Day: October 24, 2013

10/26-27 lucha times

thecubsfan 5 Comments

box.

CMLL’s show on Fox Sports is listed at 2pm on Saturday. It was listed around that time last week, but was shifted to 10AM at a late moment – maybe Friday, maybe Saturday morning, no one’s quite sure because no one knew about it was way too late. It’s possible, maybe probable, CMLL didn’t know about the change themselves. Things out of your control will go wrong, the meaningful part is how you handle it. In this case, CMLL just ignored the problem. Their most important TV of the week didn’t air, they own the rights to the footage, they could’ve given it to Terra or put it up on YouTube or any other solution, and they decided to do nothing.

Now, it was a lame duck TV show. The eight day delay before a big show meant they were building up matches which already happened. (It would’ve made a lot more sense to air the top matches of this show on Terra for that reason, even before the time change.) It’s also not the first time this has happened on Fox Sports and probably not the last, but it’s the first in this new era Fox Sports as the most important show. CMLL should be used to be handling this situation by now, but seem more used to doing nothing and leaving their fans out in the lurch. I know there are people in CMLL who really care about making the best product they can for the fans, but they don’t seem to be the people in charge of things.

(This is also the irregular reminder that it’s absolutely ludicrious that I’ve writing a weekly post trying to figure when shows are on and what matches may air. Promotions should promote their TV shows as much as the rest of their product. Promotions should have a method for people to watch their shows if they missed them when they aired. Most of the mexican promotions are massively behind the curve on this. AAA at least posts their shows, but won’t publicize you what’s on them until they’re airing and still on their website lists a show long canceled as airing. That’s the best we have. This is all dumb.)

One last thing on this. As best anyone can guess – guess because, again, CMLL doesn’t explain anything – the top two matches were taken off Terra to help strength the Fox Sports show. No amount of skipping matches is going to help if the show bounces around the schedule, and Fox Sports can’t believe the show is that strong if they’re not giving it a permanent slot somewhere. Neither side seems to care about the TV show, so why do they care about ending the internet show early?

actually important non-rant items: Daylight Savings Time starts this Sunday in Mexico, but not until next Sunday in the US, Canada and border Mexico town (like Ciudad Juarez, which we use for a couple of web feeds.) Shows will start ONE HOUR LATER than you expect. This week, this will affect the CMLL on Terra show, the various Noches de Coliseos shows, maybe the SLP La Lucha se La Hace airing, and IWRG on AYM and LAS (1AM start) on Sunday, plus shows like Puebla and Tercera Caida and DTU thru the week.

== AAA ==

AAA-Televisa: Part of 1 of Heroes Inmortales. Thinking they’ll air at least the first round Copa Pena matches first, because it would make sense to introduce Hijo del Fantasma and not just have him debut by seconding Texano in the title match.

== CMLL ==

FOX: Super Libre Plus and not-tag title match.

52MX: Valiente & Ultimo Guerrero and Mephisto/Mascara trios, but the interesting bit is the Guadalajara match. There’s a decent chance it could be a Hijo del Fantasma match, which would say everything I just wrote above CMLL’s lack of thought a lot more succinctly.

C3: Invasors vs Porky/Titan/Valiente

TVC Deportes (Puebla): Revolucionarios vs Estetas

En Busca de un Idolo: All they have left is the final match, but since they have an episode scheduled for next week, this is probably just a 30 minutes of Valiente and Vangellys training skits. Best show of the year.

Terra: Mascara Dorada & Niebla Roja try to out due Titan & Niebla Roja on Friday. Sunday has more Guerreros vs Fiebre build up.

== Other ==

IWRG-AYM Sports: A ruleta de la muerte where Apolo Estreda Jr. will end up winning or losing, plus Bombero versus Tony.

Noches de Coliseo: Hijo del Dr. Wagner starts out a match, but it doesn’t go well.

IWL: Pre-empted for the World Combat Sports competition. If they air a new episode, this would be the IWL Heavyweight four way.

DTU: matches from the 07/04 show – four way tag with the American Wolves and Mexican Powers vs Ciclope/Drastick Boy

Sin Cara, Escorpion/Maximo, Pantera/Masada, Stardom tryout

thecubsfan

This week’s Tercera Caida includes a long interview with Sin Cara from the WWE Mexico tour Sin Cara seemed upbeat and laughed about the Sin Cara action figure with the sling. He thought Volador should come to WWE, and was not happy with Mistico II’s comments about being better than Mistico I.

They had footage of Brazo de Plata/Escorpion and it looked like the Maximo run-in was not to start an issue between the father and son, but instead to set up Maximo avenging his father at some point down the road. The match should air in full in Fox Sports this week.

Also, Pentagon Jr. was definitely not in Copa Pena after all based on the video – he was just hassling Octagon.

Tercera Caida also included clips of Hijo del Pantera’s debut in Wrestle-1 (which made him look like a great international star) and mentioned a Hijo del Pantera/Masada mask vs hair match for 10/31. I never saw the results from the last show (which included the luchadoras working in REINA), but Masada must’ve stolen Hijo del Pantera’s mask – he’s been using it an ash tray holder and a shoe mat. Hijo del Pantera is understandably upset, and cut up a Masada/Nosawa shirt.

AAA preview confirms Nino de Ebano & Lucky Boy are definitely Venum and Ludxor, though we don’t know which is which yet.

Stardom is having a tryout for luchadoras on 11/16 before the LEGEND/Dos Caras show at Arena Lopez Mateos. Only women under the age of 28 can tryout.  There doesn’t appear to be a fee for trying out.

Rob has highlights of 08/16/13 AAA.

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.

Halloween, Damian 666 and Bestia 666 defeated Hijo del Lizmark, Hijo de El Supremo and Milo Galant on Saturday in Ensenada. Main event had been announced as Hijo de Rey Misterio and Bestia 666 in a title match, but no Misterio.

El Hijo del Santo’s column is about his documentary about himself and his father, emphasizing how tough it is to be Santo. El Hijo del Santo wants Quentin Tarantino to promote his movie. Good luck on that.

There will be a tribute show to Lizmark next Saturday in Mexicali.

top six stories of the last two weeks

thecubsfan 2 Comments

* El Brazo and indy referee el Chocolate passed away

  1. La Parka was the biggest winner at Heroes Inmortales, winning the Copa Pena for the first time. He defeated Chessman, Fenix and new Consejo arrival Hijo del Fantasma in the finals of the tournament. Texano Jr. kept the AAA Mega Heavyweight Championship over Psycho Clown in what sounds to be the best match on the show. Angelico & Jack Evans won the tag team titles when Juvi turned on the Mexican Powers to cost them the belts. The show drew few hundred less than a sell out.
  2. Rey Escorpion took Brazo de Plata’s hair in the first ever Super Libre Plus match last Friday. Escorpion won by DQ when Maximo rushed into stop the one sided beating. (After seeing clips of this, it looks like they set up Maximo/Escorpion and not issues between Maximo and Plata.) This match, though the semimain, was the drawing point for a show which drew better than expected.
  3. The actual main event of the CMLL show was a moderate disaster. The promoted Rey Bucanero & Tama Tonga title defense versus La Mascara & Rush did not happen due to a Bucanero knee injury. Mascara & Rush won the belts by forfeit, then immediately lost to replacement team Terrible & Tonga in a non-title match. This was announced as setting up a title match this following Friday, but no title match is on the card. CMLL clearly knew about Bucanero’s injury ahead of time and did not stop promoting the match. CMLL is frequently reluctant to mention when luchadors are out with injuries or for other reasons and this was taking that policy to a new level. (In what might be a coincidence, CMLL late announced many changes to this week’s cards – for injuries and other absences – instead of the usual practice of simply not saying anything.)
  4. WWE’s first tour of Mexico in two years had mixed success. They drew a good crowd of 12,500 in Mexico City on Friday, but poor crowds of 5,000 in Queretaro, 3,000 in Guadalajara and 6,000 in Monterrey, though the building looked a lot more full for the final one. (All numbers from this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter) Rey Misterio Jr. did a run in on the first show, was talked into wrestling for two nights of the tour, but was reduced back to a run in on the final day. No return date was announced.
  5. On the latest (free) MLW Radio podcast, Konnan talked about how AAA US continues to move forward, but wouldn’t be on US TV until March at the earliest. He mentioned plans of introducing the luchadors – maybe a reality show – and the possibility they could change the names.
  6. AAA also taped a show in Tlahuelilpan, which aired after Heroes Inmortales was taped but before it aired (no PPV of any kind.) A post main event fight seemed to set up a Psycho Circus/La Secta match, though La Secta were back to feuding with Cibernetico & Perro Aguayo on Heroes Inmortales.
  • CMLL and the Mexico City department tourism announced a new tourist bus program. It’ll run every Friday, starting to pick up tourists around 6pm, driving around the historic area for site-seeing (and picking more people up) and taking them them to the 8:30pm show (fare includes a seat around the 8th row) and dropping them back at hotel areas after the show. Similiar tourist buses have done well elsewhere in the city (though they’re not always there when you want to find them.) Tickets are 500 pesos/$38.50 USD.
  • AAA’s announced lineup for their next TV taping (11/03, this weekend is off) included the unusual team of Cibernetico, Perro, and Fenix taking on Chessman, Texano and a mystery person (figures to be Hijo del Fantasma.) Juvi teams with Eterno & Steve Pain, whom he says will be his new partners to feud with the Mexican Powers. Old Antonio Pena creations Ludxor and Venum return in the undercard to team with Aerostar. They’re probably new looks for Lucky Boy & Nino de Ebano, as part of a storyline where Aerostar would mentor the young team and bring back old Pena characters.
  • Dr. Wagner Jr. is back in the ring after his deep gash on his wrist. Wagner told the press he would be out of a month, then returned a week later a sort of soft cast protecting the wrist.
  • RCH announced a LA Park & Terrible vs Atlantis & Dr. Wagner Jr. match for Arena Lopez Mateos on 10/23. It’s the first show for the promotion outside of Arena Naucalpan, and it’s the first time Park (and Wagner) will team with CMLL luchadors after Park has taken shots at the promotion (“won’t go back becuase they have no money to pay me”) and La Sombra (“to scared to face me to let me avenge Volador”) on Twitter. In an odd situation, current AAA wrestlers Carta Brava & Eterno are listed in the undercard – someone’s going to end up pulling out.
  • Valiente is headed to NJPW as part of their Best of the Super Juniors Tag Team tournament. He’ll team with BUSHI.
  • CMLL’s bodybuilding contest is 11/20, and you can tell it’s happening soon based on a lot of body shapes changing.
  • The Neza vs Naucalpan feud continues in IWRG, leading to 11/02 hair match between Tony Rivera & Bombero Infernal.
  • A fake Monster Clown is on the loose.
  • People who kept their titles: Marcela (over Dalys), Estetas del Aire (over Los Revolucionarios)