WrestlingInc posted an interview with Dorian Roldan, mostly about the AAA/MSG show, which hasn’t been talked about since the tickets went on sale three weeks ago. The article transcribes most of it, the interview on the podcast itself starts at 59:00. For our purposes, the big news is the show is not planned to stream on Twitch. Roldan says it wasn’t part of the package of shows for Twitch. It doesn’t sound as though Twitch won’t take it, but that they think they have a better ability to put in on TV (in Mexico & the US) if it’s not on Twitch.
Dorian is open to working with talent from other promotions for talent on their show but none are specifically confirmed at being part of this card at this point. They’re also open to working with “people who used to be in AAA before and are really important to the Mexican fans.” Johnny Mundo technically fits that category, but it also sure sounds like the LA Park signal. Roldan says the card will have something for every type of fan and they’ve partnered with radio stations to promote those shows. Roldan also attended the NJPW/ROH show at MSG with other AAA people to get an idea of the production required.
AAA is still set at running other shows (and slow ticket sales for MSG don’t come up at all here.) A second show is planned to be announced soon. That’s probably the Los Angeles one that was previously reported. AAA is hoping to run 10 shows in the US next summer, which is hard to believe. Roldan gives credit to the company they’re with on this, Oak View Group, for setting up deals with venus and sponsors and even TV.
There’s a person posing as wrestling reporter on Twitter who started a rumor that LA Park was going to be the replacement for Pac on AEW’s upcoming show. (I retweeted it, then checked the account, realized the game and undid it. I should’ve done that in the opposite order. It is still better than Record publishing it.) LA Park shot it down and La Planchitas says Park is booked on the Arena Lopez Mateos Anniversary show that day.
Vampiro posts many videos on his Facebook. One from yesterday, despite a list of injuries a mile long, he’s going to get in shape and start taking wrestling bookings again starting late this summer. I believe the second part. I wish Vampiro and any indie who books him luck even though I’m uncertain about his strategy about getting booked. This is relevant to a lucha libre blog mostly for how disconnected it is from AAA. Vampiro talks about taking indie bookings, in Mexico and elsewhere, but AAA doesn’t get mentioned. I’m sure Vampiro has some connection with AAA because he’s also not burying AAA, but whatever talent/production role he has seemed to have ended around the time he moved to Las Vegas. It’s the Vampiro decline in power everyone figured would happen once Konnan was back with AAA, and this just seems a little bit like confirmation it is has happened.
The Burger King Mexico/Blue Demon Jr. bit took place in a two-hour facebook video yesterday. I am not watching two hours of a Burger King ad, but it seems like it came off well. It included dozens of Blue Demons and a lot of fans attending a Burger King. AAA should borrow the sea of Blue Demons for his TripleMania entrances.
CMLL indicated Juicio Final will be on Marca like usual. I’ll probably stream it on YouTube like normal as well.
CMLL Informa revealed the first two teams for Copa Dinasita. If you’ve forgotten, this was announced at the most recent CMLL press conference. It is sadly not a celebration of the reigning AAA minis champion, but instead a tag team tournament with eight family teams beginning June 7th. Informa announced Negro Casas & Felino and Soberano & Euforia as the first two teams.
That leaves space for six teams. CMLL families include the Munoz (Bestia del Ring, Rush, Mistico, Dragon Lee), the Guerreros (Ultimo & Gran), the Dinamitas (Mascara 2000, Sanson, Cuatrero, Forastero, Universo 2000 Jr.), the Chavez (Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja), the Villanos (Hijo del III & IV), the Atlantis (Sr. & Jr.), Familia Real (Flyer & Volador) and all the Panthers. That’s eight more teams, so two will be left off the tournament.
Mascara 2000 is nervous but confident going into his hair match with Ultimo Guerrero. He figures he faced Perro Aguayo so he can handle Ultimo Guerrero. Mascara lost every apuesta match he had with Perro Aguayo.
Metalico’s family asked him if he was crazy when he challenged Virus to a retirement match.
Gran Guerrero & Euforia feel their superior teamwork will get them the tag team title win, while Diamante Azul believes it is unnecessary for himself and Valiente to train together because they have had instant chemistry. Valiente referenced Diamante Azul’s injury, which was really still never explained.
Valiente & Diamante Azul are both picking Virus.
RIOT’s La Riña En El Cerro de La Silla participants:
LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.
Looks like there’s an AAA show in Arena Naucalpan on 07/04.
Luchadors outside of Mexico
I haven’t written much about the NJPW’s Best of Super Juniors here. I would like to blame the cold I have (somehow I still have a cough?) completely derailing me but also I’m always unclear if I’m risking spoiling things by mentioning promotions people aren’t expecting here. This is a long intro paragraph to say maybe you want to scroll down a little bit, though I’m going to go more luchador by luchador instead of match by match.
Dragon Lee had the most successful tournament of the four Mexican representatives. He’s had the most wins, 6, of any Mexican wrestler has had since Black Tiger II (Eddie Guerrero) also had 6 in 1994. It’s partly a factor of this being a bigger block field than usual, though Guerrero’s tournament actually was larger. Dragon Lee can break the record with a win over Marty Scurll in his final block match. Dragon Lee will likely end up third in his block, with Shingo Takagi probably ending up undefeated. Takagai figures to challenge Dragon Lee at the NJPW Dominion show and would be the heavy favorite to end Dragon Lee’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight reign. Dragon Lee’s block match with Takagi has probably been his best-received match so far and the reviews have been overall strong for his work.
Titan has two wins. He got three wins in his previous BOSJ appearance and can tie that with a win over Tiger Mask in his final match. Titan won’t finish last, but that final match is basically a playoff game to determine who finishes second to last. Titan’s had a fairly unnoteworthy tournament, both in wins and matches. Titan has been good but usually not memorable. His highest regarded matches have been against Dragon Lee and Jonathan Gresham.
Bandido is in the middle of the table in Block B with an even 4-4 record so far. His final match is against Rocky Romero, who is right behind him in the standings. A win or loss could greatly shift Bandido’s final ranking as everyone’s bunched together, but he’s never really challenged for first place. Bandido’s early matches didn’t get strong reviews. Things picked up with a match against Ren Narita, and he’s gotten good marks for his ones with Will Ospreay and Robbie Eagles.
Douki still doesn’t have a Wikipedia profile, the only person on the tournament who doesn’t have one. He’s been shown the same level of respect in the rest of the tournament, losing to everyone except rookie Narita. This is one where me being way behind hurts; it seemed like he struggled to adjust to NJPW in the first few matches but reports are that he’s steadily improved as the tournament has moved on. Douki was thrown into the deep end by being added to the BOSJ at the last minute and he hasn’t drowned. There is a clear route for him to be a reoccurring NJPW character – TAKA obviously would prefer not to wrestle much, Desperado might be elevated into a singles wrestler when he returns from this injury, Kanemaru would need a replacement partner – but I have no feel for how likely that is to happen.
Ring of Honor has made a few announcements about upcoming matches:
- 06/01 Kent, Washington (TV taping)
- Rush vs Dalton Castle vs Flip Gordon vs PJ Black
- 06/02 Portland (HonorClub)
- Rush & Dalton Castle will be a tag team in a five-team match
- 06/28 Baltimore (PPV)
- Bandido vs Shane Taylor (c) for the ROH TV Championship
- probably Dragon Lee vs Dalton Castle
- 06/29 Philadelphia (TV taping):
- Dragon Lee & Rush vs Mark & Jay Briscoe
Lineups
CMLL (MON) 06/03/2019 Arena Puebla
1) Astro, Asturiano, Último Dragóncito vs Espíritu Maligno, Joker, Mercurio
2) Arkalis, Halcón Suriano Jr., King Jaguar vs El Perverso, Hijo del Signo, Toro Bill Jr.
3) Kráneo, Stigma, Volcano vs Hechicero, Misterioso Jr., Templario
4) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero vs Máscara Año 2000, Rey Bucanero, Terrible [Relevos Increíbles]
5) Carístico vs Mr. Niebla
This will be the first time they’ve had this match since 2010, assuming Mr. Niebla is there. This is currently more a Mr. Niebla issue, CMLL doesn’t trust him in a singles match. It is the first they’ve given him since 2017.
Ultimo Guerrero and Mascara 2000 seem as though they’ll continue their feud. I would respect the Chavez brothers if they just immediately betrayed UG and walked off to leave him to die.
I’m looking forward to the Copa Dinastia. I wish they’d add Independent wrestlers like The Traumas, The LA Parks, and others. There’s something about families wrestling other families that seems like a novelty to me, something different at least. Hopefully, it’s also a fun tournament.