CMLL continues tonight with the final show pre-Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. The biggest match tonight actually has nothing to do with the big show next week. Atlantis Jr. & Flyer face Templario & Hijo del Villano in the finals of the Mexican National Tag Team Championship tournament. It’s the first match for this championship in Arena Mexico since Misterioso & Volador defeating Tony Arce & Vulcano for the belts in March 8, 1992. (Their rematches took place in AAA.) Flyer & Atlantis are the likely champions – CMLL seems to be redoing the Angel Azteca & Atlantis duo from 1988. The big question is how they’ll perform. Templario is great in every big match, he’s not a concern. This is Atlantis Jr. & Hijo del Villano III’s biggest matches yet in their career. Atlantis has looked good but hasn’t been in this situation. Both Hijo del Villano III and Flyer (who has a Gran Alternativa final) were underwhelming in earlier blocks. They’re probably going to get pushed regardless, but it’d be nice if something clicked for them here.
Titan & Polvora meet in a lightning match tonight. They’ve got a history of good singles matches, though Polvora hasn’t seemed as motivated the last couple of years. Carsticio, Cavernario and Diamante Azul versus Felino, Negro Casas and Volador is a straight build-up for next week’s hair match. Audaz, Rey Cometa, and Soberano Jr. against Hechicero, Luciferno and Rey Bucanero could be good the more Hechicero wrestles.
Stephanie Vaquer & Silueta make rare Friday night appearances in the second match. Those women team with Princesa Sugehit against Amapola, La Infernal and La Metalica. It’s surprising how non-existent the build for Sugehit & Dalys’ match has been. I don’t know that anything CMLL has done has increased interest in any of their matches for H2L, but they’ve didn’t even try with that one. Principe Daniel & Difunto from Guadalajara also get Friday night work, teaming with Diamond and Cholo.
The CMLL series of Homenaje a Dos Leyendas interview continues to Felino talking about his mask loss to La Sombra. This is the 2010 show and it seems like they’ve taken the match footage from a YouTube upload (it has the TV bug on it), which may something about their access to Televisa-era video.
Valiente says his team is 99% of the way to winning the trios titles, and they just need that last 1%.
The MLW show tonight in Tijuana is still on. EMW was pushing tickets this morning. I assume they expected some US fans to cross the border for this and that won’t be happening now. It’s an eight-match card as listed, though MLW would be wise to go as long as they can and tape as much as they can. No idea when they’ll get another chance. Matches of note include the Jinetes del Aire versus Jordan Oliver, Kotto Brazil and Myron Reed for the AAA Trios Championship, Laredo Kid versus Alex Hammerstone and Puma King & Xtreme Tiger versus Tom Lawler & Dominic Garrini. The Park Family takes on Psycho Clown, Nino Hamburguesa, and Nicho el Millionario.
It’s hard to keep track of the cancelations. Not everything has been canceled in the US, but most events for this weekend have been. Of lucha libre related, the two Ring of Honor shows (Friday/Saturday) are canceled and the 03/28 PWG show is postponed for a date to be announced.
The AAW show on 03/20 is still on at last check, though Taurus may not be able to enter the US to work on that show as best I understand the current travel restrictions. (I’m not confident I understand that restriction.) There’s also Illinois local restrictions on larger gatherings. Any event over 250 is being encouraged to cancel/postpone. It’s not a requirement yet and they may continue to run unless it becomes one.
Most of the WrestleMania weekend shows remain technically on but it’s a safe bet they’ll be postponed or canceled. It’s going to massively wound the US indie business.
Shu el Guerrero, Jose Feliciano, Negro Navarro, Judas el Traiador, El Tropikal, Estrella 2000, and Kaoz will be eight of the ten judges for the upcoming Mexico State licensing exam. It is unclear why they need ten judges for an exam, though I’d guess most of those are also trainers of people who will be attempting to be licensed.
Reading, Pennsylvania’s Reading Fightins team will have alternate Lucahdor uniforms.
Lineups
CMLL (TUE) 03/17/2020 Arena México
1) Angelito & Fantasy vs Pequeño Olímpico & Pequeño Violencia
2) Eléctrico, Halcón Suriano Jr., Súper Astro Jr. vs Akuma, Espanto Jr., Nitro
3) Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Drone vs Misterioso II, Okumura, Sagrado
4) Audaz, Esfinge, Rey Cometa vs Pólvora, Tiger, Vangellys
5) Atlantis Jr., Soberano Jr., Star Jr. vs Hechicero, Hijo del Villano III, Templario
6) Valiente vs Gran Guerrero
Valiente and Gran Guerrero have their singles match. The semi-main has more relative Nuevo Valores than usual for a CMLL Tuesday show.
CMLL (TUE) 03/17/2020 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Baron Blanco, El Divino, Leono vs Cholo, Demonio Maya, Demonio Rojo
2) Explosivo, Magia Blanca, Starman vs El Coyote, Hijo del Signo, Rey Trueno
3) Fuego, Pegasso, Stigma vs Cancerbero, Raziel, Virus
4) Diamante Azul, Kráneo, Volcano vs Ephesto, Mephisto, Terrible
5) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Titán vs Cavernario, Euforia, Último Guerrero
Last Tuesday was the singles match, so this is just a show to have a show.