The Cubs Fan invited me to join up with the blog, as one of the other, OK, probably the only other luchamaniac over on the Wienerboard. I’d been going through all of my old tapes lately, really just as an opportunity to recommend some of the better stuff in recent lucha history. (1990 and on) To start, here is a link to all of the reviews so far that I’d posted on the weinerboard. I am linking to these and not the top 10/11 lucha matches list because these also include links on where one can get these tapes.

First – CMLL TV from 8/11/91 – Highlighted by Atlantis vs. Blue Panther

Second – CMLL TV from 9/13/97-9/15/97 – Highlighted by Mr. Niebla vs. Dr. Wagner

Third – CMLL’s 66th Anniversary show from 1999 – Highlighted by Niebla/Shocker vs. Atlantis/Vilano 3, in a parejes increible match, with the losers advancing to a mask match.

Fourth – Classic Lucha from 1993 – Highlighted by some of Rey Misterio Jr’s early work in AAA. No CMLL at all, so I’m probably violating the spirit of this blog with my first post.

Currently, I’m working on the CMLL PPV from 3/30/2001, but with a long weekend coming up this weekend, I may invest the time and do one of the longer lucha comps that I have around.

I watched the 5/4/03 show!

Match 1: Ricky Marvin [c], Virus, & Volador Jr. vs. Zumbido [c], Arkangel, and Masada

Primera Caida: I’m a little late for the first match, joining in progress as Masada clubs Ricky with a clothesline and Ricky takes a hideous looking bump, landing right on the back of his head. Ricky pulls out a 619 outside the ring. I swear, that move’s going to be the Diamond Cutter of the new millennium. Speaking of Rey, it looks like Zumbido stole a pair of his pants. Ricky takes out ‘Bido because they’re still feuding (I think). Volador takes out Masada with a guillotine legdrop and Virus rolls up Arkangel with a wacky pinning combo.

Segunda Caida: Goddamn, the Virus/Zumbido segment is good. Until Zumbido takes his crappy Jerry bump. Ricky misses a Stinger Splash to transition to a rudo beatdown. Volador gets pinned after a Zumbido ‘rana. Triple team submission gets Virus.

Tercera Caida: More beatings until Arkangel accidentally hits Masada with an errant clothesline. After a brawl, things settle down and Ricky pairs off with Zumbido. Everyone else hops in the ring and Volador hits a really nice sunset flip off of Virus, who’s covering Arkangel for a pin. Volador springboard double dropkicks Virus and Arkangel, then screws up a dive but `recovers nicely. We’re left with Ricky and Zumbido. Ricky keeps going for his springboard back elbow, but Zumbido’s too smary and dropkicks him. Fisherman Buster and Zumbido goes over clean as a sheet. Grade “A” young guys match.

Interlude: I think Corona is offering a wrestler of the year deal. The candidates: La Parka (AAA version), Perro Aguayo Jr., and Santo. Remember last year when Rayo was the CMLL candidate?

Skit: Los Infernales jog in the park. Something’s bothering Satanico—Super Crazy. And maybe Dr. Wagner too. Satanico promises to beat him up, I guess. An evil laugh takes us home.

Match 2: Satanico [c], Averno, & Mephisto vs. Blue Demon Jr. [c], Felino, & Super Crazy

Primera Caida: Starts out with a nice Felino/Averno segment, then WHOOSH a big ol’ clip takes us right to the rudo beatdown. Two triple team submissions take out Felino and Demon.

Segunda Caida: More rudo domination, until Felino and Crazy cut off Averno and Mephisto before they can hit two dives to the floor. Tarantula (rather poorly applied, I might add) from Crazy gets Averno. I guess they’re not as stringent about rope breaks in Mexico. A Demon headbutt and armbar/Sharpshooter combo gets Satanico.

Tercera Caida: More Felino/Averno fun until WHOOSH another clip takes us to the end as Felino and Crazy get taken out with wacky submissions. Demon gets pinned for good measure. Match was waaaaay too clipped to be of much substance.

Match 3: Ultimo Guerrero [c], Rey Buccanero, and Tarzan Boy vs. Vampiro [c], Shocker, & Atlantis

Primera Caida: GdI come out first. Vamp comes out by himself and gets jumped. Shocker comes out next, ditto. Atlantis, same. Maybe they should come out as a group one of these days. Bucky grabs the little blue gorilla and comes thiiiiis close to heaving him into the audience, but for some reason changes his mind. Anyway, Guerreros go nuts with the triple teams, including a beyond preposterous double simultaneous submission on Atlantis and Shocker.

Segunda Caida: More shenanigans until Shocker Makes His Comeback™ booting Ultimo to the floor and flattening him with a dive. Vamp takes out Bucky with the Nail in the Coffin and an Atlantida finishes Tarzan Boy.

Tercera Caida: Amazing start as all three Guerreros make Atlantis look like the best wrestler in the world. Everyone gets to work and we’re soon left with Shocker and Ultimo. They start beating the paste out of each other, and Shocker gets the upper hand and plants Ultimo with a powerbomb. He goes for a cover, ibut gets punched in the nuts by Rey. Ultimo covers for the tainted win. Another high end main event.

I may post a few notes from the WON bio of Rey Mendoza this weekend.

In the strangest thing ever, it turns out that UK show Olimpico, Satanico, Ultimo Guerrero and Rey Bucanero will be at is an art exhibit. They’re the exhibit.

There’s a short article about it, and back on the LuchaWorld.com board, there’s a longer story about why, though I can’t find the original source.

Next time you try to make a point by saying that Lucha is art, you at least have a (crazy) Mexican guy to back you up.

Reknown mixed martial artist Super Porky (well maybe not) did end up losing that shoot fight he was in (heel hold, 2nd round, :20 seconds.) He actually acquited himself well. Post match, Porky suggested that he was more used to doing 1/3rd of the work in matches.

There were rumors that Juvi may be jumping back to AAA full time, but he’s listed as appearing on the 5/16 Arena Mexico show. Perhaps like El Hijo Del Santo, he’s worth enough to either side that they’ll let him do both? Maybe they don’t just see each other as competiton rght now.

Rayo de Jalsico Jr. is back out of action. He was still feeling some head pain, so they’re just going to have him take May off and check him out there.

It continues not to be the best career move to be a Boricua; this time, it was Mini Violencia who lost his mask for the cause. Mini Olimpico beat him on April 30th, and the CMLL.com bit hints Pierroth might kick him out of the faction, perhaps writing his character out. He is listed on upcoming lineups, though. In other Boricuas news, KrisZ says it’s now the ex-Poder Boricua who’s under a mask as Sadam.

While this Friday will feature the big Mexico/Japan Grand Prix, next Friday will be a contiunation of that, as Satanico and Negro Casas will take on Masada and Nosawa in a double hair/hair match. Got to figure that Masada is going to spend another summer bald, but I wonder if this might mean the home team takes the loss this Friday to build it up? It is a one shot thing, so maybe not, but Casas could certinatly take the lose in whatever match he’s in.

Rey and Ultimo Guerrero return to CMLL on 5/16. I had figured they were just taking a couple weeks off post the NJPW tour, but apparently they’re in England today, wrestling against/with Olimpico and Satanico. Don’t know more than that – the news page doesn’t even list the promotion.

The big news is that it sound like AAA/PAP might be falling apart. This isn’t the first time such things have been said – the difference is that it’s been offically announced that El Hijo Del Perro Aguayo has been let go – perhaps because they can’t pay his check? More may be coming

Masada and Nosawa have been taken off that MLW show, so I suspect that Grand Prix lineup listed before is the final one.

Rey and Ultimo won decently in the middle of the NJPW tour, but fell off the end. Crazy was just kinda there.
4/25
– Ultimo and Rey d. El Samurai and Minoru Fujita (11:31, Rey pins Samurai)
– Liger, Kanemoto, Jado and Gedo d. Tiger Mask 4, AKIRA, Heat and Super Crazy (13:16, Gedo superfly splash Crazy)
4/26
– Jado and Gedo d. Ultimo and Rey (10:23, Gedo superfly splash Rey)
– Dan Devine and Super Crazy d. Hiro Saito and Ryusuke Taguchi (12:38, Crazy moonsault Taguchi)
4/27
– Tiger Mask 4, AKIRA, Heat and Super Crazy d. Liger, Kanemoto, Ultimo, Rey (11:52, Heat fisherman’s buster Guerrero)
4/28
– Ultimo and Rey d. Super Crazy and Ryusuke Taguchi (10:29, Guerrero bomb on Taguchi)
4/29
– Jado and Gedo d. Ultimo and Rey (9:35, Crossface of Jado on Guerrero)
– Osamu Nishimura and Hiro Saito d. Dan Devine and Super Crazy (9:40, Nishimura Cobra Twist Crazy)

Unless the Guerrero Special is now a Bomb, I have no idea what a Guerrero bomb is. Eh. Haven’t heard if they’ll be brought back at any time – it won’t be for the Best of the Junior tournament, as that lineup was announced and no lucha starts are included.

Lucha TV schedule is up – unlike what they seemed to hype last week, they stayed in order. This episode is one of the set I’ve already recaped, so you can check out a review before Sunday. I’ve also managed to recap the episode from three weeks ago – I liked the opener more than Joe did, but I agree on pretty much everything else. I was going to start on the one from two weeks ago last night, but I heard the Brazo music and lost my will to go on.

You know, I wonder if in Mexico, the Heavyweight Title is considered just “the title of the old legends” – I mean, it’s just been Universo and Rayo half heartingly fueding around it for the last 3 decades (or so it seems), I wonder if there’s just an expectation that it’s the Old title and Niebla should be saving the middleweight title from Emilio’s waist instead or something.

Sounds like Cat was as coherent as ever.

Since Cubs won’t be covering Velocity this week, here’s you Josh and Cat exchange of the week:

Josh: [talking about Kurt Angle’s neck surgery]
Cat: When are we going to hear about your surgery?
Josh: What are you talking about, Cat?
Cat: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

I’ve missed the last 2 weeks of CMLL since my source is out of town. Bastard.

Funny tidbit from this week’s Figure 4: Some fans in Mexico are quite unhappy about Mr. Niebla beating Universo for the world heavyweight title, because they feel he’s too young and didn’t deserve the belt. Could Mexican fans be any different from Americans?