CMLL (FRI) 03/02/2018 Arena México [2018 is lucha libre, ClaroSports, CMLL, luchablog, Notimex, Ovaciones]
1) Shockercito & Último Dragóncito b Mercurio & Pequeño Nitro 
9:21. Tecnicos took 1/3.
2) Blue Panther Jr., Fuego, The Panther b Puma, Tiger, Virus
12:50. Tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Felino, Negro Casas, Shocker b Esfinge, Titán, Tritón
10:44. Tecnicos took 1/3. Felino has dropped the Peste Negra act and is now serious.
4) Gran Guerrero & Soberano Jr. b Dragón Lee, Valiente, Forastero, Euforia, Pierroth, Hechicero [CMLL TAG, battle royal]
2:10.
5) Dragón Lee & Mistico b Forastero & Sansón [CMLL TAG, 8f]
8:50 and best match of the night
6) Valiente & Volador Jr. b Euforia & Kráneo [CMLL TAG, 8f]
3:34. Valiente replaced Caristico on Thursday
7) Pierroth & Rush b Hechicero & Máscara Año 2000 [CMLL TAG, 8f]
5:57.
8) Gran Guerrero & Último Guerrero b Atlantis & Soberano Jr. [CMLL TAG, 8f]
4:18
9) Valiente & Volador Jr. b Dragón Lee & Mistico [CMLL TAG, quarterfinal]
2:58.
10) Gran Guerrero & Último Guerrero DQ Pierroth & Rush [CMLL TAG, quarterfinal]
3:00. Terrible ran in to help his teammates for teh DQ>
11) Valiente & Volador Jr. b Gran Guerrero & Último Guerrero [CMLL TAG, semifinal]
4:48. Valiente & Volador advance to the final on 03/16 (H2L), will face the winner of next week’s block.
12) Ángel de Oro, Marco Corleone, Niebla Roja b Cuatrero, Ephesto, Mephisto
11:42. Straight falls, Angel de Oro getting a clean win on Cuatrero before their mask match.
The tournament started off really well with the Munoz/NGD match, and then it was just a CMLL tournament show. I can not wait for these to be fore, but there’s another one next week.
CMLL has post match promos from Angel de Oro, Cuatrero, Volador & Valiente, Los Ingobernables, Felino (who took a bath), Negro Casas.
Prior to last night’s show, the Munoz family got to make cement handprints as part of Plaza de la Estrellas walk of fame, as many luchadors have. Mistico told the press that this was the last time his father will appear as Pierroth, and he’d be switching to Bestia del Ring. This is not the first time this has said to be happening, and the switch never happens. Pierroth did wear “Bestia” on his shirt on the CMLL show.
A female member of the Munoz family is said to be wrestling on 04/07 show in Colima as La Tapatia. Mistico, Dragon Lee and Rush’s sister has been training to be a luchadora, so this is probably her.
Hugo Monroy, one of the authors of the 85 Years of Lucha Libre book, talked about how the book was put together with Regeneracion. Sports writer/baseball commissioner Alejandro Aguilar Reyes (Fray Nano) is said to have kept detailed and precise records that were useful in putting together the history parts of the book. I’d love to see those.
Andrade “Cien” Almas will be appearing at the La Mole ComiConi in Mexico City on March 17th, which probably means he’ll be hanging out at the Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show the night before.
CMLL has a brief bio of Salvador Lutteroth and a look back at the 2000 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas.
Tonight’s Arena Coliseo show has the second half of the Arena Coliseo Tag Team tournament (Sagrado & Misterioso the favorites) and Rush vs Euforia. The more intriguing CMLL show is the debut of Pura Raza in Arena Lopez Mateos, which includes the Munoz brothers vs NGD and Blue Panther vs Hechicero. Cavernario’s run of singles matches starts on Sunday in Arena Mexico against Dragon Lee.
Next week’s lineup:
CMLL (FRI) 03/09/2018 Arena México
1) Astral & Eléctrico vs Cancerbero & Raziel
2) Lady Maravilla, Princesa Sugehit, Sanely vs Dalys, La Seductora, Tiffany
3) Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa, The Panther vs Johnny Idol, Kawato San, Puma
4) Marco Corleone & Niebla Roja vs Cavernario & Mr. Niebla and Diamante Azul & Stuka Jr.and Okumura & Sam Adonis and Titán & Tritón and Rey Bucanero & Terrible and Blue Panther & Blue Panther Jr. and Ephesto & Mephisto [CMLL TAG, battle royal]
5) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [CMLL TAG, 8F]
6) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [CMLL TAG, 8F]
7) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [CMLL TAG, 8F]
8) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [CMLL TAG, 8F]
9) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [CMLL TAG, quarterfinal]
10) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [CMLL TAG, quarterfinal]
11) ? & ?? vs ??? & ???? [CMLL TAG, semifinal]
12) Ángel de Oro, Atlantis, Volador Jr. vs El Cuatrero, Negro Casas, Último Guerrero
A rudo team would normally be assumed to be going thru to face Volador & Valente, but theese aren’t the strongest teams. Cavernario & Niebla are the biggest stars, but this would be Niebla’s first Arena Mexico match after looking in out of it a month ago. It’s tough to trust him. Okumura & Sam Adonis would get a reaction but aren’t the best fit for a Volador style big move match. Ephesto & Mephisto are, but they seem like they’ve been dropped in the pecking order. Rey Bucanero & Terrible shouldn’t be teaming at all after Terrible ditched Bucanero to join Los Ingobernables.
Diamante Azul & Stuka were clearly supposed to win the tag team titles last year, and it’s still possible CMLL ends up in that direction. Though, if they’re going tecnico vs tecnico, I’d much rather see Titan & Triton in that spot.
Whoever does come out of this block would be the favorites to win the tournament, since Valiente & Volador already have a team title which they haven’t got much use from of late. I may shut down the website if that trios title gets vacated for another tournament after this one concludes.
ELITE
CMLL & Elite are done one again. CMLL posted a statement declaring they have no be participating in the ELITE Arena Azteca show and have no relationship with that network. They also said none of their wrestlers or buildings will be part of the show. This announcement was made just a few minutes before Friday night’s show. It follows a couple days of Azteca’s A+ network beginning to promote the new Arena Azteca show.
ELITE has not responded to this news. Neither has Azteca. ELITE hasn’t said anything since their 02/11 show was canceled – they haven’t talked about “Arena Azteca” or the lineup that had Cage on it or when they might be back. CMLL never mentions ELITE by name in this most recent press release. It’s possible the breakup here is only between CMLL & Azteca and not ELITE & CMLL. It’s not clear if there is even an ELITE without Azteca, though.
It doesn’t really matter who’s fault it was, because everyone looks silly. ELITE is the promotion who keeps falling apart. Azteca is promoting a TV show which may not exist. CMLL gave this partnership a big rollout about this three way alliance at the press conference, and either fell apart after one show or was never really done to begin with. CMLL’s now back to presenting shows on Sunday which they declared weren’t as interesting a concept as the ELITE shows, and burned a relationship with a TV network when they could really use the TV It’s embarrassing.
AAA
Rey de Reyes is this Sunday. Full card is here. The show is listed as 5:30 pm start time locally and a 6:00pm CT on Twitch. Hugo Savinovich will be back as play by play announcer for this show.
I may have a preview on Voices of Wrestling. (I got it done last minute, but it may turn out to be after the last minute.) The shorter version:
- Fantasma’s probably taking Texano’s hair, and they really need a good match. Fantasma for credibility going into the TripleMania cage match, Texano so people are left with a thought beyond “he’s the guy who loses the big apuesta matches.” The Bengala/Tirantes stuff makes it unlikely they’re going to get there. This is also the logical Vampiro spot for the night.
- the atomicos is to get over the Wagner/Wagner feud and to get people on this show and not a lot more
- It’s tough to care about the Rey de Reyes when the last two winners are Pentagon (who lost every big match after and left the promotion) and Argenis (who didn’t really do anything), and when 1/4 of the field is unknown. Pagano wrestled in Guadalajara and Mesias was back in action recently, so they could both fill some of those surprise spots if AAA wants bigger names. Right now, it’s really lacking in any names besides Parka.
- the TLC match might steal the show with the people they’ve got involved (and the stuff they’re willing to do.) They just need ladders that are durable and tables that are not.
AAA put up a Texano interview talking about the main event, with a Fantasma one to be posted later tonight.
+LuchaTV has a new edition of Aqui esta la Lucha. and a sit down interview with Poder del Norte.