CMLL announcing the Anniversario for weeks from now leaves this interim as not exactly interesting. Everyone knows the big matches, and there’s not a lot that can change with them in between now and the Anniversario (unless you’re a true believer that the match is going to be changed after TripleMania.) CMLL’s handled this period of time by running the Universal tournament but isn’t doing that this week. Naito & BUSHI (and maybe just those two) will make it interesting next week, but there’s still a couple of other Friday nights to get thru.
Tonight’s main event will be a build-up match for the double hair match, a rematch of Rush, La Bestia del Ring, and Cavernario taking on Volador, Matt Taven, and Caristico. They’re going to be challenged to sell their apuesta match to a crowd that may have already made up their mind about it. It’s going to be tougher with LA Park in the building. There was reasonable belief Park would get pulled from this show by saying CMLL was lying about why the Rush/Park match was happening. I think he probably shouldn’t have been booked in the first place. Park being in CMLL alone is enough to get people upset about Park and Rush not fighting. I like seeing Park and I do not want him to disappear, but CMLL probably should’ve made him disappear while they’re pushing another match.
Anyway. With Volador scheduled to face LIJ next week, I suspect Matt Taven is going to face either Rush & Cavernario in a singles match to give him something to do and to give the card something different. Maybe they’ll set it up here.
The Guerreros and LA Park face Klan Kaoz in a match that’ll definitely exist. Hijo de LA Park’s mandatory appearance teams him with cousin Flyer & Soberano against Hechicero, Mephisto, and Negro Casas in a more promising match. Angel de Oro and Titan meet in a singles match for the first in seven years, back when Titan was still Palacio Negro. Both can fall back into a formula match, and it’ll be interesting to see if having a tecnico/tecnico match brings anything different out of them.
The second match is worthwhile to see if Audaz, Triton, Templario, and Virus can have a good segunda despite having Esfinge & Kawato involved. Angelito makes a rare Friday night appearance, teaming with Ultimo Dragonicto against Mercurio & Pequeno Nitro.
Lucha Central has a preview. The show starts at 8:30pm on Marca and Facebook, though there’s no link to the later. I think I’m streaming.
NJPW’s press release on Los Ingobernables de Japon coming to CMLL next week only mentions Naito & BUSHI. CMLL had said EVIL was coming as well. I guess we’ll find out in that lineup.
Mistique & La Maligna will wrestle on a 10/02 REINA show and another show on 10/26. These luchadora tours of Japan seem to involve once about every three weeks, less than in Mexico. It doesn’t make sense to me how that can work from a money standpoint but it’s not my money and I’m not sure I want to know.
Arturo Rivera says El Apache and Dr. Alfonso Morales will be added to AAA Hall of Fame at TripleMania. They’re both deserving inductions. The Hall of Fame presentation is scheduled to take place during the pre-show.
Bandido will face El Phantasmo in Revolution Pro’s British J Cup on 09/08. Flamita’s match is still to be announced.
El Hijo del Santo writes about Villano III.
LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.