Cavernario/Atlantis Jr. set for next week, LA Park to AAA, Komander/C2

CMLL

CMLL (MON) 12/02/2024 Arena Puebla [CMLL, DeporPuebla]
1) Dreyko & Hijo del Perverso b Amnesia & Blue Shark
Dreyko replaced Rencor
2) Disturbio b Meyer [lightning]
9:17
3) Rey Apocalipsis & Volcano b Rey Samuray & Sagrado [Relevos Increíbles]
4) Akuma, Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II b Arkalis, Pegasso, Rayo Metálico
5) Templario b Último Guerrero
Templario beat Ultimo Guerrero with Pulpo Guerrero
6) Atlantis Jr., Esfinge, Místico DQ Bárbaro Cavernario, Hechicero, Zandokan Jr.
Hechicero unmasked Mistico for the DQ.

Ultimo Guerrero is losing the big matches a lot, and I guess it’s not surprising to see him lose to his old move. I guess that’s another reason the Volador Jr. rudo move makes sense; they’ve moved UG down a peg where he’s just there to lose these matches. I’m surprised they’re doing Hechicero/Mistico again so quickly, though it doesn’t appear there were any specific promos for next week.

Superfan Joaquin Loazia of Porra Fresa, who frequently streams matches on Facebook, was not in attendance for this show. There is some drama involving Rey Apocalipsis spitting on another member of the fan section months ago and never getting punished for it, but I’m not sure how it connects to this show. In reading through the drama, I did spot a mention that the leader of the Puebla wrestlers’ union is Meyer.

CMLL (TUE) 12/03/2024 Arena México
1) Leono DRAW Grako [lightning]
9:55. Double pin, or at least that was the idea.
2) Diamond, Legendario, Oro Jr. b Calavera Jr. I, Calavera Jr. II, Draego
9:10
3) Dark Silueta, Hera, Olympia b Amapola, Metálica, Sanely
15:57
4) Futuro, Hombre Bala Jr., Max Star b Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
11:37.
5) Blue Panther, Esfinge, Star Jr. b Akuma, Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II
12:51
6) Averno, Bárbaro Cavernario, Mephisto b Atlantis Jr., Neón, Titán
13:32. Averno beat Neon (after a mask pull) and Cavernario beat Atlantis Jr., setting up matches for next week.

None of the matches are worth watching, but what a run of finishes

• Match 1 had a double pin finish where the camera showed both men had a shoulder up
• Match 4 saw Hombre Bala return from injury and then apparently suffer an injury on a bad dive to close the match
• Match 5 seemed to end early than planned; Blue Panther was outside the ring and confused when he returned.
• Match 6 saw Averno beat Neon, referee Edgar couldn’t remember if they were capitans, music played, and then the wrestlers convinced them the match was still going (and had to keep going to set up the Atlantis Jr/Cavernario match.)

Hombre Bala seemed to be holding his right wrist as he was carted away; maybe he hurt it trying to break his fall. CMLL kept the cameras away from him as he was on the floor. You could still see he was in some agony. CMLL luchadors get stretchered seemingly every show only to return on the next one, but it may be a few weeks away for Bala.

CMLL (TUE) 12/03/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL, Mas Lucha]
1) Black Boy, Thunder Boy, Yaky Boy b Fúnebre, Mortis, Ponzoña Jr.
2) Rav, Shezmu, Temerario b Cosmos, Makará, Prince Drago
3) Bestia Negra b Omar Brunetti
4) Gallo Jr. & Rafaga Jr. b Arlequín & Cris Skin
5) Barboza & Zandokan Jr. b Magnus & Rugido
6) Adrenalina, Brillante Jr., Máscara Dorada b Furia Roja, Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr.

Nothing stands out here. I haven’t done the numbers, but it seems that Guadalajara received fewer feuds than the other buildings this year.

CMLL (FRI) 12/06/2024 Arena México
1) Astro Boy Jr., Dragón de Fuego, Retro vs Alom, Hunter, Infarto
2) Rayo Metálico, Stigma, Xelhua vs El Coyote, Felino Jr., Guerrero Maya Jr.
3) Skadi vs Viva Van [lightning]
4) Atlantis, Octagón, Panterita del Ring vs Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero
5) Templario vs Volador Jr.
6) Flip Gordon, Máscara Dorada, Místico vs Hechicero, Rocky Romero, Villano III Jr.

Viva Van is likely in the 12/13 show; perhaps Romero as well? (Van has teased she’s signed a contract but hasn’t said with whom. For what it’s worth, CMLL is promoting her as an ROH wrestler.) Hechicero and Mistico rematch in the main. Flip and Villano do as well.

Match 4 is Panterita del Ring’s first match here in a whlie. He’s only been working about 3 to 4 times a month this year and many men around his level were basically off for October, but he hasn’t been around much since then either. CMLL’s going for a legend’s theme with that match and that may be why he’s back.

Match 2 is Rayo Metalico’s first Friday night appearance since the main eventing night of champions and winning the lightweight title. He’s also not wrestled much in the last couple of months; some of that is women’s month, but he appeared even less often in November.

CMLL (SAT) 12/07/2024 Arena Coliseo
1) Fantasy vs Mercurio [lightning]
2) Astral, Robin, Valiente Jr. vs Apocalipsis, Cholo, Disturbio
3) Capitán Suicida, El Audaz, Fuego vs Dark Magic, Espanto Jr., Raider
4) Princesa Sugehit & Reyna Isis vs La Catalina & Viva Van [Relevos Increíbles]
5) Explosivo, Fugaz, Star Black vs Hijo del Villano III, Rocky Romero, Villano III Jr.
6) Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja © vs Difunto & Zandokan Jr. [CMLL TAG]
18th defense (Chavez counting it as 19th)

By the count the Chavez brothers and CMLL are going with, this defense would break the record of 19 defenses Ultimo Guerrero & Rey Bucanero had in 2000 and 2001. It is completely keeping in CMLL that the record-breaking match would take place on a Saturday with no build. It should still be pretty good.

If CMLL is just going to have Mercurio, Fantasy, Acero, and Aereo wrestle lightning matches while they’re out of the cage mix, they should’ve made it a league tournament.

CMLL (SUN) 12/08/2024 Arena México
1) Eléctrico & Leono vs Inquisidor & Sangre Imperial
2) Brillante Jr., Hijo del Pantera, Volcano vs Kráneo, Rey Bucanero, Vegas
3) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Hijo de Blue Panther vs Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido
4) Zeuxis vs Viva Van [lightning]
5) Máscara Dorada vs Ángel de Oro
6) Atlantis Jr., Flip Gordon, Neón vs Euforia, Rocky Romero, Valiente

Dorada and Angel de Oro were set up this past Friday. Vegas gets to be on the same show as the rest of the Deprerdadores, if not exactly team with them.

There is no guest list for Informa yet. Figure on all the names listed for marquee matches on this weekend, plus those set up on Tuesday. Volador may show up to deny being a rudo while also saying rudo things. CMLL probably will announce any remaining meaningful 12/13 matches as well.

Box y Lucha 3632 has Mistico on the cover.

CMLL is doing an advent calendar of 2024 highlights. Today was the Torneo de Escuelas, which they kind of imply Xelhua and Rayo Metalico won. There’s a mention that the 12/25 and 01/01 CMLL Informa will also be Year In Review shows. Those are the sort of things other promotions might tape early to give people time off, but CMLL’s going to be running those days anyway.

AAA

In a Facebook video, Latin Lover revealed the surprise wrestler for the 12/08 Monterrey main event will be the returning LA Park. He’ll team with Octagon Jr. & Cibernetico against Alberto, Mesias and Pierroth. It’s a smart move to leverage Latin Lover’s social media following to get another way of publicity for this taping; they’re still pushing tickets hard. It may have been stronger to advertise it on television, but AAA doesn’t seem to think their TV reaches enough people. (They’ve not mentioned either of these tapings on TV as of yet.)

LA Park’s last match for AAA was 2023’s TripleMania Mexico City main event, a calamity of Rush and LA Park working their angles amid a messy four-way match. It was a bad main event that seemed to leave a sour taste in AAA’s mouth about both wrestlers. Monterrey fans chanted for LA Park on the first TripleMania of this year, hoping he’d be a surprise on that show, and Dorian Roldan taunted them by saying LA Park wouldn’t be booked. (The line got over there, and not as well when he repeated in Tijuana.) This is probably more than the KAOZ promoter paying to bring in LA Park to ensure his show draws rather than a full-time return, though who knows what’ll happen when Park gets his usual strong reaction in Monterey.

Latin Lover’s Facebook video also included him being annoyed about people criticizing his podcast for revealing too much of the inner workings of wrestling. There have been general complaints about that sort of thing, but it seemed like he was responding to comments Fenix made on Instagram a few days ago. English-speaking people assumed those Fenix comments were about his AEW situation. I’m not sure which it is, but trying to read a hidden meaning into anything Fenix says on social media remains a bad idea.

AEW

Komander has been added to AEW’s Continental Classic, replacing an injured Juice Robinson. It’s an easy substitution; Robinson probably wasn’t going to win more than a single match, and Komander can do about the same. The most interesting part is if Komander will get a singles win on Dynamite or Rampage, which he has never accomplished in his two years with the promotion. Win or not, this is Komander’s biggest spotlight in AEW since joining the promotion. (He’s 2-8 on Rampage.) Komander will face Ricochet tape in a match taped for Friday’s Rampage and Darby Allin on Saturday’s edition of Collision. He’ll have future matches with Claudio Castagnolli and Brody King. He will not face Will Ospreay, as that’s the match Robinson already had when he got here.

Komander is also scheduled to work a hometown show on Sunday afternoon, and I assume he’ll still be there if he can make it in time. It’s a different mindset that he and the Beast Mortos – wrestling Daniel Garcia in a match that’ll be taped tonight for Rampage  – seem to have. An incessant complaint from AEW followers is their wrestlers, especially the less experienced ones, should be getting that experience working outside shows*. Few do. Mortos and Komander are in a high-profile tournament where (another) injury could cause issues and they’re still picking up outside work. It’s slightly different for them because they’re not even leaving their hometown to do it; Mexico is different.

Other Notes

IWRG is moving their anniversary show to 12/19.

The Crash announced Jordynne Grace for their 1/17 show. That’s surprising; Grace’s TNA contract is believed to end this month, and she’s expected to join WWE as soon as it ends. WWE is more open nowadays, but I don’t expect WWE-contracted people to be wrestling for The Crash. Maybe she’s not joining WWE until later, like the Royal Rumble a couple of weeks later, though it’s still unusual she’d be wrestling anywhere else in between if that was the plan. Someone who cares about all of this might find this more worth investigating; for me, she’s just one of that month’s outsiders on a show The Crash may or may not get around to uploading.

Noro writes about the luchador from Miss Kath, from Germany, and Ciudad Juarez.

A lucha libre show was among events canceled in Tabasco due to local violence.

Club Lucha has a new edition of their podcast.