September 2, 2024 – luchablog

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 08/30/2024 Arena México [AS, CMLL, Fuego en el RIng, Kasier Sports, Telediario, The Gladiatores, thecubsfan]
1) Fantasy, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito b Mercurio, Pequeño Olímpico, Pierrothito
9:16
2) Guerrero Maya Jr., Stigma, Xelhua b El Coyote, Felino, Felino Jr.
16:38
3) Lluvia TLDRAW Persephone [lightning]
time limit draw (though it seemed like Lluvia was meant to have won)
4) Esfinge, Místico, Volador Jr. DQ Averno, Euforia, Yota
11:37. Straight falls. Tecnicos won the first in 24 seconds, then Euforia ripped off Euforia’s mask and knocked down referee Edgar a couple of times. Euforia said he’d end Esfinge and take his mask on Aniversario.
5) Máscara Dorada b Templario, Neón, Star Black, Stuka Jr., Akuma, Difunto, Villano III Jr. [Copa Independencia, semifinal]
26:47. Star Black (via Akuma, 10:43), Villano III Jr. (via Neon, 12:37), Difunto (via Stuka Jr., 15:26), Akuma (via Templario, 17:27), Neon (via Mascara Dorada, 18:31), Stuka Jr. (via Templario, 19:48), Templario (via Mascara Dorada, 26:47), leaving Dorada as the winner. He advances to the final on the Aniversario

The main event was Great. Dorada and Templario have fought a lot and could use some new ideas, but they have really good chemistry. (It’s part of why it’s a shame Templario is a tecnico now.) Having those two at the final made for legitimate drama, CMLL could’ve easily picked either of them for the big showcase singles match on 09/13 and every near fall felt real. All these ciberneticos exist in three acts, and the best act of this one was the first, the period before the first elimination. A lot of wild action, people who don’t get a lot Friday main event attention (Star Black, Difunto) getting in big moments, and the flow of the match staying steady throughout.

Mascara Dorada versus Titan feels like the right match for the Aniversario. It’s not completely out of the question CMLL would book Star Jr. or Averno to come out of that block, either would seem likely if this was a tournament ending on any other show. Dorada and Titan have had outstanding matches before, and it’s the big match to do for the biggest show of the year.

Villano III Jr. mentioned honoring Villano V in a mid-show promo, and that was the only direct reference to Villano V I caught on the show. There was no moment of remembrance, even with Villano IV there as a commissioner. CMLL didn’t have a time crunch, they could’ve gotten it in, and just made the decision not to do it. They also obviously didn’t change their booking of the cibernetico, with Villano III Jr. going about as expected. There wasn’t a strong negative reaction to it, and I guess that’s one great advantage of the current CMLL set up. A heavy tourist crowd isn’t going to be informed enough to be upset about something like that.

Euforia’s had a lot of pretty good and great matches in his career. (The three way with Valiente and Esfinge, airing over this past weekend, was another one.) The work Euforia is doing as a rudo, as a personality, in the build to Aniversario continues to be outstanding. He cut Esfinge to pieces in his post match promo, as he continues to do any time he’s asked to talk in ring. No idea if he always had this in him and just never got to do it, or if it’s just getting this close to Aniversario that’s bringing it out of him. Maybe Euforia’s best promo prior to feud was the one where he ripped Ultimo Guerrero for costing him an empty arena Aniversario match by getting COVID and quit Los Guerreros, so perhaps that show truly does mean a lot to him.

Lluvia and Persephone was going fairly well until about the nine and half mark. It was like they suddenly realized they were going long and completely paniced. Persephone blew whatever power move she was going for, then rush and slipped on her springboard frogsplash. I don’t recall her slipping on a springboard ever before. Lluvia set Persephone up for her caught in the ropes dropkick, seemingly the planned finish, but there was absolutely no way she was going to it all done in time. Sure enough, the clock struck 10 just as the three count started. Hitting a winning move as time runs out is a pretty standard draw finish, but it was pretty obvious by reactions of everyone that a draw was not the plan here.

Prisca Awiti, a Mexican silver medalist in Judo, was honored on the show. Mexico doesn’t win a lot of medals at the Olympics – 3 silvers and 2 bronzes this past year – so anyone who does win a medal becomes a big sporting star in that country. Awiti has a Mexican mother and a Kenyan father and grew up in London, so she had choices in which country to represent, and it meant a lot that she picked Mexico. Enough so that her simply showing up and getting a Mistico mask got covered as a new story.

Both of the CMLL matches on the NJPW show were enjoyable. ZSJ/Titan was great. “Zack Sabre Jr. versus luchadors” gets thrown around as a styles clash but it actually is a good mix with the right luchadors. The guys who have good training in the basics and can still do it mesh very well with Sabre’s style. (This worked well with Titan, it’d probably work well with a Mascara Dorada, and it probably won’t work well with a Fugaz.) Hechicero & Virus was another weird mix on paper, but both teams figured out what the other team did well and let them do it. The CMLL guys got over in both matches and they flowed well. 20 USD is a big ask for a show with just two CMLL related matches and where you already know they both lost (Hechicero & Virus are not tag team champions, maybe should’ve led with that) but both are worth checking out if/when they pop up on NJPW World as part of the regular subscription.

CMLL (SAT) 08/31/2024 Arena Coliseo [CMLL]
1) Leono b Inquisidor [lightning]
9:51.
2) Enfermero Jr., Infarto, Sagrado b Diamond, Retro, Robin
16:06. Infarto & Sagrado replaced the Dr. Karontes (double booked?)
3) Dark Panther, Hijo del Pantera, Volcano b Kráneo, Rey Bucanero, Vegas
15:33
4) Metálica, Reyna Isis, Zeuxis b La Catalina, Princesa Sugehit, Skadi
14:41. Rudas took 2/3.
5) Averno b Zandokan Jr.
13:56. Averno out-rudoed Zandokan, slipping in a foul for the win.
6) Atlantis Jr., Hechicero, Star Jr. DQ Dragón Rojo Jr., Flip Gordon, Valiente [Relevos Increíbles]
13:37. Valiente unmasked Hechicero, and said he’d beat him on the Aniversario show.

Earlier in the week, Averno talked up his match with Zandokan as showing the up-and-comer heel what a true rudo is like. He lived up to it: Averno jumped Zandokan on the way to the ring, shredded his mask, and won via blatant cheating. It was great. Zandokan didn’t take the loss well. It’s sort of amazing Averno beat Yota and Zandokan in the same week but I’m not complaining.

The main event was good by Sunday standards.

Something is up with these lightning matches. There used to be a fair bit of five minute, six minute and seven minute matches. When even Leono and Inquisidor are teasing the ten minute draw, they’re clearly being told to go long for whatever reason.

CMLL (SUN) 09/01/2024 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Átomo & KeMalito b Chamuel & Tengu
2) Arkalis, Astral, Valiente Jr. b Alom, Grako, Hunter
3) Pelon Encapuchado b Disturbio [lightning]
4) Dark Magic, Espanto Jr., Raider b Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
5) Atlantis, Blue Panther, Panterita del Ring b Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Mephisto
Mephisto wore a Villano V tribute outfit.
6) Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero b Máscara Dorada, Titán, Volador Jr.
Naito was shown watching the match from the crowd.

On Wednesday’s Informa, Akuma and Julio Cesar Rivera talked about Akuma no longer being part of Ola Negra. It’s a tricky story to tell, because the entire Ola Negra/Atrapsuenos feud was about Espiritu Negro leaving Ola Negra to go do better thing and his old partners being angry at him. Akuma’s basically doing the same thing but tried to make it clear he was leaving the group on better terms. (The reality is CMLL moved Akuma up to a higher position and aren’t doing it for the other two.) Espanto Jr. & Dark Magic have been teaming with Raider a lot lately, and invited him to join the Ola Negra group after their win here. Raider said he needed time to think about it, and Espanto Jr. warned him not to take too long. In 2024 CMLL, that probably means it’ll be resolved on CMLL Informa this Wednesday. They’re all together against Friday, so that’ll likely be the first official match.

Naito sat in the last row of the floor bleachers, usually reversed for the press. Like most of the press, I can only assume that he’ll post video highlights of each match on his YouTube channel tonight. Naito also popped up in Titan’s post-show promo.

CMLL (TUE) 09/03/2024 Arena México
1) Acero & Aéreo vs Full Metal & Pequeño Polvora
2) Capitán Suicida, Eléctrico, Robin vs Grako, Hunter, Inquisidor
3) Kira, Skadi, Tabata vs Amapola, Metálica, Olympia
4) Explosivo, Fugaz, Star Black vs Barboza, Difunto, Zandokan Jr.
5) Valiente vs Bárbaro Cavernario [lightning]
6) Atlantis Jr., Neón, Star Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Soberano Jr.

The main event is almost the trios champions after the tag champs and Soberano. The undercard feels like there’s a third CMLL show going on Tuesday taking away a lot of names. Tabata’s back after elbow surgery, her first match since May. Barboza appeared in the Torneo de Escuelas, disappeared (injury?) soon after, and this is his return to Arena Mexico.

CMLL (FRI) 09/06/2024 Arena México
1) Guerrero Maya Jr., Stigma, Xelhua vs Dark Magic, Espanto Jr., Raider
2) Hera, La Catalina, Tessa Blanchard vs Reyna Isis, Sanely, Zeuxis [Relevos Increíbles]
3) Atlantis Jr., Máscara Dorada, Volador Jr. vs Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero
4) Templario vs Soberano Jr. [lightning]
5) Titán vs Averno, Star Jr., Hijo del Villano III, Dulce Gardenia, Zandokan, Dark Panther, Crixus [Copa Independencia, semifinal]

This week’s cibernetico looks good, if not as strong as last week. The tercera should be great. The mixed up teams in match 2 feel like they should be a prelude to whatever women’s match CMLL Is booking on 09/13, but I can’t figure out the direction.

Templario and Soberano only getting ten minutes seems a crime, though it’s also a rudo act for them to be back fighting after doing the big team up angle six months ago and then dropping it a month later. I would like it better if they were still a team, but I’m asking CMLL to finish the story somehow instead of pretending it didn’t happen because (presumably) they got upset with someone.

CMLL made a point of introducing Xelhua separately from Fuerza Poblana. Perhaps that can also be resolved on Wednesday.

CMLL (SAT) 09/07/2024 Arena Coliseo
1) KeMalito & Micro Sagrado vs Chamuel & Tengu
2) La Vaquerita, Maligna, Tabata vs Amapola, Candela, Olympia
3) Futuro, Hombre Bala Jr., Max Star vs Okumura, Sagrado, Vegas
4) Blue Panther, Hijo de Blue Panther, Volcano vs Kráneo, Mephisto, Rey Bucanero
5) Templario vs Dragón Rojo Jr. [lightning]
6) Máscara Dorada, Místico, Neón vs Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Soberano Jr.

The main event looks good. The semi-main is last year’s Aniversario match. Candela returns in match 2. I think Olympia is the best worker in that match in 2024, which is just wild to think about. Micro Sagrado is still here even if his partners have left.

CMLL matches that didn’t make CMLL’s YouTube this week

from 08/18 Arena Mexico

from 08/26 Puebla

AAA

AAA on Space finished TripleMania Mexico City coverage with the tag title match and the cruiserweight title match. The new content wasn’t that interesting: a Komander promo from before his match, interviews with Cibernetico and the Jarrett team both bragging about their wins, and a teaser of JBL/Dorian/Konnan/Alberto scheming briefly before kicking the cameraman out of the room. I presumed JBL was a one-and-done, and his comments to SlamWrestling about his appearance suggested no set plans past that TripleMania. JBL has since appeared in GCW, TNA, and OVW, so the man’s clearly looking for some work, and that might mean he’ll pop up in AAA again.

AAA TV (SUN) 09/01/2024 Showcenter Complex, San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo Leon [Lo Mejor de Lucha]
1) Brillante RB b Reycko, Black Raven
2) La Momia b El Original, King Charro
3) Estrellato & Líder b Epydemius & Sayurs
4) Centella & Pimpinela Escarlata b Adelicious & Dulce Kanela
5) Kento, Nobu San, Takuma b Emperador Azteca, Octagón Jr., Oni El Bendito
said to be a great match
6) Dinámico, Drago, Laredo Kid b Antifaz, El Mesías, Pierroth Jr.

This was indeed a TV taping, and AAA simply chose not to announce it as such. It’s a weirdo promotion. Attendance appeared to be down, but it wasn’t a strong lineup. It was about AAA doing the cheapest show they could get away with doing, and then not improving on it once it fell backwards into being a TV taping. Only when entering the results did I remember Dinamico, Drago, and Laredo Kid were meant to be a trio. These matches should air 09/14 and 09/21.

AAA will be back in the Showcenter on 11/03. Last year’s final show of the year was the TNA/AAA Ultraclash show, and the tournament final was the year before. There were no hints this time of any big plans for that date.

AAA TV also advertised Heroes Inmortales as taking place 10/06 with no venue listed. That date is a Sunday, and Space usually carries the show live, so AAA will be airing a day later that week. The no venue bit is weird, but it may make sense a few hours after this goes up. AAA has a press conference at 4 pm to talk about “their next show”, which is this date. The first October show has been part of Jalisco’s “Fiesta de Octubre” fair for the last few years, with AAA running at the big Auditrio Benito Juarez in front of a huge crowd. (It’s a sold show, most of the tickets are free with admission, it looks great on TV.) That Fiesta de Octubre has been holding off announcing the acts for the Auditorio Benito Juarez until September, and it definitely is September now. AAA will probably announce the full lineup for that 10/06 Heroes Inmortales show as well; the big question will be how many of the acts that were pushed strong on TripleMania (Alberto, Riddle, the Indians) will be on the next AAA big show.

AAA on Unimas had part two of Verano de Escnadalo. I don’t remember this bit airing live, but Unimas aired an in-ring segment which just seemed to exist to tell you Latin Lover and Konnan were now friends as a way to set up the ‘surprise’ turn. Not a single person was actually surprised. The second half of the AAA TV tapings usually airs everything that didn’t air live, it’ll be hilarious if they air this angle after they’ve done the split. Unimas aired the mixed tag and Los Guapos/Exoticos match. Both were funny. Crazzy Steve was working so hard in the mixed tag match, seemingly stoked to get to work with Negro Casas and trying to impress to get more bookings here. He was trying to do good while a not-good match was happening all around him. The Guapos match seemingly existed to write Scorpio Jr. out of the act. He suffered a knee injury so Bello Greco (Chris Stone Jr.) could run out and replace him. The Scorpio Jr. injury was obviously a work, but also Scorpio Jr. generally doesn’t move good and isn’t a TV wrestler at this point. Bello Greco got to do this big save, had a great moonsault, and seemed like maybe AAA was doing something – and then he gets submitted by Jesse Queen to lose. Unclear how that works since he wasn’t actually in the match to start, but I guess you can just sub for people whenever you want in AAA.

The Unimas show also airs on US network TUDN – except, after the first few weeks, AAA disappeared from the late night time slot it was advertised in. TUDN still listed it on the spot, but soccer was airing instead. After weeks of this, UTDN finally updated their guide and AAA appears to be on at 3pm ET Mondays. If someone in AAA reads this paragraph, it’ll probably be the first they know of this switch.

In a series of Q&As on his Instagram Stories on Sunday, Karis La Momia Jr. confirmed he wasn’t the La Parka at TripleMania (he was in Monterrey that day), he expects that gimmick will be given to someone else, and he’s out of AAA. My assumption is that AAA believed for years that they could talk Karis Jr. into taking his father’s gimmick, but he continued to insist he wanted to chart his own path, and AAA eventually just decided to cut ties and move on. Karis has not looked TV ready in his debut after many years on live events, but AAA could also just have been frustrated with him for refusing to take the gimmick and creating a headache for them. Karis seems like he’ll have no issue with the person who takes over the La Parka gimmick. It just remains to be seen if the fans feel the same way.

Mucha Lucha Atlanta announced Hijo del Vikingo for their 10/13 show. Right now, the first Vikingo match still appears to be the 09/17 show in Arena Aficion. It stands to reason that if he’s working that show, he’ll probably turn up on the weekend before – those days leading into Mexican Independence Day are among the busiest days of the year in terms of numbers of shows – and just the poster hasn’t turned up yet. He’ll likely be on that 10/07 AAA TV taping. The big question is when he’ll return to the AAA/ROH universe. Or, I guess, if he’ll make his return, given how much closer they’re working with CMLL since Vikingo got hurt in February.

At the WWE PPV this Saturday, WWE wrestlers Dominic Mysterio and Liv Morgan wore gear with the AAA eye symbol. Konnan wore a Judgement Day t-shirt as part of the Eye reveal angle at TripleMania. I don’t follow WWE closely enough to know if this new configuration of the Judgement Day is otherwise using that eye symbol or if it’s supposed to be a wink toward the AAA angle. Very few people picked up on it,; AAA’s big angles just aren’t over to a broad audience and definitely not to people who watch WWE shows. It’ll get more attention when this paragraph gets picked up by different content sites, I suspect.

Laredo Kid did not win the X-Title on TNA’s PPV. The only clip I saw of him in the match was him being press-slammed to the floor.

IWRG

They “sold out” (probably free tickets) another political candidate show on Saturday. The confusing part to me is not the full Arena Naucalpan, but Mexico just had elections in June. This guy already won!

IWRG (SUN) 09/01/2024 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG]
1) Drakula Ng & Súperboy b Arceus & Fauno
2) Princesa Azul & Shamila b Danessa & Demonia
3) Aquiles, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Hijo Del Silver King b Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr.
4) Cerebro Negro Jr. b Multifacetico Jr.
5) Tornado & Willy Banderas b Águila Roja & Hysteriosis
6) Diva Salvaje, Jessy Ventura, Mamba b Arez, Látigo, Toxin

Big Lucha

Big Lucha (SAT) 08/31/2024 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal [Estrellas del Ring, thecubsfan]
1) Peace Man b Pablo Rivas
2) Brujo & Zenky b Platino & Reiyel
3) La Brava & Marishka b Lady Wind & Sussy Love
4) Tempo b Auzter, Estrella de Oro, Uzumaki, Morfosis
5) Black Skayde, Elipse, Vengador b Cósmico, Helios, Nordico
Black Skayde is officially part of Luchas Locos and La Brava joined as well.
6) Big Tao Tao, Limbo, Tonalli b Mr. Win, Orbita, Viajero
14:59. official debut of Tonalli as part of Black Generaction
7) Flamita b Emperador Azteca
19:01. Black Generation unsuccessfully got involved, then attacked Flamita post match. Viajero, Orbita and Mr. Win made the save.

One of the original themes for Big Lucha was trying to be “Dragon Gate Mexico.” It didn’t work; I’m unsure everyone involved believed that vision, but I’m uncertain if it ever would’ve taken. Still, for at least one night, and with Flamita coming back here from his first Dragon Gate tour in years, that original flavor felt back. The new Big Generation team looked strong as a unit in a better thought-out match than most indie trios matches. Big Tao Tao worked as a monster. Tonalli was just as smooth as a wrestler, a cut above most people in this scene. This was a better place for him to showcase it than most of the random matches he seemed to be doing; there was some organization and direction here. Flamita/Emperador Azteca started off with Flamita running cross ring to boot Emperador Azteca in the face and didn’t let up. I enjoyed goofing around Demonic Flamtia, but very serious killing machine Flamita is even better. The cruficix bomb reversal spot was one of the craziest of the year, but it was mostly a match about Flamtia being one of the best wrestlers in the world at whatever he was doing. The aspect I enjoyed the most in the match is the Black Generation did a few interference spots and it didn’t matter at all. They all hit him with clotheslines, and Flamita was right back on offense. They threw power in his face, and Flamita didn’t even sell it for one second. That Flamita is just on another level, he shrugged off that cheap junk like bullets bouncing off Superman. You want to give the fans someone to cheer about, you do things like that.

I can’t vouch for the rest of the show, didn’t watch it, but the top two are worth your time. Flamita/Emperador Azteca is go out of your way to see.

Todo x el Todo

El Hijo del Santo’s busy media tour took him to Leon over the weekend, where he promoted the 10/06 show. He doesn’t really say anything (or get different questions) than he does in all the other interviews, but they’re making an honest effort to promote them.

Other Notes

According to Box y Lucha, retired micro luchador La Hormiga Atomica (Domingo Rivera) passed away on Sunday. Microman’s gimmick is that he’s only 100 cm tall. Hormiga Atomica was billed as 75 cm, the smaller luchadors ever, tiny even for the batch of micros working at the time, and he suffered physically for it. He did not have a long career, starting in 1988 and ending in 1999, losing time due to injury and coming along just as the style was about change from US-style small-person comedy to Mascarita Sagrada super-heroics. Hormiga Atomica fit in the first character, but not as much the second. As you might figure from the translated name, his gimmick was taken from the Hanna-Barbera character Atom Ant.

Scorpio Cholo, Legionario, Bello Armando, Lalo de Linche, el Olimpico, Avipson Verde, Avispon Verde Jr. will be added to the Ciudad Juarez Hall of Fame on Friday

There’s a new lucha libre photo in Xalapa.

A photo of new Monterrey subway workers went viral because one of the new subway workers appears to be ex-luchador Konnan Big.

Day: September 2, 2024

Mascara Dorada advances in Copa Independencia, AAA mystery taping, Flamita/Azteca

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