09/28-29 lucha times

box.

HEY. Remember when I did these.

Before going on to this week, let’s recap what’s going with lucha TV in general

CMLL: Televisa show is dead and not expected to return. Fox Sports is the Friday night taping, 52MX Guerreros del Ring is the sole Sunday night taping, and C3 remains the only Tuesday show. Terra will broadcast Friday and Sunday complete shows; they say they’ll have the complete Friday show (but also seem unaware they did not have the complete Friday show last week.) Monday Puebla shows will continue to air on TVC Deportes, who are planning on picking up CMLL Guadalajara as well. (Both Guadalajara shows are still being taped right now, even though there’s no outlet.) En Busca de un Idolo continues to air on Fox Sports 2, though they appear to be pass the halfway point there. Ras de Lona is supposed to return, now on TVC Deportes, but it hasn’t turned up yet. (It’s a CMLL production, so it’ll be there when they produce it.)

AAA: Televisa show seems to be doing fine here. The two hour show will continue to air Thursday nights on UTDN with repeats on the weekend, and also air on some local Televisa regional affiliates. Fusion is dead due to AAA not supplying footage for it, so anything that doesn’t make UTDN won’t air anywhere. We’re under the impression the El Rey show will be separate tapings and AAA currently has plans for them, but the public hasn’t yet seen the plans in action.

IWRG: Continues with the AYM/LAS deal. Could get the TVC Deportes deal back if they agreed to the old terms but does not seem interested. Discussing producing a second TV program with a mystery TV network.

Other: DTU has returned to TVC Deportes, usually late Thursday nights. IWL is also on TVC Deportes, Monday afternoons, but it doesn’t appear to be airing weekly. Even more lucha libre will be turning up on the network as part of a renaming/relaunching of the shows which were airing as “Tercera Caida Presents” earlier this year. All TVC Deportes lucha libre is subject to being moved/pre-empted by live programming.

Noches de Coliseo will continue to air random Arena Coliseo Monterrey matches, though the late Sunday night/Monday morning time slot is the only reliable one in the US. Rayo de Plata promotions will continue to air on Canal9 and Mexicanal. There are probably more regional promotions with local TV and it’ll continue to bug me that I haven’t found them all.

== AAA ==

AAA-Televisa: Judging from comments on Twitter, Toluca’s been turned into a one taping week (which means two matches burned entirely.) Onto Plan Sexenal, which also could be two weeks or a lot of burn matches. If it’s 2, they could work all the Drago/Psicosis back and forth over three matches on to one week of TV.

== CMLL ==

FOX: Averno, Ultimo Guerrero, Volador vs Blue Panther, Atlantis, Sombra.

52MX: Marco/Shocker/Thunder vs Guerreros, maybe the Namajague/Cometa lightning match.

C3: Tag Team tournament Block A, Euforia/Mephisto/Niebla vs Oro/Shocker/Thunder

TVC Deportes (Puebla): Mistico vs Volador

En Busca de un Idolo: Last week’s episode airs at 7am tomorrow, according to the listings. This week’s should be on the last week of the first round, if I’ve counted them out right: Fuego/Misterioso and Stuka/Sangre

Terra: Sombra/Marco/Rush vs Niebla/Negro/Rush on Friday, Atlantis/Mascara/Mistico vs Revolucionarios on Sunday

== Other ==

IWRG-AYM Sports: AYM starts the show at 11pm. Should be the captains apuesta match, but could be something else.

Noches de Coliseo: No taping this past weekend as far as I could tell. The 09/22 show I forgot? Maybe the 09/15 show they didn’t show? Maybe more WWL repeats?

IWL: They never showed the cage match from 08/03, but it’s a Porro losing so IWL fans don’t want that. Maybe Aficion? Maybe this is another skip week?

Volador Jr. & WWE, LA Park vs Dr. Wagner, IWRG tag title defense, Dinamic Black adios

This week’s WON says WWE has interested in Volador Jr. That matches up with the rumors we heard in Mexico (though the timeline is a lot slower.) It’s a long way from interest to going, but Volador Jr. has a lot of possibilities and options right now. Some may not be there later.

The same Wrestling Observer Newsletter mentions the loser of the LA Park versus Dr. Wagner match wanted $400,000 (phrased as USD, which would mean 5.2 million Mexican pesos) and they’re never getting that amount. From what I understand, TxT’s price for running the Zocalo show wasn’t even that high (and went lower once the promoters started to bid against each other.) There’s no way TxT could’ve afford to run the match even if they got the deal. No one will be able to run that match at that price.

There’s also a passing mention of AAA having interest in bringing in Jim Ross for the El Rey AAA US show, but it’s treated as near impossible and they have not contacted him. (It comes off as an idea and nothing more than that.) It had not occurred to me that AAA would have English language announcers for their El Rey show, but I guess they do need them if they’re going to be bilingual. Anyone who comes in will probably have the same catch up to do, which means AAA probably should be looking at people now if they hope to have them for tapings before the end of the year.

Today’s Arena Naucalpan show is headlined by an odd ball Traumas vs Hijo de Mascara Ano 2000 & Oficial 911. Both the Dinamita and the Oficial have plenty of normal allies they could be challenging with and would make no sense as champions, so they’ve got a real chance. Alfa & Omega try to team up first the first time again in the segunda and the tercera looks good as well. The AYM taping has been the Thursday show the last couple of weeks, but I’m not sure that’s the case this week.

This week’s TerceraCaida includes Apolo Estrada Jr., Los Villanos and many children.

Terra has text promos up for Friday and Sunday‘s show. Friday’s show lists the entire card, as if that’s what will air.

LuchaWorld has 50-41 in the top 100 2012 countdown to KrisZ’s news update.

DTU is running a free show at a flea market next weekend. It’s techincally free if you drop off food or water for hurricane assistance.

Rush says he’s not sure if he faces Shocker or Negro Casas first, and seems to respect Negro more.

Stigma talks about being a Puebla star.

Porra Fresa rates every match from Monday as Good, though he didn’t rate the main event.

R de Rudo interviews referee Chiquilin.

Lineups

IWRG (SUN) 09/29/2013 Arena Naucalpan
1) Emperador Azteca vs Mr. Leo
2) Alfa & Omega vs Black Thunder & Fulgore II
3) Carta Brava Jr. vs Rayan, Astro Rey Jr., Fulgor I, el Ángel, Canis Lupus, Douki, Avisman [IWRG IC WELTER, semifinal]
title is vacant. Former champion is Dinamic Black.
4) Dr. Cerebro, Relámpago (Coahuila), Toscano vs Eterno, Fuerza Guerrera, Hijo de Máscara Año 2000
5) Alan Extreme, Black Terry, Dragón Celestial vs Ciclón Black, Guerrero Mixtico, Tony Rivera [captains hair, captains mask]
captains will be drawn in the ring

We were warned Dinamic Black was not long for IWRG – because of other places he was working – and that tournament seems to indicate he’s out of there. I believe it’s a match where the last few (3?) people come back next week to decide the title.

Main event is an odd stipulation. If they were going to do Tony versus Terry, they probably would just announce it. I would guess Mixtico is losing some weight, but up top instead of his stomach.

what now: CMLL Anniversary show

CMLL’s 80th Anniversary show was nearly two weeks ago. It was the show to end all shows – except they still have to keep running shows, that’s kind of the whole idea. Where did the show leave the most important people on it?

Averno: has had a pretty awesome six months. He beat Mistico to win the Mexican welterweight title, then he turned back Titan, then he actually won this feud. That’s a staggering successful stretch for a guy who’s been otherwise petrified of submission holds. Averno saving his hair now should give him better credibility when he faces a strong unmasked tecnico down the line, but there’s no one set for him right now. Rush is busy and not a good match. Rey Cometa is probably not the right guy (though that should be a title program.) Maybe a tecnico Volador, but that’s not happening any time soon.

Blue Panther: solidly in the end stages of his career, where the fans still love him enough to support him in hair matches but no one should expect him to win any of them going forward. Usefully as a conduit to the 35th Anniversary CMLL vs Indy Legends matches, which sounds like it will continue for a while longer. Seems unlikely to make it to his 40th Anniversary but also seems like a guy who will keep wrestling even occasionally as his career winds down (in Brazo de Oro fashion.) There’s been no mention of his sons since his Anniversary match and we probably should not be expecting them to turn up right away.

Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero: Friday’s match was a big opening to bring up the feud again. CMLL staying away from pushing the mask match seems to indicate they think the match is radioactive at the moment, but it’s also not like they’re keeping them totally away from each other. I think the mask match is coming back, but it’s nothing they’re going to any time soon; Dos Leyendas is the soonest, Anniversary 81 seems more likely and neither is a sure thing.

Atlantis seems about to be involved in the tag team title picture. Guerreros could always get a trios title match to keep them busy. There’s enough to do keep Guerrero and Atlantis separated for the short term and that’s seems likely where they’re going once they’ve run thru the Anniversary rematch.

Volador Jr.: updating his passport? The thing about Japan is there’s not much steady money in it for anyone in the NOAH/AJPW/W-1 tier of promotions. It’s possible someone could promise big money, but big promises are unlikely to be kept. That leaves Dragon Gate, who have their own guys, and NJPW, who could use some new juniors but see the lucha guys just as flavor additions but not key players. Plus, if they wanted a luchador, I’m sure CMLL would just give them Dorada or whoever full time because that’s the way the relationship seems to be working. (Also, this is probably where being mean to Devitt comes back to hurt.)

Which leaves – WWE? (I wrote this paragraph before today’s news, but it still works.) You’re also not getting paid much when waiting for a spot there, but there’s a pot at the end of the rainbow and big payoff to a mask match could hold you over for a while. If Volador Jr. wants to make the move, this is the time to due it – WWE has hopes of people panning out but no one’s taken the spot yet, Volador’s 32 (so really can’t afford to go much later) and Volador seems to be in decent shape. No one’s said Volador can speak English, which is always the big problem. The safest move is staying with CMLL. Most guys just take the safe move.

Volador figures to get some revenge wins for a while in CMLL. He’s already picked up a few on Mistico and Sombra and will continue to get ‘rebuilt’ for the time going. There should be a good hair match with him down the line but, like with Averno, there’s no unmasked tecnico for him to feud against. Hopefully he doesn’t let no mask stop him from continued creative outfits.

La Sombra: One of the many reasons I thought Sombra versus Volador couldn’t possibly happens is it takes away Sombra’s biggest challenge. Sombra and Volador will continue to have many matches against each other because they’re good against each other but, even when Volador wins, Sombra’s still forever won the feud. Sombra beheaded his generational rival – he can’t quite go back to feuding with Dragon Rojo. Sombra’s win cements him as one of the pillars of CMLL for the foreseeable future, but what do they have left for his next act?

BUILD SOMEONE UP: Let’s pick a name at random. Puma is awesome. Puma also needs 18 months of CMLL treating him importantly before he can credible feud with Sombra. There are people much father up the card who could work, but again they’d need to get serious wins for a serious amount of time just get them to point where people care about them versus Sombra. (There’s definitely no sense they had another guy being built up for this role, unless they’ve just done a really bad job building.)

GO AFTER THE OLD PEOPLE: maybe do Ultimo Guerrero versus Atlantis never and do Ultimo Guerrero versus Sombra next? Even then, people would figure Sombra was winning and they’d be right. Plus, it’d be a waste of a year of Sombra matches because they’d also be Ultimo Guerrero matches. Or just cause everyone to go insane and do an Atlantis versus Sombra mask match. I thought the 80th Anniversary was the last best chance at an Arena Mexico riot, but the finish to an Atlantis/Sombra might get it done. That might mean Sombra gets booed forever, which is not the idea here. (LA Park is not on the list.)

BRING MISTICO I BACK AND FEUD HIM WITH SOMBRA: I was finally convinced in Mexico this is not happening. Suffice to say, the WWE locker room isn’t the only one with people not too happy with Sin Cara.

DEFEND MEXICO: we’ve gotten some of this already – the big positive reaction Sombra got for beating Nakamura assures me that the fans will be cheering him again soon enough – and Sombra should take more of the feuds against the visiting NJPW guys instead of Rush. It works out nicely that Tama Tonga’s probably in for a while – we’re probably getting more of their feud as Sombra’s thing to do right now, though that only takes care of the issue short term.

TURN SOMEONE: if CMLL was like pretty much every other promotion, CMLL would be doing periodic teases to the Rush versus Sombra match that’s got to happen someday. Those two should be rivals, except they’re sort of on the same side and they’re being kept far away from each other. Enough so that CMLL must be doing it on purpose to save that match, but they don’t seem to be planning on going to it any time soon. Turning Sombra would seem to be counter productive, but it would work with the current reaction and for the people who think Sombra’s too cocky already. Mascara Dorada or La Mascara could be his big rival and there’s obviously a lot more interesting possibilities. (And he’d still fight Volador every other week.)

There’s no good answer. Maybe it’ll take time to get there, but if CMLL thought highly enough of La Sombra to have him win the biggest match in the history of the promotion (give or take), there really ought to be a plan for everything he does going forward.

10/18 AAA TV Lineup (Puebla) – Heroes Inmortales

AAA TV (FRI) 10/18/2013 Gimnasio Miguel Hidalgo de Puebla
***Heroes Inmortales VII***
1) 1, 2, 3 vs 4, 5, 6
2) Octagón vs ?, Daga, Axel [Copa Antonio Pena, semifinal]
3) El Mesías vs Monster Clown, Silver King, Fénix [Copa Antonio Pena, semifinal]
4) Cibernético vs el Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Psicosis, Chessman [Copa Antonio Pena, semifinal]
5) La Parka vs Parka Negra, Electroshock, Máscara Año 2000 Jr. [Copa Antonio Pena, semifinal]
6) Crazy Boy & Joe Lider vs Angélico & Jack Evans and Pentagón Jr. & Último Gladiador and Aerostar & Drago [AAA TAG]
Joe Lider & Crazy Boy are champions
7) Semifinal 1 Winner vs Semifinal 2 Winner, Semifinal 3 Winner, Semifinal 4 Winner [Copa Antonio Pena]
8) Psycho Clown vs Texano Jr. [AAA HEAVY]
Texano’s eight defense.

Air Date: 10/26  & 11/02

Hey. I want to be honest with you. Sometimes, I’m lazy. I feel like I know lazy pretty well. And this card – this card is pretty lazy. I’m not sure what parallel universe I’ve crossed over to where CMLL builds to every match on it’s big show card and AAA just throws this out and calls it good enough. The tag team match could be awesome and I actually still believe Texano Jr. and Psycho Clown could have a really fun match despite the mind numbing build up. The rest of this card is just effortless, and not in the good meaning of that card.

Copa Antonio Pena is normally a battle royal (except in years where it’s a reverse cibernetico.) It’s always one match. It’s not one match here, because turning into five means there’s four more matches AAA doesn’t need to figure out for this card. It’s not as though those four matches are good or even especially relevant. The Parka/Parka feud continues in group 4 and I guess Cibernetico/Perro is supposed to still be going, but the few things which have been built on TV are not to be seen. Instead, Daga is stuck with at least two people who aren’t any good (and plus maybe Australian Suicide, who would be good?), Fenix and Monster Clown will attempt to do spots together, Cibernetico is in a strange match where the other three people have no reason to fight each other (so they definitely will), and group 4 probably features a long Electroshock versus Mascara Ano 2000 Jr. section as everyone else fights off in the crowd. La Secta, who might make matches better, might have reasons to fight all these people and definitely seemed like they were supposed to be important for at least 5 minutes, are nowhere to be seen.

AAA has done vignettes pushing the importance of this tournament, but it feels like a tournament they run ever year and forget about two weeks later. (The bit about Texano being stripped of winning last’s year tournament went nowhere.) That’s fine when it’s one match in a card like most years. It is most of the Heroes Inmortales card this year, and it’s very unimpressive.

Tag team title match gives away Pentagon Jr. & Ultimo Gladiador are winning in SLP next week. Unless AAA freaks out and changes their mind. (It probably doesn’t matter and it’s definitely a better match with Pentagon Jr. in it.) That could really be one of the best matches of the year, or it could be a nonsensical stunt show depending on how much Crazy Boy & Joe Lider lead things.

Opener is probably the usual mixed match. Maybe it’ll be Glow in the Dark, which was unwatchable last time they did it (but involved people who didn’t seem to have glow in the dark outfits.)

The good thing remains really good matches slip thru on TV. There’s just not a lot of good momentum. There’s a lot of carrot on a stick talk about how things are happening soon and people are breaking thru any moment, but this is a tedious wait to get there. At least make the waiting a little more interesting. There’s no hint of this being on iPPV and that’s OK.