CMLL Leyendas Mexicans show tonight, Cuervo de Puetro Rico unretires?

CMLL’s annual Leyendas Mexicana show takes place tonight in Arena Mexico. This hasn’t reached the heights of the other themed show CMLL does during the year. It does seem to draw in an older fanbase who want to see their past favorites for one show, as long as that show is in Arena Mexico. The term Leyendas seems to specifically be applied to “wrestlers who were part of the late 80s/early 90s boom”. Wrestling in-ring careers last longer in Mexico than anywhere else in the world, but even those wrestlers are starting to retire, pass away, or just not be asked back by CMLL. The version of this show two years ago included Dos Caras (retired) and Cien Caras (retired, or at least retired from CMLL) in the main event. Octagon was on that show and does not appear to be in CMLL’s plans anymore. Black Terry, Super Pinocho and Super Raton are also off CMLL’s list, and Atlantis has quietly been missing. Last year’s show included Jerry Estrada in his final Arena Mexico match. Mano Negra says tonight will be his own final match and there are others who could unknowingly be in the same situation. This is one of my least favorite CMLL shows. I didn’t grow up with these wrestlers as my heroes. For an outsider, it instead seems like people who are right up to that line of it being dangerous for them (and their opponents) to continue to wrestle, and also some people who are miles past that line. I hope we can laugh at the mishaps and not end the show concerned for someone’s wellbeing.

CMLL’s handled the diminishing amount of legends by bringing back Tinieblas Junior for the first time this decade. Tinieblas was last a regular in CMLL in 2004, having short stints with AAA since but mostly wrestling on the indies in his own promotion. He’s a slightly younger name than the others around and wasn’t as big a star, but they need new people and it’s a novelty. He teams with Rayo de Jalisco & Villano IV versus Canek, Fuerza Guerrera and Mascara 2000. Rayo versus Mascara is the old rivalry, though Rayo Canek work also are teasing a mask match no one’s going to do. Solar and Satainco meet in a singles match, following up the two wrestling in Guadalajara a couple of months ago. Blue Panther, Negro Casas and Virus (unspoken replacement for Atlantis) take on Mano Negra, Negro Navarro and Super Astro in Mano Negra’s retirement match. Negra’s gimmick includes being “the man who wears one black glove”; I didn’t know until this week that we were supposed to be wondering about the scarred/burned hand was underneath the hand. Los Diabolicos of Gallego, Mr. Condor and Rocky Santana return to face Super Muneco, Skayde and Ricky Boy – so I guess Muneco won the feud over Super Pinocho in one fashion. These are all more UWA/LLI/El Torero (and even AWWA) names more than old CMLL ones, which goes for a lot of wrestlers on this card. Not sure if that’s as intentional as is that’s what is left from that era.

This show does have matches which may be interesting even if you’re not there for the legends. Bandido returns to Arena Mexico after a 1,209 day break between matches. He teams with Valiente and Volador Jr. against Cuatrero, Forastero, and Ultimo Guerrero, filling in for Sanson. CMLL did give Fenix & Penta big victories when used in this same spot, and they should do the same tonight. The other all regulars match has Altantis, Audaz & Star Jr. facing Hechicero, Misterioso and Sagrado in the segunda.

The show streams on Marca at 8:30 pm and I’ll stream it on YouTube as well.

Solar wants a technical match with Satanico tonight but he doesn’t know what mood Satanico will be in.

Reporte Indigo interviews many of the legends on the show, who explain terrible lucha libre is now compared to when they were doing it. There’s a lot of articles that go around the edges of this bit or try to balance it with some niceties or praise of one person doing it right. This one goes full in on the hate. The repeated complaint is everyone feels too much like a copy of each other, doing the same moves and looking the same. It has validity for sure, but it is strange to hear from people like Mano Negra, Blue Panther, Super Astro and Mascara 2000. They all have sons or daughters or nephews whose characters are no more deep than being a copy of their famous ancestor. Mascara 2000 says he’s bored by any match he sees on TV or live, everything feels the same to him. There is some truth to that, an effect of everyone going thru the same system and being taught the same things, and CMLL is boring right now. Super Astro feels the luchadors aren’t as hungry and fired up to wrestle as they were in his days, and how they used to battle thru injuries when kids nowadays would sit out a year.

Soberano Jr. is off the Warrior Wrestling show next weekend, said to be because CMLL needed him elsewhere. Templario is still on the show, now in a four-way title match for the Impact X-Division championship. Gringo Loco has been added to the Aerostar/Drago/Taurus/Horus multiman match.

AAA/EMW finishes out their year in Tijuana tonight with a Pagano/Psycho/Puma vs Bestia/Rush/Taurus main event. This group is bringing in plenty of names than The Crash now in a way to counter them; Gringo Loco & Killer Kross are working the segunda, Chirs Dickenson is in to work a second match. This won’t stream, but it’ll be watched to see if Flamita is booked or continues to be off of AAA after missing TripleMania Regia.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter says AAA is interesting in using Kenny Omega & the Young Bucks as a trios and bringing in Jon Moxley, but there’s no date for any of this or a next Kenny Omega defense. (I read this as “no one’s quite sure when Rey de Reyes is yet.”) They’re happy with AEW defending the AAA belt “on big shows”, which isn’t a thing that has actually happened unless you’re very excited with AEW Dark but maybe a hint of something that’ll happen on the new AEW PPV (date unknown.)

TripleMania Regia will air on Multimedios this Sunday. (I keep thinking the promos means they air the show at 6, but it’s Multimedios being on channel number 6 that they’re talking about; it’s probably actually earlier around 3pm in the afternoon) Alberto & Sexy Star have MMA bouts in Combates Americas this Saturday night will air on TUDN & Televisa 5 in Mexico.

El Cuervo de Puetro Rico has retracted his retirement announcement, though there’s no clear idea when he’s going to wrestle. He seems like a guy battling some issues, not just physical ones.

An article about the Hidalgo luchadors in Mexico says Jimmy is returning from Dragon Gate in mid-December. That fits the timeline of others who’ve been in Japan for six months. Jimmy’s listed on Dragon Gate’s 12/18 opener in Korakuen Hall, which may be the end of his trip.

LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.

A Puma King Animated Christmas Special!

This interview with Chiapas’ New Fire Jr. has some great photos.

Lineups

CMLL (TUE) 12/10/2019 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Gallo, Johnny Dinamo, Principe Daniel vs Exterminador, Maléfico, Ráfaga
2) El Divino, Retro, Sonic vs Cancerbero, Fúnebre, Raziel
3) Fuego, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa vs Guerrero de la Muerte, Pólvora, Vangellys
4) Atlantis Jr., Dulce Gardenia, Soberano Jr. vs Gran Guerrero, Hijo del Villano III, Negro Casas
5) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero vs Cuatrero, Forastero, Valiente [Relevos Increíbles]

That main event seems like switched sides for the sake of doing it, but perhaps more will come of it.