Not a lot more about the NGD situation. Both NGD leaving and Soberano Jr.’s blaming Ultimo Guerrero blew up as news stories covered in sports sections, though without any additional details. CMLL weirdly trended in Japan overnight as people there read the story and connected it to Tsuji not coming to CMLL as signs of a promotion in a trouble. I don’t think CMLL is in any immediate danger, just continuing on a slow painful decline.
CMLL will likely move current wrestlers rather than bring someone in. Friday’s show will be Los Gemelos Diablos first Friday main event and many more to come. The Cancerberos the Ambassadors stand to move up as well. It’s possible CMLL might debut some new people to fill in spots, but it’s more likely the prelim guys you’ve forgotten about will just end up getting more work.
One correction: Forastero is still together with Ultimo Guerrero’s daughter – they’re apparently married. A post attributed to her Facebook (but which I can’t confirm) had her making a comment joking about the situation and vowing to stay on vacation.
CMLL (MON) 08/09/2021 Arena Puebla [CMLL, Diario Cambio, El Sol de Puebla]
Attendance: 672
1) Chamuel & Perico Zacarías b MicroÁtomo & Microman
2) Pegasso & Stigma b Rey Apocalipsis & Toro Bill Jr.
3) Reyna Isis & Stephanie Vaquer b La Jarochita & Lluvia
4) Euforia, Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II b Atlantis Jr., Star Jr., Titán
5) Carístico, Místico, Volador Jr. DRAW Gran Guerrero, Negro Casas, Templario
Negro Casas replaced Ultimo Guerrero. Captains Casas & Mistico got pinned at the same time for a draw.
When I wrote these results up on Monday night, my thought was along the lines of “it’s so CMLL to end their big return show with a non-result.” Turned out they had bigger issues!
A good start in Puebla at least. The show was a sellout of available tickets. It didn’t look that way early; maybe it was a slow process to get in because the building looked nearly empty for the first match before filling up. El Sol de Puebla has a lot of photos of the show and the atmosphere outside prior. It doesn’t appear this show was recorded for TV. CMLL did cover the results on Twitter and there was a lot of local media attention surrounding the building re-opening. So much so that that I suspect the actual attendance is a little bit lower than 672 people; media counts as capacity too.
CMLL (TUE) 08/10/2021 Arena México [Box y Lucha, CMLL, De Luchas TV, Kaiser Sports, The Gladiatores]
1) Cholo & Príncipe Odín Jr. b Bengala & Leono
2) Eléctrico & Oro Jr. DQ Disturbio & Nitro
Tecnicos took 2/3. Diamond, Robin, and Signo were announced, then pulled from the match on Monday, with Electrico in for the tecnicos.
3) Espíritu Negro, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa b Pólvora, Sagrado, Universo 2000 Jr.
4) Cancerbero, Raziel, Virus © b Fugaz, Star Jr., Stuka Jr. [MEX TRIOS]
2nd defense
5) Carístico, Titán, Volador Jr. b Euforia, Felino Jr., Negro Casas
The trios title match looked like the most notable thing on this show. It turned into guys just wrestling regular matches as a story. Universo 2000 Jr. appeared as normal and doesn’t appear to be following his cousins out of the promotion. Euforia worked in the main event. Soberano’s issues and tease of leaving CMLL don’t necessarily mean his father will do the same, but Soberano’s issues may have to do with how Euforia’s been treated. I have no idea how this is going to shake out.
CMLL (TUE) 08/10/2021 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Fuego en el Ring, Mas Lucha]
1) Estrella De Jalisco Jr. I & Estrella De Jalisco Jr. II b Ponzoña Jr. & Relámpago Azul
2) Avispón Negro Jr., Bello Antuan, Mr. Samuray b Gran Kenut, Javier Cruz Jr., Thunder Boy
3) Crixus & Flash b Black Warrior Jr. & Zandokan
sets up Warrior versus Crixus
4) Náutica & Silueta b Sexy Sol & Valkiria [Relevos Increíbles]
5) Atlantis Jr., Gallo, Panterita del Ring Jr. b Dark Magic, Hijo del Villano III, Okumura
6) Bárbaro Cavernario, Demonio Maya, Principe Daniel b Explosivo, Fantástico, Star Black
maybe sets up a trios title match (but no obvious challenge)
Cavernario and his brothers challenging for the trios titles seems like a fun idea and this building does more fun ideas, so maybe.
Friday’s lineup (take 2)
CMLL (FRI) 08/13/2021 Arena México
1) Eléctrico & Sangre Imperial vs Disturbio & Magnus
2) El Audaz, Hombre Bala Jr., Magia Blanca vs Dark Magic, Okumura, Vangellys
3) Blue Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther vs Gran Guerrero, Negro Casas, Terrible Templario
4) La Jarochita, La Magnifica, La Vaquerita vs Amapola, La Seductora, Metálica
5) Templario, Titán, Volador Jr. vs Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Hechicero
This is not a streamed show but will turn up on YouTube in two weeks. There wasn’t much to it until NGD got fired; the match is probably better with them but Templario on the tecnico side indicates how last minute it was. La Vaquerita makes her first appearance in front of fans. Hechicero & Euforia have been alternating as the third wheels to the Gemelos, who are getting a rare Friday main event.
There’s also a Guadalajara show on Friday. That doesn’t appear to be a weekly thing, but CMLL got close to their pre-pandemic amount of weekend shows for one week (just missing the Arena Coliseo Saturday date.)
CMLL Informa today will have Hechicero, Raizel, Cancerbero, Metalica, Seductora and El Coyote on the show. Hechicero is there to talk about Friday’s main event, Raziel & Cancerbero are for last night’s trios match, Metalica & Seductora are likely in the CMLL Universal de Amazonas tournament, but Coyote has no hook. That may mean he’s also getting a new gimmick following the two last week. I’m sure the YouTube chat will be asking questions about NGD for the entire show, and I’m skeptical CMLL will want to address the situation. CMLL doesn’t care what their fans think, those guys stopped existing the moment they sent out that press release.
The Gladiatores posted a clip from an interview with CMLL’s new Enfermero Jr., who says he’d like work out an agreement with the northern Mexico Hijo del Enfermero and doesn’t want to see him blocked from using the name. It’s respectful of him to offer such, though it’s also probably more in the CMLL’s hands than his own.
AAA announced TripleMania is still on. The state of Mexico City and the world at the moment is such that this was a very smart announcement to make. They’re planning on running with 25% capacity, which was the stated plan back at the original TripleMania press conference. 25% of Arena Ciudad de Mexico is 5,575 people. Capacity in other locations includes wrestlers, AAA staff, building staff, and other personal, so it’s probably closer to 5,000 fans in the building. It’ll be the smallest TripleMania with fans since 2000, though also the highest attended wrestling show in Mexico City (and maybe Mexico entirely) since the start of the pandemic.
Other Notes
IWRG (THU) 08/12/2021 Arena Naucalpan
1) Chef Benito & Legendario vs Tirano & Vudu Max
2) Bengalee & Lady Lee vs Amazonika & Satania
3) Caballero de Plata, Harley Williams, Hellboy, Kenji, Lunatik Fly, Sol vs Ambu, Carrilo, Manchas, Pistolero, Secreto Negro, Shango
4) Toxin vs Aster Boy, Tonalli, Dick Angelo 3G, Puma de Oro
5) Diva Salvaje, Hijo del Alebrije, Jessy Ventura vs Abismo Negro Jr., Hijo del Espectro, Hijo del Fishman
It’s Thursday so it must be time for a Naucalpan cibernetico.
Masked Republic announced in Sports Illustrated that they got 49 P3 work visas for Mexican and Japanese wrestlers. (They planned to get 50, but Brazo de Plata passed away.) The visas are primarily for the Expo Lucha, but Masked Republic can enable those wrestlers to work for other promotions. The article mentions Psycho Clown, LA Park, Psicosis, Aerostar, Super Crazy, Arez, Hijo de Octagon, Mr. Iguana, Super Astro Jr., Lady Apache, Mistico, Damian 666, Baronessa, Aeroboy, and Drago along with Japan-based wrestlers Ultimo Dragon, Great Sasuke, and Tajiri. There’s still a final bit of busywork for the visas the luchadors have to take care of themselves, but everything’s been approved.
Mistico being prevented from working in the US like his brothers Dragon Lee & Rush seemed like one of the reasons he stayed in CMLL when they left. That’s changed now. It doesn’t mean Mistico’s leaving CMLL, it just gives him an option. Other CMLL names in the group of 49 not mentioned in that article include Negro Casas, Felino, Felino Jr., Dalys, Caristico, Rey Bucanero, Titan, and Barbaro Cavernario.
Hijo del Vikingo is not on the list. I was told other people were separately working on resolving that situation for him and some others.
LuchaWorld has the latest Poster-Mania.
MLW announced they’ve signed Arez to a deal. This deal was likely done a while ago, it’s just MLW’s media strategy to have a fresh news item every day, and Tuesday happened to be Arez’s day. Feels like it’s notable Arez is getting a visa through Masked Republic and not MLW. The LA Park family is also on that Masked Republic list.