I’ve brought back the Tapatia lucha libre awards for 2018. You can vote here until the end of the month. We’re already up to half as many voters as last year!
CMLL (TUE) 01/08/2019 Arena México [CMLL, Lucha Central, R de Rudo, The Gladiatores]
1) El Coyote & Grako b Bengala & Sonic 
Rudos took 1/3.
2) Amapola, Dalys, Metálica b La Jarochita, Princesa Sugehit, Skadi
Rudas took 2/3.
3) Audaz, Flyer, Titán b Kawato San, Okumura, Virus
Tecnicos took 2/3.
4) Ángel de Oro b Templario [lightning]
Angel de Oro won 6:07
5) Gran Guerrero, Terrible, Último Guerrero b Carístico, Soberano Jr., Volador Jr.
Rudos took 1/3.
6) Dragón Lee, Místico, Rush b Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
CMLL promos: Titan/Audaz/Flyer, Okumura, Mistico, Angel de Oro, Terrible, and NGD, all talking about going to Japan. CMLL tells their fans to watch social media & their website for more (not mentioning njpwworld.com.)
This show sounds like it was ok/good, though everyone heading to the airport after this one was over did affect the show a bit.
CMLL (TUE) 01/08/2019 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) Mágico, Magnum, Rielero b Furia Roja, Maléfico, Tyson La Bestia
tecnicos took 1/3
2) La Comandante, La Seductora, Tiffany b La Guerrera, Marcela, Mystique
Mystique replaced Vaquerita. Rudas took 2/3.
3) Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Vangellys b Blue Panther Jr., Star Black, Stigma
Stigma & Star Black replaced Fuego & Black Panther. Rudos took 1/3.
4) Ephesto, Euforia, Rey Bucanero b Kráneo, Valiente, Volcano
Rudos took 2/3.
5) Niebla Roja b Mephisto
Niebla Roja took 2/3, though the third fall sounds like it included the referee counting a pinfall that wasn’t supposed to be the finish. Mephisto attacked the referee, then he and Niebla Roja continued the match for a little while longer before Mephisto fouled Niebla Roja.
Good to know the Guadalajara referees are up to Mexico City standards. Fuego missing a show is now Interesting since he hasn’t been seen since 12/17. Still need to wait a couple week to see if he’s escaped.
This seems like a teaser tweet for CMLL’s Guadalajara broadcast changing channels but, with CMLL, it could be a second TV channel airing the same wrestling.
That’s not the interesting TV situation today. The big rumor/theory/guesswork of 2018 TV situations was AAA’s deal with Space was a precursor of AAA & Televisa parting ways. A lot of people expected it to happen at some point, but it was simply business as usual most of the year with AAA airing on both Space & Televisa. That may have changed.
Dr. Lucha, in this week’s Figure Four Weekly ($), mentioned AAA was no longer on Televisa. I didn’t think this was correct at first, I was pretty sure AAA aired last Saturday on Televisa. The TV listings say that’s correct – but they also say AAA is not airing on Televisa this week. A music show takes the spot.
There are some important caveats here. Mexico TV listings are frequently incorrect, so I wouldn’t count this as certain until Saturday comes (or AAA says something.) Also, AAA shows are continuing to air on Televisa’s cable sports channel, TDN, as they have for the last few years. If you live in Mexico and get cable, you still can watch AAA, but that’s a downgrade from being over the air.
AAA hasn’t said something. I probably need to ask, though this seems like something that would’ve been brought up in a media event yesterday. It does stick out now that AAA’s been mentioning the Wednesday night TDN airing of their show a little bit more often.
(Standard anti-confusion disclaimer: Televisa owned AAA at the outset, came up with the name, but hasn’t had any ownership in the promotion in many years.)
Psicosis (Ripper) posted a video on Facebook saying Histeria is in bad health (heart issue) and asking for fans to send donations. There’s a bank account listed in the comments to that post (which doesn’t seem to have gotten into many of the reposts of that video.)
Sammy Guevera will defend the AAA Cruiserweight championship against Laredo Kid in Tijuana on a non-televised AAA/EMW show on 02/01. This is his first defense. Guevera has been wrestling in DDT for months, not available for AAA to use. Though that might have been a reason not put the cruiserweight title on him right then when they could’ve saved it for later. It probably doesn’t matter.
Dave the Clown mentioned Killer Kross or LAX as people from Impact he’d like to face. The AAA interviews gave off a sense that most of those wrestlers believe there’s a good shot they’ll be on the Impact taping this week.
KAOZ says they’ll have the debut of LA Park Jr. at some point. This is a different son than Hijo de LA Park.
Reporte Indigo talks to Mascara 2000 about his career and his start in wrestling. He did not watch wrestling growing up, and only got involved with it after Cien Caras lived in the US for a time and discovered it there.
Representatives of The Crash arrived in China yesterday to talk about 2019 plans. (This makes me skeptical of a report that OWE is going to work with AAA.)
LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.
El Grafico Morelos writes about Dragon Chino Jr.
Lineups
CMLL (SUN) 01/13/2019 Arena México
1) Angelito & Shockercito vs Mercurio & Pierrothito
2) Avispa Dorada, La Maligna, Sanely vs Amapola, La Comandante, Tiffany
3) Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Kawato San, Universo 2000 Jr., Virus
4) Blue Panther, Esfinge, Tritón vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Vangellys
5) Stuka Jr. vs Hechicero [NWA LH]
2nd defense
6) Euforia, Rey Bucanero, Shocker vs Kráneo, Niebla Roja, Valiente
NJPW doesn’t usually show back to back weeks of Sunday shows, so it’s likely either they’ll get the Reyes del Aire or a rematch of a really good title match. It is frustrating that CMLL won’t put those matches on the show that stream (or stream this show instead), but CMLL does not really care about streaming.
I’d be surprised if the title switched back quickly.
IWRG (SUN) 01/13/2019 Arena Naucalpan
1) Chicanito vs Neza Kid
2) Chef Benito & Juan Diego vs Atomic Star & Death Metal
3) Gato De Ecatepec, Manchitas, Metaleón vs Ra-Zhata, Shaolin, Shil-Kah
4) Demonio Infernal, Eterno, Lunatic Xtreme vs Liderk, Rayan, Spector
5) Freelance, Multifacetico 2.0, Súper Nova vs Galeno Del Mal, Multifacetico (Puebla), Último Gladiador
6) Capo del Norte & Capo del Sur vs Rokambole Jr. & Villano V Jr. and Dragón Bane & Hijo de Canis Lupus and Aramis & Imposible
7) Oficial 911 & Oficial AK47 vs Leo & Mike © [IWRG IC TAG]
first defense
Oficials are suddenly back and involved in everything, so a title switch here seems more possible.
Now you have the awards?…. I deleted the info I was keeping so I could participate. I don’t remember the dates for the matches I would have voted for, let alone the names of the newbies in my Number 2 match of the year.
AAA was broadcasted saturday evening after Reventon Musical. I think it still air this weekend…at least