2019 indie catch up, part 12 of ∞

Latigo probably would’ve preferred being caught here

Ortiz (LAX) & Santana (LAX) vs Hijo Del Vikingo & Laredo Kid
(AAA/EMW @ 05/31, 12:06, great,
LNDLC)

More of a TV version of what these two teams could do than an epic all-out match, but both teams showed up to work and with some cool ideas. (It’s weird to think Vikingo doing an SSP to the floor and then onto two stacked people isn’t an epic.) LAX is great, and I’m glad we’re going to get at least one chance to see them in AAA before whatever their next step is. Their tag work is on point and they feed into the Jinetes moves great, these two teams fit together smoothly. Vikingo is just as smooth when he has a rare slip, keeping it going beautifully into another springboard spot. The hanging rebound moonsault idea was really cool and also amazing that they’ve got more ideas that haven’t hit on TV yet. I think the ceiling is higher for these two teams but I was glad I watched this.

Vikingo SSP

LA Park & Voltron vs La Bestia Del Ring & Rush
(FMLL Guatemala @ 06/09, 22:07, great,
Lucha Libre Arena Guatemala Mexico )

LA Park & Rush take their match to Guatemala. Voltron, the champion here forever, reminds me more of an Atlantis type in general and didn’t seem a good fit for this match. I was wrong, it turns out he can throw a good right hand. The first two falls are all chops and belt shots, but they’re very loud ones of those and the crowd gets very into it for a fun time. The last fall is more normal stuff, which loses a bit when Voltron & Bestia are in but still has the good Park/Rush stuff you’d expect. I’m probably lower on this than others would be and it’s worth your time if you want more of their brawls. I was really not expecting much and got a lot out of this.

LA Park was banned from Guatemala

Dinamic Black, Eterno, Fresero Jr., Imposible, Mr. Leo vs Black Dragón, Latigo, Fly Warrior, Lunatik Xtreme, Puma de Oro
(IWRG @ 06/19, 20:39, good,
mluchatv)

There were two major flaws here. Lunatik Xtreme goes for a Brillo Dorada but it goes bad and he’s laying in the ring being checked on for a couple minutes while the fight goes on around him. (He does continue, though he’s obviously hurt.) The other is the match ending on the first pinfall, when everyone but the people in the ring is the impression this must be an elimination match because it’s 5v5. The announcers talk about it being the first elimination and are baffled when the winning team raises their arms in victory. They still did go 20 minutes. There is some neat Latigo wrestling and Puma de Oro killing himself on dives. The Puma de Oro/Eterno stuff they build up is fun but doesn’t get to go anywhere. Maybe they went home early because of the injury, but this feels like it’s missing a bigger end game.

talented flyer Eterno

El Audaz vs Kawato San for the CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship
(CMLL @ 06/30, 18:21, good,
HVSLuchaLibre)

The question going into this match is how Kawato would handle taking Audaz’s tricky headscissors spots. The answer is Kawato took one headscissors on the night, just the easiest version Audaz does. This match pushed Audaz to wrestle with some of his best moves off the table. He managed well, showing he had a bit more to it. It really is Kawato’s match though, getting in the big moments in and out of the ring (a stage dive!) before winning in the end. He’s feeling it too. I’m not sure if something clicked or they ran thru this enough to make it work, but Kawato’s offense looks a lot better than usual and he never seems lost. He’s doing a lot of offense we haven’t seen from him to this point and just generally comes off as a lot more confident wrestler than he’s been since coming to CMLL. Kawato even catches dives fine. This needed a little bit more Audaz for me, but it was way better than would’ve been expected. It’s too bad we didn’t get this Kawato in CMLL right away, and that he disappeared right after having pulled this off.

Audaz armdrag

Bestia 666 & Mecha Wolf vs Hijo de LA Park & LA Park
(The Crash @ 07/05, 21:01, good,
Arena Clandestina)

A usual Crash match that felt like it must’ve been better live. The crowd is way into it, though it loses me a little bit when the camera loses them on the brawl. They give you a lot of moves, though there’s no great story to them. On the other hand, this is one where there had to be some unhappiness going in – this was supposed to be a tag title match wasn’t by virtue of one team not wanting to lose – but it doesn’t show in their effort. There are some good ideas here, though it felt like both teams would be better with different opponents.

Mecha Wolf into the crowd

Black Dragón, Dinamic Black, Hijo del Alebrije vs Dragón Fly, La Mosca, Marado
(IWRG @ Arena Naucalpan, 12:04, good
+LuchaTV)

Just a generally fun IWRG undercard Naucalpan match. The highspots were failing right at the start of the math but got much better from there. I feel like Hijo del Alebrije has significantly improved but maybe I wasn’t really paying enough attention to him before. The referee sequence near the end is very IWRG. You’ve never seen a man pin for a 13 count before.

the hang in the ropes spot off the headscissors is good

IWRG, Puebla Atomicos, CMLL Friday lineup

IWRG (SUN) 08/18/2019 Arena Naucalpan [+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores]
1) Death Metal & Neza Kid b Brazo De Oro Jr. & Eligor Brazo de Oro Jr y Eligor vs Neza Kid y Death Metal en la Arena Naucalpan con GAW (posted by Estrellas del Ring)
Eligor replaced Puma de Oro.
2) Dragón Fly, Marado, Mosca b Atomic Star, Black Dragón, Manchas La Mosca, Maradó y Dragón Fly vs Atomick Star, Manchas y Black Dragón con GAW (posted by Estrellas del Ring)
3) Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro, Fly Warrior b Auzter, Dinamic Black, Freelance
good match
4) Apolo Estrada Jr., Ave Rex, Herodes Jr., Hijo de Pirata Morgan DQ Jessy Ventura, Ovett, Súper Nova, Zumbi
debut of Ave Rex (US). Super Nova hit the referee when trying to hit Ave Rex, caused the DQ..
5) Eterno, Trauma I, Trauma II b Dragón Bane, Imposible, The Tiger
good match
6) Blue Demon Jr., Hijo de Canis Lupus, Marshe Rockett b Demonio Infernal, El Mesías, Máscara Año 2000 Jr. Blue Demon Jr, Marshe Rockett e Hijo de Canis vs Mesías, Demonio I y Máscara Año 2000 Jr (posted by Estrellas del Ring)
Demon used a chain (that Mascara 2000 had introduced) to KO Mesias and get the win.

This looks like another strong turnout for a Naucalpan show.

Puebla tonight is main-evented with a rematch of last week’s atomicos. Cuatrero, Forastero & Sanson team up with Mistico against Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Ultimo Guerrero, and Soberano. Last week had the Guerreros as the rudos and a set up to a Mistico/UG match. That may be the match next week.

Peste Negra (Negro Casas, Cavernario & Felino version) face Atlantis, Stuka, and Valiente in the semi-main. The Panthers team up with Stigma against Hechicero, Tiger and Mascara 2000. Arkalis, Millenium and Tiger Rojo face Malayo, Toro Bill Jr., and Hijo del Signo in an unpromising segunda, and Asturiano, King Jaguar & Meyer face Centella Roja, Rey Apocalipsis and Guerrero Espacial in the opener. The show streams at 9 pm.

El Planchitas writes that LAX’s Ortiz was almost arrested in Mexico City during the Impact tapings for public drinking, though it reads more he was standing outside looking at a monument where a beer he had purchased from Oxxo nearby. It also reads like the police very much overreacted. Konnan tried to defuse the situation and Impact officials eventually were able to get it calmed down.

Kalisto and Gran Metalik were both teasing leaving WWE on Twitter today. I think, if you are a fan of Mascara Dorada, you’re best off seeing this as a negotiation tactic at a time where WWE is giving people lots of money to do very little. (Most people who are actually leaving just say they’re leaving if they say anything at all.) There’s been solid belief for months that the WWE 205 Live show will not survive the upcoming changes to WWE’s TV lineup and that may have informed the decision to say something today but don’t expect anything to be happening with those guys soon. My impression for quite a while is not to get my hopes up for a Mascara Dorada return because Gran Metalik will eventually be signing a new deal with WWE. I think that’s still likely to occur and I figure it’ll be the same with Kalisto.

Segunda Caida watches La Mascara vs Maximo.

San Diego Union Tribune has a story on ExpoLucha.

Lineups

CMLL (FRI) 08/23/2019 Arena México
1) Sonic & Súper Astro Jr. vs Espíritu Negro & Hijo del Signo
2) Átomo, Gallito, Microman vs Chamuel, Guapito, Perico Zakarías
3) Audaz, Flyer, Titán vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Templario
4) Volador Jr. vs Sansón [lightning]
5) Ángel de Oro, Místico, Niebla Roja vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Terrible
6) Cavernario, Diamante Azul, Último Guerrero vs Ciber the Main Man, The Chris, Valiente [Relevos Increíbles]

The Chris is back, for all of you who were asking what happened to The Chris. (Maybe Cavernario/UG vs Ciber/Chris is a better option than the singles match?)

Matches 3-5 all look good. It’s amusing that Volador had a month-long feud with the third most important NGD member and immediately follows with a lightning match against probably the most important.

Micros is the announced follow up. Do they do the Microman/Chamuel match on Gran Prix day?

No one from the foreigner team in early, even the usual foreigners are all off this show. Most every Espiritu Negro booking is probably a Sangre Azteca one.

Mexa Wrestling (SAT) 08/24/2019 Arena San Juan Pantitlan, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Estado de México
1) Lilith Dark, Príncipe Aéreo, Torito Negro vs Cobre, Lady Cat, Puma de Oro and Aerotiger, Hahastary, Zika
2) Apolo Estrada Jr. vs Toro Negro
3) Decnnis, Hijo De Zumbio, Scorpió Jr. vs Dante, Fly Warrior, Zumbi
4) Diva Salvaje © vs DemasiadoChica Ye-YeDulce Kanela? [EXOTICO CHAMP]
5) Fresero Jr. & The Tiger vs Demonio Infernal & Eterno
6) Dragón Bane & Hijo de Canis Lupus vs Lunatik Fly & Lunatik Xtreme and Fulgor I & Fulgor II
7) El Diablo vs Flamita

Quick turnaround for another Mexa Wrestling show. Tickets seem cheaper than usual (250 MXP.) Maybe the semi-main is the best match.