AAA announces 04/27 TripleMania Monterrey lineup (Alberto/Nemeth)

AAA TV (SAT) 04/27/2024 Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
1) Estrellita, Faby Apache, Reina Dorada, Sexy Star vs Dalys, Flammer, La Hiedra, Maravilla
2) El Elegido vs Pimpinela EscarlataAntifaz del NorteSúper CalóAerostarChessmanNiño HamburguesaMr. IguanaCharly MansonAbismo NegroHeavy MetalTbaTba [Copa Baradahl]
3) ?, ??, Negro Casas vs ?????, ??????, Dr. Wagner Jr.
4) Laredo Kid, Octagón Jr., Psycho Clown vs Parker Boudreaux, QT Marshall, Sam Adonis
5) El Mesías, Pagano, Vampiro Canadiense vs Cibernético, Dark Cuervo, Dark Ozz
6) Alberto el Patrón vs Nic Nemeth [AAA MEGA]

AAA ran a press conference on Monday evening to announce this card. AAA no longer streams their own press conferences live, so we’re reliant on Roberto Figueroa’s stream. No mention of a stream for this show. Larry Dallas had previous mentioned he’d be doing TripleMania again this year, so presumably this will air on FITE.

This TripleMania lineup is a big test of Monterrey’s nostalgia for mid-2010s WWE and for Vampiro’s career. There’s nothing else going on here. Nemeth (then Dolph Ziggler) traded the “World Heavyweight Championship” in 2013 when it was WWE’s secondary heavyweight championship. The main events exist to replay a 11 year old feud, actually fitting for a year that’s mostly about celebrating a (not always successful) past.

I don’t expect the match itself to be much good, but it is notable that Nick Nic Nemeth is the current NJPW World TV IGWP Global Champion. (It’s notable enough that AAA brought it up.) Nemeth doesn’t appear to be under contract to NJPW, so he’s allowed to take bookings where he wants, but NJPW typically doesn’t want their champions taking singles losses. Alberto el Patron is also not taking singles losses. The simplest solution is Nemeth losing the NJPW title prior – maybe at Windy City Riot on 04/12. It’s also AAA, so the finish doesn’t have to make sense.

Latin Lover will second Vampiro in his trios match. The old storyline with La Secta was Cibernetico teamed up with them, then brought in Mesias, and then all those guys betrayed Cibernetico. It’s at least possible they’ll go down that road again – they ran the big mystery group angle at the end of the Mexico City tapings that could tie into that.

Dorian Roldan briefly discussed problems with politics in wrestling before announcing match four. Neither Marshall or Boudreaux were identified as with AEW. (Komander and Penta are both missing from this show.) There’s a chance match 4 could be good, but it could end up being more angle than match.

Dr. Wagner Jr. appeared at the press conference and there was a lot of talk about the family history of both Wagner and Casas. It led you to believe it’d be family members teaming with them, but then Dorian Roldan said it would members of AAA roster instead. Whomever it is, they’ll be announced over the next month. El Hijo del Dr. Wagner looked like he has NOAH commitments around that day, for what it’s worth.

The Copa TripleMania is presented as Copa Bardahl Retro, though most of the Retro names appeared in previous Copa TripleManias. Konnan previously acknowledged he tried to get in Juventud Guerrera for one of the spots, so expect that sort of name from the past as the two mystery people. The Copa TripleMania, as always, will be long and terrible.

AAA gives their women one important match a year so they can say they do something with them. This is not that match. Curious why Reina Dorada is here and not Lady Shani, but it’s not going to change the match much.

This is a six match card, down from the usual seven. That’s the most positive news I can come up with: maybe it’ll be quicker. It’s a depressing card with little hope for good matches. I’m not sure there’s a match on this show that’ll get more than three stars from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter – though that’s as much about the quality as the chance that Dave Meltzer is actually going to find time to make time to watch it. It’s about as inconsequential as any of the second tier Rey de Reyes/Verano de Escandalo show from both match importance and quality. You’re going to have a dozen other chances to see Vampiro’s last ever match in “X” before the year ends, so the only reason to care is if you’re a big Alberto fan or you just have to watch all the TripleManias every year.

Don’t be mistaken: this will do a nice number, because it’s a TripleMania and because only one of them happen in Monterrey every year. AAA seems to be in a mindset where the concern is just getting through the next show, riding out this nostalgia wave until it fades out. There may be consequences for not creating new stars on the other side of this wave, but that’s tomorrow’s problem.

Mascara Dorada & Rocky Romero advance to H2L, Megachampionship vacant, Lucha Libre Elite rises from the dead (again)

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 03/15/2024 Arena México [CMLL, FDDEFuego en el RingKaiser SportsTelediarioThe GladiatoresThe Gladiatores (video), thecubsfan]
1) Halcón Suriano Jr. & Leono b Emperador Jr. & Platino Kid CMLL - PLATINO KIDD - EMPERADOR JR. VS HALCÓN SURIANO JR. - LEONO / ARENA MÉXICO / 15-03-24 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL | Halcón Suriano Jr. y Leono superan a Platino Kid y Emperador Jr. (posted by mluchatv) Platino Kid y Emperador Jr vs alcon Suriano Jr y Leono ARENA MÉXICO CMLL (posted by Estrellas del Ring) Triunfo claro de Leono y Halcón Suriano Jr ante los nuevos talentos Emperador Jr y Platino Kid (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
10:35.
2) Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso, Stigma b Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus CMLL - CANCERBERO - VIRUS - LUCIFERNO VS PEGASSO - GUERRERO MAYA JR. - STIGMA/ARENA MÉXICO/15-03-24 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL | La Fuerza Poblana derrota a Los Cancerberos (posted by mluchatv) Stigma, Pegasso y Guerrero Maya Jr vencen a la tercia ruda de Virus, Cancerbero y Luciferno (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
13:55. Fuerza Poblana took 2/3.
3) Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido b Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible Barbaro Cavernario, Terrible y Dragon Rojo Jr vs Rugido, Magnus y Magia Blanca CMLL ARENA MEXICO (posted by Estrellas del Ring) CMLL - RUGIDO-MAGNUS-MAGIA BLANCA VS TERRIBLE - B. CAVERNARIO - DRAGÓN ROJO JR/ARENA MÉXICO/15-03-24 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL | Los Bárbaros derrotan a Los Depredadores (posted by mluchatv) Dragón Rojo Jr, Bárbaro Cavernario y Terrible derrotan a Magia Blanca, Rugido y Magnus (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
Barbaros took 2/3. 12:47.
4) Atlantis Jr., Hechicero, Volador Jr. b Averno, Templario, Titán [Relevos IncreíblesAtlantis Jr, Hechicero y Volador Jr vs Titan, Templario y Averno CMLL Arena Mexico (posted by Estrellas del Ring) CMLL - TITÁN - TEMPLARIO - AVERNO VS ATLANTIS JR. - HECHICERO - VOLADOR JR. /ARENA MÉXICO / 15-03-24 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL | Volador Jr, Hechicero y Atlantis Jr. derrotan a Averno, Titán y Templario (posted by mluchatv) En relevos increíbles Atlantis Jr, Hechicero y Volador Jr derrotan a Averno, Titán y Templario (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
11:52. Seemed to be a relevos incredibles only because Averno & Hechicero are meant to still be enemies.
5) Akuma & Rocky Romero b Ángel de Oro & Gran Guerrero [Torneo Increible de Parejas, battle royal]
2:28
6) Ángel de Oro & Flip Gordon b Euforia & Gran Guerrero [Torneo Increible de Parejas, quarterfinalAngel de Oro y Flip Gordon vs Euforia y Gran Guerrero CMLL ARENA MEXICO (posted by Estrellas del Ring) Flip Gordon y Ángel de Oro eliminan del Torneo Increíble de Parejas a Euforia y Gran Guerrero (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
6:02
7) Máscara Dorada & Rocky Romero b Akuma & Dulce Gardenia [Torneo Increible de Parejas, quarterfinalMáscara Dorada y Rocky Azúcar Romero avanzan en el Torneo Increíble de Parejas (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
6:47
8) Máscara Dorada & Rocky Romero b Ángel de Oro & Flip Gordon [Torneo Increible de Parejas, semifinalA pesar de golpear Rocky Romero a Máscara Dorada lograron vencer a Ángel de Oro y Flip Gordon (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre) CMLL - TORNEO INCREÍBLE DE PAREJAS / ARENA MÉXICO / 15-03-24 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL | Rocky Romero y Máscara Dorada derrotan a Ángel de Oro y Flip Gordon (posted by mluchatv)
8:30. Dorada & Romero advance to the final on 03/29 despite having issues.

A disappointing undercard. CMLL seems generally seems to be in a little bit of a cold spell following FantasticaMania, with matches looking better on paper than how they turned out. The torneo saved it a bit on this night. Dorada/Romero versus Akuma/Gardenia was two teams that don’t interact much normally and figured out some good moments to go against each other. The midcard team made the most of their chance. It carried through a solid final, with Dorada/Romero barely holding it together against their opposition.

Again, not much on the rest of the show. Match four was the best of the bunch but it didn’t come close to the ceiling. Los Barbaros (or at least Cavernario) are getting over as an act but the two teams didn’t mesh. First two matches were forgettable.

CMLL (SAT) 03/16/2024 Arena Coliseo [CMLL]
1) Diamond, Novato, Rayo Metálico b Grako, Multy, Sangre Imperial
2) Alom b Infarto [lightning]
3) Difunto, Felino Jr., Misterioso Jr. b Astral, Fuego, Hombre Bala Jr.
4) La Catalina & Marcela b Amapola & Reyna Isis
5) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black b Hijo del Villano III, Magnus, Zandokan Jr.
6) Máscara Dorada & Volador Jr. b Bárbaro Cavernario & Templario

Nothing to say here.

CMLL (SUN) 03/17/2024 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Astro Boy Jr. & Hunter b Dragón de Fuego & Forneo
2) Persephone b Tiffany [lightning]
3) Dark Magic, Espanto Jr., Raider b El Audaz, Futuro, Max Star
4) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa b Gemelo Diablo II, Pólvora, Sagrado
5) Panterita del Ring, Valiente, Volcano b Felino Jr., Kráneo, Mephisto
6) Niebla Roja, Rocky Romero, Stuka Jr. b Flip Gordon, Místico, Star Jr.
Niebla Roja snuck in a foul on Flip.

The Chavez brothers hate on Flip almost as much as an average Twitter poster.

Persephone should be beating Tiffany at this point but it still sort of surprised me that happened. Checking the numbers, Tiffany just almost never wrestles singles matches – she had one last year, and the one prior to that was in the empty arena taping. When she does have singles matches, Tiffany’s record isn’t so great. My record of Tiffany 1v1 matches in Arena Mexico had her losing all but one – but then I checked video of her September 30th, 2004 match with Princesa Sugehit and the result was just wrong, she lost that one too. (She did beat Lluvia in Arena Coliseo when they were doing a lot of singles matches.) I completely fell down a rabbit hole here; did you realize that Tiffany has been in CMLL longer than she was in AAA? I will always think of Tiffany as an AAA wrestler who happened to be in CMLL because her biggest career highlights came in that promotion – but she’s been in CMLL for so long.

Titan won the Vive Latino festival championship. In other words, he won a random three way match over Euforia and Prometeo for a title that may appear this week and then not again until maybe next year. CMLL says their shows at the music festival were successful; it’s hard to tell.

CMLL (TUE) 03/19/2024 Arena México
1) Micro Gemelo Diablo I & Micro Gemelo Diablo II vs Micro Dito & Mije
2) Legendario & Xelhua vs Felino Jr. & Okumura
3) Acero & Angelito vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pierrothito
4) Futuro, Max Star, Neón vs Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido
5) Atlantis, Blue Panther, Valiente vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible
6) Máscara Dorada, Místico, Titán vs Rocky Romero, Soberano Jr., Templario

The unnamed Romero, Soberano, and Templario unit finally team up. The minis feud is finally back in match 3. So is Micro Dito. Match four could be good but it’s a Tuesday.

CMLL (FRI) 03/22/2024 Arena México
1) Fuego & Hombre Bala Jr. vs El Coyote & Pólvora
2) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr., Zandokan Jr.
3) Lluvia, Stephanie Vaquer, Zeuxis vs La Catalina, Reyna Isis, Tessa Blanchard [Relevos Increíbles]
4) Flip Gordon, Místico, Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Rocky Romero
5) Atlantis & Soberano Jr. vs Dragón Rojo Jr. & Templario and Hechicero & Stuka Jr. and Disturbio & Virus [Torneo Incredible de Parejas, battle royal]

Final Friday before Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. Match 3 is a preview trios; they’ll run it back with Willow in Isis’ spot next Friday. Zandokan and Esfinge also meet up before their title match. The main event figures out the last two spots on the card, and it’s be a shock if anyone besides Soberano and Atlantis Jr. make it through.

The Star Jr./Magnus match from MLW is up on their YouTube channel. It was good. MLW also advertised a Virus versus Star Jr. on 03/29. The graphic itself had Virus and Star Jr.’s names swapped, and gives away that Virus isn’t advancing in the Torneo Incredible de Parejas this week. Not that’s a surprise, but both errors are tells no one in charge in MLW is actually watching CMLL; they just read in the WON that it was hot and called Rocky Romero for some names.

AAA

AAA will have a press conference in a few hours to announce the full TripleMania lineup. I’ll be a follow up post today, if it streams.

AAA TV (SAT) 03/16/2024 Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal [AAA, IG: Orizabaluchalibre]
1) Adelicious, Belcegor, Taurus b Colmillo de Plata, Garra de Oro, Reina Dorada
Adelicious appeared to be the former Miss Delicious.
2) Faby Apache, La Parkita, Mr. Iguana, Pimpinela Escarlata b Bengala, Dalys, Jessy Queen, Parkita Negra
Faby/Dalys are feuding.
3) Oscar Sevilla & Súper Caló b Charly Manson & Nygma
4) Laredo Kid b Octagón Jr.Aerostar
Octagon Jr. got moved up and AAA didn’t replace him, just switched this tag to a three way.
5) Octagón Jr. © b Mecha Wolf [AAA LA]
Earlier, a segment officially introduced Pagano, Charly Manson and Mecha Wolf as the new Vatos Locos. Pagano is still out of action due to an arm injury and this was made a title match instead. Octagon Jr. retrained, then the debuting Parker Boudreaux attacked everyone.
6) Dark Cuervo, Dark Ozz, Dark Scoria b Dave The Clown, Murder Clown, Panic Clown
Secta won after putting Murder Clown through a table. Mesias showed up and had a secret conversation with La Secta.
7) El Patrón Alberto b Psycho ClownCibernético [AAA MEGAFacebook video (posted by )
Earlier, Konnan announced Vikingo was stripped of the Megachampionship due to injury, and the winner of this match would fight for an opponent TBA at TripleMania Monterrey. Vampiro appeared and asked to be added to the match; Konnan said no, but introduced the return of old friend Mesias, who said he’d team with Vampiro on his retirement tour. La Secta ran in the match to help Cibernetico, Psycho Circus ran them off. Alberto submitted Psycho to win. Three masked men attacked everyone after the match, while an eye logo appeared on the screen.

By my guessing, this airs April 13 and 20th. Attendance looked slightly down from January but still about 90% full.

I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up but AAA might actually have been building TripleMania matches here. They should know the lineup if they’re announcing it two days later. The main event is obviously building to it, but maybe Mesias saying he’s going to team with Vampiro and getting in front of Parker Boudreaux will set something up.

On one of the many episode of his podcast, Konnan said Hijo del Vikingo told him he was planning to work through 2024 and then get knee surgery in December. The knee didn’t hold out that long, AAA’s vacated Vikingo’s Megachampionship, and Alberto is one of the people who will fight for it. My hunch is Alberto was penciled in to beat Vikingo for the championship some point later this year; most likely at TripleMania Mexico City. It’s the match Alberto has been pushing for since the moment he made his latest return, and it also would’ve given AAA about half the year to see if they could trust Alberto. That’s all out of the window now, and Alberto seems likely to get the title at TripleMania Monterrey. A lot of international fans are going to be upset with that decision. A bunch of similar Mexico fans are going to be happy; they’ve wanted a “real heavyweight” champ for a while and now they believe everything in AAA will be much better. (These two groups of fans have no concept of each other.) I’m just relieved I don’t have to see the match where Alberto beats Vikingo.

Hijo del Vikingo posted a message on Instagram talking about how proud he was to take the Megachampionship to new places, how disappointed he was to leave it vacant, and how it’s now his goal to win it back.

(There are a lot of questions of where this will leave Vikingo when he returns. Vikingo became champion because Kenny Omega wanted to wrestle him, and then no longer could wrestle him. Omega would’ve been happy to lose to Vikingo if that match had happened, but we’ll never been sure if AAA would’ve gone along with it. I don’t know if Vikingo gets that chance again. I don’t know how this affects Vikingo’s booking in AEW, where it’s seemed AAA hasn’t wanted him losing while champion but AEW was disinterested in using him in any sort of important role if they couldn’t occasionally beat him. We’re still months away from knowing the answers to any of this.)

Parker Boudreaux is a name wrestling insiders and some fans have been obsessed with despite him never panning out. Boudreaux started out in WWE’s NXT in 2021. He got a lot interest from fans because of his looks – he looks like a smaller Brock Lesnar and was assumed to have similar potential. Historically, half of wrestling has just been looking the part, but he hasn’t demonstrated much more beyond that. He wrestled on TV as Harland, but didn’t wrestle much – just very short matches. Harland rarely lost, so it was a surprise when he was part one of WWE’s mass cuts in 2022. Reporting on his release mentioned Boudreaux was injury-prone and wasn’t showing progression. Still, he was highly regarded at one time, so MLW brought him in for a one shot, then AEW signed him to a contract. Boudreaux once again spent most of his time on the developmental show (this time AEW Dark) wrestling short matches. He was briefly allied with Swerve Strickland, had a TV match where he looked unready for the spot, and has never appeared on TV again. Fightful Select reported in June that Boudreaux suffered an (unspecified injury), then noted in December that Boudreaux was seen at the Jacksonville taping but still has no return date.

Boudreaux is someone who is going to need a lot more work if he’s ever has a chance of getting better, but AAA is not a place where Boudreaux is going to work a lot (or get better.) AAA also not a place where AEW is going to send someone to get better right now; those two groups do not appear on good terms. It’s reasonable to wonder if Parker Boudreaux is actually still in AEW at this point; he still on the website. Parker Boudreaux would have next to no name recognition from AAA fans.

For AAA, Parker Boudreaux is their Killer Kross: a heavyweight American who looks the part, who will likely squash all the unimportant people on the roster, and who they hope develops into something. Someone who’s washed out of WWE and AEW for just not being good enough is unlikely to improve in AAA, but AAA is also unlikely to attract foreign wrestlers who don’t have a major flaw or three. (If they’re better than that, there’s much better options for them.) The pattern with Kross was AAA repeatedly teasing they were going to put him in an important match and then never ever actually doing it. Boudreaux facing off with Mesias right away suggests they’re throwing him in to the fire right way. Boudreaux’s post-debut promos with Mas Lucha and Lucha Libre Online suggest he could use a mouthpiece.

(Sidebar: I have many more found memories of El Mesias than most people coming back for this Origenes tour, from both his AAA run and his Lucha Underground time. He also has looked as physically shot the last couple of years and then had health issues at the end of 2023. I hope he’s better now, but “broken down wrestler” versus “guy too green for NXT 2.0” may not go well.)

Adelicious/Miss Delicious was part of Luchatitlan before that shut down. Anyone new getting thrown on TV with AAA is going to get a name they own at the moment. Even if it feels like they spent ten minuts on it.

AAA is back in Juan de la Barrera on May 11th. It seems like they’re going to run most of their tapings this year in Juan de la Barrera or the Showcenter. That cuts down on travel costs, since the Mexico City crew is all local and half the Monterrey shows are local wrestlers. AAA says they’re doing great, but seem to be making a lot decisions based on keeping costs down.

AAA TV started off the 02/18 taping. It was mostly built around Chessman and Alberto, who each laid out a group of preliminary wrestlers after the match. (Vampiro ended up doing it after the main event, so AAA booked the same angle three times in one show.) AAA debuted the new Taurus and acknowledged him as new, though most people would’ve noticed it was a new guy because Taurus suddenly got a lot worse at wrestling. I was told the issue is the mask, the former Dick Angelo 3G had trouble seeing on it, but it was a poor performance. The opener might have been the best match on the show, though the best sequences were between Epydemius and Estrellato in the segunda. Rey Leon, wrestling under the name of El Original for whatever reason, had a night to forget.

Alberto, in that TV main event, took out of his baseball jersey top to reveal – another shirt underneath it. It was odd to take off a shirt to reveal another shirt. He seems to have wrestled in a shirt on the TV taping too.

Negro Casas will be honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club with their 2024 Lucha Libre award.

Big Lucha

Big Lucha World (SAT) 03/16/2024 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal [Big Lucha, The Gladiatores, thecubsfan]
1) La Bomba & Reiyel b Depaysmen & M2R Flamita vs La Black Generation | Big Lucha World EP. 11 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA )
7:45.
2) Mr. Win & Tirano b Caballero de Plata & El Potro de Oro Flamita vs La Black Generation | Big Lucha World EP. 11 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA )
10:41. Caballero was upset with losing in his first match teaming with Potro de Oro, but Potro welcomed him to the promotion (full time?)
3) Big Tao Tao & Bogdan Klimov b Cometa Maya & Morfosis Flamita vs La Black Generation | Big Lucha World EP. 11 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA )
14:34.
4) Elipse, Iku, Orbita, Vengador b Atómico Jr., Black Skayde, Brujo, Zenky Flamita vs La Black Generation | Big Lucha World EP. 11 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA )
15:06. Elipse and Orbita had problems once again, and Atomico (who seemed to suffered an ankle injury) too advantage for the win. Zenki replaced Auzter.
5) Flamita & Ricky Marvin b Emperador Azteca & Limbo Flamita vs La Black Generation | Big Lucha World EP. 11 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA )
9:20. Limbo replaced Emperador Azteca; he and Torito Negro seemed to be now part of Black Generation. Marvin pinned Limbo. Flamita called out Emperador Azteca for not appearing, then asked Bendito if he had picked the wrong side. Bendito thanked Flamita for all he had done for him since forming Black Generation, pretended to ally with him, but then attacked both Flamita and Marvin.

The main event was good while it lasted. The post match came off like a possible write-off of Emperador Azteca, but he seems to tight with the promotion to disappear like that. I think it’s Elipse who’s the tecnico and kicked out of the group and Orbita who’s the rudo who is staying, but I have to keep checking it every time. Match 3 was up and down, Klimov wasn’t a great partner. Tirano had a rough night.

This was the first Saturday show and attendance seemed down. May have been a one week thing, may have been going against the AAA TV taping. Still, these have to be successful to be worth these guys losing the best day to pick up a match elsewhere.

Ricky Marvin’s mom opened a restaurant.

IWRG

IWRG (SUN) 03/17/2024 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, thecubsfan]
1) Galvánico & Torbellino b Dracula Ng & Vatopilas
2) Pequeño Centauro, Sacro, Sky Man b Fussion, Rey Aztaroth, Rey Halcón
3) Keyra & Shamila b Gema Andrade & Satania
4) Noisy Boy, Spider Fly, Tornado b Diamante Jr., Puma de Oro, Tarzan Duran
5) Ivan Rokov & Vangellys b Águila Roja & Multifacetico Jr.
6) DMT Azul b Hijo de Canis LupusHellboy
Hell Boy and DMT Azul worked together to beat Canis Lupus, with Hell Boy allowing DMT Azul to win (and then walked out of the ring and the arena.) Vangellys came out post match and challenged DMT Azul to sign a contract for an apuesta match. Both DMT Azul did, though he wanted two unspecified clauses. Canis Lupus also signed on, though he wanted DMT Azul 1v1.

Top few matches got changed around, in part because some of the names were over working the AULL show in Sala de Armas. Might as well put those results here.

AULL (SUN) 03/17/2024 Sala de Armas Magdalena Mixhuca, Ciudad México, Distrito Federal [La Tijera, Mas Lucha, Zona Ruda]
1) Chicanito b OsirisImpulsoFreelanceSádicoFelino Boy [Trofeo Rey Aereo] LIVE | Poker de Reyes: L.A. Park vs Rush vs DMT Azul vs BLue DEmon Jr. | AULL en Sala de Armas (posted by mluchatv)
2) Brazo Celestial, Brazo Cibernetico Jr., Brazo De Oro Jr., Sagitarius b Jessy Ventura, Mamba, Máximo, Quimera LIVE | Poker de Reyes: L.A. Park vs Rush vs DMT Azul vs BLue DEmon Jr. | AULL en Sala de Armas (posted by mluchatv)
3) Demonio Infernal, Fresero Jr., Trauma I, Trauma II b Pig Decapitador, Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool LIVE | Poker de Reyes: L.A. Park vs Rush vs DMT Azul vs BLue DEmon Jr. | AULL en Sala de Armas (posted by mluchatv)
4) Forastero (NGD) & Sansón b Hijo de LA Park & LA Park Jr. and Dralistico & La Bestia Del Ring and Galeno del Mal & Simon Blanco [Copa Dinastia] LIVE | Poker de Reyes: L.A. Park vs Rush vs DMT Azul vs BLue DEmon Jr. | AULL en Sala de Armas (posted by mluchatv) Sansón y Cuatrero vs Galeno del Mal y Simon Blanco vs Bestia del Ring y Dralistico vs L.A Parks AULL (posted by Estrellas del Ring)
Legado Wagenr added; unsurprisingly, Simon Blanco took the pin.
5) Rush b LA ParkBlue Demon Jr.DMT Azul [Copa Honor y Gloria] LIVE | Poker de Reyes: L.A. Park vs Rush vs DMT Azul vs BLue DEmon Jr. | AULL en Sala de Armas (posted by mluchatv)
The usual level of screwiness leading to Rush fouling LA Park for the win. LA Park wrestled the last couple of minutes without a mask. Rush challenged LA Park for a hair/mask match in Estadio Azteca.

Mas Lucha has video of the post match. It’s was comical how much LA Park’s face was exposed, even as he’s talking about putting it on the line (for a match that’ll never happen.) I’m not sure how to read attendance; there seemed to be more seats filled on the floor than usual for this building, but one side of the bleachers was completely unfilled. They’d need to do 10-20x time this turnout to make an Estadio Azteca show worth doing.

ELITE

My instinct is for this section just to be the word “no” and to move on. But, I guess I’m supposed to be professional. Here’s the lineup:

Elite (SUN) 04/21/2024 Frontón México, Cuauhtémoc, Distrito Federal
1) Brazo Celestial, Brazo Cibernetico, Brazo De Oro Jr. vs Difunto, Rokambole, Villano V Jr.
2) Arez, Látigo, Toxin vs Bestia 666, Dr. Karonte Jr., Verdugo
3) Dios del Inframundo, Rey Horuz, Xtreme Tiger vs Mocho Cota, Súper Fly, Tito Santana
4) Black Beast & DMT Azul vs Forastero (Indie) & Sansón
5) Komander vs DralisticoMetalik
6) Rush vs LA Park

The poster lists Fronton Mexico as the venue. Fronton Mexico has no mention of this show at this point. The poster lists tickets on Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster has no listing for this show at this point. (You can see Fronton Mexico’s Ticketmaster page here.) Those could be fixed later, but a competent promotion would have those tickets on sale when they’ve started to promote their show. It’s instead another indicator this might not on the up and up. Their social media was still posting “where will we run?” teasers a day after half the wrestlers had posted the card. There was no mention of where or if the show might be broadcast. Fronton Mexico has been used by various lucha libre promotions over the year – including opposition to EMLL in the 50s – but was most recently the venue for TNA when they were taping in Mexico City.

Elite had a press conference to talk about this show on Saturday. I assume it was planned for a while since LA Park was already going to be in Mexico City, but it didn’t seem like many people knew it was happening. Carlo Colin, who’s been one of the two Lucha Libre Elite promoters in the, fronted the group here. He said their second show would be in July back in Fronton Mexico, that would be their base in Mexico City, and they’d run more frequently in that venue. They have plans to run Monterrey, Toluca and other places near Mexico City. Colin said they’re on good terms with both AAA and CMLL but Elite is doing their own thing this time around

The interpromotional relationships does bring up a good question of how AAA feels about some of ‘their’ people working this show. Komander is AAA champion but not under contract to AAA, so he can work where he wants. Forastero & Sanson are believed to be under AAA contract, but maybe not one that prohibits this if they’re booked. AAA’s rules and thoughts on outside bookings are evershifting – some of the Orignes crew continues to work Robles shows, which was a big no no 12 months ago – so maybe AAA is fine with these appearances.

The top three matches on this show all seem certain to have messy finishes. That’s part of the attraction with Rush & LA Park, and with much of the NGD/DMT Azul indie matches. Metalik reportedly refused to lose to Komander in ROH, was booked once more, and then never again. It didn’t seem to specifically a Metalik issue with Komander – he was just tried of losing, and has gone out of his way to make sure he doesn’t have to lose since leaving AEW. (Metalik’s bookings also have diminished noticably.) AEW wrestlers generally do not lose outside of AEW, which means Komander and Dralistico shouldn’t be losing either. I suspect both the promoter and the other two wrestlers are going to look at Komander and expect him to take the fall, even though he’s the only one of the three on TV regularly and is an actual AAA champion at the moment. The best thing to do would be Dralistico or Metalik losing to each other to set up a feud, the problem is no one trusts those sorts of things to work out long term.

I presume this Difunto is not the CMLL one. Black Beast is not Black Taurus’ AEW name. Carta Brava says he’s an independent now and may rejoin Poder del Norte; he and wife Goya Kong were working on the Luchatitlan show until that closure.

This show is the same day as AEW Dynasty, which means Rush and Dralistico won’t be around for that one. They haven’t been around for a while. Rush hasn’t wrestled in AEW since 12/30. Dralistico hasn’t wrestled in AEW since 11/22. Both say they’re healthy and they have visas. Rush has been trying to keep himself in the news with various social media posts. AEW does have a habit of people disappearing for long stretches for either no obvious reason or no reason at all, so this could all be nothing. It is the Munoz family though, and they seem to be a magnet for weird events. Rush did talk to the press at the Elite press conference and re-iterated that everything is good with him and AEW, he’s signed there for many years, and he’d be happy to work with CMLL again if they wanted to do it. I believe that part; none of the people (Penta, Komander, Rush, Dralistico) potentially being blocked from appearing on AEW have an issue with CMLL or with working with their guys. The issue is all on the CMLL side, and there’s no indication they’re changing.

Other News

A El Hijo del Santo led show in San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz (just outside the capital city) drew a huge crowd. It was a free show, and a politician who appears to be involved for it says there were “more than 10,000 people” in attendance. I’m not sure if I’d go that high, but the photos show a very big crowd.

Morelia Film Festival has a long story about the El Halcon movie.

There’s a new book about the history of lucha libre in Monterrey.

ESTO has a profile of trans luchador Ariana Mami.

A profile of Salamanca luchador Tiger King.

CMLL Torneo Increible de Parejas begins, AAA in CDMX, Jarochita out,

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 03/15/2024 Arena México
1) Halcón Suriano Jr. & Leono vs Emperador Jr. & Platino Kid
2) Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso, Stigma vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
3) Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible
4) Atlantis Jr., Hechicero, Volador Jr. vs Averno, Templario, Titán [Relevos Increíbles]
5) Máscara Dorada & Rocky Romero vs Ángel de Oro & Flip Gordon and Euforia & Gran Guerrero and Akuma & Dulce Gardenia [Torneo Increible de Parejas]

There’s almost no drama in this CMLL tournament, though the matches themselves look promising. It looks like Dorada/Romero vs Akuma/Dulce, Angel/Flip vs Euforia/GG, and a final of Dorado/Romero vs Euforia/GG. All those have a chance to be something. So does the semimain, given the names involved. Los Barbaros will probably work as the tecnicos in the tercera, and get good reaction that way. Match 2 is a rare match for Los Cancerberos that isn’t against one of the other three feuding teams. Emprador and Platino are returning from the Comarca Lagunero Torneo de Escuela team.

Reminder that DST is in effect in the US and other places; both the Friday CMLL and Saturday AAA streams are an hour later than they were last week if you changed your clock.

CMLL (SAT) 03/16/2024 Arena Coliseo
1) Diamond, Novato, Rayo Metálico vs Grako, Multy, Sangre Imperial
2) Alom vs Infarto [lightning]
3) Astral, Fuego, Hombre Bala Jr. vs Difunto, Felino Jr., Misterioso Jr.
4) La Catalina & Marcela vs Amapola & Reyna Isis
5) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs Hijo del Villano III, Magnus, Zandokan Jr.
6) Máscara Dorada & Volador Jr. vs Bárbaro Cavernario & Templario

That’s a fun main event on a Friday show, not sure what will happen here. Puebla’s Multy was not in this year’s Torneo de Escuelas but he’s sneaking in with others from that Puebla group in the opener.

CMLL (viva Barba Promotions) is also part of the Vive Latino Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Amazon Music is a sponsor of the two day concert festival and will be streaming it on their Twitch channel; maybe we’ll get a glimpse of the wrestling.

CMLL (SUN) 03/17/2024 Arena México
1) Astro Boy Jr. & Hunter vs Dragón de Fuego & Forneo
2) Persephone vs Tiffany [lightning]
3) El Audaz, Futuro, Max Star vs Dark Magic, Espanto Jr., Raider
4) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa vs Gemelo Diablo II, Pólvora, Sagrado
5) Panterita del Ring, Valiente, Volcano vs Felino Jr., Kráneo, Mephisto
6) Flip Gordon, Místico, Star Jr. vs Niebla Roja, Rocky Romero, Stuka Jr.

The Mexico City Torneo de Escuelas squad makes up the opener. That minis feud really has disappeared. That one at least ahs the match; the four way trios feud seems on break this week – maybe they’ll get back to it when Cholo’s cleared to return?

CMLL (TUE) 03/19/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Amenaza Negra Jr., Mandala, Obek vs La Pesadilla, Rav, Shezmu
2) Adira, Dulce Kitty, Náutica vs Diablita Roja, Estrellita Mágica, Lady Metal
3) Astro Oriental, Gallo Jr., Rafaga Jr. vs Calavera Jr. I, Calavera Jr. II, Temerario
4) Furia Roja, Guerrero de la Muerte, Ráfaga vs Crixus, Difunto, Vegas
5) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs Arlequín, Gallero, Halcón Negro Jr.
6) Atlantis Jr., Flip Gordon, Star Jr. vs Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr., Zandokan Jr.

La Escuadra get a main event in Guadalajara, might be good. Arlequin being back here could mean Cholo’s back already.

La Jarochita announced Wednesday that she was leaving CMLL for an undetermined time. She planned to return when she was “100% healthy”, thanked CMLL and their management for their support, and asked that people continue buying her merchandise as she’s out of action. La Jarochita and Lluvia lost the national tag team titles last Friday; Jarochita sold an arm injury at the end of the match. I don’t believe she suffered an arm injury and she’s clear she’s not wrestling anywhere else any time soon. It’s not hard to guess what’s actually happening, but she’s preferring to keep it private.

Stephanie Vaquer is clearly the best full time woman (Amazona) in CMLL. La Jarochita would’ve been my easy pick for the second best wrestler. I’m not sure who the second best woman is, only that there’s a wide gap between Vaquer and #2 now.

The attention on Stephanie Vaquer – and more so the Chilean consulate in Japan’s wardrobe who took a photo with her – turned into a viral story in Chile for a couple of days. Somewhere along the lines, media outlets actually looked into this Stephanie Vaquer lady and found out her Chilean peers think very positively of her wrestling work. For her part, Vaquer was surprised with the attention the title win got outside of Japan & Mexico, especially from the United States.

CMLL Informa revealed the lineup for the 04/06 Arena Coliseo 81st Anniversary show:

CMLL (SAT) 04/06/2024 Arena Coliseo
1) Forneo & Novato vs Calavera Jr. I & Calavera Jr. II
2) Legendario vs Xelhua [lightning]
3) Andrómeda, La Catalina, Skadi vs Dark Silueta, Stephanie Vaquer, Zeuxis
4) Akuma & Espanto Jr. vs Hijo del Villano III & Villano III Jr. [Arena Coliseo TAG]
1st defense
5) Atlantis, Blue Panther, Octagón vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible
6) Máscara Dorada & Místico vs Soberano Jr. & Templario

Los Villanos are challenging for the Arena Coliseo Tag Titles. Similar titles were held by their uncles Villano I & II around 1973. Last year’s Arena Coliseo show featured a cibernetico of Torneo de Escuelas standouts. The tag title match replaces it as the marquee event and the new kids are sprinkled into the early matches instead. This show has gone up on CMLL’s YouTube the last couple of years, so it’ll probably be there again this year even though CMLL didn’t say as much. No idea what tier it’d be under though.

CMLL put up the Guerrero Maya Jr/Difunto match at 2 AM on Friday. I have not watched it yet.

Cronistas del Ring has an interview with Akuma, who mentions he went to an CMLL Aniversario at the age of 13 and it convinced him to become a luchador. That would’ve been the Villano V/Blue Panther year. Akuma seems like the kind of fan who would’ve enjoyed the Dr. Wagner versus LA Park, a match CMLL prohibited from airing on TV and led to CMLL parting ways with both wrestlers. It’s probably a really good thing Jon Moxley’s match is airing live now that I think about it. Akuma is Demus’ half brother and was living in Saltillo with his parents at that point. The situation around Saltillo – lots of drug trafficking and narcos trying to recruit teenagers – that they were OK with young Akuma going to Mexico City even if meant he was living on his own when Demus was booked elsewhere.

Dulce Gardenia, also promoting the tag match tonight, says he’s moved back to Torreon to take care of his ill mother and he feels that’s why his trio hasn’t had the chemistry the same as past years.

AAA

AAA is back in Mexico City Saturday.

AAA TV (SAT) 03/16/2024 Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal
1) ? & ?? vs ??? & ????
2) Faby Apache, La Parkita, Mr. Iguana, Pimpinela Escarlata vs Bengala, Dalys, Jessy Queen, Parkita Negra
3) Myzteziz Jr. & Octagón Jr. vs Aerostar & Laredo Kid
4) Oscar Sevilla & Súper Caló vs Charly Manson & Nygma
5) Pagano vs ? vs Mecha Wolf
6) Dave The Clown, Murder Clown, Panic Clown vs Dark Cuervo, Dark Ozz, Dark Scoria
7) Psycho Clown vs Cibernético vs El Patrón Alberto

Not much of note happened in Saltillo last week, so the same questions remain: What’s Vikingo’s status? How does that affect the Mega championship? How about those trios titles? Is Pagano wrestling? Will anything be announced for TripleMania Monterrey? That show – on April 27th, six weeks away – appears to be the next taping.

AAA on Space should start to air matches from the 02/18 Showcenter taping this week.

AAA’s promoting Vampiro’s retirement tour coming to Arena Queretaro on 04/19. That appears to not be a TV taping. AAA also promoted a last show for 03/24 Vampiro in Ecatepec on social media; they rarely mention non-TV shows, so maybe this is a Vampiro retirement thing.

IWRG

IWRG (THU) 03/14/2024 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG]
1) Shamila b Príncipe Centauro [IWRG Tryout, semifinalIWRG EN VIVO | GRAN FINAL TRYOUT 2024 | PANDEMIA VS MALA FAMA (posted by IWRG tv)
Judges said both should advance to the final.
2) Sky Man b Sacro [IWRG Tryout, semifinalIWRG EN VIVO | GRAN FINAL TRYOUT 2024 | PANDEMIA VS MALA FAMA (posted by IWRG tv)
Skyman advanced to the final by judges decision. Coaches DMT Azul and Hijo de Canis Lupus argued, DMT Aul hit Sky Man, Hell Boy ran in but allied himself with DMT Azul
3) Kagura b Águila Roja IWRG EN VIVO | GRAN FINAL TRYOUT 2024 | PANDEMIA VS MALA FAMA (posted by IWRG tv)
setting up a title match
4) Jessy Queen & Mamba b Hijo de Canis Lupus & Pig Destroyer IWRG EN VIVO | GRAN FINAL TRYOUT 2024 | PANDEMIA VS MALA FAMA (posted by IWRG tv)
5) Sky Man b ShamilaPríncipe Centauro [IWRG Tryout, finalIWRG EN VIVO | GRAN FINAL TRYOUT 2024 | PANDEMIA VS MALA FAMA (posted by IWRG tv)
Skyman won the match final rankings were Shamila 1, Skyman 2, Principe Centauro 3 – but all earned IWRG contracts.
6) Arez, Látigo, Toxin b Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. [IWRG IC TRIOSIWRG EN VIVO | GRAN FINAL TRYOUT 2024 | PANDEMIA VS MALA FAMA (posted by IWRG tv)
La Mala Fama won the titles.

The Tryout seems not to have captured the interest of my bubble but IWRG did draw a good turnout for a Thursday show. Shamila seems OK but it’s also weird for her not to win the wrestling portion of the match and then the judges say she’s the best.

Arez, Latigo and Toxin are now going as Mala Fama. Latigo once was part of an a similar indie trio with Centvrion and Fly Warrior as Mala Hiebra; “Bad Fame” is an easier name for gringos to pronounce.

IWRG has a fan code of conduct message now, or at least they had one at the start of their show. I don’t think I’ve see that at a Mexican wrestling show.

IWRG was promoting this airing as “exclusive” which sounds like they had another falling out, but Mas Lucha was still posting IWRG content this morning. Mas Lucha was busy promoting a show from March 2nd as airing live. It seems like the YouTubers have also been staying away or been asked to stay away from Naucalpan lately. (They all seem to have popped up at Big Lucha instead.)

IWRG (SUN) 03/17/2024 Arena Naucalpan
1) Galvánico & Torbellino vs Dracula Ng & Vatopilas
2) Pequeño Centauro, Sacro, Sky Man vs Fussion, Rey Aztaroth, Rey Halcón
3) Keyra & Shamila vs Gema Andrade & Satania
4) Noisy Boy, Spider Fly, Tornado vs Diamante Jr., Puma de Oro, Tarzan Duran
5) Jessy Ventura, Mamba, Multifacetico Jr. vs Águila Roja, Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Vangellys
6) DMT Azul vs Hijo de Canis Lupus?

I hit post, then I realized I type this lineup in another tab, so the email subscribers will never know this blah IWRG lineup. They’re mixing in the new Tryout people; hope the regular IWRG people are ready to pick up bookings elsewhere.

Big Lucha

Big Lucha World (SAT) 03/16/2024 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal
1) La Bomba & Reiyel vs Depaysmen & M2R
2) Caballero de Plata & El Potro de Oro vs Mr. Win & Tirano
3) Cometa Maya & Morfosis vs Big Tao Tao & Bogdan Klimov
4) Elipse, Iku, Orbita, Vengador vs Atómico Jr., Auzter, Black Skayde, Brujo
5) Flamita & Ricky Marvin vs Bendito & Emperador Azteca

These are now Saturday shows starting at 7 pm local.  Bendito seems to have allied with Azteca in the Black Generation split. Semifinal follows up on the Atomico Jr/Elipse match (which is really just setting up Elipse/Orbita, we all know.) Klimov, another Russian who’s appeared in Mexico somehow, didn’t look impressive in his previous appearance but that’s a good chance for a fun match otherwise. What would really be great is some sort of destination; this is the 10th Big Lucha World show with no sign of a ‘major’ show. Maybe that’s not even the concept any more.

Other News

There’s a GoFundMe fundraiser for Psicosis/Nicho, who fractured his hip in a match.

Lucha Libre Elite has been posting for the last few days talking about a return. It’s nothing but talent announcements or teases of announcements. Dralistico indicated he and his family are involved, as did Metalik. I’m not doing the Lucha Libre Elite reminder/explainer unless they announce a date; they’ve teased returns prior that haven’t happened. Their prior social media posts were teasing a return in 2022 that never happened. There’s also no surer sign that promotion won’t last long than the Munoz being involved – they’ve now got a long track record attaching themselves to promotions that are doomed from the start. This version of Lucha Libre Elite will likely be another entertaining disaster, if it happens. It’s going to be silly when the Mexican press treats this like a real viable thing, but all it takes is Elite to put out a press release to talk about how they’re really doing it that time and it’ll get copied and pasted on news sites.

This Elite potential revival got me to thinking about all the groups that ran that Rush/LA Park singles match, and how most of them are no longer with us:

2016-06-03 Titan: no longer exists
2016-07-14 Elite: stopped promoting multiple times
2016-07-31 MDA: stopped after 2019 (pandemic?)
2017-03-11 BARACAL: ran 3 shows then done
2017-08-06 MDA/Lucha Memes: Memes still exists!
2018-06-22 CMLL: still exists
2018-10-14 RWC: no longer exists
2018-10-14 unnamed Saltillo group: guessing no
2019-06-22 Baja Wrestling: no longer exists
2019-10-13 AKINO: no longer exists
2021-07-17: Sanchez/Invasion Indy: no longer exists

Out of the 11 promoters, only CMLL, Lucha Memes (in a smaller form) and Sanchez/Invasion Indy (the regular Arena Neza promotion) are still with us. There were a lot of people spending some good money to play wrestling promoter in the 2010s, you only hope they got some fun out of it.

Arena Lopez Mateos announced that their AULL on Saturday show in their building is canceled. Dr. Wagner & Rush vs Mesias & LA Park was the scheduled the main event. The same group of luchadors (only Demon in for Mesias) and the same promoter are scheduled to run Sunday in Mexico City’s Sala de Armas. AULL is clear that show is still happening. It’s unclear why they’d cancel the show in their home venue but still run an unusual outside show.

Cinta de Oro talks about his career. He’s been promoting shows in El Paso and plans to do it every two months. His 15 year old son wants to wrestle and he plans to stay in long enough to wrestle with him.

The 36th season premiere of the Amazing Race aired on Wednesday and included a lucha libre challenge. Twenty luchadors would rush to a ring and split up to fight against each other as set pairs in a battle royal, fight for a few minutes, and then rush back out of the ring. The task was to correctly match up five of those pairs. This season was filmed back in summer of 2022 – it’s airing late as a knockoff affect from the writer’s strike. One of the local wrestlers who happened to be prominently included was Zandokan Jr., who would’ve been in his last days in Jalisco before moving to Mexico City full time. Hermano Calavera II, Draego and (Rey) Triton were also among the wrestlers to match up. Half the field was decoys and weren’t shown as closely, but I thought I spotted Rayman and one of the Hermano Muertes among them. The show was in Puerto Vallarta, and most of the wrestlers seemed from four hours away in Guadalajara. There were some I didn’t recognize at all, so maybe those were locals I don’t see as much.

Diario de Queretaro has a profile of Queretaro super fan Luz Daniela Hernandez Bocanegra. Her father was known as reverent fan Pancho Pantera, who’d bring a drum to the shows and wear a trademark ha. He passed away and she’s carrying on his legacy, with the same drum and hat. She’s a ruda fan.

A profile of Toluca’s LLPT promotion.

Rey Destroller (2003-2024), Mistico keeps MLW title, ex-Vipers in IWRG

CMLL

CMLL (MON) 03/11/2024 Arena Puebla [El Sol de Puebla, Porra Fresa]
1) Black Tiger, Blue Shark, Hijo de Centella Roja b King Jaguar, Rencor, Sombra Diabólika Facebook video (posted by )
2) El Malayo, Enfermero Jr., Rey Apocalipsis b Halcón Suriano Jr., Meyer, Xelhua
3) El Coyote, Kráneo, Okumura b Arkalis, Rey Samuray, Volcano Facebook video (posted by )
4) Akuma, Espanto Jr., Flip Gordon b Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Titán
Ola Negra won again to set up a tag title match next week.
5) Averno, Brillante Jr., Euforia b Místico, Neón, Star Jr. Facebook video (posted by )
Star Jr. replaced Mascara Dorada. Mistico got La Mistica on Averno, but Euforia pulled off the mask and Averno cradled Mistico for the pin.

Weirdly, the tag title match doesn’t appear to be happening next week.

CMLL (TUE) 03/12/2024 Arena México [CMLL, thecubsfan]
1) Capitán Suicida, Halcón Suriano Jr., Valiente Jr. b Calavera Jr. I, Calavera Jr. II, Inquisidor
8:57
2) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Hijo de Blue Panther b Crixus, Raider, Vegas
12:08
3) Andrómeda, La Catalina, Skadi b Amapola, Dark Silueta, Zeuxis
12:41.
4) Star Jr. b Zandokan Jr.
7:09. Zandokan and Star continued to fight post match.
5) Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero b Atlantis, Flip Gordon, Titán
13:23
6) Místico © b Ángel de Oro [MLW MIDDLE]
14:10. 1st defense

A medium effort Martes, with weaker crowd reactions than usual. Mistico seemed to get cut underneath his mask during the main event and it may have changed the flow of that match; both the referee and Angel de Oro were visibly talking to him afterwards, and there weren’t as many near falls even with that time. Angel de Oro came close, then just got beat quickly with La Mistica. Star Jr. and Zandokan was a lightning match length stretched out over three falls. It did allow them just to do big moves, though Star Jr. needs more creative idea than doing all of Titan’s springboard stomp spots. It looks like the feud is carrying on. Both Andromeda and Skadi slipped on the middle rope in a rough first fall, but they got back into in the last two. The Panthers are normal reliable acts and I really like that unnamed Raider/Crixus/Vegas trio, but there was some energy missing there. The opener was mostly the Calaveras being very happy to take whatever flashy moves the tencicos wanted to do, which must’ve made both the tecnicos and Inquisidor happy; he wasn’t the one falling hard off the apron.

CMLL (TUE) 03/12/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) Fúnebre, Mortis, Ponzoña Jr. b Cowboy, Garabato, Halcón de Plata
Halcon de Plata picked up an injury.
2) Atilius, Maximus, Rey Urano b Exterminador, Javier Cruz Jr., Maléfico
3) Draego, Gallero, Halcón Negro Jr. b Apocalipsis, Arlequín, Disturbio
4) El Coyote, Okumura, Pólvora b Adrenalina, Explosivo, Fantástico
5) La Maligna, Lluvia, Marcela b Hera, Olympia, Reyna Isis
6) Magnus, Rugido, Volador Jr. b Bestia Negra, Persa, Templario

The start of daylight savings time means it’s even less likely I’m going to be watching these Guadalajara shows live, and most of these will be just results. Didn’t seem like much of note happened here.

CMLL Informa has

  • Atlantis (?)
  • Stephanie Vaquer (NJPW Strong)
  • Marcela, Skadi, Andromeda (8M show)
  • Villano III Jr. & Hijo del Villano III (?)
  • Legendario, Calavera Jr. I, Calavera Jr. II (new faces?)

CMLL (MON) 03/18/2024 Arena Puebla
1) Acero & Angelito vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pierrothito
2) Meyer vs Prayer
3) Futuro, Valiente, Xelhua vs El Malayo, Multy, Siki Osama
4) Arkalis, Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso vs Gemelo Diablo II, Okumura, Sagrado
5) Hechicero, Máscara Dorada, Volador Jr. vs Rocky Romero, Stigma, Titán [Relevos Increíbles]
6) Místico vs Euforia

This is another Monday holiday show (5 pm start), so there’s a chance it’ll turn up as a bonus stream. Gemelo Diablo II wrestling here; Gemelo I hasn’t been seen in a month. Valiente seems much lower than usual. He probably should be in Stigma’s spot but it’s Puebla.

Stephanie Vaquer met with the Chile embassy in Japan to show off her new title belt. The photo has picked up a lot of attention with Chileans upset with the casual way the consul is dressed.

La Catalina and the CMLL women’s show are on the cover on Box y Lucha 3594.

A man believed to be Mistico’s brother is also accused of killing a man in Mexico City. This is all social media posts for right now, though that seems to be the way violent crime gets reported in Mexico City right now. Carlos Jimenez had the initial report that mentioned Mistico. Antonio Nieto, who you may remember from the La Hiedra leaked Whatsapp messages sory, seems to have reported on the killing without mentioning any lucha libre connection. (Be warned, his photos include the body.) The full story, as put together here, is that Lenin Molina, 29 years old, was walking home with his brother Odin this past weekend. He stopped to urinate in a flower planter in front of a residence. Molina did it in full view of a woman who lives in that residence, Lesly Huitron, which upset her. She called her husband, Mauricio Uribe, out of the house to take care of it. Uribe is accused of shooting Lenin Molina several times, leading to his death. Odin Molina was also shot, but survived. Uribe was said to have fled the scene. Huitron was taken into the custody, where she asked the police to call her “famous brother-in-law” to help – that’s the connection to Mistico. Mistico has some non-wrestling brothers and it’s possible this is one of them. Jimenez found social media photos of a Mauricio Uribe with Mistico and one of the Dr. Karontes, referring to them as family, so it’s probably more than just having the same last name. There is a police investigation, no charges have been filed yet and none of the wrestling family members have commented on the situation. Neither Mistico nor any other Karonte wrestling member is believed connected to the incident. The social media posts came out on Monday night and there’s been no advancement of the story in the two days since. It feels like there’s a missing part between “public urination” and “gunshots” that’s missing in this story.

Rey Destroller

Monterrey’s Rey Destroller (Jose Orlando Regalado Alonso, 22) passed away Tuesday, following his collapse during a March 2nd match for RIOT. Destroller suffered an aneurysm in his brain, thought by doctors to be a pre-existing condition. There was no signs of trauma, it was simply the adrenaline and increased blood pressure from a wrestling match which caused the fatal injury. This matches the causes of death of 2020 Principe Aereo, who also collapsed during a match and was declared dead at the hospital. Rey Destroller made it to hospital, but medical studies over the weekend found he had no brain activity; I believe he never regained consciousness after he passed out in the ring. Everyone seems to have done their best for Rey Destroller but it was just a matter of time before his body gave out.

I keep seeing Rey Destroller’s death reflexively referred to as an “accident”, and that inaccurately implies a specific cause or mishap. The frustrating part of Rey Destroller’s is there is no mishap or oversight to correct. It wasn’t risky moves or a poor ring or bad lucha libre teachers at fault. A headscissors spot definitely failed in the match, but those who trained Destroller did well to teach him to rotate his body and land on his shoulder and back instead of his head. Neither Destroller or his opponents took unusual risks during the match. He didn’t lack immediate medical care: RIOT had a stretcher, a medic and an ambulance waiting in case of a situation like this but none of it mattered – he could’ve collapsed in an operating room and they likely wouldn’t have been able to reverse the brain damage. Rey Destroller was a seemingly healthy 22 year old who any commission would’ve licensed, without knowing he had a impending serious medical condition. There’s no way to find out who else might be at risk of something similar unless someone comes up with every aspiring luchador (or athlete) gets a brain scan, and that doesn’t seem economically feasible. Rey Destroller could’ve never been a luchador and the same thing could’ve happened while he was at a party or driving a car. He was a luchador and there’s a lot of emotion that has to go somewhere. It’ll probably be directed towards RIOT and the local commission for lack of any better answer, but there are no good solutions to be found. There’s nothing deep I can say here; this just sucks.

AAA put up a message acknowledging Rey Destroller’s passing, a classy gesture toward. Latin Lover mentioned he had delivered the money AAA helped him raise for the family on Monday.

(The wire stories on Rey Destroller has many details wrong. He was teaming with Black Spider Jr., not wrestling against him. He his head did not suffer an impact with the ring, as far as I’ve seen. His ring name was not spelled “Destroyer”, but that name and those details were all in the original TV story with his family and no one’s done any more reporting on it since. Some versions list Destroller as an AAA wrestler because AAA acknowledged the passing, but he never worked for them.)

IWRG

IWRG (THU) 03/14/2024 Arena Naucalpan
1) Shamila vs Príncipe Centauro [IWRG Tryout, semifinal]
2) Sky Man vs Sacro [IWRG Tryout, semifinal]
3) Águila Roja vs Kagura
4) ? vs ??? [IWRG Tryout, final]
5) Hijo de Canis Lupus & Pig Destroyer vs Jessy Queen & Mamba
6) Gran Pandemónium, Hijo de Pandemónium, Pandemónium Jr. vs Arez, Látigo, Toxin [IWRG IC TRIOS]

The main event is the first appearance of the ex-AAA trio since leaving that promotion. Match 3 is a rematch from Thursday (and setting up a title match, presumably.) Pig Destroyer was suspended on Sunday but unsuspended by Thursday. Principe Centauro stood out the most to me of the four people left in the tryout, though Shamila becoming the first ever women’s champion might create more interest.

Mistico, Mascara Dorada, Soberano Jr., Templario, Reina Isis and La Catalina will appear on a 04/07 Lucha Libre Boom show in Arena Naucalpan.

Other

Puebla luchadora Mirvan says she got approved for a wrestling license. Her goal is to make it to CMLL, though she notes she’s only 17 and has time to improve and get more experience. Mirvan is getting experience; I’ve seen her listed on 39 matches in the last six months. (It is hard to know what the license actual means when unlicensed people are wrestling that much.) Heraldo de Puebla says 17 men and 3 women got licenses, with the full list to be announced later this week.

A University of Arizona grad student got a scholarship to do a audio/visual lucha libre project.

CMLL 8M show, AAA in Saltillo, Demonic Flamita no more

CMLL

CMLL (FRI) 03/08/2024 Arena México [AS, CMLL, ESTOEstrellas del RingKaiser SportsThe Gladaitores, thecubsfan]
1) Náutica & Sexy Sol b Lady Amazona & Lady Metal CMLL - LADY METAL - LADY AMAZONA VS SEXY SOL - NÁUTICA / ARENA MÉXICO / 08-03-24 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) Sexy Sol & Náutica vs Lady Metal & Lady Amazona ARENA MÉXICO (posted by Estrellas del Ring) Sexy Sol y Naútica llevan a la cuenta de tres palmadas a Lady Amazona y Lady Metal (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
7:48
2) Marcela b AmapolaLa VaqueritaTiffanyLa MalignaMetálicaLa GuerreraValkiriaHeraOlympiaPersephoneDiablita Roja [Copa Irma Gonzalez] CMLL - TORNEO CIBERNÉTICO (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL: Marcela gana la Copa Irma González 2024 ante Amapola (posted by mluchatv) Eliminatoria para disputar la Copa Irma González (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre) Marcela vs Amapola FINAL COPA IRMA GONZÁLEZ/ARENA MÉXICO (posted by Estrellas del Ring)
26:00
3) Reyna Isis © b Zeuxis [MEX WOMENCMLL - CAMPEONATO NACIONAL FEMENIL / ZEUXIS (R) VS REYNA ISIS (C) / ARENA MÉXICO / 08-03-24 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL: Reina I. retiene el Campeonato Nacional Femenil ante Zeuxis (posted by mluchatv) Reina Isis (c) vs Zeuxis (r) CAMPEONATO NACIONAL FEMENIL/ARENA MÉXICO (posted by Estrellas del Ring) Reyna Isis retiene su Campeonato Nacional Femenil dando cuenta de Zeuxis (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
16:31. 3rd defense.
4) Dark Silueta © b La Catalina [CMLL JAPAN WOMEN] CMLL - CAMPEONATO CMLL-JAPÓN / LA CATALINA (R) VS DARK SILUETA (C) / ARENA MÉXICO / 08-03-24 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) Dark Silueta (c) vs La Catalina (r) CAMPEONATO FEMENIL DE JAPON CMLL (posted by Estrellas del Ring) Dark Silueta derrota a La Catalina con su rudeza y experiencia (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
13:39. 1st defense.
5) Andrómeda & Skadi b La Jarochita & Lluvia © [MEX WOMEN TAG] Campeonas y retadoras llegan para disputar el Campeonato Nacional de Parejas en la Noche de Amazonas (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre) CMLL - CAMPEONATO FEMENIL DE PAREJAS / ANDRÓMEDA - SKADI VS JAROCHITA - LLUVIA/ARENA MÉXICO/08-03-24 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL: Andromeda y Skadi ganan el Campeonato Nacional de Parejas ante Jarochita y Lluvia (posted by mluchatv)
12:28. La Chicas Indomables fall on their 14th defense (3.5 years).

All the matches on this women’s only show felt like the participants had been working on them for some time, and generally the matches succeeded or failed based on how well they were able to stick with their plans. My biggest complaint with this show was the matches just felt like a lot of moves, more than normal. Maybe it was because all the matches ended up being one fall, maybe it was a self-imposed pressure to show they could do as many of the big things the men can do, but there wasn’t much flow or direction to the matches. The best match was the Reyna Isis/Zeuxis match; the moves just came off as bigger in that one and they pulled off everything they were going for. On the other hand, the main event didn’t really work because the moves (and the turn taking) were all over the place. The main event finish came out of nowhere, and so against the flow of action, that I wondered if there was an injury or time call that motivated it. (La Jarochita needed some medical attention after the match but it appeared to be selling the finishing armbar.) The opener was not up to the standards of a usual CMLL show.

Logistically, Copa Irma Gonzalez works better on a standalone show than Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. Time is always going to be at crunch on a big show and a cibernetico always eats up a lot of time that could be used elsewhere on a big show. (This is the Copa TripleMania dilemina.) The flipside is putting that match on an all women’s show every year means six to ten of the best luchadoras aren’t always going to be pulled out of it to work bigger matches, and CMLL doesn’t yet have the depth to accomdate that well.

CMLL had women in all the front facing roles. Gabi Bau, an edecan who doubles as La Catrina on the Dia del Muertos shows, was the ring announcer for the night. Ana Guiterrez and Gaby Fernandez de Lara were the announcers, with Amapola joining them after her match. Fernandez de Lara is a sportscaster who seems to do a lot on baseball. It’s been a while since I’ve heard Amapola in that role and I thought she was quite good. Princesa Sugehit was a better referee than Sanely, who was doing some slow (though consistent) counts. Neither was a big dropoff from the usual referees, which is more about the usual referees.

The women did the usual group celebration of all women to start the show, which plays better than seeing them all fight and be friends against the end of the event.

Arena Mexico attendance was less than usual for a Friday. CMLL probably was hoping the concept on this day would be a strong draw. Instead, the CMLL fans who do care about stars saw this as a show without many of them; these women have been presented as midcard acts to this point, and there’s not a hot star among them. Stephanie Vaquer being around might have helped slightly, but she hasn’t proven to be that big of a difference maker so far. The show still seemed to do OK enough that I’d expect the concept will return in 2025. March 8th will fall on a Saturday, and the pressure to draw in Arena Coliseo will be even less. The next Friday March 8th will be in 2030, and who knows where any of us will be six years from now.

CMLL (SAT) 03/09/2024 Arena Coliseo [CMLL, La Tijera]
1) Grako & Príncipe Odín Jr. b Leono & Retro Reporte CMLL: Príncipe Odin Jr y Grako Vs Leono y Retro (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
2) Eléctrico, Halcón Suriano Jr., Valiente Jr. b Enfermero Jr., Nitro, Sangre Imperial CMLL: Halcón Suriano Jr, Eléctrico y Valiente Jr. Vs Nitro, Sangre Imperial y Enfermero Jr. (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
3) Felino, Kráneo, Okumura b Audaz, Max Star, Volcano CMLL: Volcano, Max Star, Audaz Vs Felino, Kraneo u Okumura (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
4) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Hijo de Blue Panther b Cancerbero, Luciferno, Misterioso Jr. CMLL: Luciferno, Cancerbero y Misterioso Jr. Vs Blue Panther Jr, Dark Panther e Hijo de Blue Panther (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
5) Guerrero Maya Jr. © b Difunto [MEX MIDDLECMLL: Difunto Vs Guerrero Maya Jr por el Campeonato Nacional Medio (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)
Said to be 17 minutes and great. 3rd defense
6) Atlantis Jr., Místico, Titán b Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero CMLL: Último Guerrero, Gran Guerrero y Stuka Jr. Vs Místico, Atlantis Jr. Y Titán (posted by La Tijera Lucha Libre)

Maya/Difunto should turn up on the CMLL highest tier this Thursday. There’s nothing been too memorable among the bonus Coliseo matches so far, though they have put on bigger name matches after the first week.

CMLL (SUN) 03/10/2024 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Aéreo & Último Dragóncito b Full Metal & Pequeño Polvora
2) Capitán Suicida & Halcón Suriano Jr. b Felino Jr. & Inquisidor
3) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa DQ Apocalipsis, Arlequín, Disturbio
Disturbio had the match won but wouldn’t release la cavernaria on Dulce Gardenia and got DQed.
4) Rey Bucanero b Sagrado [lightning]
5) Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido b Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black
6) Atlantis, Flip Gordon, Volador Jr. b Euforia, Mephisto, Soberano Jr.

A normal Sunday show. Felino Jr. quietly seems to be sinking down these lineups; he’s firmly in the category of guys who will get booked together but CMLL seems to have given up doing anything meaningful with, and he’s not yet been around long enough get a veteran push. Meanwhile, Puma King hasn’t appeared on AAA TV since July; he gets listed for some indie shows but hasn’t been seen this year.

CMLL (TUE) 03/12/2024 Arena México
1) Capitán Suicida, Halcón Suriano Jr., Valiente Jr. vs Calavera Jr. I, Calavera Jr. II, Inquisidor
2) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Hijo de Blue Panther vs Crixus, Raider, Vegas
3) Andrómeda, La Catalina, Skadi vs Dark Silueta, Metálica, Zeuxis
4) Star Jr. vs Zandokan Jr.
5) Atlantis, Flip Gordon, Titán vs Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero
6) Místico © vs Ángel de Oro [MLW MIDDLE]
1st defense

Beyond the two 1v1s, match 2 looks pretty good.

CMLL (FRI) 03/15/2024 Arena México
1) Halcón Suriano Jr. & Leono vs Emperador Jr. & Platino Kid
2) Guerrero Maya Jr., Pegasso, Stigma vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
3) Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Dragón Rojo Jr., Terrible
4) Atlantis Jr., Hechicero, Volador Jr. vs Averno, Templario, Titán [Relevos Increíbles]
5) Máscara Dorada & Rocky Romero vs Ángel de Oro & Flip Gordon and Euforia & Gran Guerrero and Akuma & Dulce Gardenia [Torneo Increible de Parejas, battle royal]

The Friday lineup came out Monday afternoon, which is about two days later than usual.

Mascara Dorada & Rocky Romero advancing out of that group is as much a lock as can be. Match four has mixed up teams but could be good. Empeador (Azteca) Jr. and Platino Kid reappear after the Torneo Escuelas.

CMLL confirmed Homenaje a Dos Leyendas is sold out.

La Aficion talks to Lady Metal, who says continuing her wrestling career means sometimes she doesn’t see her daughter for two or three days; she’s just traveling.

La Seductora, who retired about a year ago due to health issues, talked about possibly returning after her health has improved; it sounds like she just misses it.

CMLL not in CMLL

Stephanie Vaquer defeated Guilia to win the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship. This was the expected outcome with Guilia leaving Stardom, and may have happened next month anyway had Guilia decided not to leave. The match was shorter than a usual title match (around 11 minutes), and Guilia seemed to get a shoulder up during the pin, though that may have been an accident due tot he pin. The post-match included Guilia seemingly wanting to put the belt on Vaquer herself and Vaquer hitting Guilia with the belt instead. Vaquer explained she first offered a handshake to Guilia, Guilia didn’t accept, and so she wasn’t going to let her put the belt on her. A similar thing happened with Vaquer and Tessa Blanchard back in December; the next person to face Vaquer in a title match ought to remember to shake her hand.

Stephanie Vaquer is scheduled for the 04/12 NJPW Riot show, a show I bought a ticket too and just remembered it was a Friday night show as I typed this sentence. Find the person watching the Universal tournament on their phone if you’re looking for me at that one. Vaquer will likely defend the title on that show. There’s an obvious medium term path towards Vaquer and Mercedes Mone wrestling on AEW/NJPW’s Forbidden Door show (expected in June), it’s unclear if they will take that path. There’s also the reality that Vaquer beating Guilia, getting a bit of outisde-of-Mexico attention, and being involved in AEW’s plans may make her a bigger target for WWE. CMLL contracts are largely mysterious and frequently non-existent. I don’t pretend to understand NJPW deals either. Still, either Vaquer’s under someone’s contract now or she’ll end up with one before long.

Mistico defeated Angelico on AEW Collision. There’s still no overt inside AEW storyline for Mistico right now; a post-match promo just built towards the Homenaje a Dos Leyendas match (without mentioning it by name.)

Chris Jericho beat Titan on the show as well. Jericho’s more immediate issue is a tag match without CMLL wrestlers on Wednesday. There must be a reason he keeps facing CMLL luchadors, but they haven’t spelled it out yet. Both matches got favorable reactions and both CMLL wrestlers earned crowd chants.

Penta appeared in-ring during the show doing a run-in to set up a trios match for Wednesday’s show. Penta is still with AAA and this is no change of policy; AAA wrestlers aren’t allowed to wrestle on the same show as CMLL wrestlers but they can do post-match run-ins or promos segments. Those are two things CMLL seems unaware exists, so of course they’re not going to object to them.

AAA

AAA TV (SAT) 03/09/2024 Lienzo Charro Prof. Enrique Gonzalez, Saltillo, Coahuila [El HeraldoSaltillo Al Raz De LonaVanguardia] Attendance: 3000
1) Biker Jr., King Rap, The Rocker b El Líder, Mini Hator, Sexy Andre, Ultra
4 vs 3? Saltillo defeating Monterrey
2) Drago, Epydemius Jr., Estrellato b Hijo del Picudo, May Flowers, Nygma
3) Flammer, La Hiedra, Maravilla b Dulce Kanela, Jessy Queen, Pimpinela Escarlata
4) Antifaz & Hator b Toscano & Zorro
5) Dark Cuervo, Dark Ozz, Dark Scoria b Aerostar, Charly Manson, Myzteziz
Charly Manson replaced Negro Casas. Los Vatos Locos attacked La Secta after the match.
6) Forastero & Sansón b Negro Casas & Psycho Clown [AAA TAG]
4th defense (2nd on TV). Negro Casas replaced Pagano (shoulder injury)
7) Mr. Iguana, Octagón Jr., Vampiro Canadiense b Dave The Clown, Murder Clown, Panic Clown
Latin Lover appeared before the main event, asking fans to support Rey Destoller’s family and saying he’d sign autographs for donations. AAA said they’d contribute as well. Psycho Circus earlier attacked Vampiro. Mr. Iguana replaced Hijo del Vikingo. All the wrestlers came to the ring to celebrate Vampiro’s final match in Saltillo at the end of the show.

Latin Lover‘s appearance on the taping was unadvertised, though he had mentioned it on social media a few hours prior. It seems truly done just to raise money for Rey Destoller’s family; he wasn’t involved in storyline segments. A benefit show for Rey Destoller in Monterrey on Friday was said to draw 12,600. There’s no public statement on Rey Destoller’s condition.

I may not buy into Vampiro’s retirement much, but the fans attending these shows do seem to be taking it seriously. It comes off as the biggest deal on these show. “3,000” attendance is what the local newspaper reported; it appears to be a full house.

Pagano did make it to Saltillo and doesn’t look to have the sling on anymore, but health concerns kept him sidelined. Negro Casas & Psycho Clown is actually a better idea for a team.

I don’t have detailed results, but there didn’t seem to be any indication of Hijo del Vikingo’s status, plans for the Megachampionship, or TripleMania Monterrey ideas. It looks like Los Vatos Locos have been slid into Los Vipers role as La Secta opponents, but it’s tough to assume directions here. AAA tapes again Saturday in Mexico City – the final taping before TripleMania – and it’s possible they’re saving their bigger news for that show.

Nothing too notable on TV that wasn’t already evident from the live viewing; just some generic promos. I was slower than usual on putting up the show but it did go up on the drive Sunday night.

IWRG

IWRG (SUN) 03/10/2024 Arena Naucalpan [thecubsfan]
1) Vato Filas b Galavinco [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
2) Príncipe Centauro b Látigo 2000 Jr. [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
3) Shamila b Arcues [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
4) Laberinto Jr. b Xolotol [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
5) Loko Boy b Golden Power [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
6) Sacro b Dracula Ng [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
7) Fly Star b Aries Jr. [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
8) Príncipe Tezca b Sky Man [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
9) Galvánico b Príncipe Centauro [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
10) Shamila b Laberinto Jr. [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
11) Sky Man TLDRAW Fly Star [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
12) Sacaro b Golden Power [IWRG TRYOUT] IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
13) Lolita b Sagitarirus IWRG EN VIVO (posted by IWRG tv)
Sagitarius replaced Keyra, which Lolita pointed out. Sagitiarus said Keyra was missing due to work issues.

Results are who won the match, not the following judges balloting. Principe Centauro, Shamila (the sole woman remaining), Skyman and Sacro advanced to the semifinals. They cut the matches from 10 minutes to 8 on this show, though I’m still not sure why they crammed in two rounds on one event. It didn’t seem a great experience for anyone. Just to be clear, that’s Skyman and Fly Star of mid-10s Arena San Juan’s “Skyman & Rayo Star vs Fly Star & Toxin Boy” fame. They’re doing the same veteran indie guy looking for one more shot bit that Centvrion did last year. They also seemed to go to the time limit draw and fought after the match to build to another match somewhere.

Time I could’ve been using to write a history post or a match round up post (or making some progress on Mario RPG probably) went instead to skimming through this show to get results. I don’t know that was a good use of time. It did make it clear to me that I would pretty much stop bothering with IWRG shows if I had to spent an hour figuring out results twice a week. Luckily, this tournament is back down to a small size – semifinals on Thursday, finals on Sunday – and the promotion may even get around to reporting results next week.

It sounded like Keyra took another booking over IWRG, and it wasn’t clear the promotion knew she wasn’t coming – the announcers were still hyping her in the main event early on in the show. Lolita buried her a bit in pre/post match promos. Announcers acted like a Lolita/Keyra title match was still happening Thursday but I don’t feel so sure about that.

Big Lucha

Big Lucha World (FRI) 03/08/2024 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal [Estrellas del Ring, thecubsfan]
1) Platino b Skayde [submission] FACE 2 FACE | Big Lucha World EP. 10 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA )
7:48. Platino caught Skayde with a cradle
2) El Potro de Oro b Caballero de Plata [bull terrierFACE 2 FACE | Big Lucha World EP. 10 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA )
9:52. Touch all four corners rule.
3) Sussy Love b Satania FACE 2 FACE | Big Lucha World EP. 10 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA )
9:03
4) Atómico Jr. b Orbita [first blood] FACE 2 FACE | Big Lucha World EP. 10 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA )
Orbita told Elipse and the rest of Lokos Evans to stay out of the match. Elipse naturally got involved in the finish, accidentally hitting Orbita with a cookie sheet which caused him to bleed and lose the match.
5) Jack Evans b Flamita [lumberjackFACE 2 FACE | Big Lucha World EP. 10 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA ) LUCHA DE LEÑADORES: FLAMITA VS JACK EVANS. (posted by hector godfrey)
12:18.
6) Hijo del Pirata Morgan NF Ricky Marvin [knockout] FACE 2 FACE | Big Lucha World EP. 10 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA ) MANO A MANO RICKY MARVIN VS HIJO DEL PIRATA MORGAN (posted by hector godfrey) PIRATA MORGAN JR VS RICKY MARVIN (posted by hector godfrey) RICKY MARVIN VS HIJO DEL PIRATA MORGAN EN BIG LUCHAS (posted by hector godfrey)
16:08. Announcers said neither man won after Emperador Azteca and Flamtia ran in to attack Pirata. Ciclon Ramirez made the save, flowing into the main event.
7) Emperador Azteca b Ciclón Ramírez FACE 2 FACE | Big Lucha World EP. 10 T.4 (posted by BIG LUCHA ) LUCHA ESTILO TOREO 4 CAMINOS. EMPERADOR AZTECA VS.CICLON (posted by hector godfrey)
17:07. Toreo Cuatro Caminos style. Emperador Azteca celebrate with two masked wrestlers, said to be new members of Black Generation. The three then surprise attacked Ricky Marvin and Demonic Flamita, kicking them out of the unit. Flamita said he’d now focus on ridding Big Lucha of Black Generation, he was leaving “Demonic” Flamita behind and he’d now be 100% tecnico.

A lot of “good, but” on this one. Announcers said Pirata/Marvin was actually last man standing but they still worked were trying to knock someone out (not the WWE “trap someone under a bit of the stage” style.) It was going along really well, until they just didn’t have any sort of ending. Totally disappointing, and it just turned me off for the main event until the angle hit. Not that Azteca/Ciclon were going to work something that appealed to me anyway. Evans/Flamita showed plenty that they could have a compelling serious match but it was a Mexican lumberjack match so the real point is only for everyone to laugh at the lumberjacks hitting the wrestlers (and finally the referee.) They probably shouldn’t have bothered. Atomico Jr. was so clearly ahead of Orbita in their match that I really want to see what he could do with someone good.  He’s got the most Villano III Jr. energy of anyone who is not Villano III Jr. The Orbita/Elipse repeated breakup stuff isn’t good and isn’t going anywhere. The only good bit was Big Lucha revealing them to be the sons of the owner so I could at least understand why it’s happening. Satanico wasn’t as bad as usual, someone got her to not do the shooting star press this time. Potro/Caballero was maybe the most complete match; they had their stipulation, they worked it fairly, they didn’t even do anything weird on the corner touch bit. The stream cut out for about one-third of the Platino/Skayde match, but Platino looked better here in what we could see.

The news is that main event angle. Black Generation as the lead rudo group in Big Lucha had run it’s course; either turning the entire group or doing a big shakeup seemed needed, and Big Lucha went with the second option. Emperador Azteca as leader does not suggest this group is going to be an important deal for much longer. Big Lucha had posted a video earlier in the week of Ricky Marvin and Flamita giving Emperador Azteca and Oni el Bendito the cold shoulder, which looks like a setup to this turn. Bendito wasn’t at the show last night so no idea where he figures into this., but it wouldn’t surprise if it ended up being familiar faces. No idea where this leaves the GLEAT version of this unit. Since it seems like it’s just me and CIMA watching Big Lucha (and I’m not even sure about CIMA right now), it’s possible they just ignore all of this.

Big Lucha World is moving from Fridays to Saturdays at 7 pm. I end up watching the show on Saturdays anyway, though that means it’s against AEW Collision most weeks.

Other News

The viral video of the weekend is from Matamoros, where the top rope snapped during the match and LA Park tumbled hard to the floor. LA Park said he suffered a leg injury; it could’ve been much worse.

Plan de Juego has a bio of Veracrus’s Eslabon Perdido, who got the gimmick from a playwright.

There’s a fundraiser to help pay Damain 666’s medical bills following his heart attack. He’s out of the hospital and posted a video update on Instagram.

Segunda Caida writes about some 1989 CMLL.

CMLL 8M show, Titan & Mistico on AEW, AAA in Saltillo

Daylight Savings Time

If you live in the US or many other countries, Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday. Clocks spring forward an hour. Mexico does not do Daylight Savings Time (except certain US border towns), so almost all live streams from Mexico be an hour later starting Sunday morning. This will continue until November 3rd.

Last year was the first with this extended setup; it was a negative to the viewing experience. There’s also nothing to do about it.

CMLL

Tonight’s show will be the first all women’s show in Arena Mexico. CMLL has run all women’s shows in there other three owned arenas. Arena Coliseo Guadalajara and Arena Puebla both did them in recent years. Arena Coliseo (Mexico City) actually had all women’s shows in the 1940s, prior to Arena Mexico’s construction and Mexico City’s “ban” on women’s wrestling. Those show 40s shows were troupes of women who generally toured the US and would come through Mexico City for a week. Tonight’s Arena Mexico all women’s show happens to be an all CMLL roster show. There’s a few non-regulars from Puebla and Guadalajara to fill out the show, but CMLL made the decision not to bring in a Tessa Blanchard or a Lady Frost or someone else to argument. This is a women’s show, but it’s also very much a CMLL women’s show in a way even those 40s shows were not.

CMLL (FRI) 03/08/2024 Arena México
1) Lady Amazona & Lady Metal vs Náutica & Sexy Sol
2) Marcela vs AmapolaLa VaqueritaTiffanyLa MalignaMetálicaLa GuerreraValkiriaHeraOlympiaPersephoneDiablita Roja [Copa Irma Gonzalez]
3) Reyna Isis © vs Zeuxis [MEX WOMEN]
4) Dark Silueta © vs La Catalina [CMLL JAPAN WOMEN]
5) La Jarochita & Lluvia © vs Andrómeda & Skadi [MEX WOMEN TAG]

The main event looks like the best shot to a great match. Both teams can do well if they’re prepped for the match, and the success may just depend on how effective the big highspots come off. The rest of the matches are lesser versions of the same story: they can put together a good match before the bell starts, but I’m uncertain about their ability to execute it. The effort will be there, but I’m unconvinced the quality is there without Vaquer and others to augment the division. This is a chance to prove otherwise.

Tonight’s show is also a chance for the women to carve out a bigger role in their promotion. CMLL running a yearly show on International Women’s Day (or the day before/after) is any easy decision to make and it’ll surely be an annual bit barring disaster. The CMLL women have talked in the past about wanting more chances, more main events, and this is a great opportunity to earn that. It seems like there’s a push in CMLL to do even more with women’s wrestling. A strong show here – by attendance, by quality of matches, by crowd reactions – could put some more force behind that push. I’m unconvinced this is the strongest lineup to make that push, but you don’t always get to pick when your chances come, you just got to make the best of them.

Making it all women’s show sounds like it’ll go beyond the wrestlers. On CMLL Informa, CMLL revealed Princesa Sugehit and Sanely will work as special referees for the show. Sugehit (neck) and Sanely (knee) are recovery from injuries, not yet cleared to wrestle but far enough along to work as referees for this show. Julio Cesar Rivera seemed to mention, at the close of the show, that there would be both a female ring announcer and female match announcers. Ana Gutierrez regularly announces the Guadalajara shows so I presume she’ll be involved. Many years ago, before CMLL had it’s current set team of six announcers, the TV shows would use cycle through various wrestlers as guest commentators. Amapola announced for a bunch of shows, so maybe she’ll end up being called back that role after her match finishes.

(If you’re someone who write or talks or otherwise regularly produces content about women’s wrestling and you’re interested in covering this show but you can’t put down the 25 USD to sign up to CMLL YouTube just for one show, please DM me and I’ll try to help.)

There’s a lot of extra press tied in with the show, though little of it is novel or worth linking here. If you want to see the one photo of Natalia Vazquez that’s used every time, that’s definitely covered today. In Zapopan, Dark Silueta and Valkiria appeared as part of panel discussion of ‘powerful women’, along side a boxer, a policewoman and a singer.

The rest of the weekend…

CMLL (SAT) 03/09/2024 Arena Coliseo
1) Leono & Retro vs Grako & Príncipe Odín Jr.
2) Eléctrico, Halcón Suriano Jr., Valiente Jr. vs Enfermero Jr., Nitro, Sangre Imperial
3) Audaz, Max Star, Volcano vs Felino, Kráneo, Okumura
4) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Hijo de Blue Panther vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Misterioso Jr.
5) Guerrero Maya Jr. © vs Difunto [MEX MIDDLE]
3rd defense
6) Atlantis Jr., Místico, Titán vs Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero

Maya’s trend of only defending against new-ish midcard rudos continues.

CMLL (SUN) 03/10/2024 Arena México
1) Aéreo & Último Dragóncito vs Full Metal & Pequeño Polvora
2) Capitán Suicida & Halcón Suriano Jr. vs Felino Jr. & Inquisidor
3) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa vs Apocalipsis, Arlequín, Disturbio
4) Rey Bucanero vs Sagrado [lightning]
5) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido
6) Atlantis, Flip Gordon, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Mephisto, Soberano Jr.

Cholo did end up needing nose surgery; he said on Instagram that he’ll be back soon. Guadalajara’s Arlequin gets the call as a temporary Indestructible.

CMLL (TUE) 03/12/2024 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Cowboy, Garabato, Halcón de Plata vs Fúnebre, Mortis, Ponzoña Jr.
2) Exterminador, Javier Cruz Jr., Maléfico vs Atilius, Maximus, Rey Urano
3) Apocalipsis, Arlequín, Disturbio vs Draego, Gallero, Halcón Negro Jr.
4) Adrenalina, Explosivo, Fantástico vs El Coyote, Okumura, Pólvora
5) La Maligna, Lluvia, Marcela vs Hera, Olympia, Reyna Isis
6) Magnus, Rugido, Volador Jr. vs Bestia Negra, Persa, Templario

Last week’s show ended with Los Guereros asking for a trios title shot against Los Barbaros. None are on this week’s show.

Informa had a bunch of announcements for upcoming events:

  • Zandokan Jr. versus Star Jr. and Mistico versus Angel de Oro for the MLW Middleweight Championship are set for next Tuesday
    • Zandokan remains a really good promo
  • There will be Homenaje a Dos Leyendas shows in Puebla on 03/12 and Guadalajara on 03/13, honoring Tony Salazar on both.
  • The Arena Coliseo Anniversary show will take place on 04/06. Nothing announced for it yet.
  • The Universal tournament will take place on Fridays in April: blocks on 04/05, 04/12, 04/19, final on the Arena Mexico Anniversary on 04/26.
  • The ambassador of the children tournament will take place over two shows this year: a elimination match on 04/28 and a final on 04/30

Last year’s Universal Tournament ran elimination matches by title family. Right now, that’d be

  • CMLL:
    • Stigma (Lightweight)
    • Titan (Welterweight)
    • Templario (Middleweight)
    • Barbaro Cavernario (Light Heavyweight & Trios)
    • Gran Guerrero (Heavyweight)
    • Angel de Oro (Tag)
    • Niebla Roja (Tag)
    • Dragon Rojo (Trio)
    • Terrible (Trio)
  • Historic (NWA):
    • Mascara Dorada (Welterweight)
    • Mistico (Middleweight)
    • Atlantis Jr. (Light Heavyweight)
  • National:
    • Futuro (Lightweight),
    • Magia Blanca (Welterweight)
    • Guerrero Maya (Middleweight)
    • Esfinge (Light Heavyweight)
    • Star Black (Heavyweight)
    • Magnus (Tag)
    • Rugido (Tag)
    • Cholo (Trio)
    • Disturbio (Trio)
    • Apocalipsis (Trio)

A Mascara Dorada, Mistico, Atlantis Jr. match would be a very big deal, and one where it’s hard to figure out the finish. The national title is hard to figure out too but for very opposite reasons; there’s no one you’d say would belong in a Universal final except someone has to win.

Salvador Lutteroth also appeared on the show. He put over the Japanese shows (both FantasticaMania and CMLL Lady’s Ring), praised the fans and the management they worked with, and talked about how hard the jet leg was traveling around. There was a tease we’d see some wrestlers from the promotions CMLL has been sending talent to soon.

The CMLL Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show appears sold out. CMLL’s been promoting “tickets left only in the Gradas” section for the last few days, and those are listed as sold out. Ticketmaster shows a couple tickets left in the Freedom restaurant, but that seems like an error based on CMLL messaging. Homenaje a Dos Leyendas is three weeks away and it is unprecedented for a lucha libre show in Mexico to sell out that early. It was news when Aniversario sold out a week in advance, and this is far sooner.

CMLL & AEW running Estadio Azteca still seems unreasonable to me; it’s not a great precedent for CMLL to say “when we’re running the biggest of shows, it won’t be in our building” when they’re trying to get people to come that building 200 days a year. It’s also unclear if there will be the same ticket buying for AEW people will exist on the second or third time they come in. Still, for this specific Homenaje a Dos Leyenda shows, CMLL surely could’ve run a big building (or charged higher prices; scalpers are going to make a killing.)  It’s very obvious both CMLL and AEW have something here, and it’s just a question of how they’re going follow up on it.

Bengala left matches in January and February with a leg injury, and hasn’t wrestled since that February 24th exit. Thursday, he posted a post-surgery photo so he’ll be out for a while. (A reminder you’re reading the CMLL section and this is the CMLL Bengala, not the new AAA Bengala.)

CMLL not in CMLL

Titan wrestled on the FanasticaMania tour, then stuck around on a vacation of Japan with his family for a couple of weeks. He returned to Mexico in time to wrestle Tuesday’s Arena Mexico, then traveled home to Veracruz on Wednesday afternoon. It was the first time Titan was home in three weeks. He was not home for long. CMLL called: was he available to wrestle for AEW tomorrow? Titan got right back on the road, flew out early Thursday morning, and wrestled Chris Jericho on AEW Collision in Atlanta on Thursday night. (The show will air Saturday at the regular time.) Titan on US national TV is cool, this again hints as to how late AEW pulls the trigger on some of those ideas. Titan could’ve skipped the Mexico City->Veracruz->Mexico City voyage, a five hour trip each way, if he had been told one day earlier.

Titan won’t be going alone. Thursday, AEW announced Mistico versus Angelico would also be taped for Collision to air Saturday. Angelico hasn’t been seen on AEW TV much lately, but he’s heard quite a bit – he’s doing Spanish language announcing for the Saturday shows. One of the great reasons to announce Mistico for your wrestling card is he is a rare wrestler who can sell a bunch of tickets. It is harder to sell those tickets when announced roughly five hours before bell time. That’s not a hot take, it’s a problem people in AEW must be aware of, it’s just hard from the outside to understand the processes that lead to these last minute decisions. I presume Angelico has been dying to wrestle some of these CMLL guys and was thrilled to do stuff with Mistico.

Bringing in Mistico while Chris Jericho is going through a gauntlet of CMLL wrestlers suggests those two stories are linking up. It’s not yet linking up – Jericho also has a thread on with Hook – but it fits Jericho’s attention to business numbers and facing CMLL tecnicos the last couple of weeks. A properly promoted Mistico/Jericho match would sell some tickets in the US, though maybe much more in Mexico.

Getting back to Titan trips out of Mexico, NJPW announced this year’s Best of Super Juniors will run from May 11th to June 9th. In a break with recent tradition, the final of the tournament will take place on NJPW’s Dominion show rather than a stand alone event. (The winner of the tournament tends to challenge for the title at Dominion; it’s unclear where that will happen now.) Titan is a lock to be involved in the tournament. I suspect NJPW wants Mascara Dorada to be part of it as well, and that’ll just depend on what else CMLL has going with him during that time span.

Stephanie Vaquer and Guilia had a contract signing Friday for their NJPW Strong championship; strong wardrobe choices for both of them. Vaquer’s matches in Stardom are a trios on Saturday and the title match on Sunday. The Sunday match is on PPV, and eventually turns up on their Stardom World subscription service. Vaquer seems likely to win, though Guilia is professionally suggesting she’ll go defend against Mercedes Mone after this match. Of note, when hyping this tour, both CMLL and Vaquer talked about her going to NJPW and not Stardom. The title match is NJPW Strong match, it doesn’t really make a difference, but it is weird they’re not mentioning Stardom.

CMLL and Barba Promotions are working together on wrestling shows for the Vive Latino music festival March 16th  & 17th. This was announced a while back and CMLL’s running ads for it in Arena Mexico. These are live shows only; we won’t see them unless one of the YouTubers gets motivated to film them. The lineups for both days came out Wednesday, and the March 16th main event stands out: it’s currently Atlantis Jr. & Star Jr. against Soberano Jr. & Ultimo Guerrero. CMLL secretly has prohibited Soberano and Ultimo Guerrero from having any physical contact in matches, to the point where they don’t even tag each other. The situation between those two wrestlers is kept so quiet – the Mexican press averts their eyes as pretends it isn’t happening – that I bet Barba put together these matches without knowing there was an issue. Still, it’s hard to believe someone in CMLL didn’t see that card before it went out. File that with the CMLL Showcenter event as something which seems likely to change before it happens.

AAA

AAA is taping Saturday night in Saltillo. This is the currently advertised lineup.

AAA TV (SAT) 03/09/2024 Lienzo Charro Prof. Enrique Gonzalez, Saltillo, Coahuila [Saltillo Al Raz De Lona]
(a local match)
2) Drago, Epydemius Jr., Estrellato vs Hijo del Picudo, May Flowers, Nygma
3) Dulce Kanela, Jessy Queen, Pimpinela Escarlata vs Flammer, La Hiedra, Maravilla
4) Toscano & Zorro vs Antifaz & Hator
5) Aerostar, Myzteziz, Negro Casas vs Dark Cuervo, Dark Ozz, Dark Scoria
6) Pagano & Psycho Clown vs Forastero & Sansón [AAA TAG]
4th defense (2nd on TV)
7) Hijo Del Vikingo, Octagón Jr., Vampiro Canadiense vs Dave The Clown, Murder Clown, Panic Clown

Vikingo isn’t wrestling. This will be the first taping since Vikingo’s injury, so there is at least the opportunity for AAA to (finally) give an update on Vikingo’s recovery and the status of the AAA Mega Championship. The WON reported last week that Vikingo’s expected out at least five months, which means he’ll probably miss all three TripleManias. It would be too hard for AAA (and the more vocal fans) to go three TripleManias with no title matches; AAA’s going to vacate the title at some point if the timeline is correct. There are no good outcomes from there.

Pagano is promoting appearing shows next weekend, so I suspect he’ll try to make this show. It’s hard to figure out what will happen in that tag title match regardless. NGD are in that familiar AAA pocket of being protected in the booking but never being pushed into a meaningful drawing position – think La Empresa and Killer Kross. They seem likely to keep winning without going anywhere here, but it’s weird for Psycho Clown to be floating around with no direction. Maybe not given it’s AAA. The matches aren’t really worth thinking that much about.

This show appears to be airing March 30th and April 6th. This week’s AAA TV will be the second half of the January 20th Queretaro taping; I didn’t like the matches that are left to air.

TNA says Laredo Kid was scheduled to challenge Crazy Steve for the Impact Digital Championship on their PPV tonight but will not be on the show due to travel issues. (There had been no evident build towards that match that I knew of, the match hadn’t been announced before it was changed.) Joe Hendry replaces Laredo Kid on the show. I presume Laredo Kid will still be on the tapings on Saturday if it’s just a travel issue. Laredo might be more helpful replacing Vikingo in this Saltillo main event rather than working a Xplosion match though.

Abismo Negro Jr. wished his now former teammates well and hoped they’d team again down the road. AAA wrestlers have positively commented on Latigo, Arez and Toxin’s free agency notices; everyone is making it clear they’re happy for them and there’s no animosity.

Mike Santana officially announced his departure from AEW on Friday. Santana and then LAX partner Ortiz worked AAA shows in 2019, and Konnan of course managed Santana in Impact/TNA. Konnan still seems close; some of the info on the problems Santana and Ortiz were having came from Konnan’s podcast. I expect AAA to have interest in bringing in Santana now.

IWRG

IWRG had an absurd four hour fourty minute show on Thursday night, ending close to 1 AM. They were doing the second round of their tryout deal, which means they had lots of matches and had judges breaking down the matches after. I think it was ten matches, including two non-tournament matches. Not sure, haven’t gone through the whole video again. IWRG didn’t post results for most of the shows. La Tijera did for a while but appear to have given up before the main event. Most of the results they do have were matches that ended around the ten minute time limit. Tack on another ten minutes of talking afterwards and you can understand why it went so long. It’s unclear why IWRG just didn’t break this round up into different shows.

Those who moved in IWRG’s tryout: Shamila, Fly Star, Sky Man, Galvanico, VatoPilas, Golden Power, Acustico, Sacro, Xolotl, Principe Tezka, Laberinto, Arceus, and Principe Centauro. That’s thirteen; the other spots will be decided by fan vote. The other results saw Japan’s Kagura beat Aguila Roja to set up a title match and Hell Boy betray Canis Lupus in their main event against Vangellys & Ivan Rokov. Maybe Hell Boy was just crank for having to wait that long to wrestle.

IWRG announced they’ve signed Vangellys to a contract. The majority of IWRG’s Facebook comments are people making fun of IWRG signing Vangellys to a contract.

AAA , ROSALES (FRI) 03/29/2024 Arena Naucalpan
1) Cobre, Dragón Suicida, Golden Jacket vs Belzebu, Calibre Star, Kingoo
2) Daimo, Galio, Máscara de Bronce vs Belcegor, Rey Halcón, Rey León
3) Dizzy & Karis La Momia Jr. vs El Fiscal & Joe Lider
4) ?, Faby Apache, La Parkita, Niño Hamburguesa vs El Elegido, Estrellita, Mini Charly Manson, Pimpinela Escarlata
5) Myzteziz, Octagón Jr., Vampiro vs Cibernético, Dark Cuervo, Dark Scoria

AAA/Rosales shows usually draw well in Naucalpan but they sure picked a hard night to have a wrestling show. I guess the good thing is all the tickets are already sold for the other event.

Other News

Damian 666 suffered a heart attack. Bestia 666, posting about his father on Instagram, said Damian is stable and recovering and the family will have more updates when they can. Damian 666, one of the most liked veterans in Mexican wrestling, has previously spoke about retiring from the ring this year and seemed to have a firm date in August.

Blue Demon Jr., who a couple of weeks had one “son” who was about to debut as a wrestler, now has two “sons” who are debuting soon.

Tonalli announced he signed with KAOZ. KAOZ has a show scheduled on March 24th, which would be their first in eight months. It’s been that long as they’ve repeatedly canceled previous shows. It’s absurd to sign a contract with a promotion that runs no shows (and, even in the best of times, is never going to run 12 shows a year) so either Tonalli is making some silly decisions or KAOZ is throwing around some silly money.

A news columnist promotes a Vampiro Index as a candidate evaluation measure. The big idea here is that anyone running for office should be at least as well known as Vampiro and at least do as much charity work as Vampiro. Many politicians perform well against a Vampiro Index, but the criteria would be more about fictional tales.

House of Glory is advertising Rey Fenix as wrestling on their Cinco de Mayo show. The WON frames this as a “the current plan”, but it comes off as if they’re just guessing this poster is correct like anything else. I haven’t heard a firm return window for him as of yet.

Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama passed away on March 1st, and the death was announced early Friday in Japan. Dragon Ball is and remains hugely popular in Mexico and the rest of Latin America; it’d be a long list of people who wore Saiyan inspired gear. There might be some costume tributes this weekend.

Baby Love was interviews for International Women’s Day.