Maximo versus Rey Escorpion for hair? Psyco Ripper name change?

photo by Alexis Salazar

CMLL (TUE) 12/03/2013 Arena Mexico [CMLL]
1) Disturbio & Guerrero Negro Jr. b Metálico & Molotov
Guerrero Negro and Barbaro swapped places. Rudos took 1/3.
2) Demus 3:16, Mercurio, Pierrothito b Pequeño Halcón, Shockercito, Último Dragoncito
Mercurio replaced Olimpico. Rudos took 1/3. Demus dropped Dragoncito on his head for the win.
3) Bárbaro Cavernario COR Soberano Jr. [lightning]
Barbaro Cavernario splashed Soberano from the top rope to the floor and Soberano was unable to continue.
4) Amapola, Dalys, Princesa Blanca b Dark Angel, Estrellita, Marcela
Rudas took 2/3. Dalys used the ropes to beat Dark Angel.
5) Blue Panther, La Máscara, Thunder b Terrible, Tiger, Vangellys
Tiger replaced Rey Bucanero, who continues to be listed despite not being back from injury. Tecnicos took 1/3. La Campana beat Rey Bucanero.
6) Atlantis, Máximo, Shocker b Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas, Rey Escorpión
Straight falls – rudos disqualified in the first for excessive violence in the first, Maximo huracanrana on Escorpion on the second. Maximo again challenged Escorpion to a hair match.

There had previously been a rumor of Ultimo Guerrero versus Rey Escorpion in a hair match in December if Ultimo Guerrero had lost his mask in September. CMLL doing Maximo versus Rey Escorpion fits as a replacement, though probably not as interesting.

Barbaro Cavernario wasn’t sure he’d get another chance in Mexico City and is thrilled for the chance. (That may be why he’s diving off high places and landing hard on the floor.)

CMLL (TUE) 12/03/2013 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [@acogdl]
1) Espectrum & Maléfico b Black Metal & Leo
Black Metal replaced Gallo. Rudos took 2/3.
2) Gallo, Sky Kid, Smaker vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Mr. Trueno, Rey Trueno
Gallo replaced Starman. Rudos took 2/3, with the Truenos challenging Sky Kid/Smaker for a tag team title match next week.
3) Astral, Eléctrico, Fantasy b Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Violencia, Pequeño Warrior
Fantasy replaced Bam Bam. Tecnicos took 2/3.
4) Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero b Diamante Azul, Super Porky, Titán
Super Porky was announced on Monday as a replacement for Angel de Oro (injury). Rudos took 2/3, Gran Guerrero beating Titan.
5) Averno, Ephesto, Mephisto b Máscara Dorada, Mistico, Valiente
Rudos took 1/3, Averno stealing Mistico’s mask and beating him.

Informador’s recap of the show mentions Blue Demon Jr. will be signing autographs across from Arena Coliseo Guadalajara next Saturday, promoting AAA’s show in Puerto Vallerta.

Porra Fresa recap of Puebla’s show says Magnus fought Asturiano after the match, but was not responsible for the loss. Costing the match means you’re definitely tuning, fighting after the match may only mean you’re annoying. Triton subbed for Rey Cometa. Barbaro did a plancha from the top rope to the floor on Triton in that match.

A CMLL Gaceta article about Volador Junior’s recent activities mentions his Invasor rival as “Reapper”, no first name, so the ex-Psicosis might have changed names again. That would not be a first – Escorpion Negro Jr. switched first to Escorpion and then Rey Escorpion when he started being used by CMLL.

The article is also the first time CMLL’s brought up the question about how Sombra is going to feel about all of this. It would be so deflating if Sombra and Volador just teamed up with no explanation when Sombra comes back. They can end up as friends again, but CMLL’s got to tell a story to get them there (and something more than just a random handshake.) They can even end up as tecnicos who do not like each other. If CMLL can book it’s second and third matches so the Cancerberos and Tuareg never team with each other (still!), they should be able to handle making tecnico? Volador and tencico? Sombra still mean something.

LuchaWorld has a recap of this Sunday’s TerceraCaida.

Lucha Libre in Japan

12/04 AJPW: Suwama [O] & Joe Doering b Ozz & Cuervo [X]
La Secta drop to 2-3, sixth place.

12/04 Tokyo Gurentai: Dos Caras [O] & Mil Mascaras b Nosawa Rongai [X] & Masada [Tokyo World Championship] – Dos & Mil become the second defense.
Video of Mil Mascaras & Dos Caras will belts. The story was this was the last time Mil & Dos would ever team in Japan, so I guess we’ll never see those belts again.

Links

Lineups

IWRG (SUN) 12/08/2013 Arena Naucalpan
1) Fulgor I & Fulgor II vs Atomic Star & Electro Boy
2) Bugambilia, Diva Salvaje, Miss Gaviota vs Avisman, Imposible, Kalim Black
3) Bombero Infernal, Dragón Celestial, Golden Magic vs El Hijo del Diablo, Picudo Jr., Tony Rivera
4) Dr. Cerebro vs Apolo Estrada Jr. [WWS WELTER]
Vacant title. Dinamic Black was previous champion.
5) Alan Extreme, Toscano, Veneno vs Fuerza Guerrera, Trauma I, Trauma II

There was never a Dinamic Black. Tercera brings back Bombero versus Terry, but also has father versus son. All three Gringos are on the show in separate matches. I bet every exotico in the tercera were hoping they might end up in that Guerra de Titanes cage match. Primera will not air, will end violently.

CMLL (MON) 12/09/2013 Arena Puebla
1) Águila Egipcia & Bengala vs El Malayo & Zayco
2) Leono & Robin vs Espíritu Maligno & King Jaguar
3) Sagrado, Starman, Stigma vs Camorra, Cancerbero, Raziel
4) Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr., Titán vs Kráneo, Mr. Águila, Olímpico
5) Blue Panther vs Averno
6) Atlantis & Mistico vs Gran Guerrero & Último Guerrero

Gran Guerrero seems to be pushed hard this month in Puebla and Guadalajara this month. Not yet in DF. Panther/Averno should be fun again. Camorra and Stigma in the same match!

top six stories of the last two weeks

  1. Hijo del Santo announced his temporary and possibly permanent retirement due to injury. He will undergo neck fusion surgery in January. Santo said he believed he’d be back, but may not return in 2014. It was said the TxT promotion, mostly built around Santo, will go on without him. They ran a previously scheduled show on 11/30, with recent arrival from CMLL Horuz losing his mask to his uncle Angel Blanco Jr.
  2. Volador Jr., who’s been both one of CMLL’s top rudos and one of their most popular luchdors for the last few years, is now a tecnico. The turn came out of nowhere and proceeded amazingly quick for a CMLL story. Volador is now friends with Mistico II (which hasn’t really been explained) and feuded with his former friends the Invasors (a jealousy issue.) Just before the turn started, Volador took the NWA Welterweight championship from Mascara Dorada. That seems to be part of the plan here, but that plan is not clear.
  3. Mistico I was replaced as Sin Cara is coming back to Mexico, soon rather than latter. (This will be a bigger item when he shows up, almost certainly in AAA.)
  4. AAA announced their Guerra de Titanes card, their last major show of the year. It’s a lot like Heroes Inmortales, where the main TV angle (is Perro Aguayo a tecnico?) gets continued on the show but not resolved, and the undercard matches have either little build (Demon/Electroshock) or none. The actual final match on the show may end up being the exoticos/women cage match, so they don’t have to set up and take down a cage. That match feels the most meaningful, but it also includes people who almost never on TV and has been mostly set up on their lesser TV show. Not having a drawing match doesn’t really matter as far as selling tickets, because the local state governemnt bought the show and is giving away all the tickets for free.
  5. At least AAA has matches. CMLL has started towards matches which might be a bigger deal than what AAA’s offering (Rush/Tonga, Rush/Casas) then stopped the feud for no apparent reason. It looks like their year end show might only be the Leyenda de Plata tournament and possibly a Rey Escorpion/Maximo hair match. The latter may turn out to be good but doesn’t feel as hot as the set up Rey Escorpion/Brazo de Plata feud.
  6. CMLL held it’s annual bodybuilding contest. Mini Astral was the overall winner. The strangest part of this year’s competition was 7-time champion Dark Angel saying she was not participating this year, then participating anyway, only to lose to Dalys (who had finished second the last four years.)
  • Daga & Psicosis turned on Perro Aguayo Jr. and left the Perros del Mal. Perro never actually turned tecnico, but had been teaming with the tecnicos and his rudo partners had enough. The post match run-ins set up a weird alliance of Perro Jr., Cibernetico, Konnan and Zorro and the tease of Perro having to pick between Cibrenetico and Konnan.
  • CMLL pulled their luchadors from wrestling on a AAA/CMLL/indy tribute to show for El Brazo. All the luchadors still appeared and signed autographs for the fans. CMLL policy is to never let their luchadors work on a show with AAA luchadors, but the Brazos apparently thought they had an exception for this show.
  • Psicosis II changed his name to Psyco Ripper and changed his look to less resemble Psicosis. He explained it was due to US TV appearances, a story which may or may be true. He may have already changed his name again.
  • AAA’s TV did not air on Televisa in Mexico one Saturady but Televisa made up for it by giving them a two hour slot the next week. A weird TV issue worked out all fine for a lucha libre company, which may have been a first.
  • rising star Titan defeated Averno for the Mexican National Welterweight championship in another strong match between them. Titan has become one of the more popular tecnicos in the promotion, and also one of the best booked luchadors.
  • Rey Cometa will be out six weeks due to a wrist injury, but should be back in time for the FantasticaMania shows.
  • AAA/IWRG luchador Eterno will be out three months after a foot injury.
  • On IWRG’s Caravana de Campeones show, all the championships kept their belts. The Traumas went on to lose the tag team titles to Alan Extreme & Veneno a few days later.
  • CMLL announced their 12/01 show for Arena Coliseo, then announced Arena Coliseo was closed until 01/19. (They held the show in Arena Mexico instead.)
  • Mobil Machin & Power Diesel defeated Corrosion & Desgaste in the main event of a sponsored show in Arena Coliseo Guadalajara. That’s not the weird part. The weird part is their are no Mobil gas stations in Mexico. (They manufacture oil instead.)