promotion status update, upcoming iPPVs, recent deaths

Maybe this is a good time to summarize where the bigger promotions are as far as running shows

  • AAA: will run outdoor shows at Six Flags Mexico, where fans will attend by driving in and sitting in their cars. Shows will likely be recorded and streamed/aired on TV, but details still to be worked out. Have asked for formal approval to start shows, but start date dependent on government health approval.
  • CMLL: have not officially announced anything, but discussions on CMLL Informa have implied they’ll be running empty arena shows at Arena Mexico, not waiting all the way until fans can attend. It’s unclear if CMLL will run empty arena shows at the other venues. Have asked for formal approval to start shows, but start date dependent on government health approval.
  • IWRG: Will run empty arena shows, beginning with 2020 Rey del Ring Part 2 and a Gran Hamada tribute show, as soon as possible. Have asked for formal approval to start shows, but start date dependent on government health approval.

Can you pick up the pattern? Everyone’s going to run empty arena shows, everyone is waiting for government health approval. El Fantasma’s public stance is no shows will be approved until Mexico City gets to the yellow health light. Mexico State’s commission suggested the same. The adjacent Mexico City and Mexico State are likely to change lights at the same time – it’d be confusing if one side of the street had vastly different rules than the other. We’re likely to see these promotions all come back at the same time if they come back the way they’re planning. It is always possible Fantasma or the local governments change their rules about running, but it’s all we have to go on for a moment.

That means the earliest we’ll see any of these promotions right now is probably Friday, August 7th. Mexico is now updating those health lights every other week, and the next update should be July 31st. Every group will probably need a few days to get the final governmental approval to restart and to get a lineup together; running a week later is if everything goes smoothly. If there’s no yellow light on August 7th, then everyone waits until August 21st, then September 4th, and then AAA definitely and perhaps the other groups start to look around elsewhere in Mexico if they still can’t run in Mexico City.

Promotions that are based in an area that aren’t as strictly regulated, are under the radar of local government, or are running in non-traditional locations will likely continue to go on. Promotions like AAA, CMLL and even IWRG are too well known to get away with something like that. It would endanger their existing relationships; CMLL particularly has benefited from working with Mexico’s tourism department and wouldn’t want to mess that up. The uncertain portion is if the individual wrestlers are allowed to work those smaller shows. IWRG doesn’t seem to have contracts, so everyone there is free to do what they want. AAA seems to have definitely said no for anyone under contract (though not everyone who’s been on AAA TV is under AAA contract.) CMLL is unclear – either everyone’s free to work with they want but only Ultimo Guerrero and other Laguna wrestlers have gotten interest or CMLL’s said no to outside work but UG and friends have special permission.

Ultimo Guerrero comes to mind because he was announced as appearing on the 08/16 DTU iPPV as well as 08/01 combo iPPV with a music performance alongside Gran Guerrero. Stuka Jr. worked the last DTU show, Ultimo Guerrero the first one. That last one is doubly notable, because the CMLL wrestlers are listed as long alongside Arez & Latigo. CMLL luchadors Titan & Atlantis Jr. were pulled from a Lucha Memes show earlier this year because they’d share a show with AAA TV luchadors (though not signed) Arez & Latigo. Maybe the third option here is Ultimo Guerrero is just doing what he wants, less unconcerned about the consequences because it’s a pandemic and he needs the work.

Facebook page Llaves y Contrallaves is posting video from the secret location Generacion XXI show; they just missing the main event. It looks about as safe as a show in indoor warehouse is going to be: everyone’s in masked, it’s not packed, there was opening for air flows, referees are wearing masks and face shields. Generacion XXI says they’re planning on another show on 08/02 with Joe Lider and Pagano. That seems to confirm they’re both not under any AAA contract at the moment.

Super Crazy is one of the bigger names on a Costal Championship Wrestling show this Saturday in Nashville.

Recent lucha libre deaths:

CMLL will have Blue Panther, Lluvia, Seductora, Okumura, and Akuma on Informa today. Blue Panther is there to talk about his mask match with Villano V, which will be airing on Televisa this Saturday. They’re airing almost nothing else from that show, including the CMLL/TNA trios match which would seem to include no banned people. Maybe Sonjay Dutt is banned from CMLL and we don’t know it??? (The LA Park/Dr. Wagner match from that show that got both of them fired is of course still not airing.)

Lucha Libre Vanguardia July 25 or maybe August 1st

In theory, this would be a 4v4 match if Ciclope was still around. Ciclope was fired from the promotion on the last show by evil general manager Santy Hernandez. Vanguardia posted a video revealing Hernandez and Odaiba Squad were working together to make that happen (though that was no big surprise, he’s an evil general manager, they’re heels.) Ciclope somehow appearing to even the sides seems like the most likely outcome, but maybe the big thing here is actually “inferno death match.”

This appears to be the full lineup. I presume this is not happening on July 25th or Vanguardia would’ve announced that already, so pencil it in for August 1st.

Deadline has a story on a production company picking up a script about a dramatic lucha libre series. “Luchador” doesn’t have a channel attached, so it’s still a long way away from existence and will likely change along the way. It’s described as “a character-driven action drama about a fictional, Lucha Libre-inspired city run by colorful gangs of Mexican Wrestlers at the brink of tyranny, and the unlikely young wrestler who becomes its champion and savior, both inside and outside the ring.” The writer, Diego Guiterrez, is credited with working on From Dusk To Dawn, which you may remember as one of El Rey’s non-Lucha Underground offerings. Lucha Underground did feature colorful tribes of Mexican Wrestlers, a tyrannical boss, and a young wrestler who became its champion and savior (played by Prince Puma in seasons 1-3 and Pentagon Black in season 4.) Those are also common fantasy fictional tropes being applied to lucha libre.

Diario Basta has an interview with Templario, who’s a CMLL star in part because a friend he knew from soccer offered to allow him to move into his Mexico City place and live there for free while he was trying to make it in the big city as a luchador.

ESPN has an interview with Mr. Iguana. He’s planning on moving to Mexico City in August, something that had been in the works prior to the pandemic.

Box Y Lucha was so inspired by “the Rey Mysterio losing his other eye” match in WWE to write a short history of notable real eye loses in lucha libre (and Vader.)

Crazy Boy and the DTU roster are inviting fans to help them plant trees on July 28th.

A documentary about Chiapas lucha libre will premiere on Saturday. Someone should make a lucha libre film festival out of the documentaries;

Octagon and boxer Jackie Nava have delivered pantry items to wrestlers and boxers as part of a charity initiative.

La Jornada de Guerrero talks to 23 years old Kid Dragon. He’s from Chilapancingo, debuted at 16 on a show put on by the government, but is actually unlicensed because Chilpancingo doesn’t have a commission.

An interview with Texas luchador Hijo del Arkangel (not related to the CMLL one.)

LuchaWorld posts a Perro Aguayo and wife interview from 1977, part of their Patreon content.