I wrote a book. You can get it via payhip. It’s available for the low, low price of “whatever you want to pay, even if that’s nothing at all.”
The 2017 Luchablog Abstract is a 80+ page year in review. There’s an essay about the year itself, about CMLL, about AAA, and about everything else. In between, there’s brief thoughts about anyone who had at least a couple of matches in AAA and CMLL. There’s also a similar section covering the important The Crash people and a few bonus entries.
If you’ve enjoyed what I write here or elsewhere on lucha libre, I believe you’ll like this as well. If you’re someone who reads this site often, you’ll get all of my thoughts on people in once place. If you’re a new to lucha libre or unfamiliar with it, it will give you some background on what different luchadors have done and what their future looks like. If you have at all a passing interest in lucha libre, I think you’ll find it worth a look.
And, it’s a free look. The price is set to $0.00 as a default. You’re under no obligation to pay anything for it. I encourage you to purchase it once for free, decide what it’s worth to you, and then buy it a second time for that price if that works for you.
To keep your expectations in check: this is a bare bones project from a person who has never done this before. There’s no photos or art, the cover is just text. it’s just a lot of words, though the words were actually professionally edited. I hope the words are interesting enough to make up for nothing else really existing.
Here are some answers to questions you may have:
Q: Did you just steal the Voices of Wrestling concept for a wrestling ebook? A: Yes. Yes I did. At least half of them are aware of it, and this book wouldn’t have existed without their assistance.
Q: Who contributed to this book? A: Just me. I had editing help, but all the profiles and essays are mine. It was a lot of work.
Q: Will this be available outside of Payhip? How about Amazon? A: Probably not.
Q: What timespan does this book cover? A: January 1 to December 31, 2017. Anything from the last six weeks, a period commonly known as “2018”, is not covered.
Q: Why is this out now? Does it feel out of date? A: I could not commit to doing this project until January. It took about as long as I thought it would, it just took a lot of time. There are things which have changed in both promotions and for some of the wrestlers in the last six weeks, but that’s ok. My goal was to create something specifically connected to a specific time. I believe it’s still useful to get a sense of this past year.
Q: I really like this website or the luchawiki or the lucharobot or something else you do, can I just use this as a way to funnel money to you to say thanks irrespective the actual book? A: Look. I’m not going to turn down free money. However, if I wanted to charge for those things, I would be finding a way to charge for this things. This is something else. Pay whatever you want for the book.
Q: What are your plans for any money you make off this book? A: thought hard and came up with this list:
a pizza
one month of server costs
????graphic design????
probably another pizza
Q: Will there be a 2018 version? A: We’ll see. We’ll see.
CMLL wraps up the incredible pairs tournament tonight. Volador & Ultimo Guerrero face Rush & Terrible in Arena Mexico’s main event. Volador & Ultimo Guerrero are the top tecnico and top rudo in CMLL. Rush should be in one of those two roles, but hasn’t had the big important matches, strong storytelling, or good opponents of late to get there. He has all that tonight, including the story of his partner Terrible possibly joining Los Ingobernables.
This should be a pretty good match. It’s also a status quo versus actual change point – nothing much changes if Volador & Ultimo Guerrero win another tournament, and maybe something important happens if Rush & Terrible win. We’ve also seen the the Anniversario main event set up in this tournament in previous years. There’s all sorts of combinations of hair matches which could come out of this match if they’re interested in going in that direction.
The semimain points in the direction of Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. Angel de Oro & Cuatrero are in a trios with Dragon Lee, Mistico, Sanson and Forastero. That has the people to be a pretty good match. Mistico & Dragon Lee would be a team I’d like to see in the tag team tournament (and they could’ve just made Sanson & Forastero the NGD team if CMLL wanted to make sense.)
Atlantis, Caristico & Diamante Azul face Euforia, Gran Guerrero and Kraneo in the fourth match. Niebla Roja and Soberano Jr. meet in the lightning match; their only other singles match was a brief one in last year’s Universal tournament. Kawato teams with Puma & Tiger to face Triton, Stigma & Fuego in another promising match. Stukita & Ultimo Dragoncito take on Mercurio & Pierrothito in the opener. The show will air on Facebook and should air on ClaroSports at 8:30pm, and then on YouTube later. If it’s region blocked on Claro, I probably will stream it again.
CMLL announced the Arena Coliseo Tag Team championships would be filled with another 16 team tag team tournament. There will be blocked on 02/24 & 03/09 and a final on 03/10. The champions are said to be vacant because Sanson & Cuatrero are focusing on the world tag team tournament instead. No teams have been announced.
This is the third tournament that will be happening over this same couple month of stretch, including tonight’s incredible pairs final and the soon to begin world tag team tournament. CMLL will have a six week stretch where they’re never more than eight days away from a tag team tournament match. It’s likely the Gran Alternativa tag team tournament is not far away either. It doesn’t just feel like a programming department low of ideas – though it definitely feels that way – but one incapable of taking a step back and realizing how insane it looks to be running all these tag team tournaments.
CMLL also announced that Templario will soon be getting a new look. He’s keeping the name, but that extra bit of attention suggests CMLL’s noticed he’s good and will be doing more with him.
There is no AAA show tonight, for the first Friday night in three weeks, but there is a The Crash show out in Tijuana. The main event is an all star one time only trios match with CIMA from IWRG (and I guess Dragon Gate) teaming with Extreme Tiger & Rey Horus against Penta, Fenix & Rey Mysterio. As far as I can find, this will be the first time CIMA & Rey Mysterio or Penta have ever been in the same ring together. CIMA and Fenix have had one match, a trios when AAA took the Reina de Reinas tournament to Japan in 2012.
The unlikely combination of Daga & Masada will take on usual parnters Aeroboy & Violento Jack in the semimain. Willie Mack, Black Taurus, Hijo del Pirata Morgan and Sharly Rockstar have a four way match for what’s listed as the The Crash Heavyweight Championship and may be a #1 contenders match. Either winner gets Rey Mistersio, or Rey’s given up the title – The Crash isn’t saying. The rest of the show includes Rebelion Amarilla being forced to work in the second match as punishment for getting into it with fans last show. They face Arkangel Divino, Black Boy and Astrolux in a size difference.
Like all The Crash shows, nothing has been announced as far as being able to see the show. Sometimes there are +LuchaTV clips, often there’s handheld, probably 126F will have edited highlights up this weekend.
AroLucha is in Beaumont, Texas tonight. They’ve announced three matches. Today is a big day for bullet points:
James Storm vs MVP vs Low Ki
Hurricane (Hurracaine?) Helms & Mascarita Dorada vs Demus & Keyra
Juventud Guerrera, Blue Demon Jr., Maximo vs John Hennigan, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Taya
AroLucha also accidentally announced half of tomorrow’s show in Humble before deleting the tweet.
Hurricane Helms & Low Ki vs MVP & James Storm
LAX vs Sammy Guevara & Laredo Kid
Juventud Guerrera & Blue Demon Jr. vs John Hennigan & Chavo Guerrero Jr.
OGT (Averno, Chessman, Super Fly) vs Poder del Norte (Mocho Cota Jr., Carta Brava Jr., Tito Santana) in a TLC for the AAA World Trios Championship match
the Rey de Reyes tournament
That last match was announced yesterday at a press conference in Puebla. Maximo & Mascara could use some rivals, which might be where that mystery team comes in. That lineup suggests Blue Demon Jr. won’t be wrestling on the show, which is a bit of his surprise after his big return. He may get involved in some other way.
CMLL (TUE) 02/20/2018Arena México
1) Acero & Aéreo vs Pequeño Nitro & Pequeño Violencia
2) Magnus, Metatrón, Sensei vs Cancerbero, Metálico, Raziel
3) Lady Maravilla, Princesa Sugehit, Sanely vs Amapola, La Comandante, Reyna Isis
4) Pólvora vs Tiger [lightning]
5) Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr., The Panther vs Johnny Idol, Mephisto, Okumura
6) Diamante Azul, Mistico, Valiente vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero
This took a while to come out and looks like one of the easiest to skip CMLL shows of the year. This is a show where Metatron pops up in Mexico City for the first time in fourth months.
CMLL (TUE) 02/20/2018Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Capitán Cobra & El Mágico vs Frezzer & Ráfaga
2) Astral, Robin, Vaquero Jr. vs Arkángel de la Muerte, Difunto, Sangre Azteca
3) Audaz, Esfinge, Tritón vs Kawato San, Sagrado, Virus
4) Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa, Titán vs Felino, Hechicero, Luciferno
5) Atlantis, Marco Corleone, Rush vs Cavernario, Ephesto, Shocker
Atlantis, Dragón Lee, Volador Jr.beat Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero (10:29 [4:28, 2:28, 3:33], 2/3, good, via VideosOficialesCMLL )
What happened:
a little stiff but they’re making progress
This was the first post-FantasticaMania show. This is also the show up against Guerra de Titanes, which is why it’s showing up so late. (No one asked is another reason.)
NGD and the tecnicos started brawling before they got the ring. The focus was on Cuatrero and Angel de Oro, following the title change at FantasticaMania.
Virus had the ropes for the pin on Audaz.
Thoughts:
this is both difficult and a long way to go for an armdrag
The main event was the usual exhibition match when there’s nothing on the line. It came off stronger than usual. The FantasticaMania wrestlers, in this and other matches, looked sharper than usual after a trip. It seemed like they might have more off days with the travel back this time, and that might have helped – Dragon Lee & Volador just looked very on tonight. Atlantis looked better if not yet good, and I couldn’t believe he did the top. He almost didn’t make it. Dragon Lee’s chest still seems scuffed up from his chop fight with Gran Guerrero. Doing the Atlantis/UG gave this more of a direction than usual, and it was a fine for a Friday night main event.
Diamante Azul/Terrible easily overachievedexceptions. They found a few things Diamante Azul can do impressively, didn’t go too long, and Terrible carried the rest.
The crowd surprisingly got into the later stages of this match, which should be declared an obvious success. They mostly baked Terrible, which seemed to confuse Diamante Azul, but shouldn’t have been a total surprise since the Arena Mexico fans tend to support rudos who are talented and don’t get much to do. The middle rope press slam would’ve been really if Azul could’ve held it for a little longer. The finish was a cool idea that also didn’t come off completely right, but they got enough of it to totally thrill the fans. This was a good enough match to make both men look better coming out of it.
Diamante Azul slam
The NGD/Angels trios match seem to bring back some of the spirit from Japan. They were doing spots they had not been doing in Mexico before the tour (the assisted plancha to the floor, the Cuatrero/Angel de Oro chop exchange.) Stuka didn’t get to go to FantasticaMania, so he also got all his suplexing one guy on another spots out for the year. Angel de Oro losing a title but getting a feud with Cuatrero is a strong net positive if he’s going to go as hard as he did; he was a guy desperately in need of something to do and is getting it. Niebla Roja was moving pretty well for a guy who seemed to have leg problems in Tokyo. I couldn’t believe he did the flip onto his feet for a pose.
The tercera had good action all the way thru. Disturbio felt more in like he fit in this place than Starman, who seems to be getting a post-mask win elevation. Maybe it’s just FantasticaMania doing more to change my perception than silly cage matches. Virus continues to work with Audaz a lot. Audaz has a bunch of unique offense which makes him stick out and just comes off as guy with an extra level of athleticism. The downside is you kind of realize he’s not that taller than Virus.
not illegal
The segunda was a predictably rudo heavy match, with not much done to show off Eléctrico in his new role. These are just not the rudos to do that. They took most of the match and didn’t take the tecnico offense well. Star looked better than the other two, but no one looked great there.
The opener showed signs of what a good match might be with some of these guys – Flyer and Akuma are doing mini style double rotation headscissors – but was also boring and uneventful for large portions. The first fall was slow paced ad they never really recovered, to the point where the crowd was whistling at them in the third. Espanto Jr. was a bigger drain on the match I would’ve guessed. Like Hijo del Signo used to, Espanto Jr. has a great classic lucha libre mask that he keeps trying to reinvent, as if he trying to find the right look to get him over. The mask isn’t the issue.
