04/06 News: Solitario, Guadalajara

CMLL (SUN) 04/02 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara Results [KrisZ]
1) Milenio b Rey Trueno
2) Idolo b Destroyer
3) Gallo, Kronos b Infierno, Super Maquina
4) Terrible b Guero Loco and Silver King and Kronos and La Máscara and Volador Jr. and Máscara Año 2000 and Shigeo Okumura and Arkangel de la Muerte and Toxico [ciber]
5) Neutrón b Maleficio [mask, hair]

Today’s the 20th anniversary of El Solitario’s death.
* bio in today’s Ovaciones
* life timeline in the latest Halcon and a bio
* there’s a bio in the latest Box Y Lucha, but it’s not up on their site
* luchawiki bio (featured bio of the week)

As you can read, Solitario was only 39 when he died and had just wrestled the biggest match of his career four months previous, defeating Dr. Wagner Sr. for his mask.

Whenever I read about El Toreo/UWA, it makes me wonder how CMLL now thinks of their pre-AAA rival. The promotion and the matches from that period are still mentioned (revered even, compared to, say, the treatment of WCW past five years after it’s demise), though the guys still left from that period are mostly only around the indy scene and fading away.

The most visible belt on CMLL TV is the UWA Heavyweight Championship, with Dr. Wagner being a rare lucha guy who makes sure the title belt he holds is constantly with him. I just don’t really have a feel for what it means to him and the fans. Is he perceived of as “the last son of the UWA”? Are they just kicking a dead horse – “the best guy of UWA call Arena Mexico his house”? Does it mean anything at all, since it is a title in Mexico after all? Like I said, I’m not really sure. It does seem to me that there’s still great respect for the stars of UWA. They’re still stars, and history and a failed promotion hasn’t washed them out of existence.

If you’re near the campus of Arizona State, the Arizona State Museum will be showcasing a lucha libre match, films, and author Xavier Garza on Saturday. Plus, participants can make their own lucha mask! I’d so be there.