TripleMania this Saturday, Habana Brothers vs Volador/Virus, Big Lucha/CMLL

CMLL

Tonight’s show

CMLL (FRI) 08/11/2023 Arena México
1) Futuro & Neón vs Raider & Sangre Imperial
2) Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso, Stigma vs El Coyote, Kráneo, Okumura
3) Esfinge vs Zandokan Jr. [lightning]
4) Adrian Quest, Baliyan Akki, Francesco Akira, Samuray del Sol vs Ángel de Oro, Euforia, Mephisto, Niebla Roja
5) Virus & Volador Jr. vs Rocky Romero & TJP
6) Atlantis Jr., Místico, Soberano Jr. vs Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero

Virus & Volador Jr. face Rocky Romero & TJP for the first time since the 70th CMLL Aniversario show. The series of matches between a CMLL trio of Ricky Marvin, Virus, and Volador Jr. and NJPW’s Habana Brothers (Romero, TJP as Pinoy Boy, Ricky Reyes, and Bobby Quance) was a superb young guy feud of the 2003. It was a lot of fast-paced matches that really stood out for the time, making everyone involved feel like bigger stars by the end.

CMLL knew they needed a young star at the time. They tried (and failed) with Sagrado at around the same the CMLL/Habana feud started. It didn’t work with him, but it did work with a preliminary who wrestled a lot like the guys in this feud named Astro Boy. That wrestler became Mistico in 2004, and it was history from then on. There’s an argument, maybe not the most solid one but one that you can make if you’re inclined to do so, that CMLL doesn’t get Mistico right if they don’t have Volador and Rocky and TJP and Virus and the others as a model first. Or maybe they were just really great matches without needing the historical link.

Romero and TJP have had long and interesting careers. It never really came together the same way for Reyes, who’s now semi-retired after a long run of indie wrestling. Quance left wrestling to join the Navy not too long after his CMLL run, and turns up to do a match in California once every few years. Quance’s career was a real shooting star; he was really good over a short period of time that fans of that era can’t help but speculate what might have happened if he stuck with wrestling later or came along later when there were more and better paying places to wrestle.

Ricky Marvin still wrestles, though increasingly in fewer places. Marvin was and is still talented, but is also appears embittered by the lack of respect his career has gotten. Marvin is not without reason. It took about a decade for CMLL to fully embrace Volador as a top star, and Virus has had a similar slow climb to his current place. There was no guarantee it was ever going to happen for that CMLL trios, and Marvin wisely focused on wrestling in Japan’s NOAH promotion. He did well there, but his achievements were largely ignored in Mexico, and that version of NOAH fell apart. Marvin had a multiyear run with AAA, but it didn’t work out there. Nowadays, Marvin is the most reliable part of the Lucha Memes promotion. He has a cult following out of IWTV viewers and, unfortunately, has little impact beyond that. A video of Ricky Marvin painfully double stomping Calibus from the most recent Lucha Memes went viral, as some people talked themselves into believing there was a serious injury, and it was the most attention Marvin’s got in some time. Marvin’s still respected as a wrestler and a trainer. He’s not fit by any means, but there are plenty of out of shape Mexico luchadors wrestling often. Some wrestlers who’ve been “canceled” seem to get more bookings than he does nowadays. I think it’s possible he’s both had bad luck and has made bad luck for himself. Marvin is active on Facebook. Marvin hasn’t appeared to say anything about this reunion match (and not being part of it), though he has stated before he believes he’s banned from appearing in CMLL.

Virus, Volador, TJP and Rocky can all go at a high level. It’ll be cool just to seem the back together after so long, but it should be really good as a standalone match without that history. Rocky came back to CMLL one year ago now and has had great matches with Volador often during the last twelve months. TJP and Virus seem like they match up just as well.

We’re all dorking out about the Habana Brothers reunited against Virus & Volador, but the rest of the show is pretty solid too. The main event is a rematch from last week, it should be good and should be going somewhere. Match 4 has a lot of people making their Arena Mexico debuts against talented rudos. Zandokan keeps on appearing on Friday shows. The Puebla guys are reliable, and Futuro & Neon against Raider could be spectacular. Next week is the bigger show, but this is definitely worth checking out. It’s on Boletia as ever.

Both Arena Mexico and Arena Coliseo Guadalajara had stream issues on Tuesday. These things happen, you just need a plan on how to handle them. Both are also recording those shows for TV, so it’s a solid bet a clean version of the show is available somewhere. Arena Coliseo Guadalajara, which operates a free channel, uploaded fixed versions of each match to their YouTube channel (though they’re posting them one a day.) CMLL’s channel, which offers that show as a 9 USD/month package, just left the broken show up there with no fix. Some of this is decisions on what to prioritize, but it also seems like Guadalajara has more people hours to throw at these things than Mexico City, and that makes no sense when looking at the revenue that must be coming into both places.

CMLL (MON) 08/14/2023 Arena Puebla
1) El Novato & Rayo Metálico vs Hijo del Perverso & Sombra Diabólika
2) Oro Jr., Retro, Xelhua vs El Malayo, El Perverso, Prayer
3) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, El Audaz vs Crixus, Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr.
4) Bárbaro Cavernario, Gran Guerrero, Niebla Roja, Stuka Jr., Terrible vs Adrian Quest, Francesco Akira, Okumura, Samuray del Sol, TJP [cibernetico]
5) Atlantis Jr., Soberano Jr., Titán vs Baliyan Akki, Kushida, Rocky Romero

Another fun-looking main event and a cibernetico featuring people who wouldn’t get to face the international people otherwise.

CMLL (TUE) 08/15/2023 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Luminoso, Omega, Quka vs Calavera Jr. I, Calavera Jr. II, Hijo del Calavera
2) Barboza, Draego, Persa vs Atilus, Maximus, Rey Urano
3) Náutica, Stephanie Vaquer, Zeuxis vs La Catalina, Maligna, Valkiria
4) Atlantis Jr., Averno, Bestia Negra, Dulce Gardenia, Furia Roja, Soberano Jr., Titán, Último Guerrero vs Adrian Quest, Baliyan Akki, Dark Magic, Francesco Akira, Kushida, Rocky Romero, Samuray del Sol, TJP [cibernetico]

On the one hand, it’s strange for a Team Mexico with access to the entire CMLL roster to include Furia Roja and Bestia Negra. On the other hand, I like that we’re getting a very different match here than the Gran Prix.

The Aniversario show is down to less than 100 numbered tickets left. CMLL did sell out last year, announcing the lower bowl portion sold out on August 23rd. They’re ahead of that pace, and that pace was the first ever complete sell out before the doors opened. (The show was on 09/16 last year, as it is this year.) Announcing the lineup appeared to move a lot of tickets; maybe not even just the lineup itself, but as a reminder the show is coming and putting some urgency into buying tickets. Announcing the lower bowl has sold out will probably do the same. It doesn’t appear other CMLL shows are getting this sort of advancing sales – there are still plenty of tickets left for next week’ Gran Prix – but the Aniversario show is a must have.

Obviously, it would to be a thing if CMLL sells those last few floor tickets and can announce a partial sell-out tomorrow, the same day as TripleMania. I don’t know if those last few will move that fast.

ESTO talked to Fugaz about the All Star Junior Festival; he’s thrilled. It’s a big deal to him to be part of an important international competition, but it’s also a big deal because it’s the first time he’s traveled outside of Mexico. He made sure to enjoy his Arena Mexico debut and treat it like it was the only time he’d ever get to wrestle there, just in case, and he’s going to handle the ASJF the same. The ESTO article accidentally lists his age as 17. He is 27.

ESTO’s interview with La Catalina talked about her struggles to be a wrestler in Chile, dealing with health issues in WWE, and being inspired to keep going in Mexico.

ESTO also interviews Brillante Jr. and Max Star, both talking about how nervous they were for their debut. With Mundo Deportivo, Brillante Jr. talked about how Andrade/La Sombra was always his idol, and they first trained together when Brillante Jr. was four years old.

Kaiser Sports has notes on an interview with Hiromu Takahashi, who did an interview via Zoom. Not much in there; he’s happy to come back. I think he’s the favorite to win the Gran Prix; he’s only getting pinned if CMLL and NJPW have a title match planned.

Revolution Pro did a Q&A on Twitter Friday and the FantasticaMania UK show came up a bit. It appears it’s actually two shows, with an afternoon and evening card. The CMLL names are not finalized but they’re expecting to bring in “at least 10 wrestlers”. (More than I would’ve guessed.) CMLL participation was also teased for RevPro’s 10/21 British J Cup.

AAA

The final TripleMania of 2023 is Saturday. The lineup

AAA TV (SAT) 08/12/2023 Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Azcapotzalco, Distrito Federal
***TripleMania XXXI Ciudad de Mexico***
1) Dalys, Lady Shani, Sexy Star vs Chik Tormenta, La Hiedra, Maravilla
2) Komander vs Laredo Kid, Willie Mack, Dave The Clown, Pagano, Aramis, Mr. Iguana, Murder Clown, Arez, Octagón Jr., Myzteziz, Niño Hamburguesa [Copa Bardahl]
3) Negro Casas vs Nicho el Millionario
4) Taya © vs Flammer [Reina De Reinas]
5) Pentagón Jr. vs Qt Marshall, Dralistico, Brian Cage [AAA LA]
6) Hijo Del Vikingo © vs Mike Bailey, Daga, Jack Cartwheel [AAA MEGA]
7) Sam Adonis vs Psycho Clown, LA Park, Rush [mask, hair]

Start Time on FITE

Los Angeles 7 pm
Mexico City 8 pm
Chicago 9 pm
New York 10 pm
London 3 am Sunday
Tokyo 11 am Sunday

AAA is sticking to a four-hour window, so expect a late night.

I have a preview of TripleMania over on Voices of Wrestling. It’s not positive. Last year, I wrote recaps for Post Wrestling. I’m not doing them this year, probably because I forgot to ask them if they wanted them again. I felt like I screwed up by forgetting before the Monterrey show, and by the time the Tijuana show ended, I was so happy I hadn’t agreed to do that. I’ll probably have way too many words here on Monday.

TripleMania should draw fans as well as usual. I sense as little online interest in this show as I can remember. The lineup is part of it, running two TripleManias so close to each other is also a part of it.

I think that if everything but the main event was instead a normal TV show, it would still be weird, but it’d be interesting. This being a TripleMania show weighs down on those matches, which all feel like they were hastily scribbled down around 2 AM after the Tijuana show ended. We’re also coming off a TripleMania where every single match was made worse by the overbooking and production. (Even the main event was strangely made worse for not being overbooked because everyone was waiting for it after the tease to start the match.) There are matches on this TripleMania that look perfectly enjoyable on paper but also probably won’t be because AAA can’t help themselves.

The main event should be really good, and even if it has no juice. I can’t believe LA Park and Rush are going to be in an apuesta match on Saturday, and so few people seem to care. Maybe they’re all quietly buying tickets instead of discussing it, because there’s no discussion. AAA chose to include them to sell tickets, but those guys haven’t done anything since TripleMania to promote the match. I know everyone believes Adonis will lose (and he should lose). Part of the attraction of Rush and LA Park is that they “break the rules” and do things they’re not supposed to; I think they could convince people they would settle it no matter what on Saturday if they want. It feels like just another weekend booking.

Psycho Clown confirmed the main event four-way is the first pin decides the winner and loser. I have no idea why Dorian Roldan made a deal out of announcing the rules for this match and then AAA never talked about the rules again. I’m not complaining about something hard to do or super niche here, I’m just asking for the most basic follow-through on their own angles. A single fall fourway is for the best; wrestlers want to build matches around breaking up pins and it makes more sense in that format.

This TripleMania is the last chance this year to retain the interest of fans AAA-curious fans. Many of those people will be back next TripleMania but will drop AAA between now and then unless AAA gives them a reason to care. I’m not talking about an angle here, I mean the very basic “this is our next worldwide streaming show, this is the next time we’ll have English commentary, this is how you can watch us on YouTube” details. It’d be great if AAA had those answers to give out on Saturday. They normally do not.

AAA has its pre-TripleMania pilgrimage on Thursday. It seemed like fewer actual wrestlers were involved than usual, though still a good amount of fans and press coverage.

AAA posted a QT Marshall promo on Friday. These promos are finally turning up just hours before the show, which I guess is better than not at all.

AAA mentioned there was a Mortal Kombat tie-in with TripleMania. Either Mortal Kombat or Warner set a press release Thursday to many Mexican video game sites to hype it, teasing it would include Mortal Kombat luchador masks. AAA posted a teaser on Friday. These are straight profit team-ups for AAA, with the added bonus of getting the product promoted to a different audience. It does eat up some time on the show; plan your snack runs.

IWRG

IWRG (THU) 08/10/2023 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, La Tijera, Mas Lucha]
1) Águila Roja & Rey Aztaroth b Blue Win & Ryu 
2) Mr. Mike, Puma de Oro, Tortuga Leo b Freelance, Ovett Jr., Súper Boy 
3) Cerebro Negro & Cerebro Negro Jr. b Noisy Boy & Spider Fly 
Cerebros won via foul on Spider Fly.
4) Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. b Pig Decapitador, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool and Diva Salvaje, Jessy Ventura, Mamba 
5) Hijo de Canis Lupus © b Pig Destroyer [IWRG Rey del Ring] 
2nd defense. Pig Destroyer attacked Cnis Lupus after the match, with Pandemia making the save.

I know nothing of this. Recent events did make me wonder how many opening match guys the random smoke machine that’s over the center of the ring cost. (They also seem to have adopted CMLL’s kiss cam.)

IWRG (SUN) 08/13/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Ajolotl & Ryu vs Águila Roja & Rey Astaroth
2) Ely Surge, Gannicus, Sagitarius vs Centurion, Lolita, Rey Halcón
3) Dr. Cerebro, Dr. Cerebro Jr., Último Legendario vs Hip Hop Man, Karaoui, Shocko
4) León Dorado, Mr. Leo, Spider Fly vs Cerebro Negro, Ivan Rokov, Tonalli
5) Hijo del Fishman & Rey Espectro vs Hell Boy & Puma de Oro
6) Pig Decapitador, Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool vs Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr.

Both Spider Fly and Rey Halcon look like they were late adds to the lineup (different font than the rest of the names.) Not sure if that’s more people dropping out of IWRG or other reasons; Spider Fly makes sense in that match the following Thursday. The main event follows up on Thursday’s show. Ely Surge may be ex-ROH’s Eli Isom, who’s been seen at a Ricky Marvin training camp at Big Lucha this week. Correction: Ely Surge is pacific northwest wrestler Eli Surge.

IWRG (THU) 08/17/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Dark Shadow II, Moria, Prolux vs Dariux, Garrobo, Golden Power
2) Aéro Queen, Keyra, Lolita vs Baronessa, Satania, Zuzu Divine
3) Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. vs Astrolux, León Dorado, Mr. Leo
4) Hell Boy, Huracán Ramírez, Mamba vs Ángel Mortal Jr., Relámpago, Tonina Jackson
5) Arez, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Súpernova vs Hijo del Fishman, Ivan Rokov, Joe Lider

This is a benefit show for Diosa Quetzal. She had knee surgery earlier this year, still hasn’t returning to wrestling.

Arez makes his first Naucalpan appearance since the infamous 2019 Lucha Memes Battle of Naucalpan. That feels like an entirely different Lucha Memes than the one that exists now. Arez previously appeared on the Cuervo del Puerto Rico benefit show in 2018. He hasn’t appeared on a normal IWRG show since a FILL trainee show in 2017 when he was Fulgor II’s mentor. Arez hasn’t been in Naucalpan since he became Strange Style almost. I believe he and Quetzal have been in the same training group and that might be why he’s here. Wish he had better people to work.

I’m very curious about the semi-main. The Angel Mortal Jr. we know is now AAA’s Parka Negra, a very talented rudo who seems thoroughly underutilized in AAA. Not sure if this is him or (more likely) a new Angel Mortal Jr.

Eterno has been posting supportive messages about every IWRG luchador departure over the last week on Facebook (under both the Abismo Negro Jr. & Eterno accounts.) Reading through old posts, he definitely seemed to know the Dick Angelo/Legendario bit was coming before it was announced, maybe the others. He posted a message encouraging others to leave after Aster Boy left back on the 1st. Meanwhile, IWRG launched a “#somos IWRG” campaign over on Facebook.

Big Lucha

Big Lucha announced their 2nd Anniversary Show. It’s rather soon:

CMLL , Big Lucha (SAT) 08/26/2023 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal
1) Carito & Viajero vs Andrómeda & Brujo De Iztapalpa
2) Skayde vs Forneo [last man standing]
3) Cometa Maya, Morfosis, Radioactivo vs Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido
4) Elipse, Iku, Orbita vs Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Sagrado
5) Euforia, Mephisto, Rey Bucanero vs ?, Bendito, Flamita
probably Yutani
6) Averno & Místico vs Templario & Volador Jr.
7) Emperador Azteca © vs El Potro de Oro [BIG LUCHA CHAMP]

Big Lucha spent about a half hour reviewing the lineup, with graphics and live promos from participants. It wasn’t until Potro de Oro came out to cash in his golden ticket for the title shot that someone actually told the press the date from the show. The entire point of a press conference should be to let people know what is happening, where it is happening when it is happening, and how to watch. If you can get over “why”, that’s useful, but you need to finish the four big ones, and Big Lucha struggled at that basic task.

The lineup is fine. Not exciting but fine. There are three CMLL vs Big Lucha matches, though not the greatest picks from CMLL. Rey Bucanero appeared as the CMLL representative.  Big Lucha CEO (“Mr. Big Lucha”) Eduardo Gonzalez said he talked directly to Salvador Lutteroth III to make this deal, but it comes of as Bucanero being the main conduit. Bucanero promotes shows using CMLL talent and his trainees at Arena Rey Bucanero; they get a lot of lucha media attention and seemingly small fans, so this might be a better way to use that connection. Gonzalez said this was the start of an alliance between the two promotions, not a one-off.

Eduardo Gonzalez briefly mentioned Bandido and Big Lucha had split at the start off the press conference, immediately moving into a big reveal of the current Big Lucha roster. (Except for Black Generation, who didn’t show up until mid-conference.) This was the first public acknowledgment that Big Lucha and Bandido split. Gonzalez later said that Bandido was an important part of Big Lucha, they’re not going to remove his name from everything, and the door would always be open for a return. He also pushed the idea that Big Lucha was always more than just Bandido and there was a whole team involved. He was confident in his current roster and their ability to train new wrestlers to replace those who left or had commitments elsewhere. In a post-press conference interview, Gonzalez  insisted he and Bandido were still friends, said this was more about Bandido needing to focus on AEW and implied CMLL didn’t want Bandido around as part of the agreement with Big Lucha. This situation was handled more peacefully and professionally than normal for wrestling.

Potro de Oro showed up at the end to make his title challenge and nothing was said about the status of former Black Generation members Gravity, Galeno del Mal, and Rey Horus. (Komander left the promotion back in January and wouldn’t be allowed to work here anyway now with CMLL wrestlers in. Los Locos Evans still exists but Jack Evans was quietly missing from this press conference, likely for similar reasons.)

On a similar topic, Flamita said he was never under contract to AAA, and just agreed to work some dates. Flamita said he left over political issues, every promotion has their politics, CMLL has its own politics, and he considered himself an independent wrestler. Flamita said that he was part of Big Lucha today, but “tomorrow I could go.” That came off more as his heel anti-Big Lucha character than a real thought about leaving. Flamita staying in Big Lucha and Bandido leaving separates those two for the first time since Mexablood started in 2017 2018.

Other News

DTU had a show at the Expo Tulancingo on Wednesday, bringing in AAA wrestlers in addition to their own crew. (Mas Lucha streamed this live.) Criterio Hidalgo reports that an edecan was taken by the Red Cross to the hospital after the show with multiple injuries, allegedly having been attacked by a wrestler in a dressing area. There are no more details about who was involved, and neither DTU nor the organizers of Expo Feria have said anything.

RIOT put up the SB Kento & Takuma vs Kartoz & Prometo match from their most recent show. It’s worth going out of your way to watch.

Box y Lucha posted another set of 1956 Box y Luchas. I haven’t even gotten through the old set. I’m happy with what I’ve seen so far; these are more informative than I would’ve thought.

Panama’s El Titán (Titán, 77) passed away on August 6th. He’s said to a wrestler in the 60s and 70s, retiring in 1983 after fracturing a rib.  I think that would’ve been before the era of Panama wrestling that recently turned up.) He’s said to have won an unnamed world champion.