great match roundup, week of 2020-02-15

don’t go to the top rope with a Guerrero

recaps

All 2020 round-up posts2020 MOTYC list

This was delayed so I could finish off a Catch Up post. There’s less stuff on the indies that I’ve wanted to watch so far, making it a bit of a struggle. I didn’t realize this TV week would also include no match I actually liked until I got this far. Maybe the Hechicero/Drone match will be good later on.

I did figure out a bug in my MOTYC list that’ll make my life easier, so this week was totally useless.

recommended matches

none

other matches watched

rating matches TV Show taped
ok Diamante Azul, Soberano Jr., Titán vs Gran Guerrero, Shocker, Último Guerrero LUNES CLÁSICO DE ARENA PUEBLA 17 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-17 2020-02-17
ok Felino, Negro Casas, Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Carístico, Cavernario in a relevos increíbles match LUNES CLÁSICO DE ARENA PUEBLA 17 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-17 2020-02-17
ok Oro Jr., Retro, Robin vs Grako, Hijo del Signo, Nitro LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 18 DE FEBRERO DE  2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-18 2020-02-18
ok Diamond, Dulce Gardenia, Stigma vs Misterioso, Okumura, Sagrado LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 18 DE FEBRERO DE  2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-18 2020-02-18
ok Rey Cometa vs Universo 2000 Jr. in a lightning match LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 18 DE FEBRERO DE  2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-18 2020-02-18
ok Kráneo, Stuka Jr., Volcano vs Hechicero, Luciferno, Vangellys LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 18 DE FEBRERO DE  2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-18 2020-02-18
ok Ángel de Oro, Atlantis Jr., Carístico vs Euforia, Felino, Último Guerrero LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 18 DE FEBRERO DE  2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-18 2020-02-18
ok Magnus & Retro vs Akuma & Espanto Jr. LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
ok Marcela, Mystique, Sanely vs Dalys, Metálica, Reyna Isis DALLYS, REYNA ISIS Y METÁLICA vs MYSTIQUE, SANELLY Y MARCELA (02-21-2020) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
ok Blue Panther Jr. vs Vangellys in a lightning match LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
ok Carístico, Diamante Azul, Titán vs Ephesto, Mephisto, Terrible LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
ok Blue Panther & Fuerza Guerrera vs Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr. [torneo nacional increible] and [8f] LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) PRIMERA FASE TORNEO INCREIBLE DE PAREJAS 2 (02-21-2020) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
ok Espíritu Negro & Rey Cometa vs Ángel de Oro & Sansón [torneo nacional increible] and [8f] LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) PRIMERA FASE TORNEO INCREIBLE DE PAREJAS 2 (02-21-2020) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
ok Cuatrero & Valiente vs Atlantis Jr. & Negro Casas [torneo nacional increible] and [8f] LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) PRIMERA FASE TORNEO INCREIBLE DE PAREJAS 2 (02-21-2020) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
ok Soberano Jr. & Templario vs Cavernario & Volador Jr. [torneo nacional increible] and [8f] LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) PRIMERA FASE TORNEO INCREIBLE DE PAREJAS 2 (02-21-2020) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
ok Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr. vs Ángel de Oro & Sansón [torneo nacional increible] and in a tournament quarterfinal match LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) SEGUNDA FASE TORNEO INCREIBLE DE PAREJAS (02-21-2020) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
ok Atlantis Jr. & Negro Casas vs Cavernario & Volador Jr. [torneo nacional increible] and in a tournament quarterfinal match LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) SEGUNDA FASE TORNEO INCREIBLE DE PAREJAS (02-21-2020) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
ok Ángel de Oro & Sansón vs Cavernario & Volador Jr. [torneo nacional increible] and in a tournament semifinal match LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) TERCERA FASE, FINAL TORNEO INCREIBLE DE PAREJAS 2 (02-21-2020) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
not rated Hijo de Centella Roja, King Jaguar, Meyer vs Ares, Black Tiger, Guerrero Espacial LUNES CLÁSICO DE ARENA PUEBLA 17 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-17 2020-02-17
not rated Astro, Shockercito, Último Dragóncito vs Espíritu Maligno, Joker, Pierrothito LUNES CLÁSICO DE ARENA PUEBLA 17 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-17 2020-02-17
not rated Diamond, Fuego, Stigma vs El Perverso, Espíritu Negro, Toro Bill Jr. LUNES CLÁSICO DE ARENA PUEBLA 17 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-17 2020-02-17
not rated Bengala & Sonic vs Apocalipsis & Inquisidor LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES EN LA ARENA MEXICO 18 DE FEBRERO DE  2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL YouTube: 2020-02-18 2020-02-18
not rated Soberano Jr. & Volador Jr. vs Blue PantherÁngel de OroAtlantis Jr.ValienteStuka Jr.Rey Cometa in a battle royal match ELIMINATORIA TORNEO INCREIBLE DE PAREJAS 2 (02-21-2020) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) LUCHA LIBRE VIERNES ESPECTACULAR DE ARENA MEXICO 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2020 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL) CMLL on ClaroSports.com: 2020-02-21 2020-02-21
watch later Drone vs Hechicero in a lightning match Drone vs Hechicero in a lightning match (posted by thecubsfan) HECHICERO vs DRONE (02-09-2020) (posted by HVSLuchaLibre) CMLL A Ras De Lona: 2020-02-16 2020-02-09

 

weekend roundup, Escorpion suspended?, Stigma/Okumura

All the other results from the weekend:

Tr3s Caidas (FRI) 03/06/2020 Arena Big Punch, Tijuana, Baja California [Zona Ruda]
1) Anton Carrillo b Cósmico [lightning]
2) Rayo Star & Soldado Del Invierno b Fantastik & Terror Azteca
3) Juve Venegas & Romeo b Demencia & Silver Star
4) Mirage b Arez
5) Jonathan © b Laredo KidExtreme TigerBlack Destiny [Tr3s Caidas CHAMP]

Jonathan was the champion. Then he worked The Crash, which apparently disqualified him from working with Tr3s Caidas. Then Rey Horus didn’t make the match and replacing him was Jonathan. He was still

MexaWrestling (SAT) 03/07/2020 Arena Femenil, Monterrey, Nuevo León [@thekoko666]
1) Baby Love b Queen Panther
Queen Panther replaced Hija De Gatubela (moved up). Lady Puma did not appear.
2) Puma de Oro b Príncipe AéreoCharro NegroBlack Spider Jr.
Dulce Canela was pulled from the five way for a mystery person who turned out to be Black Spider (moved up.) Babe Fox did not appear.
3) Zumbido b Oro Negro
Zumbido replaced Madness and Black Spider got moved down.
4) Estrella Divina b Dulce Canela
added to the show
5) Metaleón b Hijo Del Espectro Jr.
6) Corazón de Barrio & El Divo b Golden Boy & Símbolo
controversial three count
7) Divo & Perla Lagunera b Fly Star & Hijo Del Gatubela
Hija del Gatubela replaced Lady Flammer. Divo replaced Toxin (injury)
8) Baby Xtreme b Mecha Wolf
Rey Horus was added to the main event on 03/03 but did no appear.

Rey Horus being added to the show late and then not making it to the show is so weird.

Turnout didn’t seem as strong as most RIOT shows in this building. The matches did sound like they went well, with the semi-main mentioned as especially hard-hitting. Not sure if this one was taped.

Lucha Libre REAL (SAT) 03/07/2020 Deportivo Pavón, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal [+LuchaTV, R de Rudo]
1) Lady Pink & Medieval b Lilith Dark & Toki
Toki replaced Redentor
2) Brazo Cibernetico & Brazo De Oro Jr. DQ Capo del Norte & Capo del Sur
Rey Sicario ran in for the DQ
3) Demasiado b Sexy DulceJessy VenturaWarrior Jr.BaronessaTroyanoReyna OscuraDiva SalvajeChris Stone Jr.Shun SkywalkerXendu
Rossy Moreno was honored before the match by her family.
4) Akuma, Fresero Jr., Último Legendario NF Corsario Negro Jr., Demus, Súper Nova [Relevos Increíbles]
lots of fouls and no finish. May have been changed to a three way tag.
5) Galeno del Mal, Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., Oriental b Dark Cuervo, Dark Scoria, Steve Pain
Steve Pain was the mystery wrestler
6) Felino & Negro Casas DRAW Trauma I & Trauma II [LLR TAG]
no real finish, with the Freak Family (Cuervo, Scoria, Baronessa, Steve Pain, Xendu, Shun Skywalker) running in for an attack.

Lucha Libre Real feels like a promotion where the wrestlers are allowed to do what they want. In the US Indies, that sometimes means people having really good matches. In Mexico, freedom means everyone’s free not to actually lose. Two of the last three with no finish is not good but not uncommon. I’m concerned about the crowd young Shun Skywalker has fallen into here.

Lucha Memes (SUN) 03/08/2020 Coliseo Coacalco, Coacalco, Estado de México [+LuchaTV, DoradaFan]
1) Multy & Prayer b Avisman & Robin Maravilla [sin cuerdas]
2) Virus b Judas el Traidor
great match
3) Black Terry & Negro Navarro b Belial & Impulso
4) Ricky Marvin b Perro de Guerra
5) Alas de Acero & Iron Kid b Arkángel Divino & Último Maldito and Garrobo Punk & Gremlin
6) Arez b Aramis
Arez originally won, then a second fall was added that Aramis won. A third fall was added Arez won.

Memes announced Arez versus Titan and Aramis versus Atlantis Jr., and it was hard to understand how they were going to get to happen. Arez & Aramis are on AAA TV, CMLL doesn’t not want their wrestlers in the same matches with AAA wrestlers – not even in the same shows if they can help it. (La Hiedra’s father is going to be honored on next Friday and they’re not even going to let her stand in the ring.) It was explained both in person and on Twitter as CMLL pulling the wrestlers despite Memes having gone through the office to get them. Taking him at his word, it’s hard to understand why Memes thought something different would happen. Yes, CMLL is annoying for playing these games and it has only gotten worse. They’ve also have been playing these games for years. The politics are not new. Memes took a risk, an ill-advised one that everyone would’ve suggest they not take, and it backfired. It’s tough to have sympathy for this one.

The timing is also suspect. As best I know, CMLL currently requires their wrestlers to inform them of all outside bookings in advance. It’s hard to believe CMLL didn’t know about these matches until the day of the show and it makes it harder to understand why Lucha Memes just have a replacement ready.

Titan posted a video apologizing and saying he’d make it up.

In the end, any credit for bailing out the show really should go to Aramis & Arez for working three times as hard to salvage it. The same guys had to make up for a missing main event on a January show. I hope Memes is treating those guys like kings. And if the fans who go to these shows are still happy, then our complaints really don’t matter – we’re not the intended audience.

Virus/Judas el Traidor may have been the best match of the night, with Aramis/Arez just behind it.

IWRG (SUN) 03/08/2020 Arena Naucalpan [+LuchaTV, The Gladiatores]
1) Chicanito b Voltrex LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA AREANA NAUCALPAN, ESPECIAL DIA DE LA MUJER (posted by Internetv Deportes)
2) Legendario & Shadow Boy b Maradó & Neza Kid LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA AREANA NAUCALPAN, ESPECIAL DIA DE LA MUJER (posted by Internetv Deportes)
3) Charro Negro (Nuevo León), King Rex, The Mummy b Fly Warrior, Hip Hop Man, Mosca LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA AREANA NAUCALPAN, ESPECIAL DIA DE LA MUJER (posted by Internetv Deportes)
King Rex replaced Baby Extreme. The Lucha Time wrestlers teased a team with Team Argentina and Hip Hop Man & La Mosca attacked Fly Warrior.
4) Jessy Ventura, Pasion Kristal, Zoy Raymunda b Fuerza Guerrera NG, Lunatik Xtreme, X-Fly LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA AREANA NAUCALPAN, ESPECIAL DIA DE LA MUJER (posted by Internetv Deportes)
5) Demonio Infernal, Fresero Jr., Hijo De Espectro Jr. (Nuevo Leon) b Emperador Azteca, Hijo del Alebrije, Shun Skywalker LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA AREANA NAUCALPAN, ESPECIAL DIA DE LA MUJER (posted by Internetv Deportes)
Espectro broke up with his teammates after the match. Azteca suffered an injury but was fine later.
6) Ayako Hamada, Lolita, Miss Delicious b Diosa Quetzal, Hahastary, Mary Caporal LUCHA LIBRE DESDE LA AREANA NAUCALPAN, ESPECIAL DIA DE LA MUJER (posted by Internetv Deportes)

The show was preceded by a women’s wrestling exhibition, in the vein of the tumbling sessions before the FILL shows as a preview for the new classes. It’s weird, but the best sign for this project working so far is they avoided bringing back the IWRG Women’s title and handing it out as fast as possible. They’ll probably do it eventually, and probably before people are ready, but any sign of patience is good for the long term prospects.

The attendance seems about normal for a non-name IWRG show. Maybe the promotion around having an all women’s main event helped a bit, but I suspect the regular IWRG men are actually no bigger stars than the women.

(Fun fact: do you know when the last time AAA ran an all women’s tag match – not a mixed tag, not a multi-women all for themselves match? June.)

DTU (SUN) 03/08/2020 Nueva Arena Poza Rica, Poza Rica, Veracruz [DTU]
1) Aero Panther b Fight Panther
2) Brazo Celestial & Brazo Cibernetico b Calibus & Gran Cobra
3) Brazo De Oro Jr. b RelámpagoSamuray Jr.
4) Dariux b Vengadrio RadioactivoFlyerHijo De Pólux Jr.
5) Halloween b Joe LiderCrazy BoyParanoiko

Latest stop on the Halloween tour, and a rare singles win. Crazy Boy and other DTU people are working in Baja California next week but Halloween does not appear to be on those.

AAA (SUN) 03/08/2020 Centro Civico Nueva Aragon, Ecatepec, Estado de México [+LuchaTV]
1) Mini Gronda & Mini Psycho Clown b Mini Murder Clown & Parkita Negra
2) Faby Apache & La Hiedra b Lady Maravilla & Lady Shani
Maravilla betrayed Shani
3) Carta Brava, Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana b Hijo Del Vikingo, Myzteziz Jr., Octagón Jr. Myzteziz Jr., Octagon Jr. y Hijo del Vikingo vs El Poder del Norte (Ecatepec Marzo 8) 1a caida (posted by ) Myzteziz Jr., Octagon Jr. y Hijo del Vikingo vs El Poder del Norte (Ecatepec Marzo 8) 2a caida (posted by ) Myzteziz Jr., Octagon Jr. y Hijo del Vikingo vs El Poder del Norte (Ecatepec Marzo 8) 3a caida (posted by )
Poder del Norte won via foul
4) Rey Escorpión & Texano b La Bestia Del Ring & Súper Nova and Hijo de LA Park & LA Park Jr. and Averno & Chessman
win via foul
5) LA Park & Rush b Pagano & Pentagón Jr.

The real story from this one is +LuchaTV says Rey Escorpion got into an argument with the commissioner on hand, and the commissioner suspended Rey Escorpion from Mexico State events for six months. That would be roughly six times as long as Angel o Demonio got suspended by the same commission (which also seemed to take a discussion rather than just being decided on the spot.) Escorpion is not listed on an upcoming card but works Arena Lopez Mateos and Arena Neza often. It’s hard to believe this is going to be enforced or enforced for that length.

It seems like a strong turnout for the show. Ecatepec used to be a once or twice a year TV spot for AAA but they haven’t taped there since 2018.

KDNA (SUN) 03/08/2020 Arena Jose Sulaiman, Monterrey, Nuevo León [Cancha]
Attendance: 5000
3) La Parkita & Mini Estrella Dorada b Mini Difunto & Mini Hator
4) Estrella Divina, Oriental, The Tiger b Apolo Estrada, Dark Spíritu, Zumbido
Apolo & The Tiger were hurt on a Tiger dive but reported to be doing ok.
5) Hator & Toscano b Rayman & The King Charro
Rayman betrayed King Charro.
6) Charly Manson & Zorro DRAW Histeria & Psicosis II
7) El Hijo Del Santo & Hijo de Máscara Sagrada DQ Dr. Wagner Jr. & El Hijo del Solitario
Santo took 2/3, Solitario unmasked Santos’ mask.

This is also a strong turnout. The actual quote is “more than 5,000” and that seems to be accurate based on photos. I think that means this is the biggest drawing show in Monterrey so far this year. The Santo/Solitario feud is left over from Todo x el Todo, six years ago. It’s mostly people wanting to see Santo and Santo not being around much; all these other guys (except maybe Wagner) work on shows in Monterrey from time to time and don’t do nearly this well. Santo returning to CMLL for special appearances would absolutely be worth the money and there’s no sign it’s happening any time soon. Santo is advertised for a 04/18 show in Mexicali.

GHC (SAT) 03/07/2020 Arena Roberto Paz, Guadalajara, Jalisco [PWN]
1) Hipnoz ?? Danger KingLuciferMartirio
2) Dark Power b AquilesMini Jalapen AsesinoKittanSombra DoradaÁngel Aero
3) Príncipe Quetzal b Memo RomeroMagno
4) Delirio b Extreme Fly
5) Sobredosis b Willy Banderas
best match of the night
6) Black Golden, Demencía, Shyru Jr. b Ángel o Demonio, Ovett, Shyru Dragón

GHC is an extreme-leaning indie who runs a couple of times a year and their shows are on IndependentWrestling.TV. I was just happy to find results. Or most results.

CMLL (SUN) 03/08/2020 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) Mr. Trueno, Rey Trueno, Thunder Boy b Capitán Cobra, Quka, Tigre Blanco [OCCIDENTE TRIOS, quarterfinal, #1 Contenders]
2) Exterminador, Maléfico, Ráfaga b Mágico, Metatrón, Neutrón [OCCIDENTE TRIOS, quarterfinal, #1 Contenders]
Rudos took 2/3
3) Javier Cruz Jr., Leo, Omar Brunetti b Cris Skin, Demonio Maya, Demonio Rojo [OCCIDENTE TRIOS, quarterfinal, #1 Contenders]
Latin Boys took 2/3
4) Fugaz, Johnny Dinamo, Principe Daniel b Gran Kenut, Jabalí, León Blanco [OCCIDENTE TRIOS, quarterfinal, #1 Contenders]
Team Fugaz took 2/3
5) Vaquero Jr. b Bobby Black [hair]
Vaquero took falls 2/3 and Bobby Black’s hair despite interference from Carlo Roggi

Cruz, Leo and Brunetti are getting a big push as a new group, so they’re the favorites to face NGD.

Today’s Puebla show has an Okumura versus Stigma lightning match. Stigma’s picked up lightning match wins over Rey Cometa & Kawato in the last three months. He lost to Okumura (& Rey Cometa!) in Arena Mexico prior. Stigma and Okumura matches aren’t usually good but this seems a hard push to make Stigma a bigger deal in Puebla.

The main event is a NGD versus Guerreros rematch. This seems like the set up for a trios title match next week. However, the Puebla Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show is not until 03/23, and it’s always possible they switch to a singles match at the last second.

There’s no much else on the name. The Chavez Brothers & Titan versus Felino, Negro Casas & Titan are the names to have a good match but it’s increasingly unlikely to see on a Puebla show.

This show starts at the new late time of 10 pm CT in the US, still 9 pm CT in Mexico.

There’s a warning out against 07/27 Arena Xalapa show. This is the one with the Wotan/Hijo del Fishman mask match. The promotion, BELLO, ran a shows in Arena Queretaro on August 18, 2019 and then again on October. Arena Queretaro’s Facebook account says wrestlers and municipal officials have never paid what they were owed for the show. They’re suggesting people booked on the Xalapa show make sure they get their guarantees up front if they’re going to work the show at all.

Stories on Morgana and Zuzu Divine just a bit behind for International Women’s Day.

Lineups

CMLL (SAT) 03/14/2020 Arena Coliseo
1) Fantasy & Kaligua vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Violencia
2) Magia Blanca, Retro, Súper Astro Jr. vs El Coyote, Grako, Hijo del Signo
3) Dalys vs Avispa Dorada [lightning]
4) Drone, Principe Daniel, Stigma vs Dark Magic, Difunto, Virus
5) Blue Panther Jr., Kráneo, Volcano vs Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
6) Star Jr., Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Templario

Star Jr. getting a main event spot. Principe Daniel and Difunto get much higher positions. Avispa gets her first ever CMLL singles match and it’d be fascinating to see how it goes.

2020 lucha libre catch up, part 1

a different way to get into a handspring DDT

This is the occasional series watching selected matches from shows/promotions I don’t recap weekly or don’t want to cover a full show. I’m trying to just write about stuff that I find interesting.

Fuerza Guerrera NG, Puma King, Séptimo Dragón vs Demonio Infernal, Dragón Bane, Hijo de Canis Lupus
(IWRG @ 01/05, 15:14, good, +LuchaTV)

A well-worked trios match without a lot of memorable moments. The teams worked well within each other (or at least communicated quickly when they weren’t on the same page) and the match kept moving with good action and the finish was a nice reversal on an earlier tease. Not everything hit perfectly but the match was smooth and moved along well for fifteen minutes. Demonio Infernal fits in these matches fine despite seemingly being a step slower than them.

Dragon Bane sault

Ángel Jr., Esfinge, Sky Bird vs Aramis (Estado de México), Black Terry, Freelance
(915-656 @ 01/12, 23:22, good, Estrellas del Ring)

This is a three fall match, though it’s not entirely clear at first on the version I watched.

The match was interesting, but the IWRG guys worked as the tecnicos against the hometown Juarez guys, and the clear better wrestlers early on. The tecnicos are always supposed to be the more skilled luchadors, but they got put over so strong in the first few minutes that the Juarez guys seemed out of their league. Team Naucalpan brought them up a little bit (and I think Angel Jr. was the one who looked the best), but it was an unusual match layout given the context. This was one the better Black Terry matches since his return, getting to show off on the mat and letting his partners take care of a lot of the movement. Freelance looked sharp and was willing to randomly throw himself into the seats, and Aramis did really good some evasion spots. The Juarez team is game, they just don’t shine as much. Still, one team being clearly superior instead of everyone being 50/50 makes it a more interesting match than usual.

Freelance coming through

Dinámico vs Baby Extreme
(The Crash @ 01/18, 13:11, great, Arena Clandestina)

Baby Extreme might be putting it all together and it is exciting to see. He’s looked more consistent in his RIOT appearances and took it to a higher level with Dinamico here. The opening mat exchanges were a little forced and getting from one spot to another can feel a bit staged, but it is great when they get going. Xtreme’s problems has been inconsistently pulling off moves without hurting himself along the way. He went for some high risk stuff here, everything looked great, and he stayed in one piece. Dinamico is just as agile as him and they made a good compliment to each other. The match went wildly into the crowd, like a good Tijuana opener, and kept getting better as it went on. People would be talking about this one as one of the greatest Mexico matches in the year if it happened in CMLL, and it’s slipped unmentioned because that’s where The Crash is in 2020. It’s worth going out of your way to see.

Baby Extreme with a step up moonsault

Dinámico & Spider Fly vs Noicy Boy & Voltrex
(IWRG @ 01/19, 9:57, good, Estrellas del Ring)

Through the magic of Mexican wrestling, this is a different Dinamico than the one in the last match. These are the MexaBoys, who I probably should know better based on their flips. Though, if you can’t tell which one is which by looking at their gear, they probably need better gear of better names. Spider Fly helpfully has spider imagery on his gear and impresses the most with big spot, though this one doesn’t find a high level with just the ids working among themselves.

Spider Fly escapes

Titán vs Templario in a lightning match
(CMLL @ 01/05, 9:16, good, HVSLuchaLibre)

There are two of these I need to watch. This is one in January, which has a lot of action but doesn’t really develop beyond usual back and forth. It’s worked at a fast pace and they’re solid at what they do, but the turn-taking is such that even a big move just leads to the other person taking over ten seconds later.

anti-air

Arez vs Kamik-C in a Batte of Tijuas quarterfinal
(Lucha Memes/TWE @ 02/16, 10:00, good, Arena Clandestina )

This worked well as an exhibition of Arez’ holds. Skinny Kamik-C was good at being tied up in various ways, and Arez can do a lot of creative moves. It really didn’t show a lot of Kamik-C, who had a few moments but was largely overmatched. I think I can safely tell him and Skalibur apart now, but he didn’t come off strong enough.

Arez showing off knots