CMLL
CMLL (FRI) 10/04/2024 Arena México [CMLL, El Grafico, ESTO, Excelsior, thecubsfan]
1) Angelito, Kaligua, Pequeño Magía b Mercurio, Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Violencia
9:36. Pequeno Olimpico was hurt on the finish.
2) Magia Blanca b Virus [lightning]
7:35. Edgar held up after the 2 count, though Virus didn’t kick out at 3. Edgar then called the match off.
3) Kira, Lluvia, Tessa Blanchard b Hera, Persephone, Sanely
15:19.
4) Bárbaro Cavernario, Hechicero, Templario DQ Magnus, Rugido, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]
9:11. Straight falls. Hechicero tossed his mask to Volador to draw the DQ, setting up a singles match next week.
5) Zeuxis b Princesa Sugehit, La Catalina, Amapola, Náutica, India Sioux, Maligna, Olympia, Dark Silueta, Metálica [CMLL Universal de Amazonas, semifinal]
Order of elimination: Maligna (via Amapola, 9:41), Nautica (India Sioux, 12:37), Amapola (Dark Silueta, 16:54), Metalica (Olympia, 16:54 – pins at same time), Olympia (Catalina, 18:53), India Sioux (Zeuxis, 19:28), Dark Silueta (Princesa Sugehit 22:14), Princesa Sugehit (24:36, Catalina), Catalina (Zeuxis, 27:46), leeaving Zeuxis as the block winner.
The Universal semifinal was weak. Part of the issue is CMLL’s women division does not have strong depth. The men’s equivalent of Nautica, Metalica, Amapola, and Maligna aren’t getting in big matches like this because CMLL has many more good male wrestlers. (The men’s equivalents are barely on the roster.) The actual ‘good’ wrestlers didn’t come up strong in this one. Catalina & Zeuxis in the final two, playing off last year’s tournament final, were good if not extraordinary. Dark Silueta & Princesa Sugehit contributed very little. The two women in the middle were the bright spots in this match. India Sioux doesn’t do some technical things well, but she had great enthusiasm and was the one most treated this match like a huge opportunity. Olympia didn’t get a much time but did well in what she did. I think next Friday’s match has a better group of luchadoras, but this week was a great illustration of the weakness of this month.
Zeuxis is probably not winning both the CMLL Women’s Championship and the Universal tournament. That means whoever wins the next block will likely win, and it’ll probably be a tecnica. The important tecnicas in that match are Tessa Blanchard, Lluvia, Kira and Skadi. The last two would be fun but seem unlikely. Team World is probably losing the Gran Prix this month, which means Blanchard probably has to win the Universal tournament if she’s going to win anything. I think that’s the outcome.
Maligna appears to be a ruda going forward. She’s also barely booked, so it will be hard to tell.
The rest of the show was not much. The semi-main had Cavernario and Templario working very hard, but it was just a set-up for next week’s singles match. The women’s trios was OK. Magia Blanca/Virus had a messed up finish following nothing special action. Pequeno Sky Team have had had better nights.
CMLL (SAT) 10/05/2024 Arena Coliseo [CMLL, Fuego en el Ring, thecubsfan]
1) Pequeño Polvora b Aéreo
13:43
2) Candela & Mulisha b Bengalee & Centinela
9:43. Women’s match featuring independent wrestlers announced on Wednesday. Bengalee was stretchered out.
3) El Coyote, Kráneo, Okumura b Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Volcano
17:30
4) Felino, Felino Jr., Rey Bucanero b Guerrero Maya Jr., Stigma, Xelhua
13:30. Straight falls. Maya didn’t help his partners and actively sabotaged Xelhua at times. Xelhua challenged him to a MEX MIDDLE title match, Maya seemed unconcerned.
5) Kira, La Catalina, Skadi b Hera, Olympia, Sanely
13:32. Sanely replaced Reyna Isis on Saturday.
6) Atlantis Jr., Flip Gordon, Titán b Averno, Euforia, Mephisto
17:08.
This had better matches than Friday. And Also far worse matches. Aereo and Pequeno Polvora took advantage of their unusual opportunity, going all out in the unusual opening singles match. They worked very hard and this was far better than the minis championship match on Noche de Campeones. I would’ve liked to see more of a battle for victory, it turned into a CMLL match where the first real attempt at winning ended it, but it was better than even a normal lightning match.
The women’s match that followed it was among the worst CMLL matches of the year. Bengalee was bad, though bad at the level of bad regular CMLL wrestlers. Centinela too. Mulisha was so unprepared that it was hard to understand why CMLL thought she was ready to be in a real match. It was hard to believe she had trained for eleven months. She was out of position, slow, and occasionally a danger to her opponents. She wasn’t the cause of the significant injury in the match. Candela definitely has something as a luchadora but needs to think better about the limitations of her opponent. It’s also a match that should’ve had close oversight by CMLL management, given those involved. Candela’s regular finish is an electric chair suplex, that’s a tough bump to take for a bad wrestler, she should’ve switched to something safer. She did the move anyway, Bengalee leaned too far back and landed badly on her head and neck. CMLL tried to hide her being stretchered out. A non-CMLL wrestler getting hurt on a CMLL show and CMLL having to pay medical expenses will end this concept quickly.
There’s no update on Bengalee’s health; she posted a video from a forest path on Sunday so I assume her head is still attached to her body. She’s not booked next weekend’s on CMLL shows, but neither are Mulisha or Centienla. (They all are still listed in Guadalajara for Tuesday.)
CMLL (SUN) 10/06/2024 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Full Metal b Fantasy [lightning]
match stopped due to Fantasy injury (knee?)
2) Amapola, Candela, Metálica b Dulce Tormenta, Jazmin Allure, Tabata
women’s match featuring independent wrestlers announced on Wednesday, debuts of Tormenta and Allure.
3) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Pelon Encapuchado b Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
4) India Sioux & La Catalina b Persephone & Sanely
5) Dragón Rojo Jr., Esfinge, Neón DQ Bárbaro Cavernario, Gran Guerrero, Terrible [Relevos Increíbles]
straight falls. Cavrenario and Terrible destroyed Dragon Rojo to the point of needing a stretcher; he’s officially out of Los Barbaros.
6) Ángel de Oro, Soberano Jr., Valiente b Máscara Dorada, Titán, Volador Jr.
Cavernario and Terrible went after Dragon Rojo’s right arm, so that might be an injury angle to write him out. Cavernario and Terrible’s promo includes as “You asked why the Barbaros and not the Dragons!”; I don’t think Dragon Rojo’s said that publicly, though it might really explain this breakup.
I went to the GALLI show with CMLL wrestlers on Sunday night. The first three matches with CMLL talent all had some bad moments. Blue Panther was the star of his match, teaming with Felino and Polvora to defeat Akuma, Difunto, and Zandokan. Esfinge and Star Jr. versus Hechicero & Ultimo Guerrero was the best of the night, with the rudo fans getting into Ultimo Guerrero so loudly that Esfinge gave up and started working as the rudo in the third fall. That match put forth the best total effort between everyone, and they pulled off everything the cleanest. Attendance seemed up a small bit from when Mistico came in last year – the parking lot was full when I showed up, which didn’t happen last time.
CMLL (TUE) 10/08/2024 Arena México
1) Capitán Suicida, Legendario, Valiente Jr. vs Grako, Hunter, Infarto
2) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, El Hijo De Blue Panther vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
3) Explosivo vs Barboza [lightning]
4) India Sioux, Tabata, Tessa Blanchard vs Dark Silueta, Valkiria, Zeuxis
5) Lluvia vs Reyna Isis [lightning]
6) Atlantis Jr., Star Jr., Titán vs Ángel de Oro, Euforia, Niebla Roja
Two lighting matches on one show is atypical. It’ll mean a short show or longer matches elsewhere.
CMLL (FRI) 10/11/2024 Arena México
1) El Audaz, Hijo del Pantera, Volcano vs Crixus, Hijo de Stuka Jr., Okumura
2) Dark Magic, Espanto Jr., Raider vs Barboza, Difunto, Zandokan Jr.
3) Volador Jr. vs Hechicero
4) Tessa Blanchard vs Lluvia, Sanely, Reina Isis, Skadi, Kira, Tabata, Valkiria, Hera, Persephone [CMLL Universal de Amazonas, semifinal]
5) Toni Storm vs La Catalina
La Catalina and Toni Storm were always going to main event even after Volador/Hechicero was added. CMLL commits to their theme completely, and there was no way they’d main event a show with anything but a women’s match this month.
Valkiria gets the last spot in the Universal tournament, which I probably should’ve worked out. She’s probably the least impressive wrestler in the bunch, depending on how much you rate Tabata this point.
Match 2 is Ola Negra against Barco Pirata. Hijo del Pantera and Hijo del Stuka matching up is good to see after their fun lightning match.
CMLL (SAT) 10/12/2024 Arena Coliseo
1) Fantasy, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito vs Full Metal, Pequeño Polvora, Rostro De Acero
2) Diamond, Eléctrico, Robin vs El Coyote, Nitro, Pólvora
3) Dulce Tormenta, Jazmin Allure, Skadi vs Candela, Maligna, Metálica
4) Guerrero Maya Jr. © vs Xelhua [MEX MIDDLE]
5th defense
5) India Sioux, Princesa Sugehit, Tessa Blanchard vs Dark Silueta, Persephone, Zeuxis
6) Dragón Rojo Jr., Flip Gordon, Máscara Dorada vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Soberano Jr., Terrible [Relevos Increíbles]
Perhaps Dragon Rojo ends up tecnico and Guerrero Maya Jr. ends up tecnico? The Maya/Xelhua bit has built in a way where it’d probably unfair to expect the deeply technical match they could have, but there’s other ways they could make that match pretty interesting. There’s no telling if Tormenta & Allure’s Sundays match will make AMX but at least that match 3 will turn on YouTube.
Rostro de Acero looks like a trainee getting to debut; someone by that name has wrestled around Mexico City for the last couple of years, and most recently popped up on the April Arena Rey Bucanero show in a match with a bunch of regular CMLL Pequeno Estrellas. CMLL needed someone to even out the numbers for the upcoming minis cibernetico – it’s a 16 person division normally but Minos is out with a leg injury. They may need one more replacement if Fantasy’s injury is serious.
CMLL (SUN) 10/13/2024 Arena México
1) Angelito & Pequeño Magía vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pierrothito
2) Arkalis & Stigma vs Disturbio & Pólvora
3) Dulce Tormenta, India Sioux, Náutica vs Amapola, La Maligna, Olympia
4) Brillante Jr., Fugaz, Star Black vs Akuma, Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr.
5) Kira, La Catalina, Princesa Sugehit vs Dark Silueta, Reyna Isis, Sanely
6) Flip Gordon, Templario, Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Soberano Jr.
Nothing unusual for a Sunday.
Principe Odin Jr. announced on Instagram that he has left CMLL. Odin’s last match in CMLL was March 9th, and CMLL generally had booked him less frequently in recent years. (He had 3 TV appearances in all of 2023.) Odin’s name popped up on a lucha show my way in a couple of weeks with Elegido, which seemed to indicate he was leaving CMLL. It was more wondering if there would be a formal announcement.
Principe Odin Jr. is better remembered as Artillero, as part of the forever opening match tag team with his brother Super Comando as El Peloton del Terror. It reads like he plans to reunite that unit. Artillero and Super Comando were small good working rudos who CMLL appeared to see as too small to do anything serious with; the most they had them do is work with the young guys as they were starting out. CMLL still doesn’t do a lot with lightweights today, but it’s easy to imagine them ending up in a Noche de Campeones poll if they came around a decade later and got the same sort of chance Los Indestrucitbles got. They probably would’ve done better with it, too.
Mistico is in Japan for his NJPW tour from 10/08 to 10/14. Only the last show will stream.
Mascara Dorada will wrestle Lio Rush on the 10/19 RevPro Global Wars show. Titan’s match for that show is still TBA. NJPW’s Royal Road show is the following day. It’s possible both could appear on that show, but neither had been announced (and it’s likely the full lineup won’t be announced until after that 10/14 NJPW show.)
I caught the CMLL podcast interview with Reyna Isis. I didn’t like it as much as the other ones I’ve listened to. It’s more kayfabe, both with in the ring and out of it, than the other recent ones.
- Isis believes her mask match with La Jarochita was so great and got such a strong reaction that it spurred CMLL to focus much more on the women. Alexis calls it one of the five best apuesta matches in the last ten years. Isis said she was depressed after losing the mask and it took about a year for her to feel fully back.
- Isis notes this mask match got a “Esto es Lucha” chant, and is sure that had to be the first one ever in Arena Mexico. An luchadora who came from the independent scene told both Isis and Jarochita that the chant happens in the Indies all the time, it doesn’t mean anything. Jarochita & Isis were gravely offended and told that unnamed woman to get that chant herself in Arena Mexico if it was so easy. Isis happily points out that person has not gotten that chant to this day.
- Isis doesn’t come from a wrestling family, got interested in wrestling as a teenager by seeing CMLL TV – she knew there were women wrestlers in WWE but didn’t ralize they existed in Mexico (though she thought most of them looked heavy and unfeminine, and she wanted to be different.) She snuck off to wrestling classes until her mom found out and shut that down. (Her father was not around much because of his job and passed away about 15 years ago.) Many years later, after Isis graduated high school, she got new neighbors who had a bunch of odd clothes and assumed they worked for a circus. She later talked with them and found out they were Angel de Oro and Niebla Roja, professional wrestlers. (Former CMLL luchadora Medussa also gets name-checked as someone who helped her.) She got interested in wrestling again and started training at Arena Mexico with Hijo del Gladiador. Her mom found out again, but this time Isis was an adult, and she could decide for herself – her mom could only strongly disapprove, and continued to do so until Isis’ first trip to Japan convinced her mom this was a reasonable profession.
- The other trainees hated her, called her a skinny girl who should go be a model instead of a wrestler. She does admit to knowing nothing, thinking she’d start training and be on TV as a star in a few weeks. Isis was also working as an exercise instructor, leading spin classes, and not eating much, so she was super skinny. She got hurt training wrestling a lot, but she kept coming back, until the bullying got to her so much that she quit for a few months. She returned but switched to Arkangel de la Muerte’s class, who helped build up her confidence. It was Arkangel who came up with the idea to make her the valet of the Rebeldes Tuareg and who came up with the name of Reyna Isis. (Isis makes a face as if she didn’t like that name initially but lied to Arkangel that she loved it.)
- The other women hated her; she was someone with maybe a year of training put out there for matches and green, and the people in charge of the women’s division didn’t like her and didn’t want to give her a chance. Isis feels she was the last woman who got it to where the existing women were openly hostile to her. They would sabotage her in training classes, pretend to shake hands, and then pull it away. They left her in tears a lot. Isis didn’t like the experience, feels stronger for having gone through it, and has made a point to treat those who’ve come after her better. It’s important to be tough, but some extremes shouldn’t happen.
- There’s a long story about the 2011, 2012 and 2013 CMLL Bodybuilding contests.
- In 2011, Isis was still training with Arturo Beristan, found out about the bodybuilding contest through Dark Angel, and asked if she could participate. She didn’t think she would win, she just wanted to get noticed. (Isis had thought it would be a quick path to stardom and saw the bodybuild contest as a way to get noticed by the people in charge.) Beristan wasn’t sure, no woman trainee had asked to that point, but promised he’d find out. Dark Angel helped Isis get ready for the competition and Beristan got her in. Not-yet-Isis won third place in the luchadora, but only for a moment. Another woman in the contest protested loudly to the people in charge that Isis should not have been allowed in, she wasn’t a luchadora. That argument won, and that luchadora got third place instead.
- Princesa Sugehit is listed as the luchadora third-place winner in 2011. Isis avoids mentioning Sugehit by name the entire podcast; there are still some very obvious and strong bad feelings between them.
- By 2012, Isis had switched to training with Arkangel and was doing shows as a valet. Isis wasn’t going to do the bodybuilding contest again after getting pushed out last year, but Arkangel said that being on a show as a valet counted as being a luchadora and so she was eligible. Isis won third place and got to keep it that time.
- In 2013, Isis still had not had matches but was dieting hard and working with a coach to get in the best possible shape for the competition – and then Arkangel told her that a new rule had been passed that a woman had to be an active in-ring luchadora to compete for the women’s title, so Isis was out. Arkangel told her that Isis that they’d like her pose on her own in an exhibition group. Isis wasn’t high on the idea, but Arkangel reminded her that her original reason to be in the contest was to get noticed, and she could still do that posing on her own.
- She ended up wrestling and placing 2nd in 2015 after becoming a wrestler. There’s a whole chat about her participating in the Mr. Mexico contest recently and the (CMLL enforced) importance of looking the part of a wrestler in addition to having wrestling matches.
- Reina Isis (like Soberano) seems to have really struggled with money during the pandemic shutdown. She thanks her mother and an unnamed luchadora for helping her out and talks about finding secretly opened gyms to keep training.
- a common thread between this and the Soberano interview is CMLL was either unable or unwilling to do much to support the wrestlers when the shows shut down; they were on their own, and weren’t really ready for it.
- In 2011, Isis was still training with Arturo Beristan, found out about the bodybuilding contest through Dark Angel, and asked if she could participate. She didn’t think she would win, she just wanted to get noticed. (Isis had thought it would be a quick path to stardom and saw the bodybuild contest as a way to get noticed by the people in charge.) Beristan wasn’t sure, no woman trainee had asked to that point, but promised he’d find out. Dark Angel helped Isis get ready for the competition and Beristan got her in. Not-yet-Isis won third place in the luchadora, but only for a moment. Another woman in the contest protested loudly to the people in charge that Isis should not have been allowed in, she wasn’t a luchadora. That argument won, and that luchadora got third place instead.
I’m sure the other CMLL woman had (or have) problems with Reina Isis because she was skinny delusional girl who thought she was going to skip the line and go right to the top, as she brings up in the podcast. It was also surely not the only or biggest reason the other CMLL women had an issue with her, but telling that part of the story might reflect poorly on Isis or CMLL. It’s not an easy thing to bring up, and even I’m dancing around it here out of possibly undeserved politeness here mostly because I can’t remember if I’ve specifically written about this before. There’s always a bit of fiction in these types of interviews, it’s a thorny real story to tell and I think Isis was trying to use “they thought of me as too skinny” as a softer stand in. It didn’t work for me.
Long time CMLL Guadalajara rudo Asesino Negro (Jose Paz Sanchez Guillen) passed away Sunday night.
CMLL’s Guadalajara page put up a note ‘reminding’ people that their shows remain free and on a two day delay. It’s been that way for months, but – in Mexican wrestling fashion – it was something that just happened with no explanation or acknowledgment.
The Arizona Cardinals posted a video about CMLL in honor of Hispanic Hertiage month. I think this might be content from their visit to CMLL last year.
AAA
AAA TV (SUN) 10/06/2024 Auditorio Benito Juárez, Zapopan, Jalisco [AAA]
1) Chik Tormenta b Mini Vikingo, Belcegor, Lady Maravilla, Pierroth Jr., Dalys, Brazo De Oro Jr., Panic Clown [Copa Antonio Pena]
full list of participants unknown
2) Crazzy Steve & Havok b Abismo Negro & Flammer © [AAA MIXED TAG]
Crazzy Steve & Havok are the 19th champions. Abismo Negro and Flammer fall on their 4th defense. Psicosis and el Fiscal attacked Abismo Negro after the match.
3) Kento, Nobu San, Takuma b Dinámico, Myzteziz Jr., Niño Hamburguesa
Epydemius Jr. replaced Myzteziz Jr.
4) Matt Riddle © b El Fiscal [AAA CRUISER]
first defense. Fiscal lost, got fire blown in his face by Abismo Negro, and then additionally got beat up by Alberto. This lead to a bit with Alberto, Dorian, Konnan, JBL, Latin Lover (who said he still has an AAA contract until the end of the year), Vampiro (who suggested he might not retire and stay to help Latin Lover) and others.
5) Mecha Wolf, Negro Casas, Vampiro Canadiense b El Mesías, Forastero, Sansón
Rayo de Jalisco hit Sanson with a guitar to set up the finish.
6) El Patrón Alberto © b Laredo Kid [AAA MEGA]
first defense. Latin Lover and Konnan will be seconds
This show drew the expected huge crowd (for free tickets.)
I tried to record this show three ways, all of which failed. I would like to give AAA money to watch their shows, but that’s not an option. They’ll put it up late next Sunday, so I’ll get to it then. I’d like to have more context on some of this stuff – like I think it’s safe to assume Vampiro was just saying stuff to stay stuff about not retiring, and no one should take that seriously. I think Latin Lover’s “I still have a contract to the end of the year” line is supposed to explain why he still has power. That makes Dorian, Konnan and Alberto are really dumb for giving him a contract that lasted past the point they knew they were going to betray him.
I do have results because AAA (and Mas Lucha) were back to reporting on AAA shows after dropping it for months. I don’t know if that’s a one-time thing. The next taping is 10/26 in Mexico City, where the results are likely to come out regardless.
AAA aired a vignette for a new La Parka. It wasn’t explicitly said it was a new La Parka, but it’s obviously the idea from the video. The viral coffin bit in the Vampiro match with a Parka showing up was intended as a tease for this new character. This tease is really the only thing that made news from this show outside of AAA press.
AAA making a new La Parka was inevitable for a while. It would’ve happened sooner if the wrestler formerly known as Karis la Momia Jr. had been willing to take on his father’s gimmick. He’s since mentioned he rejected the idea a few times, and AAA let him go sometime in the last month. He belatedly found out AAA owning the “Karis La Momia Jr.” name meant AAA would repossess his social media accounts once he was out of the company. (The final post on the Karis Instagram post is AAA wishing him a happy birthday. He started an account under his real name.) I think the average fan believes he is this new La Parka, and some of the super diehards believe this is all some sort of angle where he ends up in the mask or feuding with the guy who gets the mask. (That’s exactly the Abismo/Fiscal storyline right now.) I believe this kid is out of AAA – at least for now – and will have no involvement with the new character.
I understand the business reasons why AAA feels it needs a new Parka character, and I know AAA was previously able to successfully get over a new person in the character after LA Park. I also know that was a much different AAA with Antonio Pena in charge. Konnan was gone and was part of the reason AAA needed a new Parka. Dorian Roldan wasn’t part of the business at that level. Latin Lover was involved but as a wrestler. This group’s track record of getting over new versions of old characters has not been strong. I believe AAA will end up trying a lot harder than they’ve done for other characters – that they’re running preview vignettes instead of just throwing him cold on TV puts him ahead of Abismo Negro, Sexy Star, Taurus, and Bengala to pick for – but it’s still an immense challenge to get him over. AAA can still put La Parka on all their merch and sponsorship without him being around as an over-character – they’ve done it for the last few years – but it’ll diminish the value if the new guy doesn’t get over.
Chik Tormenta won Copa Antonio Pena because Latin Lover implied many AAA women were out of shape and Tormenta fired back on him on Instagram, AAA is trying to pivot that embarrassing situation into a storyline with Latin Lover and Chik Tormenta confronting each other in the ring after the match. Tormenta brought the issue up in her promo. It’s a very babyface reaction for her. Latin Lover is supposed to be the lead tecnico of the promotion and is the rudo in this story.
That Guerra de Titanes poster did spoil Crazzy Steve & Havok winning. They’ll be back for that show.
AAA in 10/06 GLEAT results via Post Wrestling
- Kazma Sakamoto, Quit Storm, Nico Inveradi & Mirko Mori defeated JD Lee, Issei Onitsuka, Jessy Queen and Junjie
- El Lindaman, Faby Apache, Octagon Jr. defeat Chris Ridgeway, Sam Adonis & MICHIKO
- Ricochet & CIMA defeated Hijo del Vikingo & Sota Watanabe
- Hayato Tamura defeated Parker Boudreaux
The Vikingo match was good. I wanted more Vikingo/Ricochet, but the story was ultimately about Watanable being an unhappy loser and looking for a match with Ricochet. Watanabe is scheduled to face Vikingo on 10/09. GLEAT hyped a talent exchange between the two promotions (which is already happening.) AAA is churning out a lot of content on their trip on social media.
TNA’s tapings took place this past Wednesday and Thursday. During those tapings, TNA announced a Hijo del Vikingo versus Mike Bailey match for TNA’s Bound for Glory show on Saturday, October 26th. That would presumably be for Bailey’s X-Division championship. It was a great match a year ago at GCW’s Spring Break. It’s also a match AAA could’ve booked for last year’s TripleMania Mexico City, but they decided to also include Daga and Jack Cartwheel in their usual “more is better” strategy. (It did not turn out better.) AAA seems to be pushing Vikingo towards TNA and no longer AEW. TNA hasn’t had much use for Lucha Libre wrestlers since the Lucha Brothers finished up there five years ago, but they have always seemed to be higher on Vikingo than anyone else from AAA.
AAA’s TV schedule is incredibly weird
I write a lot about this. No one cares about it right now. Later on, a few people will ask me why a match hasn’t been posted to YouTube, as matches taped after it have gone up, and I will explain to them AAA’s TV schedule is incredibly weird:
Taped Order | Air Order On Space |
Monterrey Part 1 | GDL Part 2 |
Monterrey Part 2 | GDL Part 1 |
GDL Part 1 | Monterrey Part 1 |
GDL Part 2 | Monterrey Part 2 |
October CDMX Part 1 | October CDMX Part 1 |
October CDMX Part 2 | Juarez Part 2 |
Showcenter Part 1 | Juarez Part 1 |
Showcenter Part 2 | October CDMX Part 2 |
Juarez Part 1 | Showcenter Part 1 |
Juarez Part 2 | Showcenter Part 2 |
December CDMX Part 1 | December CDMX Part 1 |
December CDMX Part 2 | December CDMX Part 2 |
There’s a stretch of 10 weeks in there where only 1 episode of TV will air in the same order it was taped. Some of it is the chronic issues of Space only airing the back half of the big shows, some of it is just strange AAA scheduling decisions.
The Crash
The Crash (FRI) 10/04/2024 Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California [The Crash, Zona Ruda]
1) Anubis & Gallo Extreme b Águila Roja & Auzter
2) Hellboy (Estado de México), Hijo de Canis Lupus, Tonalli b Australian Suicide, Destiny, Valentino
3) Sidney Akeem b Flamita
4) Demonio Infernal (Indie), Fresero Jr., Trauma I, Trauma II NF D Luxe, Oráculo, Pierroth Jr., Rey Escorpión (Indie)
the two teams brawled out of the ring and out into the street. Commission stopped the ‘match’ and had previously suspended others for doing the same bit last year and it appeared Damian 666 immediately suspended this eight for doing the same. Pierroth was either hurt or played up an injury angle.
5) Mecha Wolf b Bestia 666 [falls count anywhere]
the two finally agreed to a hair match for the The Crash Anniversary show.
6) Alberto el Patrón b DMT Azul, Shelton Benjamin
The commission fined The Crash about 100,000 pesos (5,000 USD) for that fight outside, saying they endangered the fans and obstructed traffic. There’s no mention of suspensions in that release. The Tijuana Commission suspended Hijo del Fishman, DMT Azul, Halloween Jr., and Hereje last September for doing the same bit; that was a big story then. These eight guys are either goofs or figured the suspension would be worth the viral attention of the stunt. Perhaps both. The story about the fine to The Crash has gotten a lot of attention, but the wrestlers are less so. The Crash is so unconcerned about this issue that they posted a video of the brawl. Other stories tried to play up that Pierroth Jr. was gravely injured in the fight; he wrestled the next day in AAA.
The lead of the commission in Tijuana is now Damian 666, his son is involved in this promotion, and so all of this can be interrupted as an angle. Some commissions do participate in angles – the Rock Power suspension in IWRG (and that he keeps showing up despite being suspended) is an obvious case of a local commission participating in an angle. The Tijuana Commission has generally stayed out of angles and tried to portray themselves as a serious organization to the local government, so my belief is this is a real fine.
Attendance was better than the last show, though they’re still down from where they were pre-TripleMania. It should be up for the Aniversario show. Beyond Mecha/Bestia, they’ve also announced a four-way hair match in a cage with Mr. Aguila, Juventud Guerrera, Super Crazy and Heavy Metal. There’s no build or reason to that one, none of them work in this promotion much. It definitely suggests The Crash sees the Bestia/Mecha bit as a disappointment because they shouldn’t need another hair match if that one between long-time Tijuana wrestlers was drawing people in. The Crash either didn’t give a date for that Anniversary show, or they haven’t done much to promote it.
Todo x el Todo
It appears Mas Lucha will be putting many or all of these up as part of their membership plan. They streamed Friday’s show on Sunday (and pretended it was happening live, as always.)
TXT (FRI) 10/04/2024 Arena Arteaga, Querétaro, Querétaro [Mas Lucha]
1) Hija de Fuerza Guerrera & Ludark Shaitan b Lady Apache & Vanilla Vargas
Vanilla Vargas replaced Therius, Ludark replaced Keyra on Wednesday
2) Canek Jr. & Heddi Karaoui b Bobby Lee Jr. & Hijo del Solar
Super Nova & Alebrije moved up, Verdugo dropped, Heddi Karaoui added on Wednesday, then Bobby Lee NG replaced Ultraman Jr. by the time the show happened.
3) Ciclón Ramírez Jr., Cinta de Oro, Hijo del Alebrije b Bobby Lee Jr., Súper Nova, Texano Jr.
Hijo del Alebrije and Super Nova were added on Wednesday. Bobby Lee got in a foul on Cinta de Oro to win.
4) El Hijo Del Santo, LA Park, Santo Jr. vs Dr. Wagner Jr., Fuerza Guerrera, Hijo del Fishman
Santo Jr. and Hijo de Fishman added on Wednesday
Mas Lucha put up 8 tweets plugging the main event but did not mention the result of the main event. I have partial results Leon on Sunday night; the newspaper indicates there were some changes with the card but doesn’t spell them all out.
Herodes Jr. was scheduled for this tour and is apparently off. He wrote Sunday that he was ghosted; he found out he wasn’t booked when the lineup changes happened, and no one would respond to his messages when he tried to find out what happened. Herodes is upset about losing that booking, but also that no one told him he was off the show so he could find replacement work.
IWRG
IWRG (SUN) 10/06/2024 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG]
1) Fauno & Sulivan b Águila Oriental & Drakula Ng
2) Felino Boy & Vudu Max b Príncipe Centauro & Rey Aztaroth
3) Caballero de Plata & Tornado b Puma de Oro & Rey Halcón
4) Estrella Divina & Shamila b Diva Salvaje & Keyra
5) Águila Roja, Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Spider Fly b Hell Boy, Hijo de Canis Lupus, Noisy Boy
Spider Fly beat Noisy Boy. The suspended Rock Power attacked Spider Fly after the match.
6) Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. b Pig Decapitador, Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool [bull terrier]
Other
Many, many Mexican news sites ran with the (single sourced) Record story that KeMonito was going to have to give his gimmick and retire in two weeks. QueMonitto said that story is false. That has not been repeated all over the place.
Flamita is headed back to Dragon Gate for their King of Gate tournament. I presume that means he’ll be in Japan until the end of the year.
A promoter in Tepic bitterly complained there are no more stars in wrestling and said local fans don’t come to shows because they know how to distinguish between a lump and a professional wrestler.
A visit to a lucha libre store in Mexico City.
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