expensive Anniversary ticket prices, Oficials and Traumas destroy each other

Trauma II/photo by Black Terry Jr.

IWRG (SUN) 08/03/2014 Arena Naucalpan [Black Terry Jr. (Flickr), The Gladiatores]
1) Avisman & Hip Hop Man b Alfa & Omega
Avisman replaced Hijo de la Bestia (which meant he was working twice.) This one went two falls.
2) Apolo Estrada Jr., Avisman, El Hijo del Diablo © b Emperador Azteca, Imposible, Metaleon [EdM Trios]
Imposible and Avisman had a very good exchange to start the match. Later, Imposible and Azteca went back to having problems again, and the rudos took advantage to ultimately win. Fourth defense for the Gringos.
3) Alan Extreme b Guerrero Mixtico [hair]
Mixitco surprised Alan to win fall one, but then got his foot caught in the ropes on a dive and Alan attacked the leg to submit him for fall 2. Third fall got bloody. Mixtico had a pin with his hand on the ropes, Alan reversed it to his own pin with his hand on the ropes, and he held on for three. Mixtico argued the finish but eventually got his hair cut.
4) Demon Clown, Eterno, Hijo de Máscara Año 2000 b Hijo De Dos Caras, Relámpago, Veneno
Rudos took 2/3. Demon Clown challenged Hijo de Dos Caras to a title match. Hijo de Mascara did as well, setting up a remarkable triangle title match.
5) Oficial 911 & Oficial AK47 © b Trauma I & Trauma II [IWRG IC TAG]
Fierro came out as second for his friends, which upset the Traumas. Commissioner allowed it which proved to a bad decision because Fierro just interfered the whole way. Oficials won fall 1. Fierro smacked Trauma I in the knee with a broomstick between falls, leaving I hurt the rest of the way. Traumas rallied and Trauma II eliminated 911, but the Traumas were so angry they got DQed for excessive violence on AK-47 and for shoving the refs down. Straight falls. First defense for the Oficials.

Thinking of resubbing to AYM online for a month just to have a better shot of getting this show. No idea if it’ll help (except last week’s Trauma/Oficials match definitely aired on AYM and not LAS) or if I have the means to actually record the show.

Hijo de Dos Caras versus Demon Clown versus Hijo de Mascara Ano 2000 has a chance to be a MOTYC, though probably with another let added to that acronym. I noticed at least one person in the comments of Tercera Caida’s Facebook believes Demon Clown is actually Head Hunter I. We all know Demon Clown is truly a proud Canadian, right up there with Wayne Gretzky and Celine Dion (but we’ll probably find out his identity soon enough – maybe in a month!)

Developments in the second and third match suggest that Imposible and Alan Xtreme may be headed back to more rudo ways.

Tickets quietly went on sale for the CMLL Anniversary show today. They’re crazy expensive. Cheapest ticket is 587 pesos ($45 USD), with the closest tickets on sale right now at 3274 pesos ($248 USD!) Weird prices are mostly the effect of the Ticketmaster handling charges, but they’d still be incredibly expensive prices for a Mexico wrestling event with them. TripleMania’s tickets run 144 to 1920. Last year’s Anniversary price went from 2995 to 301, so it’s about a 280 peso ($21 USD) hike on every ticket. Most lucha libre shows we went to last year cost less than that increase alone (and if you’re running one of those shows, you may not be thrilled about CMLL eating up so much of the money.)

CMLL’s not going to sell the building out at those prices unless there’s a lot of stuff underneath – Volador versus Sombra, hair versus mask, does not seem so impossible now – but they could still make a ton of money with a 3/4ths full building. CMLL’s business model is increasingly dependent on scraping by most of the year and making their money on the rest of the show. They’re really trying to make their money here!

Unlikely there’s not going to be a last minute reprieve to put this show on the internet for free at those prices (though last year’s was at nearly the same.) Wish CMLL and Terra would iPPV it, but that seems unlikely too – and may make sense, since you may not want people paying $25 at home if you’re trying to sell them on coming for $45 each. Still, there has to be a way to black it out in Mexico City on the day of the show and allow people who can’t travel to Mexico City a chance to pay to see the show.

And now this.

Dr. Wagner Jr. suffered a deep cut on his shoulder after LA Park hit him with a light tube in Monterrey. The story is it didn’t seem that severe at the time, but he ended up going to the hospital after finding out it cut a vein and will now be out three weeks. The lower deck was jam packed for the show. This gives me a great horrible idea: ACM should do a gimmick where they announce a LA Park versus Dr. Wagner street fight and then announce there will be no tickets sold on the lower level for the safety of the fans because the match is going to be so out of control. It would look bizarre on TV but you’d sell every upper level ticket. (Also, LA Park and Dr. Wagner would definitely end up brawling to the upper level.)

Stuka will replace Titan on Tuesday in his lightning match versus Cavernario. Titan is still out due to injury.

Flamita did keep his Brave Gate championship over Tony Rodriguez and Makabre in Arena Roberto Paz on Saturday. There are scurrilous rumors that Dragon Gate in fact did not sanction a title match to take place in Arena Roberto Paz but I choose not to believe such things. Demon Clown is from Canada!

Interesting section from a Fortune interview with El Rey’s Robert Rodriguez

The pace that we’re able to go at, when we have an idea we can turn it around and put it on air. It’s really addictive and fun. I shot Sin City 2 last January and now it’s just coming out. That would never happen on my network. When we shoot something it goes on the air next week.

(Not sure if that applies to shows he’s authoring or the network entirely.)

Domingo Universal has a bio of Casandro.

LuchaWorld has 80 thru 71 in their top 2013 countdown and a Vandal Drummond column on Rush/Sombra vs Casas/Shocker and Black Gordman.

Segunda Caida reviews El Hijo Del Santo, Octagón, Rey Misterio Jr. vs Blue Panther, Fuerza Guerrera, Psicosis from 1995.

Negro Casas’ skull makes an appearance on all three lucha magazines this week.

Lucha Libre In Japan

Silueta will now defend the REINA Interntional Junior Championship against Maki Narumiya on the 08/08 REINA show.

La Comandante (still in Japan) & Yumiko Hotta defend the REINA tag team titles on 08/20. The only card not announced yet is the 08/30, so that’s probably the not yet announced Marcela title defense.