Tapatia Award Deadline is TODAY

Today is the LAST day for sending in your 2005 Tapatia ballot.

* Ballot
* Awards Information
* Candidate Discussion (you’re NOT limited to people mentioned)

This is not a hard and fast deadline; I won’t be freezing the ballot box at the stroke of midnight or anything. If you get it in by 6AM CST Saturday, that’s good enough for me. Anything later than that, I can’t promise it’ll get in. (If you’ve got a problem making the deadline, e-mail me ASAP, explain why, and we’ll figure something out.)

Thank you to everyone who’s aleardy voted and anyone still considering voting.

Today’s new entries will appear below this post all day.

02/17: Arena Mexico preview, scattered results

Ovaciones’ articles today are solely on tonight’s Arena Mexico show, and the focus there is on the main event: Black Warrior and Mistico challenging Averno & Mephisto for the CMLL World Tag Team Titles.

Since the build to this match started, the speculation’s been Black Warrior will ultimately turn on his partner and go back to the rudo side. Black Warrior’s tecnico turn in 2001 was part of a built up double turn with Black Tiger and seemed to get over pretty well, but he got lost in the mix soon after and hasn’t be at the same level he was as a rudo, in status and ringwork. Warrior won the CMLL Trios Titles twice, but his reigns were just as forgettable as the others this decade, and the last title loss (Canek, Black Warrior, Rayo de Jalisco Jr. vs Hector Garza, Tarzan Boy, Terrible) was deemed too bad to ever actually air. I know others think of him more kindly, but to me, of late, he’s a negative in trios matches, utterly hopeless in singles, and only worthwhile for his still excellent tope. Hopefully, a rudo turn would revitalize him.

The belief that Black Warrior is going to turn comes from Black Warrior himself. In a early December ’05 Box Y Lucha (#2743), Warrior complained publicly requested he was moved back to the rudo side, feeling he would be a better fit there. (His low position on Arena Mexico cards may have also played a factor.) Warrior actually did turn rudo the following week – but on a 12/10 Toryumon Mexico show at Arena Coliseo. He turned on his partners in one match, and attacked Ultimo Dragon in the next, setting up a feud which would carry into the next day (Sunday)’s normal CMLL Arena Coliseo show, and then nowhere. It was quickly dropped, with Black Warrior acting as rudo-ish tecnico and, at least one occasion, the fans telling him he’s a rudo, but he continued to team with tecnicos as he had before his public complaints.

If Black Warrior still desires to be a rudo (figure he does) and CMLL’s bookers want him to be a rudo (no clue), then tonight’s the logical night for it to happen. Warrior’s been put in higher profile matches over the last month and Mistico’s as sympathetic tecnico to turn as you could come want, so a turn should get over huge. CMLL also has major shows coming up in the next couple of months and, if they’d like to hold off on the big Perros/GdA matches, they need some more rivalries; there’s going to be a place for a big Mistico/Warrior match. (If we’re all wrong here and Warrior doesn’t turn, I’d guess we’re getting final resolution to Averno vs Mistico instead – that’s the quotes they’ve been getting from Mistico.) The turn would be most effective if done in this match, so that’s what I figure will happen.

Other News:

AAA (SAT) 02/11 Meson de los Deported de la Universidad Autonoma de Nayarit Results [tunicafantasma]
1) Kid Relampago, Misterio Negro b Muerte Negra, Saddam Hussien
2) Spider Black, Terry Powder b Chamaco Hernandez, La Sombra [losers advance]
3) Kimbar, Super Sonic b Loco Gonzalez, Mario Mora [losers advance]
4) Chamaco Hernandez, the Shade b Crazy Gonzalez, Mario Dwells [losers advance]
5) Mario Dwells b Crazy Gonzalez [hair]
6) Chavo Santana, Jerrito Estrada b Mini Pathfinder, Nino Suicida
7) Alan, Billy Boy, Decnnis b Gallego, Gran Apache, Mr. Cóndor
8) La Parka Jr., Mascara Sagrada Jr. DQ Alan Stone, Zumbido

AAA (TUE) 02/14 Arena Juba de Reynosa Results [rfc]
1) Mercurio Jr., Poder 7 b Chamaco Ortiz, Rocker Boy
2) Mini Pimpinela Escarlata b Mini Hator
3) Josselyn, Martha Villalobos b La Chacla, Mujer Demente
4) Gato Volador b Corazon de Barrio and Imagen 1 and Nacho Zapata
5) La Parka Jr., Máscara Sagrada b Hator, Zumbido

CMLL (TUE) 02/14 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara Results [KrisZ]
1) Fueza Nazi b Virgo [15]
2) Metal Blanco b Flama
3) Idolo b Antrax
4) Madona, Super Maquina b Exterminado, Oro II
5) Emilio Charles Jr., Mephisto, Terrible b La Máscara, Leon Blanco, Volador Jr.
6) Dr. Wagner Jr., Mistico b Averno, Último Guerrero

AAA (WED) 02/15 Avenida Lauro Villar, Matamoros Results [Mario Loera]
1) Haragan b Gatillo
2) Angel o Demonio, Holocausto b El Portero, Principe Guerrero
3) Cougar Boy, Oriental, Zar Rojo Jr. b El Apostol, Principe Azteca, Principe Guerrero
4) Joselin, Martha Villalobos b La Hechicera, Mujer Demente
5) Corazón de Barrio, Mascara Sagrada II b Coliseo 2000, Sangre Chicana

indy (WED) 02/15 Arena Xalapa Results [KrisZ]
1) Sombra Nazi, Tiburon b Aguila de Plata, Trueno
2) Caballerito, Tzuki, Último Dragoncito b Calaquita, Perro Mocho Jr., Piratita Morgan
3) Batman, Enigma, Impacto, Spiderman, Superman b Caballero Negro Jr., GMC, Lasserman, Perro Mocho, Sombra
4) Damián 666, Eslabon Perdido, Mr. Aguila b el Hijo del Pierroth, Hijo de Cien Caras, Pierroth Jr.
5) Dr. Wagner Jr., LA Park, Mistico b Atlantis, Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero

Nacho Libre trailers should start appearing in theatres today, perhaps in front of Date Movie. (Don’t do it!)