CMLL (FRI) 03/08/2019 Arena México [CMLL, ESTO, Lucha Central, Marca, Ovaciones, Record, The Gladiatores, thecubsfan]
1) Nitro & Sangre Azteca b Oro Jr. & Stigma 
12:30. Rudos took 1/3.
2) Kawato San, Tiger, Virus b Fuego, Rey Cometa, Star Jr.
12:25. Tecnicos took 2/3.
3) Esfinge, Titán, Tritón b Rey Bucanero, Shocker, Vangellys
10:27. Tecnicos took 2/3.
4) Atlantis, Dragón Lee, Valiente b Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
13:13. Tecnicos took 2/3.
5) Diamante Azul b Gilbert el Boricua
13:12. Azul took 2/3, the last by DQ when Gilbert unmasked him.
6) Ángel de Oro, Carístico, Niebla Roja DQ La Bestia Del Ring, Rush, Terrible
8:52. Straight falls, the last when Bestia was eliminated but came back into attack Niebla Roja.
CMLL promos: Titan & Esfinge, Diamante Azul, Gilbert, Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja, and Terrible & La Bestia del RIng.
Press room: Niebla Roja & Angel de Oro (Box y Lucha, The Gladiatores), Los Ingobernables, Diamante Azul, and Gilbert.
This show wasn’t any good. Next week’s main event was set up in a logical way but the heat just isn’t there right now. Gilbert/Diamante was about as good as expected and only works if you’re really impressed by big men moving slowly. The undercard had less life than usual. It was one of the weaker CMLL cards of the year – of any day of the week – and an unfortunate choice to be CMLL’s first show back on Televisa.
That Televisa broadcast starts today at 4 pm. It is not with the usual CMLL announcers. There was a separate Televisa broadcast position at the arena with their own announce crew: Leonardo Riano, Fernando Jesus Torres, Gaby Fernandez de Lara, and Hechicero. Riano was part of the CMLL crew when they were last on Televisa. Both he and Torres worked on AAA broadcasts last year. Hechicero has done CMLL broadcasts, though making him a full-time Friday announcer would rob CMLL of one of their good rudos at a time where they don’t have many. Fernandez is a woman so, by apparent television sports law, she’s the sideline interviewer.
There was no mention of the Televisa show during the Marca broadcast and there was little actual visual change. Maybe the lights were a little brighter and there were more spotlights, but it was nothing dramatic. Cometa’s new gear was the only sign someone thought this was a big deal.
This announcing change follows the airing change – a different time slot, airing the show the day after instead of a week later – also made after the original announcement. This is total speculation, but my guess is the people at the top of Televisa originally pushed the sports department to offer whatever it took to make a deal with CMLL. Then, as soon as those people at the top were satisfied enough to stop paying attention, the Televisa Deportes department modified the deal to match up with how they like to do business like having control of the announcing. But that’s just a guess.
LA Park told a fan he will return to Arena Puebla on 03/18, a week from Monday. LA Park hasn’t been in CMLL since last November.
Amapola & La Comandante talked about their struggles against sexism to get into lucha libre. In honor of International Women’s Day, CMLL had no women besides the edecanes on their show. Women were on AAA’s broadcast on Azteca, but the main role was Lady Maravilla seducing Nino Hamburguesa into a loss.
Dr. Wagner Jr. told Record that he will have to consider retiring should he lose to Blue Demon at TripleMania. This reads more like hype to sell the importance of the match rather than a real outcome.
Black Taurus says he’s going to try to do the impossible, retire Mil Mascaras, this Sunday. Taurus & Negro Navarro are scheduled to face Mil Mascaras & Mascara Sagrada, though Mil missed his match last week.
Criterio Hidalgo interviews ex-DTU wrestler Devitt Rodriguez.
Lineups
CMLL (FRI) 03/15/2019 Arena México
Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2019 (Salvador Lutteroth & Blue Demon)
1) Audaz, Esfinge, Tritón vs Hijo del Villano III, Pólvora, Vangellys
Audaz replaced Titan (moved up) on 02/27.
2) Átomo, El Gallito, Microman vs Chamuel, Mije, Zacarias el Perico
3) Diamante Azul, Soberano Jr., Titán vs Ephesto, Mephisto, Templario
Diamante Azul & Titan replaced Caristico & Dragon Lee (moved up) on 2/27
4) Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Gilbert el Boricua, Negro Casas
5) Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero © vs Carístico, Dragón Lee, Volador Jr. [CMLL TRIOS]
2nd defense. King Phoenix & Penta were pulled from the show on 02/27, replaced by Dragon Lee & Caristico.
6) Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja vs La Bestia Del Ring & Terrible [hair]
Nothing changed since last time. Outside the trios titles, it’s a card full of matches which would be promising if not for one guy.
There’s no word on this streaming as normal or airing on iPPV. They waited until late to announce it last time and I would expect no difference. It’d be a hard show to recommend for a significant price, and harder still when the last show was a streaming disaster that went unaddressed by anyone involved.
