Casas/Adonis on 01/01, CMLL cage match on Christmas, DTU & Alberto lineups

CMLL (TUE) 12/05/2017 Arena México [20minutos, CMLL, Wrestling with GIFs]
1) El Coyote & Espanto Jr. b Retro & Sangre Imperial 
Retro replaced Sensei on Monday. Rudos took 1/3.
2) Fiero, Oro Jr., Starman DQ Hijo del Signo, Nitro, Raziel 
Rudos were DQed in both falls of a two fall match.
3) Fuego, Pegasso, Stigma b Disturbio, Tiger, Universo 2000 Jr. 
Tecnicos took 2/3
4) Niebla Roja, Stuka Jr., Titán b Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón 
Tecnicos took 1/3.
5) Johnny Idol, Okumura, Sam Adonis b Mistico, Valiente, Volador Jr. 
Johnny Idol replaced Negro Casas on Thursday. Team Rest of The World took falls 1/3, then issued a challenge for the trios titles.
6) Último Guerrero b Rush 
UG took 2/3, UG scissored the ropes to get leverage on a pin. Rush chased Tirantes to the back.

I was half paying attention the main event, but it seemed the better of the two Rush/UG matches. And somehow, UG managed to win both of them. He cheated, but it’s all the same.

The Idol rudo team now seems mostly because they needed a third guy for this idea.

Guadalajara announced Esfinge did beat Puma for the Occidente Light Heavyweight championship. Esfinge did an interview about winning last night, and going for Puma’s mask next.

CMLL held a press conference to announce matches and promote their new book.

• Their 85 Years of Lucha Libre book will go on sale Friday. They’re trying to push people to buy it in person at Arena Mexico by offering autograph signings (Satanico & El Halcon will be among those around Friday), they’ll have 3000 books on hand, and it won’t be distributed elsewhere until January. The book is 327 pages, with 260 images, and will be sold for 985 Mexican Pesos, which is about $52 USD. At that price, I suspect it’ll be around for a while and there isn’t any urgency to get a copy from Mexico right away.
• The Leyenda de Azul returns on 12/22. Leyenda de Plata was not an all tecnico match, so there’s no obvious reason this is all rudo. The participants include Ulitmo Guerrero, Gran Guerrero, Rey Bucanero, Euforia, Terrible, Hechicero, Mr. Niebla, Rush, Shocker, Sanson, Forastero, Cuatrero, Vangellys, Misterioso, Pierroth, and one more. We don’t know the other one, JCR only listed 15 names.
• The cage match is indeed on 12/25. The full field is Fiero, Star Jr., Starman, Oro Jr., Pegasso, Cancerbero, Raziel, Hijo del Signo, Nitro, and Templario (so it’s Nitro, Oro and Star Jr. being thrown in here to get to 10.) I think Fiero is doing something ill advised off that top of that cage. Starman and Nitro are the ‘favorites’ to lose.
• Sam Adonis vs Negro Casas, in a hair versus hair match, was officially set for 01/01. They also had an interview with the Adonis/Okumura/Idol trio, treating them like a big new thing. It’s going to be a busy few weeks for Adonis.
• The group of luchadors heading to Japan for FantasticaMania will be gone from 01/10 to 01/23. That’s two Fridays. No matches have been announced; that’s come on 01/05 in recent years.

Euforia threw out the first pitch at a Diablo Rojos baseball game this past week, and apparently said he tried out to be a baseball player when he was living in Torreon. I have so many questions: with that size, gotta think he’s playing first base or corner outfield, but what if Euforia was a Randy Johnson like flamethrower? Perhaps not with the throwing motion in that video but maybe.

The Crash’s next show in Tijuana is on 01/28, going about two months between Tijuana shows. That’s the longest break between shows in a year, but it may just be a seasonal thing rather than a post-Konnan change. That last long break was around the same time last year.

The Crash’s postponed 12/10 Tulancingo show will still take place, and is now scheduled for 01/14.

+LuchaTV talked to Rey Fenix as part of this week’s podcast. He sounded certain he was continuing to work with The Crash. (It seems like The Crash got all the key people onboard with their decision to break with Konnan before they announced it.) He seem less certain if he’s coming back with Lucha Underground S4, acknowledging he’s under contract but not being too excited about it. I think, after months (a year!) of that next taping date getting pushed back and back, the wrestlers aren’t really buying in to another season until something gets firmly announced, they’re definitely not giving up work to be available until they have something for sure.

It sounds like Arolucha is doing a lot of advertising locally for their debut taping this week. I don’t sense any buzz for that show online, but it’s going to be fine if they can get people locally to show up.

Aerostar, Drago, Angelico, Mil Muertes, PJ Black and Ivelisse have been announced for a Lucha Underground themed tour of Australia on January 01/18 and 01/20. How strange it is that people know Lucha Undreground in a region that doesn’t legally get it! Anyway, the big news here is Mil Muertes/Mesias is back, but maybe he, Aerostar and Drago are all not on Guerra de Titanes if it’s on 01/20 like I’ve been guessing. Maybe I’m just guessing wrong on the date?

AAA held it’s annual Christmas meal with kids from the La Magia de un Deseo yesterday.

El Divo lost his mask to Tiger in Arena Coliseo Papa Milo.

La Presna talks to Dalys about her big 2017: taking Princesa Sugehit’s mask at the Anniversario and winning the bodybuilding contest. Yea, I’m confused too.

Peridoico la Voz has an interview with Monterrey luchador Furia Azteca.

Box Y Lucha says Los Angeles luchador Pepe Ramriez passed away.

Seattle Mag has a short article on local promotion Lucha Libre Volcánica.

Lineups

CMLL (TUE) 12/12/2017 Arena México
1) Bengala & Sonic vs Espíritu Negro & Yago
2) Flyer, Magnus, Príncipe Diamante vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Metálico, Sangre Azteca
3) Fuego, Oro Jr., Starman vs Cancerbero, Raziel, Virus
4) Tiger vs Misterioso Jr. [lightning]
5) Dragón Lee, Stuka Jr., Titán vs Cavernario, Shocker, Vangellys
6) Marco Corleone, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Johnny Idol, Okumura, Sam Adonis

Mistico is apparently unavailable, so not title match yet. Kind off odd that they’d put the one other foreigner against the group of evil foreigners, but they’ve had Adonis and Marco on the opposite sides of trios a lot lately.

There’s clearly no reason for all these tecnico/tecnico and rudo/rudo matches except someone is bored. And not bored in a useful way! I can relate.

CMLL (TUE) 12/12/2017 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Magnum & Micro vs Mr. Trueno & Rey Trueno
2) Magia Blanca, Robin, Tritón vs Akuma, Espanto Jr., Hijo del Signo
3) Princesa Sugehit © vs Reyna Isis [MEX WOMEN]
Sugehit’s fourth defense, but first against someone not named Zeuxis. (Sugehit/Zeuxis had the last 7 matches for this title.) Isis’ first title challenge ever.
4) Ángel de Oro, Esfinge, Soberano Jr. vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
5) Carístico, Niebla Roja, Rush vs Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas, Último Guerrero

I feel like everyone’s more enthused about Isis since her latest return than me, but she’ll get a good chance to do something with that title match. Semimian could be pretty good.

Triton might be back in the DF mix with that booking, but I guess we should wait to see him actually booked in DF to see.

DTU (THU) 12/14/2017 Arena Aficion
DTU 10th Anniversary
1) Arcangel Negro, Gasparin Jr., Irving vs Erwin, Mini Flash, The Black Jr.
2) ?, Angelito Mágico, Genex vs Drolux, Steel Dragón, Tiburón
3) Devitt Rodríguez & Hard Boy vs Billy Gamer & Toto Gamer
4) ?, Ángel o Demonio, Camuflaje, Cerebro Negro, Junior, Súper Mega vs Black Fire, Corsario Negro Jr., Crazy Boy, El Exótico, Hormiga, Kevin
X-LAW vs DTU
5) Mikey Midas & Myron Reed vs Jimmy & Príncipe Cometa
6) Ovett vs Halloween © [DTU CONSAGRADO]
7) Cobre, Flamita, Lokillo vs ?, Kastigador, Vengador
8) Dezmond Xavier vs Moria ©, Drastik Boy [DTU AI]
9) Shlak © vs Cíclope, Crazy King, Miedo Extremo [hair, mask, DTU]
Crazy King putting up his mask, Ciclope & Miedo putting up their hair.

DTU’s biggest show of the year is 8 days away, so it’s about time to get a lineup. Semimain looks really interesting (if confusing, since Jimmy just asked for a title shot this weekend.)

Alberto el Patron (SAT) 01/20/2018 Deportivo Morelos, Cuajimalpa, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal
1) Saru vs Ángel Del Amor, Alfa, Omega, Luzbel Jr., Tanque Infernal, Rider, Canibal, Warrior, Súper Bufon [Copa Lucha]
2) Hijo De Dos Caras vs Apolo
3) Mini Rey Misterio & Sexy Star vs Lady Sensación & Pentagoncito
4) Misteziz & Tinieblas Jr. vs Hijo de Pirata Morgan & Psicosis II
5) Dos Caras Sr., Octagón, Solar I vs Canek, Fuerza Guerrera, Pirata Morgan
6) El Patrón Alberto vs Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Cibernético

Alberto held a press conference today to announce the rescheduled earthquake benefit show. The conference itself sounds like it went professionally, with talk of shirts and calendars that are going to be sold to go to Alberto’s new charity. (The website even had a Paypal donate link, though it wasn’t working last time I checked.)

The poster they handed out looked unprofessional. Whoever threw it together used a photo of Black Warrior for (ex-Pequeno) Warrior, a photo of Sabu for Saru, and a photo of Kenny Omega for Omega. They’ve also got Sexy Dulce listed by her old AAA name, and the same with Caristico (who won’t even utter the name Myzteziz in interviews nowadays.) I’m not sure I’d want to put Sexy Star on a charity show, but Caristico’s inclusion is more of a surprise – he and Alberto had a infamously tumultuous relationship in both WWE and AAA, where they couldn’t even be in the same room at the same time by the end. Caristico seems to have calmed down since coming back to CMLL, or at least doesn’t have bad stories leaking out any more, so maybe they fixed their issues. Even though, and even with the extra leeway they give Caristico, it’s a little surprising they’d be ok with letting him work a show with AAA’s Wagner & Psicosis. It’s also a little surprising he’d be ok with doing it in the third from the top match.