Torneo Incredible de Parejas Block B, Halcon Suriano leaves CMLL, dreams

CMLL

Tonight’s show.

CMLL (FRI) 03/22/2024 Arena México
1) Fuego & Hombre Bala Jr. vs El Coyote & Pólvora
2) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr., Zandokan Jr.
3) Lluvia, Stephanie Vaquer, Zeuxis vs La Catalina, Reyna Isis, Tessa Blanchard [Relevos Increíbles]
4) Flip Gordon, Místico, Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Rocky Romero
5) Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr. vs Dragón Rojo Jr. & Templario and Hechicero & Stuka Jr. and Disturbio & Virus [Torneo Incredible de Parejas, battle royal]

Templario would be a good opponent for Mascara Dorada & Rocky Romero, but so would Soberano. It is inconceivable CMLL is picking Dragon Rojo Jr. over Atlantis Jr. Match 2 and 4 look good, match 3 should be a dry run for next week. Seeing those teams makes me curious when CMLL found our Jarochita was “going on indefinite hitaius”, because it sure feels like Catalina was put in her spot.

CMLL (SAT) 03/23/2024 Arena México
1) Astro Boy Jr. vs Dragón de Fuego
2) Astral, Robin, Valiente Jr. vs Enfermero Jr., Grako, Inquisidor
3) Capitán Suicida & Diamond vs Raider & Vegas
4) Andrómeda, Marcela, Skadi vs Amapola, Dark Silueta, Tessa Blanchard
5) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, El Hijo De Blue Panther vs Akuma, Dark Magic, Espanto Jr.
6) Flip Gordon, Místico, Star Jr. vs Averno, Euforia, Mephisto

I think I would want to see match 3 and match 5 if CMLL uploaded the videos.

CMLL (SUN) 03/24/2024 Arena México
1) Novato & Rayo Metálico vs Hunter & Infarto
2) El Audaz, Eléctrico, Volcano vs Inquisidor, Kráneo, Misterioso Jr.
3) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
4) Persephone & Tessa Blanchard vs Hera & Olympia
5) Flip Gordon vs Niebla Roja
6) Atlantis Jr., Máscara Dorada, Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr.

Flip tries for revenge on Niebla Roja.

CMLL (MON) 03/25/2024 Arena Puebla
1) Enigmática & Lady Metal vs Diablita Roja & Mayahuel
2) El Malayo, El Perverso, Siky Ozama vs Crixus, Difunto, Raider
3) Lluvia vs Tessa Blanchard [lightning]
4) Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso, Stigma vs Futuro, Max Star, Neón
5) Atlantis Jr., Averno, Volador Jr. vs Soberano Jr., Templario, Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]
6) Máscara Dorada © vs Rocky Romero [NWA WELTER]

The visa situation for some CMLL wrestlers got a lot of attention in how it affected AEW. It’s really more of an issue for NJPW’s US work. The Rocky/Dorada feud carried over to those shows. Volador, Soberano and Hechicero were all used on those shows recently. Templario figured to be involved sooner or later due to his new team with Romero. All of those guys are off limits in the US for the moment.

Which kind of makes me wonder about this title match – could it have been something scheduled for Windy City Riot at one point? Romero winning the title again on a NJPW show would’ve been a big deal, and it would’ve happened just before the Historic block of the Universal tournament. I think a Mistico, Mascara Dorada and Atlantis Jr. would be a big match and a good match. It also might be the rare CMLL match where they care who wins and don’t won’t to beat anyone. Romero replacing Dorada gives them someone easier to beat, or someone who can cheat in a way where it’s not a real loss. CMLL historically had some sudden title changes prior to the Universal tournament to get the correct people involved, and there hasn’t been any yet tis year. It’s likely I’m overthinking all of this, but this title match seems more noteworthy than the usual Puebla title defense.

CMLL (TUE) 03/26/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Avispón Negro Jr., Lince Del Bajio, Último Ángel vs Eclipse Jr., El Jabalí, Ponzoña Jr.
2) Hatanna, Magia Azul, Tabata vs Alondra, Lady Shadow, Miss Guerrera
3) Leo, Omar Brunetti, Vaquero Jr. vs Infierno, Mr. Trueno, Rey Trueno
4) Andrómeda, Lady Metal, Skadi vs Adira, Náutica, Sexy Sol
5) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Hijo de Blue Panther vs Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Zandokan Jr.
6) Brillante Jr., Máscara Dorada, Titán vs Averno, Euforia, Mephisto

Tabata has her first match in a CMLL ring since her Japan tour (though she’s wrestled outside of CMLL.) No follow up from last week’s mask challenges in the undercard.

Edit: CMLL updated the poster to repalce Tabata with Centinela minutes after I posted this.

Halcon Suriano Jr. announced he and CMLL had split ways last Thursday via Instagram Story. He used the same platform out a statement on Friday that didn’t add much detail. I’m not sure if CMLL pushed Suriano out or if Suriano jumped himself, but he seemed to know it was the end prior; he had posted a nostalgic photo of an empty Arena Mexico earlie in the day.

Suriano was one of the wrestlers chosen for the CMLL media day last Thursday (03/14), and he talked a fair bit about his frustration with his current situation. Halcon posted video of that talk on Instagram Stories after his departure. He’s been working in CMLL, first as Stukita and now as Halcon Suriano, for 12 years and was seeing new wrestlers who hadn’t put in the same work move up the card past him. Surano tried to make it clear he had nothing against the new wrestlers, just that he thought he was putting in good work and wasn’t getting the same consideration. CMLL’s programming department has responded harshly to public criticism in the past – infamously Fuego similarly complained about lack of opportunities and was punished in booking for years – though it’s also possible Suriano got frustrated enough to quit on his own.

Halcon Suriano came in to CMLL as Stukita (the mini version of Stuka Jr.) on Christmas 2012, a time where CMLL wasn’t doing a lot with the minis. He moved to the main division in 2018 and took on the Halcon Suriano Jr. name. Suriano seems to still be living in Torreon and has disappeared from CMLL from time to time. (He also missed the empty arena period.) Halcon Suriano, Astral, Electrico and Diamond all started out in the minis division, ‘graduated’ to the main division, and then haven’t done all that much – the moves have been lateral or even downward for their shape of their careers. The dream for minis wrestlers is to leave the division and become a top star. The minis group seems capped at the match 3 level, but those who leave rarely do much better – and more often, they fall back. Demus had the same issues when he also moved up, which led to him losing his way back into the minis division and out of CMLL. Only Virus has been able to overcome that mini stigma due to his superb technical ability, but he still was a 2/3 match guy for most his career and only recently been a 3/4 guy – he’s someone more reversed among diehard fans than booked strong. The others have been treated like unwanted interlopers in the main division. The dream to move to the main division seems like a foolish one; the people who’ve had more happiness are those who’ve just left CMLL entireity.

I didn’t find Halcon Suriano Jr.’s work enjoyable the last few years. He had a fun quality as Stukita that diminished over time. Suriano became the type of wrestler excited to do his own offense and was completely disinserted in anything else, be it what his teammates were doing or what his opponents were trying to do. He didn’t seem to be trying to make the matches better, just show off what he had learned to do. It didn’t appear Halcon’s fellow wrestlers were all that happy with him in his recent matches and he didn’t appear happy either. He’ll probably be happier on the outside.

No sign of this week’s Fan Leyenda exclusive Arena Coliseo matches yet. They’ve gone up on Thursday since the bit started. There was no free match this week. I feel fairly confident next week’s Friday show will be a minor disaster, in terms of getting people to understand it’s only available live on the Fan Leyenda/35 USD level.

CMLL Informa’s only notable announcement was the block scheduling for Universal tournament. Each week is a different elimination match

• 04/05: all National champions
• 04/12: all CMLL champions
• 04/19: all Historical (NWA) champions
• a three way match with the winners on 04/26

04/05 is WrestleMania weekend Friday, but none of the national champions figure to be on those shows. (They really missed on El Cholo.) Julio Cesar Rivera noted that the participants are as of time of the match; they’ll be replaced if a title changes hands prior. That seemed to come up in relation to the Romero/Dorada title match.

CMLL also announced Copa Bobby Bonales will also be given on out on 04/26. It’s called a Copa but it’s actually a lifetime achievement award chosen by Bonales’ son (and important person in Mexico’s governmental sports structure) Daniel Aceves. There is no strong criteria, just the idea it’ll go to a veteran.

ESTO interviews Tony Salazar about Homenaje a Dos Leyendas.

CMLL not in CMLL

CMLL officially they’re working with MLW on their Azteca Lucha show May 11th. Mistico indicated he’d be there. It was going include CMLL show as soon as they announced it for Cicero and called “Azteca Lucha”, CMLL’s the lucha libre partner right now, but this makes it official. Tickets run from $10-95; I haven’t see $10 tickets for wrestling shows in this area in a long time, it’s cheaper than most lucha shows in that building. MLW’s starting to roll out talent announcements in similar fashion as the RevPro FanasticaMania UK shows; Star Jr. was Friday’s announcement. I’m probably not going to pay too much attention until matches are announced, unless someone unexpected is included.

Yota Tsuji and Tetsuya Naito will meet for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on April 6. CMLL usually doesn’t make much notice of NJPW happenings outside of CMLL direct involvement, but have been pointing this match out on both social media and CMLL Informa. (Titan said he was excited for the match.) Maybe CMLL still just considers Tsuji one of their guys, but it comes off as if they’re setting up something.

AAA

TrillerTV put up the purchase pages for TripleMania Monterrey  ($25) and the three show bundle ($55 USD). The single show price is up from 23 the last two years to 25. The package deal is down 5 USD. The package saving is up from 9 to 20. If you are going to buy TripleMania Monterrey, you should just buy all three. Unless you’re a Dolph Ziggler completist, paying for this TripleMania lineup means you’re going to pay for any TripleMania show, so you might as well buy them all at a discount. Most people watching these shows are going to watch it for free – either on Space, or on YouTube later, or just pirating the thing.

Note that the TrillerTV start time is wrong, as always. It’s a 7 pm Mexico start time, but a 8 pm CDT one. They never get this right on the first try because of daylight savings time and it takes until a few days prior to the show for them to notice it was wrong (but not to create some process to get it right the next time.)

AAA on Space will air the second half of the 02/18 Showcenter taping on Saturday:

• Belcegor & Toscano vs the Mummy & Ultra
• Lady Shani, Pimpinela Escarlata, Sexy Star vs Dulce Kanela, Flammer, La Hiedra
• Laredo Kid vs Antifaz del Norte

On his podcast, Konnan confirmed Hijo del Vikingo is under contract to AAA not not AAA. Konnan also said they were supposed to get a US TV deal “like two years ago”  (2022) but the pandemic (2020) messed it up and they’re back “on the road” to a deal. Konnan says AAA will keep losing people to AEW until they can pay them equally, but that TV deal will be change that and a lot of people that will “come back home because they know they will be used right.”

That is the the long held Konnan dream: AAA will get a big influx of money from a TV deal, AAA will be able to pay close enough wages that every one who’s left to go elsewhere will happily come back, and Konnan will prove to everyone that he’s the guy who knows best on how to book those guys. Everything that is or isn’t happening now in AAA is (to some extent) killing time until that blessed day happens when AAA signs that big TV deal, where we’ll see Konan really show flex his muscle. Every criticism of how someone’s used in AEW is Konnan thinking about how he will use those guys when that big TV deal comes in.

In 2014, El Rey Network, MGM and others gave AAA a big (or at least decent sized) influx of TV money. Konnan believed he would be the creative person in charge; it appears he was promised as much by AAA. Konnan ended up not being the person in charge, in what seems like one of the greatest professional disappointments of his life. A decade out, Konnan (and AAA) are still trying to get undue that decision. The world’s moved on. El Rey is no longer a TV network, just reruns on a ROKU FAST channel. The power of conventional TV networks is diminishing by the day; a glut of content means there’s no need for those channels or streaming providers to pay much for unproven content like a foreign wrestling promotion. The WON’s reported previously (like years ago previously) that AAA’s been offered US TV deals, but not for much money, and AAA’s passed on them. CMLL’s a factor in here; they sold their TV cheaply to stations in the 2010s, and those stations weren’t going to pay dramatically more for AAA.

It’s unlikely AAA is going to see a big money US content deal – one large enough to be competitive for talent – without building up their name greatly in the US or selling a stake in the promotion itself to an interested content provider. And, if AAA did sell, that means another layer of management who may have their own opinions about how AAA creative should work and who should be involved. That is also essentially what happened with Lucha Underground back in 2014. This time, all Konnan is asking is for a strong US content provider to give AAA enough money to compete for talent they want, while also respecting Konnan enough as an auteur to leave him alone. It’s a dream.

All of this ought to be kept in mind when considering Konnan’s comments about Mexicans being used in other wrestling promoters. Konnan voices his opinions because he’s worked in and observed wresting for decades, because he’s looking out for his friends, and because he’s a guy who just likes to chat about anything. He’s also saying these things with a thought in the back of his mind about how he’d use these guys when he gets the chance to do so, as long as he can convince them to leave. I don’t know if it rises to “tampering”, he’s allowed to express his feelings, but AEW may not have been thrilled about a partner doing that.

The other part of this is Konnan is correct; he would use Penta, Fenix, Taya and whomever else if they came better than AEW does, because they’d be his guys and they’d would be the people the AAA audience already knows. AEW’s defense is they also have Bryan Danielson and Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone and Okada and whoever else you’d like to add on to this list. I’m not going to make you read all the names, they just have a lot of names and not everyone’s going to be featured. The people Konnan wants back would indeed be bigger fish in the smaller pond and inherently be booked as a bigger deal. It’s also just a dream of happeninggg.

LuchaManiaks had a show announced for 05/18 in Laredo, Texas with many AAA wrestlers. La Secta were headling and LuchaManiaks decided to use the Origenes tour logo on their poster. It’s not uncommon for indie promotions to “borrow” the themes of the bigger promotions to no consequences. There were consequences this time; LuchaManiaks said AAA forced them to cancel the show. Maniaks says it was over using the Origenes logo and implying it was an AAA show; it sounds like AAA pulled their wrestlers. LuchaManiaks said they also may be limited to two AAA wrestlers per show going forward. AAA is taking their own trademarks more seriously going forward, though it’s more effective to make these sort of threats in the US (where promoters believe the threats may be followed through) than Mexico (where promoters figure they’re just talk.)

AAA posted the Sting versus Mesias match in celebration of Mesias returning to AAA. They’re a few weeks late to get some Sting attention.

Big Lucha

Big Lucha does not appear to have a show? They announced they moved to Saturday, ran one show against an AAA TV taping and then just said nothing.

IWRG

IWRG (THU) 03/21/2024 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, La Tijera]
1) Príncipe Centauro & Rey Espartano b Sacro & Sky Man 
2) Kali & Sagitarius b Diosa Quetzal & Shamila  
Quetzal and Shamila had problems leading to their defeat; the other women were critical of Shamila for getting into IWRG through the Tryout and not earning her spot.
3) Brazo De Oro Jr. b Hellboy 
Gimmick is the both wrestlers are randomly picked right before the match. Brazo de Oro asked for a title match after the win
4) Látigo & Toxin DQ Noisy Boy & Spider Fly 
Mala Fame faked a foul
5) Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool b Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Pirata Morgan, Pirata Morgan Jr. 
Pigs want a trios title shot.

I understand the idea of a “random match” but IWRG announces these cards about 36 hours ahead of time – most people have no idea what matches are actually booked, they’re all surprise matches to them.

IWRG (SUN) 03/24/2024 Arena Naucalpan
1) Arcues & Nival Banks vs Dracula Ng & Xolotl
2) Golden Power, Sacro, Sky Man vs Gannicus, Príncipe Centauro, Rey Espartano
3) Bengalee, Shamila, Zuzu Divine vs Diosa Quetzal, Kali, Lilith Dark
4) Multifacetico Jr. & Tornado vs Cerebro Negro & Cerebro Negro Jr.
5) Jessy Ventura, Noisy Boy, Spider Fly vs Ivan Rokov, Puma de Oro, Vangellys
6) Hell Boy vs Hijo de Canis Lupus [bull terrier]

The main event is looks like it should be good on paper but there will probably be some weird finish. Ivan Rokov is back to being listed as Special Invitee. The real winners of the IWRG Tryout are the rest of the IWRG “women’s division”; Zuzu Divine and Lilith Dark are likely picking up bookings here just to give Shamila ladies to work with.

El Universal has an interview with Shamila, who mentions she was originally a Valiente trainee. I’d forgotten about it, but Shamila’s first known matches were on those one two three Valiente Team showcases in 2021. Half the Valiente people who’ve made some noise are Valiente family members, but he also turned out Neon, Pequeno Magia and recent Torneo de Escuelas wrestler Alom.

ELITE

Tickets should go on sale today. As of noon, tickets were not available on Ticketmaster and the show is not listed on Fronton Mexico’s website.

El Grafico quoted LA Park and Rush as saying, as much as they hate each other, they’re bonded as great friends with Lucha Libre Elite president Ernesto Santillan. LA Park said he sees Santillan as more of a buddy than a boss. Someone feed that line to the Young Bucks. Park says he’s going to do his best so Lucha Libre Elite can continue to run more dates. Rush calls Ernesto a great teammate and says he’s blessed to work for a company like AEW which allows him to take these sorts of dates.

Speaking of Rush, he has an AEW t-shirt and told fans to buy it to let AEW know you want to see him back on TV. An unusual thing to say if everything’s OK there.

Other News

Gracia Guajardo, the daughter of Rene Guajardo and wife of Villano V, passed away on Wednesday.

Gatopardo has a feature on Zona 23. There’s been quite a few of these at this point, but this seems a good one. They get into the name (police code for someone under the influence) and the location (promoter’s family owns the junkyard.) The promoter, Abel Guerrero, says no one’s ever needed the ambulance or gone to the hospital after the show, just a few stitches. I do not believe that is accurate. It’s a contradiction; the writer talks to fans and wrestlers who enjoy Zona 23 because it feels more real and violent than other Mexican wrestlers, while the promoter is trying to sell it as completely safe.

Republic of Lucha is the store and wrestling promotion owned by Fenix & Penta. They were were located in South Pasadena, California, then left that physical location as their lease came up. The idea was to find another place around the area, but they haven’t had any luck – the rent is too high – and so they’re going online only for now. They’re still looking for a physical location. Republic of Lucha used to run shows once every three or fourth months in the parking lot of that South Pasadena location, and so they also don’t have a place for those now. Their solution, at least for the June 1st show, is to run the the warehouse that was used as the Lucha Underground Temple for the first three seasons of that show. (Tickets go on sale today.)

This warehouse is a situation like the ex-ECW (and current 2300) Arena, where it’s going to be same physical space but will not look the same. The 2300 Arena’s been remodeled. Most of what people saw as the Lucha Underground Temple was a set built for a TV show, and is either now sitting in a (different!) warehouse somewhere or has been otherwise dispersed. Republic of Lucha is surely going to dress it up, but it’s not going to look like Season 5 of Lucha Underground – this is going to look like a wrestling shows in an aging warehouse that wasn’t built to hold a wrestling show. Still, there’s great meaning in going back to the spot that changed the arc of the Lucha Brothers careers, and where a lot of people who will attend the Republic of Lucha shows first discovered them. It’s another chasing off a dream. Republic of Lucha has released/sold their recent shows themselves, though with a very restrictive “you are not allowed to talk about anything that happens on these shows” disclaimer.

A match graphic was floating around Facebook announcing an Alan Stone versus Intocable in a hair match on 05/25 in Orizaba. The full poster came out Thursday and it’s actually Alan Stone & Intocable teaming against Scorpio Jr. & Negro Casas, where the losing team will face off in a hair match. Scorpio Jr. doesn’t have much hair and seems most likely to lose, but it’s not like Alan Stone or Intocable are in demand either. The part that actually stuck out to me is that, as often on wrestling posters, they’ve used photos of Alan Stone and Intocable that are at least a decade out of date. Those guys were body guys and they don’t quite have those bodies nowadays.