Mistico versus the World, Aniversario build, 2024 so far

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 07/05/2024 Arena México
1) Astral & Eléctrico vs Inquisidor & Sangre Imperial
2) Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso, Stigma vs Espanto Jr., Okumura, Raider
3) Tessa Blanchard vs Persephone [lightning]
4) Felino & Felino Jr. vs Hijo del Pantera & Pantera
Felino 40th Anniversary match
5) Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero vs Hijo del Villano III, Templario, Villano III Jr.
6) Esfinge, Star Jr., Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Averno, Euforia

This week’s CMLL Informa was one of the least newsy shows in a few months. Roberto Lopez Olivera filled in for Julio Cesar Rivera, which may be connected to the new lack of match announcements. A big chunk of the show was CMLL luchadors talking post-Forbidden Door about their participation, which did set up the one important part: Mistico brought up his invitation to Penta, so it’s something CMLL wants fans to believe is happening and not just an idle AEW point. This led into a discussion about all the rivals Mistico has at the moment: Penta, Magnus, Volador, Averno, Hiromu, Jericho and he’d still very much like to wrestle Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson too.

Meanwhile, there’s tonight’s show. Volador and Averno are on opposite sides of the main event after feuding the last few weeks. Esfinge and Euforia are on the opposites sides after feuding the last few weeks. CMLL recent booking history suggests that when people are feuding in main events in July, there’s an excellent chance they’re going to be having an apuesta match in September.

This next bit is going to sound like a match problem, I promise you it’s not. There’s two trains chugging along right now. One train has “Mistico versus [X] on the Aniversaro” on board. The other train has “Esfinge/Volador vs Euforia/Averno” as its cargo. Those two trains are going full speed, and they’re going to collide in four to six weeks when that main event gets announced – unless CMLL does something to divert one of them first. CMLL has been much smarter about handling these things in the last couple of years, hitting the switch to avoid big mess, but they’re still not perfect at it. Perhaps the best to hope for is those two trains end up running in parallel – that we end up getting both ideas on 09/13. If that’s not the case, if CMLL is n0t going to deliver a big Mistico match, they urgently need to start adjusting expectations. Mistico’s comments on Wednesday was instead shoveling a lot more coal in the train engine. I hope they know what they’re doing.

Tonight’s show is a pause before Leyenda de Plata takes over the Friday lineups for the rest of the month. The rest of the card is “this could be fun but it doesn’t seem to mean anything” stuff. The Villanos may drive the Guerreros insane in the semi-main. Felino gets his moment in match four. Persephone has her biggest singles match so far against Tessa. Raider will probably not get to be as awesome this week. The opener is a bunch of a people who don’t get Friday bookings.

Coming up this weekend:

CMLL (SAT) 07/06/2024 Arena Coliseo
1) Diamond, Leono, Retro vs Dr. Karonte I, Dr. Karonte II, Enfermero Jr.
2) Capitán Suicida vs Dark Magic [lightning]
3) Brillante Jr., El Audaz, Volcano vs Pólvora, Rey Bucanero, Sagrado
4) Lluvia, Skadi, Tessa Blanchard vs Hera, Stephanie Vaquer, Zeuxis
5) Flip Gordon vs Bárbaro Cavernario
6) Atlantis, El Hijo de Octagón, Octagón vs Averno, Euforia, Soberano Jr.

Flip/Cavernario could be pretty good. Suicida/Magic could be pretty bad. I’ve checked the numbers and they say the Karontes and Diamond aren’t on every Saturday but it sure feels that way.

CMLL (SUN) 07/07/2024 Arena México
1) Kemalito & Mije vs Chamuel & Periquito Sacaryas
2) Fuego, Robin, Valiente Jr. vs Crixus, Dark Magic, Vegas
3) Blue Panther Jr., El Hijo De Blue Panther, Panterita del Ring vs Cancerbero, El Coyote, Virus
4) Atlantis, Star Black, Valiente vs Kráneo, Magnus, Mephisto
5) Gran Guerrero © vs Terrible [CMLL HEAVY]
fourth defense, first this year
6) Flip Gordon, Máscara Dorada, Neón vs Ángel de Oro, Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr.

Neon filtering back in this weekend. Terrible seems unlikely to win. Given how little Gran Guerrero is doing with this title, I still think Yota beating him for it last year would’ve been the more interesting move. Not sure how they would’ve gotten off of him, but getting it off Gran Guerrero doesn’t seem like an important title change at this point.

CMLL (MON) 07/08/2024 Arena Puebla
1) Astoreth & Lady Metal vs Diablita Roja & Hera
2) El Malayo & Rey Apocalipsis vs El Perverso & Prayer
3) Arkalis, Multy, Pegasso, Rayo Metálico, Xelhua vs Astral, El Audaz, Eléctrico, Valiente Jr., Vegas [CMLL BARROCO, semifinal]
final two advance
4) Flip Gordon, Neón, Star Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Hechicero, Templario
5) Akuma, Atlantis Jr., Místico vs Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero, Volador Jr.

Akuma continues to get main events opposite Gran Guerrero, before their announced singles match next week. The tournament final is likely to be one CDMX and one Puebla luchador.

CMLL (TUE) 07/09/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Bello Antuan, Cosmos, Último Ángel vs Eclipse Jr., Thunder Boy, Yaky Boy
2) Átomo, Mije, Tengu vs Chamuel, Kemalito, Periquito Sacaryas
3) Adira, Náutica, Nexy vs Emperatriz, Lady Shadow, Miss Guerrera
4) Dulce Gardenia vs Ráfaga
5) Brillante Jr., Fugaz, Star Black vs Barboza, Gallero, Zandokan Jr.
6) Stephanie Vaquer vs Tessa Blanchard [lightning]
7) Esfinge, Místico, Volador Jr. vs Averno, Euforia, Templario

The Voaldor/Averno and Esfinge/Euforia feuds head this way. Rooting for Vaquer to win if only so I don’t have to read the outrage. (None of this matters.)

Chris Jericho talked about his return to CMLL on his podcast. His version of it was his Corazon de Leon matches with Titan and Atlantis Jr. were just something to do when his idea for a team with Kenny Omega fell apart (Omega injury) and his team with Sammy Guevara didn’t work out (Guevara suspension.) Those matches put the idea of returning to CMLL in his head, and seeing the reaction the BCC/Sydal team got convinced him it was time to do it. He and Rocky Romero talked about it, and came up with Mistico as the best opponent. CMLL sent back the idea of a tag team match, which Jericho wasn’t feeling, and they agreed to a singles match. CMLL and Jericho have agreed on the date, but he didn’t reveal it. Jericho said he’d be sending in a video at some point, which sounded like may be the date announcement. Jericho talked about the match as if it was just going to be a one off, no more than that.

Jericho says he flew in to Mexico the afternoon at the show, and CMLL snuck him into the building after the show started. He wore a BUSHI mask to the building, then switched to the Mistico mask for the spot. He met Salvador Lutteroth III and Panico there. Jericho pointed out Panico was also the booker 30 years ago when Jericho was still working there. Jericho also got paid in envelope by the same person (“Marco”) who paid him 30 years ago. Jericho said it wasn’t as much about the money as wanting to do this fun return.

Mascara Dorada appeared briefly on CMLL Informa to announce CMLL plans to open a school teaching olympic-style wrestling. The whole video last 20 seconds and there were no more details about it. Dorada was a decorated teenage wrestler who may have pursued it at a higher level if pandemic didn’t happen. (You don’t see it at all in his style.) CMLL had had olympic-style wrestling coaches in its professional wrestling schools

CMLL posted a social media tease which appears to mean Atlantis Jr. will show up in AEW soon. As ROH TV champion, you’d think that would be the case.

DOUKI won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from El Desperado earlier Friday. This was a surprise; it was Desperado’s first defense, Desperado himself had picked DOUKI as a challenger and it seemed like just the opening of a long title run. DOUKI’s rise from indie Mexican luchador to NJPW regular to NJPW champion has been as remarkable as what Diamante or Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. has done with their title wins in the last year. DOUKI is scheduled to team with Mistico against Rocky Romero and Volador Jr. on next week’s FantasticaMania USA show. The original reasoning for that team up was DOUKI and Mistico having some words on the FantasticaMania Japan shows. Mistico have another person on his Aniversario wish list by the time the match ended.

Part of the reason I included direct links to those hidden CMLL shows in the last post was to see if anyone in CMLL was monitoring these posts to see what was being said. Those links are all still working, no one’s flipped them private, so at least no one with the power to do that seems to be paying attention. They clearly do on Twitter posts, but they do not click the links.

Which is fine by me. It makes it more comfortable to write some things here. CMLL’s privately reached out to at least one person asking them to take down CMLL video before they copyright strike it. This is an older video – not one of the many copies of ZSJ/Hechicero floating around if you know where to look, but something from the 00s. I was not told why CMLL asked to take down the videos, but my assumption is CMLL will be adding them to their Classic del CMLL in the future. That is probably going to be the trade off for getting those classics: some of the freely available stuff will likely start to disappear. Most of it won’t ever turn up on an official site, because CMLL appears to neither have the time nor the incentives to upload as many as a fan is going to do. I don’t want to start any panic on this, I think it’s probably just going to be a few videos here and there and I very much appreciate CMLL reaching out to people to take down videos instead of just issuing strikes. But, and this goes for any sort of content on the internet, if it’s important for you to have it, you should try to make a backup of it just in case.

AAA

AAA on Space will have part 2 of the Juarez taping. They’ve got three matches left with AAA wrestlers and two additional matches with local people they could choose from. AAA on Unimas will continue the May Mexico City taping.

AAA posted clips of Nic Nemeth defending the AAA Megachampionship against Eddie Colon in WWC. When el Hijo del Vikingo was champion, part of the fee in outside-of-Mexico companies booking him was that those companies were supposed to send AAA a video of Vikingo’s match so they could use it. The companies did at first, AAA didn’t use any of them, and those companies just stopped bothering with it. I suspect this title match made it to AAA’s YouTube channel because it’s WWC and Hugo’s involved.

Big Lucha

Big Lucha (SAT) 07/13/2024 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal
1) Auzter vs Súper Nova, Cobarde
2) Ricky Marvin & Sussy Love vs Lady Apache & Skayde
3) Jack Evans, Mexicano, Orbita, Viajero vs Elipse, Iku, Monsther Clown, Vengador
4) Big Tao Tao, Emperador Azteca, Limbo vs Carta Brava, Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana
5) Cometa Maya & Radioactivo vs Arez & Látigo [Big Lucha MIXA]
6) Hijo del Pirata Morgan vs Texano Jr. [Big Lucha CHAMP]

Super Nova got the golden ticket, but it’s his brother challenging for the title on this one.  Semi-main looks really good. The Elipse group – and he’s clearly meant to be the leader – is now just “Los Locos” with Jack kicked out. Not thrilled with the second match.

Big Lucha posted a series of videos sort of explaining the deal with Black Generation. Emperador Azteca called Big Tao Tao, Limbo and Tonalli in for a secret meeting in Arena Big Lucha to offer them spots in the group. The first two have accepted, Tonalli hasn’t appeared yet. Tonalli has posted status updates from the gym, so he’s around – he hasn’t been seen much since signing that contract with KAOZ in May (and KAOZ running one show and going quiet again.) That vignette has a cameo from someone who seems to be Bendito, so he may be back in the group as well. Bendito leaves a mask I could not identity in Arena Big Lucha. A follow up video has Emperador Azteca saying they want one more member and pans to a shot of Flamita mask in a display case, so that story isn’t done yet. Flamita is still on tour with Dragon Gate – they’ve got their big show of the year on 07/21, so he’s not returning before then.

Meanwhile, GLEAT announced Emperador Azteca and El Bendito would return to Japan for their promotion on August 21st and 25th. Neither has been in GLEAT since January. GLEAT’s run a Black Generation International group without any Mexican wrestlers for some time, Big Lucha and GLEAT seemed to stop working with each other, GLEAT and AAA announced they were working with each other – to say this follows a logical course of action would be a misstatement.

IWRG

IWRG (THU) 07/04/2024 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG]
1) Sacro & Shamila b Histeriosis & Kali 
2) Rey Aztaroth & Simon Blanco b Auzter & Rey Espartano 
3) Ivan Rokov b Freelance 
random match
4) El Bendito, Pequeño Centauro, Rey Halcón b Multifacetico Jr., Noisy Boy, Spider Fly 
Mexaboys and Multifacetico lost, then they (and a little bit the other guys) got beat up by masked men who revealed themselves as Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Aguila Roja and Puma de Oro.
5) Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool b Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. [EdM Trios] 
first defense

I could’ve spent my July 4th catching up on IWRG. I did not. Pigs retained the titles in the main event. I’m not sure why the new rudo trio bothered with masks for their run-in; there was zero reaction when Pirata revealed himself.

IWRG (SUN) 07/07/2024 Arena Naucalpan
1) Sacro vs Súper Boy
2) Freelance & Tornado vs Diablo Jr. & Mike
3) Estrella Divina, Keyra, Shamila vs Danessa, Mary Caporal, Sádika
4) Luka, Noisy Boy, Spider Fly vs Águila Roja, Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Puma de Oro
5) Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium vs Ivan Rokov, Misterioso Jr., Vangellys
6) Cerebro Negro & Cerebro Negro Jr. vs Látigo & Toxin and Hell Boy & Hijo de Canis Lupus

That main event looks to be good but I fear it’ll end up being a “everyone stop fighting so we can carefully set up these two chairs and arrange a board on top of it” match.

Other News

I was out wandering around listening to podcasts on July 5th. Wasn’t many of them because most people are treating this as a four day weekend. One of the podcasts taped ahead with “top stories of the first half of the year” – and I realized that’s the sort of filler content I could absolutely put here. So, those top Mexican stories:

1. CMLL continues on it’s upswing
   • Lots of well attended Sunday shows, lacking as many top end matches but the average shows have still done well. Starting to benefit from the length they’ve kept this going: it takes about time for non-watchers to hear enough positives to start following, and that’s started to happen about a year and a half into this good period.
2. AAA leans heavily into Origenes/Vampiro retirement
   1. The big ideas came from outside AAA’s creative department but it doesn’t matter as much who came up with as them working – fans have been excited to see the names from them back. Part of the reason is those fans see those 40/50 year olds as “the true stars”, and AAA’s made no significant progress at creating new stars this year. The Origines concept, or something like it, is almost certainly going to extend in 2025 because it’s working and there’s no guarantee anything else will. AAA’s replaced some talent who’s quit this year with other people, but no one’s more over than they started the year.
3. CMLL pulls into a tighter relationship with AEW and various other international promotions
   1. CMLL started showing up on AEW TV last year, and the successful Andrade/CMLL appearance seem to have laid the groundwork for more movement. CMLL’s gotten big gates out of guest appearances, at the price of some of their wrestlers losing on shows most of their fans aren’t really following. AAA’s gotten a firm stigma of a second place promotion – even if there’s ways you can argue the numbers, CMLL getting the big AEW names and AAA getting those who aren’t featured on TV makes AAA seem like the runner up.
4. AAA returns to US TV on Unimas
   1. A long time goal achieved. Would be higher up if there were clear indications anyone was watching this (no numbers three weeks into it) – the goal is for AAA to do well, get on Univision and get really paid, but no one seems to have any idea how close they are to it. If AAA has a positive story to tell here, they haven’t told it yet.
5. Latin Lover returns to AAA, becomes Director of Talent
   1. This has gotten by far the biggest press attention of AAA this year, and there’s been lots of talk of big changes. Those changes haven’t been seen yet. Like the Unimas deal, this has chances of becoming the biggest story of the year or a weird footnote by December.
6. Hijo del Vikingo suffers knee injury, misses TripleMania season
   1. Vikingo had been working some level of hurt for years so it was not unexpected his body finally said no mas, but it still was devastating for AAA to lose their one young star and one sure reason to watch every AAA big show. AAA’s made a half effort to replace him with Octagon Jr., who is good but not the eye catching talent as his sometimes partner.
7. CMLL ends the Friday iPPVs and moves to a tiered YouTube system
   1. The era of TicketmasteLIve or other strange providers has ended and streams are (mostly) better quality and more consistent than past years. There’s also more content available with the addition of partial and later full Saturday Arena Coliseo shows. There are still some notable flaws. Paying 25 or 35 to watch a single Friday night show is a big barrier to new viewers, and there’s no real story why the Monday and Sunday shows are being kept out of the package.
8. Indies largely roll in place.
   1. Pigs and Negocios still are the dominants Mexico City indie acts, a bit more stale than they were a year before. IWRG has benefited from Mala Fama, Aramis and others passing through but isn’t a much watch. Groups like KAOZ and ELITE did their typical big return shows and vanished immediately after. Big Lucha continues a slow decline. The Crash puts a toe in the water to try streaming, does it weakly, and then seems to back off after a couple months – same old story there. Lucha Memes continues to exist in a bubble universe, not talked about beyond the 100 or so people who go and the handful of people watching on IWTV. RIOT makes the biggest news when Rey Destroller passed away on their show, something the promotion seems unfairly blamed for but still hangs over them. MexaWrestling returns, but it’s unclear why or what distinguishes it now from the two dozen other groups around Mexico City. Promotions like Lucha Libre Boom and AVE continue to draw well, but there’s real identity or new ideas coming out of this scene. It’s still a lot of people just trying to copy other more over acts.

Back to actual news.

The Crash’s next lineup:

The Crash (FRI) 07/19/2024 Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California
1) Aztec Fly & Rey Furia vs Khavall & Psycodelia
2) Gallo Xtreme © vs Chris Nasty [The Crash JUNIOR]
3) Anubis, Destiny, Noisy Boy vs Hellboy (Estado de México), Hijo de Canis Lupus, Tonalli
4) Demonio Infernal (Estado de México), Fresero Jr., Trauma I, Trauma II vs Forastero, Sansón, Súper Nova, Texano Jr.
5) Mamba, Misterioso Jr. (Laguna), Tinieblas Jr. vs Alan Stone, El Hijo del Solitario, Mr. Maldito
6) Bestia 666, Extreme Tiger, Rey Horus vs ?, D Luxe, Mecha Wolf

I don’t think I’m following the main event scene coherently

• two shows ago, Bestia formed a new La Rebellion with Daga, Taurus, and D Luxe
• D Luxe and Bestia worked TripleMania Tijuana as rudos
• one show ago, Bestia left/got kicked out of La Rebellion and formed a new Familia de Tijuana with Rey Horus and Extreme Tiger.
• I have no idea who is the rudo and who is the tecnico in this match.

I just generally don’t get what the point of these intricate storylines when there’s no way to follow them and there’s no sign anyone is here for that. When you’re doing Tinieblas Jr. and his rapping mascot matches in 2024, you’re really doing a heavily intensive storyline match. All of this is dancing around a Bestia/Mecha match which is probably happening in November if it’s happening at all.