CMLL Guerreros del Ring on CAN52 #228 (04/03/2010)

Arena Coliseo, 03/28/2010

Guerrero Maya Jr., Metálico, Tony Rivera vs Apocalipsis, Artillero, Ramstein: If Ramstein ever disappears during the winter, it’d be to play shopping mall Santa. Get some new gear or something.

Brazo de Plata, Máscara Dorada, Stuka Jr. vs Shigeo Okumura, Skándalo, Taichi: Taichi only knows enough Spanish to pick up women; I bet that’s the first think Naito taught him.

04/27 Arena Mexico Lineup

Not sure why the lineup is up today, but OK.

CMLL (TUE) 04/27 Arena Mexico
1) Horus & Metatrón vs Camorra & Disturbio
2) Diamante, Pegasso, Rey Cometa vs Arkangel de la Muerte, Loco Max, Skándalo
3) Rush, Stuka Jr., Valiente vs Misterioso II, Sangre Azteca, Virus
4) Blue Panther, La Sombra, Strong Man vs Atlantis, Rey Bucanero, Último Guerrero
5) La Máscara vs Mephisto [NWA WELTER]

Actually, CMLL.com just lists Mascara as the challenger and Mephisto as the champion, but doesn’t list the title. Usually that’s just goofiness (CMLL has left the “POR EL CAMPEONATO DE`PESO WELTER DE OCCIDENTE” on Sunday’s Guadalajara line up all month) but who knows with the NWA title.

Mascara is soon to no longer to be a champion – either they’ll lose the titles or they’ll forget the titles – maybe he can get a belt before then? I hope the referees where the NWA patch again.

Gringos advance on Mexico (state trios titles), GA Block B, Tanahashi

IWRG (THU) 04/22 Arena Naucalpan [The Gladiatores (twitter), Black Terry Jr. (flickr), Estrellas del Ring, DJ Spectro]
1) Epidemia b Dragon Fly
2) Brazo Metalico, Daga, Héros b Alan Extreme, Comando Negro, Eterno
3) Oficial 911, Oficial AK47, Oficial Fierro b Bombero Infernal, Maldito Jr., Samoth
4) Black Terry, Dr. Cerebro, Hijo del Signo b Negro Navarro, Trauma I, Trauma II [EdM Trios, quarterfinal]
5) Avisman, El Hijo del Diablo, Gringo Loco b Cerebro Negro, Kahoz (IWRG), Veneno [EdM Trios, quarterfinal]
6) Avisman, El Hijo del Diablo, Gringo Loco b Black Terry, Dr. Cerebro, Hijo del Signo [EdM Trios, semifinal]

With everyone else out, Diablo managed to get the rollup on Terry to get the Gringos into next week’s finals. Mascaras vs Gringos…I’m going with Gringos. Though it’s funny if they end up with the belts last held by the Terrible Cerebros, the guys they’ve been feuding with all year, without actually beating them. Especially since Cerebro Negro is back in the fold – after being turned on by Maldito and Samoth on Sunday, he said he was rejoining his old partners soon.

911 and Maldito feuded in their match, and they teased both a direct mask match between the two and an IWRG IC Trios title defense. Nice to lose out of the tournament and end up with a shot at a better title.

No details on Kahoz; they’ve been spelling it Kaoz, but it’s the same Kahoz mask Pena and Mephisto’s father used (and does not appear to be either of them. THAT would be a story. Maybe it’s the guy from the WFS show?)

Arena Mexico Previews: Ovaciones, SuperLuchas.

Delta is excited for the chance to team with his another guy from Monterrey. Volador & Delta are the team to watch. While any four of the tecnico teams could win (Group A seems like the heavy favorite, and runner up doesn’t matter), Volador/Delta and Shocker/Azteca rise above every else as favorites. Delta winning may mean they have a lot of plans for him, but if Volador does not win, that’s a strong sign they’ve given up on him as the top tecnico. Mistico moving back to the tecnico side is an even stronger side, but we’ll know where Volador slots in now after tonight.

The rudos shouldn’t be expected to win. Ultimo Guerrero vs Hector Garza is the only final of the four that would make sense, but they seem to have finally moved on from that feud. it is too bad, because I think it’d be a worthy novato of being spotlighted. There are a lot of things CMLL & MVS do on their weekend one hour shows that I don’t like and think are counter productive, but once of the definite good things is that promo time for guys who would otherwise never get to talk. The promos themselves are basically useless, but the easiest way to learn is to just to do something many times and it’s actually better if those practice runs don’t count against you.

My point is, Puma King has really gotten good this year, at least part due to near weekly practice at cocky promos, and he’s now head and shoulders above lots of guys at his level/experience. Tiger Kid definitely has gotten much more comfortable as a rudo too, but his brother/cousin/whatever has gone from a guy who probably will be pushed due to whatever family connections (while being the lesser half of the team) to a guy who ought to be pushed based on real potential to be a future top star. I’m really high on him, even when he’s shamelessly stealing from the Eddie Guerrero playbook – that’s a pretty good book to steal from! We (or at least I) make comments about how the Arena Coliseo Tag Team belts should really be in play in the Gatos Negro vs Fabian/Leono feud not just in fascination of the world’s ugliest title belts, but because the Cats have earned a reward and it might help set them up for more down the line. Winning this block would be the same thing, though I don’t think it’s going to happen.

Rob has his Gran Alternativa predictions here.

Tanahashi is coming from NJPW to CMLL on 05/05 (and would probably debut on 05/07.) Next NJPW tour is 05/30, so he’ll probably be around for a few weeks. ESTO article teases a feud with Rey Bucanero, who he wrestled in a couple tag title matches last time he was in CMLL.

Misterioso, a two time loser for the Mex Trios Titles, now wants to challenge the Angeles Rebeleds for the World Trios Titles. You know, that’s actually not a bad idea. Misterioso is also convinced Ultimo Guerrero is ducking him, because they’d have that title match already if UG really wanted it.

Luchas2000 says Blue Panther (or maybe people on his behalf) are circulating a petition to allow him to return to wearing his mask, with the hope he’d be able to do it for his 50th birthday. It’s really the young guys who are killing the business, yup. Does IWRG have to do a petition when they do this for one show every year. I presume it’s a one time thing with Panther too.

Also, when mentioning the ex-AAAers working Puebla on Monday, Luchas2000 off handily says they all won the rights to their names. This is so tossed off I don’t believe it.

No one’s said anything, but everyone expects some/all of the recent WWE departures will turn up in AAA. That’s AAA’s move.

Guadalajara’s Guero Loco had knee surgery on Tuesday. Unlike Mesias, he’ll be out six months to recover, but promises to return as a bionic wrestler.

Tinieblas, still retiring, talks about the autobiography people are writing for him, and the promotion he plans on starting. I like the most when he talks about how there needs to be new blood and new stars. El Panacracio (alive again!) also has interviews with Sexi Star, Maldito Jr. and Samot, Jack, and

There was some press for next week’s Perros del Mal show in Tijuana (still including LA Park and the CMLL invaders), though one article calls it an AAA show.

A new promotion (“Indy Wrestling Group” – fantastically generic) is starting in Puebla, trying to compete with Arena Puebla by running on Saturdays. I think this is the second or third time this group has started.

Axxel is doing an autograph signing at a mummy exhibit.

Proyeccion Luchistia has a bunch of new posts: on lucha libre in prisons, Ultimo Dragon in Arena Aficion from a couple weekends ago, Mascara Ano 2000 Jr. winning the IWRG Heavyweight Title, and video interviews with Sexy Pantera, Crazy Star, Corazon de Fuego Jr., and Akua.

The Gladiatores (and their new spiffy layout) has video interviews IWRG referee Reyes Rosas, and luchador/actor Hijo del Santo.

R de Rudos has interviews with Hijo del Santo (who says the Perros are planning the four way mask match for September, and talks about Bobby Lee Jr.) and Ultimo Guerrero (says the Universal tournament is coming up soon and wants to repeat; would also like to invade Perros or AAA if they can invade there), plus 10 reasons to invade (the picture is better than the reasons)

Estrellas del Ring has an interview with Pentagon I.

Cronicas Y Leyendas looks at Negro Casas vs Jushin Liger, on the NJPW tour that I’ve mostly ignored.

DJ Spectro has a bio of ring announcer Picoro, Konnan vs Mascara Ano 2000, Angel Negro & Dick Angelo, masked man from the 60’s, and a bio of Babe Face.

LuchaWorld has 40 to 31 on the LuchaWorld 2009  countdown, and the newest Slammin’ Stan.

on Valiente, Skayde and CHIKARA

I don’t know why I’m doing all this CHIKARA news. There’s a perfectly fine site called CHIKARAFans that’s all over the CHIKARA news – oh, wait. Never mind, let’s move on.

A CHIKARA source (no, not him – let’s say Solider Ant) says Valiente not making the tournament is related to CHIKARA also cutting ties with Skayde, and probably what you figured: a falling out, at least in part due to money.

The story goes, the week after Team Mexico was announced, Jorge Rivera demanded his pay be more than doubled (and Turbo’s pay doubled as well.) CHIKARA wasn’t thrilled, but since they were stuck with the plane tickets and hotel reservations anyway and had advertised the team, they said OK.

For some reason, this was still not okay with Skayde, who told Turbo and Valiente to not get on the flight and take other bookings for this weekend, then went to the airport to convince Oriental not to get on the plane either. Oriental got on that plane – the Perros del Mal team will be there, invading buildings internationally – and Skayde talked to CHIKARA one more time to try and get the booking changed for the tournament. CHIKARA, knowing Turbo & Valiente weren’t coming, cut ties with Skayde at that point.

I still wouldn’t mind an interview with Valiente, but I would expect he would be as confused as everyone else. An interview with Skayde would be better. Obviously, there’s something more going on here if Rivera decided it was more in his interest to cause harm to CHIKARA than actually get paid. We can also make guesses at why he was doing what he was doing (hello comments), but it’d nice to hear his side.

IWRG on Teleformula #2122 (04/03/10)

Arena Naucalpan, 03/21/2010. This is a stitched together recap from both airings (the 04/03 show includes about 10-15 minutes more of show), but watched at a distance apart. It probably makes less sense than usual.

Bobby Lee Jr., La Roca, Suicida vs Máscara Año 2000, Máscara Año 2000 Jr., Oficial 911: Dhani Jones is better than La Roca. Maybe better than Bobby Lee Jr. at this point. I wish IWRG banned heavyweights.

El Hijo del Diablo vs Dr. Cerebro for the IWRG Intercontinental Lightweight Championship and WWS Welterweight Championship: doing a title match in title match style really didn’t fit with this feud or what I was looking for from these guys. The existence of the WWS Belt kinda makes the IWRG belts look dumb – what’s the point of a belt if Diablo can grab another one off the street and make it worth the same – but I guess someone decided having lots of belts looked cool that week.