12/23: Minis Cage Match, Poder Mexica

CMLL held a newsworthy press conference today. There will probably be a few more background quotes in the days to come, but it seems worthwhile to focus on the news items tonight.

The next Sunday special show at Arena Mexico will be 01/11 and be called La Hora Cero. As a special main event, and working off feuding in recent minis matches on Sunday, there will be the first CMLL Cage Match of Mini Estrellas. The loser will lose their mask. Panico was not definite on a lineup, but Pierrothito, Mini Universo 2000 and Mascarita Dorada talked at the press conference and are in for sure. CMLL.com adds Shockercito, Mini Olimpico, Pequeno Ninja, Pequeno Warrior and Acero de Oro, which makes 8. 8 is about normal for this sort of cage match, but it’s minis so who’s to say what normal is. I can’t think of any more mini rudos who still have their mask, though.

This, in fact, would probably be the main event minis match I was talking about on Sunday. Who could’ve known. Women keep on waiting.

In more ticket selling news, CMLL officially announced Guadalajara’s First Sunday Of The Month discounted ticket deal and mentioned Arena Puebla would be doing the same thing on the First Monday of the month.

The other news was Sangre Azteca delivering on his idea of forming a group. It’s called Poder Mexica, and it’ll be Sangre Azteca, Black Warrior and Dragon Rojo Jr.

“Poder Mexica” translated to Mexico Power. Sound familiar? (Besides the ex-Boricua guy!) I’m going with the idea that this is CMLL/Sangre being completely unaware of what AAA is doing than a purposeful rip. Either way is very silly, but Sangre Azteca’s been promoting that name since he left the Guerreros so we’re likely stuck with it. (And we’re surely getting the Mexican Powers back in force in AAA just so they can prove they were there first.)

If you check out Sangre’s website, you’ll notice that it’s actually open and it already has a link for this group. I wonder if the website was done before the announcement of the group was ready.

I like the makeup of the group. They’re not three similar guys, really three guys at very different career points, but three guys who’s strengths and weaknesses balance out pretty well. My concern is how they fit in the greater rudo sphere:

Current Rudo Factions
Pesta Negra: Negro Casas, Felino, Heavy Metal, Mr. Niebla
Guerreros de la Atlantida: Atlantis, Ultimo Guerrero, Rey Bucanero
Villanos: Villano III, Villano IV, Villano V
Hijos del Averno: Averno, Mephisto, Ephesto, Texano Jr., Terrible
Poder Mexica: Sangre Azteca, Black Warrior, Dragon Rojo Jr.
Infernales: Satanico, Euforia, Nosferatu
Tuareg: Nitro, Dr. X, Loco Max, Skandalo, Hooligan, Arkangel

7! We may be overpopulated here. I mean, it’s easier to write the list of notable people who are not in groups.

* Lizmark Jr. (who’d be in one of he was around long enough)
* Virus (who is essentially the fourth Infernal)
* Okumura (who is foreign and therefore doesn’t count – hey, I didn’t make up the rules)
* Vangelis (who no one would want in their group)
* Misterioso II

Alex is right! Anyway, I know this is for sure different, I just don’t know if it’s good or bad. I would think forming a 7th group wouldn’t be a good idea if you have six other ones, but at least this one seems to have some thought behind it.

At the same time, there’s zero tecnico groups. There’s Garza’s thing where no one knew who was in it and no one remembered it a week later. There’s Mistico’s idea for a group (and it’s funny to think Sangre Azteca has enough pull to form a group but Mistico does not), but there’s an obvious disinterest for tecnico groups by CMLL programmers. There’s no other obvious reason it’d be so lopsided. This whole format reminds move of a Japanese setup, where you various heel groups and one company tecnico army led by the company ace to fight them. The difference is those groupings are usually tightly adhered to, while it’s an exception for a tercera or higher rudo side to be completely members of one group or another. Maybe that’ll change – they seem to be going this way with keeping the Hijos del Averno together.

Getting back to Sangre Azteca – the idea of the guy who probably would’ve won ‘most underutilized’ multiple times if I was doing these awards in the late 90s and early 00s now leading an important faction (not La Alianaza) is pretty cool.

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12/23: Koslov, IWRG

In case you missed it, there was a post earlier about Ultimo Guerrero, champion of the world

Alex Koslov updated his myspace to talk about his jump to AAA (again)

That’s how I began to feel in CMLL. I’ve wrestled some of the best wrestlers in Mexico. And it was an awesome experience. And I’ve learned a lot.. But doing the same thing over and over gets old. When something gets old for me, I need to make a move. I need to get away from it because it’s not fun anymore. Towards the last several months before my departure from CMLL, I was at that point where I needed to go, I needed to make a change. The passion in me was asleep, the soul in me was not stimulated anymore. And that is exactly the reason of the nature in which I left. It was a way for me to wake up my soul and my passion again. It had to be dramatic and it had to be impactful. I meant to make shockwaves! It was quite an adrenaline rush, and it definitely awoke me! There is people who think I left CMLL for AAA for the money. And it just distrurbs me because these people have no idea. I am a person that acts on emotion. It’s never been about the money. It’s always been about being passionate about what you do and enjoying what you do.

When I speak negative, I speak for my companions in CMLL who I feel are not getting the opportunity they trully deserve, guys like Mesterioso Jr, guys like Efesto, guys like Terrible, guys like Texano Jr.

There’s more about CMLL fans who hate AAA and CMLL being outdated. I wish we were talking about Alex Koslov’s awesome matches in AAA by now. I’m reluctant to disagree with Alex, because I like him and appreciate it when luchadors give their real opinions, but – who are the AAA equivalents of Mistersioso, Ephesto, Terrible, and Texano? There needs to be more opportunities all over the place is all I’m saying.

IWRG (FRI) 12/19 Arena Naucalpan [Al Filo del Ring]
1) Oficial 911, Oficial AK47, Oficial Fierro b Freelance, Jack, Zatura
2) Hijo del Cien Caras & Mascara Ano 2000 Jr. b Scorpio Jr. & Zumbido [IWRG IC TAG]

Dinamitas won clean. This was also the award show, and Oficials won for best trio. Freelance, Referee Reyes Rosas, Black Terry, Zumbido, and the Dinamitas also won awards.

AAA (SAT) 12/20 Deportivo Tlalli, Tlanepantla, EdM [Al Filo del Ring]
3) Coco Loco L Coco Pelos, Payaso Caronna, Payaso Miedo, Payaso Terror, Coco Tiger [mask]
4) Alex Koslov & Mesias b Konnan & Ozz

The Cocos match actually came down to Loco, Pelos, and Tiger left. Pelos dumbly martinete-d Tiger, getting himself DQed and saving Tiger, then Loco beat Pelos. Pelos is Mario Lopez, presumably not the one from Saved By The Bell. Al Filo del Ring is going on vacation for the rest of the year, good for him.

Luchas2000 #451 says Hector Garza is out with a knee injury. This is what passes for CMLL announcing it.

Televisa says WWE RAW will start airing on Canal 5, Monday at 10pm, starting 01/05. They don’t specifically say it’ll stop airing the other times.

LuchaWorld has Robert on GDL 05/27/07 and 06/10 and AAA 05/26/07

A while back I was talking to Dr. Lucha and he noted how AAA is just a two-man promotion right now with Konnan and Mesias.

No, that’s from last May, I swear. There’s also KrisZ‘s news report.

F4Wonline has their AAA recap

Ultimo Guerrero is your new CMLL World Heavyweight Champion

CMLL (MON) 12/22 Arena Puebla [morgan_alebrije]
1) Blue Center, Lestat, SWAT b Aguila Guerrera, Karisma, Mr. Rafaga
2) Black Tiger, Tigre Rojo, Tony Rivera b Espiritu Maligno, Loco Max, Siki Ozama Jr.
3) Mictlán, Sagrado, Valiente b Sangre Azteca, Shigeo Okumura, Virus
4) Black Warrior, Negro Casas, Rey Bucanero b La Máscara, Mascara Dorada, Volador Jr.
5) Último Guerrero b Dos Caras Jr. [CMLL HEAVY]

Ultimo Guerrero is the 15th CMLL World Heavyweight Champion. Dos won the first fall with the cross armbreaker, UG pinned Dos after he missed a top rope move in the second fall. Dos had UG in a submission in the final fall, but the referee got bumped and then distracted by Rey Bucanero (Ultimo’s second.) Ultimo Guerrero fouled Dos, covered, and got the three count.

Ultimo Guerrero is a double champion, also holding a share of the CMLL Trios titles. The Guerreros hold the two top weight class belts with Bucanero still being Light Heavyweight champion. In fact, of the eight CMLL World Titles, now only two are held by tecnicos (Mistico with the Welter and Bam Bam with the Mini.)

Dos Caras Jr. held the title for 503 days, which is the shortest title reign this decade. (There’s only been 4.) Of far more interest is what’s next for Dos Caras Jr. Dos is booked on the Tuesday, Friday and Sunday shows this week, so there’ll be plenty of time for people to ask question and I’m sure they will.

I could not have been more wrong about this; I’m so stunned, I’ve yet to mark out over UG winning the belt. Does this mean we’re getting Ultimo Guerrero/Marco Corleone matches? There’s not an obvious alternate for the title.