CMLL (TUE) 08/14/2018 Arena México [CMLL, Lucha Central]
1) Pequeño Nitro & Pierrothito b Acero & Aéreo 
2) Pegasso, Star Jr., Stigma b Espíritu Negro, Hijo del Signo, Nitro
tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Black Panther, El Audaz, Tritón b Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Universo 2000 Jr.
tecnicos took 1/3
4) Blue Panther, Soberano Jr., Titán DQ Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
Staright falls. Mephisto unmasked Titan.
5) Stuka Jr. b Hechicero © [NWA LH]
Stuka takes falls 2/3 to win the title, his first national or world singles championship in CMLL. Stuka is the 7th (or 72nd) champion. Hechicero falls on his 7th defense
6) Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón b Ángel de Oro, Kráneo, Niebla Roja
NGD took 1/3.
CMLL has a post-match promo with Stuka and The Gladiatores has a press room interview with Stuka. I thought it was strange The Gladiatores and Estrellas del Ring were going to a lot of Tuesday Arena Mexico shows but it paid off last night.
There’s also a CMLL update confirming Hechicero is fine after taking the finish, so they’re going to do medical updates for obviously worked spots too now. The title match looked great, and it was a strong show overall. It’s more surprising Stuka won than Hechicero lost, because Stuka seemed slotted into the perennial singles challenger who never wins role.
CMLL (TUE) 08/14/2018 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) Maléfico, Mr. Trueno, Rey Trueno b El Divino, Luminoso, Tigre Blanco
Rudos took 2/3.
2) Astral, Eléctrico, Guerrero Samurai Jr. b Difunto, Espanto Jr., Príncipe Odín Jr.
tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Dragón Rojo Jr., Kawato San, Pólvora b Blue Panther Jr., Fuego, Rey Cometa
rudos took 2/3.
4) Diamante Azul, Flyer, Valiente b Felino, Gran Guerrero, Rey Bucanero
tecnicos took 2/3.
5) Carístico, Matt Taven, Mistico b Cavernario, Negro Casas, Último Guerrero
Diamante Azul was double listed, and replaced by Caristico. Tecnicos took 2/3, with Caristico submitting UG to set up a title match next week.
That title match has to be a late change since neither guy was originally on this show.
CMLL Informa says Kraneo will be introducing a new collaborator. The internet is going to be shut down if he’s splitting up with Mije.
Lucha Underground has it’s tenth episode of this season, “A Snake Scorned”. There’s only a single match announced so far
- Reptile Tribe (Kobra Moon, Daga, Jeremiah Snake) versus Killshot, Son of Havoc and the Mack (c) for the Lucha Underground Trios championship
If this trio defeated the rebooted Rabbit Tribe and then loses the trios titles to a reeling Reptile Tribe, it’s going to be weird. Speaking of, the preview teases Paul London/White Rabbit (Kross) issues, as well as Cage & Penta having issues. That title match is coming, just not on this week’s show.
Been thinking a little bit about ol’ Jeremiah Snake. I think it was a MMM Show interview with LU’s Eric Van Wagenen where the executive producer, talking about the work visa issues, mentioned they’d been hoping every week that they’d get the new wrestlers in from AAA and it just wasn’t happening. I wasn’t not sure how literally “every week” should be read into at the time. Maybe it makes sense super literally, like every Monday/Tuesday thought thought this was the week some paperwork was going to be OK-ed, and every Wednesday/Thursday was a new scramble to find a US indie replacement when that paperwork didn’t go thru. Like, when they needed a new Reptile Tribe member, maybe the plan was to debut noted dinosaur Raptor in that spot, and they had to adjust when that couldn’t happen. Or the very mysterious Dezmond X in “Xavier” trunks shows up with no backstory because they had a spot going to a Hijo del Vikingo or a Dinastia and they couldn’t take that spot. I don’t know if any of this is true, I’m 100% just guessing, but I’m also trying to put myself in LU’s shoes and find a place where “Jeremiah Snake, a zombie Sami Callihan doing snake stuff” seemed like the best solution. It takes a lot of work to get there.
Still, if the show isn’t good, the show isn’t good. It’s frustrating that Lucha Underground was dealt a bad hand, but you’re evaluated on what you did, not what you could’ve done if everything went right.
ESPN Nacion had a typical “learning lucha libre” segment with Kobra Moon, King Cuerno, and Dragon Azteca Jr. It was obviously taped back during the Season 4 episodes and I’m uncertain why it happened to air yesterday. There are some things Lucha Underground is not good at but one thing they definitely are good at is getting on ESPN programming.
AAA will apparently be announcing their TripleMania lineup on Tuesday. A press invitation has gone out for a 10 AM conference at Arena Ciudad de Mexico. AAA held a smaller press conference to focus on Dr. Wagner & Psycho Clown only before last year’s show and it’s still possible this is something similar. Still, with no other set date for the full lineup to be announced, four days before the show seems like when AAA is most likely going to announce their full card.
TripleMania is being sold on the fourway mask match and Faby/Shani. Which nine people Australian Suicide is defending his Cruiserweight championship again and which guys are being shuffled into a Copa TripleMania doesn’t really make a huge difference in selling tickets. Waiting until so late to announce those matches is strange but not a huge problem. The bigger issue is the stuff that usually gets announced alongside the lineup, like the broadcasting plans (Twitch? TV? English?), as well as just giving hyping something to talk about the show so they remember it exists. AAA is drawing well – Veracruz looked around a full house – but seems like it’s a little bit it’s own world. They’re always going to need more attention to fill Arena Ciudad de Mexico. Maybe they’ll get that attention over the next 10 days – Faby Apache & Lady Shani talked up their match in an interview with ESTO, Psycho Clown seems to be headed to Los Angeles today to do some press and they’re getting daily full page articles in Record (which aren’t posted on line.) It still seems like they could be doing a lot more and waiting until Tuesday to make a big push seems late.
(also, it’s the underinformed theory of this website that AAA has not figured out the final lineup for TripleMania and that’s why we’re not seeing it. Big on random theories today.)
Taya said she’d see Konnan soon on Twitter. She could mean the next set of Impact shows. She could also mean TripleMania. Taya & Johnny Mundo directed most of their AAA anger at Vampiro, who is still around AAA but does not have the same power he once did. AAA’s made peace with Konnan, Fenix and Penta this year, and Dorian Roldan had earlier this year mentioned a hope to see Taya return to AAA. Taya has in-ring history with Faby Apache and seemed to be Lady Shani’s out of the ring mentor during her last year there, so there’s stories they can tell if Taya wants to come back. No guarantee this is that though.
Two of RIOT’s shows – the 11/04/17 Legalicen el Martinete show with Rey Horuz vs Ultimo Ninja and the 02/03/18 No Sabes Quien show with Rey Horuz vs Laredo Kid vs Ultimo Ninja – have been added to Powerbomb.TV. More are said to be coming soon. They also have a coupon code – RIOTLUCHA – that’ll give new subscribers 20 days free to the service and gives RIOT some money if you stay a subscriber after. If you’re going to sign up to watch those shows (or anything on the service), use RIOT’s code or someone else’s code, just make sure you use a code.
Putting together a couple of mystery tweets, Lucha Memes and other promotions are running a show in Arena Naucalpan, probably on August 31st. (Or maybe October 31st.) It looks to have LA Park on it. This is notable because Memes had earlier said they were done running Naucalpan this year. Plans change.
LuchaWorld has the latest news update.
+LuchaTV has a sit-down interview with X-Fly & Hijo del Mosco X-Fly.
Friends of DTU are very upset Oaxaca’s Flecha Mortal is walking around wiht a fake DTU title. People need to aim higher with their fake titles; you could probably get away with a CMLL title one for years before anyone was sure you weren’t champ.
Morelos luchador Fussion talks about debuting on a DTU show.
The Nuestro Lucha Libre show which aired on public TV in Mexico a few months ago is now on Netflix. It seemed good from what I saw, though I didn’t ever get to see the full minis/women episode.
Lineup
AAA (SUN) 08/19/2018 Palenque Feria de México, Dallas, Texas
1) Arez & Lady Maravilla vs Draztick Boy & La Hiedra
2) Aerostar & Drago vs Darby Allin & Teddy Hart
3) Argenis, La Parka, Máximo vs Averno, Mr. Águila, Texano Jr.
Did you know AAA is running the US this weekend? They’re being brought in for a fair, not sure it totally counts, but surprising. (Poster also features Hades instead of Maravilla.)
CMLL (SUN) 08/19/2018 Arena México
1) Príncipe Diamante & Robin vs El Coyote & Grako
2) La Maligna, Lluvia, Princesa Sugehit vs Dalys, La Comandante, Reyna Isis
3) Drone, El Audaz, Flyer vs Templario, Tiger, Virus
4) Valiente vs Ephesto [lightning]
5) Hechicero, La Bestia Del Ring, Rush vs Euforia, Felino, Gran Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]
6) Matt Taven vs Último Guerrero
Matt Taven will (probably) have no balloons to aid him against Ultimo Guerrero this time. Singles matches have typically been the end of the run for foreigners, but Taven is around longer.
CMLL (SUN) 08/19/2018 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Eclipse Jr. vs Paymon
2) Avispón Negro Jr. & Micro vs Destructor & Frenético
3) Neutrón & Principe Daniel vs Demonio Maya & Demonio Rojo
4) Joker, Luminoso, Magnum vs Difunto, Guerrero de la Muerte, Maléfico
5) Tigre Blanco vs Fugaz, Guerrero Samurai Jr., Explosivo, Mágico, Relámpago Azul, Thunder Boy, Carlo Roggi, Quka, Destello [OCCIDENTE WELTER, cibernetico, semifinal]
final two advance
Domingo Guadalajara is worth mentioning this week for title tournament. It appears it’s a final 2 advance to a title match next week situation. Star Black is the former champion, gave up the belt some months ago, but still is around on most shows.
IWRG , FILL (SUN) 08/19/2018 Arena Naucalpan
1) Águila Oriental, Biosferia, Eddy Santos vs Chico del Barrio, Ciber Punk, Dinámico
2) Cheff Benito, Shalom, Voltrex vs Black Puma, Holocsauto, Vardeus
3) Chicanito, Dranzer, Puma de Oro vs Ángel De La Tormenta, Carnicero, Voltar
4) Arquero, Black Shadow II, Toto vs Diablo Jr., Guerrero 2000, Power Bull
5) Leo, Mike, Rafy vs Ra-Zhata, Shil-Kah, Teelo
6) Ángel Estrella Jr., Death Metal, Guerrero Palma, Marduk, Taurino vs Atomic Star, Black Dragón, Kanon, Mexica, Shadow Boy and Eligro, Flayman, Neza King, Pandemónium, Quetzal and Baggera, Jhon Tito, Payachucho, Stone Magic, Último Conde [cage, mask, hair]
Gym Zeuz (Marduck/DT Oficial 911) vs Gym FILL (Mexica/DT Mexica) vs Gym Zaetas del RIng (Flayman/DT Freelance) vs Gym Arena 23 de Junio (Stone Magic/DT Angel o Demonio)
Someone you’ve barely heard of will lose their mask or hair in a cage match. Turtles versus Evil Turtles is more exciting. It’s a rare Sunday FILL show because the bigger show on Thursday.
Camalucha (SUN) 08/19/2018 Centro Civico de la Colonia el Chamizal, Ecatepec, Estado de México
1) Momia Mx I & Momia Mx II vs Antrax & Magneto
2) Garlik, Rey David, Yiko vs Jesdro, Karma, Súper Karma
3) Coquito Amarillo & Pequeño Jaque Mate vs Panterita & Pequeño Skayde
4) Rayo Tapatío vs Cachetada
5) Príncipe Odín, Súper Comando, Yago vs Bengala (CMLL), Leono, Retro
6) Cholo (CMLL), Euforia, Pólvora vs Flyer, Magnus, Rey Bucanero
Camalucha, promoted by former CMLL opening match wrestler Camaleon, is my favorite tiny promotion to look at the lineups. It’s probably because I’ve watched too much CMLL, and seeing the guys who are forever in the openers being in top matches is just weird. This is a Cholo 25th Anniversary celebration, which means he’s been wrestling since 1993. He’s been on the fringes of CMLL since 2004.
CMLL (MON) 08/20/2018 Arena Puebla
1) Asturiano, Centella Roja, Millenium vs Ares, Espíritu Maligno, Sombra Diabólika
2) Shockercito vs Joker [lightning]
3) Lestat, Pegasso, Tritón vs Cancerbero, Nitro, Policeman
4) Ángel de Oro, Matt Taven, Niebla Roja vs Ephesto, Mephisto, Templario
5) Cavernario, La Bestia Del Ring, Rush vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]
Main event seems like a trios title set up, except Terrible isn’t back yet. It might be two weeks away, since Shockercito/Joker still isn’t happening yet.