Lucha Libre World Cup

[sek69]

So AAA is having a multi promotional trios tourney with their guys along with wrestlers from TNA, ROH, NOAH, and All Japan. Their sponsor wanted CMLL involved which was shot down for obvious reasons, and New Japan declined out of loyalty to CMLL and also the money they make from the FantasticaMania tours. Hasn't NOAH been basically a New Japan satellite promotion as of late being booked by Jado and Gedo? I wonder how they managed to sneak in, unless AAA isn't aware of the deal.

[concrete1992]

NOAH:

• Takayama
• Ishimori
• Kotoge

AJPW:

• KENSO
• Tiger Mask III
• Masamune

So yeah...okay then.

[stomperspc]

The NOAH team seems about right. Takayama will be interesting in AAA because he is something different (from a physical and wrestling standpoint). Ishimori and Kotoge fit the speedy, high flying bill and should mesh in with the style. AJPW team is odd at quick glance but the core AAA audience is isn't going to know who Kento Miyahara or whoever else is, so you might as well at least send the mask wearing guy who was trained by Lizmark (Masamune). KENSO is known for his time in AAA (and WWE). Sending Kanemoto under the Tiger Mask gimmick makes sense for the obvious reasons. Sending big name NOAH and AAA guys aren't necessarily going to help the draw so why bother? I'm also guessing that AAA won't have much of an issue with that team losing like they would if they sent other guys.

 

I'd expect the ROH team to be halfway decent and Matt Hardy is a good start for the TNA team. They will have nice variety among the 24 participants which I guess it the aim for a "world" tournament like this one.

[concrete1992]

My AJPW team opinion swung MASSIVELY once someone told me Tiger Mask III was actually Koji. I don't know why I thought otherwise but yeah, I actually really enjoy both teams as far as being entertaining. Ishimori seems like someone who could mix it up REAL nice with the luchadores.

[stomperspc]

Final teams:

 

AAA Dream Team - Rey Mysterio Jr., Alberto El Patron and Myzteziz

AAA Team #2 - El Hijo del Fantasma, El Texano Jr., and Psycho Clown

Mexico Independent - Dr. Wagner Jr., Solar, and Blue Demon Jr.

NOAH - Takayama, Ishimori, and Kotoge

AJPW - KENSO, Masamune, and Tiger Mask III (Kanemoto)

ROH - ACH, Moose & Brian Cage

TNA - Matt Hardy, Mr. Anderson, and Johnny Mundo

Rest of the World - Angelico, Mesias, and Drew Galloway

 

They also announced at the press conference today that the show will air on iPPV. Striker and Vampiro to do English commentary. Tournament format is 15 minute time limits with a one-on-one 5 minute overtime being used in the case of a 15-minute time limit draw. They will be drawing first round matches on May 22nd.

 

I like the format a lot. 15 minutes feels like the right time limit and the 5-minute one-on-one overtime period sounds like a neat idea on paper at least. I am interested in seeing how and when they use the overtime. Some of those teams are real motley crews, but I like the eclectic mix in a tournament like this. AAA Dream Team should win it all. It is just a question of who they go against in the finals. Rest of the World would be my choice, though TNA would probably work too. It'll be interesting to see how they go about eliminating the other Mexico team since those guys (maybe not so much Solar) don't lose a lot (only to each other). Maybe match them up against the Dream Team in the 2nd round and Rey pins Solar or something.

[stomperspc]

The show was fun and I am sold me on the tournament as an annual concept show for AAA. The presentation was top notch. AAA does as good of a job as any promotion in making their events feel big. They did that here and then some. Great crowd as well (which is also not unusual for current AAA). None of the matches were great, but there also wasn't much bad on the show. The 15-minute time limit/5-minute overtime period(s) structure worked well and was used effectively. In general, they got the booking right. AAA has a tendency to get in its own way from time to time and overbook things that don't need to be overbooked, but that was little of that going on here.

 

The wrestling wasn't great but there weren't any outright bad matches. The guys that were the most likely to look bad (Masamune, Anderson, Kenso) looked bad. ACH and Cage didn't do much for me either but were not outright bad. Solar was the start of his team and Moose the star of his. The finish to the ROH vs. AAA #2 match got screwed up, but otherwise things ran relatively smoothly.

 

AAA apparently put the whole thing together in about three months. If true, they pulled it off very well. The weakest facet of the tournament was probably the composition of many of the teams, but given the quick turnaround that is understandable. A little more care given to the makeup of the teams (particularly those wrestling more than one match) and the concept is one that could easily produce matches that equal the quality of the overall presentation.

[Memphis Mark]

I watch the show . I enjoyed the event. I like the LU/ ROH vs. Team AAA match . Cage is really getting a push . I though ACH and Moose did fine.

 

The other match that stood out was the Rest of the World vs. LU/TNA. I do not watch the WWE , so I did not know much about Drew Galloway . I will say that Galloway is a big time talent . He is a big man the can chain wrestle , strike , brawl and leave his feet . He can do it all That is very rare . Galloway is wasting his time in TNA and Evolve , he should be in NJPW . Morrison/ Nitro or Mundo worked well with Galloway they made the match .

 

Vampiro is really terrible . This guy did no show prep . He knew nothing about the other promotions. In fact he buried the ROH guys for no good reason . Vamp spend most of the time shilling for LU . He seemed not the grasp that his job was to put the wreslers over not himself or one particular brand . Vampiro is not very likeable . At least Matt Striker is fair to all the wrestlers and seems to love the business .

 

Also Jeff Jarrett was did commentary during the semi- finals . He spend most of the time doing a commerical for GFW . A waste of time. I wonder if the TNA and ROH people knew Jarrett was going to be at this show? Jarrett and His wife even came out with the TNA and ROH wrestlers. Jarrett said he was scouting talent . How the in hell do you scout talent that is under contract to other promotions .?

 

Ken Anderson is not very good at wrestling . Angelico , Brian Cage , Moose and El Hijo Fantasma all have bigger things in their futures. AAA should have found a way to fit Octagon Jr and Jack Evans into this event.

 

All in all a good show. The commentary was the major flaw.

[shoe]

I watched it too. The show had a big important feel. I watched the Hispanic commentary because you could hear the crowd better. The matches weren't blow away. Though everyone had something fun, or interesting, or a good performance. I thought Moose looked about as good as he has ever looked. I dug ACH working heel. I knew he had it in him, and should be booked on all big shows. Drew Galloway is looking good all over the world.Solar didn't disappoint. I thought the drama in the finals was off the charts with the triple overtime.

[Memphis Mark]

I watched it too. The show had a big important feel. I watched the Hispanic commentary because you could hear the crowd better. The matches weren't blow away. Though everyone had something fun, or interesting, or a good performance. I thought Moose looked about as good as he has ever looked. I dug ACH working heel. I knew he had it in him, and should be booked on all big shows. Drew Galloway is looking good all over the world.Solar didn't disappoint. I thought the drama in the finals was off the charts with the triple overtime.

 

I wished I listened to the Spanish commentary , too . I don't even speak Spanish , but anything would be an upgrade over Vampiro .

[Tim Cooke]

Konan's booking is often so illogical that it's easy to mock but he did a nice job booking this tournament with a lot of factors in play:

 

a.) political issues with multiple promotions sending teams

 

b.) a gimmick, that if used poorly, could have really detracted from the matches. Instead, it was used sparingly and thus was important when it came into play.

 

No blow away matches but also no bad matches.

 

In the ring, Rey Jr. was moving like he has zero injuries. He is at 10 for the GWE for me but this AAA run may move him up a spot or two to 7-9. He has the rest of the year to add to his resume.

 

The Lucha Underground referee did a great job with his two submission finishes, jumping up and down, waving his arms like the refs during the heyday of lucha would do. I really liked that added touch.

 

The pop for the finish of the final was awesome. The crowd heat in general was excellent and something you couldn't get outside of Mexico, especially for the foreigners.

 

Paul and I watched the spanish version, more so because I didn't want to be distracted by the announcers and hear the heat, even if Vampiro was supposedly worth listening to, if just for fun.

 

This and Rey de Reyes are my two favorite shows of the year, by a pretty large margin. Again, nothing in the MOTYC territory for either show but I'll always take quality depth over 1 great match and 6-7 stinkers.

[Tim Cooke]

Next year, I would like to see a lucha maestros team with Solar/Navarro/Black Terry/Villano IV/whoever. Would also like to see a team from MPro, who theoretically would fit in well with the lucha style, although I guess the same could be said for Dragon Gate (which I wouldn't endorse as a particpant). Also like to see Aerostar, Super Fly, and some of the other AAA regulars get a spot. Maybe even put together a team with a mini, exotico/female wrestler, and high flyer (Mascarita, Fabi Apache/Aerostar). Add in a british team, a US indies team, and you could get to 12-16 teams.