Programming Note
I’m busy most of Monday until late, so I will try to sneak in updates this weekend. Maybe it’ll happen.
A final reminder that DST means CMLL and AAA are an hour later than you’re used to if you switch your clock.
CMLL
CMLL (FRI) 03/17/2023 Arena México
1) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa vs Magia Blanca, Magnus, Rugido
non-title
2) Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero vs Euforia, Hechicero, Mephisto
non-title
3) Titán vs Virus [lightning]
4) Hera vs Metálica, Stephanie Vaquer, Reyna Isis, Zeuxis, Amapola, Marcela, Princesa Sugehit, La Jarochita, Lluvia, La Catalina, Sumie Sakai, Sanely, Valkiria [Copa Irma Gonzalez]
participants to be announced on 02/15. Expected to be a yearly match.
5) Atlantis, Atlantis Jr., Místico vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Niebla Roja, Templario
Atlantis replaced Soberano on Thursday
6) Ángel de Oro vs Oráculo, Volador Jr., Rocky Romero [hair]
This will air on TicketmasterLive, and will go up on YouTube on April 2nd.
I wrote a longer preview over on Voices of Wrestling. My guess is most matches will be good and maybe great, but they’re not going to reach the highest possible levels for this show unless Rocky and Volador close the show. I don’t think they’re closing the show. I think CMLL (and Rocky) believe they have more in the feud. They may even be right and it may be worth stretching out in a differently-paced promotion. In the CMLL we’ve known for 90 or so years, a feud like Rocky and Volador has to end either in March or September, and it’s more likely to get lost than resolved in the next five months. Hope I’m wrong one way or another. Angel de Oro looks primed for a surprise hair cut – maybe by Volador or Rocky – by CMLL’s recent policy of the second lowest guy on the totem pole losing.
The rest of the matches seem fine but lack stakes. The tecnicos will probably win the semi-main. I’d guess Princesa Sugehit to take the Copa Irma Gonzalez. Titan seems a safe bet over Virus. The first two matches are both trios champions in non-title matches, and at least one of those should set up a title match next week. I’m guessing Guerreros over Los Infenrales.
CMLL made changes to Homenaje a Dos Leyendas on Wednesday and Thursday. Sanely and Valkyria were added to Copa Irma Gonzalez on Wednesday. Also, Atlantis Sr. will take Soberano Jr,’s spot in the semi-main, teaming with his son and Mistico against Dragon Rojo, Niebla Roja and Templario.
Sanely is wrestling for the first time in 22 months. She talked about going on maternity leave and then also needing ACL surgery. Either one of those alone is a lot to handle, both in success must not have been great. Valkyria was surprised to be included – like everyone else, she thought CMLL announced the full field. CMLL did not release the official poster until Wednesday, so they were aware some changes were possible – maybe they were holding open spots for Sanely and Dark Silueta and one got cleared in time. It is surprising Valkyria got the spot instead of one of the Mexico City-based women not booked.
Soberano is out of action for some reason. Might be an injury, might be a COVID positive, dunno. He’s additionally of the Saturday Arena Coliseo show, with Titan replacing him there. The Soberano Jr. to Atlantis change wasn’t mentioned by CMLL. They just put out a different poster with Atlantis’ name in Soberano’s place. That’s how CMLL handles 99% of changes, but they’ve got to do better than that when they’re changing the semi-main of a major show.
The Guerrero stop on Mexico City’s metro has had a lucha libre exhibit since 2017. I believe there hasn’t been much activity in with it for a numbers of years, predating the pandemic. CMLL and the Mexico City Metro Collective System had a re-inauguration of the exhibit on Wednesday, as part of CMLL’s 90th anniversary celebration. La Jarochita, Oraculo, and Angel de Oro were part of the presentation. Jarochita showed talked about Copa Irma Gonzlez. The trophy looks good, they did a good job on it. Oraculo & Angel de Oro hyped their matches. In turn, CMLL wrestlers are filming PSAs passing riders to respect women on the metro system.
CMLL (SUN) 03/19/2023 Arena Puebla
1) El Asturiano & Rayo Metálico vs Dark Soul & Rencor
2) El Novato, Rey Samuray, Zaeta Roja vs Multy, Perverso, Prayer
3) Marcela, Skadi, Sumie Sakai vs La Catalina, Reyna Isis, Zeuxis
4) Capitán Suicida, Panterita del Ring, Titán vs Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
5) Soberano Jr., Templario, Volador Jr. vs Ángel de Oro, Dragón Rojo Jr., Niebla Roja [Relevos Increíbles]
This is a Sunday show due to the holiday. Soberano is still on the lineup at this point but that’ll probably change. Zaeta Roja was a regular here from 2015 to 2017; you would’ve seen him on YouTube at that point. He hasn’t wrestled much the last few years. El Novato is a new name and probably a literal novice. Match 3 is probably setting up a Zeuxis/Marcela match.
Irma Gonzalez will be in attendance. I have here last wrestling in this building in 1992 and first wrestling here in 1966 (but I could be missing appearances either way.)
CMLL (TUE) 03/21/2023 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
La Jarochita & Lluvia vs Stephanie Vaquer & Zeuxis and La Catalina & Maligna and Princesa Sugehit & Reyna Isis and Marcela & Metálica and Amapola & Tiffany and Hera & Olympia and La Magnifica & Náutica and Gema Andrade & Sexy Sol and Misteriosa & Valkiria and Atenea & Nexy and Dulce Kitty & Kimy [Occidente WOMEN TAG, battle royal]
It’s really just the tournament to decide the first (as far as anyone knows) Occidente Women’s Tag Team Championship. No other matches. No men are working the show; this is the second all-women’s show on October 25th. Part of this is progressive, part of this is running the same building 52 Tuesdays a year with a pretty stable attendance; you probably should be doing things like this to mix it up.
12 teams means four first-round byes and eleven matches in total if they’re doing it in conventional fashion. Who knows. La Jarochita & Lluvia should go to the final since they’re the long-running national team, but them winning these belts too would seem to defeat the purpose of having them.
CMLL announce the April Arena Mexico show will focus on the men’s Universal Championship. This is the annual champion of champions tournament. They’re following last year’s format, with blocks by types of champions and a three-way final. The champion could still change between now and the start of the tournament.
Irma Gonzalez will be here as well. Forget the holiday, maybe the reason Puebla got moves is to Irma didn’t have to go from a late night Puebla show to Guadalajara in one day. The earliest Irma Gonzalez match I have in Arena Coliseo Guadalajara is 1959. The most recent match is in the early 80s, but that’s mostly because we don’t have great records of the 80s or early 90s for that arena.
April 7th is the Historic champions:
- Rocky Romero (welterweight)
- Mistico (middleweight)
- Atlantis Jr. (light heavyweight)
Last year, they drew balls to determine a preliminary singles match, and the winner faced the left over wrestler.
April 14 is the National champions:
- Sagrado (heavyweight)
- Angel de Oro (light heavyweight)
- Dragon Rojo Jr. (middleweight)
- Magia Blanca (welterweight)
- Panterita del Ring Jr. (lightweight)
- Esfinge (tag)
- Fugaz (tag)
- Rey Cometa (trios)
- Dulce Gardenia (trios)
- Espiritu Negro (trios)
This should be a 10 vs 10 cibernetico
April 21 is the CMLL champions:
- Gran Guerrero (heavyweight)
- Barbaro Cavernario (light heavyweight)
- Templario (middleweight)
- Titan (welterweight)
- Stigma (super lightweight)
- Angel de Oro (tag)*
- Niebla Roja (tag)
- Hechicero (trios)
- Euforia (trios)
- Mephisto (trios)
This also could be a 5v5 cibernetico, but Angel de Oro is an exception. CMLL usually only allows multiple title holders a single birth in this tournament. Angel de Oro argued on Informa he should be allowed in both the national and the CMLL since he holds a title in each. Others have argued in the past to no avail, but the math works in Angel de Oro’s favor.
The micros and the minis do not participate in this tournament. The 04/28 show will also likely double as the Arena Mexico (building) Anniversary show. My guess is we’ll get a Templario/Dragon Rojo final.
CMLL will be collecting keys for a special 90th Anniversary plaque. Fans can donate their unused keys to be part of it in boxes outside Arena Mexico, Coliseo, Puebla, and Guadalajara (you don’t have to go in to drop a key.) This reminds me that the best thing that can happen on tonight’s Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show is CMLL officially announcing a date for the Aniversario. (It’s probably September 22nd but it’s not official until it’s official.)
Volador and Rocky Romero are not just part of a 10 man tag for NJPW US in Washington DC on 04/15, they’re being pushed as the most important part of it. That seems to me like the feud will still be unresolved by that point.
NJPW announced their annual Best of Super Juniors tournament will take place from May 12th to May 28th. Titan is expected to be in the tournament. Soberano seems likely to be in but no knowing for sure.
AAA
AAA TV (SUN) 03/19/2023 Estadio Panamericano, Guadalajara, Jalisco
***Lucha World Cup, 2023***
1) Alberto el Patrón, Hijo Del Vikingo, Psycho Clown vs Carlito, Hip Hop Man, Zumbi [Lucha Libre World Cup Men, quarterfinal]
2) Laredo Kid, Pentagón Jr., Taurus vs Bhupinder Gujjar, Classy Ali, Rage [Lucha Libre World Cup Men, quarterfinal]
3) Christopher Daniels, Johnny Caballero, Sam Adonis vs Kuukai, La Estrella, Nishikawa [Lucha Libre World Cup Men, quarterfinal]
4) Josh Alexander, Pco, Vampiro vs Heddi Karaoui, Joe Hendry, Thomas Latimer [Lucha Libre World Cup Men, quarterfinal]
5) La Hiedra, Lady Flammer, Sexy Star vs Akino, Emi Sakura, Mayumi Ozaki [Lucha Libre World Cup Women, semifinal]
6) Deonna Purrazzo, Jordynne Grace, Kamille vs Dalys, Natalia Markova, Taya [Lucha Libre World Cup Women, semifinal]
Dalys replaced Christi Jaynes (visa issues) on March 9th.
This is airing on FITE at 6 pm CDT. I wrote a lot on Voices of Wrestling. Don’t know the match order. Kind of don’t know the rules – I’m assuming the same one was last year but how would I know. (I could ask I guess.) I’m not sure if I would bother with this one if I didn’t just get everything but I also think it’ll be fine enough. I hope I catch some enthusiasm for this once the show starts. I guess I’ve got Team USA Women and Team Mexico 1 Men winning the blocks.
I don’t think anyone’s processed how long this show will be. Part of that is because AAA is running a World Cup and they will not explain how a World Cup works until the moment it starts (if even.) This is the only the second time AAA’s run both women and men’s tournament, and they split those over multiple days the first time. If they’re going back to the usual rules, it’s a twelve-match show including third-place matches. They’ll also have long presentations to start and end the show. FITE may have a hard cap of four hours based on past shows, and AAA may need every minute of them.
Alberto looks to have gotten Dr. Wagner Jr’s spot as wrestling columnist in El Milenio. Alberto’s first column is on how great Alberto is, as if he was telling his life story to the kid version of himself. In this version he gets to a peak no one thought any Mexican would get to, only to find out how lonely it was at the top, people betrayed him and brought him down and he found out who were his true friends. The World Cup is the next step in trying to reshape Alberto’s as the greatest wrestling champion of all time.
AAA on Space this week on Saturday:
- Centinela (Military), Drago Kid, Fulgor vs Chessman, Emperador Azteca, Reina Dorada
- Aerostar & Aramis vs Antifaz del Norte & Parka Negra
- Vampiro & Willie Mack vs Puma King & Toscano
At the taping, they explained Centinela is a soldier recently trained to wrestle.
If you’re a person following along AAA on YouTube, a) this is a week to skip and b) this is a week they might skip, as they often do when there’s a live broadcast on Sundays.
Space lists the AAA/NWA show as airing next week. It doesn’t have the “Part 1” designation, so they might just compress it to one week. If so, the World Cup would begin airing on April 1st. (And then I don’t have to be nearly as worried about screwing up the recording while distracted during WrestleMania weekend.)
AEW announced they signed Taya Valkyrie. This probably won’t affect her presence in AAA much; she appeared about as often as Fenix and Penta previously. Sarah Stock (Dark Angel) also started with AEW as a producer. It’s been a long time since she was around Mexican wrestling a lot, but it probably couldn’t hurt current and future luchadors to have two more people with a lucha libre background in AEW.
Tony Khan said AEW would be announcing a dream match tonight during Rampage. Rampage is airing very late tonight. It’s listed as 10:30 pm CDT, but it’ll likely be later than that: it’s after whenever the last college basketball game ends and maybe even after a short post-game show too. (If you are a person who likes to DVR Rampage to watch it Saturday morning, make sure you add at least an hour overrun to be safe.) Everyone assumes the “dream match” is a Vikingo thing. I don’t know for sure, and it would not surprise me if it was something else. I don’t know if Khan’s announcement is that. The way it’s gone with Vikingo and the journey to this point so far, I wouldn’t feel safe announcing him on my show until his plane touched down in the Kansas City airport. Vikingo feels much more like it fits the ‘one extra match’ bit announced Wednesday bit, but that’s how I’m wired and Khan often thinks differently.
It would be very funny if AAA tried for years to put together Vikingo/Omega as the main event of a major (10K+) show, and then AEW just announced it first about a quarter to midnight on a Friday night. I think Omega/Vikingo is not happening Wednesday but I’m just speculating on that part.
Komander is listed as wrestling on the 04/22 AAA TV taping in Tijuana.
Komander is listed as wrestling on the 04/22 GCW show in Orlando.
Cuatrero and Stephanie Vaquer
Both El Planchitas and Antonio Nieto reported Cuatrero will be required to remain in jail while the investigation into his domestic violence and femicide charges continues. The judge set a two-month deadline to conclude the investigation. ESPN added Thursday’s meeting lasted five hours, after a three-hour meeting last weekend. Stephanie Vaquer was present for both, in support of her previous statements.
I’m unfamiliar with the Mexican legal system enough to know how strict they are about those deadlines, but that timeline means this story (and Cuatrero) are going away until mid-May. Planchitas also mentions Cuatrero’s head was shaved while in jail.
“Do you strip the trios titles if one of the champions is currently in jail” is a real question AAA has to have in the next week. It’s so low on the priority list but it’s also a question AAA will be asked next time they’re in front of the press. They ought to figure out their answer first. (It really doesn’t matter for booking purposes, AAA can go two months without a title defense easy, but this isn’t a booking issue.)
Other Shows Of Note That Aren’t The Big 2 Shows But Are Also Happening This Weekend For Reasons
Mas Lucha has a Perros del Mal homage show on Friday night. This is for subscribers only.
Mas Lucha (FRI) 03/17/2023 Arena Azteca Budokan, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Estado de México
1) Escapulario & Séptimo Elemento vs Dark Mayem & Rey Eclipse
2) Alas de Oro & Alas De Plata vs Kauris & Leo Cristiani
3) Belial vs Camaleón, Dante, Dinastía, Dinamic Black, Mr. Leo, Saruman, Último Legendario [Copa Perros del Mal 2023]
4) Kundra vs Halloween Jr.
5) Ludark Shaitan vs Ayako Hamada, Sakura (Chihuahua), Cinthia Moreno [PDM WOMEN]
6) Groon XXX vs Elemental
7) Bestia 666, Damián 666, Joe Lider, Lizmark Jr. vs Pig Decapitador, Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool
It’s a Perros del Mal homage show, though it feels more like a celebration of the period where they were running their own TV show and had their own promotion, which was a bit more ragged. The strength of this lineup is these are different combinations than anyone else is running in the crowded Mexico City arena. No one else is running Groon XXX versus Elemental for sure, though there may be reasons why no one else is running singles matches with 2023 Groon XXX. Maybe the Copa will be the best match on the show? Maybe that’s a sneaky preview to the Relevos Suicidas show Mas Lucha is running next since there seems to be some duplication there.
Record has an interview with Groon XXX to promote this show. He surprisingly sees his brief time in CMLL as a success story. For him, going from talking his way onto early shows when he (admittedly!) wasn’t actually fully trained to getting onto a highly attended Arena Mexico card was a big achievement.
Big Lucha returns on Saturday
Big Lucha (SAT) 03/18/2023 Arena Big Lucha, Iztapalapa, Distrito Federal
1) Reiyel vs Andy Panda, Brujo De Iztapalapa
2) Cometa Maya, Radioactivo, Sussy Love vs El Machote, Kendy, Máscara Año 2000 Jr.
3) Black Skyde, Forneo, Skayde, Vórtize vs Elipse, Iku, Orbita, Vengador
4) Gravity & Potro vs Jack Evans & Killer Destro and Mr. Win & Viajero
5) El Bandido & Rey Horus vs Bestia 666 & Damián 666
6) Trauma I & Trauma II vs Emperador Azteca & Flamita
This is the least interesed I’ve been in a Big Lucha show since they became a thing. The semi-main looks like the best match. The poster has no Mas Lucha logo, but I assume they’re streaming this as usual.
GCW on Friday in New York has Gringo Loco versus Bandido. That’ll air on FITE+.
IWRG has a Rebelion de Los Juniors show on Sunday
IWRG (SUN) 03/19/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Águila Roja vs Ángel De Plata
2) Sagitarius vs Black Fury, Lady Lee
3) Noisy Boy & Spider Fly vs Caballero de Plata & Jhon Tito and León Dorado & Mr. Leo
4) Puma de Oro vs Shocko [IWRG MEXICO]
5) Aster Boy, Hell Boy, Tonalli vs Cheese Burger, Joey Marx, Mason Conrad
6) Galeno del Mal vs Hijo de L.A. Park, Hijo del Alebrije, Príncipe Arkano, Villano V Jr., Apolo Estrada Jr., Brazo De Oro Jr., Cerebro Negro Jr. [La Rebelion de Los Juniors]
That’ll also be a Mas Lucha subscriber-only show. The winner of the 12-person match will face Hijo del Fishman on the 04/02 show, according to IWRG’s news program. Cheese Burger (two word in Mexico) makes his debut.
Cheeseburger, Joey Marx, and Mason Conrad are among those wrestling for Tulancingo’s Luchando Libre on Friday. That usually turns up on Mas Lucha.
Lucha Time, which is theoretically a TV promotion based in Monterrey, has it’s first TV taping in about 14 months in Monterrey on Friday.
Aerostar versus the very suspended Chessman is supposed to headline the debut Capital Lucha Libre show in Arena San Juan on Saturday. That’s likely a fan cam situation.
Fuerza Guerrera returns to CMLL for the first time in three months on Sunday.
The Parks and the Wagners headline Arena Lopez Mateos on Sunday. That’ll be a fancam show on Monday and Mas Lucha some time down the road.
AAA wrestlers used to participate in the Vive Latino festival before switching to Billy Corgan’s group this year. Vive Latino will have independent wrestlers instead. It’ll technically be among the biggest crowds to see a wrestling show in Mexico this year, though most won’t be there to see the wrestling.
Lucha Memes has a usual mix of people on Monday.
Other Notes
LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.
IWRG (THU) 03/16/2023 Arena Naucalpan [IWRG, Mas Lucha]
1) Águila Roja & Baby Star b Kenji & Leo 
2) Arcángel Divino, Destiny, Lady Lee b Lolita, Noisy Boy, Spider Fly
3) Hijo del Fishman & Hijo del Pirata Morgan b Joey Marx & Mason Conrad
no Medico Brujo & Sick Boy
4) Hijo de Canis Lupus b Coronel Vip
5) Diva Salvaje, Estrella Divina, Larry Miranda, Mamba DQ Pig Decapitador, Pig Destroyer, Pig Destructor, Pig Pool
challenges followed
6) Jessy Ventura b Pimpinela Escarlata
challenges followed
This show started late and went long, but it looks like it was the best drawing IWRG show in a few weeks.
The Mexico City Secretary of Culture held a press conference to talk about Contra Las Cuerdas, the Netflix series that was taped in Iztapalapa and debuted on the service about a month ago. This was mostly about pushing the idea of filming in Mexico City – you can do well and locals (both wrestlers and non in this case) can get work. They claimed Contras Las Cuerdas was among the top 10 most watched Netflix programs; there’s no context to that, don’t know if they mean just over one week or one month or what, but it sounds good.
Galeno del Mal talks about how hard life is being 198 cm.
Here’s a story about Alberto saying he was paid only 800 pesos in his first match.