AAA #621

taped 03/17, aired in US on 04/21

Yea, somehow this took me over two months to finish. Three hour shows are so hard on my attention span. And now that these – and the bunch I have left on my TiVo – are all dated, I’ve got the start of angles that I saw ran into the ground for two months. I think the rest of the stored ones are all even older than this one. It’s a weird assortment, and I know I still have Rey de Reyes somewhere in there, which I’d like to actually watch before TripleMania.

Shows like this one remind still make me think AAA has too much time. The Relevos AAA match didn’t need 13 minutes to make it’s point, and the Vipers match sure didn’t need 17 minutes. Even the main event was way too long – they didn’t really need to do 8 minutes for a beatdown, a 45 second comeback, and a (random idiotic) DQ, and the angle is stronger if the beatdown is sold thru the end of the show. Ciberentico and the HBs sold, but why have them get up at all?

Anyway. Like was pointed out at the time, the random goof Atomicos was great. Everyone was working like their jobs depend on it, and I think it’s because their jobs probably depended on it. And yet, some of those guys still vanished. I appreciate their effort, anyway.

I like the concept that the Candaian Destroyer is too ludicrous for lucha libre fans to buy. Ozz seems to have dropped it, and that would seem to be the wise move.

Unless I missed a show, or forget about it, this seems like the last taping where the hard camera was pointed at the entrance. I’m so glad they dropped that.

07/13: Mexico preview

Besides TripleMania, there’s also a good card at Arena Mexico

CMLL (FRI) 07/13 Arena Mexico
1) Metálico & Sombra de Plata vs Artillero & Pólvora
2) Bam Bam vs Pequeño Olímpico, Bracito de Oro, Fantasy, Electrico, Pequeño Halloween, Pequeño Damian 666, Mr. Aguilita, Fire [ciber]
3) Alex Koslov, Mascara Purpura, Stuka Jr. vs Damián 666, Euforia, Texano Jr.
4) Blue Panther, Dos Caras Jr., La Sombra vs Atlantis, Olímpico, Sangre Azteca
5) Místico & Negro Casas vs Dr. Wagner Jr. & Último Guerrero [CMLL TAG]

Previews are in Ovaciones, NotiMex, ESTO (also ESTO’s notes). No one has much to new to say about this show, which is somewhat disappointing. It seems like CMLL didn’t send someone out for interviews this week.

I expect the champions to retain, and Bam Bam to be screwed out of the cibernetico win.

CMLL (MON) 07/16 Arena Puebla [hugo999]
1) Blue Center, Forajido, the Tiger vs Espiritu Maligno, Fuerza Tiger, Siki Ozama Jr.
2) Coco Blanco, Coco Rojo, Coco Verde vs Fuerza Chicana, Skandalo, Toro Bill Jr.
3) Mascara Purpura, Maximo, Valiente vs Goto, Ohara, Okumura
4) Alex Koslov, Sagrado, Volador Jr. vs Averno, Sangre Azteca, Toscano
5) Blue Panther, Mistico, Negro Casas vs Atlantis, Olimpico, Ultimo Guerrero

Decnnis did an interview about the Warped Tour.

There’s lucha in Tuscon on Sunday.

TripleMania 15 Predictions

Might as well go match by match.

1) Alfa, Cassandro, Fabi Apache, Mini Abismo Negro vs Cinthia Moreno, Octagoncito, Oriental, Pimpinela Escarlata

Backstory: Uh, none between these two teams. Like all minorities in wrestling, Cassandro and Pimpinela must either team or feud. They’ve been feuding on off for 18 months. The biggest angle is intrateam, with Gran Apache trying to hook Alfa and Fabi Apache up and having no idea who Alfa is under the mask.

Prediction: As you can see from the records info, tecnicos general win at TripleMania. More so for the random pointless match. This isn’t quite random – if we’re to believe Alfa is going to stay as Alfa for a few more weeks, they could set up a Mixed Tag feud. They also might do something with Cassandro and Pimpi, because they really need another regular exotico who’s better than Polvo, but they always try to do something with Cassandro and then he’s gone two tapings later.

I’m going go with the safe bet and assume the tecnicas win.

2) Cuervo & Ozz vs Crazy Boy & Joe Lider [AAA TAG, ladder]

Backstory: The literal translation for AAA’s stip is “match of steps”, but I think there’s going to be something connecting the steps vertically. Anyway, these two factions have been feuding to some extent since the MPs formed and needed someone to take their moves. The Mexican Powers beat the Sect to win the Atomico titles last year, Cuervo & Ozz beat Crazy Boy & Joe Lider to win the tag titles at Rey de Reyes, and and the Sect took the Atomico titles back when Psicosis turned on his teammates. This will have Extreme Tiger and Scoria as seconds.

Prediction: A homage to indy matches that are a homage to WWE matches that allllll may be better than this. Hopefully no one dies or is horribly crippled, because you know there’s a chance. Lots of stunts, probably a logic hole or two. Crazy Boy & Joe Lider are surely winning to finish the title exchange.

3) Juventud Guerrera vs Fuerza Guerrera [street]

Backstory: The yearly “Octagon and Fuerza are TOTALLY going to have a mask match at TripleMania this year!” train got derailed earlier than usual. Juvi was working as Octagon’s second, so they just elevated him into the feud and made it Guerrera vs Guerrera. There’s no hair or mask on the line, and it appears that it’ll be a street fight, just like the match in Monterrey earlier this month.

Prediction: Another chance to get random people on the show; Pirata Morgan for sure. If there’s an ultimate finish to this feud, it’s surely going to be Juvi losing his hair, so I think Juvi gets his big win here.

4) El Apache & Super Fly vs Laredo Kid & Super Calo [losers advance, pi]
5) Super Calo or Gran Apache vs Laredo Kid or Super Fly [mask, hair]

Backstory: Having run Billy Boy off, turning his teammates evil, things were looking for Gran Apache and his partner Super Calo. The Air Force ruined the fun, pulling off repeated upsets in May 2007, reaching it’s highest point with Laredo & Super Fly winning by DQ over Apache & Fly. Apache’s team has turned it around since then, but both sides have crossed paths so often in the months leading up to TripleMania, this was pretty inevitable.

Prediction: “Jordy Stone” working spot shows kinda gives this one away. Apache’s hair has to be saved for Billy Boy and Laredo Kid’s being pushed to the moon. Someone Super is losing their mask. There’s probably never going to be a better feud for Calo to drop his, and it returns the favor of people losing their masks to him at TripleManias past. Apache’s team wins, possibly with Alfa helping out to cement his relationship with Apache, and Laredo beats Calo clean.

6) Alebrije, Elegido, Super Porky vs Alan Stone, Scorpio Jr., Zumbido

Backstory: Alebrije has been feuding with the Guapos, with the focus on Cuije and Guapito. Cuije probably should be out of his walker by this point. Otherwise, it’s a break comedy match so these guys get on the card.

Prediction: Cuije has been pretty well being killed and this is a break match, so the tecnicos should win.

7) ?, La Parka Jr., Latin Lover, Zorro vs ?, Head Hunter I, Ron Killings, Sabu

Backstory: They are people who don’t like each other. THERE YOU GO. It’s a basic AAA Tecnicos vs Foreign Legion members. Black Pearl or Rikishi may be the mystery man, but surely Abismo Negro will make an appearance to continue his feud with Latin Lover. Parka will probably do more comedy than usual, because he still seems to be hurting. Everyone has been rumored for the tecnico spot, and I don’t know who it’ll be. I don’t expect it to be a big deal.

Prediction: Rudos have to get one, so I’ll pick this run. Probably not as many run-ins here, because they’ll be saving them for the next match.

8) Charly Manson, Chessman, Cibernetico vs Kenzo Suzuki, Mesias, X-Pac [cage, hair]

Backstory: Cibernetico beat Mesias in a casket match, put the casket in the ocean, and set it on fire. Somehow, that did not end the feud or Mesias’ life, so it goes on here with the two respective factions. They haven’t been calling this a Cage of Death, so I’m thinking there are some special rules in play. I have no idea what these rules are. Perhaps AAA knows! Probably not, no.

Prediction: Lots of run-ins, quite obviously. Half the people in the is average for TripleMania main events. People diving off the top of the cage, you can set your watch by that. Popular thought seems to pick X-Pac here, but Kenzo losing his hair in this type of match seems about right. It’s a lesser finish for a main event, but I can’t believe they’d do something more until that’s the standard.

Almost all tecnicos winning. I guess the rudos get revenge the next night. If anything beats the mask match, I’ll be surprised, but there could be some good stuff here. I hope they just talk over the match layouts before time, so we don’t get 8 matches of rudos jumping tecnicos for 4 minutes and tecnicos all making their comeback on missed corner charges.

CMLL GdR on CAN52 #84

taped 06/24, aired 06/30

Weird that you would do a big women’s hair match, and then neither woman is involved in the women’s trio the next week. It’s not even like they cleared them out because they wanted to set up the next big feud. This was just immediate revision back to form, the tecnicas winning a match to make people cheer. I think I expect pieces to fit together when there’s no intention to do stuff like that.

Sombra didn’t really jump out as important in the trios match. Again, you would’ve thought they would’ve made him the start of the match as lead up to GA, but he wasn’t used any different than any other tecnico would’ve been in that spot – it was much more about Maximo and Metal.

The feature on Texano Jr. looked/sounded as good as any of the outside the ring stuff they’ve done.