla), Rayo Metálico (Guanajuato), Rey Apocalipsis, Xelhua [Torneo de Escuelas, final]
CDMX vs Puebla
5) Ángel de Oro, Atlantis Jr., Brillante Jr. vs Máscara Dorada, Neón, Soberano Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]

The main event should be good, even if it’s the oddity of Mascara Dorada being on the rudo side. (Or Atlantis Jr.?) Mexico City seems unlikely to lose Torneo de Escuelas back to back years, but that’s not really a team that has to win. It’s possible a trios title match comes out of match 3, but otherwise nothing to focus on the undercard.

Beyond the trophy for best school, all these young wrestlers are trying to impress to get full time spots on the roster. CMLL kinda knows who they want to spotlight – it was no accident Xelhua got the hero performance last week – but other people can forced their way into the conversation. This, and watching a Vegas match on one of the Saturday shows, got me to thinking about how last year’s Torneo de Escuelas wrestlers turned out

Names	Team	Status
Futuro	CDMX	Full Time
Max Star	CDMX	Full Time
Neón	CDMX	Full Time
Vegas	CDMX	Full Time
Brillante Jr.	Laguna	Full Time
Crixus	GDL	Full Time
Rey Samuray	Puebla	Occasional
Hijo de Stuka Jr.	Laguna	Occasional
Misterio Blanco	Laguna	Occasional
Misterio Negro	Laguna	Occasional
Vaquero Jr.	GDL	Occasional
Ángel Rebelde	GDL	Rarely
Histórico	CDMX	Rarely
Príncipe	CDMX	Didn’t return
Tonalli	CDMX	Didn’t return
Gran Jefe	Laguna	Didn’t return
Rey Insólito	Laguna	Didn’t return
Adrenalina	GDL	Didn’t return
Explosivo	GDL	Didn’t return
Fantástico	GDL	Didn’t return
Hijo de Centella Roja	Puebla	Didn’t return
Millenium	Puebla	Didn’t return
Multy	Puebla	Didn’t return
Perverso	Puebla	Didn’t return
Prayer	Puebla	Didn’t return

In retrospect, it’s obvious which names were going to get on the roster anyway and last year’s tournament was just the way to introduce thhem. The Mexico City team didn’t win, but CMLL sure liked to keep most of them around. Principe was the guy who wrestled in the semifinal for Team CDMX before Historico replaced him in the final. As best I can tell – and it’s imperfect which a name that generic – Principe hasn’t wrestled again. Vegas was good in that tournament but I wonder if he essentially just got Tonalli’s spot. I still don’t understand what happened with Angel Rebelde; maybe he just didn’t want to move to Mexico City?

A block of stuff that was announced on Informa but I’m putting this line up top so I don’t have to keep saying “On Informa, they said”:

• The Parejas Incredible tournament will be an eight team tournament this year, down from the typical sixteen. This routes around many wrestlers already being announced for the date of the final, Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. The March 15th block is:
  • Akuma & Dulce Gardenia
  • Euforia & Gran Guerrero
  • Angel de Oro & Flip Gordon
  • Mascara Dorada & Rocky Romero, the heavy favorites to advance
• Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask IV will appear on the 03/01 Arena Mexico show. Liger had previously been announced for an appearance/autograph tour. Liger will not be wrestling, though CMLL didn’t exactly make that clear. (He is retired but Mexican wrestling fans are used to that not meaning anything.) Tiger Mask will wrestle.
• La Catalina declared she’s going to be a tecnica going forward. She’s breaking up with her ex-friend Stephanie Vaquer after since Vaquer decided to second Zeuxis in the Universal final last year, and more so after Vaquer attacked her in Puebla after a match. Tuesday’s match – which left Catalina with an arm injury that’ll be fine before the next match – was the breaking point, and Catalina can’t stand to team with Vaquer or the other rudas any more. Vaquer and Catalina went back and forth on social media.
• A video package highlighted the issues between Atrapasuenos, Ola Negra, Cancerberos and Indestructibles. There was no hint where it all was going. Four way trios feuds are uncharted territory in CMLL.

Not on Informa itself, but in the media interviews prior, Tony Salazar talked about his training philosophy a bit. He says he’s training big groups now and prefers to train wrestlers who are totally new, not people who trained with others (and picked up habits he doesn’t like.) He says some wrestlers are scared to train with him because he’s so strict, but feels he needs to be strict to get through to students, and part of being a professional wrestler is handing that sort of pain. Salazar says his hope is someday one of his students is the wrestler honored at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. (Mistico certainly will be one day.) Salazar says he admires Volador’s leadership over his students, because they’re all very united. It seems like Volador’s training more people – there seemed to be a significant amount of people in the Torneo de Escuelas who cited him as a trainer – but there’s never been much of a public announcement about it.

There’s still tickets left to 03/29 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, but really just the upper levels. A couple of the seats in the Freedom restaurant are still left (thouh you have to click around on the map to get it.) The map doesn’t show how many tickets are available in upper levels. Ticketmaster used to put a low ticket warning when a show was about sold out, and I don’t see it yet.

CMLL put up the Ola Negra/Cancerberos match from 02/11 as a free match on YouTube. They’ve also put up matches 4/6 from Saturday’s show for members; they’ve been doing bigger matches since the first week. None of the matches have been notable in terms of quality.

Ultimo Guerrero is still in Japan with Lluvia, Jarochita and Tabata. Titan also still seems to be in Japan with his family (or he’s posting old photos.) Maybe there other people on vacation? I haven’t deeply searched Instagram. Rocky Romero, Mascara Dorada and Mistico are in San Jose Saturday for Pro Wrestling Revolution.

CMLL (SAT) 02/24/2024 Arena Coliseo
1) Bengala & Retro vs Grako & Inquisidor
2) Amapola & Olympia vs Metálica & Tiffany
3) Arkalis, Guerrero Maya Jr., Stigma vs Difunto, Raider, Vegas
4) Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus vs Apocalipsis, Cholo, Disturbio
5) Magia Blanca © vs Fugaz [MEX WELTER]
6) Atlantis, Blue Panther, Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Templario

Magia Blanca is up to six defenses. Half of them have been against Fugaz. Match 4 continues that trios feud.

CMLL (SAT) 02/24/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Gallo Jr., Obek, Rafaga Jr. vs Calavera Jr. I, Calavera Jr. II, Rav
2) Leo, Omar Brunetti, Vaquero Jr. vs Ángel Rebelde, Barboza, Persa
3) Adira, Dulce Kitty, Náutica vs Nexy, Sexy Sol, Valkiria
4) Dark Magic, Elemental, Yutani vs Arlequín, Cris Skin, Trono
5) Andrómeda, La Catalina, Mystique vs Dark Silueta, Maligna, Persephone
6) Dulce Gardenia & La Fashion vs Bestia Negra & Ráfaga
7) Adrenalina, Brillante Jr., Explosivo, Fantástico vs Furia Roja, Gallero, Guerrero de la Muerte, Halcón Negro Jr.

CMLL (SUN) 02/25/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Avispón Negro Jr., Bello Antuan, Último Ángel vs Eclipse Jr., Rumbero, Shezmu
2) Ángel Rebelde, Halcón Negro Jr., Trono vs Black Boy, Thunder Boy, Yaky Boy
3) Adira, Dulce Kitty, Náutica vs Estrellita Maldita, Sexy Sol, Valkiria
4) Dark Magic, Elemental, Yutani vs Exterminador, Javier Cruz Jr., Maléfico
5) Andrómeda, La Catalina, Mystique vs Dark Silueta, Maligna, Persephone
6) Dulce Gardenia & La Fashion vs Guerrero de la Muerte & Ráfaga
7) Brillante Jr., Leo, Omar Brunetti, Vaquero Jr. vs Arlequín, Bestia Negra, Furia Roja, Gallero

CMLL is back to running on Sunday in Guadalajara. They’re also running the afternoon prior with pretty much the same crew as a free sponsored show. I assume the Sunday show came about because they were already bringing in people for Saturday. I’m uncertain there’s going to be a great demand for a Sunday pay show after a Saturday free show. They are doing 1 peso tickets for kids. Maybe Mascara Dorada got dropped because he wouldn’t be free both days?

For people who don’t care about all of that but want to watch wrestling, this means Guadalajara will be streaming both Saturday and Sunday but you probably don’t need to watch both.

CMLL (SUN) 02/25/2024 Arena México
1) Acero, Aéreo, Kaligua vs Full Metal, Pequeño Polvora, Pequeño Violencia
2) Leono & Retro vs Nitro & Príncipe Odín Jr.
3) Skadi vs Zeuxis [lightning]
4) Fuego, Panterita del Ring, Volcano vs Gemelo Diablo II, Kráneo, Sagrado
5) Esfinge, Hombre Bala Jr., Star Jr. vs Crixus, Magnus, Rugido
6) Atlantis Jr., Flip Gordon, Místico vs Gran Guerrero, Hechicero, Soberano Jr.

Magnus gets back in the Los Deperdadores mix, with Crixus in for Magia Blanca. Odin and Retro are on opposite sides of a match again.

CMLL (MON) 02/26/2024 Arena Puebla
1) Astro & Rayo Metálico vs Espíritu Maligno & Rencor
2) El Novato & Xelhua vs Hijo del Perverso & Multy
3) Andrómeda, Astoreth, La Catalina, Lady Metal, Skadi vs Dark Silueta, Diablita Roja, Lady Amazona, Mania, Zeuxis
4) Fugaz & Hombre Bala Jr. vs El Perverso & Prayer
5) Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja © vs Fugaz & Star Black
14th defense
6) Atlantis Jr., Máscara Dorada, Volador Jr. vs Averno, Euforia, Zandokan Jr.

I think Angel de Oro and Niebla Roja are going with a higher number, and they may be right. CMLL could help this angle by laying it out (and not just assuming I have the luchawiki updated; I haven’t had the time to update the title histories there in months.)

While I need to fix it, the cibernetico in the third match helps clear up who’s supposed to be tecnicas and rudas in this Puebla division. Multy hasn’t been here since last May. That was a match that went up on YouTube (holiday show) and so I’m pretty sure I saw it, but I don’t recall an injury.

AAA

AAA on Space has no episode title this week. The oldest unaired taping is the second part of the Mexico City taping so that’s my guess.

AAA released the full card for the 03/09 Saltillo taping.

AAA TV (SAT) 03/09/2024 Lienzo Charro Prof. Enrique Gonzalez, Saltillo, Coahuila [Saltillo Al Raz De Lona]
1) ?, ??, ??? vs ????, ?????, ??????
2) Drago, Epydemius Jr., Estrellato vs Hijo del Picudo, May Flowers, Nygma
3) Dulce Kanela, Jessy Queen, Pimpinela Escarlata vs Flammer, La Hiedra, Maravilla
4) Toscano & Zorro vs Antifaz & Hator
5) Aerostar, Myzteziz, Negro Casas vs Dark Cuervo, Dark Ozz, Dark Scoria
6) Pagano & Psycho Clown vs Forastero & Sansón [AAA TAG]
4th defense (2nd on TV)
7) Hijo Del Vikingo, Octagón Jr., Vampiro Canadiense vs Dave The Clown, Murder Clown, Panic Clown

AAA added match 2 (return of the Vatos Locos) and 4, both of which probably will not be good. They left Hijo del Vikingo in the main event. He is unlikely to be in the main event.

AAA TV (SAT) 03/16/2024 Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal
1) ? & ?? vs ??? & ????
2) Faby Apache, La Parkita, Mr. Iguana, Pimpinela Escarlata vs Bengala, Dalys, Jessy Queen, Parkita Negra
3) Myzteziz Jr. & Octagón Jr. vs Aerostar & Laredo Kid
4) Oscar Sevilla & Súper Caló vs Charly Manson & Nygma
5) Pagano vs ? vs Mecha Wolf
6) Dave The Clown, Murder Clown, Panic Clown vs Dark Cuervo, Dark Ozz, Dark Scoria
7) Psycho Clown vs Cibernético vs El Patrón Alberto

By my best guess, this starts airing on April 28, a four week delay. It is also probably the last taping before TripleMania Monterrey.

They might as well make that main event for the vacant mega title, but AAA still hasn’t said anything about Vikingo or the title. They also are missing the random foreign wrestler I guess.

Maybe Vikingo was in the mystery spot in the fifth match? Weren’t Pagano and Mecha Wolf meant to be part of a group? You know it’s not that important.

Match 3 might be the only good one. The Faby Apache/Dalys feud continues in the second, though AAA booking a women’s singles match seems unlikely.

IWRG

IWRG (SUN) 02/25/2024 Arena Naucalpan
1) Ajolotl & Fussion vs Histeriosis & Rey Aztaroth
2) Keyra vs Lolita
3) Auzter, Spider Fly, Tornado vs Águila Roja, Cerebro Negro Jr., Rey Halcón
4) Tonalli vs Cerebro Negro
5) Ivan Rokov & Vangellys vs Hell Boy & Hijo de Canis Lupus
6) Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. vs Arez, Látigo, Toxin

Los Vipers returned to attack MexaBoys, end up fighting La Pandemia. OK.

Big Lucha

Big Lucha (FRI) 02/23/2024 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal
1) Diosa Nix & La Brava vs Sairely & Satania
2) Cósmico & Helios vs Rey Espectrito & Solaris
3) Cometa Maya, Morfosis, Radioactivo vs Shere Khan, Sol, X-Devil
4) Brujo, Limbo, Torito Negro vs Atómico Jr., Auzter, Black Skayde
5) El Potro de Oro, Jack Evans, Súper Nova vs Caballero de Plata, Ciclón Ramírez Jr., Hijo del Pirata Morgan

This week has an INJUVE/Big Lucha theme for some of the matches.

Other News

CMLL luchadora Andromeda has been part of an minor ongoing saga. KAOZ Lucha Libre claimed she signed a contract with them when she was still indie luchador Estrellita Lagunera, one they’d definitely be enforcing and she’d definitely still be wrestling for them whenever it was they’d get around to running a next show. That next show is March 24th and Estrellita Lagunera is wrestling – only KAOZ announced it’d be a new person. They had been so insistent they were going to get Andromeda to be on the show that this announcement was mocked heavily; comments are now closed.

Taya beat Sussy Love last night on ROH’s Honor Club show, as part of a tournament to decide a first ever ROH Women’s TV champion. Almost all of the first round matches in the 16 women tournament are roster members versus outside talent, with the unsigned talent getting just enough offense to look like they belonged in the tournament (but none of them actually winning.) Sussy Love did enough flashy things to do well in that role; I don’t know that if she’ll be back in ROH but she did well enough to be considered.

Might be something, might be nothing: ROH announcers mentioned Sussy Love’s background in Big Lucha, but not AAA.. They talked about Taya’s background in Mexico without saying where that happened. Komander again didn’t have the AAA Cruiserweight Championship. I think me making a big deal about AEW distancing themselves from AAA is going to fall on deaf ears – a lot of people half paying attention though AEW already did that just by working with CMLL. I see there’s more going on here but maybe that’s me overthinking it.

A visit to a Zacatecas lucha libre musuem.