CMLL (TUE) 12/06/2016 Arena México [CMLL, CultIcon, thecubsfan, Yahoo! Deportes]
1) Acero & Aéreo b Pequeño Universo 2000 & Pequeño Violencia 
9:56. Tecnicos took 2/3, Pequeno Violencia was terrible.
2) Inquisidor, Metálico, Nitro b Príncipe Diamante, Robin, Sangre Imperial
18:52. Rudos took 1/3. Robin replaced Sensei on Monday Inquisidor replaced Arkangel.
3) Raziel b Star Jr. [lightning]
8:16. Raizel submitted Star Jr.
4) Blue Panther Jr., Drone, The Panther b El Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
10:50. Tecnicos took 2/3.
5) Blue Panther, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa DQ Ephesto, Luciferno, Pierroth
8:26. Tecnicos won in straight falls, the last when Ephesto unmasked Maya to set up a singles match.
6) Ángel de Oro, Atlantis, Carístico b Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Niebla Roja
9:42. Tecnicos took 2/3.
What I got from this show is Inquisidor’s beard is out of control and someone (Polvora?) needs to buy him a beard trimmer for Christmas. There was also wrestling. The fourth match is worth going out of your way to see. Most of the rest was Tuesday show. Pequeno Violencia appeared to be either totally disinterested, wrestling injured or in no condition to wrestle for other reasons in the opener. (He did not wear his face paint, which was always the tell when Mr. Aguila would show up in no condition.) Violencia all but laid down to get pinned in the third fall. CMLL punished him by letting him second Pierroth for his match later. My recap will be up today or tomorrow depending on when I get done with the Gifs.
Tonight’s Lucha Underground (03×14) is “The Bulls of Boyle Heights”
- Texano Jr. vs Cage vs Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Joey Ryan in a Battle of the Bulls tournament (video clip)
- another match with the Mack, Dragon Azteca Jr., Mil Muertes, and Marty Martinez
- Sexy Star back in action
- Cortez Castro “goes deeper under cover”
- Kobra Moon tells the history of her tribe.
LU teased match 4 of Texano/Cage via photo, but that video preview reveals they’re up to something else. Maybe Dario will explain why the Best of 5 seems to have been put on the shelf. That soul/god/whatever is going to be stuck in his box for so long. I’ve got a guess that second match is also part of the tournament. CultIcon also previews this show.
The highlight of that preview video clip is Striker deciding to describe everyone with just one word, and then running out of ideas after one person. It’s the audio equivalent of someone trying to pull the tablecloth off and all the dishes tumbling onto the floor.
Lucha Underground executive producer Eric Van Wagenen was on the Mid Week War podcast this past week, talking about the Pentagon Jr./Black Triad episode and other things with Lucha Underground. I did story points first and big picture stuff second last time, so let’s needlessly switch that around. There’s still no info on when Season 4 might happen, but some on the mindset on Season 4:
Season 4 has really got to be a make or break for us – we really have to step on the gas when it comes to touring, merchandise, and a second or a third way of seeing the episodes. Right now, if we put it out there, the eyeballs are more important to us than the money, if we can grow eyeballs, the money will follow.
LU to Netflix isn’t dead, but he was careful not to mention it by name (seemingly to get people’s hopes up.) There was one change planned for season 4: Van Wagenen felt they were burning on the fans/staff/luchadors by taping 5-6 episodes per weekend, so they’re cutting back. Each taping will tape two episodes, each weekend four, which makes 10 weekends for 40 episodes. None of that is certain until they get the pick up, but the third show tapings. They feel the Cricket sponsored shows were useful as proof that they draw a crowd beyond those who just get El Rey, and they’re talking with a promoter about running shows in the Spring, but it doesn’t seem close at the moment.
The title changes came up here; I think it says something positive for LU that people care about the title reigns to still be discussing that change. Between the different interviews, it seems pretty clear the plan was always to go from Matanza to ??? for one week to Johnny Mundo, and the ??? was the only thing that changed along the way. (No hints at who else it could’ve been; I wonder if the other person even knows.) They really wanted to get title to Johnny but beating they didn’t want to go directly from Matanza to him.
They’re really happy with last week’s episode. The only problem was they expected the matches to last the full episode, and they went faster than they were expecting. The matches were barely touched in editing for that reason (“maybe the least edited matches in LU”), and vignettes scheduled from other episodes were moved into this one to fill out the time. This possibly only matters to myself and CultIcon, but that’s why the Crane/Catrina vignette aired a week late. Io Shirai & Pentagon worked out their match in Spanish, which caught them off guard – they didn’t know she had trained in Mexico. Io had never done the finish she used before this taping, and Pentagon & Io testing it out was a bit frighting.
Some random odds and ends, more of which you can hear if you listen to the podcast: the Crane/Catrina pairing was a plan from Crane’s debut, not something thrown together because Ivelisse was hurt. Crane & Dante were the two who kept EVW up at night the most with their risk taking in matches, and their best work is still to come on this season. MGM legal declared no foreigner was allowed on set without having the immigration papers completely worked out, which luchadors aren’t always great at taking care of, and it caused a few close calls and changes. Daga was not so lucky: they like him, but they couldn’t use him for those reasons, and so “Lord Pinder tore him to shreds” was a way to write him out when they weren’t sure if they’d get him back. (Since we still haven’t seen those scenes with Daga & the sword, and I don’t think they flew to Mexico to do them, that’s probably not the end of the story.)
Los Revolucionarios attended a series of lectures on the actual Mexican revolutionaries. As I am a foreigner with an appalling lack of appreciation for Mexican history, the most interesting thing to me here was CMLL actually acknowledging Bobby Z as part of the trio. He’s the captain of their army (Polvora is a coronel, Dragon Rojo a general.)
There’s an ongoing community dispute in the area of Coyoacán. A building that was originally a movie was shut down in 2014 when owners tried to convert it to a lucha libre arena without having the right permits. Those owners, or someone else, new have started working on the building to turn it into a lucha libre arena again, seemingly still without having got the permits. The neighbors, who’d like it to just be back to being a movie theater, are unhappy. There was a protest in front of the site yesterday and they’re equally upset at the government for not stopping the owners. A new lucha libre arena in Mexico City would probably attract attention from lucha libre promoters.
Lucha Memes 12/25 (“Chairo 7: Hell in A Christmas Cell”)
1: Arez, Belial, Impulso, Freelance, Suicide, Sadico, Alas de Acero, Iron Kid, Aramis in a cage match, last one in loses hair or mask.
2: Satanico vs Trauma I
3: Rey Cometa vs Jack Evans
That’s the second of three Lucha Memes vs not-usually-Lucha-Memes matches, and the first time Cometa & Evans have ever had a match together. Jack on the Mexico indies could be fun.
LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.
GALLI will be holding their own Gringo Loco benefit show on 12/18.
Kcidis draws Carisitco’s challenge to Ultimo Guerero.
AAA mentions Pentagon Jr.’s match with Ethan Carter III next weekend in Texas. They’ve also mentioned the AAA laden show in New York this weekend on their Twitter. They brought up Pentagon & RVD in California this weekend on TV; maybe there’s a plan to bring up or promote the international bookings more often.
Lineups
IWRG (SUN) 12/11/2016 Arena Naucalpan
1) Black Dragón & Fireman vs Adrenalina & Araña de Plata
2) Dragón Fly © vs Demonio Infernal [AIWA ARGENTINA CRUISER]
3) 1 vs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 [IWRG Rey del Ring]
IWRG’s annual royal rumble match almost got forgot this year. Last year’s winner is Ricky Cruz, who isn’t around now (he’s in GALLI that same day.) Speaking of people who aren’t around: Hip Hop Man may have returned to Argentina, but he forgot to win his title back! Early match guys Dragon Fly & Demonio Infernal will fight for it in the meantime.
CMLL (MON) 12/12/2016 Arena Puebla
1) Astro & Zaeta Roja vs Fuerza Chicana & Guerrero Espacial
2) Robin & Star Jr. vs Rey Apocalipsis & Toro Bill Jr.
3) Astral, Asturiano, Eléctrico vs Espíritu Maligno, Mini Joker, Saurón
4) Blue Panther Jr., Guerrero Maya Jr., The Panther vs Kráneo, Olímpico, Ripper
5) Ephesto, Mephisto, Rush vs La Máscara, Rey Bucanero, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]
6) Último Guerrero © vs Valiente [NWA MIDDLE]
9th defense, 4th shot for Valiente.
UG pointed out how many times Valiente has challenged (and failed) already, which made me feel like Valiente might actually win because that seems odd to point out otherwise. On the other hand, Ultimo Guerrero. UG and Hector Garza once did a feud where it took Garza until his fifth challenge to win the heavyweight title and maybe they do the same here. Or maybe UG beats Valiente twice in a row after the Universal tournament win.
I don’t know what they’re setting up in the semimain and I’m probably not going to like it. This is Rush’s return to Mexico; he lost the match he had to win in World Tag League and will finish out of the running, and reports on his performance have generally been mildly negative. (I have a NJPW World subscription but haven’t bothered to watch.)
Astral is back in circulation so his teased feud with Mini Joker is also back. 12/26 makes sense for a big show.
CMLL (TUE) 12/13/2016 Arena México
1) Fantasy & Último Dragóncito vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Violencia
2) Magia Blanca, Oro Jr., Príncipe Diamante vs Cancerbero, Raziel, Sangre Azteca
3) Blue Panther Jr., Pegasso, The Panther vs El Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
4) Blue Panther, Drone, Fuego vs Bobby Z, Rey Bucanero, Vangellys
5) Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Ephesto
6) Dragón Lee, Stuka Jr., Volador Jr. vs Hechicero, Luciferno, Mephisto
I dunno why they’re doing Maya/Ephesto. If it’s a general philosophy switch of doing more (or any) midcard non-title feuds, it wouldn’t have been one I’d pick but at least it’s a start. Ephesto definitely is in the point of his career where any feud he has could be the last big one. A bigger match is a possibility with the holidays coming up, but would he lose his mask right before going to Japan? Seems unlikely. Let’s assume CMLL randomness and move on.
Third match is a rematch from this week, only Drone got moved up and Pegasso’s back around. In theory, the second match could be Magia Blanca’s last masked match in CMLL if he loses his mask match in Cueranavaca in Thursday (but I think we can guess how that’s going to go.) Principe Diamante is getting booked a lot. Pequeno Violencia shouldn’t be booked at all.
CMLL (TUE) 12/13/2016 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Explosivo & Sky Kid vs Furia Roja & Sádico
2) El Divino, Robin, Sensei vs Grako, Maléfico, Metálico
3) Esfinge, Soberano Jr., Stigma vs Disturbio, Nitro, Virus
4) Ángel de Oro, Johnny Idol, Rey Cometa vs Kráneo, Olímpico, Ripper
5) Atlantis, Máximo Sexy, Valiente vs Niebla Roja, Terrible, Último Guerrero
Valiente & Ultimo Guerrero are the only repeats from last night’s show, which suggests they’re feuding here too. They’re one week behind in that program, which would suggest a title match on 12/20 (or maybe even 12/27) and normally not a title change in Puebla.
DTU (THU) 12/15/2016 Arena Aficion
1) Ewrin, Irving, Mini Flash, Vengadorcito Radioactivo vs ?, Arkángel Negro, Luigi, Masizito
DTU Kids
2) Pardux vs Flayer Boy, Toto, Dragón Fly, Fandango, Fly Danger, El Químico Danubio Jr., El Hijo Del Mosco
3) Castigador & Vengador vs La Magnifica & Zuzu Divine and Dr. Pólux Jr. & El Exótico and Camuflaje & Tiburón
4) ?, Aero Boy, Ángel o Demonio, Drastik Boy, Pesadilla vs Corsario Negro Jr., Lokillo, Moria, Niño De Cobre, Tony Iron
DTU first generation versus students
5) Black Fire © vs Hormiga [DTU AI]
Third defense.
6) Dragón Rojo Jr. & Pólvora © vs El Junior & Gio [DTU NEXO]
First defense.
7) Mr. Cóndor vs Gallego, Kevin, Jimmy [hair]
listed as one winner, so three people will lose their hair
8) Sharlie Rockstar © vs Halloween vs Ovett [DTU CONSGRADO]
Second defense.
9) Cíclope & Crazy King vs Paranoiko & Tóxico DF [rancho de texas]
10) Negro Casas vs Flamita vs Ronnie Mendoza
The full lineup for the DTU show is pretty much what we expected. The poster cautions that the first three matches will be exclusively for the live crowd, with the streaming pick up with generation battle. I’d expect the order of the matches to change on the day of the show, because it doesn’t make sense for the Casas/Flamtia/Ronnie match to go out after they’ve changed the ropes to barbed wire (“rancho de texas”.) The details for the iPPV are supposed to be on DTU.com.mx, but weren’t up there last time I checked.