CMLL treats the world to another Cl4n versus Guerreros match tonight in Arena Mexico, this time for the CMLL trios championship. This is the eight match they’ve had in the last three months, counting the one where LA Park replaced Euforia. Maybe one of them has been good. That’s not a good ratio. The Cl4n are 5-2, only losing last week and the one before their end of July break. This is a terrible direction, but it seems like CMLL should be committing to it longer if they believe so much into it, and that makes the Guerreros winning the title back very unlikely. On the other hand, maybe the turnout is the guide: last week’s show, where this feud was the only thing of note, was the lowest turnout since LA Park showed up. Perhaps that’s a one week dropoff following Aniverasrio, but maybe they should have a chat with the people working the ticket window before they decide tonight’s result.
If Cl4n lose the trios titles tonight, they would tie the reign of Tanahashi, Taichi and Okumura as shortest trios title reign. That was quick because Tanahashi was going back to Japan. It doesn’t seem like the Cl4n is going anywhere.
Michael Elgin returns to CMLL in the semimain, as a preview of the Gran Prix. He’s in as a tecnico, as he has been the last two teams, teaming with feature opponents in Caristico & Volador against Sanson, Cuatrero and Cavernario. Their cousin Forastero is one match down, teaming with vets Negro Casas & Rey Bucanero against Misitco, Hijo de LA Park and Soberano.
Felino and Valiente meet in the lightning match. Felino’s won the last two times they’ve met in singles matches. Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja teaming up with Flyer to face Templario, Ephesto and Mephisto seems good on paper, but I haven’t thought much of Ephesto & Mephisto of lately. The opener is a trios match, rare outside of big shows, with Princesa Sugehit, La Jarochita, and La Guerrera facing Dalys, Metalica and Reyna Isis
It’ll air at 8:30pm on Marca (currently region blocked) and Facebook. I should be around to stream it totally illegally on YouTube. A loyal CMLL fan was coming into that chat complaining about me doing that and now I can’t monetize my channel and I’m wondering if those two things might just be related.
Lucha Central has a preview of the show.
Nueva Generacion Dinamita are asking for the next trios champion match against whoever wins the tonight. They’re set on unifying the two sets of trios titles, which CMLL is not going to do but sounds good in a promo.
Telegraph has a profile of Microman, similar to other ones recently. This one says Microman’s finish is called “Zero Gravity” (or maybe “Gravedad Cero”), and mentions the microstars are currently guaranteed two matches per month.
CMLL looks back at Dr. Wagner Jr. winning the 2003 Gran Prix with a picture of Ultimo Dragon. I thought they were just avoiding highlighting people at first, but now I think they just want to push the international-ness of the competition by focusing on the most successful foreigner in each match.
Sunday’s AAA TV taping is supposed to be the last big build up to Dr. Wagner Jr. versus Jeff Jarrett, the main event hair match of Heroes Inmortales a month from now. It may not be. Dr. Wagner posted a poster for a different show for Sunday, an indie show in El Paso. I guess that means he’s not making the AAA show, though it’s never that clear with Wagner. The AAA main event is currently scheduled to be Dr. Wagner & Psycho Clown vs Hijo del Fantasma & Jeff Jarrett. AAA should announce something, probably won’t.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter explained the odd appearance of Mascarita Sagrada on last Friday’s TV taping. One of AAA’s sponsors (not specified which one) has an advertising campaign including Sagrada, so AAA decided it would be a good idea to use him. A different sponsor is using Blue Demon Jr., so he might be back as well. It seems concerning companies which sponsor AAA wrestlers don’t see them as big enough stars to use them in commercial campaigns. There’s also a mention Park wasn’t happy about losing the main event and maybe it’s the beginning of the end for him for now.
Daga may be on his way back to AAA. EMW, their Tijuana promoter, announced Daga would be appearing on their 10/27 show. Daga’s wrestled exclusively for The Crash in Tijuana’s Auditorio since last January. Konnan being back in AAA and Daga being brought into MLW allied with Konnan seemed like a sign they were all at least talking again, and this would seem to confirm that. Daga is listed on the 10/06 The Crash show (iron man match with Hechicero) but who knows beyond that. Penta, Fenix, and Rey Mysterio have all previously left AAA to wrestle for the Crash and then returned to AAA. The only people in that Rebelion group not to go back to AAA are Zorro (who wasn’t in the group for long) and Garza (who isn’t wrestling right now.) All three continued to work for The Crash at the same time, but Rey’s obviously done now and Fenix hasn’t been mentioned after he missed the 09/08 show to work AAA.
Aerostar teased leaving AAA in a series of Twitter posts last night. Aerostar has been part of AAA for his whole career, and would not be able to be “Aerostar” if he left AAA. He’s also been one of the more loyal defenders of AAA when others have left and said negative things about AAA in the last couple of years. Now that many of those people are back, he seems to be out of the mix a little bit – though he’s still being booked regularly on the tapings, which is better than most. Aerostar also seemed to really love the match with Jake Strong, which is obviously different than my feelings about his match, so it’s tougher for me to figure out what he wants. I don’t think this will amount to much but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Drago will be wrestling in CZW on 10/13, facing John Silver. Silver wrestled Puma King last year. This paragraph feels related to the last paragraph.
AAA held a press event to talk about it’s TV show on Space, which sort of treated it like it was an unknown thing even though they’ve been on the channel since January. I assume that means it’s an unknown thing to most potential viewers. They remain on Televisa’s Nu9ve (Galavision), in a situation everyone’s been expecting to change at any time but still hasn’t.
AAA has been doing a series of “Yo Soy” videos to introduce their wrestlers to new fans, and they’re up to Hijo del Vikingo today.
Gas stations employees, whose video mimicking lucha libre spots went viral, will wrestle on the Saturday AAA show in Torreon. La Aficion says they’ve been training with Silver King.
Puma King has a video about his weekend wrestling in the US.
IWRG’s annual Castillo del Terror cage match will be on Thursday 11/01.
Fuerza Guerrera talks about his career in an article that seems cut off part way thru.
LuchaWorld has the latest news update.
The Rey Pantera vs Rey Infierno mask match scheduled for Arena Xalapa on 10/20 appears to be off, though there still will be a show that day.
Gallo Sureno passed away.
Funcion Estelar visits Intruso Jr.’s school in Pachuca.
Lineups
AAA TV , ELITE (FRI) 10/19/2018 Arena Naucalpan
1) Faby Apache, La Hiedra, Vanilla vs Keyra, Lady Maravilla, Starfire
2) Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana vs Ciclón Ramírez, Golden Magic, Jack Evans
3) Aerostar, Bengala, Hijo Del Vikingo vs Demus, Emperador Azteca, Imposible
4) Joe Lider & Pagano vs Laredo Kid & Taurus
5) Dr. Wagner Jr. & Psycho Clown vs Electroshock & Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr.
This appears to be the next taping after Sunday’s show, but 20 days off seems like the old times of spring 2018. What’s definitely not old is Electroshock being in every single Elite main event. AAA can take one group of people out of the first three matches and put a new group in, but they can’t change the people who are in the main events no matter who’s in charge. Electroshock has been granted status of permanent main eventer for as long as he shall live.
Bengala makes it back on TV. He also showed up on the AAA Twitch stream yesterday, probably to make sure rumors of his demise were not taken seriously. The bottom half of this card does look good, though I wonder who Jack Evans has angered to be working low on the card against fellow rudos. I wonder if the IWRG fans will support Imposible and Emperador Azteca (and if they’ll taunt Golden Magic.)
When are we getting a Demus vs Dinastia match?