Michael Elgin and Ultimo Guerrero meet tonight in the main event of Arena Mexico’s show. Elgin beat Guerrero last week. They before in 2016, which CMLL aired as a $1 live PPV. That match was very good and won by Ultimo Guerrero, and I suspect the same will happen tonight.
Ultimo Guerrero’s next feud should be his previous feud with CL4N, but the CL4N seems to be vanishing. Scharly Rockstar was not around last week. Ciber the Main Man was listed on this week’s show, and later replaced by Hechicero. The Chris is the only member left standing. He seemed to be doing the best of the three, so there’s some hope for him, Hechiceor and Cavernario facing Mistico, Volador, and LA Park. Park seemed annoyed with Ciber’s performance last week, and that’s a plausible reason why CMLL might not put them in the same ring again.
Atlantis, David Finlay, and Hijo de LA Park take on Shocker, Rey Bucanero and La Bestia del Ring, which doesn’t seem a good mix of wrestlers. Titan was at one time scheduled in the third match but was quietly replaced by Esfinge there. That suggests Titan hasn’t yet been cleared to return. Soberano & Audaz will instead team with Esfinge against the Revolucionarios and Templario.
The women’s match is a virtual rematch of last week. Amapola steps in for La Metalica, teaming with Reyna Isis & Dalys against Marcela, La Jarochita and Avispa Dorada. The opener is similar to last week’s show too, just with two last people. Robin & Star Jr. team this time around, against Akuma & Camorra. That match last week teased a Signo/Camorra feud, which was awful. Perhaps Camorra will try feuding with someone better.
(Sidebar: Ovaciones has Bestia in semimain and Hechicero in the fourth. I wonder if that was a plan at some point until they decided to stick with the “no fathers versus sons” rule.)
CMLL is back to being on Marca on Friday nights for the foreseeable future. You can watch them on their website (currently regionblocked) and on Facebook (no link up yet.) I’ll be streaming on YouTube.
Lucha Central has a preview of the show.
The article of the day is in El Grafico, where Fuego complains strongly about never being given a chance in CMLL. Fuego wants matches against the likes of Terrible, Hechicero or Cavernario and isn’t getting them. Fuego feels he has the ability to wrestle those guys but hasn’t been the opportunities while others have gotten them. Fuego argues that he’s had chances to wrestle top wrestlers in Japan (Ricochet, Lyger, and Tanahashi mentioned) but not in his home country and can’t understand it. Fuego says this is his goal for 2019. If he can’t achieve that, he will have “grab my bags and leave” – he doesn’t want to be stuck in the position he’s in forever.
This was all from an interview in Arena Mexico. There’s video of it here. It was probably set up by CMLL, since it came out on the usual interview schedule If this was any other promotion, it’d seem like a setup for some sort of angle. It is strange that Fuego was hyped last month as one of the guys who are the future of CMLL and now is a guy who doesn’t seem a future in CMLL, but that first list never made any sense. Fuego probably should be moved up, but I’m also not sure I believe his threat. Guys who threaten to leave are usually not that interested in actually leaving, they’re just desperate for something to change so they can comfortably stay. I think Puma King had the same sort of complaints, and he just started exploring his options instead of making his comments publically known. I will believe Fuego is really thinking about leaving when he starts to take bookings outside of the CMLL sphere.
The timing of Fuego’s complaint might be related to the FantasticaMania details being revealed. A press release says CMLL will be sending 20 luchadors, which is the same number that were scheduled last year. Here’s last year’s 20:
Atlantis, Místico, Volador Jr., Dragón Lee, Niebla Roja, Ángel de Oro,, Soberano Jr., Fuego, Drone, Star Jr., Rush, Último Guerrero, Negro Casas, Gran Guerrero, Bárbaro Cavernario, Sansón, Cuatrero, Okumura, Puma, Disturbio
There are some obvious people who won’t be back. I think we can be pretty sure Drone will not be making a return trip. Puma’s left. Disturbio and Star Jr. are the rotating midcard spots. Atlantis is on every one of these but this would be the year to skip if he’s ever going to skip it – he probably should wait to go back until Atlantis Jr. is ready to go with him. Negro Casas could’ve skipped, but he ended up missing these shows and so he’s got to be a lock for this year. Dragon Lee will probably be back by then (though maybe not by next month when they announce the names.)
Drone, Puma, Disturbio, Star Jr. and Atlantis off would be five open spots. Forastero, Audaz, and Templario are strong bets to make their debuts. There will probably be one early match tecnico and one early match rudo rewarded with a spot – let’s say it’s Robin & Akuma to pick names. If CMLL wants to add anyone else – perhaps Flye, since he won the Gran Alternativa, or Kraneo since he’s been pushed hard – then you have to start bumping off guys like Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja or Fuego. Perhaps Fuego found out he got bumped off and that triggered his rant. I don’t know, but the timing matches up.
Reporte Indigo has an interview with Avispa Dorada, happy to be living her dream of wrestling in Mexico. Like Costa Rica’s Sonya, Avispa mentions she mostly wrestled men in her home country because there were no luchadoras to face.
CMLL starts a look back at the top 10 moments of Blue Panther’s career, starting with being the first middleweight champion and training Halcon Suriano.
CMLL has a new video up promoting classes. Virus is teaching Tuesdays & Thursdays, Ultimo Dragoncito is teaching Mondays & Thursday, Hijo del Gladiador is teaching Monday, Thursday and Saturday and Tony Salazar is teaching Monday & Thursday. That’s a lot of classes on Thursday.
AAA said they won the AAA vs ELITE show in Aguascalientes. You can see a sliver of the Aerostar & Drago vs Flamita & Bandido on Facebook.
AAA posted Yo Soy Parka Negra. It is good but I would’ve liked it better if he just totally refused to break character the entire bit.
Ni Tu, Ni Yo, the new lucha libre movie including AAA wrestlers, opens in Mexico today. The lead characer in the movie is Halcon Negro, so they had a luchador who uses that name as part of the red carpet.
Bandido is being hyped as appearing in Australia at the end of November, which is odd since he’s also seemingly supposed to be in Dragon Gate at that time.
LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report, including a recap of Puma King’s interview with +Lucha and lots of Ultimo Guerrero on Informa.
The Gladiatores has an interview with Gilbert el Boricua.
+LuchaTV has the latest edition of Aqui esta la Lucha.
I want to see L.A. Park vs. Hechicero in that trios tonight.