luchablog

The news I’ve read about the WWE/NBC deal includes a mention of a 60 minute RAW Replay on Telemundo. Way back in the day, Nitro did the same for a while – I think the original plan was for a WCW branded lucha show in that slot, but the initial taping didn’t go well or Eric changed his mind or something, and the replay was a make due.

Anyway, WWE on an American spanish language network of course gets lucha people think about the fondly remembered (but underwatched) Super Astros show; a weird roster of guys who used to be Los Boricuas and others who’d end up being CMLL main event guys, with only the odd Val Venis sighting to tie the show in WWF reality. Also, Maria Felipe.

There’s was a DVDVR thread this week playing “What If the Telemundo Show was Super Astros II” given guys who weren’t around then but would be big draws (Eddie, Rey) and guys coming in (Nicho, Crazy – who was on Super Astros) give them enough to start playing with it. It’d be neat but counter to what was previously announced and unlikely – except this PWTorch story today.

WWE is in the midst of signing a number of Mexican wrestlers, and while at first it was believed to be due to a desire to add depth to the Cruiserweight Division, it’s clear now that it was to build roster depth for a WWE show produced especially for Telemundo, the Spanish-language cable station owned by NBC Universal. WWE, as part of the TV deal announced this week, will have an hour weekly show on Telemundo. Super Crazy is the latest luchador to ink a deal with WWE. Psicosis is also expected to be part of the initial Telemundo show, which presumably will be taped before Smackdown each Tuesday since Velocity is being cancelled this fall.

Huh. Don’t know what to make of that. I find it unlikely and it sure sounds more like idle speculation than actual facts, but it’s too intersting of an idea to want to shoot down, you know?

No CMLL news in the paper today. Lots of little bits about other things and hyping up IWRG’s Thursday card. Avisman and American Gigolo were scheduled to have a title match, but switched to a hair/hair one instead.

El Dandy beat La Parka to win back the Mexican National Light Heavyweight championship in Acapulco. The original title match was pretty good, though I still haven’t seen it.

Atlantis’ kid show is scheduled for 04/30 in Coliseo, wiht a main event of Black Warrior, Blue Panther and Atlantis vs Rey Bucanero, Ultimo Guerrero and Tarzan Boy. Show starts at 11, much earlier than usual.

Super Parka beat El Texano in a hair/hair match in Tijuana.

Martha Villalobos is opening her own (AAA-affilated) promotion in Ecatepec. First is on 04/16, with Charly Manson and Monsther vs Intocable and Alebrije.

Yesterday was the 19th anniversary of el Solitario’s death. (La Arena)

Ovaciones has no lucha news, but they did have a blurb on the Heat killing the Bulls last night. So wrong.

Over on Box Y Lucha, there’s an interview with Super Crazy about WWE. He signed a week ago for a three year (!) deal. (Crazy plans on wrestling five more years in total.) He doesn’t have a start date as of yet; it sounds like he may wrestle a few more times in Mexico before he starts up (but only after a hand injury he suffered in Japan heals up.) Crazy hopes to wrestle in Mexico during his WWE stint but notes it says ‘exclusive’ on the contract.

There’s also interviews with Damian and Halloween about their return to Arena Mexico and relationship with Konnan and with Loco Max talking about his debut in ’93.

No sign of last night’s Coliseo results as of yet.

Rocky Romero got the Black Tiger (IV) gimmick from NJPW last weekend (as you can read here); I presume the current Black Tiger can keep on using it as long as he’s in Mexico. Black Tiger vs Black Tiger would be sorta neat, though.

ovaciones news

Get ‘em while they’re active.

- Sagrado would like to be as big as Mistico. Well no duh.
- Arena Coliseo turned 62 this past Saturday. The first match was el Santo vs Black Shadow, mask vs mask, with a reported sell out and 5000 outside wanting tickets.
- CMLL Lineups

CMLL (TUE) Arena Coliseo 04/02 Lineup
1) Ultimo Dragoncito, Pequeno Olimpico & Bracito de Oro vs Pierrothito, Sombria & Gitanito
2) Neutron, StarMAN & Brazo de Plata Jr. vs Reyes Veloz, Koreano, Jeque
3) Felino, Volador Jr., & Tony Rivera vs Emilio Charles, Bestia Salvaje & Pierroth Jr.
4) Atlantis, Mr. Niebla, & Blue Panther vs Mascara 2000, Averno, Mephisto
5) Mistico vs Rey Bucanero

CMLL (FRI) Arena Mexico 04/08 Lineup
1) Tigre Blanco & Tigre Metalico vs Super Comando & Artillero
2) Virus vs Loco Max [lightining match]
3) Satanico, Zumbido & Alan Stone vs Okumura, Taguchi & Masada
4) Sagrado, Safari, Maximo, La Mascara & Misterioso Jr. vs Nitro Dr. X, Sangre Azteca, Hooligan, Koreano [cibernetico]
billed as CMLL vs Guerrero Gang
5) Universo 2000, Rey Bucanero & Ultimo Guerrero vs Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Canek & Canek Jr.
Canek Jr.’s Arena Mexico debut
6) Dr. Wagner, Mistico & Negro Casas vs Damian 666, Halloween, Pierroth

CMLL (SUN) Arena Coliseo 04/10 Lineup
1) Rayos Tapatios vs Flecha & Vaquero
2) Texano Jr., Ultimo Vampiro & Sombra de Plata vs Ramstein, Mogur & Guerrero Del Futuro
3) Brazo de Oro, Ring Mendoza, Virus vs Mr. Mexico, Arkangel & Loco Max
4) Satanico, Sagrado & Alan Stone vs Emilio Charles, Taguchi & Okumura
5) Shocker, Atlantis & Mr. Niebla vs Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Tarzan Boy & Ultimo Guerrero

- Averno & Mephisto are your new tag team champions

This is pretty awesome, because I’m big fans of these guys and they seem to be moving up the cards. I hope it means the titles are more visible than they were under Atlantis and Blue Panther.

CMLL FRI (04/01) Arena Mexico Results [O'Campo]
1) Valiente/Meteorix b Polvora/Vaquero
There was a screw up here, as the referees got to 20 on the countout with everyone outside the ring, but they let the match keep going because that wasn’t the finish, instead waiting for the tecnicos to make it back in.
2) Dr. X/Nitro/Sangre Azteca b Misterioso/Zumbido/Sagrado
3) Universo 2000/Mascara 2000/Apolo Dantes DQ Perro Jr./Canek/Pierroth
Apolo beat Perro with a DVD in the first fall. The second fall saw Canek Jr. debut, attacking the Capos. I sure hope Canek Jr. is good or becomes good, because I think we might be stuck with him for a while. His first match is this Friday.
4) Damian/Halloween/Black Tiger b Heavy Metal/Mr. Niebla Safari/Felino
No sign of Niebla, so Safari took his place. Halloween gave Felino an F5 on the floor in the third fall, and as he got stretchered out, Damian hit Heavy Metal with the kendo stick. Referees were looking the wrong way.
5) Averno & Mephisto b Atlantis & Blue Panther to become the twentieth CMLL Tag Team Champions
About a twenty minute match. Clean finish.

- Vampiro jumped to AAA, and is part of LLL

Sorta surprising on the surface, but Vampiro’s seemingly been demoted from a guy having his own feuds to a fall guy for Pierroth and others, which would seem like a good point to leave. Konnan booking for AAA may play into his decision.

More surprising is, despite skipping his Friday Puebla date to show up in AAA, Vampiro did make his last CMLL match in Arena Coliseo versus Shocker. That’s a pretty cool move – I can’t imagine it’d ever happen in the US (either the guy wouldn’t be willing to show, or the company wouldn’t let him show; sounds like everything was kept professional here.)

CMLL SUN (04/03) Arena Coliseo Results [ovaciones]
1) Rayos Tapatios b Flecha & Koreano
2) Rey Infierno/Zayco/Guerrero del Futuro b Tony Rivera/Tigre Metalico/Tigre Blanco
3) 8 Tag Team Tournament
3a) 1st Round: Taguchi and Okumura b La Mascara and Alan Stone
3b) 1st Round: Rayo de Jalisco and Sagrado b Pierroth and El Hijo del Pierroth
3c) 1st Round: Brazo de Oro and Brazo de Plata b Bestia Salvaje and Terrible
3d) 1st Round: Ulitmo Guerrero and Rey Bucanero b Safari and Satanico
3e) Semifinal: Rayo de Jalisco and Sagrado b Taguchi and Okumura
3f) Semifinal: Ultimo Guerrero and Rey Bucanero b Brazo de Oro and Brazo de Plata
3g) Final: Rayo de Jalisco and Sagrado b Ultimo Guerrero and Rey Bucanero
Just so you know no one’s following Robert’s advice, GdI finished off Sagrado, but Rayo beat both of them.
4) Shocker b Vampiro
Two falls to one

The entry angle to AAA has Antonio Pena (as AAA owner) getting revenge on Cibernetico (as LLL leader who recently turned Tineblas Jr.) by signing Vampiro and making him the new leader of LLL. I think I’m missing something there.

- Gronda is still with AAA

And everyone’s thrilled about that.

- The big Casas trios match is 04/25.

SuperLucha’s cover is here.

Page is updated now, with what actually aired on TLN as well.

Saturday should be the first half of La Copa Jr. I don’t think we’ll be getting the second Best Of.

Be careful if you tape the overnight; Saturday night is the DST switch – depending on how your recording device works, you may need to extend your taping an extra hour. (Or just tape the afternoon one, which is my plan.)

–Dionicio Castellanos (Nicho) officially signed his WWE contract today (thanks to Jose Fernandez)

Yay for him. They really should start with the match agianst Rey.