Today’s the day. AAA’s running a TV taping in Gimansio Olimpico Juan de la Barrera. It’s the first in a series, and AAA’s doing it’s season premier in a big way. Sin Cara is expected to return to lucha libre as part of AAA. He’s probably coming in as a tecnico, he’s probably going to be win the final Rey de Reyes qualifier, and he may have a new name by the time the night is over. There are certain ways we can assume Sin Cara will be fit in AAA and how everyone will react to him, but we’ll have a lot more information after tonight. I don’t think the average fan attending this show knows for certain Sin Cara will be there, just that there’s a chance, and the reaction Sin Cara gets the first time he steps in front of the crowd might tell a lot about his direction going forward. Everyone was behind him at the Sin Cara Gym show, but you were only there if you were behind Sin Cara in the first place.
Sin Cara is not the only scheduled surprise tonight. AAA’s been hyping a surprise from the Sociedad and a surprise from the Roldans. We can probably assume Sin Cara is with the Roldans – it’d be insane if he came in as a rudo, but I’ve followed US wrestling long enough not to rule any poor idea out – but there’s not as much hard info on who the second guy is. I’ve heard names, KrisZ has heard many more names, this guy had a fantastic guess, and there are probably more rumors out there we’re still to hear, but I haven’t heard solid info on anyone. We know AAA’s talked to CMLL luchadors willing to jump previously, and we know usually most of the CMLL guys back out of it. Maybe that’s changed with Hijo del Fantamsa’s experience in AAA so far; I think they AAA probably could have done better with him, but he seems totally enthusiastic about the move, which might be enough to convince someone on the fence. There’s always anyone of two dozen unaligned guys who could be brought in if plans fall thru – I bet Black Warrior is willing and available – but I think this is a CMLL spot.
(Also lost in the Sin Cara-ness of this week is the debut of Mini Drago. He may just be a trainee graduating to the new shows, or a Mascarita Divina being given a more relevant character, but don’t rule out a CMLL jump there as well.)
Also: AAA will have wrestling matches. Crazy! They’ve got Rey de Reyes in a couple tapings, and need to start putting together an actual card. They take care of one match with the Rey de Reyes tournament final being set. Psycho/Texano are in the qualifier, and figure to cause each other to lose to set up their own match for Rey de Reyes. The main event, one of a series of tecnicos vs rudos/Jarrett tag matches, should also set up something for Rey de Reyes. (It may just be another 4v4 match.) It’s possible more matches will come out of the women’s match in the segunda and the two middle matches, since many of those people figure to have a role on Rey de Reyes. The minis match is the easiest to figure: Mini Charly is getting a title shot on the next TV taping, Mini Charly hasn’t beaten anyone yet, Mini Charly is beating someone (and probably Dinastia) tonight. Tonight’s AAA show would be a busy news day even without the new faces.
There were some additional notes from yesterday’s Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera press conference. The press release says all the Gimansio Juan de la Barrera shows will be taped for TV. AAA ran 31 tapings last year. The same schedule would mean over one third of this year’s taping schedule would be in Mexico City. Apolo Valdes’ column on the announcement mentions the government may gave AAA a higher amount of functions in 2015 if they draw well this year. (The press release also says AAA produces 260 hours of television of a year to an audience of 70 million in Mexico; the ends of press releases are always good for comedy.) Other recaps of the press conference clarifies the lucha libre classes will actually be free classes for children, in the usual bit of using lucha libre as an after school activity.
As I’ve said previously, CMLL would be best to wait a week to announce major news, instead of getting buried by the AAAvalanche that’s coming tonight. CMLL would have to be aware of the outside world to make that sort of decision, so instead they’ve already announced Cien Caras will be the second legend honored at this year’s Homenaje a dos Leyendas. Cien Cara was a big part of CMLL in the 80s and early 90s, one of a few guys who were perfectly positioned as the promotion returned to television and turned into a hall of fame level star. His mask match with Rayo de Jalisco Jr. will forever hold the Arena Mexico attendance record, as many hundreds (thousands?) of people forced their way in and overloaded the building to the point of causing structural damage. Cien Caras has “retired”, but in the lucha way of still popping up for a handful of matches every year. It would not be a surprise if he came back to Arena Mexico, where he’s not wrestled since 2007 (for a Luchas 2000 show, the 2005 H2L for a CMLL one), for one last trio matches with his brothers against Rayo de Jalisco and a couple of CMLL tecnicos.
Since CMLL’s already announced one big item for H2L, bet on them announcing the other. Negro Casas, Rush and Shocker are all in the main event tonight and are expected to main event H2L in a three way hair match. CMLL usually announces these level of matches about a month out, and today is exactly four weeks away from their major spring show. They could stretch it out another week – CMLL only started teasing the tension between new rudo Shocker and Negro Casas last week – but they’ll definitely be moving in that direction even if they don’t officially announce it.
Barbaro Cavernario’s big prize for winning the Gran Alternativa is to get a semifinal match with Mr. Niebla and Ultimo Guerrero. Soberano, who lost the Gran Alternativa final, is relegated to also appearing in the semifinal, teaming with Volador and Valiente. Tercera continues the Marcela vs Dallys feud and may set up a title match next week.
LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.
Ultimo Guerrero, Atlantis, LA Park, Damian and Bestia will be in California on Sunday.
Lineup
IWRG (WED) 02/26/2014 Arena Naucalpan
1) Sky Ángel vs Onix
2) Diva Salvaje & Miss Gaviota vs Rayan & Spartan
3) Black Terry, Dragón Celestial, Emperador Azteca, Fulgor I vs Aztlán, Kanon, Skayde, Vortize
4) Dr. Cerebro, Relámpago, Veneno vs Fuerza Guerrera, Trauma I, Trauma II
5) Súper Nova vs Eterno [NWA OLD LH]
Super Nova is champion, 2nd? defense
Tercera is the FILL vs Skayde match, with one more Skayde trainee sneaking in on the opener. Main event should be good too.