Day: March 19, 2010

AAA says they’ll start their coverage of the DF taping at 8:30 local (9:30 luchablog time) which usually means the coverage won’t actually get going until a half hour later. I will have another post up when coverage starts, but the more stuff I do now, the later I can sleep tomorrow.

Though I’m still not on AAA press list, LuchandoLibre has the AAA version of their press conference yesterday, and none of the CMLL comments are included (which is probably why it also didn’t show up in the other press.) I would’ve figured they said Felino was going to lose his mask specifically to get the press to pick up on it, but maybe AAA’s PR disagreed?

Today’s Wrestling Observer news update picked up on the idea that CMLL might change tonight’s finish because of Dorian’s comments. It’s possible, but they haven’t reacted to stuff that’s web only, and it doesn’t feel like it’s gone past that. Plus, Dorian saying Felino is going to lose is really no different from the press saying the same thing to Felino this week. This is not a new revelation and they’d be silly to change their plans. (Doesn’t mean they won’t.

Late Dos Leyendas previews:
– Record
– LuchandoLibre
– Rob predictions.
Looking at our poll, about 90% of the voters think Felino will tonight, but there is no consesus about who will take it.

Maximo says it was great teaming with his father and uncle, and will battle Asesino Negro if he takes either of their hair.

A new promotion is starting in Chicago on 04/11, though their website actually says they have a show next weekend.

Lineups

IWRG (SUN) 03/21 Arena Naucalpan
1) Daga & Héros vs Comando Negro & Eterno
2) Maldito Jr. & Samoth vs Trauma I & Trauma II
3) Chico Che, Freelance, Leopardo vs Oficial 911, Oficial AK47, Oficial Fierro
4) Bobby Lee Jr., La Roca, Ultramán Jr. vs Máscara Año 2000, Máscara Año 2000 Jr., Veneno
5) El Hijo del Diablo vs Dr. Cerebro [IWRG IC Light, WWF WELTER]

Main event is title vs title, and Dr. Cerebro is clearly getting the short end of the deal. Diablo is a former WWA Welterweight champion, but he won and lost that belt to Santo long ago. I have him picking up a “World Welterweight Championship” on June 15, 2006 – maybe that’s what this is? Maybe I’ve put too much thought into this already? Maybe the DF commission will be right on this in three weeks or so? Sure.

CMLL (MON) 03/22 Arena Puebla
1) Alarido, Ares, Barbaro I vs Asturiano, Milenium, SWAT
2) Hiroka, La Seductora, Princesa Blanca vs Goya Kong, Lady Apache, Marcela
3) Metro, Stuka Jr., Valiente vs Dragon Rojo Jr., Misterioso II, Sangre Azteca
4) Felino, Negro Casas, Taichi vs Brazo de Plata, La Sombra, Toscano
5) Místico vs Volador Jr.

This match is building off the finish last Monday, but obviously it’s interesting to have all four wrestlers from tonight in the building at the same time. Mistico is listed for Sunday’s Coliseo show, Volador is in GDL, and the other two are not billed until this show.

There’s no real need to do to a full preview of Dos Leyendas tonight. While it wouldn’t be too big of a surprise for a storyline to turn up in one of the other matches, there’s only the main event worth considering.

Everyone expect Felino to take the loss, with “Blue Panther vs Villano V” being the strongest reason why he might not. Felino being picked to lose isn’t about Felino; there’s no reason to believe this would be the end of his career, and it’s unlikely to even be the start of a ramping down towards it. Felino has actually been on the upswing in the last 9 months, since he really got into the Peste Negra angle, and he’ll probably continue being involved for years to come. I’d be surprised if Felino, who will turn 46 next Monday, wasn’t still wrestling five years from now.

If Felino’s losing, it’s because of his opposition. Rudo or tecnico, Mistico remains the straw that stirs CMLL’s drink. If Mistico lost his mask tonight, the mask reveal would actually be dwarfed by whatever events had led him to quit wrestling or at least quit CMLL, because those would be the only possible explanations.

CMLL could manage on with an unmasked Volador or Sombra. Felino’s mask is easily more valuable than either of them, but the future of CMLL (short term, at least) requires one of them to actually get a meaningful win. Previews of tonight’s show note that Volador has one some minor hair matches, and Sombra (under that name) has never actually won any hair or mask match. Together, they’ve won tag and trios titles, and individually have one weight division championships, but they’ve never had the career defining win. Volador’s singles wins over Mistico have been the closest, but both men need the kind of win that’s not easily forgotten about a month later.

CMLL’s strategy has been to not give out those big wins that often to keep them big (when they talk about Felino’s big wins, they have to go back to his mask win over Ciclon Ramiez from 17 years ago and his title match win over Santo), but this is the time to give one out. Part of the reason Averno has never become a really meaningful rudo is he’s never gotten that win; they may give him occasional wins over Mistico, but those victories are fleeting and the idea that he’s just the guy who lose to Mistico is what’s stuck in everyone’s mind. Volador (and Sombra) can quickly get slotted into the same spot unless he proves to the fans that he’s a real threat, and there’s no better way of doing than picking up a mask win here.

If it isn’t Felino losing tonight, Volador actually makes the most sense. There’s a history of an unmasked Volador, and maybe being the high flying tecnico who isn’t masked makes him a little different. Mistico makes no sense, and Sombra just as much – if he’s supposed to be the reincarnation of Oro right down to the mask, he’d have to be completely reinvented without it. Still, looking forward, the strongest match they have for the anniversary show is Volador vs Mistico, mask vs mask. CMLL’s invested the turn and the wins over Mistico in Volador, and you can’t easily recreate that with someone else.

If you’re looking for hope in Felino keeping the mask, you should be looking for an alternative Annviersary main event to start some place on the card. CMLL doesn’t need to even run an angle, but showing they have another plan frees them up from being Mistico/Volador. It would have to be two equally big masks on the line to work, and there are only a few possibilities for that.

As mentioned yesterday, we’ll be running a chat later tonight. I’ll have a post up before it to remind you, and to do some live results during the show.

Other CMLL Dos Leyendas previews: Ovaciones (says the show won’t be aired on TV – all of it?), MT, ESTO

Alex Koslov has his first edition of KoslovCam.

DJ Spectro looks back at Solar as el Mariachi, Ray Mendoza vs Colos Colosetti, and the Hermanos Corzo

Cronicas Y Leyendas has the second part of it’s interview with El Sinodal, as well as Negro Navarro’s troubles with tecnico fans in the late 70s, and AAA debuts of 1997

Dos de Tres has videos from the press conference (Latin Lover out of AAA, Dorian on Dos Leyendas, LA Park on La Parka Jr., LA Park on AAA), but you may want to just skip to SuperLuchas meticulous point by point recap of the press conference. I think my comments are going to make it sound like it was more unproductive than it truly was’ it seems like it was just a usual press conference.

Dorian and Konnan spent a fair amount of their speeches attacking CMLL for being lame and copying them, saying they only push their favorites. AAA is oh so clearly different. Dorian told the press that Felino was going to lose tonight, he’s sick of hearing about CMLL being better when they’re in full meltdown and putting everything on two people. Konnan complained that Panico and Franco Colombo are controlling CMLL to help their favorites, leaving others wasted.

Latin Lover was announced as done here. Konnan says Latin Lover complained too much, wanted too much money, and was actually supposed to be the surprise for the Heroes Inmortales show but no-showed that too (so they ended up with Konnan Big; partially, Konnan does not want the blame for Konnan Big!) If this is true, it boggles the mind why they would’ve not only brought him back for Guerra de Titanes, but then had him win a title shot. The Latin Lover firing actually comes off more like Latin Lover had better things to do (TV show). It’s actually sort of tough to fire someone who doesn’t show up.

The only stuff really discussed about AAA was the La Parka/LA Park feud (though Alex talked briefly about the Cruiserweight title and alliances with TNA, NOAH, AJPW and ROH were mentioned in exactly the same amount of detail as this sentence). Park maintains he’s here just to fight Wagner and Parka Jr. – he only needs one match with Parka to beat him up, not really the masks – and then he’s out of here. Park insists he’s not part of AAA, which Dorian and Konnan were not expecting to hear. LA Park did make it clear he’ll show up on tonight’s show.

TripleMania was also announced for June 6, in Palacio de la Deportes. That’s a Sunday, and surely one CMLL will be running an extra show at Arena Mexico.

Of note, the CMLL comments didn’t get picked up in the press recaps: neither ESTO or Record ESPN or even AAA’s own recap