All matches were taped at Arena Puebla on 06/04/2017. Some of these matches were in my watch pile and I decided I might as well just watch all of them. That might not have been my smartest use of time.
Matches:
Alas de Acero, Aramis Arez, Belial, Impulso, Iron Kid vs Arkalis, Millenium, Mini Multifacético, Prayer, Rey Apocalipsis, Rey Samuray
(15:53, great, via +LuchaTV)
Review: [great] Perfect opening match, with enough action to get the crowd going. I actually expected this to be just nuts from the beginning, but the actually let Prayer do some mat work and built the match up to the big movements, took it down a little bit again, and then went completely insane at the end. They didn’t seem to know how to follow the last dive train – what exactly do you do after a shooting star press splash to the floor? – and the guy getting the winning pin had not felt like much of the match until that point. Still, there’s some great stuff while they’re going, and some suicidal stuff late. It was noticeable how much bigger some of the Puebla guys look; Arkalis doesn’t seem like a big guy until he’s in the ring with the Kamikazes. It didn’t affect that match at all, except Arkalis got to do some power stuff.
backdrops into tope con giros seem a bit crazy
Keyra & Lady Maravilla vs Marcela & Princesa Sugehit
(12:33, ok, via +LuchaTV)
What Happened: This wasn’t on my watch list, I was really confused how I didn’t reflexively put a Keyra/Zeuxis match on this list, then realized it was because Sugehit had replaced Zeuxis and I forgot to note it for five months.
Review: [ok] Even with the change, this was a disappointed match. It started out hard hitting, but slowed down a lot while the CMLL women were in control. They took a lot of the match too, and weren’t really doing much interesting with it. It left the indie women looking toned down as usual. Keyra still got in a solid shot or two, but this was like getting a luck at what a CMLL version of Keyra would be and I’d pass on that. They just didn’t have great great chemistry and the match wasn’t laid out well. Late in the main, Keyra nails Marcela with a dropkick in the corner, and the next spot is Marcela reversing out of a move to drop Keyra for her double stomp. That was followed by Sugehit coming in to accidentally kick her partner a spot too soon. This wasn’t a disaster, but they have to have a better match in them.
Felino & Fuerza Guerrera vs Bobby Jack & Toro Bill Sr.
(9:19, below average, +LuchaTV)
Review: [below average] This match started with Felino & Toro Bill doing about nothing for two minutes, and later Fuerza stand on the apron as if he was going to do a tope and then do nothing at all. This both felt like every bit of nine minutes and also nothing happening close to nine months. I guess the local guys tried more than the national guys. Avoid.
Sadico & Xtreme Tiger vs Ángel de Oro & Soberano Jr.
(13:18, good, via +LuchaTV)
Review: [good] match is rougher than I was expecting early on, with Sadico & Soberano not working well together. It picks in the last third, with Sadico wiping out Soberano nicely on a dive and some big head dropping. It’s never close to a great match but it does find the right amount of intensity at the end. Angel de Oro never comes close on his post stunner kick, it’s a spot he needs to trash, but it’s hilariously far away in the end game here.
Review: The tag title match was passable but just that. Octagon is Octagon, out of place in a llave battle and in much anything at all, but I didn’t think this was Panther and Navarro’s work against each other. This was a lot of putting on holds, and then letting them go with no particular battle or struggle. It didn’t feel like a fight with the urgency of the other title defenses, but going thru the motions of what people expected to see out of them. Navarro’s mat style helps him because his timing is way off when he actaully needs to take bumps. I’m not sure if he was already not feeling OK on this show given how he disappeared the second half of the year, but he didn’t seem to be moving well. I’m not sure what was supposed to happen double elimination spot, but it didn’t happen right.
Hechicero beat Satánico
(12:16, good, via +LuchaTV)
Review: This is a great mat wrestling brawl early. No one gets more out of a hammerlock than Satanico. His whole body shaking in pain, his face grimacing as he tries to find a way out. Satanico raking the back of Hechicero’s neck was great. Once they get out of that ring and get out of that early stretch, it’s like Satanico’s tank goes empty. Hechicero tries to make it a one man show, taking big bumps were possible. Satanico fires up a little bit late, but I kept waiting for the big fiery brawl back in control and it never really comes. It’s cool we go to see this happens, there’s stuff here to enjoy, and the story of Satanico just not being outmatched is an interesting one in itself, but I wanted a bit more.
Hechicero versus seats
Último Dragón vs Último Guerrero
(11:37, ok, via +LuchaTV)
Review: [ok] This was better than I figured it would be, but didn’t quite make it to good for me. Último Dragon did more in this match than I was expecting. Dragon going to town on Último Guerrero with chops was fun, and he showed a bit more offense than I was expecting. Finished seemed to come suddenly and was a cheap ending for this sort of match. Everyone rushing out of the building before they could get around to post match challenges suggest they didn’t really care all that much.
CMLL (MON) 12/11/2017Arena Puebla [CMLL, Sin Limite de Tiempo, Wrestling With Gifs]
1) Arkalis & París b Fuerza Chicana & Policeman
2) Hijo del Signo & King Jaguar b Lestat & Tigre Rojo Jr.
3) Cancerbero, Espíritu Maligno, Raziel b Astral, Asturiano, Pegasso Espiritu fouled Asturiano for the win, then unmsaked him post match.
4) Johnny Idol, Okumura, Sam Adonis b Ángel de Oro, Marco Corleone, Soberano Jr. The rudos had new team gear.
5) Mephisto b Mistico, Pólvora, Volador Jr., Dragón Lee, Rey Bucanero, Niebla Roja, Gran Guerrero, Valiente, Felino [Reyes del Aire VIP] Polvora replaced Negro Casas earlier Monday. Mephisto pinned Volador for the win.
They could’ve called it a Copa Puebla or a Copa Dicemebre or whatever else and it would’ve been fine. Nothing great, but better than usual hurried Arena Mexico main event. Calling it Reyes del Aire sets a sort of expectations of a fast paced flying match. This was a quick but not fast paced cibernetico, with a single dive and not much flying for the King of Air. Niebla Roja is getting better, but they’re not doing it right when he’s lasting longer in this match than Dragon Lee. They risk hurting the draw of this events – and this show did seem to draw more than usual – when they give such disappointing results.
Espiritu Maligno turning rudo and immediately getting into a feud suggests he may get a hair cut really soon.
I don’t know if it’s CMLL getting behind the foreigners or the foreigners seeing an opening and just going forward it, but they’re already coming across as a major league team. (It has to be a bit of CMLL getting behind them, Marco losing cleanly doesn’t happen often.) They move from semimain on this show to headlining tonight’s Arena Mexico show against Dragon Lee, Valiente and Volador. That seems like it must set up a title match on 12/19 – that’ll be the last Tuesday show for quite a while – though I suppose CMLL could also use it as the semimain underneath the cage match on 12/25.
In the semimain, Titan, Marco and Stuka take on Cavernario, Shocker and Vangellys. Tigre and Misterioso face off in a rudo/rudo lightning match. The tercera plays off the upcoming cage match, with Cancerbero & Raziel taking on Starman & Oro Jr. (and Fuego and Virus filling out the match.) The second match has exciting tecnicos Flyer, Magnus and Principe Diamante against not exciting rudos Arkangel, Metalico and Sangre Azteca. New kids Sonic & Yago pop up in the opener with Bengala & Espiritu Negro. What costume will Yago walk out in tonight?
This show airs at 7:30 on CMLL’s YouTube channel.
Guadalajara has a Sugehit/Isis title match (Sugehit’s the strong favorite) and Caristico, Niebla Roja, Rush vs Euforia, Mr. Niebla and Ultimo Guerrero (maybe a Niebla/Caristicio feud.)
Lady Shani will defend the AAA Reina de Reinas championship on Saturdays taping in Apizaco. Faby earned this shot back in Chihuahua on 11/19. This seemed like something that might get saved for Guerra de Titanes, but they’re likely to get more time on a regular TV taping.
AAA posted Goya Kong’s injury on YouTube. I had this up on Twitter for a second, but even the still seems to show the really bad way her leg twisted and I’ll spare you from that. With Goya out of action for a while, the AAA ruda side is down to just La Hiedra and Hahastary as regulars. Ashley was grouped with the rudas for one show and Faby’s teasing a turn; one of those will probably have to stick.
IWRG (SUN) 12/17/2017Arena Naucalpan
1) Fandango vs Ludark Shaitan, Shadow Boy, Lili Dark, Demonio Infernal
2) Alas de Acero, Aramis, Freelance vs Leroy, Lunatic Xtreme, Ovett
3) Imposible vs Dr. Cerebro
4) Emperador Azteca & Hijo del Alebrije vs Fly Warrior & Séptimo Rayo
5) Eterno, Karaoui, Veneno vs Capo Del Norte, Capo Del Sur, Máscara Año 2000 Jr.
6) Mr. Electro, Sharly Rockstar, Trauma I, Trauma II vs Ray Mendoza Jr., Rocambole Jr., Villano IV, Villano V Jr.
7) Black Dragón vs Rayan [mask]
Or, at least that was the plan. IWRG announced Rayan suffered a fracture, won’t be able to wrestle Sunday, but will still be putting his mask in the main event. No idea who replaces him yet.
CMLL (MON) 12/18/2017Arena Puebla
1) Arkalis, Black Tiger, París vs Ares, Fuerza Chicana, Rey Apocalipsis
2) Asturiano, Gemelo Pantera I, Gemelo Pantera II vs Espanto Jr., Espíritu Maligno, Hijo del Signo
3) Pantera Blanca Jr., Stigma, Stuka Jr. vs Puma, Sagrado, Tiger
4) Pierroth, Rush, Sam Adonis vs Johnny Idol, Terrible, Valiente [Relevos Increíbles]
5) Carístico, Mistico, Volador Jr. vs Gran Guerrero, Mephisto, Último Guerrero
Adonis & Idol haven’t been together for like a week and they’re on opposites sides of a match. That is dumb. The only thing stopping that from logically being a five on one is Terrible likes to punch Rush in the face (and CMLL doesn’t work with logic.)
All those Panteras pop up. Pantera Blanca Jr. is a Matamoros luchador since at least the start of this decade. The Gemelos turned up over the summer – they seem to be Matamoros based, but they’re doing a lot of traveling for people who are new. Even the Facebook page for one of them just was opened last month; it feels like locally known guys in that area trying to restart under a new name, though most don’t wouldn’t try to hide whatever they’ve been before this much. All these guys (and usual opponent Tony Texano) showed up on a Arena Coliseo Guadalajara card back in October, so they’ve figured out some way to get CMLL to book them in spots where they normally only book locals.
They’re probably meant to be booked as a trio, but the Asturiano/Espiritu Maligno feud still takes precedence. It’s unlikely we’ll get to see that match; this will probably be the last streaming Puebla show until 01/08.
Lucha Memes (MON) 12/25/2017Coliseo Coacalco, Coacalco, Estado de México
1) Belial, Demasiado, Impulso vs Apolo, Kalibus, Mantra
2) Corsario Negro & Drako vs Sádico & Yoruba
3) Demus 3:16 vs Trauma I
4) Alas de Acero, Aramis, El Bandido vs Arez, Flamita, Súper Crazy
5) Ricky Marvin vs Trauma II
6) Daga vs Caifan
Full card for the Christmas day show. I believe that fourth match is newly announced and has a good shot at being the best match on the card.
Saturday, I got home in the evening, not feeling well, and noticed my computer said it was running low on hard disk space. I thought to myself “that’s probably something I should take care of (tomorrow)” and went to bed very early. I woke up the next morning to find out my computer was actually out of space entirely, having filled up during the airing of the CMLL Guadalajara show. It’s an MP4 recording so, if it doesn’t close cleanly, it’s completely unplayable. This happens one way or another every six months, I spend most of a day trying to find a way to save it, and I usually just end up very frustrated. The Puma/Esfinge match is in here, but I can’t get to it.
No midweek IWRG this week (AAA show instead). AAA repeated Dave/Parka as their extra match. Not much else.
CMLL Lucha Azteca: 2017-12-09
taped 2017-12-01 @ Arena México – Mega
1) Lady Maravilla, Marcela, Silueta vs Dalys, La Seductora, Tiffany
2) Marco Corleone, Titán, Valiente vs Mr. Niebla, Rey Bucanero, Terrible
Fantasy & Stukita beat Mercurio & Pequeño Olímpico
(13:08 [4:59, 3:36, 4:33], 2/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Astral, Flyer, Robin vs Akuma, Espanto Jr., Templario
(10:42 [4:40, 1:54, 4:08], 1/3, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Marcela, Princesa Sugehit, Silueta vs Metálica, Reyna Isis, Tiffany
(16:28 [8:03, 4:01, 4:24], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Fuego vs Pegassoin a lightning match
(6:22, pinfall, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Johnny Idol, Stuka Jr., Titán vs Ephesto, Luciferno, Mr. Niebla
(6:50 [2:35, 4:15], 1/2 DQ, ok via VideosOficialesCMLL)
Ángel de Oro, Marco Corleone, Niebla Roja beat Gran Guerrero, Negro Casas, Rey Bucanero
(11:43 [5:12, 3:56, 2:35], 1/3, ok, via VideosOficialesCMLL)
What happened:
Ephesto fouled Stuka in the semimain. That didn’t go anywhere. That’s it.
Thoughts:
foream battle
Marco is the right main eventer for these Tuesday shows. He gets over really easy with the casual fans, and those fans in generally seem to react the intended ways for the matches. A lot of the match, especially the first fall and third fall, was getting the crowd to react to spots and it all worked for them. He should on Tuesday shows a lot, though maybe that doesn’t work out financially. Niebla Roja had better chemistry than Negro Casas than Gran Guerrero. It’s Casas, everyone’s good with Casas, but there’s nothing left over from the Anniversario show. There wasn’t much there to begin with, and Niebla’s essentially a new person now.
The semimain is a by numbers quick match, with not much to it. It’s interesting they were going with a Stuka/Ephesto direction. If it was meant to be going anywhere (doubtful because neither man has a title), it was dropped to do the Johnny Idol heel turn again. Mr. Niebla took a Titan diving headscissors to the floor and it want perfectly fine.
The técnico/tecnico lightning match didn’t feel much different than usual. Neither guy hinted toward being a rudo, but no one really plays strong rudo in these anyway, and they did the same set up of dives and not many near falls as they’d do in any other lightning match. Pegasso reacted well to Fuego anyway. Pegasso’s 450 splash causing his downfall was a nice touch, but they really botched Fuego’s cradle as the finish. They really should’ve gotten up to do something more rather than end it like that.
Flyer jumping, spinning and landing on a rope before a moonsault
The women’s match starts with a sequence where Reina Isis or Silueta seems to forget what they’re doing. It improved, but never that better. Silueta would be a lot better if she was a little bit faster.
The second match might be a bit of a sliding scale for the second match, but it came off as fun when I watched it. One of the downsides to getting to see so much of CMLL is you see guys very early in their careers quite a bit, and those first years of performance can solidify an opinion of a wrestler that’s tough to shake. Akuma started appearing on these shows at 17, wasn’t much of a guy, and was easy to right off as a someone who would never been a guy. Either something’s clicked with him in the last six month or so, or it took me a while to notice, but he’s a much better rudo now, with him and Flyer matching up very well in the third fall. He’s still only 22. Robin looked more agile than ever here; he hasn’t done that ramp armdrag much, and I can’t recall the cool dive he did either. These guys have been in the opening matches for so long that it’s going to be tough to get the fans to take them as something else, but at least there’s a chance for some good matches with the Fiero/Templario class that’s coming. Even Astral, looking every bit like a man who’s two days away from his biggest competition of the year, still was moving around fine and pulling off good highspots. This is not must see, but it was fun and hopeful.
Mini opener was an ordinary match. Stukita has added a dance to his ole waves. Mercurio can do a lot of stuff when he wants to. He doesn’t want to often. Pequeño Olímpico is at better shape at his age than I will be, but I am not trying to be a professional athlete so I’m not sure that’s a fair comparison.
Attendance seems was very slight; maybe a little bit better than those first pictures but also maybe struggling to reach 100 people. No one draws well going against the LigaMX final, but it also suggests no one really cares all that much about these guys right now. People will show up next week because it’s a mask match, and maybe they’ll show again if they’re really doing Capos versus Piratas in an apuesta match, but IWRG’s hasn’t been able to turn any of their local guys into big stars of late (probably because their booking is so random week to week.)
Negro Casas is off this week’s CMLL’s bookings. Polvora takes Casas place in the Reyes del Aire tournament tonight in Arena Puebla, with Euforia (Tuesday in Guadalajara), and Shocker (Friday) and Okumura (Sunday) on the other shows. This seems like a replay of the build up to the Anniversario show, where Niebla Roja went missing due to injury and CMLL talked around the situation while hoping/planning on him being back in time. I suspect Negro Casas will still get to the ring on 01/01. It’s possible they might have just decided that the buildup they did to this point was good enough and it was better to get Casas some rest before the big match. The Guerrero/Roja feud suffered for not having Roja around, but the dynamic is different here – Sam Adonis just needs to be someone the fans want to see beat – and it shouldn’t hurt CMLL as much this time around as long as Casas can make the match.
Today’s CMLL show has a match billed as the Rey del Aire VIP. It doesn’t come off as that way: Polvora, Mephisto, Rey Bucanero, Gran Guerrero, Felino and even Niebla Roja are not guys who would be thought of as kings of the air. It’s helpful to have some rudos who are good at catching dives in this, but it comes off as a normal cibernetico with a better than average name. The winner should come from the Mistico, Volador, Dragon Lee and Valiente group (and it seems like time for Dragon Lee to get a win.)
Soberano probably should be in that match instead of Niebla Roja. Instead, Soberano teams with Angel de Oro & Marco against the new evil trio of Sam Adonis, Johnny Idol and Okumura. Astral, Asturiano and Pegasso face Cancerbero, Raizel and Espiritu Maligno. Pegasso, Raziel and Cancerbero are all in the 12/25 cage match. Lestat & Tigre Rojo team up to face Signo & King Jaguar, and the show opens with Arkalis & Paris against Fuerza Chicana & Policeman.
The show will air on CMLL’s YouTube channel like normal. They’ll be on their next week too. The 12/25 and 01/01 shows are still on at schedule, but at an earlier time and presumably not going to be streamed.
Goya Kong says she fractured her fibia and tibia, so she’s not going to be back soon. She thanks AAA for all the support on social media. That’s notable compared to past stories when AAA’s been accused of not supporting injured luchadors.
