CMLL (MON) 01/14/2019 Arena Puebla [CMLL, Lucha Central]
1) Astro, Millenium, Rey Samuray b Black Tiger, Perverso, Sombra Diabólika 
Tecnicos took 1/3.
2) Halcón Suriano Jr., Robin, Tigre Rojo Jr. b El Malayo, Policeman, Toro Bill Jr.
Tecnicos took 2/3. They had matching gear, though it’s unclear if that means anything.
3) Súper Muñeco, Súper Pinocho, Súper Ratón b Gallego, Rocky Santana, Romano García
Trio Fantasia took falls 1/3. A poor match.
4) Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto b Niebla Roja, Stigma, Stuka Jr.
Rudos took 1/3. Luicferno beat Niebla Roja, asked for a title match. Roja accepted.
5) Rush, Vangellys, Villano IV DQ Euforia, Kráneo, Valiente [Relevos Increíbles]
Straight falls. Euforia fouled Rush. V4 said Rush was more of a rudo than Euforia and he and Vangellys would continue to have his back. Rush and Euforia built up their match for Friday.
The legends match sounds like it went very poorly. Luciferno challenging is a bit random but perhaps there’s an urgent need for a title change.
CMLL announced last night that the Universal tournament is returning. l tournament will return next month. CMLL’s tournament of champions is meant to be an annual thing, one they didn’t seem to get around to in 2018. The timing of it suggests another annual tournament, the incredible pairs tag team tournament, might be getting bumped to a later date or to non-existence.
The Universal tournament will have blocks on February 1st and February 8th, with the final on 15th. It also currently has too many people. CMLL typically has 16 champions entered in the tournament. They’re over that number, in part because CMLL’s brought back the national heavyweight championship since the last time they ran this tournament. The current champions are:
- Volador Jr. [NWA Welterweight]
- Caristico [NWA Middleweight]
- Stuka Jr. [NWA Light Heavyweight]
- Dragon Lee [CMLL Lightweight]
- Mephisto [CMLL Middleweight]
- Cuatrero [CMLL Welterweight, Mexico Trios]
- Niebla Roja [CMLL Light Heavyweight]
- Valiente [CMLL Tag Team]
- Diamante Azul [CMLL Tag Team]
- Ultimo Guerrero [CMLL Trios, CMLL Heavyweight]
- Gran Guerrero [CMLL Trios]
- Euforia [CMLL Trios]
- Sanson [Mexico Trios]
- Forastero [Mexico Trios]
- Electrico [Mexico Lightweight]
- Soberano [Mexico Welterweight]
- Cavernario [Mexico Light Heavyweight]
- Terrible [Mexican Heavyweight]
Electrico’s title (and Electrico himself) has been ignored since moving up to the main division, so that’s one to drop. It’s harder to figure out the second one to drop. Luciferno taking a title with Niebla Roja wouldn’t take change the count. Atlantis, Niebla Roja and Titan winning the national titles in Tokyo would actually create one more champion. There’s not really much time left to do title changes that would create one less champion, though we’ve seen CMLL pull title changes out of nowhere strictly to make the math work in the past.
CMLL has a less interesting Tuesday show tonight. It’s not like the CMLL Tuesday shows are generally good, but this one seems more unnecessary than usual. Kraneo & Volcano bring their Gorillas del Ring act to the main event, teaming with Niebla Roja against Shocker, Rey Bucanero, and Mephisto. The Panther family teams up against Luciferno, Polvora, and Felino in the semi-main. Sagrado & Tiger have a lightning match between guys who were definitely good at one point but haven’t looked motivated to have great matches in some time. Drone, Pegasso, and Stigma take on Misterioso, Universo, and Kawato in the tercera. The show includes an opener and a Nitro level match. It starts at 7:30 pm.
Fantastica Mania finishes up the pre-Korakuen Hall show run tomorrow morning at 4 am (CT/Mexico time) in Chiba’s Makuhari Messe. Chiba is close to Tokyo, so there’s a good chance the CMLL luchadors are just based there for the next week. This show, and every remaining Fantastica Mania show will stream on NJPW World.
The lineup has a little bit more going on the tour opening show did, with the top two matches being the first round of the CMLL Family tournament. Atlantis Jr. has rebounded from losing his first two matches on this tour to win the following two. He and his father are still significant underdogs against the NGD pair of Cuatrero & Sanson. Dragon Lee & Mistico are favorites to beat Flyer & Volador, though the outcome there isn’t as interesting as the chance to see a clash of tecnicos unlike which would normally be booked in Arena Mexico.
The undercard includes Templario getting his one chance to team up with the Guerreros on these shows, facing the legends trio of Liger, Tiger Mask, and Caristico. Audaz gets a higher position than usual, teaming with Angel de Oro & Soberano against Barbaro Cavernario, Namajague, and Okumura. This card could be interesting, and I might find myself watching it live tomorrow morning. There will be a recap sometime Wednesday even if I sleep in.
Mexa Wrestling on 02/23 (“New Idols” in Arena San Juan)
Pretty sure everyone Mexa Wrestling books either fits or doesn’t fit as New Idols. Garza & Metaleon are both new in a world where a Trio Fantastia/Los Diabolicos match happened in Puebla but are not really new to people who follow Mexa Wrestling. Maybe it’ll make more sense later.
In a clip from an interview on Marca, El Hijo del Santo says Todo x el Todo has plans of returning this summer (though that might be London shows again.) A luchador who seemingly was wrestling primarily to get his son bookings is not going to be wrestling much when he son has gone back to school.
An interview with Monclova’s Rebelde Rojo Jr, who’s been wrestling since 1993. He suffered a heart attack, was told to stop wrestling, stop wrestling for a year and a half, and then decided he liked wrestling too much to stop.
Chicago’s Yakuza explains he decided to become a wrestling promoter because the promoters he was working for were shorting him on pay. He mentions there’s still a promoter in the area who don’t pay their wrestlers and doesn’t let those wrestlers work with his ones.
One of Enrique Llanes’ sons (not Javier) talks about his father’s career. He says he and his brother didn’t know his father was a wrestler until long after he retired. He had a second career as a sports radio/TV host.
+LuchaTV has a new edition of their podcast.
Did You Know: LA Park wants an apuesta match with Rush, says Rush needs huevos.
LuchaWorld has this week’s Poster-Mania.
Lineups
CMLL (SAT) 01/19/2019 Arena Coliseo
1) Kaligua & Último Dragóncito vs Mercurio & Pierrothito
2) Astral, Halcón Suriano Jr., Príncipe Diamante vs Cancerbero, Grako, Raziel
3) Star Jr., Stigma, Súper Astro Jr. vs Sagrado, Tiger, Virus
4) Pegasso vs Kawato San [lightning]
5) Esfinge, Stuka Jr., Tritón vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Felino, Pólvora
6) Diamante Azul, Kráneo, Niebla Roja vs Máscara Año 2000, Rey Bucanero, Shocker
The big news here is AAA no longer has the worst looking main event on Saturday night.
Super Astro Jr. clearly being ahead of the ex-minis is somewhat interesting.
CMLL (SUN) 01/20/2019 Arena México
1) Bengala & Sonic vs El Coyote & Príncipe Odín Jr.
2) Angelito, Fantasy, Shockercito vs Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Universo 2000
3) Drone, Robin, Súper Astro Jr. vs Disturbio, Misterioso Jr., Virus
4) Tritón vs Universo 2000 Jr. [lightning]
5) Black Panther, Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr. vs Hijo del Villano III, Vangellys, Villano IV
6) La Bestia Del Ring, Rush, Shocker vs Diamante Azul, Niebla Roja, Valiente [Relevos Increíbles]
Diamante Azul is fully back to have lackluster matches with Rush. Panthers & Villanos have old history. Vangellys is a fan of old history.