Tonight once again has AAA & CMLL running at basically the same time. Both shows are listed as 8:30 pm start on the poster, though that means AAA will be starting about a half hour later. Both shows are streaming free as usual.
CMLL has the more important of the shows, though it still doesn’t feel like the Anniversario is just one week away. Maybe they’ll get that across, as Bestia, Rush & Cavernario face Caristico, Matt Taven and Volador for the third time in four weeks. The main event will be more about creating hype for next week than producing a good match tonight.
The bigger thing for tonight is Gilbert el Boricua, the former Mesias, making his debut. Whatever name he uses, he was one of the better wrestlers in Mexico for years. Gilbert’s performances seemed reduced in AAA the last few years due to various injuries, but he was still having strong matches in Lucha Underground as Mil Muertes around the same time. He’s had mixed performances since returning from double knee surgery earlier this year. CMLL’s given the outsiders they’ve brought this year fair opportunities to have fun matches, and Gilbert looks like he’s getting the same. He’ll probably eventually hed into a feud with Ultimo Guerrero, but starts tonight against old rival L.A. Park in a trios match. Negro Casas, Mephisto, Mistico, and Atlantis round out the match.
The return of the Micros is the other big news of the night. Microman and amigos have generally been kept off the streams, especially the main Friday shows, for most of this year. This will only be the third time they make a CMLL’s streaming show, the first time on a Friday month in 13 months. They’ve wrestled a decent amount on non-streamed CMLL shows and Microman seems to be one of the more in-demand CMLL guys on indie shows. It could be a way to keep the Micros fresh by not seeing them often, it could just be CMLL weirdness. Either way, it’s usually a fun occasion to see them. They’ll have a three fall match tonight.
The fourth match is Esfinge, Soberano and Triton against Dragon Rojo, Hechicero and Templario, which could be good. Dalys & Reyna Isis have a lightning match for some reason. Pegasso & Principe Diamante face Signo & Metalico in a skippable opener.
Marca will stream the show on their own website and on Facebook at 8:30 pm. I think I’m streaming on YouTube today. (I probably won’t be streaming next week.)
Lucha Central has a preview of the show.
CMLL looks back at Rush vs Shocker, Matt Taven winning the ROH Trios titles, and Ringo Mendoza vs Angel Blanco.
AAA starts a weekend of two tapings (and a profitable non-taped show) tonight in Cancun. They’ve got a five-match card, which is unusual. AAA tapings are usually at least six matches, allowing them to split it into TV tapings with at least three matches on each show. Maybe this the first one taping show of the year, and a couple of these matches won’t make it on TV (or maybe YouTube.)
It may not be a big deal. This is the part I write every year: the beach vacation shows usually don’t make for good AAA events on TV. They surely are good for the wrestlers and the people vacationing, but they’re usually house show level efforts and low on storyline development. The luchadors are all hanging out the Hard Rock Hotel for most of the weekend, doing some activities with fans who bought vacation packages, and doing these shows since they’re there already. This year, they’re not streaming the actual show from the resort, but two tapings they’re doing around it. It’s still the same concept.
AAA tried to make the shows meaningful holding a golden guitar tournament last year. The tournament wasn’t good and I bet you can’t remember who won without looking it up, so I’m ok if AAA doesn’t try this year. It’s for the best that AAA keeps doing these shows – among other reasons, it’s nice for everyone to have some easier stuff after TripleMania season, in the same way that FantasticaMania is a nice change of pace for NJPW after their big show – but do not go into this weekend’s shows expecting killer matches.
The scheduled main event has the unusual team of Fenix & Psycho Clown taking on Brina Cage & Hijo del Fantasma. A Fenix/Fantasma title match was hinted at before Fenix even won the title, though Cage might be the more immediate issue as they’re scheduled to wrestle on Sunday. In case you’ve missed it, my impression is Fenix is with AAA all weekend and not working The Crash show on Saturday.
Los Mercenarios try to continue their run of success against Pagano, Aerostar, and Maximo. Texano won the Guitara de Oro tournament, by the way. Golden Magic & Jack Evans versus Laredo Kid & Sammy Guevera seems like just matching up whoever was left available, though it might still be good. Poder del Norte will probably keep winning against Angelikal, Australian Suicide, and Hijo del Vikingo, a side that really doesn’t make any sense. (Golden Magic and Suicide should swap matches.) The opener is an all women’s match of Lady Shani, Lady Maravilla and Vanilla facing Keyra, La Hiedra and Impact’s Scarlett Bordeaux. I’ve seen Scarlett locally in Chicago a lot, and she’s got experience working in ROH’s Women of Honor division too. She can do spots well – the Canadian Destroyer on Trevor Lee on one of the AAW shows last week was perfect – but this is still going to be a challenging weekend in the ring for her.
AAA streams on Twitch around 9pm tonight. You can never tell for sure. It’ll be available on VOD for subscribers to that service. If nothing changes, the show will start to show up on YouTube on November 17th. That’s two months away, so something will surely have changed.
Lucha Central has a preview of the show.
Heddi Karaoui was in Cancun conducting a wrestling seminar. He says he’s going to be in The Crash soon, which I assume is a singles match with Daga.
Friday night is elimination night on Exatlon Mexico. Dragon Lee seems in no danger of being cut from the length reality show, but I guess you never know. Over on Televisa’s rival beach reality competition show Reto 4 Elementos, a team of luchadors had a chance to win their way on to their show by displacing an existing cast member. Ciclon Ramirez, Mini Rey Misterio (Octagoncito) and Diosa Quetzal all lost in their head to head challenges, while Lady Flammer did win a spot. That means Flammer, like Dragon Lee, is off any wrestling shows until she’s eliminated (and maybe for some time after), including Saturday’s The Crash show.
That’s a strange grab bag team of luchadors. An AAA team appeared on the previous season and were the first team eliminated. Pasala’s El Planchitas column says Reto 4 Elementos asked AAA to send a team again and AAA said no after how bad that first experience had been. It reads like CMLL wasn’t interested – and might not be able to send people to rival reality shows anyway – so the producers had to find an indie team.
Kaoz is listing a mystery person in Zorro’s slot for their show in Monterrey on Sunday. Caristico & Barbaro Cavernario have been announced for their next show on 10/08.
LuchaWorld has the latest news update and a new edition of the podcast.
Lineups
CMLL (TUE) 09/11/2018 Arena México
1) Leono & Sangre Imperial vs Apocalipsis & Yago
2) Magnus, Robin, Star Jr. vs Cancerbero, Metálico, Nitro
3) Fuego, Pegasso, Stigma vs Kawato San, Okumura, Tiger
4) Black Panther, Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr. vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Hechicero, Shocker
5) Atlantis, Kráneo, Valiente vs Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
6) Volador Jr. vs Cavernario
Volador and Cavernario had great singles matches in the past. They’re probably not going to be in a position to have a great match three days before one of the biggest matches of their career.
CMLL (TUE) 09/11/2018 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Explosivo, Luminoso, Magnum vs Difunto, Maléfico, Ráfaga
2) Arkalis, Oro Jr., Súper Astro Jr. vs Akuma, Espanto Jr., Hijo del Signo
3) Drone, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa vs Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Virus
4) Diamante Azul, Matt Taven, Stuka Jr. vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero
5) Carístico vs Rush
Rush also gets a singles match three days out before the big match. I’m now surprised he’s not also getting one on Monday. Arkalis makes his Guadalajara debut.