Hechicero/Stuka for Leyenda de Azul, Dragoncito & Octagon Jr. win titles, Guerra de Titanes

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 11/17/2023 Arena México [AS, CMLL, Kaiser Sports, Publimetro, The Gladiatores, thecubsfan, thegladiatores.com]
1) Andrómeda & Skadi b Hera & Olympia    
8:39.
2) Último Dragóncito b Mercurio © [CMLL MINI]    
12:02. Ultimo Draogncito 16th champion, 3rd time for him. Mercurio falls on his 7th defense. Dragoncito submits Mercurio to his own hold for the win, then the two agreed to a hair match.
3) Hechicero & Stuka Jr. b Atlantis, Ángel de Oro, Star Black, Esfinge, Volcano, Último Guerrero, Bárbaro Cavernario, Terrible, Niebla Roja, Sagrado [Leyenda de Azul, semifinal]    
28:44. Final two advance. Order of elimination: Sagrado (by Star Black), Volcano (Hechicero), Star Black (Stuka Jr.), Esfinge (Cavernario), Terrible (Angel de Oro), Angel de Oro (Ultimo Guerrero), Niebla Roja (Atlantis), Barbaro Cavernario (Stuka Jr.), Ultimo Guerrero (Atlantis), Atlantis (Stuka Jr.) leaving Stuka Jr. and Hechicero as the final two.
4) Gran Guerrero © b Euforia [CMLL HEAVY]    
16:17. 3rd defense. Cold match.
5) Flip Gordon, Máscara Dorada, Místico b Star Jr., Titán, Volador Jr.   
18:03

The main event was good, if not among the best. CMLL gave Flip Gordon a short intro at the start of the show. The ciberentico was good too, moving people in and out well, though it was strange to make Atlantis a focal point in the end. Dragoncito defeating Mercurio when and how he did was a shock, but seems to fit in to the cage match build. (They did challenges like it was a singles apuesta match coming up between, but that’d be pretty surprising.) Skadi & Andromeda may have something as a team.

Gran Guerrero defended his match in post-match interviews, saying the fans didn’t appreciate the real heavyweight action and were negative because they weren’t flying around. (Guerrero did at least two dives himself.) Guerrero also declared this was fine because he’s a rudo and those boos support him. The crowd chanted “otro lucha”, which was not exactly booing for rudos. Gran Guerrero worked as hard as I’ve seen him in months and clearly wanted it to be a great match, but he and Euforia were a bad mix and it was a super cold match. Neither is very over or and neither has much charisma, it was just was a long match that didn’t draw in the fans. CMLL would swiftly looking for a way to fix Gran Guerrero or get the belt off of him if this was a championship that mattered in the same way heavyweight championships matter in other promotions. It does not matter in CMLL. That’s why it ends up with a Gran Guerrero in the first place.

CMLL (SAT) 11/18/2023 Arena Coliseo [CMLL]
1) Angelito & Kaligua DQ Minos & Pequeño Violencia
Minos unmasked Kaligua
2) Astral, Oro Jr., Valiente Jr. b Grako, Inquisidor, Nitro
Astral left with an injury
3) La Jarochita b Dark Silueta [lightning]
4) Felino, Misterioso Jr., Rey Bucanero b Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa
5) Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido b Cancerbero, Kráneo, Luciferno
6) Titán, Valiente, Volador Jr. b Templario, Terrible, Virus

Nothing much notable here.

CMLL (SUN) 11/19/2023 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Acero & Aéreo DQ Minos & Pequeño Polvora
Polvora unmasked Acero
2) Apocalipsis, Cholo, Disturbio b Dr. Karonte I, Dr. Karonte II, Enfermero Jr.
3) El Coyote, Okumura, Pólvora b Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso, Stigma
Coyote challenged Guerrero Maya to a MEX MIDDLE title match
4) El Hijo De Blue Panther, Hijo de Octagón, Star Jr. b El Hijo de Stuka Jr., Felino Jr., Hijo del Villano III
5) Máscara Dorada b Hechicero [lightning]
6) Místico, Octagón, Titán b Averno, Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr.

If Coyote gets the match (and he probably is), this would be his first singles title match. Hechicero/Dorada sounds like it went well.

CMLL (SUN) 11/19/2023 Arena Puebla [CMLL, thecubsfan]
1) Hela & Shitara b Diablita Roja & Mania 
8:50
2) Black Tiger & Meyer b Fénix SO & Hijo del Perverso 
12:38
3) Reyna Isis b Andrómeda, Skadi, La Vaquerita, Lady Metal, Enigmática, La Catalina, Amapola, Lady Amazona, Astoreth [Copa Mujeres Revolucionarias] 
17:12. Order of elimination Enigmatica (by Catalina), Astoreth (Lady Metal), Vaquerita (Catalina), Lady Metal (Lady Amazona), Lady Amazona (Skadi), Andromeda (Reyna Isis), Skadi (Catalina), Catalina (Reyna Isis)
4) Stephanie Vaquer & Zeuxis © b La Jarochita & Lluvia [CMLL WOMEN TAG] 
10:45. 2nd defense
5) Atlantis, Pantera, Solar I DQ Felino, Rocky Santana, Satánico 
12:29.
6) Templario © b Volador Jr. [CMLL MIDDLE] 
15:08. First defense. Mr. Rafaga seconded Volador; he last appeared in a match here in 2010.

CMLL streamed this. Or tried to; the first half of the show was a rough viewing due to frame rate issues with the stream. They restarted it before the women’s tag title match, which was good time. It, and the main event, were two good matches on the show. The cibernetico was fine for what it was. The women’s tag match was a lot of action, like the Aniversario show, with it going pretty well. Templario and Volador was a very Voaldor title match, with lots of big moves and back and forth until Templario finally hit his move for the win. It was good physical effort if not a creative effort.

The CMLL Gran Prix tournament was a rarity for coming down to the two people on the same team. It’s now the start of a pattern. The Leyenda de Azul had three people left on one team when the last team was all done. The Copa Mujeres Revolucionarias was rudas versus tencicas and came down to teammates Catalina and Reyna Isis.

No Puebla show on Monday. There is a CMLL spot show in Lerma, Mexico State.

CMLL (TUE) 11/21/2023 Arena México
1) Micro Gemelo Diablo I & Micro Gemelo Diablo II vs Átomo & Chamuel
2) Aéreo, Angelito, Kaligua vs Full Metal, Pequeño Violencia, Pierrothito
3) Andrómeda, La Vaquerita, Skadi vs Amapola, Olympia, Persephone
4) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
5) Flip Gordon vs Templario [lightning]
6) Místico, Titán, Valiente vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Mephisto, Terrible

Everyone’s going to be very sad if Flip beats Templario. I expect everyone to be sad.

CMLL (TUE) 11/21/2023 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Atilus, Maximus, Rey Urano vs Abigor La Pesadilla, Relámpago Azul, Rumbero
2) Calavera Jr. I, Calavera Jr. II, Hijo del Calavera vs Fúnebre, Mortis, Ponzoña Jr.
3) Adira, Dulce Kitty, Náutica, Sexy Sol vs Enigmática, Lady Amazona, Mayahuel, Shitara
4) Adrenalina, Explosivo, Fantástico vs El Malayo, Rey Apocalipsis, Siki Osama Jr.
5) Bestia Negra, El Gallero, Halcón Negro Jr. vs Dr. Karonte I, Dr. Karonte II, Enfermero Jr.
6) Euforia vs Hijo del Soberano, Panterita del Ring, Máscara Dorada, Último Guerrero, Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Hijo de Stuka Jr. [cibernetico]

It’s easier to do the all Laguneros cibernetico with Soberano Jr. is out of town. Why they’re doing it in Guadalajara at all is a harder question to answer.

CMLL (FRI) 11/24/2023 Arena México
1) Brillante Jr., Fuego, Oro Jr. vs Grako, Nitro, Sangre Imperial
2) Arkalis, Rey Samuray, Stigma vs Akuma, Dark Magic, Espanto Jr.
3) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido
4) Lluvia, Reyna Isis, Tessa Blanchard vs Dark Silueta, La Jarochita, Stephanie Vaquer [Relevos Increíbles]
5) Hechicero vs Stuka Jr. [Leyenda de Azul, final]
6) Místico & Octagón vs Atlantis & Volador Jr.

This is one of the weakest on paper shows of the year. It’s going to take one of those undercard trios matches coming up strong to save it. Hechicero/Stuka is a safe bet to be good and may be much better than that. Blanchard is wrestling Vaquer on 12/02 Tijuana, so match four is just a question of if CMLL wants to have that match happen two days in a row or if Blanchard is going to be around long enough to hold the title match to 12/08. It’s happening, just a matter of when. Rey Samuray hasn’t been around much since July, so interesting to see him get a title mtach here.

“Z” was indeed Zandokan Jr., who debuted Sunday in NJPW as Yota Tsuji’s surprise partner. They’re going with the story that Zandokan Jr. gets to join LIJ if he and Tsuji win the World Tag League. They will probably not win the World Tag League.

Mascara Dorada & Ichiban defeated Rocky Romero & Barbaro Cavernario in MLW on Saturday. I heard it was both the best thing on the show and not something you need to go out of your way to see.

CMLL and Hertz car rental announced a partnership. Fans who come to Arena Mexico will get a discount of up to 60% off a car. Hertz advertisements were visible during Friday’s show. (Note the image the news site used for the more-or-less press release was of Luchatitlan.)

AAA

Space aired the second half of Guerra de Titanes live on Sunday night.

AAA TV (SUN) 11/19/2023 Gimnasio Municipal Josué Neri Santos, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua [AAA, thecubsfan]
***Guerra de Titanes, 2023***
6) Octagón Jr. b QT Marshall © [AAA LA]
10:33. Octagon Jr. wins the title. Marshall had the win after a Fear Factor, pulled Octagon up. Octagon nearly won, second Sam Adonis pulled the referee out. Pentagon hit QT with a bottle, Octagon landed the 450 splash to win the title. QT loses after his first defense in Mexico. Pentagon and Konnan yelled at Adonis and Marshall for daring to call themselves Los Gringos Locos.
7) Mecha Wolf & Psycho Clown DQ Sam Adonis & Texano Jr.
12:47. Mecha Wolf replaced Pagano, who appeared at ringside. Masked men attacked Psycho Clown when he had the match won when Samuray VIP, Steven Juarez and Aereo all ran in to attack Psycho and apparently join Los Mercenarios.
8) Hijo Del Vikingo © b Dralistico [AAA MEGA]
17:30. Vikingo won with the El Cuerno del Vikingo. Dralistico won a match on 10/18 in San Luis Potosi. 22nd defense when announced, 7th in AAA.

Dralistico/Vikingo was good, the only really notable thing on the show. (Maybe the tag title match will be as good next week.) Dralistico had one noticeable slip running up the corner for a plancha, but otherwise did fine. His problems are more his limited and repetitive offense, and Vikingo managed to use that as part of the match – Dralistico went for one Destroyer too many and it cost him. Vikingo’s had four TV title defenses in AAA this year, all were good/great, and none feel like a contender for the Mexico match of the year. That’s a disappointment. It still was much more fun than heavyweight title match CMLL offered.

Mecha Wolf had a singles entrance video, which seems to back up the idea Bestia 666 is gone from here. Mecha Wolf replacing Pagano was never really announced, just treated like something that everyone already knew was happening. (Can’t say I did.) Having all these Juarez guys join feels like this was something just for local shows there that’ll only be followed up next time AAA goes there, but it’s impossible to know. They pushed them as new Los Mercenarios with La Hiedra and Taurus. The fans pelted the ring with garbage during the post-match.

Octagon Jr. got the win with his move and got a good reaction for it. He also felt like maybe the fifth most important person in the segment. If AAA follows up on it, it should still mean something.

Sam Adonis wrestled in a shirt promoting the porn site SexMex. The site seemed pretty happy with it. I would’ve told Adonis that it was a funny gag but asked him not to actually do it so I didn’t have to answer calls from sponsors the next day. AAA didn’t have a problem with it, obviously – he wore it seconding Marshall, then came back out with it for his match, so everyone in charge would’ve seen it and didn’t have a problem with it. It did remind me of a story from the first TripleMania, where Heavy Metal decided it was a very metal idea to wear a shirt with “FUCK YOU” written on it. It was a very metal idea, so metal AAA had to cut the match from TV for obscenity reasons. The video of the match did make it out eventually, maybe through Japan, and you can see it on YouTube. (There was nothing obscene about Adonis’ t-shirt, it was just a corporate logo.) I believe Metal got in trouble for it, but I feel like it’s the same deal there – it’s not like Metal was hiding a message on his shirt, it was there in very bold print, and people in charge just ignored it until they got heat for it later and needed to pass the heat along.

Both Konnan and Pentagon lit Sam Adonis and QT Marshall up post-match for daring to call themselves Los Gringos Locos. Maybe there was a pre-match promo we missed; on TV, they only used the line once on TV months ago. (It did get replayed a bit.) I kept waiting for the promo to be setting up something, but they were just yelling at the rudos for their temerity to use such a sainted name. Marshall losing the title and the announcers pointing out Harley Cameron didn’t appear as advertised felt like a write-out, but the WON previously indicated they wanted to keep QT around. QT’s last promo on AEW TV was talking about how he would be defending the AAA Latin American belt there, so it seems like some plan changed.

I don’t have the undercard results yet outside of NGD winning the tag team titles from Arez & Komander. I don’t know what Arez’s short-term (and maybe longer) future is in AAA following the MLW situation. Arez causing AAA to get blamed made AAA look bad, and AAA tends to hold grudges over that. The Arez/Komander tag title win looked at the time like something done with no plan or thought beyond “get this belt mentioned on AEW TV” when it happened, and it played out that way. The only teased feud was for a match that didn’t happen, the two never teamed with each other but it did get a mention on AAA TV. This tag title run probably doesn’t make a top 10 of most illogical choices AAA made this year and I totally see the justifications for ending it here and moving onto NGD, but it’s a perfect example of the nonsense that has been AAA’s booking this year (and longer.)

The Lady Shani/Chik Tormenta match was switched to a cage match, something advertised locally but never mentioned on TV. Attendance looked pretty good, close to full, about the same number they do in Juarez for this annual taping.

Space advertised the upcoming Rey Mysterio Jr. cartoon going into every break. That’s going on HBO Max in Mexico.

Still no sign of next Sunday’s show on FITE. It’s going to air eventually. Impact/TNA mentioned they’ll be airing it in upcoming weeks (during the Laredo/Taurus/Guerrers vs Rascalz match which aired this past week, which was good) and AAA figures to have it on the first few weeks of December. It’s really just a question if we’ll be able to pay to see it earlier, and if AAA will be doing a thing they said they would do. Impact’s very brief mention of the show made it sound like it was only TV, and everything else points to that.

IWRG

Sunday’s Lucha Libre Boom drew well, as it always does for LA Park and Dr. Wagner in this arena:

IWRG , LLB (SUN) 11/19/2023 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, Mas Lucha]
1) Guerrero Jaguar & Ska Boy b Black Spider & Demonio Gato
2) Macho I, Macho II, Macho III DDQ Demencia, Octacio Gaona, Reptil
referee attacked
3) Príncipe Centauro DDQ Arashi, Hijo De Sparta, Oro Blanco, Argus
mask pulls
4) Bengalee, Princesa Azul, Tackle b Mary Caporal, Medieval I, Reina Oscura
5) Hell Boy, Relámpago, Tonalli b Carta Brava Jr. (LLB), Cíclope, Miedo Extremo and José Caporal, Lunatik Extreme, Ovett Jr.
Relampago replaced Puma de Oro (appears done here)
6) Mocho Cota, Súper Comando, Tito Santana © b Hijo de Canis Lupus, León Dorado, Mr. Leo [IWRG IC TRIOS]
first defense
7) Charly Manson, Dr. Wagner Jr., Mr. Elektro b Hijo de LA Park, LA Park, LA Park Jr.
lots of fouls, Wagner got his last (and a fast count)

They’re back on Wednesday with another NGT.

IWRG , NGT (WED) 11/22/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Acerus & Silver Kid vs Milagro & Rey Gato Jr.
2) Águila Oriental & Ryu vs Rey Aztaroth & Súper Boy JR.
3) Bengalee & Danessa vs Kali & Sagitarius
4) Auzter, Fussion, Tornado vs Centvrión, Gannicus, Rey Espartano
5) Águila Roja & Hijo del Pirata Morgan vs Noisy Boy & Spider Fly

Puma de Oro is the latest luchador apparently out of IWRG. His last match was 10/29, and he claims he wasn’t paid for his last few matches. He says asked IWRG officials about it, they kept telling him they’d get back to him, and then they just stopped talking about him.(He posted Whatsapp conversations as proof of the non-payment.) When he went to Arena Lopez Mateos on 11/17, he was told by the commission that IWRG was trying to get him suspended. Puma de Oro says he has no idea why they’d be trying to block him from working elsewhere when they’re not giving him bookings and never gave him contractually stipulated pay raises. Puma de Oro had been working more non-Naucalpan dates of late, and maybe that’s part of the issue here. This story hasn’t blown up as much as past acrimonious departures.

IWRG’s new Retro episode has a “old TV frame on it. It’s cute for an intro, it’s a waste of space for watching something on YouTube.

Big Lucha

Big Lucha (SAT) 11/18/2023 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal [Big Lucha, The Gladiatores]
1) Atómico Jr. b Zenky, Auzter
2) Mr. Win & Tirano b Black Skayde & M2R
3) El Potro de Oro © b Mr. Electro [Big Lucha World]
2nd defense
4) Viajero DRAW Brujo
double pin
5) Elipse, Iku, Orbita b Cometa Maya, Morfosis, Radioactivo
6) Rey Horus b Action Jackson, Jack Evans
7) Bendito, Black Andrómeda, Emperador Azteca b Dark Cuervo, Dark Ozz, Dark Scoria
Earlier, Flamita said he’d return soon and challenged Mr. Big for a match in December where both sides would put up their 50% share of Big Lucha and the winner has full control. More challenges followed the main event.

The Dark Family didn’t appear to help draw; it would be a surprise if they did. They’re just the opponents of the week. The year end show seems like a bigger test, with both the Viajero/Brujo mask match and whatever they’re doing for control of the promotion. They’ll start going up on Big Lucha’s channel as soon as this week.

Other News

Black Danger, Tempestad, Hijo del Torando, Gengis Khan Jr., Skalibur, Kabuki, Kamik-C, and referee Catrin are all suspended from wrestling in that city by the Tijuana Lucha libre Commission for six months. All worked a private show for an unlicensed promoter. Vice President of the commission, Juan Manuel Cardona, told Zeta Tijuana they saw the show being advertised on Facebook and expected to hear from the promoter but never did. The commission set out a warning the Friday prior to the event that they were aware of the show and anyone working on the show would be punished. The wrestlers worked anyway, so now they’re not allowed to wrestle again until May. Manuel Cardona said it is a safety commission; if a promoter isn’t licensed, they can’t help the wrestlers if they get hurt or help with payment if the promoter refuse to pay them. Skalibur, even before the suspension was announced, wrote on Facebook “if you don’t put food on my table you can’t control where I work“; he was aware of the commission warning but doesn’t feel like they should have a voice in the matter.

Kamik-C and Skalibur are AAA TV regulars and part of the Mexicali/Tijuana feud AAA’s been doing all year (really for years) on EMW shows at Auditorio de Tijuana. They’re strangely not on the upcoming show. Black Danger has appeared on AAA TV over the years, and I wonder if they all end up moving to Mexico City for a while for work. They also may just wrestle in Mexicali, which seems to be under a separate commission. State/City commissions generally don’t honor each other’s suspensions, which is one of many flaws with the current system.

Ciudad Juarez luchador Aguila Roja Jr. passed away on Saturday. He wrestled in the 2010s.

Segunda Caida writes about more Monterrey lucha libre.