CMLL
Today’s CMLL show could be good but it doesn’t seem notable on paper. Euforia & Soberano team up with Mistico against Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja and Terrible. Los Malditos face Los Guerreros in the semi-main. Either could normally set up a title match next week, though it seems less likely with people in both matches part of Copa Junior next week. The undercard is more miscellaneous matches. It’s the usual 99 peso TicketmasterLive show.
CMLL (SUN) 05/15/2022 Arena México
1) Bengala & Retro vs Apocalipsis & Cholo
2) Panterita del Ring Jr., Sangre Imperial, Suicida vs Disturbio, Grako, Inquisidor
3) La Jarochita, Lluvia, Maligna vs Dalys, Dark Silueta, Reyna Isis
4) Dark Panther, El Audaz, Flyer vs El Hijo del Villano III, Felino, Pólvora
5) Panterita del Ring, Stuka Jr., Volador Jr. vs Cavernario, Templario, Terrible
There’s not as much care about keeping the teams together on this show; maybe some show has to be the “make up the required bookings” card.
Fuerza Guerrera will return to CMLL next Friday, as part of his extended retirement tour. He’s thinking of retiring in either September or December 2023.
NJPW’s BOSJ starts on Sunday. Titan’s first league match is on Tuesday against Desperado. It’s been a while since this has been a concern, but I’ll try to have results here so maybe don’t read this blog right away if you’re trying to avoid spoilers. The introductory press conference took place Friday morning; Titan was as polite and respectful as always. Mascara Dorada appeared – as a mask TJP held up while claiming Dorada was too scared to show up.
AAA
No preview for AAA on Space yet, but it figures to be the TripleMania FITE matches which didn’t air on Space:
- Ultimo Dragon vs Pentagon Jr.
- Sammy Guevera & Tay Conti vs Lady Maravilla & Latigo vs Komander & Sexy Star vs Arez & Chik Tormetna
- LA Park vs Villano IV
The top matches from TripleMania should start to appear on YouTube Sunday.
Konnan, last week in Tijuana promoting TripleMania, was asked if AAA was interested in using Rush. He gave a pretty logical answer: he enjoys working with Rush, likes him, just doesn’t like the idea of also having to bring in Rush’s wife, his father and his Vangellys just to bring him in. Konnan says the doors are open to bringing in (just) Rush. There’s obviously some wiggle room as LA Park’s sons are part of the package for booking him.
It feels to me like AAA’s pushing the 05/21 Showcenter card harder than usual, though it’s that’s just a feeling, and I haven’t researched it. AAA posted a Natalia Markova video to promote her appearance. The Superboletos listing for that event lists few tickets sold so far and the artwork talks about a 2×1 deal. That card has big names and I’m sure it’ll be a good time for the people who go, but it’s expensive prices for an AAA show that’s just matches to have matches. That’s also the sort of show that’s going to do better with ticket sales as it gets close to go the show, as it just becomes something to when people are looking for options that weekend. FITE is scheduled to air the show; they didn’t list the show to order until a few days prior last time and I’m presuming this is the same deal.
Other Notes
IWRG (THU) 05/12/2022 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, Mas Lucha]
1) Jhon Tito & Nativo DRAW Rey Eclipse & Wagner Kid 
2) Bengalee & Therius DQ Black Fury & Satania
Bengalee tricked the referee into believing Satania had hit him for the DQ
3) Ra-Zhata, Shil-Ka, Tortuga Leo b Alas De Plata, Freelance, Noisy Boy
Leo challenged Freelance for the IWRG Rey del Aire title and his hair.
4) Toxin b Dinamic Black
Noisy Boy cashed in his “El Cofre del Pirata” (Money in the Bank version IWRG) to ask for a title match with Toxin on Tuesday (also there’s a show on Tuesday)
5) Fly Warrior, Fulgor, Yorvak b Aster Boy, La Momia, Relámpago and Accion Jackson, Shaun Moore, Shocko
When WWE started the Money in the Bank concept, the excitement wasn’t just the title match cash in, but the frequent teases of the cash-in. The briefcase was seen all the time and often the holder teased for a title shot. In the predictable style of WWE and US wrestling, those teases were usually just that and the cash-ins generally happened only when the possibility hadn’t been mentioned for a while. IWRG’s first attempt at this concept had Noisy Boy talking about chasing in the week he won, and then not mentioning it again until he actually did. Noisy/Toxin sounds like a match with a lot of wild ideas, some of which may work.
Black Fury, appearing here, said she’d taken time away from wrestling to be a mother but now was back in wrestling 100%.
Thursday, there was a press conference to hype two Konnan Big led shows on Friday in Arena Azteca Budokan and Saturday in Arena Lopez Mateos. Both shows were canceled by Friday morning. These shows were said to be promoted by the restarted wrestler’s union, which put out a statement saying it wasn’t their fault the shows were canceled and promised more info soon. It appears to be a Konnan Big issue since he’s also not appearing for an autograph signing at Solar’s store.
The Crash returns tonight with Cinta de Oro & Samuray del Sol vs Erick Redbard & Jonah. This is also the show with the Marty Scurll & Travis Banks versus Black Destiny and a replacement for Lince Dorado. (Lince said he was asking out of the match, The Crash never said what they were doing, and Lince is booked in MLW versus nZo instead.) The international disdain to Banks working these shows seems to have lessened; they’re not warming up to him, but Banks working in Mexico has become normalized. Not as sure about Scurll, but The Crash is also far off the radar.
Big Lucha (FRI) 05/27/2022 Bandido Gym, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal
1) Limbo & Potro vs Tirano & Viajero
2) Cody 1-8 & Skayde vs King & Kong and Elipse & Orbita
3) Lady Maravilla vs Sussy Love
4) Cometa Maya, Éxtasis, Radioactivo vs Accion Jackson, Bendito, Elemental
5) Komander & Torito Negro vs Galeno del Mal
6) Emperador Azteca, Flamita, Yutani vs Ciclón Ramírez Jr., Dr. Wagner Jr., El Bandido
Dr. Wagner is this month’s special guest to fight Black Generation. Semi-main is a 2 vs 1 match. The Jinetes del Aire (Octagon Jr., Myzteziz Jr., Komander) vs Sky Team (Cometa Maya, Extasis, and Radioactivo) match is now up on Mas Lucha and Big Lucha’s own channel, said to be very exciting.
MLW this week had Chik Tormenta vs Holiedad, Octagon Jr. vs King Muertes vs Hijo de LA Park vs El Dragon for the IWA Caribbean Championship and Jacob Fatu vs Bestia 666. They’re mixing the two days of taping; the Hijo de LA Park match was from the first day, and Fatu/Bestia 666 happened as a replacement main event after LA Park was fired. MLW tapes tonight in Philadelphia with Taya versus Holiedad for the new MLW Featherweight championship, Arez and KC Navarro challenging Myron Reed for MLW Middleweight Championship, and Mini Abismo Negro vs. Microman.
Impact tapes Friday and Saturday in Florida. Laredo Kid’s mentioned he’s booked and I presume Taurus is as well. Laredo Kid versus Mike Bailey from the previous TV taping will air this upcoming Thursday. The Laredo Kid, Mike Bailey and Rich Swann match from their recent PPV pre-show is still up on YouTube. Swann had been in a tag team with Willie Mack, Mack recently left the promotion, so this was Swann returning to being a singles act. I saw a Impact fan on Twitter bemoan this match as a restart for Swann: they pointed out Laredo Kid is good, but being in matches with Laredo Kid in Impact means they’re not doing anything with you. Absolutely brutal but also accurate.
Death Triangle wrestles on Rampage tonight. Or this afternoon, for most of you. Their match opens the show.
GALLI has Aero Boy vs Sam Adonis vs Psycho Clown and Arez & TBA vs Aerostar & Drago among other matches this Sunday for their anniversary show. I haven’t gone to a wrestling show since WrestleMania weekend and there’s a chance I might go to this one.
NEW announced Mascara Dorada along with a lot of AAA and AAA adjacent names for their 06/10 show in El Paso. Mascara Dorada had previously passed on taking any bookings for shows with AAA wrestlers, which is typical for CMLL wrestlers. I think he’s still intending to go to CMLL, but may have decided he can’t afford to be that picky.
Jack Evans and Bandido debut in Cleveland’s AIW on June 17th. The next night, Jack Evans will face Ninja Mack in Cleveland.
There’s an Octagon gallery exhibit at the Mexico City Garibaldi metro station. Octagon would unsurprisingly like to return to CMLL to face Fuerza Guerrera.
LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.