FMLL (SAT) 01/26/2013 LA Sports Arena, California, CA [LuchaWorld, So Cal Uncensored]
1) ? & ?? vs ??? & ????
implied to be a poor match
2) Mortiz, Negro Navarro, Profeta b Brazo de Oro, Piloto Suicida (Los Angeles), Solar I
usual Negro Navarro vs Solar. Finish is unclear.
3) Hijo de Rey Misterio II, Máscara Sagrada, Sin Limite b Acero Dorado, Black Machine, Shamu Jr.
4) Blue Panther, Último Guerrero, Volador Jr. b Atlantis, Brazo de Plata, La Máscara
UG snuck in a foul on Atlantis
5) El Hijo Del Santo, LA Park, Rayo de Jalisco Jr. b Blue Demon Jr., Cien Caras Jr., Dr. Wagner Jr.
Referee got involved on the finish, there were fouls, and Wagner unmasked Park for the win. They did the usual mask challenge.

FMLL is in Chicago on 02/17 with some, but not nearly all of these guys.

AAA Kdena (SUN) 01/27/2013 Arena Coliseo Monterrey [LuchaMania Monterrey]
1) Ángel Espacial, Slayer Boy, Solovino b Destructor, Mercenario, Norteno Jr.
Slayer Boy spanish fly on Norteno Jr.
2) Desafio, Galactar, Rey Infernal b Ciber Payaso, Gato Fantasma, Norteño
Desafio, usually a tecnico, pulled Gato’s mask and pinned him for the win.
3) Mongol Chino & Mongol Chino Jr. (fake?) b Difunto I & Hijo de Espanto II
The “Mongol Chino Jr.” here was neither the usual Mongol Chino Jr. or Hijo del Mongol Chino. Mongol Sr. beat Espanto.
4) Lolita, Mascarita Sagrada, Orquídea Negra b Chica de Arabia, Mini Psicosis, Sexy Lady
Mystery person was Chica de Arabia.
5) Diluvio Negro I DCOR Silver Star, Tigre Universitario, Vaquero Romo
A four way countout of the ring. They were too hurt to continue, but then got up to keep fighting and build a rematch.
6) Drago & Fénix b Daga & Dark Dragon
Very good match, as expected. Fenix beat Daga with a Spanish Fly, and Daga offered a title match. Fans threw in money, though perhaps low denominations. Dark Dragon noted it wasn’t big money, but it’s the thought that count.

The Twitter hashtag #laluchalibremexicanadebe has been popular in Mexico since last night, with messages from fans, promoters, and luchadors. R de Rudo has some of early messages. It’s a lot of people saying what they want lucha libre to be, or what they want promoters or fans to be like in the case of some of the luchadors. There are some common themes, though if you look thru that hash tag search, you can see that not every agrees in what lucha libre should be.

This is not a unique case of venting. At a lesser volume, the same sort of argument is still going on the video for the luchadors on Tribunal show. (It’s the video people have spent the most minutes watching, and among the most comments.) The Twitter discussion stands out because of the volume of comments, and because it’s not just the fans complaining (or praising) on a message, but those on the inside participating too.

On the other hand, it’s also just a lot of people talking about how things should change and very little figuring out how to actually accomplish those changes. It’s great to want change, but you’ve actually got to make it. You’ve got to have the ability to make it, too.

(#laluchalibremexicanadebe make their own TV shows available on YouTube on a timely basis so I (and others) don’t have to spend hours every week doing it for them and maybe could just watch the shows. Maybe more usefully, instead of aiming for the stars, everyone should spend a little time on the small things: figure out the name for your next great superstar before your introduce him and don’t change it twice, don’t air promos hyping a title match for the next show when you’ve taped that show and didn’t do that match, use social media to promote the shows you’re on yourself and don’t rely on promoters to do it for you.)

CMLL Gaceta hypes Atlantis vs Mr. Niebla as the headline feud of today’s show, as it’s become the match of the moment they’re vaguely teasing for the Anniversario show (and probably isn’t happening.) That main event in full is Peste Negra vs Atlantis, La Sombra and Marco Corleone and sure seemed to be a lot more about La Sombra vs Mr. Niebla last week. The real big match of the night is the semimain, a rudo vs rudo battle between Volador Jr. vs Rey Escorpion for the vacant CMLL Light Heavyweight championship. Volador’s been one of the most cheered rudos and will surely be the crowd favorite and the slight favorite to win the match, though this is a rare title match where both guys are about even. It should be a really good match regardless of who wins.

UWE (Arena Lopez Mateos) announced they’re stripping the Villanos of the UWE Tag Team championship, due to Mendoza Jr.’s announced (though not yet occurred) retirement. You may have forgot these belts existed. Mendoza Jr.  says he’s retiring because he can’t get enough bookings, and the UWE still couldn’t book him to actually ever defend the titles, much less lose the titles. Perhaps Villano V has a point. (Or maybe there’s just a difference in opinion about how much it should cost to book him.) UWE will have a four team tournament (or maybe just a four way match) on 02/10 for the vacant titles with:

• Ricky Marvin & Super Crazy
• Joe Lider & Daga
• Chucho el Roto & Iron Love
• Violento Jack & Aeroboy

Joe Lider & Daga are sort of feuding, or at least they have vastly differing opinions on Psicosis. Chucho and Iron Love won the AULL tag belts back in Costa Rica a couple weekends ago. I think the idea is the AULL belts are for the local guys and the UWE are for the national guys who are passing thru (and probably won’t be back to do anything with the titles), so maybe Marvin & Crazy win these tag belts too.

Porra Fresa has video of Thunder’s debut entrance in Arena Puebla. It sounds like he was okay, a bit nervous, and timing needs to improve.

LuchaWorld has video of Ricky Marvin & Super Crazy vs Fenix & Pesadilla.

Bill has highlights of IWRG 09/29/2011.

Links

• La Jarochita talks about her AAA debut this upcoming weekend.
• La Parka notes he’s unmasked fake Parkas before (Cibernetico and Muerte Cibernetica mentioned) and will run off this Parka Negra too.
• Segunda Caida has a quick review of the latest Rush vs Terrible match.
• R de Rudo looks back at Santo vs Black Shadow.
• DJ Spectro looks back at Mil Mascaras vs The Texas, part 1   and part 2.
• An interview with Mexico City luchador Centinela Azul.
• A “what is lucha libre” story is not new, but it is unusual to see it published in Mexico.
• A promotion report about lucha libre in Veracruz digresses into a half explained controversy over Rebele Punk losing his mask.
• Violento Jack and Aeroboy talk their trip to Japan, explain how the Freedom fans are so much tougher to win over than New Japan ones and they got over great (so they were clearly did better, they’re claiming.)

Lineups

IWRG (SUN) 02/03/2013 Arena Naucalpan
1) Galaxie & Sky Ángel vs Araña de Plata & Yack
2) Mini Cobra, Mini Multifacetico, Voladorcito vs Oficialito 911, Oficialito AK47, Oficialito Fierro
3) Centvrión, Dinamic Black, Golden Magic vs Dave The Clown, Niko, Rothen Clown
Niko’s team is listed as ‘the Clown‘
4) Black Terry, Negro Navarro, Veneno vs Canis Lupus, Fuerza Guerrera, Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr.
5) Alan Extreme, Carta Brava Jr., Dragón Celestial, Eterno, Imposible, Saruman, Serpiente de Oro, Violencia Jr. vs Boicot, Flehizeer, Jhon Crazy, Kiuuby, Mr. Leo, Rey Espacial, Rey Tabú, Vuelo Espacial [cage, hair, mask]
FILL vs Konkreto. Black Terry and Fuerza Guerrera will be with their teams, but not in the match

The different names that Fuerza trainee has used:

11/13: Flemyzeer
12/20: Fleeyzer
01/01: Flehyzer
02/03: Flehizeer

They can’t seem to figure out how to spell Boycott/Boicoteo either. Vuelo Espacial was the name of a Oaxaca wrestler, not sure if this is the same guy.

CMLL (MON) 02/04/2013 Arena Puebla
1) Asturiano & Black Tiger vs Espiritu Maligno & Fuerza Chicana
2) Astral, Shockercito, Último Dragoncito vs Mercurio, Pequeño Olímpico, Pequeño Warrior
3) Magnus, Starman, Stigma vs Apocalipsis, Nitro, Taurus
4) Diamante Azul, Super Porky, Titán vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Pólvora, Rey Escorpión
5) Marco Corleone, Rush, Thunder vs Euforia, Niebla Roja, Último Guerrero
6) Negro Casas vs Valiente [NWA WELTER]
Negro Casas is champion. Attempt at fifth defense.

Busy two day stretch for Valiente, who will get two welterweight title shots in two days. He’s probably not a favorite in either, but he’s got two shots for an upset.

At least for the first week, CMLL is keeping Thunder away from their main arenas. They should probably do it for much more than one week because it’s the Mexico City debut that’ll be remembered, but we’ll see.