Lucha Underground preview, Estrellita/Dalys, Elite/PJ, Santo Metro ticket

CMLL (SUN) 06/19/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Domingos Familiares CMLL]
1) Capitán Cobra & Cosmos DCOR Gitano & Relámpago
Rudos took first, tecnicos the second, and somehow everyone got counted out after tecnico dives.
2) Linterna, Mr. Brisa, Thunder Boy b Explosivo, Reycko, Star Black
straight fall for the rudos. Gitano & Relampago came in to help unmask the tecnicos post match, with Cosmos & Capitan Cobra making the save. Cage match is next week.
3) Nautilius b Joker
Nautilus took 2/3, setting up a title match next week.
4) Esfinge & Tritón b Mr. Trueno & Rey Trueno
Tecnicos took 2/3.
5) Furia Roja & Furia Roja Jr. DQ Halcón Furia & Magnum and El Yaqui & Nube Roja and El Lider & Ráfaga and El Brujo & Fugaz and Centella & Évola
father (Brujo, Lider, Nube Roja, Centella, Furia Roja, Magnum)/son (Fugaz, Rafaga, Yaqui, Evola, Furia Roja Jr., Halcon Furia) tag tournament, though the rules where the entire team would be eliminated when anyone on the team was pinned. Match came down to the Furia Rojas vs Lider/Rafaga, with Rafaga fouling Furia Roja for the DQ. The fathers were honored post match.

The “win” keeps a win streak for Furia Roja leading into next Tuesday.

CMLL (TUE) 06/21/2016 Arena México [CMLL, thecubsfan]
1) Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Violencia b Fantasy & Último Dragóncito
12:53. Rudos took 2/3.
2) Hombre Bala Jr., Soberano Jr., Star Jr. b Cancerbero, Disturbio, Raziel
18:43. Tecnicos took 1/3.
3) Estrellita, Lluvia, Marcela DQ Amapola, Dalys, Tiffany
10:47. Tecnicos took 1/2, the last by ref shove DQ. Estrellita and Dalys fought after the match
4) Misterioso Jr. b Blue Panther Jr. [lightning]
6:33. Misterioso won with Gori Special.
5) Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión b Blue Panther, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa
12:36. Rudos took 1/3.
6) Stuka Jr., Valiente, Volador Jr. b Euforia, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero
11:08. Guerreros took 1/3 clean.

I liked the second match and the main event, but there weren’t much storyline advancements. A couple weeks ago, Estrellita talked in Box Y Lucha about the one thing she still wanted to accomplish was to win the world title. I thought that was generic interview filler, but perhaps she knew this feud was coming.

Last night on Informa, Barbaro Cavernario and Rey Cometa signed for a hair match on 07/01, as part of the Gran Prix iPPV. There were good promos and emotion to the Informa segment, but not really any suspense or build up to doing it – it was announced in the show preview on Facebook. Barbaro Cavernario had face scars from taking Cometa’s title belt in his face on Friday, and I suspect the original plan was to sign the contract on Friday before he got hurt. (Of course, I thought that to start, so maybe I’m just clinging to a wrong belief.) That match makes the iPPV much more interesting, since it’s sure to be a great match.

Today might be an Elite press conference. I never know with them. We do know they’re occasionally posting videos from the people in their field on Facebook, and they posted a PJ Black video yesterday, so he must really be coming to the tournament on Thursday. I don’t know that he has a great chance of making it to the Saturday final, but I’m still stunned AAA didn’t put a stop to it. Dorian Roldan scoffed at the idea of this happening on Twitter earlier (and I guess it still hasn’t actually happened.)

The Saturday Elite show is probably why they’re not running Sabado Retros this week. CMLL hasn’t said anything. They’re off the following week for boxing. The last time they were off two weeks in a row, they said Coliseo would be “indefinitely” closed and people were worried they weren’t running in the building at all any more, so maybe they’re just trying not saying anything this time.

Today’s Lucha Underground is episode 22 of 26 in this second season, titled “Fame & Fortune”.

• Mr. Cisco, Cortez Castro and Joey Ryan versus Killshot, Siniestro de la Muerte, Marty the Moth for 3 Aztec Medallions
• Daga versus Mascarita Sagrada for 1 Aztec Medallion (clip)
• Sexy Star & ? vs Taya & ?? (Ivelisse is pictured) – stipulation not announced, but I bet you can put it together.

The preview also mentions the arrival of a new luchador, which is going to be a thing we’re going to be talking about after.

FWIW #1: I have other commitments tonight (unless they get washed out), and the Lucha Underground recap will be a fewer hours later.

FWIW #2: I am heading to Los Angeles for Lucha Underground this weekend. I was lucky enough to send in an email for tickets quick enough, and have spent the last few days overthinking how I’m going to do this. I’m leaving Friday night and getting back Monday afternoon. I don’t think I’ll be getting Claro this week – my flight takes off a couple minutes before it goes live – and the update schedule will be strange. Also, if you have ideas on what I should do with myself between the time they hand out the line number and the time they actually let people in, let me know.

On MLW Radio, MSL said he heard Prince Puma has been offered a new contract around $300K a year. The deal is said to be paid for by El Rey itself and not Lucha Underground. Length is unknown. The deal would allow him to continue to work with NJPW as well. His current deal ends after this weekend. It’s a given he’ll be offered a deal by WWE, but it’s unlikely it’ll be the same take home pay.

The deal sounds like it can be compared to WCW’s deal with Hulk Hogan, which was paid by Turner itself and not WCW, or Sting being paid by Spike TV instead of TNA, and the contract would still be good if Lucha Underground is not picked up after season 3. The difference is those channels were much higher revenue business than El Rey, which only seems to be producing two series (Lucha Underground and From Dusk Till Dawn.) El Rey seems to be going as far as Lucha Underground goes and isn’t inherently more stable like Turner or Viacom. (You can ignore this whole paragraph if the deal is being paid by Univison.)

On the other hand, that’s really good money! And Lucha Underground isn’t going to make Prince Puma do public workouts on Facebook live any time soon; there’s a lot of freedom in Lucha Underground and NJPW that just isn’t available in WWE. WWE would also make him prove himself from scratch, which he obviously wouldn’t have to do if he stayed.

This weekend seems like a time for LU announcements. The Season 3 deal was officially announced at the end of the last Season 2 tapings (though it had been rumored for a while.) Season 4 hasn’t been officially announced yet.

Johnny Mundo’s also come up in rumors of WWE returns; he himself has previously mentioned WWE’s contacted him about his status. This podcast said he’s still under contract to Lucha Underground.

On the same podcast, Konnan says the Tampico Guerra de Titanes show was canceled due to “not getting permission from the right people.” This is just a guess, but I’m assuming “the right people” in this case were not governmental officials. Definitely people in power, but not elected power, if you’re following. Remind me never to run a business in Mexico, it’s crazy.

AAA put up a teaser for the Lucha World Cup, which I presume means some (edited?) version of it will air as part of their regular TV show. The logical place is just after TripleMania, so the PPV doesn’t air right away, but that’s a ways off. They’ve got so much TV scheduled in July that it seems unlikely to air soon, or everything will be on a bigger delay.

AAA posted a ugly photo of Pagano’s head being split open after a match with Joe Lider Monday in Puebla. Every night is not this bad, but I am continually amazed at how the hardcore guys can do so much damage to their bodies and keep on going.

The Mexico City Metro announced a special commemorative ticket in honor of el Santo at a press conference yesterday. Santo would’ve turned 100 next September, and Hijo del Santo billed this as the start of celebrations honoring him. There was also the announcement of a new pension plan for luchadors over the age of 68, which will certainly be a help if true. (Apolo Valdes points out it’s true – but only because the government already supports everyone over 68 with a pension.) As part of the ceremony, As Charro was given a new wheelchair. In post press conference interviews, Santo complained promotions don’t do enough to take care of retired luchadors.

Hijo del Santo told the press he’s not retired, but only going to fight when he feels like it. He feels good and still likes wrestling, but also doesn’t want to end up in a wheelchair. He might next feel like it in July, where he says there are plans for him to wrestle a tour in Tijuana, Ensenada, and Mexicali. Santo will not be on the London tour, but says he’s given his son permission to use the Santo name.

The AAA show in Monterrey on Sunday had a scheduled with a main event of Pagano, Psycho Clown, and a mystery shadow. The picture on the poster was a shadow of Pentagon Jr. doing the 0M sign. Fans showed up to see Pentagon. The main event was Pagano, Psycho Clown and…Joe Lider. (Enough fans still liked the match to throw in money.)

Meanwhile, Mil Mascaras & Dos Caras vs Canek & Sangre Chicana match didn’t sound good to us (and is said not to have been any good), but apparently drew nearly a full house to Arena Coliseo Monterrey.

Lucha Memes said they’ll debut in Mexico City on 08/14.

Averno says the Apaches can’t get a title shot without beating them, which will never happen, so we need to stop worrying about this.

RobViper has highlights of AAA 11/06/15.

Flamita talks up Friday’s match in CaraLucha, saying he’s going after Volador.

Lucha Libre In Japan

Violento Jack versus Jun Kasai has been announced 07/13 at Korakuen Hall. That’s going to be very violent. Miedo Extremo will also debut in Japan on the same show.

Lineups

CMLL (TUE) 06/28/2016 Arena México
1) Bengala & Leono vs Apocalipsis & Artillero
2) Astral, Eléctrico, Stukita vs Mercurio, Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Olímpico
3) Estrellita, La Vaquerita, Lluvia vs Dalys, La Seductora, Reyna Isis
4) Fuego vs Virus [lightning]
5) Ángel de Oro, Guerrero Maya Jr., Súper Porky vs Bobby Z, Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora
6) Máscara Dorada, Mistico, Titán vs Gran Guerrero, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero

Esterllita/Dalys continue. Dragon Rojo & Polvora team with another possible Revolucionario. Main event could be good, with Dorada right back in the mix.

CMLL (TUE) 06/28/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Magnum & Vaquero Jr. vs Carlo Roggi & Diplomático
2) Pegasso, Starman, Tritón vs Fujin, Raijin, Skándalo
3) Esfinge vs Furia Roja [mask]
4) Diamante Azul, Máximo Sexy, Michael Elgin vs Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Vangellys
5) Atlantis, Kushida, Volador Jr. vs Negro Casas, Tama Tonga, Tangaroa

Two week build on a mask match! Guessing Elgin is working opposite of Rey Bucanero. This still seem like the not-optimum use of Kushida, unless he and Volador are going to have a match.