Not much today. Things will pick up tomorrow, with the start of seven AAA TV tapings in a month’s span. If you’re someone on the fence about subscribing to AAA’s Twitch or thinking about renewing, it is worth waiting until tomorrow to do it – you’ll get the seventh show in the month window that way. There will also be Elite/Gladiators shows starting a week from now, which should at give something strange to talk about on alternate Thursdays. There’s nothing much now.
Yesterday’s CMLL Press Day included Daniel Aceves talking about Copa Bobby Bonales, which will be given out on Friday. This is the annual(-ish) award given out in the name of his father, who was an Arena Mexico luchador from the 30s to the 60s. Aceves is an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling who is now an important people in Mexico’s sports government. That means he was asked and answered a few bigger picture questions. Mexico is evidently changing public (?) health insurance plans and Aceves indicated he’s fighting to make sure luchadors are covered in the new one as they were covered in the old; it doesn’t seem a settled matter at this point. Aceves also mentioned wanting to see a national lucha libre commission. If you’ve been reading thru the magazine summaries, you know that’s a fight that’s gone on for over 50 years. As far as the Copa Bobby Bonales itself, it went out to a luchador (Mascara 2000), a luchadora (Amapola) and a trainer (Tony Salazar) last year. That was also the first year who they gave out the awards to wrestlers who weren’t wrestling on the show. That’ll be the case this year since they’re giving out a women’s and men’s award and there’s no women’s match.
I’m not sure who will be receiving them this year. Amapola was a logical pick. Mascara 2000 was a little out of nowhere. Carsitico and Dalys are the biggest stars in their divisions who have not yet gotten the award, so I guess they would be the favorites.
From what must’ve been the press same session, Titan talks about progressing to the top of CMLL.
The only thing from Keepin It 100 is Konnan saying “Killer Kross will be in a very good match at TripleMania.” I like to think they’ll all be very good matches at TripleMania. I’m a delusional fool.
announced ROH matches of note
- 05/18 (Buffalo): Bandido vs Flip Gordon, Rush vs Silas Young
- Bandido appears to be off to Japan for the rest of the tour
- 05/19 (Toronto): Rush vs PJ Black
- nothing yet announced for 05/20 (Grand Rapids) or 05/21 (Chicago)
Lineups
CMLL (TUE) 04/30/2019 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Baron Blanco Jr., Neutrón, Tigre Blanco vs Carlo Roggi, Exterminador, Ráfaga
2) Fuego, Magia Blanca, Star Black vs Disturbio, Guerrero de la Muerte, Sangre Azteca
3) Kráneo, Tritón, Volcano vs Dark Magic, Misterioso Jr., Rey Bucanero
4) Flyer, Rey Cometa, Titán vs La Bestia Del Ring, Negro Casas, Terrible
5) Ángel de Oro vs Mephisto
There was no title challenge on Tuesday, so no title match next Tuesday. These two have never had a full singles match, though Oro has won the two lightning matches they’ve had.
(No Puebla lineup yet.)
About health insurance, Mexico has currently two main health insurance programs: IMSS and Seguro Popular. IMSS is the main one, public health insurance and social security that is paid by employer and employee and cover employees and their families, with the employee rates being objectively low. Luchadores can’t access to this, because the profession is deemed too high risk. I’m not sure exactly the details of what Bonales means by that, as while the rates for the employer would be off the roof, I’m not 100% sure they couldn’t be insured, but surely he knows more than me, and anyway this wouldn’t cover independent wrestlers, since it mostly requires a formal working relationship.
Anyway, the other program, Seguro Popular, covers about anyone, costs basically nothing and requires no formal working relationship. It’s tedious, overcrowded and limited, but luchadores were able to access to it. This program is disappearing and Bonales (and everyone else) it’s not sure if its replacements will offer the same benefits to luchadores.