CMLL (FRI) 12/29/2017 Arena México [CMLL, Ovaciones, thecubsfan]
1) Metálico & Universo 2000 Jr. b Magia Blanca & Robin 
11:08. Arkangel replaced Universo 2000 Jr. Rudos took 1/3.
2) Puma, Sagrado, Tiger b Blue Panther Jr., Star Jr., The Panther
11:36. Rudos too 1/3.
3) Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón b Ángel de Oro, Rey Cometa, Titán
16:08. NGD took 1/3. Rey Cometa replaced Niebla Roja (moved up) on Wednesday.
4) Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas b Johnny Idol, Okumura, Sam Adonis
7:59. Adonis’ team was DQed in the first fall for excessive violence, the second for Sam striking and choking Casas with the flagpole. Casas rallied back to choke Adonis.
5) Gran Guerrero, Shocker, Último Guerrero b Marco Corleone, Niebla Roja, Valiente
11:34. Rudos took 1/3. Niebla Roja moved up on Wednesday to replace Mistico.
6) Volador Jr. © b Carístico [NWA WELTER]
19:21. Volador took falls 1/3. 17th defense!
Main event was good, but the lame first couple of falls made it feel less than last week, and the way they wrapped it up as something that just existed to kill time during the holiday season was disappointing. The rest of the show was watchable if nothing that had to be watched.
Negro Casas & Sam Adonis fought more in front of the press. The crowd was reacting in a way where that match is going to do pretty good.
Tonight’s Arena Coliseo show has the Hechicero/Blue Panther Jr. title match. It’d be a big surprise if Panther Jr. won, but it’s not impossible. There will be no Arena Coliseo show next Saturday, since they’ll be running Arena Mexico instead.
ESTO writes about Psycho Clown being the wrestler of the year. I think this is the consensus pick for what he did, but what he did didn’t have the impact you’d expect. Dr. Wagner seems like the person who benefited the most from their mask match, and Wagner’s the one in the top feud against Mundo, while Psycho seems lower feuding with Rey Escorpion afterwards. Every one of these lists Psycho & Pagano as winning the Lucha Libre World Cup, but very few people in Mexico have even seen the show and I’m not sure how much that win really matters to any one except the people complying these lists. AAA should show that event today or next Saturday if they want to get any mileage out of it, but it’s not clear that they will.
Pagano talks about now being super friends with Psycho Clown. AAA had lots of TV time in 2017 devoted to things that went nowhere, and spent little time on things that could’ve been better explained (Pagano’s actually a tecnico now without ever having make a tecnico decision.)
Arolucha announced wrestlers for it’s 01/19 & 01/20 Texas show:
Juventud Guerrera, Super Crazy, Carlito, James Storm, Shane Hurricane Helms, Low Ki, Jack Edwards, Laredo Kid, Pierroth, Black Tauros, Taya, Mascarita Dorada, Drastik Boy, Lufisto, Demus, Pirata Morgan Jr., Xtra Talented (Tag Team), Steve Pain, Gringo Loco, Low Rider, and Trey Miguel
Fenix & Rey Mysterio weren’t on lineup for the Crash show on 01/20, which led me to believe the might be here instead, but that does not appear to be the case. No one from the debut show’s main event is here; most of that taping isn’t here. Demus, Mascarita Dorada, Taya, James Storm, Trey Miguel, Shane Helms, and Jack (Evans) Edwards are the only people on both. There are interesting wrestlers here that should provide a good show but, at least a first glimpse, Arolucha seems like it’s going to vary a lot from weekend to weekend.
No matches announced. Arolucha also posted a highlight package (the thing they’ll be using to sell this to TV networks), and it features a horrendous theme song.
Lucha Sorpresa has some recent match recommendations.
Lineups
CMLL (SAT) 01/06/2018 Arena México
1) Audaz, Flyer, Magia Blanca vs El Coyote, Templario, Yago
2) Pegasso & Titán vs Raziel & Virus
3) Soberano Jr. vs Rey Cometa
rematch of Soberano’s title win.
4) Drone, Esfinge, Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
5) Niebla Roja vs Gran Guerrero
rematch of 2017 Anniversario mask match
6) Cavernario & Volador Jr. vs Último Guerrero & Valiente [Relevos Increíbles]
rematch of tournament final
This is a SATURDAY show at 5pm. There is NO SHOW on Friday. This is going to be a tough concept to grasp.
As they did with last year’s Kid’s Day, this is a special Best of last year edition. At least that’s the vague idea. Drone, Esfinge and Guerrero Maya Jr. did team together to face the NGD in a couple unnoteworthy matches, but that’s probably just about getting Sanson and his cousins part of this show. Likewise, Pegasso & Titan and Raziel & Virus did not have a big match you forgot – this will be the first time all four of them will be in the same match – but CMLL must’ve thought they had good 2017s (and were available.)
The opener looks like the best of the young guys. I would’ve put Akuma in over Coyote, but it’s not a bad selection. Audaz is a new name, but a familiar person: Fiero said he was saying good bye to that name and had a surprise in 2018. I’ll miss the taunting meows. CMLL and others have given people the Audaz name (bold/fearless) before and it’s only worked out slightly for a LLI wrestler from the 70s.
It would’ve been the ultimate if CMLL put Zeuxis/Sugehit on this show instead of Roja/Guerrero, but they’re pretty dedicated to getting one of those acts over and aren’t concerned much about the other.
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