luchablog

(photo by CMLL)

CMLL (FRI) 05/18/2012 Arena Mexico [CMLL, Kaiser Sports]
1) Bengala & Starman b Apocalipsis & Bobby Zavala
2) Hooligan, Nitro, Skándalo b Ángel Azteca Jr., Fuego, Pegasso
Rudos took 1/3, Skandalo sneaking in a foul on Fuego.
3) Dark Angel, Estrellita, Goya Kong DQ La Seductora, Princesa Sugheit, Tiffany
Straight falls, Seductora unmasking Goya in the second.
4) Puma King b Titán [En Busca de Un Idolo]
Puma won, picking up his first win of the tournament (1-3). Titan is 1-2-1.
5) Diamante DQ Pólvora [En Busca de Un Idolo]
Diamante wins by DQ in under four minutes when Polvora pulls his mask. Judges did not seem happy with him, unlike what happened with Euforia.
6) Black Warrior, Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr. b Olímpico, Psicosis, Rey Escorpion
Warrior’s team took 2/3, then he and Escorpion hyped their hair match in two weeks.
7) Negro Casas, Volador Jr., Yujiro b Atlantis, La Máscara, La Sombra
Rudos took 2/3, Volador slipping out of the Atlantida to backcracker him for the win.

Diamante vs Polvora and Titan vs Puma King are already up.

Judge scores
Puma: 31
Titan: 30
Diamante: 20
Polvora: 17 – Polvora cut a promo on the judges, particuarlly Maximo

Current standings
253 Titan
223 Diamante
189 Puma King (!!!)
176 Euforia*
————–
159 Niebla Roja*
159 Polvora*
159 Dragon Lee
147 Triton*

* – one match left
If Euforia wins and does his usually 30 points via judge, he’s safe. Triton can probably pass him with a win and good enough judge points (especially since Euforia polls poorly), but he may not have enough to stay ahead of Roja and Lee.

The winner of Niebla Roja & Dragon Lee probably catches and passes Puma King. Niebla Roja is also polling really well, so he is a lock with a win and has a good chance even without a win.

Polvora is done.

Blue Demon does the usual vs Santo interview to hype their show in Chicago today. Blue Demon & Hijo del Santo are in Chicago today! (I can’t go.)

Didn’t seem to be any mention of DG guys on the IWL/DTU press conference. Perhaps they’ll be turning up on AAA shows proper (the 6/1 show in Veracruz), since CIMA’s been tweeting back and forth with various people there.

Rob has highlights of 11/20/99 AAA and mid February 2002 AAA.

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.

REINA, which previously announced it was dissolving, announced a 05/19 show - though that technically might be someone else’s show using the people they previously paid to fly over here.

Cronicas Y Leyendas looks back at Wagner versus Blanco, Mascara vs Salvaje, and Supremo vs Dorado.

DJ Spectro looks at Halcon Dorada vs Bleda.

Lineups

CMLL (FRI) 05/25/2012 Arena Mexico
1) Höruz & Tigre Blanco vs Camorra & Ramstein
2) Aereo, Astral, Bam Bam vs Mercurio, Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Olímpico
3) Dark Angel, Goya Kong, Lady Apache vs La Seductora, Princesa Sugheit, Tiffany
4) Black Warrior, Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Kráneo, Psicosis, Rey Escorpion
5) Atlantis, Semifinalist 1, Semifinalist 2 vs Semifinalist 3, Semifinalist 4, Último Guerrero [En Busca de un Idolo]
6) La Sombra, Marco Corleone, Máscara Dorada vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Volador Jr., Yujiro

Some rematches. I don’t Seductora should really want to feud with Goya Kong, that can only end badly for her (and maybe us if they do a singles match.)  Kraneo replaced Olimpico in the Warrior/Escorpion trios.

More importantly, there seems no sign of any other match of importance added to the 06/01 card. They could get a title match out of the main event if they’d like, but there’s been no build there. And there’s been nothing much done with Yujrio since arriving.

The people in the semimain won’t be determined until the last polling is over, so perhaps it will be closed a little sooner this week.

(photo by Black Terry Jr.)

IWRG (THU) 05/17/2012 Arena Naucalpan [Black Terry Jr. (flickr), Estrellas del Ring, The Gladiatores]
1) Dragón Celestial b Matrix Jr.
One fall.
2) Centvrión, Charly Madrid, Freelance b Avisman, Carta Brava Jr., Pacto Negro
Avisman resurfaced to replace Comando Negro. Switched from the 3rd to the 2nd.
3) Johnny Rivera & Templario b Serpiente de Oro & The Mummy
Sepriente de Oro replaced Star Boy. Switched from the 2nd to the 3rd.
4) Chicano, Dinamic Black, Dr. Cerebro, Golden Magic, Imposible, Saruman, Trauma II, Veneno DQ 14K, Douki, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Kento Miyahara, Mitsuhiro Kitamiya, Nosawa, Satoshi Kajiwara, Secret Sasuke [Copa High Power]
Kensuske Sasaki was billed on the rudo side, but Mitsuhiro Kitamiya replaced him. Match came down to Trauma II vs Nakajima. Trauma had the match won, but Nosawa snuck in and fouled him to give Nakajima the win…only for the refs to over turn it and give the win to Trauma II by DQ.
5) Shadow Phoenix, Tony Rivera, Trauma I b Head Hunter I, Súper Nova, X-Fly
moved to the semifinal. Tony Rivera replaced an injured Angelico. Shadow Phoenix kept accidentally hitting Trauma I until they fought, which caused all the Japanese and Mexican wrestlers in the cibernetico to get involved again.

Said to be one of the lowest turnouts of the year. Head Hunter I was wearing the IWRG heavyweight championship, which I totally forget he won. Those are the last pictures, so I believe that was actually the main event. Other recaps have it as the semimain.

The full Japanese lineup is here, if you want to identify the person I can not see the wacky group pose.

Today’s the start of the last week of league matches in En Busca de Un Idolo. A lot of what was said at the initial press conference has turned out not to happen – we’re not just waiting for it to air on C3, but we haven’t seen Ultimo or Atlantis be involved since that press conference – they initially said the top four would move onto the final and I’ll assume that’s still true for lack of better ideas.

Titan, via his high poll numbers, appears safe for the top 4. Euforia is easily the highest scorer with the judges, and he’ll move on. Dragon Lee is the second highest score and has already won twice, so he’s probably moving on.

Puma is the third highest judge scorer, despite never winning and the judges not really having positive things to say about him. It’s odd, but he’s not going to advance. Everyone else has about the same amount of points.

Anyway, that leaves four guys for one semifinal spot. Diamante is currently in third, with a 24 point lead. Poll scores for week 3 still haven’t been counted, so that could change, but tonight’s match with Polvora could pretty much clinch it for him. It’d take Polvora out of play, and would mean Triton & Niebla Roja have to beat two of the top guys and have to make up 37 points between judging and polls. That’s a really big margin, though Niebla Roja may be helped a great deal if he continues winning the poll. Polvora’s still got to win to make this come down to the last day (or they can just randomly fix the numbers how they like.)

Polvora has been consistently criticized for his matches by the judges. It’s enough for me to forgot that he’s 2-1, because they don’t seem much like wins when everyone tells you your matches aren’t any good. It’d been so negative that there’s really no point in having him be champion, even the national welterweight champion, if he doesn’t radically turn things around here.

Two sons of Rey Misterio Sr. were arrested early Wednesday morning for drug possession in front of their father’s house. The older son is the original Hijo de Rey Misterio who’s been wrestling for the last few years (and quit for a while.) The two were fighting in (or around) a car enough to get police attention. Police subdued them, searched the car, and found a kilo of “ice”. They identified themselves as Rey Misterio’s sons, though it didn’t help them here.

IWL and DTU have a press conference today to hype next weekend’s Euforia show. IWL is already teasing a June show with MEXPW and maybe JCW (Juggalos?). Meanwhile, on today’s Dragon Gate Japan show, CIMA confirmed he and Eita Kobayashi would be coming to Mexico for the end of the month. I’d guess that gets announced and added to this IWL/DTU show at the press conference.

LuchaWorld has Golden Magic, Misterioso and Eterno on the top 100 countdown. I hope Alfredo doesn’t get unfriended for having Misterioso in the 80s!

Links

• Xavier Cruz Jr. said the rudos hurt his clavicle attacking him last Sunday.
• i don’t have any more links

No results. No Busca en un Idolo pool standings update yet today.

Kaiser Sports has quotes and photos from the Rey Escorpion & Black Warrior contract signing. Interestingly, Panico is still showing up as the CMLL representative for these things. Warrior was asked if he’d wrestle more like he does now, or like the rudo who faced Mistico in a mask match in a sold out Arena Mexico, and Warrior said it’d be a little bit both. Rey Escorpion, who felt Warrior is the much bigger, said he would not give 100% in this match, but 200% because it’s just that important.

Rob has highlights of 04/01/12 AAA.

Rompe Huesos compares successful sons to their fathers.

Blue Demon Jr. & Hijo del Santo in New York this weekend.

AAA writes about Lolita getting a shot at the Reina de Reina’s title for the first time.

ComicCorp looks at Mr. Niebla & Volador Jr.’s recent comic outfits.

Lineups

VO (SUN) 05/27/2012 Rodeo el Jefe
1) Cerebro Maligno, Herejía, Rey Krimen vs Destello Negro, Halcón 2000, Heavy Boy
2) Argos & Sugi San vs Letal & Peligro and Kaiser & Latin Star and Mr. Blacka & Ztzizan
3) Joko Winterscheidt & Tinieblas Jr. vs Sadica & Super Crazy
4) Electroshock vs Daga vs Heddi Karaoui

Joko is a German TV host.

CMLL (MON) 05/14/2012 Arena Puebla [Porra Fresa]
1) Akron & Siki Osama b Black Tiger & Dinámiko
Rudos took 1/3.
2) Artillero, Disturbio, Súper Comando b Molotov, Robin, Super Halcon Jr.
Rudos took 2/3. Said to be a bad match.
3) Espiritu Maligno, Karisma, Lestat DQ Dragon Lee, Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso
The DF tecnicos told Lestat that he should be on their side, but he was conflicted. Rudo Poblanos did not get along with him, and attacked him by the end of the first fall, getting themselves DQed. Puebla guys got it together in the second fall to tie it up. Lestat had Dragon Lee beat in the third, but Super Comando ran in for the DQ. Stigma rushed in for the save. Karissma and Espiritu were going to stay out of it, but then Bala and Lee helped Comando, they pitched it for the Puebla team. Super Comando got the microphone to declare the DF guys were the best. Stigma disagreed, and challenged the non-present Skandalo with the rest of the DF team. Pegasso notably did not get involved in the fight on either side…
4) Ephesto, Euforia, Mephisto b Ángel de Oro, Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr.
Rudos took 1/3.
5) Atlantis, Diamante Azul, Shocker DQ Kráneo, Psicosis, Volador Jr.
Volador attacked Atlantis early, but the tecnicso still got it together took take fall one. They also took fall three, when Volador broke up an Atlantis pin on Psicosis and fouled him for a DQ. Atlantis demanded a singles match next week with no Tirantes.

The joy of CMLL is sometimes you get storylines about which side the 19th most important tecnico is on.

(photo by Black Terry Jr.)

CMLL (TUE) 05/15/2012 Arena Mexico [CMLL, Kaiser Sports, RB]
1) Camaleón & Höruz b Camorra & Ramstein
Tecnicos took 2/3.
2) Aereo, Pequeño Halcón, Último Dragoncito DQ Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Universo 2000
Straight falls for the tecnicos. Nitro fouled Aereo.
3) Dragon Lee, Rey Cometa, Sagrado b Namajague, Shigeo Okumura, Virus
Sagrado pinning Okumura for the win. Kaiser-Sports thinks they’re setting up Dragon Lee vs Virus.
4) Titán b Pólvora [En Busca de Un Idolo]
Titan won in ~4:00. Titan scored 27 (8/6/7/6) and Polvora scored 25 (8/5/7/5).
5) Diamante b Puma King [En Busca de Un Idolo]
Diamante won in 5:20. Diamante scored 25 (8/7/9/1 from Tirantes). Puma scored 30 (9/7/8/6).
6) Blue Panther, Máximo, Valiente b Averno, Felino, Niebla Roja
Tecnicos took 1/3.
7) Psicosis, Rey Bucanero, Terrible b Marco Corleone, Máscara Dorada, Rush
Rudos took 2/3, Psicosis cleanly beating Dorada in the third. The two agreed to a title match, though Dorada also wanted a mask match.

CMLL (TUE) 05/15/2012 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Fuego en el Ring]
1) El Divino & Sky Kid b Demonio Maya & Thunder Boy
2) Sensei & Soberano Jr. b Mr. Trueno & Rey Trueno
3) Smaker, Stuka Jr., Triton b Arkángel de la Muerte, Hooligan, Malefico
Stuka replaced Titan, who was double booked in Mexico City.
4) Estrellita b Amapola
Estrellita asked for the hair vs hair match.
5) Mr. Niebla & Volador Jr. b Atlantis & La Máscara
Niebla slipped in a foul in the third, setting up a singles match for next week.

Rey Escorpion and Black Warrior signed the hair match contract, and will face off on June 1st.

Lluvia, who did not lo0k like her old self last Tuesday, says her injury is to her left knee, suffered two weeks before she return from Japan. Lluvia is not sure if she’ll end up needing surgery or if she’ll just be able to fix it thru therapy, but right now it hurts every time she moves. Lluvia says she plans to go back to Japan again, but keep reading on that.

Averno, via CMLL press release, wants you to know he’s not had discussions with the WWE. I guess he just happened to be in LA one day, peeked into a sound stage, saw his old friend Mistico doing tricks in the ring and demanded to be filmed taking headscissors with ever knowing what promotion it was for. A miracle!

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news recap, and Halloween and Electrico on the top 100.

Rob has highlights of 05/27/11 CMLL.

Bill has highlights of IWRG from 05/19/11, 06/02/11, and 06/07/11.

Links

• AAA luchadors visited a children’s hospital.
• DJ Spectro has more odd stories of the end of the UWA LH championship.
• Adam Cole promo for LuchaPOP.

Lineups

CMLL (TUE) 05/22/2012 Arena Mexico
1) Bengala & Freesbe vs Apocalipsis & Zayco
2) Metálico, Sensei, Super Halcon Jr. vs Artillero, Disturbio, Súper Comando
3) Fuego, Rey Cometa, Titán vs Hooligan, Loco Max, Skándalo
4) Triton vs Euforia [En Busca de un Idolo]
5) Dragon Lee vs Niebla Roja [En Busca de un Idolo]
6) Diamante Azul, Máximo, Rush vs Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Yujiro
7) Máscara Dorada vs Psicosis [CMLL WELTER]

As noted last night, Psicosis is the lowest guy on the CMLL totem pole. Not because he doesn’t get chances, but because he loses every singles match he’s in. Psicosis would need to beat Dorada for the title twice for people to see them on the same level, and then it’d be a bit of Dorada sinking to Psicosis’ level. At the same time, CMLL must have some thought of doing a Psicosis mask match at some point (or he’d be Morphosis/Kraneo), and he’s got to actually win something at some point if that’s going to be meaningful. Psicosis has been entertaining since coming to CMLL, but he’s also apparently someone the CMLL fans feel they can easily miss. The last two Tuesdays have had horrible turnouts, looking as bad as the shows last Fall that had everyone freaking out.

CMLL (TUE) 05/22/2012 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Virgo vs Thunder Boy
2) Hombre Bala Jr., Metatrón, Starman vs Demonio Maya, Magnum, Rey Trueno
3) Gallo, Sagrado, Stuka Jr. vs Espectrum, Misterioso Jr., Rey Escorpion
4) La Máscara & La Sombra vs Dragón Rojo Jr. & Volador Jr.
5) Atlantis vs Mr. Niebla

Back to back singles matches for Atlantis. This should probably be a little easier than the Volador one, but Niebla can be difficult in other ways.

Who is the best luchador in CMLL? A question that everyone wonders about, except maybe CMLL. It’s fun to do rankings to determine the top guy, but you know what’s even more fun that? Math. Record was doing a crazy intrict system to rate US and Mexico wrestlers based on a whole bunch of different criteras, but didn’t get to finish out it’s planned year of tracking. I’m looking for something a bit simplier.

To that aim, I’ve come up with CMLL rankings based on the ELO rating system, developed for ranking chess players. Chess and lucha libre have so much in common (the chess has the little piece shaped as a horse, CMLL has Bronco, both move oddly), it just seemed like a natural choice.

(I later found out MookieGhana had done the same bit.)

Critera
- only matches in the last two years are counted. Statue of limitations, really.
- only singles matches count. This is trying to mimic reality (and it was easiest.)
- all singles matches count the same. Blue Panther vs Negro Casas counts exactly as much as a rookie opening match in GDL. This turns out to be hilarious.
- only matches in Mexico, Coliseo, Puebla, and Guadalajara count. Again, trying to mimic reality.
- only matches with results count, which leaves out some GDL stuff I haven’t figured out.
- Draws are half wins.

The part I barely understand
Everyone starts at 1200. I’ve settled on a K-Factor of 50, which the most points you can pick up in a win, but only if you’re the very worst and they’re the very best. This rating system means you gain a lot by beating someone very ahead of you, and little by losing to someone already close to you. 50 is a much larger swing than you’d find in Chess, or what Mookie used in his survey, but CMLL singles matches are generally rare and important things.

What do we come up with?

(as of May 10th)
Místico: 1354
Rush: 1347
Dragón Rojo Jr.: 1341
Pólvora: 1326
Amapola: 1312
Virus: 1310
Tondar: 1302
Shigeo Okumura: 1300
Fuego: 1299
Leo (GDL): 1296
Princesa Blanca: 1292
Volador Jr.: 1288
Gallo: 1285
Averno: 1285
Marcela: 1280
Máscara Dorada: 1278
Silueta: 1275
Pequeño Olímpico: 1273
La Sombra: 1272
La Máscara: 1268

CMLL’s problems in a nutshell: Mistico is still the best, and he hasn’t been here in 16 months. Otherwise, this is a more intersting set of results than the year end win/loss tables I do, with more of a rudo/tecnico mix. Rudos tend to lose 2/3rds of the match overall, but they do better in singles blow offs to feuds. Tecnicos do especially well in opening card rookies matches, which is how Tondar(!) finishes six. I thought those who have been in single match heavy situations (tournaments, Forjando de un Idolo) might finish higher, but that doens’t seem to be the case. Okumura has not lost a singles match in two years (he’s won four) and would be higher if I could bring myself to enter the Valiente result.

On the other side, the bottom 10:

Niebla Roja: 1114
Princesa Maya: 1114
Infierno: 1114
Templario: 1110
Raziel: 1099
Quca: 1097
Puma King: 1096
Mephisto: 1088
In Memoriam: 1065
Psicosis II: 1006

Psicosis’ number is amazing. It takes some great effort to be 59 points away from the next closest person under the system. That’s what happens when you’re 0-12 in singles matches. The first one was May 10th 2 years ago, so he’s better if I reran it now, because some of those are cleared off. No chance of him actually winning something. In related news, no one pays to see the Invasors. Mephisto is good enough to be in title match, not good enough to win them. Puma’s poor performance in tournaments hurts him. Lots of GDL novato rudos. Guerrero Maya almost made this list, which caught me off guard. I guess he’s a trios specialist!

One more try: let’s throw out Guadalajara & Puebla because they don’t actually count either. (Sorry, Porra Fresa & Fuego en el Ring.) What does it look like now?

Top 10:

Dragón Rojo Jr.: 1354 La Sombra: 1344
La Máscara: 1317
Pólvora: 1306
Amapola: 1295
Virus: 1289
Averno: 1287
Marcela: 1270
Último Guerrero: 1269
Rush: 1265

(Mistico falls to 11)

Dragon Rojo is random, but that’s what winning single elimination tournaments will do for you. Polvora’s helped by that as well. Virus is just great.

Bottom 10:

Loco Max: 1134
Niebla Roja: 1130
Cancerbero: 1127
Bam Bam: 1126
Princesa Sugheit: 1126
Puma King: 1125
Máximo: 1123
Triton: 1111
Raziel: 1102
Psicosis II: 1099

Psicosis, still poor. Rey Cometa actually tied with Loco Max, but I left him off.

If I were to do this again, and do it a bit seriously, I’d obviously have to change the valuation for wins. All wins are not created equal, especially the wins that come in 3 minutes in the quartefinals of a soon to be forgetton tournament. I do think this might be amusing as a something to keep track of monthly, though it seems mostly just confirm what we already know.

LyC (SUN) 05/13/2012 Arena Coliseo Monterrey [LMdLL]
1) Rey Orion b Xtreme Boy, Angelus, Dark Fenix
2) Golden Boy & Rey Demonio Jr. b Hijo Del Mongol Chino & Misionero
3) Lady Puma, Ninja Jr., Silencio b Gemelo Muerte I, Gemelo Muerte II, Sexy Star
4) Rico Rodriguez & Zorro b Neurosis & Simbolo
5) Hijo del Ninja b Héctor Garza, El Elegido, Toscano
Ninja snuck in a foul on Garza.

Attendance was better than the typical ACM show but seems disappointing for Ninja’s first unmasked match and the AAA wrestlers being in. There’s only a couple pictures up, but it looks like the bleachers were empty and the floor seats were moderately filled.

Today is the 20th Anniversary of the first AAA show. AAA was announced as forming on May 7th, 1992, then ran it’s first show in Veracruz this day 20 years ago. (There’s a spot show there today.) The first show led off with one of Antonio Pena’s innovations, a high energy minis match, and the second match featured the debut of Winners, the future Abismo Negro.

It’s also the 20th anniversary of the La Parka character. Principe Island was most recently a notable indy wrestler but not part of CMLL or UWA when AAA scooped him up for one of their most iconic characters. Parka teamed with Fuerza Guerrera (still around, not on good terms with AAA) and Ice Killer (who’s reapperaed in the last few years as a small time promoter) took take on Angel Azteca (deceased), Justiciero (promoter of Coliseo Coacalco), and Octagon (still around, now much more round.) The main event was Hermanos Dinamitas vs Fantasma, Mascara Sagrada and Perro Aguayo Sr., all of who are still around, though none with AAA. The two referees on that show, Pepe Casas & Tirantes, are still refereeing on opposite sides, but in opposite promotions. Konnan (prohibited from wrestling due to CMLL holding up his visa), Juvi (who had just debuted), Hijo del Santo, and Blue Panther are active names who appeared at that initial press conference and appeared on later shows. It took a few months of securing arenas and local promoters before they could run enough shows to get everyone working.

The whole thing was incredible risk for everyone involved; if AAA had failed, all those who left CMLL would face a lot of resistance returning there, and the ringleaders (Octagon, Konnan and Pena) are still blackballed from the promotion. Some people might have made it into UWA, but those three had their careers on the line.

As much as Televisa has maligned AAA in recent years, the promotion still owes the media company a huge debt of gratitude. AAA never exists, much less last 20 years, had Televisa not agreed to fund the promotion and give it a TV slot. AAA was treated by Televisa as equal or more important than CMLL, which must’ve been a big help in getting the promotion accepted as a major deal right away. Antonio Pena capitalized on the opportunity, and AAA launched into one of the hottest periods any wrestling company has ever had.

Rob has highlights of 05/1 CMLL.

Links

• AAA has highlights of the Leon taping.
• Mr. Cacao shows off a Mascara Dorada mask he’ll be wearing shortly. Cacao is making a special mask for a CMLL wrestler each month this year.
• Cronicas Y Leyendas has an interview with Sangre Chicana from 1982.
• Zombie Blood Fights – a great name – has pictures and a recap from the Lucha Libre USA show in San Antonio.
• Los Bastardos are having a children’s drawing contest.

Lucha Libre in Japan

The Lucha Libre Fan Fest will air on Samurai TV, between June 18th and June 24th.

Angel de Oro’s Best of Super Juniors match versus Prince Devitt, Taichi, and Rocky Romero will take place on TV tapings. Not sure if any of the others will surface; two years ago, NJPW uploaded all of the matches to their YouTube channel, but only showed highlights last year.

Lineups

CMLL (MON) 05/21/2012 Arena Puebla
1) Tigre Rojo & Tigre Rojo Jr. vs King Jaguar & Sauron
2) Estrellita, Luna Mágica, Marcela vs Amapola, Princesa Sugheit, Tiffany
3) Arissma, Asturiano, Espiritu Maligno, Lestat, Milenium, Stigma vs Dragon Lee, Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso, Puma King, Skándalo, Súper Comando [cibernetico]
4) Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr., La Sombra vs Mr. Águila, Olímpico, Psicosis
5) Atlantis vs Volador Jr.

The cibernetico is a rematch of a really great one back in 2010, though the DF team doesn’t have Raziel this time. Puebla team might be able to take this.

IWRG (SUN) 05/13/2012 Arena Naucalpan [DJ Spectro, Estrellas del Ring, The Gladiatores]
1) Imposible & Pacto Negro b Crosby & Johnny Rivera
Impossible replaced Comando Negro.
2) Chicano & Freelance b Alan Extreme & Suicida
Suicida replaced Imposible. Money was thrown in the ring after the match.
3) Argenis, Fenix (AAA), Súper Fly b 14K, Douki, Secret Sasuke
Super Fly german suplexed Sasuke for the win.
4) Angelico, Negro Navarro, Trauma I b Bestia 666, Eterno, Súper Nova
Team Navarro took 2/3. Damian 666 tried to interfere, but Trauma I shrugged him off and defeated Bestia.
5) Damián 666, Head Hunter I, X-Fly b Monster Clown, Murder Clown, Psycho Clown
Crowd was behind the Psycho Circus. FdT took 1/3. Both refs were taken out in the last fall. Trauma I ran in to help the Clowns, but fouled Psycho by mistake, and Head Hunter splashed him for the pin. Clowns did not accept Trauma’s apology and they set up a Clowns vs Navarros trios.

DJ Spectro was very down on the top two matches, saying the semifinal went way too long and the Psycho Circus only know three moves.

CMLL (SUN) 05/13/2012 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Fuego en el Ring]
1) Virgo b Relampago Azul
2) El Caudillo & Halcon de Plata b Exterminador & Infierno
Tecnicos won two straight.
3) Black Metal, Javier Cruz Jr., Leo DQ Barbaro Cavernario, Espectrum, Sádico
Javier Cruz Sr. was watching his son’s match. Rudos were DQed for excessive violence and kept going, so Cruz Sr. hit the ring for the saev. Evola ran out to help the rudos, and Evola and Cruz Sr. made hair match challenges.
4) Amapola & Tiffany b Marcela & Silueta
Tiffany must’ve cheated to beat Silueta, because Silueta demanded a singles match for next week.
5) Máscara Dorada b Mephisto [CMLL WELTER]
Dorada took 2/3 to keep the title. Said to be a very good match – Apolo Dantes called it one of the best matches in the arena in many years.

Rob has highlights of the 09/08/09 CMLL, 04/24/12 CMLL and Pequeno Reyes del Aires.

Links

• Zumbi is back in Mexico! That didn’t take long.
• Arena Lopez Mateos turns 45 today.
• Cronicas Y Leyendas looks back at Francisco Flores being honored for 50 years of promoter.

Lucha Libre in Japan

REINA announced they were stripping Mima Shimoda & Zeuxis of the REINA tag team titles and canceling their next show on May 27th. The new tag champions are to be determined on June 9th.

Lineups

Tuesday’s CMLL card has Niebla Roja replacing Euforia in the semimain, and Virus takes Niebla Roja’s place in the tercera.

Friday’s CMLL card has Sombra in Diamante Azul’s place,

CMLL (SUN) 05/20/2012 Arena Mexico
1) Leono & Tigre Blanco vs Cholo & Inquisidor
2) Bam Bam, Eléctrico, Fantasy vs Mercurio, Pequeño Violencia, Pequeño Warrior
3) Fuego, Sagrado, Stuka Jr. vs Misterioso Jr., Pólvora, Sangre Azteca
4) Marco Corleone, Máximo, Rush vs Terrible, Último Guerrero, Yujiro
5) Dragón Rojo Jr. vs La Sombra [CMLL MIDDLE]
Dragon Rojo is the champion

Sombra just got, and lost, this title match in Puebla a month ago. CMLL does like to repeat title matches in different locations, but I can’t believe Sombra is actually going to lose this twice in a row. That’s very un-Sombra.

Sangre Azteca is back on the rudo side, teaming with the exact two guys who turned on him (Misterioso & Polvora.) I really wish CMLL was still a company that did promos, skits and interviews, because you probably could get some good ones of that. Who do we want as a new third of Poder Mexica? Is this Puma King’s spot? Signo?

CMLL (SUN) 05/20/2012 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) El Caudillo & Esfinge vs Acertijo & Metalik
2) Smaker vs Malefico
3) Javier Cruz Jr., Javier Cruz Sr., Leo vs Barbaro Cavernario, Èvola, Sádico
4) Silueta vs Tiffany
5) León Blanco, Rush, Valiente vs Exterminador, Felino, Mr. Niebla

3/4 are set up by last week. Leon Blanco and Exterminador in the main event makes sense, might as well make the local guys seem equal to the top ones.