CMLL returns to Televisa, Chavez vs Bestia/Terrible on H2L, Sexy Star in MMA

CMLL promised big news at their press conference today. They delivered big news.

CMLL will return to Televisa’s Canal 9 on March 2nd, next Saturday, at 2 pm. They are essentially taking over AAA’s spot on the network. The first show will include two matches from this Friday’s CMLL show, so it appears the matches may be airing on an eight-day delay. That was the policy when CMLL was last on Televisa, back in August of 2013. CMLL’s show will re-air on Televisa Deportes Network, which AAA’s show used to do as well. It also looks like the Zona Ruda AAA show may be relaunched as a CMLL show based on their new header. Sofia Alonso introduced the deal, as CMLL continues to put her out in front when they have good or big news to share. (She was gone before the main event was announced.)

There was no word about announcers or if this will affect the current streaming deal on Fridays. CMLL said they’d have more information tomorrow on Informa. The weird part of this story is Leo Riano reported this in the talks about two weeks ago, then backed off it last week after other sources had said there was nothing to it.

I joked about this on Twitter, but Televisa and CMLL probably are not motivated to work together if Azteca & AAA didn’t make a deal. Both the television networks and the wrestling promotions are strong rivals.

CMLL also revealed most of the information about Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. It will take place on March 15th, with the expected La Bestia del Ring & Terrible versus Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja double hair match set up last Friday. CMLL feinted as just doing the Terrible/Niebla Roja match until a post-contract signing match led Bestia and Oro to be added. The losing team will all lose their hair. Terrible/Niebla Roja would be a bit of a toss-up. Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja as a team are heavy favorites over Terrible & La Bestia del Ring.

Three other matches were announced

  • Titan, Triton, Esfinge vs Vangellys, Polvora, Hijo de Villano III
  • Caristico, Dragon Lee, Soberano vs Mephisto, Epehsto, Templario
  • Sanson, Cuatrero, Forastero vs Negro Casas, Barbaro Cavernario, Gilbert el Boricua

CMLL said the remaining matches would be announced on Informa tomorrow. I’d expect one more big name match since the Guerreros and Atlantis are noticeably missing. March 15th is the same day as ROH’s PPV in Las Vegas, so Rush will not be part of this show.

Blue Demon will be the honored luchador at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. It seems a great oversight not to have honored one of the most famous people in the history of Mexican wrestling, but CMLL has tended to honored living wrestlers in recent years, likely as a way to draw a few more fans. Blue Demon passed away in 2000, so CMLL brought in his son to talk about him. This was not Blue Demon Jr. the luchador. Instead, non-wrestling son Alejandro Munoz spoke about his father.

Tickets go on for the show tomorrow. Ticket prices are listed as running from 336 to 1476 MXP, exactly the same as last year’s Angel de Oro & Cuatrero mask match. I suspect the show will also be an iPPV though it is not currently being advertised as one.

CMLL also announced Naito would return to CMLL on March 29th. That’s the week prior to NJPW’s show in MSG, so he’s getting to North America a little early. Tae Homna, the women Marcela recently defended the women’s championship against in REINA, will come to CMLL on April 22nd.

CMLL (MON) 02/18/2019 Arena Puebla [CMLL, Lucha Central]
1) Gemelo Pantera I, Gemelo Pantera II, Tyson La Bestia b King Jaguar, Rey Samuray, Tigre Rojo Jr. LA MEJOR LUCHA LIBRE EN VIVO DESDE LA ARENA PUEBLA 18 DE FEBRERO DEL 2019 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Rudos took 1/3
2) Dalys, La Comandante, La Seductora b Marcela, Mystique, Princesa Sugehit LA MEJOR LUCHA LIBRE EN VIVO DESDE LA ARENA PUEBLA 18 DE FEBRERO DEL 2019 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Rudas took 2/3
3) Stigma, Titán, Tritón b Felino, Hechicero, Tiger LA MEJOR LUCHA LIBRE EN VIVO DESDE LA ARENA PUEBLA 18 DE FEBRERO DEL 2019 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Tecnicos took 2/3.
4) Hijo del Villano III, Último Guerrero, Villano IV b Atlantis, Dragón Lee, Vangellys LA MEJOR LUCHA LIBRE EN VIVO DESDE LA ARENA PUEBLA 18 DE FEBRERO DEL 2019 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Straight falls. UG cheated to beat Vangellys, setting up a singles match next week
5) Ángel de Oro, Kráneo, Niebla Roja DQ Euforia, La Bestia Del Ring, Terrible LA MEJOR LUCHA LIBRE EN VIVO DESDE LA ARENA PUEBLA 18 DE FEBRERO DEL 2019 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Tecnicos took 2/3. Terrible & Niebla Roja feuded, Terrible fouled Niebla Roja for the DQ.

This show did not sound good. Vangellys/UG did not have strong build.

Arena Mexico tonight has Atlantis, Mistico and Valiente against Ephesto, Luciferno and Mephisto tonight. Audaz, Flyer, and Soberano face Rey Bucanero, Templario and Kawato in the semi-main.

La Jarochita & Dalys follow up with last week’s issue with a lightning match. That’s moderately interesting with two matches still to be announced for Homenaje a Dos Leyendas and the lack of a second stip match for that show.

Guadalajara has Rush versus Ultimo Guerrero.

Ciber the Main Man told +Lucha the KL4N would be back in March a couple weeks ago. I am not confident about this statement.

Other News

I watched AAA wrestlers on an Azteca TV game show, Mi Pareja Puede. It was three hours long, which is too long for me but they kept it entertaining the whole way. (Also, not many commercials breaks helps.) This was some cross over promotion for the Lucha Azteca AAA show, though it wasn’t directly mentioned a lot. La Hiedra & Dave the Clown defeated Big Mami & Nino Hamburguesa, Lady Shani & Bengala and Carta Brava Jr. & Goya Kong. Everyone came across well. I went in thinking it was odd to have people who are not really even on AAA TV all that much representing the show on a game show, but I came out thinking you just want people who will be entertaining and have fun with the concept and they did that.

I was trying to track down a date for a match – still looking! – and I found the lineup for the second ever AAA show in Queretaro on 05/22/1992. The micros match aired so that one was in database but not the others, which moved up the AAA start date for a few people. That’s Heavy Metal’s debut as Heavy Metal for one.

Dulce Garcia – Sexy Star – will be participating in MMA fights for Combate Americas. The Wrap says she’s signed a multi-fight deal, with her first fight on 04/12 in her hometown of Monterrey. No opponent was mentioned. Sexy Star went undefeated in boxing in 5 matches, fighting people who had boxed professionally just once prior or had lost many matches. Talk of Garcia switching to MMA has been around since about her second boxing match. I guess she is technically on a 2.5-year undefeated streak in all combat sports. She was directly defeated in Lucha Underground to Joey Ryan in June of 2016 and has sworn off taking any direct losses in Mexico.

Garcia last boxed in August, never really reaching any notoriety in that sport after her first fight. She’s been wrestling more of late, mostly for Monterrey’s Kaoz promotion. She’s scheduled to wrestle on MexaWrestling’s show outside of Mexico City on Saturday. Garcia is still well known in Monterrey and has been a TV personality for the last couple of years. Most people there accept her explanation that she couldn’t have actually injured Rosemary back at TripleMania because the Canadian woman refused medical attention. (She repeated that explanation yesterday.) Her first fight will get some interest locally, probably will be against someone of similar experience level.

Lucha Underground lead wrestler Chris DeJoseph was answering questions on Twitter, and saying he’d be willing to do one last podcast with an unbiased source. (I don’t think I qualify. These people would be better.) DeJoseph responded to someone asking the inevitable question about season 5 by saying he doesn’t believe it is coming back but hopes not.

Lucha Memes on 03/31 in Coliseo Coacalco (Chairo Kingdom)

LuchaWorld has the latest Poster-Mania.

+LuchaTV has this week’s EN+carados.

Lineups

CMLL (FRI) 02/22/2019 Arena México
1) Arkalis & Magnus vs Hijo del Signo & Metálico
2) Drone, Fuego, Pegasso vs Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Virus
3) Kráneo, Stuka Jr., Volcano vs Felino, Hechicero, Shocker
4) Titán vs Cavernario [lightning]
5) Ángel de Oro, Diamante Azul, Niebla Roja vs Gilbert el Boricua, La Bestia Del Ring, Terrible
6) Carístico, Místico, Volador Jr. vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón

Never got this posted. Titan/Cavernario is always really good. Main event has a chance as well, though it suggests last week’s pseudo-Sky Team trios challenge isn’t going anywhere. Magnus wanted 2019 to be his year but has to wrestle Metalico & Signo. I’m not liking his odds.

CMLL seemed to indicate they’d only air two matches on Televisa, which suggests the top two airing. Still, Titan/Cavernario is exactly the first match I’d run on a new TV show.

CMLL (SAT) 02/23/2019 Arena Coliseo
1) Bengala & Leono vs Apocalipsis & Camorra
2) Átomo, El Gallito, Microman vs Chamuel, El Guapito, Perico Zacarías
3) Avispa Dorada, Marcela, Sanely vs Amapola, Reyna Isis, Tiffany
4) Rey Cometa, Soberano Jr., Tritón vs Rey Bucanero, Shocker, Vangellys
5) Flyer, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero
6) Diamante Azul vs Sansón

Microman W-L record by building
Arena Mexico: 13-0
Arena Coliseo: 9-6

There’s a correction ending to the main event and there’s one where Diamante Azul wins. Avispa Dorada appears to be headed back from Seattle and the snow judging from social media.

CMLL (SUN) 02/24/2019 Arena México
1) Astral & Eléctrico vs Espanto Jr. & Grako
2) La Guerrera, Lluvia, Skadi vs Kaho Kobayashi, La Maligna, La Vaquerita
3) Halcón Suriano Jr. vs El Coyote [lightning]
4) Blue Panther, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa vs Kawato San, Tiger, Universo 2000 Jr.
5) Atlantis, Atlantis Jr., Flyer vs Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
6) Diamante Azul, Dragón Lee, Valiente vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero

Dragon Lee doing the normal San Jose to Arena Mexico weekend. There are too many tecnicas so a tecnicas versus tecnicas match makes sense, but also turning one or more would make sense.

CMLL seems to send out the full week’s cards to various media outlets. I’m not sure if they’re meant to be printed. Publicmetro does occasionally. This week, it reveals Principe Diamante was originally in the lightning match instead of Halcon Suriano.