No results. No Busca en un Idolo pool standings update yet today.
Kaiser Sports has quotes and photos from the Rey Escorpion & Black Warrior contract signing. Interestingly, Panico is still showing up as the CMLL representative for these things. Warrior was asked if he’d wrestle more like he does now, or like the rudo who faced Mistico in a mask match in a sold out Arena Mexico, and Warrior said it’d be a little bit both. Rey Escorpion, who felt Warrior is the much bigger, said he would not give 100% in this match, but 200% because it’s just that important.
VO (SUN) 05/27/2012 Rodeo el Jefe 1) Cerebro Maligno, Herejía, Rey Krimen vs Destello Negro, Halcón 2000, Heavy Boy 2) Argos & Sugi San vs Letal & Peligro and Kaiser & Latin Star and Mr. Blacka & Ztzizan 3) Joko Winterscheidt & Tinieblas Jr. vs Sadica & Super Crazy 4) Electroshock vs Daga vs Heddi Karaoui
CMLL announced Black Warrior and Rey Escorpion would meet in a hair match on 06/01. They’ve been linked together since February’s national incredible pairs tournament. The match has doubt in the outcome, though both have been treated as around semimain stars.
AAA announced TripleMania would happen. At some point. In the future. Not now, probably in August.
AAA taped a show in Merida, featuring the return of Psicosis. It is Nicho back under the mask, claiming horrible burns from Joe Lider, but they didn’t quite explain why he’s being called Psicosis. Abyss & Chssman kept the tag titles, and Perro Aguayo and LA Park did not get along.
AAA announced an all championship match show this weekend, including a five way match with LA Park, Cibernetico, Dr. Wagner Jr., Perro Aguayo Jr. and Chessman for Park’s Latin American championship
AAA celebrated it’s 20th anniversary. If only someone had posted an article about the formation of the promotion and it’s debut show.
CMLL’s focused it’s attention on the En Busca en un Idolo tournamnet, the very important rookie competition never shown on TV (though the website is promoted on all of them.) As of press time, with the latest fan polls results not yet counted, tiny tecnico Titan leads. Titan would be in 5th if not for his massive lead in fan poll voting. Over one million votes have already been cast with one week to go, due to fans of all the luchadors quickly figuring out how to stuff the ballot for their favorites.
Other News
Volador dressed up like Iron Man, may have been suspended from Friday shows for a few weeks
Sangre Azteca turned rudo. It was without any setup, except for the months of Sangre Azteca being a not very good tecnico.
Hijo del Ninja’s first unmasked match had him beating three AAA stars, including his uncle Hector Garza, but did not draw a strong crowd.
La Comandante lost her hair in Japan’s REINA promotion, then the promotion imploded. If only Comandante had won!
Oficial AK47 won the vacant IWRG middleweight title.
people who kept their titles: Dragon Rojo Jr., Negro Navarro & Trauma I, Mascara Dorada
CMLL (MON) 05/14/2012Arena Puebla [Porra Fresa]
1) Akron & Siki Osama b Black Tiger & Dinámiko Rudos took 1/3.
2) Artillero, Disturbio, Súper Comando b Molotov, Robin, Super Halcon Jr. Rudos took 2/3. Said to be a bad match.
3) Espiritu Maligno, Karisma, Lestat DQ Dragon Lee, Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso The DF tecnicos told Lestat that he should be on their side, but he was conflicted. Rudo Poblanos did not get along with him, and attacked him by the end of the first fall, getting themselves DQed. Puebla guys got it together in the second fall to tie it up. Lestat had Dragon Lee beat in the third, but Super Comando ran in for the DQ. Stigma rushed in for the save. Karissma and Espiritu were going to stay out of it, but then Bala and Lee helped Comando, they pitched it for the Puebla team. Super Comando got the microphone to declare the DF guys were the best. Stigma disagreed, and challenged the non-present Skandalo with the rest of the DF team. Pegasso notably did not get involved in the fight on either side…
4) Ephesto, Euforia, Mephisto b Ángel de Oro, Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr. Rudos took 1/3.
5) Atlantis, Diamante Azul, Shocker DQ Kráneo, Psicosis, Volador Jr. Volador attacked Atlantis early, but the tecnicso still got it together took take fall one. They also took fall three, when Volador broke up an Atlantis pin on Psicosis and fouled him for a DQ. Atlantis demanded a singles match next week with no Tirantes.
The joy of CMLL is sometimes you get storylines about which side the 19th most important tecnico is on.
CMLL (TUE) 05/15/2012Arena Mexico [CMLL, Kaiser Sports, RB]
1) Camaleón & Höruz b Camorra & Ramstein Tecnicos took 2/3.
2) Aereo, Pequeño Halcón, Último Dragoncito DQ Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Universo 2000 Straight falls for the tecnicos. Nitro fouled Aereo.
3) Dragon Lee, Rey Cometa, Sagrado b Namajague, Shigeo Okumura, Virus Sagrado pinning Okumura for the win. Kaiser-Sports thinks they’re setting up Dragon Lee vs Virus.
4) Titán b Pólvora [En Busca de Un Idolo] Titan won in ~4:00. Titan scored 27 (8/6/7/6) and Polvora scored 25 (8/5/7/5).
5) Diamante b Puma King [En Busca de Un Idolo] Diamante won in 5:20. Diamante scored 25 (8/7/9/1 from Tirantes). Puma scored 30 (9/7/8/6).
6) Blue Panther, Máximo, Valiente b Averno, Felino, Niebla Roja Tecnicos took 1/3.
7) Psicosis, Rey Bucanero, Terrible b Marco Corleone, Máscara Dorada, Rush Rudos took 2/3, Psicosis cleanly beating Dorada in the third. The two agreed to a title match, though Dorada also wanted a mask match.
CMLL (TUE) 05/15/2012Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Fuego en el Ring]
1) El Divino & Sky Kid b Demonio Maya & Thunder Boy
2) Sensei & Soberano Jr. b Mr. Trueno & Rey Trueno
3) Smaker, Stuka Jr., Triton b Arkángel de la Muerte, Hooligan, Malefico Stuka replaced Titan, who was double booked in Mexico City.
4) Estrellita b Amapola Estrellita asked for the hair vs hair match.
5) Mr. Niebla & Volador Jr. b Atlantis & La Máscara Niebla slipped in a foul in the third, setting up a singles match for next week.
Lluvia, who did not lo0k like her old self last Tuesday, says her injury is to her left knee, suffered two weeks before she return from Japan. Lluvia is not sure if she’ll end up needing surgery or if she’ll just be able to fix it thru therapy, but right now it hurts every time she moves. Lluvia says she plans to go back to Japan again, but keep reading on that.
Averno, via CMLL press release, wants you to know he’s not had discussions with the WWE. I guess he just happened to be in LA one day, peeked into a sound stage, saw his old friend Mistico doing tricks in the ring and demanded to be filmed taking headscissors with ever knowing what promotion it was for. A miracle!
LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news recap, and Halloween and Electrico on the top 100.
On second thought, REINA says Hotta was right and they are dissolving. Though they also mention that Hotta and the native joshi girls are all being dismissed and there’s a press conference (TBD) to announce the future of REINA, things that seem unnecessary to mention if you don’t plan to really exist any more. So, more likely, this is just a name change restart. People who follow these groups closer than I (and also read Hotta’s blog) say this is at over stylistic differences and the rich owner just likes bringing in foreigners and Mexicans.
Previously, the company apologized for Comandante not actually getting her head all the way shaved. It’s not quite a Fabi Apache situation, but they’re saying they were considered about the cut on her head and didn’t feel safe completely buzzing it all the way off when the wound was open. They’ve got a picture of her on the website with her hair buzzed very tight, though she’s not actually bald (but may be by that next mysterious press conference?)
Lineups
CMLL (TUE) 05/22/2012Arena Mexico
1) Bengala & Freesbe vs Apocalipsis & Zayco
2) Metálico, Sensei, Super Halcon Jr. vs Artillero, Disturbio, Súper Comando
3) Fuego, Rey Cometa, Titán vs Hooligan, Loco Max, Skándalo
4) Triton vs Euforia [En Busca de un Idolo]
5) Dragon Lee vs Niebla Roja [En Busca de un Idolo]
6) Diamante Azul, Máximo, Rush vs Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Yujiro
7) Máscara Dorada vs Psicosis [CMLL WELTER]
As noted last night, Psicosis is the lowest guy on the CMLL totem pole. Not because he doesn’t get chances, but because he loses every singles match he’s in. Psicosis would need to beat Dorada for the title twice for people to see them on the same level, and then it’d be a bit of Dorada sinking to Psicosis’ level. At the same time, CMLL must have some thought of doing a Psicosis mask match at some point (or he’d be Morphosis/Kraneo), and he’s got to actually win something at some point if that’s going to be meaningful. Psicosis has been entertaining since coming to CMLL, but he’s also apparently someone the CMLL fans feel they can easily miss. The last two Tuesdays have had horrible turnouts, looking as bad as the shows last Fall that had everyone freaking out.
CMLL (TUE) 05/22/2012Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Virgo vs Thunder Boy
2) Hombre Bala Jr., Metatrón, Starman vs Demonio Maya, Magnum, Rey Trueno
3) Gallo, Sagrado, Stuka Jr. vs Espectrum, Misterioso Jr., Rey Escorpion
4) La Máscara & La Sombra vs Dragón Rojo Jr. & Volador Jr.
5) Atlantis vs Mr. Niebla
Back to back singles matches for Atlantis. This should probably be a little easier than the Volador one, but Niebla can be difficult in other ways.
Who is the best luchador in CMLL? A question that everyone wonders about, except maybe CMLL. It’s fun to do rankings to determine the top guy, but you know what’s even more fun that? Math. Record was doing a crazy intrict system to rate US and Mexico wrestlers based on a whole bunch of different criteras, but didn’t get to finish out it’s planned year of tracking. I’m looking for something a bit simplier.
To that aim, I’ve come up with CMLL rankings based on the ELO rating system, developed for ranking chess players. Chess and lucha libre have so much in common (the chess has the little piece shaped as a horse, CMLL has Bronco, both move oddly), it just seemed like a natural choice.
Critera
– only matches in the last two years are counted. Statue of limitations, really.
– only singles matches count. This is trying to mimic reality (and it was easiest.)
– all singles matches count the same. Blue Panther vs Negro Casas counts exactly as much as a rookie opening match in GDL. This turns out to be hilarious.
– only matches in Mexico, Coliseo, Puebla, and Guadalajara count. Again, trying to mimic reality.
– only matches with results count, which leaves out some GDL stuff I haven’t figured out.
– Draws are half wins.
The part I barely understand
Everyone starts at 1200. I’ve settled on a K-Factor of 50, which the most points you can pick up in a win, but only if you’re the very worst and they’re the very best. This rating system means you gain a lot by beating someone very ahead of you, and little by losing to someone already close to you. 50 is a much larger swing than you’d find in Chess, or what Mookie used in his survey, but CMLL singles matches are generally rare and important things.
CMLL’s problems in a nutshell: Mistico is still the best, and he hasn’t been here in 16 months. Otherwise, this is a more intersting set of results than the year end win/loss tables I do, with more of a rudo/tecnico mix. Rudos tend to lose 2/3rds of the match overall, but they do better in singles blow offs to feuds. Tecnicos do especially well in opening card rookies matches, which is how Tondar(!) finishes six. I thought those who have been in single match heavy situations (tournaments, Forjando de un Idolo) might finish higher, but that doens’t seem to be the case. Okumura has not lost a singles match in two years (he’s won four) and would be higher if I could bring myself to enter the Valiente result.
Psicosis’ number is amazing. It takes some great effort to be 59 points away from the next closest person under the system. That’s what happens when you’re 0-12 in singles matches. The first one was May 10th 2 years ago, so he’s better if I reran it now, because some of those are cleared off. No chance of him actually winning something. In related news, no one pays to see the Invasors. Mephisto is good enough to be in title match, not good enough to win them. Puma’s poor performance in tournaments hurts him. Lots of GDL novato rudos. Guerrero Maya almost made this list, which caught me off guard. I guess he’s a trios specialist!
One more try: let’s throw out Guadalajara & Puebla because they don’t actually count either. (Sorry, Porra Fresa & Fuego en el Ring.) What does it look like now?
Top 10:
Dragón Rojo Jr.: 1354 La Sombra: 1344
La Máscara: 1317
Pólvora: 1306
Amapola: 1295
Virus: 1289
Averno: 1287
Marcela: 1270
Último Guerrero: 1269
Rush: 1265
(Mistico falls to 11)
Dragon Rojo is random, but that’s what winning single elimination tournaments will do for you. Polvora’s helped by that as well. Virus is just great.
Psicosis, still poor. Rey Cometa actually tied with Loco Max, but I left him off.
If I were to do this again, and do it a bit seriously, I’d obviously have to change the valuation for wins. All wins are not created equal, especially the wins that come in 3 minutes in the quartefinals of a soon to be forgetton tournament. I do think this might be amusing as a something to keep track of monthly, though it seems mostly just confirm what we already know.
LyC (SUN) 05/13/2012Arena Coliseo Monterrey [LMdLL]
1) Rey Orion b Xtreme Boy, Angelus, Dark Fenix
2) Golden Boy & Rey Demonio Jr. b Hijo Del Mongol Chino & Misionero
3) Lady Puma, Ninja Jr., Silencio b Gemelo Muerte I, Gemelo Muerte II, Sexy Star
4) Rico Rodriguez & Zorro b Neurosis & Simbolo
5) Hijo del Ninja b Héctor Garza, El Elegido, Toscano Ninja snuck in a foul on Garza.
Attendance was better than the typical ACM show but seems disappointing for Ninja’s first unmasked match and the AAA wrestlers being in. There’s only a couple pictures up, but it looks like the bleachers were empty and the floor seats were moderately filled.
Today is the 20th Anniversary of the first AAA show. AAA was announced as forming on May 7th, 1992, then ran it’s first show in Veracruz this day 20 years ago. (There’s a spot show there today.) The first show led off with one of Antonio Pena’s innovations, a high energy minis match, and the second match featured the debut of Winners, the future Abismo Negro.
It’s also the 20th anniversary of the La Parka character. Principe Island was most recently a notable indy wrestler but not part of CMLL or UWA when AAA scooped him up for one of their most iconic characters. Parka teamed with Fuerza Guerrera (still around, not on good terms with AAA) and Ice Killer (who’s reapperaed in the last few years as a small time promoter) took take on Angel Azteca (deceased), Justiciero (promoter of Coliseo Coacalco), and Octagon (still around, now much more round.) The main event was Hermanos Dinamitas vs Fantasma, Mascara Sagrada and Perro Aguayo Sr., all of who are still around, though none with AAA. The two referees on that show, Pepe Casas & Tirantes, are still refereeing on opposite sides, but in opposite promotions. Konnan (prohibited from wrestling due to CMLL holding up his visa), Juvi (who had just debuted), Hijo del Santo, and Blue Panther are active names who appeared at that initial press conference and appeared on later shows. It took a few months of securing arenas and local promoters before they could run enough shows to get everyone working.
The whole thing was incredible risk for everyone involved; if AAA had failed, all those who left CMLL would face a lot of resistance returning there, and the ringleaders (Octagon, Konnan and Pena) are still blackballed from the promotion. Some people might have made it into UWA, but those three had their careers on the line.
As much as Televisa has maligned AAA in recent years, the promotion still owes the media company a huge debt of gratitude. AAA never exists, much less last 20 years, had Televisa not agreed to fund the promotion and give it a TV slot. AAA was treated by Televisa as equal or more important than CMLL, which must’ve been a big help in getting the promotion accepted as a major deal right away. Antonio Pena capitalized on the opportunity, and AAA launched into one of the hottest periods any wrestling company has ever had.
The Lucha Libre Fan Fest will air on Samurai TV, between June 18th and June 24th.
Angel de Oro’s Best of Super Juniors match versus Prince Devitt, Taichi, and Rocky Romero will take place on TV tapings. Not sure if any of the others will surface; two years ago, NJPW uploaded all of the matches to their YouTube channel, but only showed highlights last year.
Lineups
CMLL (MON) 05/21/2012Arena Puebla
1) Tigre Rojo & Tigre Rojo Jr. vs King Jaguar & Sauron
2) Estrellita, Luna Mágica, Marcela vs Amapola, Princesa Sugheit, Tiffany
3) Arissma, Asturiano, Espiritu Maligno, Lestat, Milenium, Stigma vs Dragon Lee, Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso, Puma King, Skándalo, Súper Comando [cibernetico]
4) Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr., La Sombra vs Mr. Águila, Olímpico, Psicosis
5) Atlantis vs Volador Jr.
The cibernetico is a rematch of a really great one back in 2010, though the DF team doesn’t have Raziel this time. Puebla team might be able to take this.
La Luchas: 2012-05-08
taped 2012-04-10 @ Arena Coliseo Guadalajara http://www.embedupload.com/?d=7AUYDGMLQN
1) Robin & Sky Kid vs Demonio Maya & Disturbio
2) Astral, Bam Bam, Último Dragoncito vs Demus 3:16, Mercurio, Pequeño Violencia
3) Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Euforia
4) Atlantis, La Sombra, Máscara Dorada vs Mr. Águila, Terrible, Tiger