Mascara humiliates Mistico, UG retains title again, Cavernario hurt

Cometa stage dive
Cometa stage dive

CMLL (FRI) 06/17/2016 Arena México [@drluchajr, +LuchaTV, CMLL, SuperLuchas, Yahoo! Deportes]
1) Cancerbero & Raziel b Oro Jr. & Soberano Jr.
12:25. Rudos took 1/3.
2) Estrellita, Princesa Sugehit, Silueta b La Seductora, Reyna Isis, Zeuxis
17:32. Tecnicas took 1/3. Sugehit demanded a title match next week after beating Zeuxis.
3) Misterioso Jr., Rey Bucanero, Shocker b Ángel de Oro, Guerrero Maya Jr., Stuka Jr.
13:11. Rudos took 2/3.
4) Marco Corleone, Máximo Sexy, Rey Cometa b Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas
8:46. Tecnicos took 1/3. Cavernario suffered a facial injury was hurt in the first fall and taken to the hospital (which derailed the match)
5) Último Guerrero © b Valiente [NWA MIDDLE]
17:00. UG took 2/3 to retain the title. Good match. Sixth defense.
6) Diamante Azul, Mistico, Volador Jr. DQ Ephesto, La Máscara, Mephisto
8:53. Straight falls. Mascara fouled and unmasked Mistico.

I have this show recorded but haven’t seen it yet. It sounds like the title match was worth seeing and the rest is safe the skip. No update on Cavernario. He’s not booked on a CMLL card again until next Friday. He might have gotten cut on the stage dive, since Cometa was wearing his belt for it – the only other thing he took was a tope, and seemed like he was off by that point. His injury might have put whatever was happening with him and Cometa on hiatus. No sign of another big match for the Gran Prix show.

Mistico says he wants a mask match with La Mascara too.

CMLL now is putting up clips in 4K/Ultra HD on their YouTube channel. They’ve also got an interview up with Sam Adonis about his debut on Monday and being in the Gran Prix.

Sunday is the big Chairo 4 show, with Freelance vs Impulso and Caifan vs Mephisto.

Superluchas looks back at El Reo, who’s being honored on Sunday in Arena Lopez Mateos.

Ludark talks about her opponents in a five way women’s hardcore match next weekend at Salon Citall.

Bandido video promo for the next Cara Lucha show.

Wrestling with Words has a review of Rush & Silver King vs LA Park & Fuerza Guerrera.

SuperLuchas has an interview with award winning lucha libre photographer Annick Donkers.

Lineups

CMLL (TUE) 06/21/2016 Arena México
1) Fantasy & Último Dragóncito vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Violencia
2) Hombre Bala Jr., Soberano Jr., Star Jr. vs Cancerbero, Disturbio, Raziel
3) Estrellita, Lluvia, Marcela vs Amapola, Dalys, Tiffany
4) Blue Panther Jr. vs Misterioso Jr. [lightning]
5) Blue Panther, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión
6) Stuka Jr., Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero

A normal card. Revolucionarios are back teaming up after talk about them splitting up.

CMLL (TUE) 06/21/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Capitán Cobra & Johnny Dinamo vs Linterna & Mr. Apolo
2) Oro Jr., Pegasso, Stigma vs Metálico, Sangre Azteca, Skándalo
3) Ángel de Oro, Esfinge, Tritón vs Furia Roja, Hechicero, Sagrado
4) Diamante Azul, Rush, Titán vs La Máscara, Rey Bucanero, Vangellys
5) Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto © vs Atlantis, Máximo Sexy, Mistico [MEX TRIOS]
5th defense

Title change seems unlikely: tecnico side is random, and Mistico already has a different trios title. Furia Roja/Esfinge continues in the tercera.

CMLL (FRI) 06/24/2016 Arena México
1) Shockercito & Stukita vs Mercurio & Pierrothito
2) Fuego, Guerrero Maya Jr., Titán vs Bobby Z, Puma, Tiger
3) Zeuxis © vs Princesa Sugehit [MEX WOMEN]
Zeuxis 5th defense.
4) Rey Cometa, Súper Porky, Valiente vs Cavernario, Felino, Mr. Niebla
5) Kushida, Marco Corleone, Mistico vs La Máscara, Shocker, Terrible
6) Atlantis, Diamante Azul, Volador Jr. vs Sam Adonis, Tama Tonga, Tangaroa

“Tangaroa” is “Tanga Roa” elsewhere, so maybe they’ll fix the spelling next week. Semimain seems like a waste of a Kushida match. Cometa/Cavernario carries on in the fourth match. Sugehit seems like she has a chance of winning. Second match could be pretty good and the opener has a Stukita appearance.

07/08 AAA TV Lineup (CDMX)

AAA

AAA TV (FRI) 07/08/2016 Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal
1) ?, Faby Apache, Mary Apache vs La Hiedra, Lady Shani, Taya
2) Garza Jr., Niño Hamburguesa, Venum vs ?, Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Súper Fly
3) Fénix vs Daga
4) Aerostar, Bengala, Drago vs Averno, Chessman, Ricky Marvin
5) Monsther Clown, Murder Clown, Psycho Clown vs Damián 666, Nicho el Millionario, Pagano
6) ?, Pentagón Jr., Texano vs El Mesías, Hernandez, Johnny Mundo

Air Date: 07/23 and 07/30

I was skeptical and now I’m surprised: Johnny Mundo is indeed coming back, and in a match opposite of Pentagon. It’s no sure thing AAA will play up the finish of the Lucha World Cup, as they didn’t really on last week’s TV, but it’s at least possible they go somewhere with. The luchador sopresa in this match, among three on the show, fits as Hijo del Fantasma returning to team with his buddy Texano if he’s healthy enough to do so.

Semimain is a rematch from Xalapa back in March, where the Psycho Circus won by countout when the Perros del Mal attacked Los Fronterizos and drove them out of the building. No sign of Halloween wrestling again. Hope he’s OK. Similarly, the fourth match is a rematch from Arena Aficion, where the tecnicos beat the rudos to win a trios title shot. Both results might be reversed this time. The fifth match doesn’t look like one I’d like, and the fourth was disappointing last time out, but maybe it’ll be better here.

This is the first ever Fenix/Daga singles match, which seems really strange. It should be really good and it’d be great if they booked more singles matches between good people. It’s not clear where this fits in with Daga/Suicide and the three way #1 contender’s match on the previous show. (Perhaps there’s an outside possibility of Fantasma relinquishing the championship and this match becoming for the vacant title, but that’s me totally speculating.)

The mystery man in the segunda could be the same mystery person teaming with Los Froterizos in Ecatepec – it’d work OK if it was Bestia 666’s return. There’s no real need to hide an identity that low on the card unless something else sets it up and you don’t want to give that away yet.

The mystery in the opener could be more along the lines of AAA not having figured out who’ll be in that match. The five women listed are the only women working for AAA on TV still with AAA. La Hechicera occasionally shows up on spot shows, but doesn’t quite fit. Maybe the shocking return of Sexy Star? (Nah.) Maybe Lady Apache works another AAA show? Maybe someone from Lucha Underground comes in? Maybe any one of the few dozen indie women but they haven’t quite worked out which one?

Of note: this is not labeled as Verano de Escandalo. It is unlikely they’d use that name for tapings in Toluca or Oaxaca, and more likely we’re just not getting a show of that name this year. That’s fine – they’d lowered expectations enough for that show that it won’t be missed – but it does make you wonder where all the matches set up for that show and beyond are going to take place. If AAA runs a #1 contender’s match on one taping, it’s usually taking place on the next, but not this time. No sign of Texano/Wagner, no sure sign of the cruiserweight title match. Maybe the Apaches tag title challenge gets picked up here. None of those sound like sure bets for TripleMania, but there’s no obvious big show we’re they’re happening.

At the same time, this is the last big Mexico City show before TripleMania. If they’re going to run a big angle to set up a main event, this would be the time to do it.

Next taping is 07/17 in Oaxaca. Next AAA news should be the announcement of the August taping dates, including TripleMania.

Como Estaz 3×12: Killers Among Us

right click to download/rss

Rob and I went to the AAW show last night in Merrionette Park, with Aerostar vs AR Fox and Drago vs Chris Hero. We talk about that entire show and our experience there, Mascara Dorada in the Cruiserweight Classic, AAA’s upcoming cards, Elite’s weird international tournament, CMLL’s weird international tournament and other things I scarcely remember now. It went about an hour.

We taped this in my car at around 3AM; my car turned itself off at one point which caused the phone to stop recording for a moment. You didn’t miss much. My phone records audio much better than it conserves battery, so that’s nice. I was occasionally distracted by all the suspicious looking activity in a parking lot way early, so it may not be the most coherent podcast we’ve done but I think it’s still fine. Thanks to everyone who said hi at the show, and thanks to Yelp for finding us decent 24 hour diner.