CMLL
The names of the big CMLL shows in September, as listed on Ticketmaster
- 09/17: “88 Aniversario CMLL-EMLL” (Cavernario/Fellino)
- 09/24: “Noche de campeones, 88 aniversario CMLL”
This seems confusing! CMLL’s marketing the 09/17 as both Aniversario and Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. also think CMLL sees it as the true Aniversario show and they’re calling Homenaje a Dos Leyendas only to honor their promise of making up the postponed 2020 show. You can see it in the ticket prices
- 09/17: 300 to 1200 pesos
- 09/24: 240 to 600 pesos
- this is the same price as the CMLL Universal de Feminal final
It could be CMLL doesn’t want to charge high prices to a show they have limited control over what matches will be on the show. Which might be a reason not to make that concept the Aniversario show.
We have a little better idea who might be on the 09/24 Fan Vote show. I was able to put together the vote totals for each title. This is not hacking or secretive info; the polling script CMLL’s website uses sends you the raw vote totals when you place the vote so it can draw the lines for the percentages. Anyone who knows how to look can find the info
Didn't intend on this being a daily thing but I realized I missed Euforia in the voting! Yikes. That boosts Heavyweight total ahead of the World Tag titles for 4th.
Enfermero moved up a spot, may pass Dragon Rojo for 2nd on Friday. Women's Tag is getting close again. pic.twitter.com/FaURiEWXLQ
— luchablog (@luchablog) August 25, 2021
Enfermero seems to have a fanbase on Facebook that’s supporting him, though I can’t totally identify why. He just seems to the generic inspiration posts with a photo. We aren’t talking about big numbers per day though, so it just takes a committed group.
If I understood correctly, Julio Cesar Rivera said the card order would be based on the votes for each match. Ultimo Guerrero/Hechicero is in 4th right now, with the world tag team title in last. Those are all a lot of people CMLL wants to see in main events and whom never work opening matches. I suspect what will actually happen is the match with the most votes (the middleweight title match unless the women’s tag match keeps staying hot) will be the main event and everything else will be how CMLL sees fit.
No Puebla results. It’s true for CMLL the same for any wrestling promotion in Mexico and any sporting event in general: if you don’t care enough to let people know what happened, everyone else is going to quickly stop caring. CMLL doesn’t care about the Puebla shows.
CMLL (TUE) 08/24/2021 Arena México [Box y Lucha, CMLL, Kaiser Sports, The Gladiatores]
1) Angelito & Kaligua b Mercurio & Pequeño Olímpico 
2) Hijo del Signo & Nitro b Robin & Sangre Imperial
Rudos took 1/3.
3) Cachorro, Halcón Suriano Jr., Panterita del Ring Jr. b Disturbio, Enfermero Jr., Sagrado
Tecnicos took 2/3.
4) El Audaz, Guerrero Maya Jr., Panterita del Ring b Hijo del Villano III, Luciferno, Pólvora
Tecnicos took 2/3.
5) Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Terrible b Carístico, Fugaz, Volador Jr.
Caristico replaced Mistico. Rudos took 1/3, Terrible sneaking in a foul on Caristico.
Every time Mistico misses a show from here on it, there’s going to be a “did he leave? is he gone?” bit. He’s on Informa today so I don’t think he’s quit the promotion. He probably shouldn’t be allowed to go out for the milk just to keep people calm. (The flipside is few people are paying attention to these Tuesday shows to know that Mistico’s missed it)
CMLL (TUE) 08/24/2021 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Arena Coliseo Guadalajara (video part 1), Arena Coliseo Guadalajara (video part 2), Mas Lucha]
1) Gran Kenut, Javier Cruz Jr., Paymon b Avispón Negro Jr., Bello Antuan, Signo Azteca
Signo Azteca debut
2) Infierno, Mr. Trueno, Rey Trueno b Leo, Mr. Samurai, Príncipe
Leo & Principe replaed Divino & Luminioso
3) Lluvia, Miss Delicious, Sexy Sol b Náutica, Silueta, Valkiria
Miss Delicious Arena Coliseo Guadalajara debut.
4) Flash & Gallo b Kaoma Jr. & Silver (Tamaulipas)
5) Atlantis Jr. & Gran Guerrero b Bárbaro Cavernario & Furia Roja [Relevos Increíbles]
Furia Roja wore a Mr. Niebla tribute outfit.
6) Atlantis & Último Guerrero b Rey Bucanero & Satánico [Relevos Increíbles]
UG fouled Satanico.
The reunited Los Guerreros del Atlantida won over their old tag team partners.
CMLL (FRI) 08/27/2021 Arena México
1) Arkalis, Pegasso, Stigma vs Akuma, El Coyote, Espanto Jr.
2) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Stuka Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Luciferno, Terrible
3) La Guerrera, La Magnifica, Marcela vs Amapola Tiffany, Dalys, Metálica
4) Atlantis Jr., Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero vs Hechicero, Místico, Valiente [Relevos Increíbles]
5) La Jarochita vs Dark Silueta [CMLL Universal de Amazonas]
(Amapola was announced, then replaced by Tiffany Wednesday afternoon.)
Two women’s matches on a CMLL card is rarer than a women’s main event. The semi-main seems to be acknowledging the inevitable Hechicero/Ultimo Guerrero match, though they’re copying the same reunited Los Guererros del Atlantida bit seen in Guadalajara. I wonder if we’ll also see more Espanto & Akuma as a team-leading into their likely Aniversario title match.
This show is on TicketMaster Live for the premium price of 230 pesos. Do not buy it again if you bought the July package. You may have to dig around in your email to find it, but the link for that block of shows will still work. I tried it for me and it worked fine.
- CMLL Universal finalists Dark Silueta & La Jarochita
- CMLL Tag Team champions Mistico & Caristico
- doomed possible national tag team challengers Magia Blanca & Halcon Suriano Jr.
- El Satanico & Ultimo Guerrero
Satanico hasn’t been in a while. It could be about their match tonight, though it’s also the two head trainers of CMLL’s schools and they could just talk about how great they feel their schools are doing.
This is Ultimo Guerrero’s first appearance on Informa since NGD quit the promotion and Soberano blamed Guerrero for problems in the promotion. I expect that’ll be all the chat wants to talk about and JCR will not ask a question about it. Guerrero is capable of bringing up on his own, even if only in subtle ways.
the Mexican National Heavyweight Title Bit Won’t Stop
I’ll save you the headache. We learned two things of value from the latest Mexico City Lucha Libre commission press conference
- they’re not reversing their decision to vacate the national heavyweight championship, feeling their ruling was sound (and that DMT Azul’s threat of legal action can be defeated)
- they are opening up the tournament for a new champion to “any heavyweight” no matter the promotion. The tournament will still take place in Arena Mexico.
This seems to confirm CMLL pulled the title match from the Aniversario on orders of the commission, who were compelled to include non-CMLL wrestlers to avoid claims of favoritism. Note the national middleweight title will be a CMLL-only affair; this is not a consistent policy or some real rules being adhered to, this is just reacting to whatever people are yelling about that day and making it up as they go along.
Fantasma stated the commission will announce participants in the tournament will be announced next week, with the idea of a tournament happening in Arena Mexico in September. He was pressed on if AAA wrestlers would be allowed to participate and sternly replied that all wrestlers who make the heavyweight limit can participate and it doesn’t matter what promotion they’re with. DMT Azul, Sanson, or Rush showing up to ask for a shot at the heavyweight championship would be highly entertaining and seems incredibly unlikely, but this story won’t end so who knows.
The press conference focused a lot on exposing DMT Azul as a not-great guy, including bringing up an incident of hitting a fan in Arena Naucalpan back in May. People in and around CMLL have known of DMT Azul issues for years, going back to his short-lived NJPW time. Those issues apparently weren’t a problem to the commission until he left CMLL and started arguing about keeping this title. DMT Azul shouldn’t be considered the hero of the story, but the commission isn’t coming off well either.
The one positive about this situation is people actually care about the national heavyweight title for the first time in a decade and a half. This title hasn’t been meaningful since maybe when Charly Manson had it in AAA in the mid-2006. (Sorry X-Fly in Perros del Mal defenders.) Diamante Azul won the title as part of a marathon no-fans taping in a title change CMLL didn’t acknowledge until days after it aired completely unadvertised on one of their B-shows. It’s going to be a big deal when the commission announces the names in the tournament – for who’s in and who’s not – and it could be a big deal whoever wins the tournament if it’s played out well. The safe assumption is indie wrestlers will be involved, may even make the final, but CMLL’s getting their title back in the end. The better move might be for an indie wrestler to shockingly win the tournament, and for CMLL guys to chase after him to win it for the next few months. It’d give the promotion an interesting story, something they’re very short on at the moment. I’m just not sure who would work best in that role, and who would be someone CMLL would trust to stick with their plan.
Fantasma once again surrounded himself with older luchadors to endorse the commission’s decision. He increasingly comes off as an embattled politician trying to hang onto this job, though there’s no outward sign he’s in danger of being replaced. (If anything, it feels like Fantasma’s more likely to quit in frustrating before being removed.) One highlight for me is Mascara 2000 telling the Estrellas del Ring how he and his brothers gave up the national trios titles upon jumping to AAA. In reality, Los Dinamitas took the Mexican Trios TItles to AAA, defending them in 1992 and 1993 before losing them to Los Payasos in 1994. The commission at the time didn’t strip them of the titles for jumping promotions.
Those titles would later travel to Promo Azteca and then become dormant for nearly five years when the champions split between different companies; the commission refused to vacate the titles even when it wasn’t possible for the champions to team together. They eventually did in 2005 (and immediately lost them.) One of the champions at that time was Blue Panther. Panther was at this press conference and remarked that these situations were handled better when they were just meeting at the offices of the promotion or the commission. That is probably true, not a single press conference the commission has held has actually helped the commission, though it also illustrates the friends helping friends ways most issues are actually handled in Mexican wrestling.
Mas Lucha caught up to Diamante Azul to talk about the situation, but Puma King interrupted to (jokingly) give the big scoop: La Empresa is currently searching for someone to be the new president of the commission.
Other News
AAA taped Tuesday night in Temxico. This is more no fans shows. DMT Azul & Puma King were there judging from the Mas Lucha interview. Battla Campal mentioned NGD was also at the show, suggesting they might be a regular part of the roster and not just big show guys. AAA normally tapes twice in a week, so there’s probably a taping tomorrow as well. I’m guessing these tapings will start airing next week and last through Heroes Inmortales.
AAA announced Heroes Inmortales will take place 10/09, which matches what the ticket site had listed earlier this week. There is a false Heroes Inmortales card circulating, though this is one of those situations where I hadn’t heard of the fake thing before it got brought up as being fake.
Flamita talked to Universal Deportes about his two big battles in the US – wrestling and learning English, which he feels will give him more opportunities. Flamita says he feels Mexico no longer has the best wrestling in the world, because they haven’t taken good care of it, and feels there’s better elsewhere. It’s a reason why he’s tried to wrestle around the world.
Ring of Honor announced Rush suffered a knee injury during his match Saturday. The severity of the injury is unknown. Rush was visibly limping in the late stages of the matches, but there was no obvious cause. Rush’s contract expires at the end of this year, so a significant injury could mean he’s wrestled his last match in Ring of Honor.
Rush’s knee injury isn’t stopping him from taunting Alberto about at tomorrow’s Robles Patron show. He’s still not been announced for that show but at least it’s attention for the show, I guess. The lineup is here; it still seems weird a month later. Tickets are still easily available for that event at the Pepsi Center, despite a 30% markdown and lots of media work in the last week. It’s clearly a price issue; the expensive ringside tickets have barely sold. I suspect they’ll give away tickets and otherwise try to make it look as they did in Texas, and everyone reporting on the show will go right along with it.
IWRG (THU) 08/26/2021 Arena Naucalpan
1) Limbo vs Skanda
2) Bengalee & Kariel vs Diosa Atenea & Satania
3) Leo, Mexica, Relámpago vs Black Dragón, Death Metal, Fly Warrior
4) Aster Boy, Hijo del Alebrije, Veneno vs Mafioso, Medico Brujo, Sick Boy
5) Big Boy, Big Chicoche, Big Mike vs Apolo Estrada Jr., Billy Jones, Chris Stone Jr.
Billy Jones may be Lunatik Fly
6) Toxin © vs Dick Angelo 3G [IWRG MEXICO]
I think Billy Jones is Lunatik Fly as a cowboy. This is a low-wattage card – Dick Angelo is in the main event! – and I wonder if they were scared off by the Alberto show or by the poor attendance at recent Thursday shows. This is not going to fix that attendance situation.
09/11 The Crash has Andrade, Mecha Wolf, Besta 666, Rey Horus, Hijo del Vikingo, Taurus, Rey Fenix, NIno Hamburgesa, Laredo Kid, Mr. Iguana, NGD and Poder de Norte listed. The poster doesn’t mention Aztec Underground, though this was previously said to be the first taping for the project. It seems unlikely Fenix would be able to appear for another TV show for the US market, so maybe he’s part of a non-TV match. Similarly unsure about Horus and Andrade. It otherwise feels like an AAA roster show using the Aztec Underground name either as a way to get around the FMV lawsuit or a way for Konnan to book the promotion (even more) how he thinks it’d be succeed.
Tickets to the Crash were said to be on sale at Superboletos, though I haven’t seen them yet. Fans who bought tickets for The Crash’s March 28th, 2020 canceled show had been told they’d get tickets for the next The Crash show way back when, and haven’t heard anything from the promotion lately.
Arena Queretaro is going to try running on 09/04 at 20% capacity. August shows were canceled due to COVID restrictions, and 20% is a smaller capacity than they’ve tried running in the past.
Box y Lucha 3488 has Volador Jr. & Hechicero as the top story. I was not expecting Herb Abrams to come up as a biography.
Bandido and other members of his Big Lucha promotion challenged fans to thumb wrestling battles for free tickets.
LuchaWorld has the latest LuchaWorld Podcast, this week’s Poster-Mania, and the latest Lucha Report.
it’s so weird to see this much concern about a lucha belt