Volador wins CMLL Gran Prix, Chamuel/Microman mask match, cage match coming?

CMLL (FRI) 08/30/2019 Arena México [+LuchaTV, CMLL, Lucha Central (Spanish)NotimexOvacionesPublimetroVoices of Wrestling]
1) La Jarochita & Marcela b Dalys & La Metálica LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 30 DE AGOSTO DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
tecnicas took 2/3.
2) Atlantis Jr., Audaz, Flyer b Hijo del Villano III, Rey Bucanero, Tiger LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 30 DE AGOSTO DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Atlantis Jr. & Hijo del Villano continue to feud.
3) Microman DQ Chamuel LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 30 DE AGOSTO DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Single fall match. Chamuel tossed his mask to Microman. Mask match challenges followed.
4) Cuatrero, Sansón, Templario b Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Valiente LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 30 DE AGOSTO DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Rudos took 1/3.
5) Ciber the Main Man, Gilbert el Boricua, Titán b Carístico, Místico, Último Guerrero LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 30 DE AGOSTO DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Ciber & Gilbert had issues and both challenged UG after the match.
6) Cavernario, Diamante Azul, Dragón Lee, Forastero, Negro Casas, Rush, Soberano Jr., Volador Jr. b Big Daddy, Delirious, Jay Briscoe, Kenny King, Luke Hawx, Matt Taven, Mecha Wolf 450, Oráculo [Gran PrixLUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 30 DE AGOSTO DE 2019 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Order of elimination: Oraculo (Rush), Forastero (Kenny King), Soberano Jr. (Delirious), Luke Hawx (Barbaro Cavernario), Delirious (Rush), Kenny King (Diamante Azul), Diamante Azul (Jay Briscoe), Rush (DQed for weapon usage on Matt Taven), Mecha Wolf (Dragon Lee), Dragon Lee (Jay Briscoe), Matt Taven (Volador Jr.), Jay Briscoe (Barbaro Cavernario), Barbaro Cavernario (Big Daddy), Big Daddy (Negro Casas w/help from Cavernario), leaving Negro Casas & Volador Jr as the survivors on the Mexico side. As a surprise to most everyone but Volador, Volador kept fightning and eventually pinned Negro Casas (w/Big Daddy getting involved) to be the winner. Volador, Casas, Cavernario and Big Daddy all made hair match challenges.

CMLL promos: Marcela & Dalys building up their match. Atlantis Jr. happy to be on his first major show, Hijo del Villano III explaining he can beat Atlantis Jr. any time he wants. Microman and Chamuel talking about a mask match. Gilbert still wants a singles match with Ultimo Guerrero, Ciber still wants Ultimo Guerrero. Barbaro Cavernario & Negro Casas challenge Volador, Volador is willing to face Ciber.

Media interviews: Volador (Box y Lucha, +LuchaTV), Cibernetico (Box y Lucha, +LuchaTV), Gilbert (Box y Lucha, +LuchaTV), Microman (Box y Lucha, +LuchaTV), Chamuel (Box y Lucha, +LuchaTV)

CMLL will have an Aniversario press conference on Wednesday. It certainly looks like a cage match is coming. In isolation, the semi-main and the main event could be seen as a setting up individual matches. Together, it adds up to a cage match. I can already see a repeat of March at the press conference, where CMLL’s programming department tries to make the Cibernetico versus Ultimo Guerrero match but other people keep demanding to be involved.

  1. Ultimo Guerrero
  2. Cibernetico
  3. Gilbert el Boricua
  4. Volador Jr.
  5. Big Daddy
  6. Barbaro Cavernario
  7. Negro Casas

CMLL cage matches typically have an even number of participants, usually between 8-12. Mecha Wolf 450 was surprisingly advertised for next Friday show, so perhaps add him to the list.

Big Daddy as the final foreigner in the Gran Prix is confounding, but his existence and push make some sense if he’s planned for a role in the cage match. The ROH guys wouldn’t be available on Aniversario weekend. Perhaps Oraculo but he was first out in the Gran Prix. Big Daddy also has a lot more hair than Dark Magic & Okumura, though it does make me wonder if Kawato was planned to be involved. (Luke Hawx has no hair.)

Volador got a strongly negative reaction for winning, which surely was the plan with him beating Negro Casas to do it. Volador has been bored and boring as a tecnico for some time, and this being the start of a flip back to the rudo side full time is certainly possible.

This progression of events feels like, much like the storyline, CMLL couldn’t get Ciber to agree to a hair match and changed plans. They had earlier chances to tease a cage match situation and waited until now to pull the trigger. Not sure if we’ll ever find out.

Chamuel & Micorman having a mask match seems pretty definitely happen. It’s still unclear when. Neither Micro mentioned the Aniversario show during the promo for the match, though it was brought up in the media interviews.

Though it didn’t seem to be advertised, this show was aired live in Mexico on cable station TUDN. If that worked out, I’d imagine the Aniversario show will be as well. There are websites which stream this channel, though they’re ad-heavy and shady. I don’t think I’ll be around to stream on that day but it might be a possibility to watch it live if it doesn’t stream again. (CMLL would be better just also giving ROH or someone the rights to transmit the show outside of Mexico)

I was at the GCW/BPW show last night. The Laredo Kid, Ophidian, Arez vs Black Taurus, Gringo Loco, KTB match was insane. KTB subbed for Rey Horus (missed flight) and fit in surprisingly well. They broke out a spot or two from the highly regarded PWG trios match that hasn’t been seen much yet, and they had some new creative ideas. A couple of things didn’t work out but it was very much a show of trying crazy things and hoping they worked out. A lot more did than did not. It’s a match worth checking out if you can.

Fenix & Penta beat LAX in a bonus match on the AAW show last night in what was said to be a great match. Fenix isn’t 100% but he’s going to be good enough for tonight’s AEW ladder match. I haven’t heard hints of any other AAA luchadors on the show; I kept thinking there’d be an AAA woman in the women’s casino battle royal but they’ve kept it quiet if it’s happening.

On last night’s Impact show, it sounded like the fourway with Golden Magic, TJP, Taurus and Trey went well. The reports on Big Mami/Taya and the tag turned trios match with Vanilla & Chik were not positive

AAA & Impact announced that Impact will be promoting their AAA in NY show. For practical effect, this means Impact wrestlers on the show, a documentary on Cain Velasquez and the show airing on Fight Network. (If you’re in Canada, you may no longer need to pay FITE for this show.) It seems peculiar to me to be engaging someone to promote to market these shows just two weeks before they happen but they could use the help. The LA show is not mentioned and no new matches are announced. Hopefully, that’s coming Monday.

The foreigners are part of Saturday and Sunday‘s CMLL shows. Super X runs Saturday night in Arena Neza. Sunday includes Lucha Libre Vanguardia (Dragon Gate Mexico but we can’t use that name) in CAR The Crash, a show with Flamita vs Bandido and Jimmy vs Aramis that I’m really looking forward to seeing. IWRG has Hijo de Canis Lupus vs Hechicero in a title match after their earlier single match went well. Warrior Wrestling outside of Chicago also has a lot of luchadors involved. I’m intended to be there.

ROH/CMLL matches for next week, pretty much all the CMLL related ones should be announced

09/06 Detroit

  • Volador Jr., Triton vs Matt Taven & Vinny Marseglia
  • Marty Scurll, Flip Gordon, PCO, Brody King vs Rey Bucanero, Okumura, Hechicero, Barbaro Cavernario
  • Rush vs Stuka Jr. – new
  • Bandido vs Jay Briscoe – new

09/07 Chicago

  • Volador vs Matt Taven for the ROH Championship
  • Rush vs Barbaro Cavernario
  • Triton, Caristico, Stuka Jr. vs Jeff Cobb, Jonathan Gresham, Jay Lethal
  • Silas Young & Josh Woods vs PJ Black & Okumura – new
  • Bandido, Tracy Williams, Mark Haskins vs Flip Gordon, Brody King, PCO – new

09/08 Milwaukee

  • Briscoes & Barbaro Cavernario vs Bandido, Tracy Williams, Mark Haskins
  • Flip Gordon vs PJ Black vs Triton
  • Caristico, Stuka Jr., Volador Jr. vs Okumura, Hechiceor, Rey Bucanero
  • Rush & Jeff Cobb vs the Kingdom – new

That last one is interesting because it seems like ROH is headed to a Rush vs Cobb vs Matt Taven title match on 09/27. PW Insider reported earlier this week Matt Taven’s contract is up in September and has not resigned. I’m not sure how much a factor that’ll play into the result.