Kaoz outsmarts Los Guerreros, Caristico/Cavernario, AAA/ELITE tonight, lucha in Zocalo

Guerreros Voladors

CMLL (FRI) 07/20/2018 Arena México [CMLL, Lucha CentralMarcaOvacionesthecubsfan]
1) Espanto Jr. & Yago COR Príncipe Diamante & Súper Astro Jr. LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 20 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
12:53. Rudos took 2/3, with Diamante being counted out after an Espanto destroyer on the floor.
2) Amapola, Dalys, Reyna Isis b Lluvia, Marcela, Mistique LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 20 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
13:05. Rudos took 2/3.
3) Esfinge, Titán, Tritón b Kawato San, Okumura, Pólvora LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 20 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
14:16. Tecnicos took 2/3
4) Cuatrero TLDRAW Mephisto [lightningLUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 20 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
The 7th time limit draw of the year.
5) Carístico, Dragón Lee, Mistico DQ Cavernario, Negro Casas, Penta El Zero M HIGHLIGHTS Cavernario, Negro Casas y Penta 0M vs Carístico, Místico y Dragón Lee (posted by Estrellas del Ring) LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 20 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Straight fall for the tecnicos, who did not always get along. Cavernario fouled and unmasked Caristico for the DQ.
6) Ciber the Main Man, Scharly Rock Star, The Chris b Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 20 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
11:26. Klan Kaoz took falls 1/3. Ciber used a trip from The Chris and the ropes (at the last second) to beat Ultimo Guerrero.

CMLL interviews: Cuatrero (not happy with his match), Mephisto (wants it to be a team match), Dragon Lee (wants to face Penta at the Anniversario), Penta (adding Mistico to Dragon Lee & Caristico on his list), Los Guerreros (usually challenge for an apuesta match after a title match), Klan Kaoz (telling the Guerreros to shine the belts).

Press interviews: Klan Kaoz (Estrellas del Ring ), Los Guerreros (Estrellas del Ring), Dragon Lee (Estrellas del Ring, Box Y Lucha), Penta (Estrellas del Ring, Box Y Lucha), Negro Casas (Estrellas del Ring, Box Y Lucha), Cuatrero (Box Y Luch ), the rudas (Estrellas del Ring, Box Y Lucha), and the tecnicas (Estrellas del Ring, Box Y Lucha) Negro Casas’ interview was interrupted by Mistico arguing with him about Penta, and then Dragon Lee sticking around to praise Negro Casas. Penta announced he (and his brother) would be on the 08/03 CMLL show.

The biggest video of the night was the first Anniversario teaser, with LA Park appearing at the end to say he’d be on the card. (Park is the second person announced for the card, joining Caristico.) Park didn’t say he’d be facing Rush, though that’s clearly what everyone wants to see. CMLL is still not specifically building anything else, though possible Anniversario mask loser Fuerza Guerrera is back on August 4th, and they could still throw everyone in a cage match if they’d like.

The fans weren’t in the main event outside of the moments Los Guerreros were running around and seemed to have a negative reaction to the idea of a trios title match week. It came off as if the fans were rejecting Klan Kaoz rather than booing them for being rudos. The trios title match would normally be the end of the CMLL sequence, and maybe even the end of Klan Kaoz in CMLL. It’s definitely the match fans were left to expect after last night’s promos, and it’s strange it’s not on the 07/27 show at the moment. It’s unlikely Klan Kaoz would be on the 08/03 show since there are so many other outside people already booked. Maybe they’ll change 07/27 to a title match later this week, or perhaps it’ll be held over all the way until 08/10. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be a big deal either way.

AAA streams tonight from Gimansio Juan de la Barrera in Mexico City for the AAA vs Elite show. It’s a weird one. I wrote a preview in Voices of Wrestling about how strange it is to have a ‘big’ feeling AAA show just about a month out from TripleMania. The main event has three of the four TripleMania main eventers and there’s no real emphasis on that. There’s more fan anticipation hoping Rush will be the fourth man (he was in ELITE, but he’s unlikely to be here.) The selling point of the entire show is AAA versus a promotion who doesn’t seem to exist outside of AAA shows, is probably no more real an opposing promotion than ‘El Consejo’ or ‘LLL’, but they’ve successfully got a lot of the media and some of the fans to buy into this a some big interpromotional event.

The lineup is good. It’s not great. Laredo/Golden vs Texano/Escorpion should be pretty good. Hijo de LA Park & Taurus vs Aerostar and whoever should be good assuming a normal partner. It is possible AAA may add a non AAA/Elite opener; there’s a lot of extra people around Mexico City today. The main event may be crazy in good or bad ways. It’s a lot more of an intriguing show than a match quality one. Will Wagner show up in the main event? (He’s still very much being advertised.) Where does La Parka fit in? Who will be the mystery people? Will they ever explain what TV network this is supposed to be airing on? What happens to Elite once this show is over? Will anyone actually wear Red (AAA) or Blue (Elite)? to support those sides? AAA’s goal with all these shows is a couple good matches and something for people to be talking about later. It’s a safe bet they’ll hit both of those goals tonight.

The stream is listed as starting at 8:45 CT, which meant about 10 minutes of gabbing and a start time of just before 9pm last time. It’ll stream on AAA’s Twitch channel as well as Blizzard’s Latin American Twitch channel. All I know for sure for VOD is it’ll be on AAA’s Twitch ($5/month) channel later. It’s possible it’ll be on Blizarrd’s channel too. AAA has said nothing about where this will be televised, so there’s no telling when/if it’ll make it’s way to AAA’s YouTube channel. The upside is it’s Mexico City, so every video bootlegger will probably be at the show (and half will have press access), so there will be free video of some quality of the show even if you don’t want to pay for it..

Lucha Central also previews the show.

AAA will tape TV for the first time in Merida in six years on September 9th. It’s a 1pm outdoor show, so they’ll be taping right into the afternoon sun. (That seemed to be the pattern for AAA Merida shows.) LA Park is listed on the show, just days before the CMLL Anniversario. Park seemed like he was brought in AAA just to increase interest in TripleMania, so it’s very surprising to see him booked after the show. Hijo de LA Park is also on the show, of course. So is Brian Cage, who hasn’t been seen since Verano de Escandalo and isn’t on any of the shows leading up to TripleMania so far. This show is listed as a generic TV taping, not a Televisa one.

In his Record column (which had disappeared for about a month), Leo Riano frames AAA’s show in Madison Square Garden “postponed” so Hijo del Tirantes can run a show in Xalapa on the same day.

There’s a day-long lucha libre event taking place today in Mexico City’s Zocalo, celebrating it as part of the countries culture. Matches and music performances will go on from noon to ten pm using two rings. El Fantasma is the lucha libre face of this show, and told Record he’s been working on it for four years. It doesn’t seem like many other people were aware it was actually happening or they were invited to participate, with wrestling promotions mentioning just over the last few days that they’ll be involved without even being sure what matches they’ll be running. AAA mentioned they’d send some people yesterday, and CMLL went unmentioned until some of their wrestlers appeared at the kick-off press conference this morning. It looks from the outside like the event got approved at the last scramble, and a mad scramble to find people to actually work the show. The reports I’m hearing are there are just random matches going on with no one in charge.

Fantasma’s lucha libre head commissioner job is a government office controlled by politicians, albeit one usually ignored and left alone. That’s helped Fantasma stay in the position for nearly two decades. There’s been talk since the election that Fantasma may not be safe with the incoming government. It’s tough to tell how true that is, and how much of is it people wanting to see changes for their own reasons. Either way, Fantasma getting out in front of a big lucha libre event in the heart of Mexico City would seem to help prove he’s still working hard at the job. Getting a free show at the Zocalo looks impressive, and the quality of the show is probably not as important. I don’t know that was a nakedly political move, but it sure comes off as one.

Neither CMLL’s Saturday show at Arena Coliseo nor the Sunday show at Arena Mexico has much of note. It feels like it’s been a quiet build to the Lucha Memes show this Sunday. Hechicero/Aramiz and Steve Pain/Audaz sound pretty great. IWRG has a team event Zona de Ejecution on Sunday, and it’s possible that’ll be streamed all over the place. Revolucha has Caristico, Alberto, and Rush against Bestia, Garza and Mr. 450 in some madness. Dragon Lee faces Ultimo Ninja in a first time match. I’m intended to make it to GALLI on Sunday, primarily to see DJZ & Isai Rivera versus Gringo Loco & Pat Monix.

RIOT announced Ricky Starks will replace Ultimo Ninja on their 07/28 card. They also wished Ninja best of luck in his future endeavors. An announcement on Garza Jr. & Ultimo Ninja’s (WWE) future is expected to be made Sunday at the Revolucha show.

LuchaWorld has a really great obituary for Rayo de Jalisco.

Lineups

CMLL (FRI) 07/27/2018 Arena México
1) Kaligua & Stukita vs Pequeño Nitro & Pierrothito
2) Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Okumura, Templario, Tiger
3) Soberano Jr., Titán, Valiente vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
4) Carístico vs Cavernario [lightning]
5) Atlantis, Diamante Azul, Volador Jr. vs La Bestia Del Ring, Rush, Terrible [Relevos Increíbles]
6) Ciber the Main Man, Scharly Rockstar, The Chris vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero

The main event is listed as non-title, at least for the time being.

Diamante Azul has been around since Tuesday. This’ll be his first streaming appearance, against his old friend Bestia del Ring.

The project for the week is to count up exactly how many feuds Cavernario has lost.

Second and third matches should be good, though there’s way too much Okumura in my life right now.

There is a Kaligua who’s been wrestling in Coacalco and Tulititlan the last few years. It’d be a surprise for someone to make a debut on a Friday, so this could also be someone (Angelito?) being given a new name.

CMLL (SAT) 07/28/2018 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Shockercito, Stukita, Último Dragóncito vs Mercurio, Pequeño Olímpico, Pierrothito
2) Lluvia, Maligna, Mystique vs Amapola, Dalys, Tiffany
3) Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Esfinge vs Hechicero, Mr. Niebla, Terrible
4) Mistico, Soberano Jr., Titán vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Mephisto

Sponsored show on a Saturday night,