Metalico loses his career, Kobayashi & Mascara lose their hair at CMLL Juicio Final

CMLL (FRI) 05/31/2019 Arena México [+LuchaTV, CMLL, ESTO, Lucha Central, Marca (main), Marca (retirement), Marca (tag), Marca (women), MedioTiempo (retirement), MedioTiempo (women), Notimex, thecubsfan]
Juicio Final, 2019
1) Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Rey Cometa b Disturbio, Kawato, Misterioso Jr. 
9:25. Tecnicos won in straight falls, the last when Kawato took Black Panther’s mask.
2) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Soberano Jr. b Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto 
12:19. Tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Virus b Metálico [career] 
20:25. Virus submitted Metalico to a motocicleta to end his carer.
4) Amapola b Kaho Kobayashi [hair] 
9:58. Amapola took falls 1/3, and won via Devil’s Wings.
5) Euforia & Gran Guerrero b Diamante Azul & Valiente © [CMLL TAG] 
13:24. Guerreros won the title by taking falls 2/3. Azul & Valiente fall on their 3rd defense
6) Carístico, Místico, Volador Jr. b Bárbaro Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas 
7:06. Tecnicos took 2/3.
7) Último Guerrero b Máscara Año 2000 [hair] 
10:05. Ultimo Guerrero took falls 2/3, the last when an attempt by all the Dinamitas to distract the referee from a low blow spot was blocked by UG, who cradled Mascara for the win.

CMLL promos: Mascara 2000, Ultimo Guerrero, Euforia & Gran Guerrero, Amapola, Kaho Kobayashi, Metalico, and Virus.

Metalico is very emotional about the end of his career.

Post-show interviews: Amapola (+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores), Kaho Kobayashi (+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores), Euforia (+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores), Metalico (+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores), Virus (+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores), Mascara 2000 (+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores) and Ultimo Guerrero (+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores)

This show was very good. I was wrong about a lot in the preview, but my biggest mistake was thinking like a US wrestling fan and not like the people who go to Arena Mexico. The CMLL fans haven’t been jaded by decades of promotions ignoring stipulations. A match like Metalico versus Virus with their careers on the line probably wouldn’t have gotten over in the US, because they’re guys who haven’t really been pushed in years and retirement stipulations are meaningless in the US. It meant everything in this match and these fans desperately cared about both men fighting to stay alive. Virus hasn’t really been given anything to do in CMLL in years and these fans were still chanting loudly for him to keep going. It was the same with the two hair matches, especially the women’s match. Amapola & Kaho aren’t treated like huge stars, but a hair match is a huge deal and every near fall became a big moment. Metalico & Virus would’ve been a good match in any context but the crowd emotion brought it up and made Mascara/UG and Amapola/Kaho much bigger deals than they would’ve been on their own.

CMLL going with monthly big shows seems like a winning concept based on how the fans responded. CMLL raised prices to near Homenaje a Dos Leyendas prices and got that level of turn out. Those in the building were saying it was just short Anniversario levels of full. I’m bad at estimating these, but I’d guess that means about 13,000 people. I wouldn’t count on CMLL doing two hair matches each month, but there’s obvious cause to try more big shows. The Guerrero/Dinamita skirmish after the main event (as well as the Guerreros picking up the tag titles) also seemed to set up plenty of big matches for the rest of the summer.

There was no announcement of when that next big show would be if it really is monthly. The Copa Dinastia figured to end on June 21st. It is possible Matt Taven will be on around that week, since he’s working for The Crash the Saturday prior.

Metalico/Virus, the women’s apuesta match, and the opener are worth watching. The semi-main was fun but really short. The second match, the tag title match, and the main event were just fine.

There’s no AAA on Twitch this week, but there are some other shows.

Saturday

• Ring of Honor will stream a Rush vs PJ Black vs Dalton Caste vs Flip Gordon match at 9 pm CT on their Honor Club service.
• Revolucion Lucha Libre has a Los Ingobernables trios of La Mascara, Bestia del Ring and Terrible against Hijo del Fantasma, Mr. Electro and Toscano in Arena Lopez Mateos. Card
• Arena Coliseo has an ordinary show.
• AAA is in Arena Neza.
• Rey Bucanero is running a show in his “home” arena, which is the final stop for the French wrestlers in town. Metalico, who works as a trainer there, is listed as wrestling.

Sunday

• The new CMLL show on TV Mexiquense debuts at noon. They do stream a feed on their website, though there’s no guarantee that’ll include CMLL until it airs.
• Soberano Jr. defends his welterweight title on Negro Casas on Sunday.
• MDA is running at Arena Naucalpan with an 11 match show. There’s a lot of singles matches, some of which may be good. This seems like something that’ll be on +LuchaTV down the road and maybe live on InternetvDeportes TV channel at 6 pm.
• There’s a loaded indie show in Guadalajara, with Penta & Fenix vs Daga & Puma King scheduled as the main event. Flamita versus local Draego and Rey Horus & Willy Banderas vs Arez & Latigo are highlights. Tessa Blanchard is in to work a four way match.

ROH says they’ll have an authentic CMLL trios match on their 08/09 Toronto show. That sounds like six CMLL luchadors, though it does not strictly mean that. It is a bit easier to get Mexican wrestlers to Canada than the US these days.

(Ex-CMLL) Diamante talks about his career. He started wrestling at age 10

Lineup

CMLL (FRI) 06/07/2019 Arena México
1) Eléctrico & Oro Jr. vs El Coyote & Grako
2) Black Panther, Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr. vs Disturbio, Kawato San, Virus
3) Audaz, Stuka Jr., Valiente vs Ephesto, Mephisto, Rey Bucanero
4) Cavernario vs Templario [lightning]
5) Ángel de Oro, Carístico, Niebla Roja vs Gilbert el Boricua, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero
6) Flyer & Volador Jr. vs La Bestia Del Ring & Rush and Felino & Negro Casas and Euforia & Soberano Jr. [Copa Dinastia, battle royal]

Copa Dinasita is a standard three-week tournament, but with eight teams instead of four. That means more space for undercard matches and maybe longer tournament matches. Volador would seem to be busy with Matt Taven in the next couple of weeks if Taven is actually coming to CMLL. Also, he’s teaming with Flyer, which doesn’t give him much hope. Bestia & Rush seem like the favorites.

Gilbert is picking up two CMLL bookings next week, so perhaps they’ve got something in store for him. They’ve still never done the match with Ultimo Guerrero teaed since day 1. Cavernario/Templario is a first-time match and should be an exciting one. Kawato made a point of showing off Black Panther’s mask, both post-match and on Twitter after the show, so he’s got himself a real feud. Black Panther is a guy who’s had good stretches and not so good stretches. Both could use a strong feud and there’s no guarantee this will be a strong one.

I think Oro Jr. has been demoted into being the new Astral. Astral jumping to ELITE sure hasn’t worked out for him with ELITE not running shows, but it isn’t like CMLL was working out for him either.