Death Triangle/Mistico/Dorada/Volador set for next week, MJF to defend title against tournament winner, CDMX/GDL, AAA/Latin

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 07/19/2024 Arena México [CMLL, FDDE]
1) Calavera Jr. I & Calavera Jr. II b Capitán Suicida & El Audaz  
8:11
2) Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso, Stigma b El Coyote, Okumura, Pólvora  
13:18
3) Lluvia, Skadi, Tessa Blanchard b Hera, Reyna Isis, Zeuxis  
9:48
4) Euforia, Último Guerrero, Valiente b Atlantis Jr., Esfinge, Hechicero [Relevos Increíbles]  
10:02. Euforia, Valiente, Hechicero and Esfinge all made threats and challenges for mask matches
5) Templario & Virus b Místico & Titán, Neón, Star Jr., Fugaz, Magia Blanca [Leyenda de Plata, battle royal]
6) Titán b Fugaz [Leyenda de Plata, 8f]
4:56
7) Místico b Neón [Leyenda de Plata, 8f]
4:41
8) Star Jr. b Magia Blanca [Leyenda de Plata, 8f] 
3:18
9) Templario b Virus [Leyenda de Plata, 8f] 
4:52
10) Místico b Titán [Leyenda de Plata, quarterfinal] 
5:39
11) Star Jr. b Templario [Leyenda de Plata, quarterfinal] 
3:15
12) Star Jr. b Místico [Leyenda de Plata, semifinal]  
6:11. Mistico had an arm hooking the bottom rope but referee Edgar missed it. Star Jr. faces Angel de Oro in the tournament final.

Last week’s Friday night show was disappointing. It’s been a long while since CMLL has had two bad Friday nights in a row and they didn’t this time either. I don’t mean this as if I think they tried to make up for last week in any way; it’s more that CMLL is overall deep and hot enough that they’re going to it’s tough for them to go into a prolonged slump. This Friday show seemed hotter and with a better quality of matches than last week. The tournament final got a little more time but the other matches felt they had a bit more life in them.

The big apuesta feuding was contained to just one match, and pitched more as a four way mask match this week. Ultimo Guerrero walked to the back as soon as he was eliminated. Averno and Voaldor weren’t around and Templario was otherwise occupied. The four way mask match seemed like the most well-received idea CMLL’s hinted at so far, though I have no idea where they’re going to end up.

I do have an idea of when. Past CMLL Anniversary announcement date by year:

• 2023: August 9 Informa
• 2022: August 3 Informa
• 2021: August 6 Informa
• 2020: August 12 Informa

Pencil in news for the August 7th Informa. (Pencil in my news post coming out very late that night.) That means CMLL has two more Fridays to show their hand – and those happen to be the two that’ll get some extra attention with the AEW guests.

Every couple of months, CMLL hits everyone over the head with the news that they’re going with Star Jr. as in the top mix , and then we all forget about it a week later. This tournament final was them hitting us all over the head with it, maybe it’ll sink in. It is a breaking in form for CMLL to run the same final of a tournament so close to each other – these two were the finals of the Copa Junior back in May. Star Jr. won that one. CMLL did give Mistico as big an excuse as possible with him hooking the bottom rope; it was a way to give Star Jr. a tainted win without him doing anything actually heelish. Templario/Virus from the tournament was fun.

The other big news wasn’t in the matches. A video of MJF from Dynamite after his title win appeared, announcing he’d appear on the 08/02 show and defend his newly won AEW International Championship. More on that in a few paragraphs. In a hundred guesses, I would’ve never gotten “American flag emoji means MJF.” Nothing against MJF, that’s just not a connection in my head.

CMLL (SAT) 07/20/2024 Arena Coliseo [CMLL, thecubsfan]
1) Astral & Eléctrico b Gallo Jr. & Ráfaga Jr. (Jalisco)
9:02
2) Hera & Olympia b Adira (Jalisco) & Náutica
12:15.
3) El Gallero, Explosivo, Halcón Negro Jr. b Espanto Jr., Hombre Bala Jr., Raider [Relevos Increíbles]
15:26
4) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa b Leo (Jalisco), Omar Brunetti, Vaquero Jr.
12:14
5) Bestia Negra, Furia Roja, Guerrero de la Muerte b Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Hijo de Blue Panther
13:19
6) Ángel de Oro, Máscara Dorada, Místico b Bárbaro Cavernario, Esfinge, Titán [Relevos Increíbles]
17:56

It’s good to run different things even if the shows aren’t actually better. This show wasn’t actually better. The Guadalajara wrestlers didn’t do anything impressive or interesting with their one yearly chance in Mexico City. The matches were all OK but generally unnoteworthy; I liked the opener more than the rest but it was nothing remarkable. It is unsurprising that the Mexico City guys treat this as a normal card but it’s strange the visitors don’t have anything special prepared.

CMLL (SUN) 07/21/2024 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Grako & Infarto b Diamond & Robin
Robin suffered an injury and Diamond was out numbered.
2) Arkalis, Valiente Jr., Xelhua b Dark Magic, Inquisidor, Nitro
3) Hijo de Blue Panther b Okumura [lightning]
4) Felino, Felino Jr., Rey Bucanero b Dark Panther, Panterita del Ring, Volcano
5) Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr., Zandokan Jr. b Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Kráneo
6) Ángel de Oro, Hechicero, Mephisto DQ Flip Gordon, Máscara Dorada, Valiente
Valiente unmasked Hechicero

Nothing too surprising here.

An hour of the CMLL Sunday shows air on the public TV station “AMX”. It’s channel number 34.2, a sub-channel of TV Mexiquense. They were airing at 10 pm Fridays and 11 AM on Sundays. That Sunday time is still correct, but a new sports show aired in that time slot on Friday. My hunch is the Friday show got moved into earlier in the night but the station doesn’t put out a programming guide for that channel and CMLL doesn’t really mention their TV.

Televisa Puebla has a five minute loop of local programming commercials they air on YouTube whenever there’s something on that they don’t have the rights to stream. That loop aired in place of CMLL Puebla. I don’t think it’s a CMLL issue because it was also airing in place of the Sunday religious mass that leads into the Puebla; I’m pretty sure they’ll never have an issue streaming that one. Maybe there was some big sporting event that’s outside of my radar that pre-empted both of them, or some tech issue. Televisa Puebla repeats their show Tuesday at 5 pm local time – maybe we’ll find out if Xelhua/Vegas aired then.

CMLL (TUE) 07/23/2024 Arena México
1) Galaxy, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito vs Mercurio, Pequeño Olímpico, Pierrothito
2) Dragón de Fuego & Legendario vs Hunter & Infarto
3) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa vs Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Kráneo
4) Neón © vs Bárbaro Cavernario [REVPRO CRUISER]
5) Templario vs Averno, Flip Gordon, Stuka Jr., Esfinge, Rugido, Valiente, Zandokan Jr. [AEW INTERNACIONAL, #1 Contenders]

The two questions to answer in that “winner faces MJF” match

• does the winner of this match need to show up in AEW to continue a story even if they lose to MJF?
• does CMLL care if Templario takes a singles match loss to a foreign name?

Templario’s the highest ranked guy in the match, but he’s only winning that if the answer is “no” to both. There’s no sign his US visa situation has been fixed – he’s probably in the same batch as Mascara Dorada, who said his was getting done soon but not yet – and they did just have him beat Michael Oku when a loss just of the sake of doing it. Esfinge and Rugido would be names who’ve been on AEW TV and would be less of a big deal to beat. I’d like to see Stuka Jr. but I don’t know CMLL sees it that way.

Neon’s scheduled to defend that RevPro Undisputed Cruiserweight Championship in a five way match on 08/24. None of the other participants have been announced yet; RevPro instead said Cavernario will be added to the match (and Neon will stay in it) if Cavernario wins the title here.

CMLL (FRI) 07/26/2024 Arena México
1) Kira, Náutica, Skadi vs Hera, Olympia, Valkiria
2) Futuro, Hombre Bala Jr., Max Star vs Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido
3) Esfinge & Euforia vs Hechicero & Valiente
4) Ángel de Oro vs Star Jr. [Leyenda de Plata, final]
5) Templario & Titán vs Rocky Romero & Último Guerrero
6) Máscara Dorada, Místico, Volador Jr. vs Fénix El Rey, PAC, Penta

CMLL really did just wait until they put up this poster to announce Death Triangle’s opponents. It just happened much earlier on Monday than usual.

Mistico, Volador and Dorada are chalk picks for the Death Triangle opponents. I think I might have swapped Dorada and Titan, because Titan did really well in the Forbidden Door match and Dorada/Rocky is the old (current?) rivalry, but I can’t fault them going this way. Templario and Ultimo Guerrero continue their issue in the semi-main.

Match four is the tournament final. Match three is the four people feuding in mask battles. Match two is the new national trios champions versus contenders (or the national tag champs against contenders.) Match one is the women’s national tag champs versus their usual challengers, with the Guadalajara ladies added on.

The Leyenda de Plata has never been in a fourth match spot before. By year, the final has been

• 2023: main event (Mascara Dorada beats Rocky Romero)
• 2022: main event (Templario beats Soberano)
• 2021: main event (Titan beats Templario)
• 2018: semimain (Cavernario beats King Phoenix)
• 2017: main event (Volador Jr. beats Caristico)
• 2016: main event (La Mascara beats Negro Casas)
• 2015: semimain (Negro Casas beats Dragon Lee)
• 2014: semimain (Negro Casas beats Titan)
• 2011: main (Volador Jr. beats Jushin Lyger)
• 2008: main (Mistico beats Perro Aguayo Jr.)
• 2007: main (Mistico beats Mr. Aguila)
• 2006: main (Mistico beats Atlantis)
• 2005: main (Atlantis beats El Hijo del Santo)
• 2004: main (Perro Aguayo Jr. beats Felino)
• 2003: main (Felino beats Black Warrior)
• 2001: main (Black Warrior beats Negro Casas)
• 2000: main (Negro Casas beats el Hijo del Santo)
• 1999: semimain (Hijo del Santo beats Scorpio Jr.)

I don’t know what names the Lucha Brothers are actually using this time, yet.

In post-match interviews on Tuesday, the Villanos said Barboza could join La Escuadra if he faced each of them and Zandokan in singles matches. Zandokna was told about this possibility and instead said Barboza was already now part of La Escuadra. They are all just riffing and making things up on the fly in these Guadalajara interviews.

Heraldo de Leon has a long interview with Leon native turned Guadalajara wrestler Gallero. It is random how Gallero and Rayo Metalico are both from the same area but ended up in different CMLL branches. Gallero is the very Dinamita looking luchador of that crew, as he was trained by Universo 2000. Satanico encouraged Gallero to consider joining the Arena Coliseo Guadalajara training program after seeing him on a show in Guanajauto in November 2022, and he was traveling between Leon and Guadalajara – a near three hour dive – for nearly a year before moving full time to his new home.

AAA

AAA on Space ended with a frustrated Latin Lover stewing about Konnan and Dorian their unwillingness to make changes in AAA. It came off as if maybe Latin Lover was turning heel or just split with the other two or somehow be behind the eye thing. It was definitely meant to be something to get people talking, but it’s hard to know what to make of anything AAA. File this away as something else that might go somewhere on TripleMania Mexico City.

The show was mostly about the Riddle/Wagner3 main event. AAA aired a clip of each walking into building and did a interview with Wagner and Galeno del Mal about coming to AAA (giving the impression they’d be around more often.) The wrestlers went for a big epic match to get talked about, though the chances are very low of that happening from an AAA TV show. Riddle seemed to work better here than when I saw him on the NJPW show in Chicago though he left any traces of personality on the other side of the border; he was just a guy who doing a lot of moves and kicking out of a bunch of other moves. The Mexico crowd was naturally more behind Wagner, which made the finish – Wagner using a foul to set up his finish – strange. My best guess is AAA really wants to bring in Wagner3 full time and so gave him the win as a way to get him interested, but also didn’t want to beat Riddle since they had him signed for TripleMania already.

Not all the Mexico crowd was behind Wagner; the camera shots AAA used on TV made it clear plenty of AAA fans saw Guapos/Psycho Circus match as the real main event and decided not to stick around for this one. While AAA promoted this June Gimnasio del la Barrerea show as a sell out, the shots they were using on TV showed visible empty seats in the upper levels through the whole taping, and not just back behind the stage.

Psycho Circus/Guapos was a little better than I expected. The Guapos look old but turned in an average AAA brawl, and did better than some of the other names from the past this year. The Vipers attacking Psycho Circus seemed like a set up for the clowns to be added to the cage match but who knows. The opener was a bunch of people kind getting in each other’s way who we may or may not see again. Adelicious has been a ruda in previous appearances, was apparently a tecnica this time around. Nobu San – GLEAT’s Check Shimatani – was off step with the rest of the match, as you’d expect for someone not used to working this style. Black Andromeda got to do his big moonsault. The new Pathfinder was unremarkable and came off as yet another random old gimmick being thrown on TV with no particular plan.

AAA is once again out of unaired TV, so next week’s show will likely be highlights and matches with previous shows.

The AAA YouTube uploaded currently labeled as “Ciudad de Mexico Part 2 | June 2024” is actually part 1. It’s also missing commentary from the four way; it aired on TV with announcers.

Hijo del Vikingo posted a photo of him from an AEW Dynamite taping. Random photos from Mexican wrestlers on IG should not be taken meaningful – like Twitter RT’s, they just post whatever they feel like that day. It’s only the English speaking wrestlers who are using their posts as some sort of chess game. Vikingo did respond to someone in the comments asking if this meant he was returning, Vikingo saying “No, but in a bit.” Back in April, Vikingo seemed set on beating all reasonable expectations and making it back for TripleMania Mexico City. That’s a month from now. If he’s really going to do it, Vikingo may appear on Verano de Escandalo (08/02) or the next TripleMania press conference (probably early the following week.) Vikingo being added to the Alberto/Nemeth match would give that match a stronger appeal, but it also isn’t a great idea for Vikingo to return if he’s not fully healthy.

Nic Nemeth won the TNA Heavyweight Championship on their show Saturday. He still is AAA heavyweight champion, though he hasn’t been seen since TripleMania Monterrey and only gets mentioned in Alberto el Patron promos for their match in Mexico City. My sense is TNA wouldn’t have the same hang ups about Nemeth losing while champion as a NJPW would, but we’ll find out in a few weeks.

Raj Dhesi, the former Jinder Mahal, posted a list of his first post-WWE wrestling matches. Raj Dhesi is wrestling at TripleMania and listed it that on the schedule. With the wrong date. (He has the 7th, it’s the 17th.) Few people seem to have noticed.

The big Facebook lucha libre controversy of the weekend was about an AAA veto of Penta. It seems like a story may not be all of what happened but may actually be true. The veto came out over a booking for FULL Promotions in Chiapas on 08/03, the night after Verano de Escandalo. Penta was scheduled to face Alberto, and both the promotion and Alberto announced Alberto would no longer be appearing. FULL’s press release on Saturday blamed it on an unnamed promotion who has Alberto under contract (AAA) not wanting their guys to be on the same show as Penta any more. A problem with this story is Tijuana’s EMW Promotion was also was said they had Alberto on 08/03, and had that out at least as of Tuesday. It looked like Alberto or AAA just picked the Tijuana show over the Chiapas one. That could be the case, but Penta also was scheduled for a show in Atlixco, Puebla on Saturday and did not appear. Chessman took his place. Penta’s fairly often worked shows with AAA talent this year, even while maintaining no official AAA relationship, so a veto would indicate a big shift. Neither Penta nor AAA has said anything about this situation, and it’s always possible Penta could’ve missed the Atlixco show for other reasons.

That full EMW card, since we’re here:

AAA , EMW (SAT) 08/03/2024 Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California
1) Anton Carrillo vs Talibán, Tempesad G., Vanderberg
2) Julissa vs Valentina, Sexy Star, Lady Lee, Alex Gracia, Mazzerati
3) Kamik-C & Skalibur vs Arkángel Divino & Último Maldito and Dulce Kanela & Epydeimus
4) Dinámico vs Octagón Jr. ©, Fantastik, Fulgor [AAA LA]
5) Genio del Aire, Jessy Queen, Willie Mack vs Slice Boogie, Toscano, Vito Fratelli
6) Drago, Hijo De Dos Caras, Mecha Wolf vs El Hijo del Medico Asesino, Hijo de Rey Misterio, Marty Scurll
7) El Patrón Alberto & Marco Corleone vs Niño Hamburguesa & Pagano and Pierroth Jr. & Sam Adonis

So many very weird matches. Pagano being listed as wrestling here means he’s maybe returning the night before on Verano de Escandalo and likely getting added to TripleMania.

Octagon Jr. Latin American title defenses:

• a three way
• a singles match thrown together as a replacement for a three way
• a singles match (non-TV)
• a four way
• a four way
• a four way
• a four way (non-TV)

“Vanderberg” in the opener is apparently NJPW Strong Matt Vandagriff. Great work on spelling his name aside, why do NJPW wrestlers keep taking bookings for these Tijuana groups? Did Rocky Romero not send out a memo by now?

Cibernetico, in talking about reaching 3o years in wrestling, says lucha libre is the most nepotistic sport in Mexico, which made it tough for him to succeed as an outsider. However, he is also a fan of nepotism in general because it’s normal to look out for your family, you just shouldn’t misuse the power. Cibernetico says he will not give his name to a son or other relative, feeling he had to work to make it and doesn’t want to risk someone else tarnishing it.

Faby Apache didn’t win, didn’t get pinned on TNA’s pre-PPV show on Friday, then didn’t appear on their taping Saturday. I have no idea why any of this happened beyond AAA getting to say they have an alliance a US company. (Similiarly, AAA posted the video of Octagon Jr. in GLEAT.)

IWRG

IWRG (SUN) 07/21/2024 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG]
1) Histeriosis & Súper Boy b Dracula Ng & Willy Banderas
2) Auzter, Iron Kid, Tornado b Guerrero Mixtico, Rey Aztaroth, Rey Halcón
3) Gravity, Mr. Mike, Príncipe Centauro b Freelance, Halcón Suriano, Mutifacetico Jr.
Gravity & Halcon Suriano added to the match (that was just announced two days prior). Centauro unmasked Multifacetico after the match.
4) Estrella Divina b Sádika, Ivan Rokov
Ivan Rokov was added to the match for some reason. Divina and Sadika fought in the post match interviews.
5) Águila Roja, Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Puma de Oro b Baby Xtreme, Noisy Boy, Spider Fly
Puma de Oro is newly bald, lost his hair the night prior in Neza.
6) Hijo del Fishman, Hijo Del Silver King, Simon Blanco b Hell Boy, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Máscara Sagrada NG
Silver King and Simbon Blanco fouled Hell Boy and Canis Lupus

Other News

Lucha Libre ELITE spend the weekend first teasing and then hurriedly announcing a return card for three weeks from now

ELITE (SUN) 08/11/2024 Frontón México, Cuauhtémoc, Distrito Federal
1) La Hiedra & Lady Flammer vs Julissa & Valentina
2) Gravity vs Rey Horus, Travis Banks
3) Black Warrior Jr. & Verdugo vs Argenis & Tonalli
4) Negro Casas vs Fuerza Guerrera
5) Laredo Kid vs Metalik
6) Pagano vs DMT Azul, ?

This promotion ran in April, said they’d put the video out of the show and run in June, then went completely dark until they started promoting this show. That show built around LA Park/Rush and whatever big names they could get in, and struggled to sell the tickets. They’re going to do the same thing in the same venue but without LA Park and Rush. Many of the comments responding to their social media push have been of the type to troll their promotion. Some people will go to these shows but few take anything they say seriously.

Valentina is former NXT wrestler Valentina Feroz, who partnered with Julissa/Yulisa Leon during their time there. Both are also on the Mas Lucha anniversary show next Sunday and that EMW card. There seemed to be a lot initial interest in Julissa whens he first started wrestling post-NXT but it feels like that’s cooled down.

El Hijo del Santo is still on a media tour to promote shows that have nothing more the dates and locations. ESTO frames their interview around asking why the mask match with Blue Demon Jr. never happened. Santo says the fans would be too sad if either man was unmasked, and he believes both heroes should forever be masked. He mentioned getting challenged to mask matches recently by Cuchillo, Bobby Lee Jr., Hijo de Fishman, and Misterioso Jr. – all people shooting their shots on social media in hopes of getting a payoff – and he still has to determine if it’s worth betting his mask. The one person he will not bet his mask against, or at least think very carefully before agreeing, is Atlantis; he’s just won too many important mask matches for Santo to feel comfortable facing him.

Oraculo resurfaced in The Crash on Friday night, a surprise partner of Mecha Wolf & D-Luxe in the main event. The more interesting thing to me is how The Crash’s attendance looks down after TripleMania. (That crowd looks better in other photos from earlier in the night, but it’s not the sellouts they were doing prior.) Perhaps some of that is still people not wanting to spend money on wrestling so soon, but it’s clear that those The Crash wrestlers appearing on TripleMania didn’t help the local promotion in any meaningful way; the ‘feud’ with AAA seems to have been a negative for attendance. The confusing booking around the Mecha Wolf/Bestia 666 feud probably hasn’t helped.

An interview with indie luchador Barack.

A video story on Los Cholitas.