Leyenda de Plata begins, Jericho/Mistico on Aniversario, Vaquer/WWE

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 07/12/2024 Arena México
1) Fuego, Valiente Jr., Xelhua vs Crixus, Espanto Jr., Vegas
2) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Hijo de Blue Panther vs Akuma, Difunto, Zandokan
3) Esfinge, Titán, Valiente vs Averno, Euforia, Soberano Jr.
4) Templario vs Último Guerrero
5) Ángel de Oro vs Volador Jr., Máscara Dorada, Flip Gordon, Brillante Jr., Futuro, Villano III Jr., Stigma [Leyenda de Plata, final]

This looks like a really strong show. It’s a solid group of names in the Leyenda de Plata, though maybe not many suspects. Mascara Dorada is probably not repeating, Volador Jr. is probably going back to his Averno issue, so that leaves Angel de Oro and perhaps Flip? Templario and Ultimo Guerrero should be great, and there’s chances for the two trios matches prior to it as well. Xelhua will at least be fun in the opener.

Meanwhile, MLW will have a free stream on their YouTube channel with Atlantis Jr. versus Okumura in the Opera Cup. Mistico versus Magnus will be taped to air at a later date.

CMLL (SAT) 07/13/2024 Arena Coliseo
1) Fantasy & Galaxy vs Full Metal & Pequeño Violencia
2) El Audaz vs Pólvora [lightning]
3) Kira, Skadi, Tessa Blanchard vs Hera, Persephone, Reyna Isis
4) Espíritu Negro, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa vs Felino, Felino Jr., Rey Bucanero
5) Flip Gordon, Fugaz, Star Black vs Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Magia Blanca
6) Atlantis, Atlantis Jr., Titán vs Ángel de Oro, Soberano Jr., Stuka Jr.

Maybe something comes out of the main event but this doesn’t appear to be the strongest CMLL show of Saturday night.

CMLL , NJPW (SAT) 07/13/2024 Mt. Pleasant High School, San Jose, California
1) Adrian Quest vs The DKC, Viento, Cucuy
2) Willow Nightingale vs Lluvia vs Viva Van [CMLL WOMEN]
vacant title (Stephanie Vaquer left)
3) Yota Tsuji vs Bárbaro Cavernario
4) Bad Dude Tito & Zack Sabre Jr. vs Hechicero & Virus
5) Último Guerrero vs Gabe Kidd [NJPW STRONG]
6) Okumura & Satoshi Kojima vs Magnus & Rugido [MLW TAG]
7) Douki & Místico vs Rocky Romero & Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]

This is a 20 USD PPV on NJPW World but separate from the monthly subscription. (You do not need to subscribe, you do not get it live as part of the subscription – it goes up like a month later.) It’s a 7:30 pm US CT start. My recollection is NJPW World streams take a little bit of time to go up on VOD. There are still some tickets remaining; I think it’ll end up selling out but it turns out this was the right (small) size venue for this show, unfortunately.

There’s not a lot of drama in the bigger matches, though they should all be solid. DOUKI and Mistico are now heavy favorites in the main event; the new Junior Heavyweight champion is not taking a loss in his first match since winning the belt. Kojima & Okumura and Gabe Kidd are heavy favorites to retain their titles, though I’m intrigued to find out what exactly a Gabe Kidd/Ultimo Guerrero match. Lluvia is a solid favorite to become the new CMLL women’s champion but Van and Nightingale have a chance; CMLL’s obviously going to be bringing in foreigners for around the women’s Gran Prix (and definitely now one more than they thought they were bringing!)

The middle matches are probably the most intriguing. Tsuji/Cavernario is a weirdo match up. ZSJ/Tito vs Virus/Cavernario on the NJPW show last year was one of the best matches no one talked about after (because the Mone stuff defined that show), and Hechicero is a pretty good sub for Cavernario. 20 USD is a pricey when CMLL fans are already 35/month for YouTube, but those two alone would’ve got me in the door.

CMLL (SUN) 07/14/2024 Arena México
1) Shockercito & Último Dragóncito vs Pequeño Polvora & Pierrothito
2) Astral, Eléctrico, Leono vs Dr. Karonte I, Dr. Karonte II, Enfermero Jr.
3) El Audaz, Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso vs Dark Magic, El Coyote, Sagrado
4) Virus vs Hijo del Villano III [lightning]
5) Atlantis, Blue Panther, Star Jr. vs Magnus, Mephisto, Rugido
6) Místico, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Gran Guerrero, Hechicero, Stuka Jr.

Virus in a singles match could be fun (if we see it.) Hechicero is back in Arena Mexico for the first time since his match with Blue Panther over a month ago.

CMLL (TUE) 07/16/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Ángel Rebelde, Optimus, Torno vs Rav, Shezmu, Temerario
2) Adira, Kira, Sanely vs Hatanna, Lady Amazonas, Persephone
3) Bestia Negra, Furia Roja, Guerrero de la Muerte, Satánico vs Apocalipsis, Cholo, Disturbio, Virus
4) Star Black vs El Gallero
5) Barboza & Zandokan Jr. vs Hijo del Villano III & Villano III Jr.
6) Atlantis Jr., Esfinge, Valiente vs Euforia, Hechicero, Soberano Jr.

Esfinge/Euforia feud over here. Zandokan has taken sides with his fellow pirates against the Villanos. Star Black/Gallero follows a foul from last week.

Thursday night, I went to throw last Tuesday’s Guadalajara show in my database. I’ve been doing it with both the CMLL official channel and the previous Guadalajara “Martes de Glamour” channel. The GDL one stopped putting up the videos on their channel for a few months after CMLL switched to it’s current tiered system, then restarted it again the last few weeks. The Martes de Glamour channel did a peculiar thing of putting up the Fan Leyenda show exclusive FantasticaMania show about a week after it aired, and I couldn’t figure out why. When I clicked Thursday, I found that the latest video was unavailable, because the entire channel had been terminated for copyright claims.

That channel going down for copyright strikes is so weird. YouTube seems to issue strikes for video issues; they’ll issue warning or block individual videos for music issues, but it’s only video piracy that gets a channel taken down. The only YouTube account that would be able to terminate CMLL’s Martes de Glamour channel for copyright violations is CMLL’s VideoOficialesCMLL channel. No one else would have the rights to that video and, if they did, that main CMLL channel would’ve gotten strikes as well. CMLL did warn at least one person they would start issuing copyright strikes on certain videos, so I know there was a plan to start striking videos – but why their own sister channel? When CMLL issued copyright takedowns on my Google Drive, it was solely contained to the Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show that was Fan Leyenda exclusive, so that may have been the trigger point. Why was the Fan Leyenda video on the Guadalajara in the first place, and why wouldn’t the Mexico City side just get them to take it down instead of filling a copyright strike? All the Guadalajara shows (and a few more ) were streamed Facebook as well, so that video isn’t gone completely. It’s just gone from YouTube unless the strikes are reversed.

CMLL’s Men Gran Prix takes place on 08/23, as announced a while back. This is typically an 8 person versus 8 person match. CMLL announced it’ll be instead 10 versus 10 match, the biggest they’ve ever tried for that sort of match. It might also end up being one of the longest matches in the history of Arena Mexico.

CMLL Informa included the official announcement of Chris Jericho versus Mistico for 09/13 Aniversario. Jericho made the challenge, Mistico agreed that it would be a great challenge but he was looking forward to it. CMLL probably could’ve drawn an extra big crowd by putting Jericho/Mistico on a separate show, but it fits Jericho’s motivations to have him part of the biggest show of the year. There was less English-speaking push back to the match than I was expecting; I’m not sure if other things were distracting them or if they got it out of the system. The reaction in CMLL social media is mostly positive, although so many matches Mistico matches were teased that there’s people disappointed they didn’t get their favorite.

CMLL Informa also included Esfinge and Euforia talking about a possible Aniversario mask versus mask match. The dynamic seemed to be that Esfinge wants to face Euforia, and Euforia doesn’t really care about Esfinge but liked the idea of being in Aniversario match. No contracts were signed. Those two seem certain be connected at the Aniversario show but there’s probably an additional format – a mini tournament or an revelos suicidas match with Volador and Averno. I feel the same about a Esfinge/Euforia mask that the people who don’t like Chris Jericho feel about a Jericho/Mistico match on Aniversario.

CMLL did have Vegas and Xelhua on to promote the Arena Puebla Annivesary show. That would’ve been a moment to announce the show was streaming. Nothing was said along those lines, so expect that’s not going to happen.

CMLL Informa did not touch on Stephanie Vaquer’s departure. They’ll have a couple of more times to address it – whenever the new women’s champion does her first interview, and whenever they decide on what to do with the tag titles – but it’s likely Vaquer no longer exists in the history of CMLL. I’ve written often, and probably will again, about how Corazon de Leon is part of Arena Coliseo banner of stars through the decades. I was looking at that banner last Saturday and thinking of the people who aren’t there. That banner went up before Andrade returned to CMLL, so no member of Los Ingobernables – not Sombra, not Rush, not La Mascara, not even Marco – are part of that illustration of CMLL history. You can go a little farther back and not see a Negro Casas – who had as many great matches in CMLL has anyone – and not see a el Hijo del Santo – who was heavily responsible for lifting CMLL out of it’s post-AAA attendance issues. Both have opposed CMLL, both no longer are honored or remembered in CMLL’s version of history. Not all defectors are excluded – Jack O’Brien is listed towards the beginning of the chronological history, presumably because the people making the decisions either have long forgot that he ran opposition shows in much the same way AAA did, or they’ve long stopped caring – but CMLL is continuing rewriting it’s history. It’s up to everyone else if they want to go with CMLL’s story or try to tell a more complete one.

RevPro officially announced Stephanie Vaquer was off their upcoming shows. They’ll have replacement names to come. The WON adds on that CMLL was generally aware Vaquer was interested in WWE and that she would want to go there, but they were caught off guard by her leaving without fulfilling her dates (the two with RevPro included.) Gala Lutteroth gets a rare name check, mentioned as helping Vaquer out outside of the ring and believing she and Vaquer were more friends than employer/employee, and found out differently.

There’s also a little bit more on the timing of Stephanie Vaquer departure. The Wrestling Observer says NJPW found out Monday that Vaquer would no longer appear, after signing the contract on Sunday or Monday. No one’s got a great reason for why she still ended up working on Tuesday. The timing of everyone finding out is still interesting to me. Konnan ending an AEW rant regarding no-shows with “what comes around, goes around” line right before Vaquer ends up no-showing a bunch of shows – in a podcast that would’ve been taped over a week ago – makes me wonder. Maybe it’s a coincidence or something else hinted, or maybe he knew well in advance of everyone else.

There’s a lot of questions to be asked coming out of this situation, many of which I’m not sure if we’ll ever get an answer. Was Vaquer talking to WWE before Forbidden Door? Did AEW have their own deal in place to make sure she worked that show, or was her appearance there reliant on her (now obviously not as binding) NJPW/CMLL deals? Could WWE have pressured Vaquer not to work that AEW PPV, and did they? Is Konnan comment an indication he knew about this WWE/Vaquer deal before CMLL or NJPW did? Was the information just a matter of Konnan knowing everyone and everything or a more specific conversation? Is this an indication of WWE passing along information to possible promotional partner AAA? Why was WWE OK with Vaquer working that match in Guadalajara when she was a signed WWE wrestler by then?

I’m intrigued if Vaquer shows up on the WWE show in Mexico City in Saturday as an explanation of why she was left CMLL immediately, even though it doesn’t really matter. She’s told CMLL and NJPW she wasn’t working FantasticaMania on Saturday regardless if she’s sitting front row in Arena Ciudad de Mexico or just spending a Saturday night at home.

There’s another part of this story I need to emphasis here – none of this drama about how Vaquer left will matter in the least if she does well in WWE. She’ll never deal with CMLL or NJPW or anyone else if this deal goes the way both Vaquer and WWE hope it goes – she’ll have a good career, and then will be forever the WWE Chilean legend. If it doesn’t work out, that miss on the highest stage will define her career far stronger than the last week.

My only really hot take out of all this is CMLL should spend the rest of the year building Kira to be the top star in the women’s division. Kira is also not really ready to be the top star and it may not work out, but if CMLL waits for her to get better, other people may notice as well. Her style gives her a star quality, makes her stand out compared all the other women they have, and also may eventually sideline her if they wait too long. CMLL’s big choice coming up is if they want to continue pushing women’s wrestling forward with a new generation of wrestlers, or if they’re content with it being a more ceremonial title, sometimes going to a talented wrestler and sometimes going to politically connected wives or girlfriends. Vaquer got people excited to see women’s matches on CMLL shows and Kira’s got the best chance to do that again.

Puebla luchador Muerte Negra (who also used the name Mini Black Magic) passed away on Thursday, according to Facebook page Mano a Mano. Arena Puebla luchadora Astoreth is Muerte Negra’s daughter; she was previously announced as wrestling this coming Monday in that arena.

TKD points out the CMLL Sunday September 15th show Arena Mexico show has been bumped to Monday September 16th. CMLL usually goes dark on September 15th to align their shows with the Independence Day holiday.

CMLL posted a photo of Euforia giving Diablo Rojo’s pitcher Trevor Bauer a mask in honor of him striking out 19Ks in a game. Euforia’s a big baseball fan, CMLL’s tied in with Diablos Rojos prior and Bauer has been one of the Mexican baseball league this year. Bauer has also been accused of sexual assault by at least four different women. (One of those women has since been charged with fraud.) Bauer is in Mexico for the same reasons as Travis Banks and Marty Scurll, an attempt to de-blacklist themselves by re-building their name elsewhere after being accused (though not charges) with heinous acts. Bauer’s been more successful at it then the wrestlers or really most people in his position – he had an unusually strong social media following for a baseball player prior to his charges, and he’s been able to convince his ultra loyal group of fans that all the charges are false. It still struck me as notable CMLL would post a photo with Bauer when they shy away from the others. (Banks was one listed for an Arena Coliseo Guadalajara card and wiped from existence.) Most of the difference is probably that Bauer’s been great in that Mexican baseball league, and that league – and a lot of the press around it – have made a conscious decision not to talk about the reasons why he’s playing in the Mexican league from the moment he showed up. That press has decided it socially acceptable to do things like take a photo with him. I expect that if Bauer wants to show up to be celebrated at Arena Mexico, CMLL will happily accommodate him.

In perhaps related news, CMLL’s latest podcast is with Tessa Blanchard. (This is a bit mean; nothing Blanchard has been accused of comes close to what Bauer has been accused off.) There’s a point in the conversation where Blanchard talks about her goal being to defeat Stephanie Vaquer for the CMLL women’s title. Her name made it on a CMLL program one more time. Blanchard’s latest version of the story that landed her in Mexico – while she owns up to having a really big ego and wasn’t a great person – she doesn’t have a racism in her heart and was  unfairly painted as one on the night of her biggest match. Blanchard paints it as people brought a story from the past to get her on that night. The way I remember of the sequence of events was Blanchard expressing frustration and annoyance that the other women in wrestling weren’t rallying around her as she was about to win a major men’s championship, and the other women in wrestling taking social bringing up her previous racist comment as part of the reasons they weren’t supporting for her.

AAA

AAA on Space should start the June Mexico City tapings. The poster is here, the results are here if you want spoilers. It’s the first week of a taping, so no idea what’ll air. AAA on Unimas will start the Juarez taping; that’s a taping where they could just air one week to catch up a little.

My suspicions remain high that something’s up with with WWE and AAA, but I lack any proof or hard evidence something’s happening for sure on the Saturday night Arena Ciudad de Mexico show. That starts at 8 pm local time (about a half hour after CMLL), if you want to be on the lookout for news. The WON having a random line of “I don’t think [AEW creative team] QT Marshall is going to work in Mexico any longer even though AAA is high on them” seems to be an indicator of where the wind is blowing. There’s no mention of where that would leave Satnam Singh or Komander.

Vampiro is listed as appearing on a show in Italy in October 12th. It’s not really breaking news that Vampiro is going to keep wrestling past his retirement announcement, but I’m still uncertain if the general Mexican fans understand that. I don’t know if they’ll feel duped come August or if the halo that’s forever around Vampiro – “ah, it’s Vampiro, we know he’s not telling the truth but we love him anyway” will persist. I guess when I put it like it that way, I know he’ll be fine.

IWRG

IWRG (THU) 07/11/2024 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG]
1) Fauno b Drakula Ng
2) Guerrero Mixtico, Hijo De Silver King, Simon Blanco b Calibus, Tornado, Willy Banderas
3) Príncipe Centauro b Multifacetico Jr.
Centauro wants a title match
4) Bendito & Tonalli b Hell Boy & Hijo de Canis Lupus
Mala Fama got involved.
5) Águila Roja, Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Puma de Oro b Arez, Látigo, Toxin
New trios is named El Barco del Pirata and won after Hell Boy & Canis Lupus got involved.

IWRG put up a poster for Festival de la Mascaras next Thursday. No card for Sunday. I haven’t seen a mention of them skipping that date.

IWRG (THU) 07/18/2024 Arena Naucalpan
1) Tortuga Leo & Tortuga Mike vs Avisman & Bombero Infernal
2) Noisy Boy & Spider Fly vs Oficial 911 & Oficial AK47
3) ?, ??, ??? vs ????, ?????, ??????
4) Cerebro Negro, Internacional Pantera, Veneno vs Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr.
5) ?, ??, ??? vs ????, ?????, ??????
6) Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool vs Mega, Omega, Súper Mega
7) Cibernético vs Dr. Wagner Jr.

This is the Festival de Mascaras show, so everyone will be back in their old masks for the night.

Saturday’s logjam

all overlapping:

• CMLL’s normal Arena Coliseo show
• AAA’s normal Space TV show
• CMLL/NJPW’s FantasticaMania show
• WWE at Arena Ciudad de Mexico
• Big Lucha’s Big Bang show, which may or may not stream

Thankful AEW isn’t booking anything lucha libre wise for Collision this week. (They do have Rey Fenix vs Angelico vs Komander vs AR Fox on AEW Rampage.) I’m planning to follow the FantasticaMania show the closest and then will pick up the rest when I have time.

Other news

I hinted earlier this week something about the identity of the mystery “Hologram” wrestler teased on AEW Collision. Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam was the first to report that it was Aramis under a new identity, which I can confirm. There are parts of his story I differ on; the vignettes were actually filmed a while back, I don’t think there’s a hacker aspect to it, and obviously Aramis actually left AAA December – he posted about on social media at the time and his exit was part of the story of young wrestlers leaving AAA. (AAA seems to have stopped that story, to their credit.) PW Insider reported that deal was signed in February, which fits more with what I’ve heard. My understanding is Aramis hoped he’d land a US deal this year and that was a factor in him not wanting to sign an AAA contract that could complicate that. It appears to have worked out for him.

To clarify – Saturday, I decided to keep the Aramis news because Aramis and AEW have been here before and I kinda didn’t feel like it was real until he got to the ring. Back in late 2019, AEW signed Aramis to a limited per date contract, they came up with a new gimmick for him, brought him in to a taping to measure him for his new gear and – then it just never happened. His per-date contract expired in 2021 without all the dates being used up. The timing suggest COVID, but it went cold between AEW/Aramis. The WON wrote about Aramis after that 2021 contract expiry, I wrote a bit more here, and then I recall getting a, uh, series of strongly worded messages from an AEW official who said it was first a long delay and then a denial of a work visa that was at fault if I remember correctly. This time again, Aramis signed something with AEW, got a new gimmick, got near gear, actually shot videos for the debut – but I wasn’t going to count on it happening until it really happened. Sure, the vignette airing should be a pretty good sign he’s actually going to debut – but for reasons no one outside of AEW understands, Scorpio Sky seems to get re-introduction vignettes on that same show every few months and never actually debuts. I wasn’t going to confirm it Aramis in AEW until I actually saw Aramis (or whatever his name is) live actually in AEW ring because I just didn’t feel sure it was real until then. Of course, once other people found out – and it seemed to be suddenly a hot topic Wednesday – it was dumb to play dumb about it. I’m not confident if I was totally perfect in how I handled this one, but at least you might understand my thinking.

(That visa conversation stuck in my head, as has the million seeming ones around Lucha Underground. When I thought ‘there’s no way Vaquer leaving for WWE any time soon’, it was with that work visa delay in mind. It may still be an issue; if it’s not, it suggests that signing was all the way longer.)

The WON mentions WWE is still actively interested in expanding to Mexico, and they’ve floated out the idea of using space at the Mexico City UFC Performance Institute to train people. There are plenty of gyms in Mexico where wrestling is taught alongside of combat sports. It does not real like WWE plans for a self-contained school and local promotion, which I guess would mean people would train at the WWE Mexico City school and inevitably call themselves WWE wrestlers as they do things on indie shows that WWE would and would not be happy about. This comes off as a underthought out pitch.

NOAH has a much hyped Galeno del Mal & Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Alpha Wolf & Dragon Bane match tomorrow morning. That’s a 31 USD PPV, and you have to download their app to purchase it. The show will eventually go up on their WrestleUniverse.