En Busca de un Idolo field set, Lucha Underground tonight, CMLL on NJPW World

photo by Alexis Salazar-CMLL

CMLL (TUE) 05/26/2015 Arena México [CMLL, Yahoo! Deportes]
1) Bengala & Molotov b Camorra & El Rebelde
2) Fantasy & Último Dragoncito COR Pequeño Nitro & Pequeño Olímpico
Tecnicos took 2/3, the last by countout.
3) La Vaquerita, Lluvia, Silueta DQ Amapola, Dalys, La Seductora
Seductora replaced Isis. Straight falls. Amapola pulled Vaquerita’s mask – second straight week someone’s done to that to Vaquerita (Isis last week.)
4) Blue Panther Jr., Boby Zavala, Canelo Casas, Delta, Disturbio, Esfinge, Flyer, Guerrero Maya Jr. b Akuma, Cancerbero, Gallo, Joker, Pegasso, Raziel, Sagrado, Stigma [En Busca de un Idolo, cibernetico]
Joker’s DF debut. Battle royal determined sides. Order of elimination: Akuma (Joker), Raziel (Guerrero Maya Jr.), Joker (Pegasso), Cancerbero (Delta), Pegasso (Stigma), Sagrado (Boby Zavala), Stigma (Esfinge) and Gallo (Canelo Casas). The winning 8 advance to the touranment.
5) Marco Corleone, Máximo, Naito b Hechicero, Kráneo, Mephisto

The cibernetico is here. The En Busca de un Idolo wasn’t as insane as last year, but still quite a show. Flyer had a very good night, even flying into the crowd on a dive. Stigma slipped on a Brillo Dorada attempt and was obviously shaken up, stumbling on a few spots until he was finished. There was no obvious repeat of a feud coming out of the eliminated eight, like Metalico and Oro Jr. last year.

The press conference was going on as I was finishing this up. The judges are Shocker, Tirantes, Hijo del Gladiador and a rotating fourth. Shocker missed a lot of these shows last year, and it ended up as two rotating positions. The tournament will air on Tuesday and Fridays thru August 21st, which seems extremely long but turns out to be the same format as last year. First round, everyone versus everyone else, will run from June 5 to July 21. The final four announcement will be on July 22nd. July 24 should be the final four + trainers trios match. The semifinals will go from July 31st to August 14th, with that final on the 21st. The teams were not announced at the press conference, but will be decided on Informa later today.

The eight left are not the best possible luchadors. Raziel, Cancerbero and Sagrado would have to be included, but those three really shouldn’t be in anything promoting itself as a new star tournament. 11 year pro and national champion Guerrero Maya Jr. doesn’t quite fit either, but maybe this is how he finally gets to Japan.

Maya & Delta are the highest ranked guys to get thru, Zavala’s the guy who’s won a similar tournament, Panther Jr. is the one who’s gotten the rocket push since debuting last year – those are the ones who are most likely to be in the final four. Flyer has a path to making it far, advancing as far as his hot streak lasts, but it lasting is a lot to ask for him. Canelo, Esfinge, and Disturbio would have to strongly change people’s impressions of them (or probably more the programmers impressions) to move onto the second round.

Tonight’s Lucha Underground episode is #29, “Fight to the Death”. Matches on the show:

  • Johnny Mundo vs Aerostar (video preview)
  • Prince Puma (c) vs Hernandez for the Lucha Underground Championship
  • Fenix vs Mil Muertes in a Death Match

There’s also a Chavo & Black Lotus vignette. The preview also mentions a Sexy Star interview with Vampiro. There will probably be a follow up on the Crew losing the trios title match; they were very well warned of what would happen if they failed. Based on next week’s lineup, it’s also likely this show will see some follow up on the new Daivari/Big Ryck alliance.

Lucha Underground has not been renewed for a second season, yet. They sent out a statement confirming there’s now renewal yet. This is like the third time this has happened – people are both eager for any news and eager for the renewal that it doesn’t take much to set off the celebration. (Myself included in ‘people’ there.)

Ring of Honor was announced as airing on Destination America Wednesday nights at 7pm starting next week. That would put it directly against Lucha Underground for now. The situation may eventually change, but it’s likely to stay that way for the rest of Lucha Underground season 1 unless TNA gets yanked off the network early.

The Lucha of the Hidden Temple podcast reviews the last two episodes of the show.

NJPW World surprisingly posted Sunday’s semimain match on their streaming site. It’s the Naito match, of course. There’s no commentary It’s a Sunday semimain, so you’re not missing anything, but it’s interesting development. I speculated near the launch that CMLL matches could end up on the service but this is the first one to do so. CMLL Dos Leyendas would’ve made since showing up in some form, since it was the Kamaitachi mask match, but it did air on SamuraiTV and perhaps there are still some rights issues there. It’s unclear if more Naito matches will be put up, but there’s a decent shot if this random trios is going up. CMLL records everything, so the video is there, it’s just a matter of sending it over to NJPW and NJPW actually wanting it. It is a bit of proof about how CMLL has all the content it needs for it’s own similar service, but lacks the interest (and maybe ability) to actually do it.

The Cavernario/Dorada matches seem worth checking out so far, though. If you want to game it, NJPW bills on the 1st no matter when you subscribe, so wait a few days.)

Pentagon Jr. says he doesn’t care what Rey Mysterio has done or where he’s been, because now he’s running into a wall named Pentagon Junior. Pentagon says he doesn’t fear Rey or the Dream Team (or anything) and he’s sure he’s going to win the Verano de Escandalo main event.

The locals match for Saturday’s taping in Reynosa is being advertised locally as Asterisco Jr, Magnifico, Rey Astral y Komander para vs Imagen II, Imagen de Oro, Maldición y Rocker Boy. DoradaFan’s been high on many of those guys for a while, hope the match turns up somewhere.

Segunda Caida reviews Lucha Underground Episode 27 and Blue Panther Jr., The Panther & Titan vs Barbaro Cavernario, Boby Zavala and Mr. Aguila.

+LuchaTV has the post show World Cup conferences with Alberto & Rey and Myzteziz and the Victoria representative.

Monterrey has a Rush vs Niebla vs Terrible match this weekend.

The Gladiatores talks to Metaleon and Mr. Leo, who are going as the Lion Brothers.

CMLL posted highlights of the 05/22 show.

Bestia 666 hypes the Caralucha Anniversary show.

DJ Spectro looks back at Villano I vs Zandokan

Monclova luchadors are working with local government to run a food drive show for people in Ciudad Acuna (where tornados hit earlier this week.)

Hijo de Black Shadow/Pequeno Solin was honored in Merida.

Rubi Gardenia took Principe Azteca’s hair in Tijuana.

Someone is selling a complete Histeria outfit. (2020 Edit: Link removed, site is now a malware host.)

Lucha Libre In Japan

05/26 NJPW: Barbaro Cavernario [4] b Gedo [4] – this was a fun match (GOOD) worth going out of your way to see.

Mascara Dorada was on today’s show; NJPW seems to be posting the non-announcer shows at around 10pm CT.

Lineups

CMLL (TUE) 06/02/2015 Arena México
1) Bengala & Leono vs Apocalipsis & Espanto Jr.
2) La Vaquerita, Lluvia, Skadi vs Amapola, Dalys, La Seductora
3) Stukita vs Mercurio [lightning]
4) Hombre Bala Jr., Súper Halcón Jr., Tritón vs Cancerbero, Canelo Casas, Raziel
5) Fuego, La Máscara, Stuka Jr. vs Boby Zavala, Puma, Tiger
6) La Sombra, Naito, Rush vs Ephesto, Negro Casas, Thunder

Third straight week with the women, Vaquerita especially. Not sure where they’re going with that – Amapola versus Vaquerita would be odd.

Semimain would be a fun match with just about anyone else in La Macsara’s spot. Third match is definitely going to be a fun match, and possibly the last YouTube lightning match for a couple months.

CMLL (TUE) 06/02/2015 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) El Tapatío & Metatrón vs Furia Roja & Thunder Boy
2) Magnum, Robin, Sensei vs Camorra, Cholo, Ráfaga
3) Astral, Eléctrico, Shockercito vs Demus 3:16, Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Olímpico
4) Atlantis, Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Vangellys
5) Mistico, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Gran Guerrero, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero

Lots of groups in the top matches. Nothing that seems to follow up from last night’s show.