AAA Invading NY, Laredo Kid to Exatlon, CMLL weekend shows

Fenix & Penta

AAA TV (SUN) 09/15/2019 Hulu Theatre, New York City, New York [AAA, thecubsfan, Voices of Wrestling]
1) Chris Dickinson & Máscarita Sagrada 2007 b Dave The Clown & Demus
8:35. Mascarita Dorada was called Mascarita Sagrada (the 2013 version had been advertised). He beat Demus with a quadruple headscissors into a cradle
2) Josh Alexander, Michael Elgin, Sami Callihan b Drago, Faby Apache, Murder Clown
13:54. Billed as AAA vs Impact. Elgin beat Murder Clown with a foul and a powerbomb, then the rudos destroyed the tecnicos after.
3) Daga b Puma KingFlamitaAerostar [#1 Contenders, AAA CRUISER]
10:23. Daga pinned Puma King and earned a title shot at Laredo Kid (which might take a while.)
4) Taya b Tessa Blanchard © [AAA REINA DE REINAS]
10:10. Taya pinned Tessa clean with a double underhook facebuster. 3rd title reign for Taya, Tessa loses the title after zero defenses. Tessa attacked Taya after.
5) Fénix & Pentagón Jr. b Ortiz (LAX) & Santana (LAX) [AAA TAG]
14:04. 2nd defense.
6) Brian Cage, Cain Velasquez, Psycho Clown b Rey Escorpión, Taurus, Texano Jr.
12:58. Velasquez beat Taurus with a handspring cutter.
7) Dr. Wagner Jr. b Blue Demon Jr.
10:29. Wagner pinned Demon by rolling thru a crossbody. He wrestled most of the match in his mask (as pictured on the advertisements.) Team Impact (including Daga) ran out to attack Wagner after, with Psycho Clown leading team AAA (including Cage) to make the save to close out the show.

Taking it out of context for a paragraph: this was an easy to watch AAA show. It was something akin to an AAA version of the CMLL FantasticaMania shows; it was about giving a slimmed down version of the usual product that would be enjoyed by a more casual audience who wanted to see the characters. There was no weapons or blood, there were no rudo referee spots, there weren’t much of angles. The only big rudo cheating moment was the segunda, which seems designed to set up those guys coming back later to get run off. What remains were the fun sort of matches that AAA has delivered often in 2019. Nothing was bad, some stuff was great (with 3/4/5/6 all getting mentioned as best of the night), and the show got done at a decent time. If you watched it, you left happy you watched. That’s the sense I got from the iPPV, and people who were there came away even stronger, hoping AAA would return in 2020. If you’re in Los Angeles and thinking about going, this was a good sign for what you’re going to get next month.

Placing it in a bigger context is mixed. The Hulu Theatre was full or close to it; 3,000 fans wouldn’t have looked good in MSG, but it came off as a successful event in the smaller room. AAA’s idea that people would show up if they just ran and didn’t do much more was correct, though we’re all left wondering if they might have been able to draw a decent crowd in MSG if AAA had done a better job of pushing the show all along. Another way of looking it at is they could’ve just announced the Hulu Theatre at first and this would be seen as a big success (along with “maybe they should’ve run the big arena!” stories), though I’m not sure any of this happens without the initial goal of being in MSG. As enjoyable as the show was, I’m not sure it’ll happen again with the way everything went down.

An issue going forward for is AAA clearly had massive problems getting their visas for this show, and tried their best to keep it quiet at the cost of not really being upfront with the fans about what was going on. AAA is lucky/smart to employ a lot of people who work independently and have their own visas to get into the United States because it doesn’t appear that anyone AAA would’ve requested visa for was approved in time for the show. (Dave the Clown is the only possible exception, but it would make more sense that Dave also has a visa of his own rather than he was the only one approved.) Even the referees, Hijo del Tirantes and Piero, didn’t make this show. Los Angeles people should expect this same general group of AAA wrestlers and a bunch of California based people to fill out the card there because it seems unlikely to get fixed in a month if it hasn’t been fixed already. AAA deserves some sympathy here but if anyone should’ve been prepared for visa trouble, it should’ve been a company involved in multiple seasons of Lucha Underground where the same thing happened. I don’t know that AAA can continue into the US without finding a way to handle visas better.

Daga might have a very long wait to get a match with Laredo Kid. Laredo Kid has been pulled off the Black Label Pro and PWG tournaments next week. It has not been officially announced, but my understanding that Laredo Kid is now in the Dominican Republic as a new cast member of the Exatlon reality. (The season has been gone for a few weeks, so he’s probably an injury replacement.) Konnan mentioned this possibility a couple of weeks ago. The story goes that Laredo Kid had no idea when he would be added and got short notice that he was heading to the island. Exatlon greatly raised the profile of Hijo del Octagon, though I’m not really sure if it did much for Dragon Lee. As a wrestling fan, of course I’d rather see Laredo Kid take all his wrestling matches, especially the one I’ve already paid to see. (Puma King replaces Laredo Kid in BOLA.) I also wonder if he’s going to miss a big opportunity in the wrestling world while he’s gone. It is tough to blame someone for accepting an offer to be on the most-watched show in Mexico by people of the ages of 19-44, as Exatlon was last week. Laredo Kid’s had a great year in AAA – he’s still going to get consideration for best Mexican wrestler if ends right here – but people still don’t see him as a star on the level of Fenix & Penta. Maybe doing well on a reality show can change that.

There’s no telling how long Laredo Kid will be gone. Hijo del Octagon was on Exatlon five months. Dragon Lee was on the show three months. Both were still out a few weeks after they left the show, trying to get back in wrestling shape and catch up on life. Australian Suicide, Lady Shani, Hades and Bengala were out of their competition show in the first week, and they were still out of action about a month. Bengala was out much longer because of his foot injury. (Dragon Lee never seemed to get that ear issue fixed, did he?) If we get to see Laredo Kid again this year, it’ll be a bonus.

other quick thoughts

  • Even with the visa issues, it does seem like AAA had a good idea on a lot of the people in the undercard and just didn’t want to mention them for whatever reason. Maybe Laredo Kid being pulled scrambled things, but they could’ve easily promoted Aerostar & Daga & Drago being there.
  • The first two matches were heavy on non-AAA people, which seemed like an odd feeling for AAA’s big return to New York. It wasn’t a factor by the time they got to the fourway
  • The Wagner/Demon ended on a move that never ends a match, but everyone reacted to it normally. Demon did complain about the count, and that may have just been a way to give him an out.
  • Cain Velasquez did well again. It’s hard to imagine they’re going to be able to compete with other promotions will be offering him after the Los Angeles show; they’ve got to hope he ends up with AEW and is free to return to AAA again. And he should want Taurus with him wherever he goes.
  • We really don’t get to see Mascarita Dorada on TV/stream much anymore. He’s still very good. Hopefully we get him and Demus again in California.
  • I have no idea what the El Rey logo was doing there but that sure is interesting. Some of the partners in Lucha Underground did get brought up to speak at the Los Angeles press conference, so maybe we’ll see more then.

AAA is off the next two weekends and back on 10/05.

CMLL (SAT) 09/14/2019 Arena Coliseo [CMLL]
1) Cholo & Yago b Bengala & Sonic
2) La Infernal, La Seductora, Tiffany b La Guerrera, La Vaquerita, Sanely
rudas took 2/3.
3) Átomo, Gallito, Microman DQ Chamuel, Guapito, Perico Zakarías
tecnicos took 2/3, Chamuel unmasking Microman.
4) Audaz, Guerrero Maya Jr., Volcano b Cancerbero, Dark Magic, Raziel
tecnicos took 2/3.
5) Carístico, Stuka Jr., Valiente b Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón
tecnicos took 2/3.
6) Diamante Azul b Negro Casas
Azul took 1/3. Mutual respect after the match.

Negro Casas takes two straight singles losses in two days with the cage match looming. Chamuel promised to be Microman’s worst nightmare. Microman vowed to take away Chmauel’s mask. Diamante Azul tried to talk about his win the crowd loudly chanted for Negro Casas.

CMLL (SUN) 09/15/2019 Arena México [CMLL]
1) Apocalipsis & Príncipe Odín Jr. b Leono & Sangre Imperial
Rudos took 1/3.
2) Angelito, Kaligua, Shockercito b Pequeño Nitro, Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Violencia
tecnicos took 1/3.
3) Blue Panther Jr., Dulce Gardenia, Rey Cometa b Okumura, Sagrado, Virus
tecnicos took 2/3.
4) Stuka Jr., Titán, Valiente b Ephesto, Felino, Hechicero
tecnicos took 1/3. Hechicero needed the stretcher after taking a super german suplex.
5) Carístico, Soberano Jr., Volador Jr. b Mephisto, Mr. Niebla, Terrible
tecnicos took 1/3.
6) Último Guerrero b Diamante Azul
UG used a mask pull to win.

Ultimo Guerrero said the win showed why he was another level.

Marcela kept the CMLL Women’s Championship in Japan, so she’ll be defending it against Dalys on Aniversario as expected. Felino is headed to Japan on 11/27 for Fukumen Mania, one of a few promotions Dalys & Marcela have worked for on this trip.

The Arena Coliseo Guadalajara results from Sunday fit the general sense of a big undo from the last few years; I don’t know who’s replaced Magnum, but they definitely feel a lot different about some people. Rayman was the latest wrestler to make his return to the arena. The local version of Joker was strangely flipped to the tecnico side last year, and seemed to be moving right back to the rudo side today. The biggest event doesn’t seem mentioned in the results, just slightly evident in the photos shown. The top rope disappears for a while, then the bottom rope disappears instead, then they have three ropes again. According to fan in attendance, the top rope broke when Fugaz hit it near the second match, causing him to hit the ramp and appear to suffer a serious head injury. There’s no mention of his injury in the results

La Maxima unmasked Coco Azul in Guadalajara. Coco Azul is Marcos Valdez, 45, 30 years a wrestler. Ivan Drago took Tino Cortez’s hair on the same show.

Maravilla Strong took Dark Crazy’s hair in Guanajuato.

A relative of Shocker called up a wrestling YouTube channel and explained Shocker is not really in rehab, he’s just so concerned about how his face looks because of the jaw injury that he’s avoiding the public until he gets surgery, he’s just too concerned about being seen as anything less than 1000% Guapo. This story strains credibility – it wouldn’t be hard for Shocker to tweet “hey, I’m at home for a while, but everything’s ok” without showing his face for one – but what gain is there in attempting to prove a man is in rehab? We’ll see him when we see him, hopefully better than we last saw him.

LuchaWorld has the latest news update.

Lineup

CMLL (FRI) 09/20/2019 Arena México
1) Sonic & Súper Astro Jr. vs Espíritu Negro & Grako
2) Átomo, Gallito, Microman vs Chamuel, Mije, Perico Zacarías
3) Atlantis Jr., Dulce Gardenia, Flyer vs Felino, Hechicero, Hijo del Villano III
4) Soberano Jr. vs Templario [lightning]
5) Cavernario, Ciber the Main Man, Volador Jr. vs Big Daddy, Gilbert el Boricua, Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]
6) Carístico, Místico, Valiente vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Negro Casas

Soberano & Templario have gotten to do that singles match twice since they last did it in Mexico. They’ve been the best match on the show both times.

Six of the seven guys in the cage match are in the semi-final. The other is in the main event, where Caristico, Mistico & Valiente get a warm-up match before their national trios title challenge by, uh, facing two-thirds of the world trios champions.

Mije’s been listed a few times but hasn’t wrestled on a CMLL show we’ve seen since June.

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