CMLL Roundup: Matt Taven leads Team World for Grand Prix, Dark Magic joining La Peste Negra, more!

Welcome to the CMLL Roundup. Let’s get caught up on major moments from the past week. Team World has been announced for the Grand Prix 2019, CMLL’s 86th Anniversary show has a date, and Dark Magic is keen on joining La Peste Negra.

Team World for the Grand Prix 2019

Team Mexico was previously announced for CMLL’s Grand Prix 2019 torneo cibernetico on Friday, August 30. Now, we know the squad to represent Team World.

The participants for Team World will be Matt Taven, Jay Briscoe, Kenny King, Oraculo, Big Daddy, Mecha Wolf 450, Luke Hawx, and Delirious (as a replacement for the injured Mark Briscoe). Taven is the biggest star this year. He is the current Ring of Honor World Champion.

Since the Grand Prix returned in 2016, the winners have been Volador Jr., Diamante Azul, and Michael Elgin.

In other CMLL news, the 86th Anniversary show has a date for Friday, September 27. That is CMLL’s biggest show of the year. It is looking like Ultimo Guerrero and Ciber the Main Man will main event in hair vs hair, but the fans are clamoring for Rush vs LA Park in hair vs mask.

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Spotlight of the Week: Oro Jr.

The ‘Spotlight of the Week’ will feature a luchador that isn’t in the main scene. This week’s pick is Oro Jr. For those Cagesiders that love gold, let’s check out what Oro Jr. has to offer. He competed in trios action with Magia Blanca and Principe Diamante against Nitro, El Coyote, and Grako on Tuesday’s show (starting at 21:48).

According to Wikipedia, Oro Jr. is, “A third generation wrestler, part of the Hernandez family that also included his uncle Oro (whom his ring name is taken from) as well as his father Plata and uncles Oro II, Plata II, Bronce II, El Calavera Jr. and Golden.” Another interesting tidbit, “Oro Jr. never knew his uncle as he was too young when Oro died in 1993 but heard so much about him from his father and uncles that he was inspired by him to become a professional wrestler, adopting the name “Oro Jr.” in his honor instead of “Plata Jr.” after his father’s ring name.”

Oro Jr. dressed in black with gold designs and came out to the song, “T.N.T.,” by AC/DC. Oro started the match for his team and showed nice luchador skills on the mat. Later, Oro was pinned off a flying elbow drop.

Oro was pummeled on the entrance ramp to start Fall 2. He doesn’t seem very strong at the game of fisticuffs. Oro rebounded with a ramp-running leapfrog dropkick then a running hurricanrana off the apron to the floor. His teammates picked up the pins to win the fall.

Oro was bashed again in Fall 3 when it came to physicality. He did hit a nice tope con hilo.

CMLL

Unfortunately, his team lost that fall and the match when their captain was pinned.

Oro Jr. looked pretty good when picking up the speed. Oro looked weak in the fist fighting game. He was always on the losing end. At 26 years old, Oro Jr. should have a lengthy career ahead of him.

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CMLL action in the ring

Let’s go over storylines and big matches from the week. The shows from Monday, Tuesday, and Friday can all be viewed on CMLL’s YouTube channel.

Monday from Puebla (Aug. 19, 2019)

The main event was an atomicos (4 vs 4) rematch between Mistico, Sanson, Cuatrero, & Forastero and Ultimo Guerrero, Gran Guerrero, Euphoria, & Soberano (starting at 1:30:05 of the show).

Los Dinamita and Mistico entered first. They took the fight to Los Laguneros and Soberano during their entrance. Los Dinamita and Mistico used a divide and conquer strategy to control Fall 1. They were victorious on a triple pin after a teamwork rolling catapult by Los Dinamita to Los Laguneros.

Fall 2 had the same tactics from Los Dinamita and Mistico. Los Laguneros and Soberano seized power for a brief moment, and that was all they needed to lock in a triple submission on Los Dinamita. However, in the background, Mistico yanked off his own mask and tossed it into the hands of Soberano. The referee saw Soberano with the mask and called for the disqualification instead of counting the triple submission. That resulted in Los Dinamita and Mistico winning 2-0 in a sweep.

After the match, Soberano took his frustration out on a maskless Mistico by putting the boots to him. Mistico got another mask, and the two threw blows in the center of the ring. Both ripped off each other’s masks and put them on their own heads. Mistico wore Soberano’s mask and vice versa. Soberano grabbed a mic to challenge Mistico to a one-on-one bout, then Soberano upped to stakes to defend his Mexican National Welterweight Championship or mask vs mask. Mistico responded that he is not interested in Soberano’s belt. He is interested in demonstrating that he is the only prince of the ring. Mistico knows Soberano is an excellent luchador and accepts for next week. They fought some more, and Soberano hit a suicide dive. That singles bout should be a good one as the main event for Monday, August 26.

Also on the August 26 card will be a Grand Prix warm-up with a torneo cibernetico between the teams of Caristico, Ultimo Guerrero, Dragon Lee, El Terrible, El Valiente, Rey Bucanero, Stuka Jr., & Hechicero and Matt Taven, Kenny King, Jay Briscoe, ??? (not the injured Mark Briscoe), Big Daddy, Mecha Wolf 450, Oraculo, & Dark Magic.

Tuesday from Mexico City (Aug. 20, 2019)

Caristico and El Terrible continued their feud as the main event of the show (starting at 1:59:05). Terrible attacked early to start Fall 1. He smashed Caristico’s shoulder in a door. Caristico tried to get going with a hurricanrana, but Terrible caught it and turned it into a Styles Clash for the pin.

Like a chump, Caristico tried calling time out between falls. Terrible continued his focus on the shoulder of Caristico. Terrible was dominating until Caristico used some spins, kicks, a springboard crossbody, and arm drags to set up a crucifix pin variation to tie the score.

After some stalling at the start of Fall 3, Terrible took control with suplexes and a single leg crab submission. Caristico got back into it with three consecutive suicide dives. The third knocked Terrible backward over the wall into the crowd. Caristico continued with a flurry of moves and pin covers, but none were successful. In the end, Terrible yanked off Caristico’s mask for the disqualification loss.

In other happenings, it looks like Dark Magic is moving on up in the CMLL world. He debuted with the promotion roughly a year ago around the Grand Prix 2018. I haven’t kept tabs on Dark Magic, but I noticed on this show that he entered with a king’s crown and cape.

CMLL

There was also a backstage promo after his trios match on Tuesday with Negro Casas and Mr. Niebla. It sounds like the king of lucha libre, the lion of the north will be joining their group, La Peste Negra.

The show for Tuesday, August 27 is a fresh slate. The main event will be Caristico, Soberano, & Stuka against Mr. Niebla, El Terrible, & La Bestia del Ring. That gives Caristico another opportunity to meddle with Los Ingobernables if that is the direction CMLL wants to go.

Friday from Mexico City (Aug. 23, 2019)

The trios main event of the show was an insignificant chapter in the feud between Ultimo Guerrero and Ciber the Main Man. Guerrero’s team won. There were no post-match promos this time.

After last week’s great match against Forastero, Volador Jr. wrestled Forastero’s family in Sanson for a lightning match (starting at 1:04:20). Highlights include two suicide dives by Volador, a tope con hilo by Volador, and a powerbomb backbreaker by Sanson. In the end, Sanson kicked Volador in the balls to lose at the 7:29 mark of the ten-minute time limit.

In micros trios action, Chamuel continued his chicanery toward Microman. Chamuel won the match by yanking off Microman’s mask and pinning him without the referee observing the cheat. I couldn’t understand the post-match promos after the match with the crowd noise being louder than the microphone. It looked like Chamuel talked shit, then Microman challenged him to one-on-one. In a backstage promo, Chamuel said they would do it next week (August 30).

As of now, CMLL has not yet posted the full card for the Grand Prix 2019 on Friday, August 30.

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What do you think of Team World for the Grand Prix 2019? Who are you picking to win as the last survivor? Which matches would you put on CMLL’s 86th Anniversary show?