AAA on Televisa: 2014-05-31
CMLL on Terra: 2014-06-01 – I probably should be including the Sunday Terra on this list for clarity. Titan/Roja was good but didn’t quite make it.
CMLL Guerreros del Ring on 52MX: 2014-05-31
CMLL on CadenaTres: 2014-05-31
IWRG (WED) 06/25/2014Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, The Gladiatores]
1) Sky Ángel b Electro Boy
2) Alfa & Omega b Hijo De La Bestia & Kaling Black
3) Ciclon Black & Dragón Celestial b Anubis Black & Zurdog
4) Oficial 911, Oficial AK47, Oficial Fierro b Alan Extreme, Emperador Azteca, Metaleon Oficials took 1/3.
5) Black Terry, Dr. Cerebro, Relámpago b Apolo Estrada Jr., Guerrero Mixtico, Tony Rivera Tecnicos took 1/3, Cerebro beating Apolo to continue their feud.
Very low attendance for this show. Show was taped, but there seems to be a lot of IWRG taped that doesn’t make air anywhere.
Tonight’s Arena Mexico show is highlighted by the En Busca de un Idolo epilogue ciberentico. All eight finalists and the two trainers face off. (Hechicero gets another shot at Negro Casas!) Last year’s ciberentico came down to Negro Casas defeating Virus and the year before had Ultimo Guerrero defeat Atlantis, so the actual finalists in this tournament haven’t fared well and it’s unlikely to be different with a group of novatos. Still, not sure there’s too much sense in complaining about a possible Casas/Virus finishing sequence.
The actual main event has that Atlantis/Ultimo Guerrero feud continuing on. CMLL’s been pushing both the Juicio Final show on 08/01 and the idea of Atlantis/UG needing a date strong, likely hoping fans will connect the doubts. I’m highly doubtful CMLL would actually run the show on that date, but any major mask match happening in about five weeks would need to start being advertised. (This is probably more an issue for Princesa Blanca and Princesa Sugehit, who’ve made mask vs hair challenges elsewhere but not in the middle of the ring yet.) Rush & La Sombra team with Ultimo Guerrero and Mr. Niebla & Shocker team with Atlantis to keep the other feuds going, though it might be time for something of a pivot – if Los Indeseables (/Ingobernables) are meant to be something other than straight rudos, then maybe they need to feud with other rudos and go after the Guerreros trios titles.
AAA continues a stretch of Friday night tapings in Queretaro. This is a Jeff Jarrett appearance, who appeared on TV last week with a video promo this past week building facing Electroshock in this match. If there’s a plan to do anything more than the usual all star tag with Jarrett this year, it probably starts here since he may not be back again for a while. This is more likely just a show to pass the time until AAA gets a little bit closer to TripleMania, but it’s still a very attractive card: Los Angeles de Lucha Libre face Pentagon Jr., Fantasma and Pirata Morgan, Anarquia take on Bengala, Drago and Fenix and Los Cadetes del Espacio (& Argenis) face Argos, Carta Brava, Super Fly and Apache in three possibly great (or Great) matches. We all love the En Bsuca deun Idolo matches here, but it’s quite likely the best fight tonight in lucha libre land will take place on the AAA show – they’ve got more matches with a shot of being the best. The opener is a minis match with no lineup, though AAA did confirm Dinastia will be return for the first time in a while.
Financial Times does the what is lucha libre piece. Highlights include El Hijo del Santo compare working in the US to slavery, Perro Aguayo Jr. saying he feels like Floyd Mayweather, and Konnan saying only 40 luchadors have ever made big money.
Zeuxis says beating Estrellita is just the first step in a master plan to winning the world title and then expanding her reach to the US. This seems more like a world domination plan when I write it way.
Fantasma talks about his match in Xalapa, says his big achievement in AAA has been making sure Psycho Clown doesn’t win the megatitle. I think Psycho Clown’s been taking care of that himself.
Violento Jack talks about his DTU title reign so far.
The promotion that used to run shows in Arena Xalapa have now moved to Arena Valladolid just outside the city. The AAA affiliated shows now in Xalapa seem to be promoted by a different local lucahdor; I think there’s at least three groups around Xalapa right now.
AAA-Televisa: last Friday from Puebla, with the Psycho Clown/Texano announcement. Probably top 3, but they’re opt to do unusual things on these one show tapings (which will be the norm for the next few weeks.) No UTDN shows listed on the schedule for the immediate future.
== CMLL ==
FOX2: Leyenda de Azul was the only match they promoted for the show, but it’s been a while since they’ve had one match go an hour so probably the tercera cut to shreds (instead of, say, the news section from Informa.)
52MX: More of the Stuka/Malefico build, Atlanits/Titan/Marco vs Guerreros
Claro: The show no one (but the 1000 so people in the building saw) – Revolucionarios vs Maximo/Porky/Volador, Panther/Ephesto hopefully.
C3: Fuego/Maximo/Valiente vs Invasors. Is going to be one of those weeks with a little too much Maximo?
TVC Deportes (Puebla): Atlantis vs Rey Escorpion, Minis/local cibernetico.
Lucha Azteca: Rush/Shocker vs Mascara/Rush.
Terra Friday: En Busca de un Idolo cibernetico. I’m guessing this might be only three matches, not the usual four (or five!)
Terra Sunday: If they can get it to air, Marco, Maximo, Volador vs Revolucionarios. Oro/Metalico continues on in the undercard, adn somehow I still have Angel de Oro listed in two matches?
== Other ==
Noches de Coliseo: They’re sticking with Tuesday shows of late, so more Mr. Nice. Plenty of Flammers.
IWRG (LAS/AYM): last Sunday’s episodes has already started to air – in some bad video quality even by this show’s standards.
Marisela Pena says TripleMania will be on iPPV. No other details are known. When Marisela says something, that’s usually what’s happening, but I’m still skeptical this thing is going to come off. It’s not the complete failure last year, it’s doing nothing since to show they’re going to get it right this time.
Daga & Super Fly beat Argenis & Fenix in Monterrey, with Daga and Fenix challenging each other to a singles match. I don’t have a record of them actually ever doing that fairly obvious singles match, which is very consistent with AAA’s booking.
Main event Hechicero, possibly trying to get something out of Angel de Oro. Delta & Maya’s random Tuesday partner comes up Marco. Bam Bam’s being booked all the time now, it’s so odd.
Psycho Clown will put his mask against Texano Jr.’s hair at TripleMania. The match will be one of the biggest matches on the show, and is the only match so far announced. (Tickets are already on sale.) The two have been feuding since just after last year’s TripleMania, with Texano winning every meaningful singles match and is expected to come to an end at this show. It seems likely Psycho will finally get his win, in an effort to give him a big moment on the biggest show of AAA’s year, though that would also mean the Texano would lose on the biggest show of the year and still be world champion.
Cavernario won the near three month long En Busca de un Idolo tournament, defeating Hechicero in a strong final following a very good tournament. Dragon Lee finished third, Cachorro finished four, but all four looked very good through the tournament. The final of the tournament got over strong with the fans, despite the relatively low visibility of the build – the tournament does not air on TV, only airing live and available after the fact in unauthorized locations, so you’d have to be a hardcore fan to follow it, much less care – and it felt like CMLL might have created new rising stars. It depends on where they go from here, and that much isn’t clear. For now, all ten participants in the tournament will meet in a cibernetico this Friday.
The actual CMLL main event storylines continues to focus on the Indeserable trio of La Sombra, Rush and La Mascara versus everyone. One week after Sombra became double world champion, Rush & Mascara lost their world tag team titles to Negro Casas & Rush cleanly. Rush and Casas are still scheduled for a hair match, but there’s been no suggestion anything definite involving the Indeserable trio is happening soon. CMLL has been pushing a Juicio Final show, but has a variety of midcard and lower feuds (Oro/Metalico & Sugehit/Blanca most notably) which could instead climax on that show.
CMLL has turned up the heat on the Atlantis vs Ultimo Guerrero feud. Atlantis cheated to beat Ultimo Guerrero to win the Leyenda de Azul tournament. Guerrero continues to demand CMLL announce a date for their already signed mask match.
AAA announced lineups for many future tapings. Absolutely nothing of note appears to be happening on any of them; the schedule suggests the rest of TripleMania might be set up on the Tehuacan taping on 07/21.
Mephisto was scheduled for a title defense, but suffered a knee injury a few days prior. His return date is unknown, but they went out of their way to not strip him of the title yet so there’s likely hope he’ll be back for the Universal tournament. (Likewise, still nothing said about Mistico II’s title.)
Cavernario followed up his En Busca de un Idolo win by defeating Black Metal for his mask in a cage of death match two days later.
Asturiano and Pequeno Black Warrior, who’ve been feuding for the last month in a half, will have a mask vs hair match in Arena Puebla as that building’s Anniversary main event.
Los Oficials picked up the tag team titles in IWRG, and Arkangel beat Gallo to win his back the FULL (Chile) belt.
People who kept their titles: Golden Magic, Virus, Titan, Rey Escorpion
Super Crazy, Jinzo, Rocky Lobo (NOAH), Mascara Dorada, Fuego (CMLL) and La Comandante (REINA) are all out in Japan on various tours. Nieto del Santo is also in Japan w/NOAH, though still not having matches.
Hooray Arkangel won so this can be done. I’m sure the Gallo/Arkangel mask match will happen right after the Ultimo Dragon/Arkangel one they were going on about for years.
I don’t want to point this out, because Zeuxis going for a title is fun, but how is the Puerto Rician luchadora challenging for an only Mexican championship? (Zeuxis is really half Mexican so it’s actually fine, but that’s not the way they’ve presented her of late.)
CMLL (TUE) 06/24/2014Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [@acogdl]
1) Infierno & Ráfaga b El Divino & Leo Rudos took 2/3.
2) Pequeño Violencia, Pierrothito, Relampago b Astral, Fantasy, Último Dragoncito Relampago replaced Pequeno Olimpico, Fantasy replaced Meteoro (who was around and in photos.) Rudos took 1/3.
3) Amapola, La Seductora, Princesa Blanca b La Vaquerita, Marcela, Silueta Rudas took 1/3.
4) Cavernario & Titán b Cachorro & Gran Guerrero [seeding battle royal]
5) La Máscara, La Sombra, Rush DQ Euforia, Niebla Roja, Shocker Tecnicos took 1/3 when Shocker fouled Mascara. Rush attacked Shocker after the match.
6) Gran Guerrero & Último Guerrero b Blue Panther & Cachorro [Copa Express, semifinal]
7) Atlantis & Titán b Cavernario & Mr. Niebla [Copa Express, semifinal]
8) Atlantis & Titán DQ Gran Guerrero & Último Guerrero [Copa Express, final] UG fouled Atlantis.
Fouls and rudo victories all over this card. I’m assuming La Mascara had the foul coming.
Black Metal & Gallo beat Barbaro Cavernario & Sadico to win Copa Express last year.
Ludark Shaitan is in the US this weekend for IWA-MS’s Queen of the Deathmatch tournament. That sounds like something she would do very well in; the interview mentions she got in on Necro Butcher’s recommendation.
Psycho Clown, Fenix, Texano Jr. and Pentagon Jr. appeared at AAA Queretaro press conference for Friday’s taping. Psycho wants the ref at TripleMania not to be Tirantes or Maya – he should probably pick someone he trusts rather than let a third evil referee come in. (This would actually be a good spot for someone like Octagon as guest referee, though he doesn’t seem like a guy who’d like getting down and back up to count pinfalls and staying in the background for most of the match. That kind of character though.)
CMLL announced Fuego’s trip to NJPW. It’s his third trip – besides FantasticaMania, he had that one appearance in Mr. Cacao’s promotion – and he talks a little bit about wanting to put on a good performance even against normal ally Mascara Dorada. CMLL explains Dorada’s continued NJPW stint, saying Dorada was originally supposed to come back to Mexico but NJPW really wanted to him to stay for one more tour. I think it’s possible there’s more going on here.
CMLL (MON) 06/30/2014Arena Puebla
1) Black Tiger, Milenium, Paris vs Centauro de Fuego, Rey Apocalipsis, Toro Bill Jr.
2) Pegasso, Starman, Tigre Rojo Jr. vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Nitro, Siki Ozama Jr.
3) Ángel de Oro, Blue Panther, Stigma vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Virus
4) Asturiano vs Pequeño Warrior [mask, hair]
5) La Máscara, Máximo, Super Porky vs Euforia, Pierroth, Último Guerrero
6) Shocker vs Rush
Rush has beaten Shocker in every singles match. Still thinking Asturiano is going to win, but definitely would be sad if he lost. That semimain has little hope.
Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero have had 20 billed singles matches. Atlantis has won 10, Guerrero has won 8, and two have no known result. Atlantis is 3-1 in this building, the last win coming eleven months ago.
They’re not getting a lot out of Navarro & Solar’s yearly appearance by teaming them with Gran Guerrero and La Mascara. Omar Brunetti is the now former Black Metal. Using a real name (or a real looking name) is actually a good way to stand out. Brunetti was interviewed in Noroeste, saying Apolo Dantes and Satanico praised the eight guys in the cage match, and especially the last two, for their performance in the cage match.
Poster mispells (“SWS”) the prestigious championship Apolo Estrada holds. There’s really not that many people on this show.
IWRG AAA (WED) 07/02/2014Arena Naucalpan
1) Emperador Azteca & Látigo vs Anubis Black & Zurdog
2) Alan Extreme, Diva Salvaje, Imposible vs Oficial 911, Oficial AK47, Oficial Fierro
3) Golden Magic, Hijo De Dos Caras, Súper Nova vs Demon Rocker, Machine Rocker, Soul Rocker
4) Monsther Clown, Murder Clown, Psycho Clown vs Eterno, Pirata Morgan, Texano Jr.
5) La Parka & Myzteziz vs Averno & Black Warrior
AAA posted the top 3 matches last week (though Eterno has since replaced Trauma I.) Tercera could be really good. First 100 kids (with an adult ticket) get in free, which seems unnecssary because this should easily sell out.
