LA Park versus Rush happening tonight, AAA & MSG not happening (this year)

LA Park picture is roughly a decade old

Today is Rush versus LA Park day. The story so far:

There are plenty of new people checking in for this match. The attendance thing has gotten it some buzz. Maybe even some of those new people are reading this. Hello! If you are expecting an athletic big move showcase like you’ve seen with Volador or Soberano or even Ultimo Guerrero, you’ll get that in the semi-main event. That is not what LA Park and Rush will do. This is going to be a brawl, a messy and out of control fight. There might be good moves or near falls, but a LA Park versus Rush match is about having as ugly as a battle as possible. The one thing we can be sure of about this match is at least one referee will be taken out and cheating will ensue.

Rush versus LA Park is a big deal in CMLL because CMLL style is about having as clean as much as possible, and they’re aiming to have something as far away from that style as possible. A lot of people, CMLL fans included, want more than the style presented. Rush versus LA Park is a big deal in lucha libre because a lot of matches outside CMLL have even more ugly violent brawls – go check out Fly Star versus Toxin – but none have the charisma, intensity and the energy of this particular matchup. Rush versus LA Park is a big deal because it may have blood, which was largely banned from CMLL but Rush has been promising since last Friday.

I think Rush & Park are going to give people who’ve been into this feud exactly what they expect, and I think people wandering into watching this match because it’s gotten some hype might be totally confused. It doesn’t fit what the hyped “best” professional wrestling looks like in 2018. It fits more what the best-hyped pro wrestling looked like in 1978. It’s OK if it doesn’t work for everyone. There’s other stuff on this card too.

The semimain has Volador Jr., Hijo de LA Park, and “King Phoenix” (Fenix) versus Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, and Negro Casas. CMLL couldn’t bother to address The Panther becoming Black Panther, so I do not expect to ever get a reason out of them for the King Phoenix name. He’s still one of the best whatever the name. Atlantis, Caristico, and Stuka face Euforia, Bestia del Ring, and Ultimo Guerrero in a match seemingly just to get people involved on a big house.

The Panthers – Blue Sr., Blue Jr., and Black – face Dragon Rojo, Polvora and Hechicero is a sneaky good match. The older Blue Panther does well in all matches, but figures to be extra popular with the older crowd coming in for tonight’s main event. The luchadoras are back on Friday night for the first time in seven weeks, with Estrellita, Jarochita and Marcela versus Amapola, Dalys and Reyna Isis. That match does not look good on paper, but Maravilla & Zeuxis quitting seems to have gotten CMLL to try a little bit more with the remaining women. CMLL openers aren’t usually good, but the Robin & Super Astro versus Akuma & Yago match has more hope than usual.

Lucha Central has a preview of the show.

The Friday night show, as always, will air on Marca and their Facebook. If they block the feed outside of Mexico, I will stream it on my YouTube channel. (Check Twitter, I’ll remember to pin the streaming location to the top of my feed tonight.) It’ll be on CMLL’s YouTube channel later tonight.x

 

CMLL & Rush were very concerned about that fake poster that listed Rush as working the AAA/ELITE Gimnasio de la Barerra card. Not only did Rush call it fake on Twitter, Rush appeared on CMLL’s Facebook show to say it wasn’t true and CMLL put out a press release to mention it wasn’t true. It also comes up in CMLL’s preview of today’s show.

In the least shocking news of the year, AAA will not be running Madison Square Garden. At least not in 2018. Konnan, in his return to the old MLW Radio podcast, mentioned AAA is “probably” not going to do it and is looking at 2019 instead. This doesn’t have to do with WWE blocking them from running the building (as they have with ROH); AAA hasn’t heard either way about that. It’s more an admission that running in New York costs a lot, running a show with a disappointing turnout would look bad, and there’s no way they’ll be ready by September. Konnan continues to tout the possibility of a deal with a “major network” that would heavily help the show while avoiding all details of the network. The previously mentioned show in Los Angeles was not mentioned either way.

AAA running a major show in New York in 2018 with no TV presence would’ve been a disaster. It’s good they realized that. They probably should’ve realized that before they floated out the idea, but better later than never. Even if they had three months of TV – I’m guessing the network is the Univision Deportes channel or something similar – it still would be a pretty big reach. The great news is it doesn’t seem like AAA is going to do something that would ultimately hurt their company more than it helps unless they get that deal. The not great news is AAA could be doing other stuff to promote their show – like any English language content at all, or even just more Spanish language content to explain what is supposed to be going on during these insanely long gaps between tapings – and they don’t try to those things except in a quick hurry before a big project comes up. I think Konnan believes this too – he agreed in a Twitter thread hoping AAA would stream/VOD their shows in English – and maybe they’ll actually do. But they should’ve been already doing it, whoever they’re bringing in for TripleMania should’ve been brought in for Verano de Escandalo to actually get a feel of what was going on. None of this is a new idea, but the same ones they’ve been circling around and committing to for years.

(That is a stray thought from a longer thing that I can’t get around to writing.)

The podcast was in part to promote Konnan will be wrestling on MLW’s show in New York. It looks like that’s his first match in five years, though many of the later Konnan matches had him participating more in name only. Konnan seems to be moving better but hoped he wouldn’t be in the royal rumble match they’re doing long. NOAH also comes up on that podcast. Court Bauer & MSL had heard Impact & NOAH are going separate ways. Konnan wasn’t as sure of this, mentioning that Dorian Roldan had recently visited with NOAH officials in Japan, relations between NOAH & AAA were good, and believed that had to still be true for Impact since Impact & AAA are also good. AAA & NOAH talking sounds like plans for the October AAA Japan shows. Konnan was also under the impression that Rey Mysterio was close to signing with WWE, though it kind of sounded like he might not start with them right away and be allowed to work out his other dates.

Miedo Extremo & Ciclope are headed back to Japan for “two months and twenty days.” They’re wrestling for Freedoms and talk proudly in that interview about their recent success.

SoLucha has released a free PDF book of recently deceased mask maker Alejandro Puebla’s work.

RO Wrestling in Houston has Eterno vs Tiger on 07/14.

El Hijo del Santo was on ESPN Deportes talking about the World Cup.

+LuchaTV has a new edition of Aqui esta la Lucha.

LuchAWorld has the latest lucha report.

Pushing Upwards positively reviews Daga vs Ricky Marvin.

Lucha Talk is up with a new episode.

Lineups

Muchas Luchas (SUN) 07/08/2018 Arena Jalisco, Guadalajara, Jalisco
1) Black Golden & Shyru Dragón Jr. vs Implacable & Kittan
2) Chik Tormenta vs Diosa Quetzal
3) Mr. Iguana, Steve Pain, Torito Negro vs Crazy King, El Enviado, Willy Banderas
4) Demasiado, Diva Salvaje, Nygma vs Draego, Estrella Oriental Jr., Maravilla Azteca
5) Masada (Texas) & Trauma II vs Makabre & Rayman

3rd Anniversary show.