profile of Chicago lucha promotion

Did you know there’s a Si TV channel? Did you know it’s a Latino channel in English? I knew none of these things till I happened to see a lucha libre segment advertised this past week.

I can not begin to tell you how amused I was to see the segment start of with footage of LA Park/Dr. Wagner restaurant show from the north suburbs, long ago, that I still have on DVD around here somewhere. Sure enough, it was a feature on Arenas de Chicago, who are co-promoting this Saturday’s show featuring…LA Park and Dr. Wagner.

By the way, if you’re an aspiring promoter, never ever ever say the last line the promoter says here.

I’ll go mark my calendar for that.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure I’m going to the show and I may actually say hi to people. No promises!

CMLL FSE #72

taped 12/16/07, aired 01/20/08

Fabian el Gitano isn’t very good in the ring. He gets opportunities because he’s a male stripper type, and they think it’s good to have one of those around. One way of solving this is suggesting some undercarder who’s otherwise going nowhere take up the gimmick (insert name here), but I think the more likely outcome is Fabian suffers an injury on a moonsault dive and that’s the end of him forever.

I’ve seen matches a month from this taping, because of the lag and all, and so I know Fabian’s still doing a moonsault dive and I can’t believe someone’s not told him to stop it immediately. He’s getting no distance on the dive at all and looking quite unimpressive doing it. An okay plancha beats a bad moonsault anyday.

Yea, two paragraphs on Fabian el Gitano. Sometimes the shows are like that.

01/24: Guadalajara, Monterrey

CMLL (SUN) 01/20 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) Milenio b Quazar
2) Fraile de la Muerte b Thunder Boy
3) Estrella de Jalisco ?? Impostor
4) Depredador, Exterminador, Valentin Mayo b Carlo Roggi, Ebola, Lider
5) Infierno, Mr. Trueno, Rey Trueno b Leono, Magnum, Tony Rivera
6) Blue Panther, Dos Caras Jr., el Gallo b Ephesto, Misterioso II, Universo 2000

Shocker was supposed to be in the main event, in El Gallo’s place. Between this and being subbed out on Friday, he hasn’t been on a show in a week and isn’t announced for another one until 02/02.

Dos pinned Universo clean with a suplex. after the fourth match, Evola and Exterminador agreed to a hair match in two weeks.

CMLL (TUE) 01/22 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL, *DELTA* @ box y lucha]
1) Thunder Boy b Milenio
2) Idolo b Guero Loco
3) El Egipcio b Casanova
4) Danger (Guadalajara) b Magnum
5) Malefico, Máscara Mágica, Toxico DQ Leono, Metalik, Tony Rivera
6) Black Warrior & Olímpico b Dr. Wagner Jr. & Último Dragón

Malefico fouled Tony in the semimain, setting up a singles match next week. In the main, Warrior faked a foul from Wagner, but the ref didn’t see it. So Warrior just yanked Wagner’s mask instead and pinned him. That also sets up a match for next week.

CMLL (TUE) 01/29 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Quazar vs Azazel
2) El Idolo vs El Egipcio
3) Casanova & Metatron vs Rey Trueno & Super Maquina
4) Carlo Roggi vs Exterminador
5) Tony Rivera vs Malefico
6) La Sombra & Volador Jr. vs Atlantis & Último Guerrero
7) Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Black Warrior

The Box Y Lucha recap says Wagner agreed to defend his UWA Heavyweight Title in that match. CMLL doesn’t have that announced yet.

indy (TUE) 01/22 Arena Coliseo Monterrey [RFC]
2) Burrito DRAW Mercurio
3) Cavernicola & Mr. Cuervo b Corazon Adicto & Former Love
4) Black King & Maravilla Azteca b Bengali & Pancho Tequila
5) Golden Boy & Mosco b Rey Demonio, Simbolo [losers advance]
6) Rey Demonio Jr. b Simbolo [? Title]

AAA (SUN) 01/27 Arena Coliseo Monterrey [RFC]
1) Baby Fox & Rey Imagen vs Iron Extreme & Yako
2) Aero Boy, Dranser, Scravos vs Euforia (Monterrey), Ramses (Monterrey), Violento Jack
3) Aguila Extrema vs Dr. Cianuro [NORTH LH]
4) 5X, Iron, Principe Diamante vs Extreme Tiger, Rio Bravo, Tito Santana II
5) Octagón & Pimpinela Escarlata vs Antifaz del Norte & Kenzo Suzuki

Crazy Boy’s making an appearance.

Atlantis tells Ovaciones he’s got no issues with Rey Bucanero any more and would be happy to team up with Ultimo and him to form the greatest trio in all of CMLL. Looks like Atlantis will stay rudo.

Ovaciones also talks (again) to the AAA Clowns, who admit they’re just trying to repeat the winning streak of the previous AAA clowns. Psycho Clown is listed as 187 cm/105 kg, Zombie Clown is 190 cm/110 kg and Killer Clown is not listed, but they’re all bigger than average guys.

IWRG’s card tonight is 2nd Generation Dinamitas vs Villanos. Avisman, one of the suspended regulars from last summer, is listed as working the segunda. Dr. Cerebro and Mike Segura are still gone (unless they’re working new gimmicks here.)

El Luchador #30, an e-mail newsletter, has an interview with Aerostar (who promises new crazy dives in ’08, and also may have given away the next unannounced AAA taping as 02/07.) I hadn’t heard of them till I saw a link on box y lucha foro today, but they’ve apparently been going since last June, so there’s probably good stuff in the previous editions.