como estaz 4×13: car vandalism edition

There’s only one rule on this podcast: whenever two main eventers and one Bobby Villa get fired, we’ll get around to doing a podcast again. (There are actually many rules.) Rob and I go over the saga of Ultimo Guerrero’s blue mustang for an hour, recapping what we know and what we think it might mean. (Something finally broke well for AAA? Kinda?) The back half of the show includes a discussion of our level of Lucha Underground excitement (spoiler: mild), the billion angles going on in AAA at once, and the disappointing lack of progress in indie footage availability.

I accidentally dropped a Lucha Underground spoiler in that discussion; I edited it out, but you do get to hear me talking about having to edit it out. It’s safe but you can yell at me later.

right click download/rss

Thanks for listening. We’ll be back in a month.

CMLL Puebla: 2017-05-15

maybe just let go

Recapped: 05/16/2017

Matches: 

All matches aired live from Arena Puebla.

Inquisidor & King Jaguar defeat Meyer & París (15:01 [6:52, 4:22, 3:47], 1/3, via VideosOficialesCMLL, ok)

Hijo del Signo & Metálico defeat El Asturiano & Rey Samuray (17:19 [8:17, 4:16, 4:46], 1/3, via VideosOficialesCMLL, ok)

Cancerbero, Policeman, Raziel defeat Black Tiger, Lestat, Starman  (16:54 [8:19, 3:35, 5:00], 1/3, via VideosOficialesCMLL, ok)

Ángel de Oro, Johnny Idol, Stigma defeat Dragón Rojo Jr., Niebla Roja, Pólvora (17:51 [6:18, 2:47, 8:46], 2/3, via VideosOficialesCMLL, ok)

Mistico, Rush, Valiente defeat Euforia, Mr. Niebla, Último Guerrero (8:47 [4:28, 1:49, 2:30], 2/3, via Video: VideosOficialesCMLL, ok)

Mephisto © defeated Negro Casas to keep the CMLL World Welterweight Championship (11:23 [2:28, 2:01, 6:54], 1/3, via VideosOficialesCMLL, good)

What Happened:

Casas took a big superplex too

Mephisto kept the CMLL Welterwieght championship in the main event.

Mr. Niebla bumped into Pompin in the third fall in the semifinal, and Rush wasted no time in fouling him. Rush otherwise wrestled the match in his tecnico persona – still antagonistic to the crowd, but getting along fine with his teammates. Niebla & Rush teased a match post match but weren’t given a microphone to do so.

As usual, Niebla Roja didn’t want to use rudo tactics and didn’t get along with his partners. He still ended up unmasking Angel de Oro at the end, which set up a rematch for the following week. It seemed more like they were setting up a match with Niebla Roja & Angel de Oro at this point rather than a team.

Thoughts: 

Rey Samuray ramp springboard armdrag

The title match was fun for seeing Negro Casas in a title match environment Mephisto was no different than usual, just moving from one usual big move to check it off his list, but Casas brought some good energy and emotion that made it feel more than just a recitation of routine spots. He probably doesn’t need to take a Super Devil’s Wings at his age but more credit for him doing it. Hijo del Signo, as Casas’ second, seemed to be more into this match than any of his own.

The rest of the matches were completely forgettable B-show stuff. Rey Samuray looked good in his match, but there’s nothing interesting about the rest of this show.

maybe no more Pompin ref bumps

Lucha Memes, IWRG, Puebla, BOSJ

photo by Black Terry Jr.

Lucha Memes (SUN) 05/21/2017 Coliseo Coacalco, Coacalco, Estado de México [+LuchaTV, Black Terry Jr. (Flickr)]
1) Ángel De La Tormenta & Filder b Dragón Force & Príncipe Mexica
Principe Mexica replaced Cometa. Money thrown in
2) 19 Y Medio b Gato De Ecatepec
3) Eterno b Komander
4) Alas de Acero & Iron Kid b Keira & Lady Maravilla
Keira & Maravilla want a rematch
5) Black Dragón, Demonio Infernal, Dragón Negro b Arez, Belial, Impulso
6) Aramis b Star Jr.
7) Marcela b Silueta
money thrown in
8) Hechicero b Solar I
money thrown in

This Memes show seemed a little lost in the attention for the Puebla show in a couple weeks – I blanked on mentioning it on Saturday – but they seemed to have drawn a nice crowd for the show. Hechicero/Solar sounds like the match of the night, though probably in a very specific style.

IWRG (SUN) 05/21/2017 Arena Naucalpan [+LuchaTV, Estrellas del Ring, The Gladiatores]
1) Atomic Star b Keiser Drago
2) Shaolin b Lunatic Xtreme
3) Oficial AK47 & Oficial Fierro b Apolo Estrada Jr. & Eterno
Eterno replaced Apolo Estrada Jr. (and so they were back together as Los Insoportables.)
4) Villano III Jr. b Aramis
5) Cerebro Negro, Heddi Karaoui, Hijo de Pirata Morgan b Black Dragón, Dinamic Black, Veneno
6) Dr. Cerebro b Freelance
7) Danny Casas, Imposible, Mr. Electro b Black Warrior, Trauma I, Trauma II
Team Imposible took 2/3 (and worked as tecnicos.) Imposible submitted Trauma II. He was not the captain, but Black Warrior was annoyed about Trauma II losing and attacked his partners, allowing himself to get beat.

Imposible ended up very bloody in the main event before winning anyway.

On his podcast, Dave Meltzer said he was told La Mascara has only been suspended at this point, not fired. There’s no other update on the situation. CMLL has made no card changes and said nothing about what occurred so far.

La Mascara was scheduled to appear on tonight’s show in Arena Puebla. He probably won’t be there. Rush & Pierroth will team with someone else to take on Marco, Mascara 2000 and Mr. Niebla, in what seemed to be setting up Rush/Niebla match. The main event has the Guerreros taking on Atlantis, Mistico and Valiente in what should be a quick tecnico showcase. Niebla Roja is listed on the rudo side in the tercera, so he’ll probably end betraying Dragon Rojo & Polvora tonight and at Angel de Oro’s side at the end of the match. The show has a women’s match (no Zeuxis) and a locals + Camorra opener. The show will air at 9pm on YouTube.

Elsehwere in Puebla, Toro Bill Jr. and Rey Apocalipsis ended up feuding and ripping each other’s masks in the main event of the Promolucha show on Saturday. They both appear to still be rudos, but just feuding ones. Whoever’s in charge of booking the Puebla guys onto the Monday show must be aware of what’s going on (so someone local), since they stopped teaming on those shows a few weeks ago, but the Batilon del Muerte seems no more.

There’s really no reason to show the trailer for Friday’s show – no one will miss it, it has Maximo in it – but they show it every week so I wonder if they’ll just show it anyway.

Kevin Kross beat Dr. Wagner in Tijuana in a tag match with Ayako Hamada and Kobra Moon. Kross snuck in a foul to win. Octagoncito wrestled under that name, then ran in later as Mini Rey Misterio.

Estrellita is listed on a Cholo de Tijuana show in Acapulco on May 31st, but says she will not be working that show.

(Via R de Rudo) A group of pranksters made a compilation video of them tricking people into standing still for a selfie picture with one person, then having other people run in from behind to either throw a bucket of water on them, or to kiss them if it was a woman. La Hiedra was one of the woman who was kissed, and she isn’t happy about it. This video comes off less like hilarious pranks and more like them being jerks; the bits where they just walk by people and squirt something at them comes off as cruel.

Lucha Libre in Japan

Catching up:

05/20 NJPW: Ryusuke Taguchi b Volador Jr.
05/21 NJPW
: Taichi b Dragon Lee
05/22 NJPW
: Yoshinobu Kanemaru b Volador Jr.

That’s a bad run. Volador is 1-2, Dragon Lee is 2-1. It’s hard to advance with 2 losses and it’s pretty much impossible to do so with three, so Volador would have to win all his remaining matches to make it to the final. (It’s probably not happening.)

AAA on Televisa: 2017-05-13 

this makes it look like she’s just moonsaulting a table for fun

Recapped: 05/14/2017

Matches:

All matches were taped in Auditorio de Tijuana on 04/21/2017.

Dark Cuervo & Dark Scoria defeated Australian Suicide & Bengala  for the AAA World Tag Team Championship (6:17, double submission, via Lucha Libre AAA, good)

Taya defeated Ayako Hamada to win the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship in a street fight (17:00, ref stop, via Lucha Libre AAA, great)

Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., Soul Rocker defeat Dr. Wagner Jr., Faby Apache, Psycho Clown to win the AAA World Trios Championship
(8:37, pinfall, via Lucha Libre AAA, ok)

What happened: 

a rare moment of happiness for tecnicos

This is long.

Prior to the main event, a still bloody Taya (w/Kross) sarcastically wished Faby luck and made a comment about Mary. Faby slapped Taya immediately, and Kross just as quickly started choking Faby. Psycho Clown and Dr. Wagner show up, and Taya gets Kross to back off so they can leave.

Mocho Cota demanded the trios title match no matter what Vampiro had to say about it or who Faby had to team with. He was shocked that Faby, looking sad, actually turned up. They teases she was just going to hand the belts over to Poder del Norte, and then she revealed she had actually tag partners. Cota wanted to know who these tag partners were, and Wagner’s music played. (And Psycho’s video played oops.) The rudos freaked out over these partners.

Monster & Murder run in for no particular reasonI guess Wagner had a pinfall chance off a DDT, but he wasn’t going to win on it and there’s no real reason for Murder & Monster to be involved here. No one bothers to distract Piero this time, and the interference that would’ve been a DQ on another show is all OK this week. Monster & Murder take out Poder del Norte and act like they want to be friends with Psycho, but Wagner & Psycho send them out. They try to do stereo spots where the Traidor clowns catch Carta & Soul Rocker diving, and then Psycho & Wagner knock them over with their own dive. It does much worse for Murder & Carta first, but Wagner’s dive on them looks cool. Mocho and Faby are left, Faby gets a near fall on a picture perfect German suplex, then dropkicks Piero by mistake. She gets a visual three on a huracanrana, but Taya sneaks back in, and hits her with a chair. Cota covers, and Hijo del Tirantes comes in for three count. I think he might be a heel again. Psycho consoles Faby as the champs leave. Wagner loos like hes about to say something but never gets around to it before they cut away.

a huge suplex

Taya wears a Vancouver Canuck jersey to the women’s title match. Ayako has a Perros del Mal shirt and has the scratch logo as facepaint. Both wrestle in jeans for the street fight. Taya bleeds off a chair shot to the head (with her hands up); for once, AAA keeps the cameras away while someone’s cutting themselves to not expose it.

There’s a weird spot double ko spot where Piero counts two, holds up at three because for them to get up, but neither woman seems to move. Fans notice. Late in the match, Ayako misses a moonsault to the floor – it’s her second miss, but this one’s thru a table. Taya brings her in, Ayako kicks out as a surprise, but Taya puts her in a chinlock surfboard and Ayako passes out in the hold. Piero stops the match and the title changes hands.

Vampiro interrupts the post match so he can put over the match as the best thing ever. It does work in getting them a round of applause Meanwhile, Ayako’s put on a backboard.

Scoria & Cuervo did an interview quickly mentioning Bengala & “Aerostar” as their opponents. Poor Suicide didn’t even get mentioned, and they really focused on Pagano & Mesias anyway.

this is shot terribly, but the ladder flying cross ring makes it look violent

The champs beat up Suicide & Bengala after the match for no real obvious reason. Pagano & Mesias walked in for the save, but also brawled with Suicide & Bengala. Aerostar & Drago also ran in and attacked, and security came in behind them. Cuervo & Scoria snuck away while the other teams kept fighting.

Suicide melted down backstage after the loss, freaking out about people getting involved in his matches all the time (which didn’t actually happen this time) and talking about being pushed over the edge. Seemed like a character change is coming.

The upcoming events schedule lists a 06/30 Puebla taping, which wasn’t previously on the schedule. Not sure which it replaces yet.

Noti AAA had a obituary video package for El Apache and scenes from a mass for Joaquin Roldan & Apache with Marisela talking about them both. There was also hype for the Pachuca taping.

Thoughts: 

AAA ladder will get you

The main event was a mixed bag. Crowd was totally into it when everyone was involved, and not as much when it was Wagner in there alone – AAA is doing about as good as can with Poder del Norte in the moment, but the lack of a build up to this spot they just don’t buy these guys as threats to top guys on their own. The works was (mostly) ok and Mocho Cota is doing well for a guy who’s suddenly been given a lot of talking time, but they’re not getting past their opening match stigma and nothing done here is going to help them. AAA’s given up their ideas about rules making sense in about the usual length of time, so they could have everyone out there to set up the six way match for Verano de Escandalo, but they still didn’t explain it in a way people would know it’s coming.

Ayako/Taya was most compelling AAA match so far this year, the first one I’m recommending. This came off as an attempt to match the lunacy and violence of some of Taya’s bigger Lucha Underground matches, and Ayako is definitely up for some crazy times. I thought one moonsault to nowhere was big, she decided to do two. The blood added a lot to the feeling of the match being out of control. The solid/smoothiest of the moves wasn’t consistent – Taya tossed a chair to Ayako quite a few times and the kick or whatever that followed looked good only about half of those times – but they got the emotion right and a little bit of messiness works for a street fight. Ayako being back around has been a huge help for AAA, and great for Taya – this is her best singles match in her run, I think. The passing out finish isn’t one usually done here and I wasn’t sure how it was going to get over as it was happening, but the crowd reacted loudly to the finish. It also sets up a rematch nicely, and they’re going to have interest in doing one.

La Secta’s title defense was better than the title switch match easily, a full out sprint for the six minutes it lasted. Cuervo & Scoria didn’t do much interesting but also didn’t have time to do all that much, with the match instead being built around giving Bengala & Australian Suicide as many near falls as possible before they got finished off. They had some nice team work and Suicide’s top rope moves looked pretty. If they were only going to go a short time, they got the most they could out of it. Post match idea of Cuervo & Scoria slipping away fits with the Pagano/Mesias stuff seems to be pushing the idea that they’re the really good at manipulating other people, which is at least a character trait. Mesias & Cuervo’s punch battle was not so good.

one more brief happy moment