CMLL (TUE) 11/28/2017 Arena México [CMLL, Wrestling With GIFS]
1) Artillero & Espanto Jr. b Bengala & Sonic 
2) Magia Blanca, Star Jr., Starman DQ Disturbio, Sangre Azteca, Templario
3) Blue Panther Jr., Drone, The Panther b Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Tiger
Tecnicos took 1/3.
4) Vangellys b Pólvora [lightning]
5) Ephesto, Luciferno, Okumura b Johnny Idol, Stuka Jr., Valiente
Johnny Idol and Valiente had problems, and Idol helped the rudos by the end of the match.
6) Gran Guerrero, Negro Casas, Último Guerrero DQ Mistico, Rush, Volador Jr.
Rush fouled UG and challenged him to a match (for the second show in a row!)
If you’re keeping up, that means UG and Rush challenged for a match on Monday and for Tuesday. Both will occur: Guerrero defends the NWA Middleweight Championship on Monday, then they meet again on Tuesday.
This fits along CMLL’s new Twitter accounts, in a fashion. There’s new ones split by arena: @Arena_MX, @Arena_Coliseo, @Arena_GDL, and @Arena_Puebla. All the information you’re using to seeing on the @CMLL_Oficial account will still be there, with the idea that a fan living in Puebla could more simply just follow only that specific account if they just wanted to see those lineups. They’ve also been doing the Arena Mexico/Arena Coliseo results on the arena specific twitter accounts and just RT-ing those on the main one. If you’re already following the main twitter account and you like what you’ve been getting, you don’t really need to change anything. If you want less but more specific, you can follow one of the other accounts instead.
CMLL is doing this, like they’re doing Rush/UG back to back nights, because they believe the vast majority of the audience are people who follow CMLL by attending their local buildings and might not be interested in anything else that happens at any other building or even any other day of the week. Rush and Ultimo Guerrero can – and probably will, given those two – work largely the same match on Tuesday as they will on Monday because they’ll feel most of the people one day won’t have seen it the next. There have been stories over the years that generally back up that idea – there was one after CMLL cut back on running Arena Coliseo where fans were disappointed, because they were going to Coliseo because it was right in the neighborhood and weren’t interested in making a trip elsewhere.
What’s changed is CMLL has a pretty active YouTube account. I don’t know how much they actually make from it, and I suspect it’s not all that much if it’s a positive cash flow at all. It’s existence means there’s more people watching pretty much every Arena Puebla show live online than there are in the building Monday nights, and there’s probably more people watching every Tuesday Arena Mexico live show online than who will have an actual ticket stub. (And it’s likely not even close.) Lucha libre is better live, so people who are spending their time watching on the internet must like it more than most, yet CMLL (and all lucha libre promotions) don’t do all that much to take advantage of it. and usually just hand waves at their existence by doing stuff like booking the same matches on back to back shows, or by hyping a book release that will be unavailable over the internet. It’s great that we get to watch a lot of free CMLL on a weekly basis (or have the option to pick which things we actually want to watch), but it feels like something CMLL puts a lot of effort into something for an audience they’re not all that concerned about cultivating. I want to say “if you’re going to bother streaming, then maybe make it worthwhile” but maybe the other fair response is “maybe it’s not good for you to be streaming all this much if you’re going to repeat so many matches.” I struggle at understanding the long term end goals for a lot in lucha libre, and CMLL’s digital strategy is just one other thing on the list.
Johnny Idol definitely turned rudo last night. He’s on the tecnico side on Saturday and not booked in Arena Mexico next week, and I’m not sure why you’d do this without having him booked to follow up. I’m not sure Idol is any good as a rudo but it wasn’t working out as a tecnico.
I missed it with the Dragon Rojo changes, but Zeuxis is also off Friday’s CMLL show. La Seductora takes her spot. Zeuxis was already booked for Monterrey’s LLF, where she’ll face Diosa Quetzal.
I didn’t have much time to watch the Bodybuilding Contest today. They did have Virus out showing off his trainees (they’ve been Arkangel or Tony Salazar ones in previous years.) The top three in each division
Micros: Angel (debuting), Chico Temido, Microman
Students: Angel del Amor, Mosca, Kroc
Principiante: Soberano Jr., Sangre Imperial, Coyote
Intermediate: Niebla Roja, Titan, Cuatrero
Women: Dalys, Sanely, Princesa Sugehit
Advanced: Astral, Electrico, Principe Diamante
Astral was once again the overall winner after not placing last year. Dalys won for the third year straight, fourth overall. Principe Diamante had won in the beginners or intermediate division for the last three years.
The Crash returns to San Luis Potosi tonight. They’ve drawn one really big crowd and one really not big crowd. They’re running in the normal lucha arena of Auditorio Miguel Barrgan with LA Park debuting for the group, teaming with Daga & Penta vs La Mascara, Pierroth and Rush. Fenix & Flamita will have another rematch as the semimain. Video turned up of the last couple shows in San Luis Potosi so there’s a chance we could see this.
Shocker went on Mexican TV show Ventaneando to explain his version of his recent arrest. Shocker says he went out drinking with other wrestlers after a show. His wife has told him not to come home when he’s been drinking, so he got a hotel room. (Shocker here admits he’s had a problem with drinking.) Shocker fell asleep, work up, and figured he had time for more drinking. As he was going back to his room again afterwards, he felt someone following into his room, so he “defended” himself, including using a fire extinguisher. He says there was no sex worker involved. The one point of agreement with the original story was he ended up paying around 20,000 pesos for damages, down from the 30,000 they originally wanted. I’m not sure if I believe Shocker’s story, but even his own story is a sad tale of a guy who can’t stop himself from picking drinking over his family.
Elite announced their second show will be 12/08 in Cuauitlan. Tickets for their first show are running 120 to 380 pesos, or about $20USD for the high end.
Deadspin has an interview with Cody (Rhodes) about his and the Young Bucks plan to run an indie show that will break the 10,000 mark. Cody mentions there’s a plan to include lucha libre on the show but didn’t mention any specifics. Cody was evasive earlier when answering if it’ll be a ROH show, where they’re all currently employed. It might be better for them it not to be a ROH affiliation would prevent them them from using guys like Fenix and Penta (or even more out of the box guys like Santo & LA Park.) It’s unclear what ROH can and can not actually do as far as other using lucha libre talent when it comes to their alliances with NJPW & CMLL, but it’s not an obstacle at all if they run it without a ROH affiliation. That’s a small factor in a bigger deal (and if the only way they can get key NJPW people is by labeling it as ROH, then that’s the deal to make) and this show still seems a long way away from happening.
(I think Lucha Azteca is possibly seen weekly by more people than Lucha Underground, but it definitely hasn’t had the same success at making big US names for either the Mexican or US audiences, and ROH itself hasn’t made any great strides in getting anyone but slightly Dragon Lee and Ultimo Guerrero over with their audience. Cycling around with different CMLL names is giving more guys a cool weekend here or there but not helping in getting anyone or the concept over. Building those CMLL guys into bigger names could be done, and they’re probably attracting an even more different audience than the LU guys because of the lack of cross over, but it’s not like the CMLL guys are filling up rooms when they’re working locally promoted lucha indies right now. The real solution is for CMLL & Crash to actually make a deal to let CMLL guys work on shows with The Crash guys – CMLL has specifically told them they can’t in the past – because that would open a lot doors and improve situations more than in just a one off novelty show.)
Rush and HIjo del Fantasma said things to each other on Twitter. This is being used to sell the idea of a CMLL/AAA show, which still isn’t happening.
DTU has a promo from Billy Gamer. He & Toto Gamer are debuting tag team Game Over on their next set of shows.
Periodco La Voz has interviews with Estrellato & Rey Astral.
A story about a lucha libre (and music and art) show in Tepito as diversion from crime is getting picked up in a lot of places.
Lineups
CMLL (MON) 12/04/2017 Arena Puebla
1) Centella Roja & Hijo de Centella Roja vs Fuerza Chicana & Guerrero Espacial
2) Espíritu Maligno, Millenium, Tigre Rojo Jr. vs Cancerbero, El Perverso, Raziel
3) Esfinge, Fuego, Stigma vs Cuatrero, Hechicero, Sansón
4) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Titán vs Rey Bucanero, Terrible, Vangellys
5) Carístico, Marco Corleone, Valiente vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Sam Adonis
6) Último Guerrero © vs Rush [NWA MIDDLE]
14th defense.
Beyond the title match, the tercera could be pretty good.
CMLL (TUE) 12/05/2017 Arena México
1) Sangre Imperial & Sensei vs El Coyote & Espanto Jr.
2) Fiero, Oro Jr., Starman vs Hijo del Signo, Nitro, Raziel
3) Fuego, Pegasso, Stigma vs Disturbio, Tiger, Universo 2000 Jr.
4) Niebla Roja, Stuka Jr., Titán vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
5) Mistico, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Negro Casas, Okumura, Sam Adonis
6) Rush vs Último Guerrero
Okumura seems like he’s in a higher position than he used to be, but it might just be about keeping the NGD together. Their match looks the bet on the show. Second match has at least four feuding people (Starman, Fiero, Signo, Raziel) in the lead up to the cage match.
CMLL (TUE) 12/05/2017 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Magnum & Tigre Blanco vs Frezzer & Furia Roja
2) Lady Maravilla, Princesa Sugehit, Silueta vs Dalys, Reyna Isis, Zeuxis
3) Puma © vs Esfinge [OCCIDENTE LH]
2nd defense
4) Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr., The Panther vs Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
5) Marco Corleone, Soberano Jr., Valiente vs Kráneo, Pierroth, Rush
I’m about as big a supporter of Puma as you’ll find, but I’d be very surprised if he kept the title over Esfinge. The Guadalajara native more or less has replaced Gallo as the strongest push local and might as well have a title belt if that’s how they’re going to be it. In reality, it matters not at all if it’s Felino’s son or Magnum’s son who has this title, because CMLL’s been pretty clear none of the Occidente Championships are all that important
Occidente last CMLL defense:
Heavyweight (Diamante Azul): May 6, 2014
Light Heavyweight (Puma King): March 13, 2016
Middleweight (Joker): June 25, 2017
Welterweight (Star Black): September 25, 2016
Tag Team (Esfinge & Rielero): July 16, 2017*
Trios (NGD): March 12, 2017*
* – also had a later indy defense
I’d like to be upset about Efinge being gifted a title thru nepotism, but it’s so pointless when half the titles haven’t even been defended this year. The upside is there’s a decent chance we get a Puma three falls singles match on TV.