regular CMLL Friday, Depredador torneo cibernetico, no new Penta

CMLL

Tonight’s show:

CMLL (FRI) 08/09/2024 Arena México
1) Eléctrico & Leono vs Inquisidor & Sangre Imperial
2) Capitán Suicida, Legendario, Valiente Jr. vs Dark Magic, Espanto Jr., Okumura
3) Arkalis, Pegasso, Stigma vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
4) Difunto vs Dragón Rojo Jr. [lightning]
5) Atlantis, Octagón, Volador Jr. vs Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero
6) Máscara Dorada, Místico, Templario vs Ángel de Oro, Bárbaro Cavernario, Soberano Jr.

Not much on the line. The four men in the mask match are conspicuously getting a Fruday off. Mistico has his match with Chris Jericho, and nothing else has been set up for the Aniversario show. Perhaps that’s changing – a CMLL Friday night show with nothing coming out of it would be normal in the past and unusual in 2024. Otherwise, this may be an easy week to skip.

The main event looks like it could be great if those involved in it want it to be. The semi-main will not be great in that fashion. Difunto/Dragon Rojo is two people who don’t wrestle much. The latest Porra Fresa/Cacneberos match may be the second most important on the show.

CMLL (TUE) 08/13/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Cosmos, Johnny Dinamo, Minotauro, Obek vs Abigor La Peasdilla, Destructor, Eclipse Jr., Mandala
2) Draego, Makara, Persa vs Calavera Jr. I, Calavera Jr. II, Lince Del Bajio
3) Brillante Jr., Felino Jr., Xelhua vs Cris Skin, Gallero, Halcón Negro Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]
4) Espíritu Negro & Rey Cometa vs Barboza & Zandokan Jr.
5) La Catalina, Lluvia, Tessa Blanchard vs Dark Silueta, Persephone, Zeuxis
6) Atlantis Jr. & Místico vs Averno & Mephisto

Nothing jumps out as notable here, though match four could be good.

CMLL Informa mentioned a cibernetico next Tuesday in Arena Mexico to decide a new member of Los Depredadores. No one’s getting pushed out; they’re expanding the group. It’ll be a ten-person match, mostly of Torneo Escuelas and opener wrestlers:

• Dragon de Fuego
• Legendario
• Emperador Jr.
• Retro
• Rayo Metalico
• Infarto
• Alom
• Hunter
• Crixus
• Vegas

Mistico was honored by the mayor of Acapulco for twenty years of wrestling before wrestling in Arena Coliseo Acapulco on Wednesday. He praised the people of Acapulco for their reliance following last year’s Hurricane Otis.

AAA

AAA on Space will finish Verano de Escandalo, while AAA on Unimas will finish TripleMania Tijuana. Ideally, that Unimas show should be pumping the TripleMania Mexico City and getting people to buy it on Triller, but it hasn’t been activated as a selling tool in that way.

Kenzo Suzuki mentioned he’s part of TripleMania, so he’s likely one name in the Copa TripleMania. His post (via machine translation) says this will probably be his last match in Mexico. He’s looking forward to finally visiting La Parka’s grave, who he calls his best friend. Suzuki was a regular in AAA from 2007 to 2010. The Money Machine tag team also talked about being part of their first TripleMania, so they must expect to be in that match, too.

The second part of the TripleMania press conference was a co-promotion for CapitalBus, who is running a TuriLuchas-style tourist bus service for TripleMania. The bus will have a wrestler onboard, and everyone will get a mask, a backstage tour, and a seat in Zone 1. Tickets are 1,450 pesos (~76 USD).

Dorian Roldan did some interviews with media outlets following that TripleMania press conference, which are always useful to at least give AAA’s spin on things. One of them was with La Tijera Lucha Libre. The response to the TripleMania Mexico City lineup on social media has been negative. Roldan sees that just as social media hate. Plenty of successful things get a lot of hate, and they feel like they’re successful in their important metrics – in TV ratings, sponsorship relationships, and social media views. AAA will not be a promotion for every group of fans, though they expect that the Matt Riddle/Laredo Kid/Komander match is something the group that hates them will like. Roldan pushes the idea of the Vipers versus La Secta as a story that’s gone through the year. I guess I really hadn’t given it enough consideration; when the Mala Fama guys were still the Vipers, there was definitely meant to be a heated issue about Cibernetico abandoning them. The changes in the Vipers lineup and Cibernetico spending most of the year in the Secta feud have just dulled down the feud, though AAA tried to get it going again on the last couple of tapings. He believes AAA remains a great place for Mexican wrestlers to get seen by the US, talking about all the people who’ve passed through AAA on the way to bigger things. Roldan is asked about the Lucha Brothers trademark issues, says AAA has the right to defend their trademarks, notes they had many Pentagons before Pentagon Jr., and says they’re phenomenal wrestlers who will get over regardless of the name. Roldan is specifically asked about the idea of a new Pentagon and gives a firm response – there’s absolutely nothing to the story of Oni el Bendito becoming the new Pentagon Jr.; it’s completely false. Roldan allows the possibility that AAA may create a new Pentagon in a year or two, but it doesn’t sound like any firm plans to do so.

Dorian Roldan’s interview with Mas Lucha is briefer than usual. He’s asked about the lack of surprises in the press conference as in previous years. Roldan says it’s been an atypical year for AAA, one where they are missing some surprises but expect to have more at TripleMania itself. (That would include surprises showing up in the Copa and the Vmapiro match.) There’s talk about the sponsorship of the casket match and Vampiro’s retirement match. Dorian encourages people to be at TripleMania from the first minute because there will be surprises from the show’s start.

Murder Clown walks through the shot near the end of the Roldan interview, and a big brace on his hand is clearly visible. I have no idea how he’s going to climb out of a cage with that thing. Mas Lucha interviews Murder himself, who says it’s a fracture, but it won’t stop him from working his scheduled shows.

Latin Lover announced he’s taped a podcast with Konnan, which will appear on Monday night. This is timed to get AAA more attention on TripleMania week, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if there was some angle.

Former WWE Spanish language host Quetzalli Bulnes appeared at the TripleMania press conference. I didn’t pick it up because of the audio issues, but she asked a question as if she was media covering AAA show and Latin Lover asked her if she’d like to work with AAA. She’s worked with AAA prior, doing social media videos at last year’s TripleMania Mexico City, and presumably will do the same this year.  She’s asked about Negro Casas and other wrestlers at the end of the interview linked above, and Bulnes brings up how Octagon Jr. is always a trending topic. I’m not sure if he is, but definitely isn’t on the announced TripleMania card (and that remains mysterious.)

Space lists a start time of 9:30 for TripleMania, which means they’re skipping the first 90 minutes of the show. That’s normal. Their broadcast will probably start with the three-way tag match.

IWRG

IWRG (THU) 08/08/2024 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG]
1) Hysteriosis b Súper Boy Jr.
2) Tornado & Willy Banderas b Fly Star & Ovett Jr.
3) Caballero de Plata b Hellboy
Random Match. Hellboy asked for a rematch.
4) Gravity, Noisy Boy, Spider Fly b Águila Roja, Rey Halcón, Tonalli
5) Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. DCOR Pig Decapitador, Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool

IWRG’s stream appears not to have worked for this show.

IWRG (SUN) 08/11/2024 Arena Naucalpan
1) Sky Man vs Rey Aztaroth
2) Princesa Azul & Sagitarius vs Danessa & Kali
3) Noisy Boy, Spider Fly, Willy Banderas vs Águila Roja, Puma de Oro, Rey Halcón
4) Luka, Multifacetico Jr., Veneno vs Cerebro Negro, Cerebro Negro Jr., Imposible
5) Estrella Divina, Jessy Ventura, Lady Maravilla vs Arez, Látigo, Toxin
6) Hell Boy & Hijo de Canis Lupus vs Hijo Del Silver King & Vangellys

Lady Maravilla wrestled Mala Fama back in Arena San Juan a few weeks ago, and they seem to be bringing that idea here.

El Sol de La Laguna interviewed Hijo de Silver King about winning a title in IWRG. They also couldn’t figure out what the title’s name was, and they were going with the idea that he was the legit son of Silver King. I’m skeptical.

ELITE

ELITE has a show on Sunday.

ELITE (SUN) 08/11/2024 Frontón México, Cuauhtémoc, Distrito Federal
0) Forneo & Halcón Suriano Jr. vs Chris Stone Jr. & Súper Caló Jr.
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, Demonio Infernal

Tickets are moving as poorly as ever. It’s unclear to me why they have so many sections open to start with; people will just be moved up. The last show was taped, with ELITE saying they’d put it online as a VOD in some fashion. They never did, of course, but footage of it has been used in promos for this show. Maybe they’ll tape this one, too, but that would mean no fancams (which would actually get posted).

ELITE is still putting out a press release with a mystery person in the main event, even at a press session with Demonio Infernal there to talk about being the mystery person in the main event.

Negro Casas, Laredo Kid, and Flammer are all working this show and then coming back in six days to work for AAA on TripleMania. Pagano’s probably involved with Vampiro on that show, too. I’m still surprised AAA is letting their wrestlers work this show, though I suspect it’s because they (rightfully) don’t consider ELITE as competition.

In an interview with Mas Lucha, Forneo confirms he’s an independent luchador. He doesn’t really talk about why he left CMLL, but is complementary to trainers Tony Salazar and Volador Jr. I thought he would’ve been a great Depredador, but that’s not to be. Forneo talks a bit about wanting to team/face his old Big Lucha opponents but also wanting to face everyone. It’s odd that ELITE would be adding additional matches on a show that’s not drawing, but everything with ELITE is odd.

Fuerza Guerrera, his daughter and ELITE director Ernesto Santillan visited the Atlante soccer train training facility.

Other Notes

Mano a Mano reports 1980s EMLL luchador Al Rojo Vivo (Jesus Olvera, 72) passed away Friday. I haven’t seen a cause of death but it must’ve been sudden; he was posting on his Facebook page this week. His biggest match was losing his mask to Aguila Solitario in Arena Coliseo in 1985. What I didn’t know until today is Al Rojo Vivo remasked a year or so after as “Kadafy”, partner of Arafath in Los Terroristas. I did know there were characters inspired by Yasser Arafat and Muammar Gaddafi; I didn’t realize it was this guy portraying one of them.

Penta is scheduled to a meet and greet tomorrow before a show in Queretaro. There are 100 tickets for the meet and greet. He may be asked the same question 100 times.

Puma King is teasing his match on the upcoming Lucha Libre Real show could be his last ever. This is incredibly hard to take seriously.

KAOZ says they’re running again on 09/29. That would be their first show in six months while they run angles in other promotions (and do title changes I can’t figure out).