luchablog

CMLL (TUE) 08/07/2012 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Fuego en el Ring]
1) Azteca de Oro & El Divino b Relampago Azul & Thunder Boy
2) Èvola & Ráfaga b Soberano Jr. & Starman
3) Artillero & Súper Comando b Javier Cruz Jr. & Sky Kid
4) Nosferatu, Pólvora, Sangre Azteca b Black Metal, Leo, Smaker
Nosferatu replaced Raziel. Azteca yanked Smaker’s mask and rolled him up for the win, then took Black Metal’s mask for good measure.
5) Mr. Niebla & Volador Jr. b La Máscara & Máximo
Niebla & Volador managed not to fight this time. Niebla kissed Maximo, Maximo fainted, Niebla pinned him for the win. This sets up a singles match next week

AAA (TUE) 08/07/2012 Arena Aficion [Estrellas del Ring, HidalgoSport]
1) Alejandro I b Kid Jaguar
2) Crazy Rock & Golden Magic b Pandemonium & Samot
3) Mari Apache & Sexy Lady b Fabi Apache & Lolita
4) Maldito Jr., Texano, Toscano b Cerebro Negro, Drago, Súper Fly
5) Máscara Año 2000 & Máscara Año 2000 Jr. b Dr. Wagner Jr. & Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr.
More blood. Mascaras took 1/3. Sr. was eliminated in the third fall, but snuck back in to foul Dr. Wagner Jr., and Mascara Jr. covered him for the win

Crowd looked pretty close to full. There’s also an interview with Mascara Ano 2000 Jr. If Angel Omar Reyes Franco is not his real name, no one seems to know what it really is; the Wrestling Observer Newsletter says Mascara Ano 2000 Sr. was telling people (both wrestlers and the office) that Junior was really his son.

Recent Attendances (as reported by the WON)
08/03 CMLL (Mistico debut): 12, 600
08/04 CMLL in Neza (Mistico debut): 1,100 – highlights
08/05 AAA (TripleMania): 21,000
08/05 CMLL (Tiffany vs Marcela): 3,300
08/06 CMLL in Leon (Mistico debut): “less than half a house” (capacity is 5,240) – Mistico used his armscissors for the win here.
Rob mentioned on Twitter that last night’s CMLL show in Morelia might have been canceled.

Sombra suggests Sombra vs Averno, mask vs hair, as the main event of the Anniversary show. No one ever suggests a match that doesn’t involve them.

Kcidis draws Sangremania, which doesn’t have anything to do with the Sangre Chicana family shows in Monterrey of late.

Eric at Segunda Caida looks for Pirata Morgan matches, ends up encountering 2012 Veneno.

A feature on CMLL mascots!

MaskMania has pictures and thoughts on Volador vs Prince Devitt 2.

Lucha Libre in Japan

08/09 NOAH: Super Crazy [O] b Yoshinobu Kanemaru [X] and Katsuhiko Nakajima
First show of a three week stint (with less shows near the end of it.) Crazy is getting a GHC Junior Heavyweight championship shot vs Yoshinobu on the 25th.

NOAH also announced the teams for it’s September junior tag tournament. They include Super Crazy & Ricky Marvin, and also the South American team of Kaiser (Peru’s LWA, which some NOAH guys just visited) and Gaston Mateo (Chile’s XNL, where Super Crazy still holds a title.)

(photo by CMLL)

CMLL (TUE) 08/07/2012 Arena Mexico [CMLL, Kaiser Sports]
1) Apocalipsis & Inquisidor b Freesbe & Robin
2) Fantasy, Niño de Acero, Shockercito DQ Mercurio, Pequeño Universo 2000, Pequeño Violencia
Shockercito’s first match in months. Tecnicos took 1/3, Violencia pulling Fantasy’s mask in the third. Mercurio was strechered out.
3) Hijo del Signo b Molotov [lightning]
Signo won in six minutes. His father was in the crowd.
4) Cancerbero, Raziel, Virus b Arkángel de la Muerte, Nitro, Skándalo
Cancerberos won in a battle of the midcard rudo units, taking falls 1/3 with Cancerbero pinning Nitro in the third.
5) Delta, Diamante, Guerrero Maya Jr. COR Namajague, Shigeo Okumura, Vangelis
Tecnicos took 2/3, winning via dives.
6) Diamante Azul, Titán, Valiente b Averno, Ephesto, Mephisto
Tecnicos took 2/3, Valiente pinning Mephisto for the win.

Crowd was not good. It may be a two week concidence, but they’re giving guys main events on Tuesday shows who they wouldn’t on the other day of the week.

CMLL (SUN) 08/05/2012 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Fuego en el Ring]
1) El Tapatío & Indigo b Demonio Rojo & El Piraña
Indigo replaced Brillante.
2) Rey Trueno & Sádico b Halcon de Plata & Virgo
Match was said not to be good.
3) Esfinge & Metatrón DQ Acertijo & In Memoriam
In Memoriam pulled of Esfinge’s mask for the DQ.
4) Smaker DQ Mr. Trueno
Trueno domainated, Smaker made a comeback, and In Memoriam, Acertijo, and Rey Trueno ran in for the DQ. Metatron & Esfinge made the save.
5) Espectrum & Malefico b Gallo & León Blanco
Rudos won the first, then beat Gallo in the second, but Malefico lost his head and hit the referee for the DQ. In the third, Leo pinned Espectrum, Malefico cheated Leo to beat him, Gallo ‘rana-ed Malefico but Malefico reversed and pulled the mask for the win. Gallo demanded a mask vs hair match. Maleficto refused, but Apolo Dantes told the ring announcer it was on.
6) Atlantis, Mistico, Titán b Dragón Rojo Jr., Ephesto, Mephisto
Tecnicos took 2/3. Mistico was not pinned, and beat Mephisto with a Shooting Star Press for the win. He took the microphone to thanked the fans.

Not sign of any boost in crowd for Mistico’s debut, which has been the case in all three non-Arena Mexico venues so far. Amo La Lucha Libre interviewed Mistico after the show, and he said he most wants to beat Ultimo Guerrero. Ultimo Guerrero vs Mistico is the match I’m least interested in seeing in the world.

Perros del Mal sent out a press release, blowing the lid of a huge conspiracy: AAA did not want Perro Aguayo Jr. to be champion, so they convinced Hector Garza to betray him! Sure, it looked like Garza was trying to hit Mesias, but the Perros know the truth and they’re not happy about it. Perro Jr. is on bed rest but the rest of the Perros are promising revenge. Masked Republic has footage of Perro Jr. looking like a half concious bloody mess and the backstage arguements between the Perros and Garza.

Rob has highlights of 09/17/93 AAA.

Bill has highlights of 07/23/11 IWRG.

Daga, Drago, and Aerostar will represent AAA in a panamerican lucha libre tournament in Colombia this September.

TripleMania highlights videos.

New wrestlers in Cuernavaca.

Lucha Libre In Japan

08/08 NJPW: Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6] b Rush [6] – Rush is 3-3, in a five way tie for first. Everyone has 2 or 3 wins, so everyone still has a chance. (Rush still isn’t going to win.) Naito wrestled while limping and won, so I’m thinking he wasn’t actually as hurt as it seemed.

Dark Angel (via SuperLuchas) announced she’ll be leaving Mexico in a couple weeks for a two month stint with STARDOM, the group she worked for earlier this year. Two months is very sad for us, but hope she has fun.

Lineup

CMLL (TUE) 08/14/2012 Arena Mexico
1) Freesbe & Oro II vs Apocalipsis & Camorra
2) Fantasy, Niño de Acero, Shockercito vs Mercurio, Pequeño Universo 2000, Pequeño Violencia
3) Robin vs Artillero [lightning]
4) Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso, Super Halcon Jr. vs Hijo del Signo, Raziel, Virus
5) Ángel de Oro, Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr. vs Sangre Azteca, Tiger, Vangelis
6) Diamante, La Sombra, Titán vs Niebla Roja, Pólvora, Último Guerrero

Polvora in the main event! You thought all the Busca guys were battling for the main event, when it turns out the rudos eliminated in the first round would get there in a few months. If CMLL is paying by seniority, this is one of the cheapest shows they’ve ever run.

The last Oro II in CMLL lost his mask in Guadalajara last March, and announced he was handing off the Oro II name to the nephew of the original Oro. He seemed to young then to be in CMLL now, so I’m not exactly sure who this. The bad thing about CMLL banning so much of the press, no longer having Ras de Lona, and not really replacing it is only the readers of Luchas 2000 get answers to these questions. (Also, but with Herodes Jr. and others who’ve turned up later – does CMLL really need more young guys? Even for the opening matches?)

I don’t want to alarm anyone, but it’s about six weeks since CMLL’s last tournament finished.

CMLL (TUE) 08/14/2012 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) El Divino & Virgo vs El Hippie & Èvola
2) Leo & Sky Kid vs Disturbio & Inquisidor
3) Triton vs Starman, Smaker, Black Metal, Skándalo, Arkángel de la Muerte, Magnum, Demonio Maya [cibernetico, OCCIDENTE MIDDLE, #1 Contenders]
winner faces future winner
4) Hijo del Fantasma & Sagrado vs Psicosis & Rey Escórpion
5) Máximo vs Mr. Niebla

ALARM! Stick with me here, because this is confusing: this is for Palacio Negro’s title, which means he’s being stripped of the title even though they’ve long given up on pretending Palacio Negro & Titan are different people. Triton is in this tournament, but is also stripped of the Occidente Welterweight title for the same reasons.

AULL (FRI) 08/17/2012 Centro Banamex
1) Tortuguillo Ninja vs Spider Boy, Rey Krystal, Guru, Mascara Universal, Celeste, Latigo, Rey Inmortal [AULL Light]
vacant title, last held by Flamita
2) Ángel de la Noche, Angel Del Amor, Mr. Flama vs Misterio, Sádico, Violento
3) Cerebro Maligno, Herejía, Judas el Traidor, Rey Krimen vs Epitafio, Leviatham, Samael, Tormento
4) Negro Navarro, Robin Maravilla, Rocky Santana vs Chucho el Roto, Iron Love, Yakuza [AULL TRIOS]
Navarro’s team are the champs.

This leaves the Perros del Mal show as the only major show at the Expo without an announced lineup, though they have said LA Park, Halloween, Psicosis, Hector, Teddy and the Traumas will be on the show.

DTU (TUE) 08/21/2012 Arena Aficion
1) Lucky Boy & Nino De Ebano vs Kaleth & Lanceloth and Nino Hamburguesa & Rocky Lobo and Hacker & Slayer Pack [AAACADEMIA TAG, torneo]
2) Keira vs La Vaquerita, Lily Fighter, Palomo Rouse
3) Araña de Plata Jr., Fantasma de la Ópera, Pequeno Cobra, Terremoto Negro vs Hormiga, Juventud 2000, Principe Halcon, Rey Capricornio
4) Paranoiko vs Tony Rodriguez, Rebelde Punk, Cerebro Negro [DTU, #1 Contenders]
5) Ciclope vs Drastik Boy, Aero Boy
6) Ricochet vs Eita, Flamita, Black Fire, Súper Nova, Eterno
7) Black Terry, Villano III, Villano IV vs Bestia 666, Damián 666, X-Fly and Joe Lider, Pesadilla, Violento Jack

There’s also a newly announced DTU card for Queretaro, but this is the wackier one. Main event is three falls (???), with each teams rules getting a fall.

CMLL (MON) 08/06/2012 Arena Puebla [Periodio Enfoque]
3) Cancerbero, Nosferatu, Virus b Pegasso, Sensei, Starman
4) Namajague b Triton [lightning]
5) Averno, Ephesto, Niebla Roja b Diamante, Máximo, Sagrado
6) Atlantis, La Sombra, Volador Jr. DQ Máscara Dorada, Mr. Niebla, Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]
It reads like Niebla fouled Volador, not sure. Team Atlantis wrestled as the tecnicos.

Reports from Leon says the Mistico debut tour did not draw well there.

Perros del Mal’s Facebook breathlessly reports Perro Aguayo bled so much, he nearly damaged his cerebral cortex. (That sounds like something I’m not getitng right.) He’s questionable for Friday’s TV taping.

Fuego en el Ring has a interview with Euforia, who feels he proved he belonged in En Busca de Un Idolo thanks to his excellent performances. Everyone knew he was excellent, that’s not why people thought he shouldn’t be in that tournament. Euforia says he’s reached the top and plans on staying there, but he wants the people to recognize him as a real star.

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.

The Gladiatores has the post-TripleMania press conference with Mesias, Wagner and Joaquin.

Lucha Libre in Japan

08/07 NJPW: Rush [6] b Naito [4] – Rush is back up to a 1st place tie. Rush won when Naito tried landing on his feet after a German suplex, went down with a knee injury, and took the Rush Driver. Other people believe this may be a legit injury, but I’m leaning towards it being a way of having Naito lose to Rush without having it clean. (Hooray for unique pessimism!)

08/05 DIANA: Mima Shimoda [O] & Kyoko Inoue b Zap I & Zap T [X] – A Mima 25th Anniversary match. She was invited to join this Japanese but indicated she’d was coming back to Mexico. This is the promotion where Yumiko Hotta and the other ex-REINA Japanese natives ended up, which does confirm Mima ended leaving REINA with the rest of the Japanese (instead of staying like the rest of the CMLL women), and that’s why she hasn’t been around as much this year.

Lineup

CMLL (SUN) 08/12/2012 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Azteca de Oro & Javier Cruz Jr. vs Sádico & Thunder Boy
2) León Blanco vs Smaker, Metatrón, Esfinge, Halcon de Plata, Mr. Trueno, Espectrum, In Memoriam, Acertijo, Infierno [cibernetico]
3) Atlantis & Titán vs Dragón Rojo Jr. & Último Guerrero
4) Gallo vs Malefico [hair, mask]
Gallo is putting his mask up, Malefico is putting his hair.

I’m still skeptical moving this shows to 12:30 is going to make any difference – no one seemed to mention going to the first show – but they are working hard at doing big matches to get people to adjust to the new time. Mistico debuted here last week, this week a Gallo mask match with a decent semimain. They’re probably heading to an underdcard match in the near future

CMLL (MON) 08/13/2012 Arena Puebla
1) Blue Center & Tigre Rojo Jr. vs Fuerza Chicana & Siki Ozama Jr.
2) Bengala, Soberano Jr., Stigma vs Artillero, Bobby Zavala, Súper Comando
3) Dalis la Caribeña, Lluvia, Marcela vs La Comandante, Princesa Sugheit, Zeuxis
4) Sensei vs Nosferatu [lightning]
5) Hijo del Fantasma, Shocker, Super Porky vs Averno, Felino, Pólvora
6) Atlantis, La Sombra, Volador Jr. vs Máscara Dorada, Mr. Niebla, Último Guerrero [Relevos Increíbles]

Main event rematch. What did Puebla do to get that lightning match? Stigma/Zavala again i the second match.

CMLL (SUN) 08/12/2012 Arena Coliseo
1) Bengala & Leono vs Camorra & Cholo
2) Camaleón, Pegasso, Sensei vs Artillero, Herodes Jr., Súper Comando
3) Dalis la Caribeña, Lady Afrodita, Marcela vs La Seductora, Tiffany, Zeuxis
4) Stuka Jr. vs Namajague [lightning]
5) Hijo del Fantasma, Marco Corleone, Super Porky vs Rey Escórpion, Terrible, Tiger
6) La Sombra vs Averno

I like the main! I like the lightning match!

Looks like a total debut on Herodes; thought he might have appeared on the Juniors promotion (which seems to have disappeared) but there are no previous known matches under that name.

CMLL (SUN) 08/12/2012 Arena Coliseo
1) Bengala & Leono vs Camorra & Cholo
2) Camaleón, Pegasso, Sensei vs Artillero, Herodes Jr., Súper Comando
3) Dalis la Caribeña, Lady Afrodita, Marcela vs La Seductora, Tiffany, Zeuxis
4) Stuka Jr. vs Namajague [lightning]
5) Hijo del Fantasma, Marco Corleone, Super Porky vs Rey Escórpion, Terrible, Tiger
6) La Sombra vs Averno

4/6 are matches for me. Possibly other people, but primarily me.

I wrote a thing for this week’s C3 show about how Lady Afrodita makes no sense as a ruda. Perhaps others agree!

First known match for Herodes Jr.; can’t find any indy appearances for him, at least under that name.

CMLL (WED) 08/22/2012 Arena Lopez Mateos
5) Atlantis, La Máscara, Mistico vs Mephisto, Rey Escórpion, Último Guerrero

It’s been a while since the old Wednesday shows here; you have go back to last March, a main event of Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero vs Cien Caras Jr. & Mascara Ano 2000 Jr.