Magnus/Mistico Aniversario?, Star Jr. wins Copa Junior

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 05/31/2024 Arena México [CMLL, Esquina Caliente, Estadio Deportes, Kaiser Sports, Telediario, The Gladiatores, The Gladiatores (videos), thecubsfan]
1) Capitán Suicida & Valiente Jr. b Alom & Infarto   
6:55
2) Micro Gemelo Diablo I © b Chamuel [CMLL MICRO]   
10:24. 1st defense
3) Reina Isis, Stephanie Vaquer, Zeuxis b Persephone, Tessa Blanchard, Valkiria  
12:50
4) Euforia, Soberano Jr., Templario b Akuma, Villano III Jr., Zandokan Jr.   
17:38
5) Star Jr. b Ángel de Oro [Copa Junior VIP, final]   
14:28. Star Jr. was given the trophy, which shot fireworks.
6) Magia Blanca, Magnus, Volador Jr. b Máscara Dorada, Místico, Neón    
10:31. Straight falls. Mistico got Volador with La Mistica, but Magia Blanca distracted referee Edgar, Magnus ripped off Mistico’s mask and Mistico pinned him in the third. Mistico challenged Magnus to a mask vs mask match for Aniversario.

That main event finish got a lot of talk about September plans. I’m unconvinced Magnus/Mistico is locked in as the Aniversario main event at this point; it’s a little too early and it’s Mistico, who wants every feud to be the Aniversario main event. This has been a year of Magnus, but putting him in an Aniversario main event without him winning some tournament first doesn’t fit their booking patterns. (The Leyenda de Plata in July would be his best last chance.)

Angel de Oro/Star Jr. was good at the end, but not something that will end up among the best twenty singles matches CMLL will have this year. Star Jr. borrowing from others for his moves makes him less interesting and less definable. It’s hard to come up with the one thing Star Jr. does that’s unique, that makes him stand out compared to the other CMLL wrestlers. He’s good, but this tournament win didn’t succeed in making him special. (Star Jr. was also overshadowed by the exploding trophy but most people would be.)

This was a top to bottom good show. It didn’t peak as high as some other shows, but the fourth match was Great and nothing was just OK. CMLL seemed to expect it to be a big show in terms of attendance – they broke out the drone camera again. It didn’t seem like the fans bought tickets that way, though maybe that helped the effort level a bit.

CMLL (SAT) 06/01/2024 Arena Coliseo [CMLL, thecubsfan]
1) Astro Boy Jr., Leono, Retro b Dr. Karonte I, Dr. Karonte II, Grako
14:05. a bad match
2) Kemalito & Micro Sagrado b Periquito Sacaryas & Tengu
10:23. A bad match
3) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa b Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
13:38
4) Tessa Blanchard b La Catalina [lightning]
9:15
5) Atlantis, Blue Panther, Fugaz b Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Kráneo
12:08
6) Atlantis Jr. & Máscara Dorada b Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr.
16:31

The opener was a bad match in the usual ways the Dr. Karontes are bad. The micros match was terrible, with those wrestlers failing at advanced spots and having basic communication issues. It’s not a good idea for CMLL to run Micros matches that are three falls long and it’s a horrendous idea to run them without Chamuel or at least the Gemelo Diablos. The Micros don’t have a lot of depth, but CMLL has a need to get these guys dates monthly, which leads to institutionalized bad matches. The main event was good, but the rest of this show can be skipped.

CMLL (SUN) 06/02/2024 Arena México [CMLL, thecubsfan]
1) Astral & Diamond b Enfermero Jr. & Inquisidor
2) El Audaz, Guerrero Maya Jr., Hombre Bala Jr. b Dark Magic, El Coyote, Espanto Jr.
13:21
3) Difunto b Max Star [lightning]
9:40, via rope walking dropkick
4) Kira, Sanely, Tessa Blanchard b Lluvia, Olympia, Stephanie Vaquer [Relevos Increíbles]
12:21
5) Flip Gordon, Star Black, Valiente DQ Hechicero, Sagrado, Zandokan Jr.
straight falls, Zandokan unmasking Valiente for the DQ to set up a singles match next week.
6) Esfinge, Místico, Star Jr. b Averno, Euforia, Mephisto

Zandokan was going after Valiente the whole match, so no surprise when it ended up setting up a match next week. Max Star and Difunto couldn’t pull off the springboard tijeras to the floor but otherwise had a good match. Difunto took most of it. Blanchard appeared to pick up a hip injury in the second fall of her match, but returned after talking to the ringside doctor.

Tonight’s Arena Puebla show will be the first one to air on Televisa Puebla. The shows will air Sunday nights at 8pm starting this week.  (I had Saturdays previously.) They’ll repeat Tuesdays at 5pm. Fuerza Poblana had a good shot of dethroning the makeshift Crixus, Difunto, Raider team for the Occidente Trios titles anyway tonight, but it seems even more likely with that being the kickoff TV episode. Figure on Angel de Oro/Mistico for episode 2.

CMLL (TUE) 06/04/2024 Arena México
1) Angelito & Último Dragóncito vs Minos & Pequeño Olímpico
2) Capitán Suicida, Diamond, Valiente Jr. vs Dr. Karonte I, Dr. Karonte II, Grako
3) Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso, Stigma vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
4) La Catalina vs Reyna Isis [lightning]
5) Atlantis, Blue Panther Jr., Brillante Jr. vs Felino Jr., Hechicero, Rey Bucanero
6) Atlantis Jr., Máscara Dorada, Neón vs Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero

The main event would be great on a Friday and hopefully will be good here. Good luck to the tecnicos in the second.

CMLL (TUE) 06/04/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Infierno, Mr. Trueno, Rey Trueno vs El Malayo, Rey Apocalipsis, Siky Ozama
2) Gallo Jr. & Rafaga Jr. vs Calavera Jr. I & Calavera Jr. II
3) Arlequín, Bestia Negra, Gallero vs Dark Magic, El Elemental, Yutani
4) Kira vs Persephone
5) Flip Gordon, Halcón Negro Jr., Valiente Jr. vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Furia Roja, Zandokan Jr.
6) Esfinge, Místico, Volador Jr. vs Averno, Euforia, Soberano Jr.

The CDMX wrestlers don’t give the strongest efforts on Thursdays, but match four might be an exception. Two young wrestlers getting a rare singles match might produce something memorable.

Hechicero joined a group in AEW with Brian Cage, Toa Linoa and Bishop Kaun on AEW Rampage. That was random. It seems a safe bet Hechicero’s got a match on Forbidden Door if they’re putting him into a group (and probably a 4v4 one.)

Speaking of AEW, I’m told the Reina Dorada/Thunder Rosa match was about five minutes live and 3:13 on TV. AEW referred to her as an (major) independent star, which is consistent with how they’ve ramped down the mentions of “Lucha Libre AAA” this year.

AAA

I failed to watch AAA TV in total this week yet. The good news is I’ve got an extra week to get it done; AAA aired the last four matches they have taped, so there’s probably nothing much new airing next week.

The vignettes were

• Latin Lover asking Zorro for answers on Konnan and getting the usual unclear response
• Electroshock asking Charly Manson to bring back their brother team, Charly Manson passing because he’s doing the Vatos Locos team, and Electroshock then opting to let Charly get beat up by Los Vipers without helping. Not really sure why Los Vipers beat up Charly Manson.
• Tiffany saying she’s happy to be back in AAA and is aiming for Faby Apache
• Flammer asking for new challengers, the same bit they have the Toxicas do every other TV taping
• Mecha Wolf wanting a rematch with Octagon Jr.

It’s AAA so these are notes for historical purposes, not because there’s reason to believe these are actual directions. To be fair, Octagon Jr. winning title matches on two straight Mexico City tapings (and being set up a #1 contenders match on the next one) is something a promotion trying to get over a wrestler might do.

AAA ran an ExpoLucha in the days before TripleMania Monterrey. That concept will be back for Tijuana. There will probably be something like it for Mexico City as well.

Working a lightly attended Arena Neza show on Friday, Daga mentioned he hadn’t been under AAA contract since leaving in 2017. Daga (and Tessa) were regulars on TV in 2019 up to the pandemic.

IWRG

IWRG (SUN) 06/02/2024 Arena Naucalpan [Estrellas del Ring, IWRG, La Tijera]
1) Príncipe Centauro b Sacro 
2) Sky Man & Tornado b Histeriosis & Rey Aztaroth 
3) Bizhota, Diosa Quetzal, Mary Caporal b Bengalee, Estrella Divina, Shamila 
Diosa Quetzal pinned Shamila after a mask pull. A brawl between both side broke out, with Sexy Star running to be part of it, saying she came to IWRG to find real luchadors.
4) Bugambilia, Caballero de Plata, Shocko b Imposible, Ivan Rokov, Sangre Azteca 
Ivan Rokov replaced Misterioso
5) Freelance, Látigo, Toxin DQ Hell Boy, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Noisy Boy 
Freelance replaced Arez (US booking). Hell Boy accident fouled referee Reyes Rosas for the DQ.
6) Galeno del Mal, Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., Hijo Del Silver King b Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. 
rematch challenges followed

IWRG’s back to recapping their shows, and said the top two matches got very good reactions. Attendance seemed strong for a show that had nothing special beyond the three Wagners in the main event; that’s a good sign for Wagner 3’s drawing power and the Riddle/Wagner AAA TV main event later this month.

Sexy Star showing up in IWRG saying she wants real competition is odd (you showed up in IWRG for that?), but also that she’s a AAA wrestler so that’s kind of taking a shot at her home promotion. Logically, if she left AAA, she wouldn’t be called “Sexy Star” any more, but it is odd she was left off the Tijuana show in her home area. Everything in AAA is odd though. Her big show for June looks to be this IWRG La Jaula de las Locas show on 06/16 instead.

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