CMLL (FRI) 07/19/2019 Arena México [CMLL, ESTO, Grafico, Lucha Central, Lucha Central, Marca, Notimex, SuperLuchas, thecubsfan]
1) Sonic & Súper Astro Jr. b Cancerbero & Raziel 
13:05. Tecnicos took 2/3.
2) Ángel de Oro, Esfinge, Niebla Roja b Ephesto, Hechicero, Luciferno
11:01. Tecnicos won in straight falls when Hechicero was DQed for fouling Angel de Oro by kicking the ropes as he came thru.
3) Marcela © b Amapola [CMLL WOMEN]
12:40. Marcela took 2/3. 3rd defense.
4) Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón, Volador Jr. b Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Soberano Jr., Templario [Relevos Increíbles]
14:20. Team NGD took 2/3.
5) Hijo de LA Park, LA Park, LA Park Jr. DQ La Bestia Del Ring, Místico, Rush
24:55. Debut of LA Park Jr. in Arena Mexico. Park family won by count out of the ring in the first, Rush cleanly beat LA Park in the second, and Rush was DQed for fouling LA Park (or shoving Edgar while arguing it.)
6) Jushin Liger b Carístico, Negro Casas, Último Guerrero [Relevo CMLL]
11:17. A Relevo CMLL is four way match, though the luchadors swiftly ignored the rules. Liger beat Casas with a Liger Bomb in his final Arena Mexico match.
This was a good show even if it the matches didn’t completely come together. The top three matches were enjoyable all in a different way and CMLL made the show feel like a big deal.
CMLL promos have Marcela talking about her win, Volador & NGD as an unbeatable team, and Los Guerreros and Soberano. You’ll notice that’s missing the two top matches. Liger talked one more time with the press (and Okumura) after his match.
LA Park also talked, saying the people want the Rush versus LA Park apuesta match. The takeaway from last night’s show is CMLL does not want LA Park/Rush. They wanted that feud to ensure Liger’s farewell happened in front of a full house and that is it. Neither Rush & Park were allowed to talk post-match, which could’ve had something to do with time management but probably had a lot to do with not wanting to let them make the challenges again. That’s the first thing they would’ve done as it would be the first thing they would’ve done in the CMLL promos, so LA Park was allowed to talk to the press and that’s it. CMLL is aware of how people were annoyed with them for teasing LA Park vs Rush year and not delivering, so they did their best to have the match but not let them overshadow what will actually be the Aniversario main event.
And we still have no idea what that will be. CMLL’s big show looks like it’ll be on 09/13, 55 days from today, and there’s not even a hint of what it’ll be.
Liger’s weekend continues tonight with a Lucha Libre Real promoted show in Arena Coliseo. It’s a unique format, though a little bit similar to retirement shows in Japan. Liger will face ten different luchadors for a minute each, then there will be a battle royal of those 10 luchadors, and the survivor will have a no time limit match with Liger. This is more complicated than “Relevo CMLL” and no one involved seem much interested in the rules there, so who knows how this will go. It’s really more a bit to allow nine luchadors who otherwise wouldn’t get to have a 1v1 match with Liger on this trip to get to say they had one, glossing over that it lasted 60 seconds. Liger finishes up on Sunday, teaming with Mistico against Caristico & Ultimo Guerrero. Neither of these shows are expected to air live, though they both might turn up on +LuchaTV later.
CMLL’s Sunday show has nothing important. The big Saturday shows are Lucha Memes in Mexico City’s Gimnasio Hercules with a one-night tag tournament and Martinez running in Fort Worth with a lot of names. Dr. Wagner and Mesias headline Arena Naucalpan on Sunday with a trios match. Pro Wrestling Mexico debuts in Monterrey, with Taurus, LA Park and Pagano in the main event and a Daga/Johnny Mundo match.
Nacion Lucha Libre debuts on ImagenTV today at 10:30 pm, showing matches from their first taping in Mexico City. I know this because they RT a dozen mentions in a ten-second flurry every hour. Do not follow them on Twitter but maybe check out the show. ImagenTV was not at the press conference roll out. They do seem very behind the concept, bringing on wrestlers to promote the show often in the last week, with Alberto back on before the show tonight. The network does stream its channel on YouTube though only for selected programming. The streaming page lists only one show today and it is not Nacion Lucha Libre. That might not be definite.
Flamita challenges Susumu Yokosuka for the Dragon Gate Brave Gate championship late tonight/tomorrow morning as part of Dragon Gate’s biggest show of the year. The show streams on their network, which costs around $13 USD a month and will be available in both Japanese and English. The first two matches on that show, including Jimmy & Draztick Boy in the opener, will air on YouTube for free also in Japanese and English starting at 1 am CT Sunday morning.
Let’s note that, when Dragon Gate decided to English commentary, they flew in people to the building who had experience doing wrestling commentary in English. That’s what promotions do when they’re serious about doing it, not just doing it to say it’s something they’ve done.
(The iheartdg.com site that wrote about Dragon Gate for many years and was the most used source of English language news and translations for the promotion quietly went away a few weeks. Jae didn’t die but he did follow the way of Paco Alonso, quietly moving on without giving anyone the chance to say thanks for the excellent work he did over the years. His work will be greatly missed.)
ROH is running this weekend. All the matches with lucha libre talent will air on their streaming service.
Tonight at 7pm CT in New York.
- Bandido, Mark Haskins, Tracy Williams, PJ Black vs Marty Scurll, PCO, Brody King, and Flip Gordon
- Dragon Lee vs Jonathan Gresham
- TK O’Ryan vs Rush
Tomorrow at 6pm CT in Lowell, Massachusetts
- Rush vs Dalton Castle
- Bandido, Mark Haskins, Tracy Williams vs Brody King, Marty Scurll, PCO for the Ring of Honor Trios Championship
- Kenny King vs Dragon Lee
I am no ROH expert but I believe there’s a better than 50% chance Bandido wins his first Ring of Honor championship on Sunday. His group needs a big win or a big change. And Ring of Honor needs in-ring things for people to talk about when most of the conversation people want to have about the promotion revolve around attendance.
ROH mentioned two CMLL wrestlers will be on their 08/24 Atlanta & 08/25 Nashville.
Daga has teased this weekend appearing as part of Impact TV’s taping. Still is today. He wasn’t on last night’s show as far as I can tell, but maybe he will be on the final night of tapings tonight.
RIOT announced Chik Tormenta vs Ayako Hamada on their 08/24 show, the second night of their two show tournament.
Barbaro Cavernario was announced for PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles tournament yesterday. He joins Bandido & Fenix as lucha libre representatives. I’d expect Penta in that list soon enough. There’s a lot of luchadors who’ve worked in PWG the last year plus and not a lot of spots left, plus the potential of new people being added. It is hard for me to see Hijo del Vikingo being involved at this point.
MexaWrestling “Summer Course” on 08/10 in Arena San Juan Pantitlan
Australian Suicide & Vanilla were doing a press tour to promote TripleMania the last couple of days.
Lineups
AAA TV (SAT) 08/10/2019 Lienzo Charro Prof. Enrique Gonzalez, Saltillo, Coahuila
1) Dinastía, Eclipse, Lady Shani vs Australian Suicide, La Hiedra, Villano III Jr.
2) ???, Argenis, Niño Hamburguesa vs Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana
3) Golden Magic, Hijo Del Vikingo, Myzteziz Jr. vs Dave The Clown, Monsther Clown, Parka Negra
4) Aerostar, Drago, Willie Mack vs Averno, Chessman, Súper Fly
5) Puma King vs Laredo Kid
6) Dr. Wagner Jr., Fénix, Psycho Clown vs Blue Demon, Rey Escorpión, Taurus
The first post-TripleMania taping, a week later. Fenix confirmed he’ll be on this show and wanted to defend his Megachampionship. Instead, he’s the back-up band to the Wagner/Demon rematch. (Neither guy is retiring, what a shock.) That tweet seems to have been deleted since I posted the card; sorry Fenix. Puma vs Laredo seems like it could be a defacto #1 contenders match, except AAA doing a singles title match is unlike them.
Willie Mack, still under LU contract, shows up here to hang out with Aerostar & Drago. I feel like the rudo teams in the third 3rd & 4th match should be switched if AAA is serious about an Aerostar/Monster Clown match.