Last night’s Tercera Caida had interviews with Heavy Metal & Veneno to promote the next Heavy Metal promoted show as well the usual highlights, but the part being talked about the most today is the interview with Hijo del Fantasma about his departure from CMLL. That segment starts about 38 minutes into the show. The show was posted too late for me to watch it myself last night, but (by reading Alfredo’s twitter messages!) it sounds like Hijo del Fantasma came off as professional and fair in his complaints about how he was used in CMLL the last few years. I had thought Fantasma being scaled back was something to do with his feud with Mephisto in 2010 – the one built around both guys injuring each other with head dropping moves – but Fantasma believes it was actually trying out with WWE that year which did it. Fantasma says he had permission from CMLL but they did never book him the same way after. (In related news, this week’s WON says WWE did not do tryouts this time thru Mexico, specifically because names would get out and people would get in trouble. “They are still very interested in Mexican talent, but the approach will be different.”) Fantasma also felt CMLL had issues against his father.
Dorian Roldan announced Guerra de Titanes would be on 12/08. That’s one day later than the date Konnan’s been saying. The AJPW tag team tournament Ozz & Cuervo are listed as appearing in ends that same day. I don’t think it’s physically possible from them to get back to Mexico in time for an AAA show the same day wherever it is (Dorian does not say Tepic, just “a place that has never had a major event”). Perhaps if Ozz & Cuervo were eliminated before the end of the tournament they could skip the final day and make it back in time, though the Guerra de Titanes lineup would spoil that tournament result. AAA also has not mentioned Ozz & Cuervo being in the AJPW tag team tournament, and they’re usually pretty quick on acknowledging those things, so there may be something else happening here.
Mesias hypes up his match with AJ Styles. It looks like they taped a promo for it to air on this week’s TV, so it’ll be a little set up before it airs next weekend. Yesterday’s MLW Radio show said the Mesias/Styles match will air on TNA TV, so at least AAA should get a bit of US promotion from this bit.
I wonder if AAA will bring up how Styles/Mesias is a rematch. That previous match seemed an attempt to work “world title” style and did not do a lot for me. (That’s the difference between having Mesias in this match than Fenix or Daga.) I expect Sunday’s match to be the same way, but hopefully the crowd will be more into this time.
IWRG made another set of changes to their Castillo del Terror card this Sunday. Centvrion is out of the main event cage match (he’s hurt) and noted Twitter video star Saruman returns to take his place. Team Neza’s Karate Kid remains out of action with a shoulder injury, so he’s replaced by the returning Chicano. Chicano was reported to have been in a career ending car accident earlier this year, then was back wrestling a couple months later, so hopefully he’s actually okay now. Chicano was IWRG lightweight champion when he left. Impossible won the tournament for the title when it was stripped from Chicano and is on the the other side of this match.
Terrible plans on confronting La Mascara this Sunday and demanding to know when he and Tama Tonga are getting their title shot. Terrible points out Rush & La Mascara did nothing to win the belts and afraid to put them on the line. Terrible wants to get at La Mascara because Rush is not capable/willing to pick a date. More importantly, the article says Rey Bucnaero’s leg injury is not another knee injury, but fracture in his foot.
IWL says they’re coming to the United States. Hahahaha. It sounds like they’ve made a deal with an (unnamed) promotion named in Michigan to exchange wrestlers, run an IWL show somewhere in the area, and to get the IWL TV show on the air on a Michigan station (WLLZ) sometime in 2014. I like AAA’s chances of making it to the US first. IWL also explains their Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera show is not canceled, but pushed back to February 18, 2014.
Tinieblas picks five lucha libre locales to visit while in Mexico City. I saw two of these and think I went past a third. (Also, not sure how a lucha libre gym would feel about tourists coming by to watch.)
The 11/01 TG Power show in Tijuana has been canceled by the commission. It reads like they were using someone else’s promotion license and that person didn’t pay people on their own last show so the license isn’t valid.
LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.
Black Terry Jr. has highlights of Teseo vs Ciclon Infernal.
Lucha Libre in Japan (and Ecuador)
10/31 WNC: Hijo del Pantera beat Masada in a mask versus hair match.
NJPW now lists the 01/17/2014 FantasticaMania show as “only CMLL wrestlers” – a complete CMLL show with no NJPW wrestlers (though they’ll still be running the show.) That show is in Shin-Kiba 1st RING, a tiny building (290 capacity) in Tokyo. It gives the tour something different than the next two day shows in Korakuen Hall, and it’s probably just to have something other than an off day in the middle of the tour (they can’t be making money on the show, but they’re losing less than doing nothing and it’s an extra day of selling merchandise.)
CMLL sent 15 people last year. A normal CMLL DF show has 30 people on it. CMLL’s not sending 30, but maybe a few more than last year to have enough for a ‘full’ show. Maybe if their are luchadora hanging out in REINA or elsewhere, they’re brought in for one night to fill out the card, since it wouldn’t be putting women on a “NJPW” show. This is the least likely show to be aired on iPPV.
Mesias, Juvi, Blue Demon and Extreme Tiger are headed to Ecuador on 11/23.
Links
Violento Jack talks about growing as a luchador from his trips to Japan.
Alas de Oro talks about his young career.
DJ Spectro writes about Blackman’s UWA Lightweight title win and says he had 76 (!) title defense.
Lineup
CMLL (TUE) 11/05/2013 Arena Mexico
1) Bengala & Camaleón vs Cholo & Espanto Jr.
2) Oro Jr., Pegasso, Soberano Jr. vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Hooligan, Nitro
3) Estrellita, Goya Kong, Marcela vs Amapola, La Comandante, Tiffany
4) Tritón vs Boby Zavala [lightning]
5) Máximo, Super Porky, Thunder vs Averno, Ephesto, Mephisto
6) Máscara Dorada, Mistico, Titán vs Mr. Águila, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas
Tuesday night is Aguila night. Titan is the fill in Estetas while Valiente is otherwise busy.
Semimian looks like a challenge.
CMLL (TUE) 11/05/2013 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) El Hippie I & El Hippie II vs Évola & Sádico
2) Black Metal, Esfinge, Leo vs Guerrero Negro Jr., Inquisidor, Súper Comando
3) Lady Afrodita, Luna Mágica, Silueta vs Dalys, Princesa Blanca, Princesa Sugheit
4) Ángel de Oro, Atlantis, Blue Panther vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión
5) La Máscara, Rush, Shocker vs Tama Tonga, Terrible, Vangellys
Still feels like the eventually tag title match might end up here. Or in both here and Arena Mexico.
Lady Afrodita exists again! I may be less excited when I see her in matches. Dalys moving to the ruda side opens up a space for a tecnica; they don’t really have any one else to use if they’re running two matches on the same night. Maybe it means less Seductora on the ruda side? (Zeuxis and Vaquerita are going to be back at some point, too.)
indy (FRI) 12/06/2013 Auditorio de Tijuana
1) Kanalla & Pitbull vs Dementor & Tg Power
2) Camaleon De Oro, Rubi Gardenia, Venum Black Jr. vs Dinamantina, King Azteca, Shamu
3) Mascarita Sagrada & Tzuki vs Pentagoncito & Pirata Morgan [? MINI]
match for vacant title
4) LA Park & Rayo de Jalisco Jr. vs Dr. Wagner Jr. & El Hijo del Solitario
5) El Hijo Del Santo vs Super Parka [mask, hair]
Parka has been back to wearing his mask a lot lately so the hair cut is not going to bug him too much. By the way, TxT’s last TV announced a year end show in November, but it’s been very quiet about it so far. RCH is going to run many more shows this year.