Day: April 24, 2009

Major Mexico City area lucha shows canceled this weekend

thecubsfan 16 Comments

Various outlets have this story, but I’ll point you to the Record story because it’s got the most complete list of cancellations I’ve seen. Shows listed as canceled include

  • Tonight’s Arena Mexico show – tickets can be turned in for a refund or for next week’s show
  • Sunday’s Arena Coliseo show
  • IWRG’s shows on Saturday and Sunday
  • AAA’s spot shows in Mexico City this weekend – being rescheduled for later

The cause of all this is a massive swine flu outbreak in Mexico City. At least 60 people are believed to have died as a result of this flu already. It passes from coughing and sneezing, so large gatherings are a bad idea. Schools are being shut down, it’s that sort of thing.

Record says that’s the only other time a Friday night Arena Mexico show was canceled was the 1985 earthquake. It’s not a good sign that we can compare this outbreak this to a natural disaster. Hope everyone in Mexico City reading this takes care of themselves this weekend. If this had to happen, at least it didn’t happen next week with all the Kid’s Day stuff.

The word is (CMLL has a new hi5 up) tomorrow’s CMLL TV show will air matches from Dos Leyendas in place of the usual action, though no UG/V5 yet. No idea what they’ll do for the MVS shows, but they’ve got a week to figure that out.

04/24: Mexico previwe, IWRG, Chicago, Zorro

thecubsfan 10 Comments

CMLL (FRI) 04/24 Arena Mexico
1) Molotov & Sensei vs Apocalipsis & Ramstein
2) Hiroka, Princesa Blanca, Princesa Sujei vs Lady Apache, Lluvia, Sahori
3) Mascara Dorada, Metro, Stuka Jr. vs Euforia, Nosferatu, Virus
4) Mictlan vs Dragon Rojo Jr. [lightning]
5) Blue Panther, Maximo, Volador Jr. vs Felino, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas
6) Dos Caras Jr., Terrible, Texano Jr. vs Hector Garza, La Sombra, Shocker

Previews: SuperLuchas, ESTO, Ovaciones.

Ovaciones says we’re supposed to call the main event rudos DTT, which stands for Doble Tormenta de Terror (and also their initials.) It’s nice Terrible and Texano get to be in a group (oh wait, they already had one.) I also have no idea why three men are a double.

Dragon Rojo and Mictlan had a mask match last year, but this time are limited to 10 minutes. The opener is exactly the same one they did on Sunday, FWIW.

IWRG (SUN) 04/19 Arena Naucalpan [The Gladiatores]
1) Comando Negro b Guizmo
2) Chico del Barrio & Vampiro Metalico b Daga & Eterno
3) Trauma I & Trauma II b Gemelo Fantastico I & Gemelo Fantastico II
4) Oficial 911, Oficial AK47, Oficial Fierro DQ Arlequin, Toxico DF, Veneno
5) Head Hunter I, Mascara Ano 2000 Jr., Negro Navarro DQ Angelico, El Alebrije, Super Porky

Top 3 all DQs, what a sight. Main event ended in DQ when Porky accidently hit a ref while trying to get at Head Hunter. Porky & Head Hunter and Alebrije & Mascara Ano 2000 Jr. paired off to make singles match challenges. Veneno fouled an Oficial. A Gemelo fouled a Trauma for a straight fall loss.

IWRG (THU) 04/23 Arena Naucalpan [Proyeccion Luchistica]
1) Chico del Barrio & Comando Negro b Azoka & Daga
2) Bobby Lee Jr., Freelance, Multifacetico b Arlequin, Bushi, Kushida
3) Negro Navarro, Trauma I, Trauma II b Black Terry, Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro
4) El Alebrije, Fuerza Guerrera, Olimpico b Hijo del Cien Caras, Mascara Ano 2000, Veneno

Navarros asked for and will receive a title shot after their win. Pirata Morgan got involved in the main event, unsuccessfully. PY also has an YouTube interview with Alebrije and Pirata about being out of AAA.

Lucha Va Voom is in San Fran tonight. Mondo Lucha is in Milwaukee tomorrow (and seems to have gotten good coverage.)

In Chicago this Sunday, there are dueling Lucha Libre shows on Sunday.
– Congress Theatre with Santo, Hijo del Solitario, Pirata Morgan and Mascara Sagrada
– El Ray Ballroom (3504 S. Western, Chicago, IL), with Olimpico, Rayman, La Park and Atlantis

Both start at about the same time, for about the same much. Why they’re running against each other, I dunno. GALLI’s also running an outdoor show this Saturday in Lombard, though the poster doesn’t appear to be on the website. I think I may just take a nap thru it all.

Zorro visited ESTO’s offices, saying that he’s reached a good part of his career but will have to be even better with guys like Wagner and Marco in AAA. Zorro’s looking forward to the new challenges they present (and does not sound like a guy looking to leave at all.) Zorro also feels like Juvi should’ve handled his issues with AAA internally rather than go to the press.

(Refoma via Jazzo) Mascara Ano 2000 is soliciting donations to pay Cesar Curiel’s medical bills. He either has diabates or cancer, but he needs help. Interestingly, MA2K has ruled out doing a benefit show, because so little of the money makes it to the person in need. This did seem to be the case for Kato’s. He’s going to the commission instead, which isn’t much more help. His other idea is a home for old wrestlers, but that sounds a long way from happening.

Mascara Purpura is supposed to work Tuesday’s Arena Coliseo Monterrey show. That’s the locals show, not the AAA weekly one, but it’d still be very odd to see a CMLL guy there. Unless he’s not? Or maybe he’s just getting some ring time coming back from injury?

LuchandoLibre notes Los Perros will have an easy oppurtintiy to respond to AAA’s last parody, because both groups are scheduled to work the Sunday Lucha Libre Expo show.

DTU links to YouTube video of it’s last show. I hope Roberto’s getting paid for his work.

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.

CMLL (MON) 04/27 Arena Puebla
1) Black Tiger & King Jaguar vs Karisma & Mr. Rafaga
2) Bracito de Oro, Electrico, Fantasy vs Pequeno Damian 666, Pequeño Universo 2000, Pierrothito
3) Metro, Pegasso, Rey Cometa vs Euforia, Nosferatu, Skandalo
4) La Mascara, La Sombra, Volador Jr. vs Black Warrior, Dragon Rojo Jr., Sangre Azteca
5) Hector Garza, Mistico, Shocker vs Dos Caras Jr., Terrible, Texano Jr.

CMLL (TUE) 04/28 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Thunder Boy vs Milenio
2) Idolo vs Virgo
3) Nube Roja vs Exterminador
4) Casanova vs Rey Trueno
5) Saturno & Ultimo Dragoncito vs Pequeno Black Warrior & Pequeno Violencia
6) La Mascara & Volador Jr. vs Averno & Mephisto
7) Shocker vs Atlantis

CMLL (WED) 04/29 La Takaeria Chabelo [apux @ box y lucha]
1) Astro Boy Jr. vs Ulises Junior [lightning]
2) Goku, Tomrenta II, Tormenta I vs Coby, Principe Valther, Yidra
3) Cyberman, Ministro, Super Camaleon vs Angel Mortal, Inquisidor, Sakura
4) Astro Boy, Flash, Metro vs Caligula, Messala, Polvora

This is way too novato to actually be real. It is a free show, which would partially explain it.

PERROS (FRI) 05/08 Guadalajara [SuperLuchas]
1) Rabia & Ritual vs Kunami & Pesadilla
2) Celestial & Cosmico vs Mr. Aguilita & Pequeno Halloween
3) Histeria, Psicosis, X-Fly vs Damian 666, Halloween, Mr. Aguila [ladder]
4) Intocable, Olimpico, Super Porky vs Cibernetico, Head Hunter I, Super Crazy
5) Dr. Wagner Jr. vs el Hijo del Perro Aguayo

SuperLuchas notes that last year, Record did it’s show with CMLL. CMLL hasn’t announced a special show in ACG for this date, but that’s just got to be a matter of time. I presume this is at the University (as all major non-CMLL GDL shows seem to be).

AAA roster changes since Antonio Pena’s passing

thecubsfan 18 Comments

Things have been active enough on this front that I figured it was worth updating the list from July. This time around, I’m just using names who were around AAA on the day Antonio Pena passed away, so those who’ve come and gone since (Niebla, Juvi, Espectro, Junior Piratas, Head Hunters, others) don’t fit.

Faded away off roster (7)

Brandon
Hombre Sin Miedo
JJ de la Borbolla Jr.
Kaoma Jr.
Mungo
La Hechicera
Miss Janeth
Ultraman Jr.

This group was only part time at best and probably most would’ve been gone anyway, or continued to just been used periodically (Janeth and Hechicera brought back for Reina de Reinas.) It’s years later and I still don’t get the whole JJ/Shocker feud. We never figured out who Mungo was, so he may have been recycled into someone else. Same thing with Brandon, really.

Left (27)

Antifaz del Norte – working sporadic local shows, not traveling
Brazo de Plata – IWRG, high end indies
Cibernetico – Perros, high end indies
Angel – we’ll see
Alebrije – IWRG
Hator – northern indies
Histeria – high end indies, his own shows
Mascara Divina – maybe gone and working Villalobos shows? maybe not?
May Flowers – brought back to fill out spot shows
Mr. Condor – UWE
Pegasso – CMLL
Intocable – high end indies
Pirata Morgan – ?
Psicosis II – high end indies, his own shows
Rey Cometa – CMLL
Sangre Chicana – not working
Shocker – CMLL
Silver Cat – maybe brought back to fill out spot shows?
Scorpio Jr. – seems to be not working again
Zumbido – high end indies
La Diabólica – ?
Martha Villalobos – her own shows
Rossy Moreno – Azteca shows, Martha’s shows
Cuije – IWRG
Mascarita Sagrada 2000 – CMLL
Mini Psicosis – CMLL
Monsther – smaller Mexico City indies

Of those who’ve left, only Pegasso, Rey Cometa, Mascarita Sagrada and Mini Psicosis have made it to CMLL for the first time. Shocker’s returned.

AAA would want to point out that very few of these guys have made much of an impact, either in leaving AAA or joining somewhere else. Cibernetico and Sagrada/Dorada are the two who’ve really meant something. Those both appear to be disagreements with management over how they’re being used rather than AAA freezing them out. Mini Psicosis, Pegasso and Cometa are helpful role players for CMLL but not difference makers. No one’s had grand success on the indies.

Deceased (1)

Abismo Negro

That’s 35 gone. At the time of Pena’s death, I count 87 people on AAA’s roster, so it’s been a 40% turnover. I don’t know how best to provide context for that number without doing a lot more research, but lucha libre rosters are generally seem much more static than that.

Going the other way – here’s the additions since Pena’s death (who are still in AAA)

US Indies (3)
Jack Evans
Teddy Hart
X-Pac

Actually, that header should be “WSX”.

Returning (6)
Black Abyss
Extreme Tiger
Latin Lover
Nicho el Millionario
Vampiro
Mari Apache

Latin and Nicho would’ve made their way back eventually. Probably Vamp too. Mari was Lady Venum way back in 1997. The whole “Super AAA”/”Triple A” characters chronology is vastly confusing to me, so Black Abyss might have been around post-Nautilius, but he didn’t really start as full time guy until 2007. Extreme Tiger was around just before Pena’s death, gone a year, and then brought back to join the Mexican Powers.

Japan (1)
KENTA – part time, but he’s worked more TV than Argenis

Mexico Indies (10)
Argenis
Tigre Cota
Tito Santana
Último Gladiador
Yuriko
Sexy Star
Atomic Boy
Mascarita de la Muerte
Mascarita Sagrada 2007
Silver King

It’s always possible Pena had plans for some of the Mexican indies and they just didn’t make it on screen in time. The Poder del Norte guys have worked as local dark match wrestlers (Rio Bravo was on a lot around the cut off time, so he’s not listed as a return.)

CMLL (7)
Alex Koslov
Chris Stone
Dr. Wagner Jr.
Kenzo Suzuki
Marco Corleone
Psycho Clown
Rocky Romero

Chris didn’t start in the ring till much after Alan, though they he may have been doing the run-ins by this point.

??? (1)
Killer Clown

Still don’t know much about this one.

That’s 28 adds. My count is 83 wrestlers on the roster (with guys like Javi, Ricky and Angel Mortal thrown in), so about 1/3rd of the roster has been added in the last 2.5 years.

Who did I forget?