Day: January 4, 2021

This is the eleventh Tapatia awards, designed to honor the best in lucha libre over the past year. All fans are encouraged to vote. This voting covers the calendar year 2020. Matches are eligible if they were TAPED in 2020.

Any match in any location using the Mexican lucha libre style are eligible to be included. Shows in the US and elsewhere using this style are included. Japanese lucha libre promotions such as Dragon Gate are not included, but Japanese tours by Mexican lucha libre promotions are included. Female and mini wrestlers are eligible for all categories unless otherwise specified.

If you are reading this post, you have qualified to vote. Congratulations! Voting will be open until 11:59 PM CT on February 1st unless someone convinces me to leave it open even later.

This week looks to be another slow one for Mexican wrestling. The Mexico City/Mexico State forced the closure of non-essentially business currently extends through this upcoming Sunday.

The big question looming over the week is if the government will extend that restriction past the 10th. The usual health reports were put on pause during the holidays. The governor in Guanuajto expects their red light shut down will last through the entire month of January. There’s been no word in Mexico City, though the numbers don’t look good: 87% of hospital beds were occupied as of December 31st. 65% is the benchmark to open at all, though that number is arbitrary and they’ve fudged them in the past. Still, it seems unlikely those promotions who are running only when shows are legal will be allowed to do so any time soon. I’m going to keep writing about Mexico City area shows in January while being unsure any of them will or should happen.

Vanguardia (SUN) 12/27/2020 Explanada Franky, Pachuca, Hidalgo [CuadrilateroTV, Mas Lucha]
1) Devitt Rodríguez b Luigi Bros 
2) Billy & Murdock b Dayami & Jeff Killer 
3) Moria & Santy Hernández © b Látigo & Símbolo Azteca [BMLL TAG] 
Drolux didn’t appear, with Moria explaining Drolux was in England. (!?!) Santy Hernandez helped Moria while Latigo walked out on Simbolo Azteca. Presumably still a tag team match.
4) Arez b Dragón Boy, Aron Sykes, Lobo Blanco Jr. 
Arez submitted Lobo Blanco Jr.
5) Crazy King & Miedo Extremo © b Calibus & El Mago and Jitsu & Rey Dragón [VANGUARDIA TAG] 
Ciclon Infernal attacked after the match, with Jimmy making the save. Post match challenges seemed to set up Arez & Latigo challenging for the tag titles, Jimmy versus Latigo, and Ciclon Infernal vs Calibus
6) Aramis b Gasparín 

I haven’t watched this one yet. Lots of undercard changes for a taped show. Latigo versus Jimmy sounds like a greatly interesting match; Latigo is the perfect opponent to see how Jimmy’s progressed after his 2020 Dragon Gate time. Vanguarida’s next show (or maybe big match) is Disco Deathmatch, which is a fantastic name.

La Mascara defeated Blue Demon Jr. for a belt on New Year’s Day. They seemed to settle on this being the NWA Mexico (not world) Light Heavyweight Championship, a championship which has never existed before and may not again. It seemed to be the same physical belt Skayde had been using for his various NWA Mexico belts, though it could just be a similar design. It’s unclear if Blue Demon has any NWA connection at the moment; the era of NWA Mexico was a few different NWA ownership changes ago.

The’s an Orizaba government-sponsored drive-in show scheduled for 01/16, where the poster seems to be advertising Rush, Pagano, Dragon Lee, and others. I don’t think I’d trust that poster.

DTU says they’re running on 01/10 in Poza Rica. Veracruz seems to be a bit more open than other states, and a few groups ran shows around New Year’s Day.

Mas Lucha and IWRG say the all cage match Arena Naucalpan show is now scheduled to be a 01/17 Mas Lucha Premium show.

IAW plans on running on 01/30 in Arena Iztpalapa, which is a new location for me.

Hijo del Fishman says his mask match with Wotan will still happen as soon as they get a green health light.

Guadalajara luchador Mamut Negro passed away on Saturday due to “cardiac and respiratory issues.”

Mexico State luchador Angel Exterminador (58) passed away on Monday. Furia de Titanes had him as the first luchador to pass away this year and I started to correct them before thinking once again about what a depressing morbid life writing about lucha libre has been for the last nine months. I was going to screen

Box Y Lucha 3454 has a great cover.

MicromanFever recaps a Cuervo interview.

Lineups 

AULL (SAT) 01/16/2021 Arena Lopez Mateos
1) Dany Victoria & Fly Star vs Centella Salazar & Stone Magic
2) Candy Swing, Diosa Quetzal, Lady Cat vs La Heroína, Ludark Shaitan, Mary Caporal
3) Epitafio, Leviatham, Tormento vs Dante, Euro, Herejía
4) Alas de Oro, Alas De Plata, Mr. Potro vs Chucho el Roto, Villano III Jr., Villano V Jr.
5) Hijo de Canis Lupus & Penta 0M vs Emperador Azteca & Puma King

Penta and Fenix did an interview early last year saying they were only working for AAA in Mexico in 2020. Penta showing up here suggests that the contract has run its course; maybe it’ll pick back up again when AAA can run regularly, but Penta seems free to pick up random dates. An Arena Lopez Mateos show seems pretty random.