CMLL (TUE) 01/10/2017 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Martes de Glamour]
1) Frezzer & Furia Roja b Sky Kid & Smaker
Rudos took 2/3.
2) Arkángel de la Muerte, Inquisidor, Rey Trueno b Leono, Magnum, Sensei
Rudos took 1/3.
3) Esfinge, Fuego, Tritón b Puma, Sagrado, Tiger
Tecnicos took 1/3.
4) Ángel de Oro, Blue Panther, Valiente b Bobby Z, Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora
Tecnicos took 1/3, Ángel de Oro defeating Dragón Rojo to set up a title match.
5) Carístico, Diamante Azul, Marco Corleone b Cavernario, Felino, Mephisto
Tecnicos took 2/3.
I’m actually a little disappointed we probably won’t get to see Angel de Oro versus Dragon Rojo and I wouldn’t have said that this time last year.
CMLL NJPW (FRI) 01/13/2017 EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Japan [Strong Style Spirt]
Attendance: 1015
1) Henare & Soberano Jr. b Jado & Raziel
8:30. Soberano pinned Raziel with a moonsault.
2) Ephesto, Gedo, Okumura b Jushin Liger, Stuka Jr., Tiger Mask
7:22. Okumura beat Stuka with the hanging DDT. Mima Shimoda seconded Okumura, as usaul for this tour.
3) EVIL & Sanada b Blue Panther Jr. & David Finlay
8:00. Sanada beat Finlay with the Skull End.
4) Dragón Lee & Titán b Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi
7:47. Titan defeated Bushi with El Inmortal.
5) Bárbaro Cavernario, Euforia, Último Guerrero b Kushida, Mistico, Volador Jr.
14:19. Ultimo Guerrero defeated Volador with the Guerrero Special.
6) Atlantis & Máscara Don b Naito & Rush
9:39. Atlantida on Rush.
7) Hiroshi Tanahashi, Máximo Sexy, Ryusuke Taguchi b Hechicero, Okada, Will Ospreay
12:02. Maximo pinned Hechicero after a kiss and a cradle, then kissed Tanahashi after the match.
A normal tour opening show, with wins to build up title matches on the way to title matches. (This is the show where Titan always gets a direct pinfall on someone, it seems.) Everything sounds watchable, nothing sounds must see. This show was to be taped for SamuraiTV and should turn up next week.
CMLL’s Ivan & Miguel are doing video on CMLL’s Facebook. They hung around the merchandise stand for a while, and walked around before the show to see the fans.
Last Friday was a really fun CMLL show. This week is a different show. Rayo de Jalisco returns to Arena Mexico to main event. His previous match in Arena Mexico got booed out of the building, but at least he was one of the better guys in it. Rayo teams with Caristico, Diamante Azul versus Terrible, Rey Bucanero and Mephisto in a main event which doesn’t seem good at all. Sanson & Cuatrero are back in a big match, mostly because Mascara 2000 is back around during the FantasticaMania break. They face Valiente, Marco and Angel de Oro. Bobby Z and Guerrero Maya face off once again in the lightning match, which sometime is a good thing and sometimes a very not good thing. Blue Panther & The Panther team with Johnny Idol against Sam Adonis, Ripper and Kraneo. Estrellita, Vaquerita and the returning Silueta face Amapola, Tiffany and La Comandante in the second, and the show opens Astral & Electrico against Demus 3:16 & Pierrothito. This is not a good card at all, not just in comparison with last week, but compared to a normal Friday show.
The show still airs at 8:30pm CT on ClaroSports.
Diamante Azul, interviewed about wrestling on this show, says he’s doing some MMA and rugby when he’s back in France in addition to the wrestling.
El Rey held their presentation as part of the semiannual TCA meetings. There didn’t seem to be any specific Lucha Underground announcements, though the network head did mention they were happy with the audience it’s delivered and they want it to remain seasonal, not year round like WWE. El Rey’s point of emphasis was shifting the network towards more male oriented programming. (Reporters met the comparison to UFC-era Spike.) They announced two new shows – “Man At Arms” (8 one hour weapon crafting episodes, based on a YouTube series) and “Rite of Passage” (12 part doc, man goes around world for that thing in the title.) Both shows feel a lot like Lucha Underground. They’re listed as airing “first half of 2017”. It’d make sense for LU to air the same time to help people know the new shows exist, but first half of 2017 and Summer 2017 have only a small overlap.
This week’s Masks, Mats and Mayhem talked about the Lucha Underground break, and were much more optimistic than me (while also pointing out the problems.) They may have people from the show on in recent episodes. CultIcon writes about the state of Lucha Underground, a bit more down on things. If LU makes noticeable progress while they’re off the air, then maybe we can all be happy.
Octagon, in talking about his identity lawsuit against AAA, says luchadors don’t need TV any more and can get by just on social media. (This is what you say when you’re not on TV.)
LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.
Segunda Caida writes about Negro Casas, Ultimo Guerrero, Euforia vs Atlantis, Mistico and Valiente and the August 1, 1997 CMLL cibernetico.
+LuchaTV posted their top 10 moments of the week.
Aerostar is just focused on Super Fly for Guerra de Titanes.
6000 people attended a free AAA show in Boca de Rio, Veracruz on Wednesday.