Rey off The Crash, Furia Roja new champion, Mascara2K defeats Bestia, CMLL iPPV

 

catching a tope with your neck is bad for your neck

CMLL (TUE) 03/13/2018 Arena México [CMLL, ESTOOvaciones]
1) Mercurio & Pequeño Violencia b Angelito & Fantasy LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 13 DE MARZO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETAS (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
2) Cancerbero, Nitro, Raziel b Eléctrico, Robin, Sensei LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 13 DE MARZO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETAS (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Rudos took 1/3.
3) Blue Panther Jr., Fuego, The Panther b Kawato San, Puma, Tiger LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 13 DE MARZO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETAS (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
4) Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto b Stuka Jr., Titán, Tritón LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 13 DE MARZO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETAS (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
5) Máscara Año 2000 b La Bestia Del Ring LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 13 DE MARZO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETAS (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Mascara took falls 1/3. Mascara used a crab (and the ropes) to beat Bestia. Bestia quickly walked off so, by the time Mascara got the microphone to challenge him to a hair match, he was addressing an empty walkway.
6) Marco Corleone, Soberano Jr., Valiente DQ Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 13 DE MARZO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETAS (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Cavernario fouled Soberano.

 

Tiger & Puma and The Panther & Blue Panther Jr. will never stop asking for Arena Coliseo Tag Team championship matches. I guess they’re never going to be thought highly enough to get semimains on Tuesday shows for at least 20 more years so why not.

Soberano was interviewed and the ROH match came up. He knows it was bad, he does not blame anyway, he points to his track record of good singles match to that point as reason to treat it as a blip, and he’s happy he was even given the ROH opportunity.

CMLL (TUE) 03/13/2018 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Arena Coliseo Guadalajara]
1) Frezzer & Sádico b Mágico & Tigre Blanco
Rudos took straight falls.
2) Magia Blanca, Magnus, Star Black b Akuma, Espanto Jr., Rey Trueno
Star Black replaced Magnum. Tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Amapola, Metálica, Tiffany b La Vaquerita, Lady Maravilla, Sanely
Rudas took 1/3.
4) Rey Bucanero, Shocker, Terrible b Ángel de Oro, Esfinge, Niebla Roja
Rudos took 1/3. Angel de Oro takes a loss going into his mask match.
5) Furia Roja b Diamante Azul © [OCCIDENTE HEAVY]
Furia Roja took 1/3 to win the title in an upset, though he did use a foul. Diamante Azul falls on his second defense, and first in four years.
6) Dragón Lee, Mistico, Rush b Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
Rudos took 1/3.

Diamante Azul losing is a genuine shock. It makes sense for a local to have the title, and it makes sense for Diamante Azul to not have one; one of the reasons it went four years without a defense was because Diamante Azul spends a lot of time in France and not in Guadalajara. However, if CMLL simply wanted to move the title from Diamante Azul to Furia Roja, they could’ve had Diamante Azul vacate the title and Furia Roja beat another local to win it. That’s what CMLL just did when they decided Cuatrero & Sanson couldn’t lose the Arena Coliseo tag team titles in the ring. They gave Furia Roja a nice win, even if he had to cheat for it. Furia Roja has generally come off on the losing side of big matches, losing his mask to Esfinge in 2016 and his hair in 2017, so maybe it’s a way to build him back up again.

CMLL notes Internet.TV now has the listing for Friday’s iPPV up. It is 100 Mexican Pesos or $10 US Dollars. It’s the exact same show at the difference prices, you do not get to choose the currency and you can pay using PayPal both ways. Internet.TV decides which currency you get to pay in based on your IP address. If you use a service that gives you a Mexico IP address when you visit the website, you can pay 100 MXN instead plus whatever Paypal charges you. I tried this, and paid $5.56 for the $10 show. I have no way of guaranteeing there won’t be a problem later on but I’d assume you’ll just get the same link later on, no matter what IP address you’re using. It’s also $4 so maybe it doesn’t matter to you.

On their podcast (link below), +LuchaTV mentions Lady Maravilla & Drone were pulled off the WMC show by CMLL. CMLL might do that if there’s someone (AAA) they don’t want their wrestlers to be in the same match. There really wasn’t anyone there; Keyra if you’re stretching, but she and Maravilla team on shows all the time without an issue. Maybe the issue was money.

CMLL will be offering photos with Mil Mascaras for 300 customers. The photos are after Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, but you have to buy them before. In usual CMLL fashion, there is no price listed.

Angel de Oro says he’s been having reoccurring dreams where Cien Caras & Sanson interfere in his mask match with Cuatrero, and Niebla Roja helps him turn the tide and win the the mask.

ROH says they’re going to San Antonio & Dallas on June 15 & 16. ROH often brings in two luchadors for these Texas shows. Nothing’s been announced along those lines so far.

The Crash has officially announced Rey Mysterio will not be wrestling Saturday. In a video, Mysterio explains his injury and says he’ll be unable to wrestle. Bestia will get his title match at a later date, and instead fight a mystery luchador in the main event. Rey will be at the show, will sign autographs and take pictures before the show, and they’ll raffle off a Rey mask. I think this will end up turning out fine as long as the mystery luchador is a worthwhile name.

(I have no idea what this means for his NJPW status. Or Rich Swann’s situation.)

AAA made slight change to their 03/25 Monterrey TV taping. They are sensible changes. A three way tag match that had Hernandez & Vampiro as odd partners now have them added to the other teams for a trios match. The bull terrier #1 contenders match between Hijo del Fantasma & Parka Negra is now just a singles match.

AAA in Tijuana on 04/20 AAA TV taping

It’s another TLC match where there’s nothing to grab. These kind of matches appear to more physically damaging than a normal wrestling matches. That does not mean you can not ever do them, but that there should be some narrative reason to take that damage. In AAA, they seem to be done for no reason. It is three tapings away, so maybe they’ll be a reason by the time they get there.

Lucha Libre Xalapena also has an interview with AAA’s Pardux. He reveals he used to be wrestler from the area named Zafiro, and was convinced to change his character by Crazy Boy. He credits DTU for helping him improve prior to La Llave de la Gloria. He says he was told Mr. Aguila had a project for him when they did that angle together on the Xalapa taping back in December, but nothing else has come of it. He’d like to go for the cruiserweight title. Pardux returns to TV for the first time since that December show on Saturday in Cuernavaca.

Over the weekend, Dorian Roldan tweeted about Lucha Underground and said Season 4 would be debuting this summer. “Summer” is can be a wide array of months depending on your definition so I’m barely sure this is worth mentioning except maybe don’t expect it to turn up suddenly in the next couple months. Is May summer? Write 200 words on the topic and give it to me on Thursday.

Impact Wrestling vs Lucha Underground @ WrestleCon on 04/06 (free show on Twitch, night show)

Callihan would make more sense as LU’s Jeremiah Crane normally, but they’re trying to take advantage of any buzz for Callihan versus Edwards after Callihan accidentally hit Edwards in the face with a bat.

CultIcon finishes his list of the top Lucha Underground matches of all time. I disagree with the top choice because I liked matches just below it better. I’d also have a tough time picking it #1 because I believe it was a Pandora’s Box of a match, and events (both on the show and elsewhere) that followed that match may have happened specifically because of the reaction to the match. But I’d probably still have it somewhere along the top group so I’m not sure it matters.

McMahon Spalaining has an interview with Catrina & King Cuerno, two people who are rarely on podcasts. I haven’t had a chance to listen to them yet.

Cordoba luchador Demonio Rojo had a new hearing on his murder charge yesterday. Rojo was accused in 2016 of killing a theater employee. Fellow wrestlers and staff said he was actually at a wrestling show at the time, and were expected to testify to that. However, the case was postponed because the government could not have their own witnesses at court that day.

Pasion Luchistica thinks Oro Jr. and Diosa Quetzal are subtweeting each other on Facebook. Sub-Facebooking? They’re talking about unnamed people in public without mentioning each other’s names and we’re left to assume who they’re talking about. Quetzal seems to have a lot of people who don’t think much of her wrestling skills, but also Oro’s not really good enough to be complaining about other people being good enough.

CaraLucha & Lucha Memes says they’ll run their (first) combined show on 04/22 in Coliseo Coacalco.

Segunda Caida writes about some 1998 CMLL in Japan.

+LuchaTV has the latest edition of their EN+CARADOS podcast.

In Xalapa, Vengador Radioactivo & Peligro won Aullido’s mask & Rey Tornado’s hair.

The Handford Sentinel has an article on local group Lucha Xtreme.

Lineups

CMLL (MON) 03/19/2018 Arena Puebla
1) Astro & Millenium vs Joker & Saurón
2) Arkalis, Astral, Eléctrico vs Hijo del Signo, Perverso, Policeman
3) Blue Panther Jr., Drone, Stigma vs Kawato San, Puma, Tiger
4) Kráneo vs Euforia
5) Ángel de Oro, Matt Taven, Niebla Roja vs Cuatrero, Mr. Niebla, Sansón
6) Carístico, Gran Guerrero, Mephisto vs La Bestia Del Ring, Mistico, Rush [Relevos Increíbles]

Caristico is back from the mystery DL. He’s also got the Munoz to deal with.

Matt Taven being around Monday means he must be in for more than a weekend. That’s the expert analysis you’re getting today. (I guess it also means he’s might be setting up something on Friday.)

The big Kraneo Puebla angle ends with a match against Euforia instead of Johnny Idol. That’s less weird but possibly good?

2018 watch later catch up, part 3 of ∞

 

Horus Spanish Fly

Bestia 666, Garza Jr., Mr. 450 vs Arkángel Divino, Astrolux, Black Boy
(The Crash @ Auditorio de Tijuana on 02/16, 15:18, good, via Lucha Libre De Tijuana)

An interesting idea. They wanted the Rebelion Amarilla to get a dominant win. It’d still be a poor idea to kill off the promising young guys in the second match. I think they find a good medium, with Arkangel Divino and team rallying nicely a couple times and feeling like they were close to winning for a moment. The match really picks up in the second half, after that first comeback. The first half might have been better from some of the ringside cameras (if you were in the right place), the brawling just doesn’t come thru as anything on a set camera away from the ring. It also seemed like they were stalling for time after Arkangel was taken out of the match to get his head wrapped, and it slowed the pace to a crawl. The crowd really got into the small guys getting in their dives and cradles, and felt bad when the Rebelion crushed them in the end. This is more a successful building match than it is one you really need to see out of context, but it worked at what it was supposed to do.

Astrolux

Willie Mack vs Black Taurus vs Hijo de Pirata Morgan vs Sharlie Rockstar  winner gets a shot at The Crash Heavyweight championship
Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Baja California, 02/16/2018
(The Crash @ Auditorio de Tijuana on 02/16, 10:53, good, via MegaKakashi619)

The MegaKakashi version shows some good spots and also a guy standing in front of the phone during the dives. The highlights look nice. Taurus & Willie Mack stood out, but they stood because they’re big and I could actually see them over people’s heads. I have no sense of how Charly Rockstar did in this match. This was probably fun but not a world beating match. Pencil this down to rewatch if The Crash ever releases their tapes.

flying bull

CIMA, Extreme Tiger, Rey Horus vs Penta Zero M, Rey Mysterio Jr., The King
(The Crash @ Auditorio de Tijuana on 02/16, 15:25, great, Lucha Libre De Tijuana)

An all star match which the match ups you wanted to see. They went quickly to the Rey/CIMA dream match spots, but gave CIMA time against other people he might never face again, and threw in some Rey Horus/Rey Fenix stuff we haven’t seen lately. There were some iffy moments, especially in one Horus/Fenix exchange, but they delivered on the promise of this match. There was more teamwork spots than I’d have thought and a few more feelings of desperation in the end than you’d expect. This was a border line great match for me. It wasn’t an epic. It still felt big and was enjoyable to watch.

Rey and CIMA

CIMA knee smash

Rey Horus tornillo

Rey Horus vs Laredo Kid
(MDA @ Arena Coliseo Monterrey on 02/18, 14:33, great, via Luchamania Monterrey)

A high end action match between two of the better indie luchadors in Mexico. There’s not much técnico/rudo framework here. Horus yells “Viva Tijuana” before a legdrop and Laredo Kid responds with a cheer for Monterrey later on, but that’s the small distance they go. It’s all moves, and the moves are impressive and come off with no real problems. The Spanish Fly on the ramp was a neat use of the ropes, and their chop/elbow fight near the end looked painful.

over the post
Horus DDT

Penta 0M vs The King (Rey Fenix)
(Team 1927 @ Rancho Grande, Mexicali, Baja California on 02/18, 17:22, great, via Lucha Libre De Tijuana)

It’s a really good Pentagon/Fenix match, as you’d expect it. Penta is doing more than just the high notes, and Fenix keeps his tricky moves working. There’s a spot where a stretcher meets an untimely end, but they mostly keep it stuff in and around the ring in a traditional format. (I haven’t seen their late 2017 AAW matches but, based on what I heard about it, this cuts out a lot of those issues.) This is one where it’s worth your time to watch the longer version because they’re only cutting out good stuff. The finish is done in a surprising and nice looking way. This was on the same level as the original touring indie match they were doing, just underneath the top matches of the year. Pro wrestling is Pentagon doing his dramatic glove removal toss spot, the referee failing to catch it, and everyone making fun of the referee.

Fenix tope con giro
this is not the best use of a stretcher
just great timing

Ángel Azteca Jr., Brillante Jr., Guerrero Azteca vs Gran Jefe III, Gran Jefe V, La Tarántula
(AMLL @ Arena Azteca, Torreón, Coahuila on 02/25, 17:17, good, via LUCHAMANIA AMLL)

I know no one in this match. I think I saw the Bandido/Tarantula match when he came to Mexico City once, and I’ve seen the names and photos on posters, but that’s about it. This is apparently a new Angel Azteca Jr., not the former CMLL guy. Gran Jefes is a long running gimmick; I’m working thru the 1995 lineups in another window, and it was Gran Jefe I, II and Jr. as the team at that point. Brillante Jr. is Sombra’s young cousin we think.

Guerrero Azteca is the guy in blue and white, and he jumps off the screen. The técnicos don’t really get to shine until the third fall. Angel Azteca Jr., like the last one, is smooth but not flashy. Brillante is featured as the star of the match. He’s trying hard, and is still needs years of experience. Azteca is spectacular, pulling off impressive springboard headscissors one after an each other and completely at ease on the ropes. The Worm in to the headstand headscissors is the one he does to get noticed. He looks more gifted with his less gimmick moments and his Triton style moonsault dive is impressive. The rudos are really good here, making their offense interesting with some good double teams and basing well for the técnicos. There are some glitches, and the triple moonsault takes way too long to set up. It’s still a trios match which would fit in perfectly on an Arena Mexico and be one of the standout matches most weeks.

Angel Azteca Jr. armdrag
Guerrero Azteca doing the monkey flip headscissors spot

 

Guerrero Azteca with a Triton style moonsault