Episode Eighty-Two - Splendid Isolation Number One

You can’t go wrong recommending Negro Casas

Just when you thought it was safe to presume the podcast was gone. Our idle hands were put to use with the creation of a new podcast series “Splendid Isolation,” where we get folks on the blower to recommend things to watch or read or play during all this down time most people now have in their lives.

After a long hiatus, it’s the return of The Cubs Fan (@luchablog). We start off talking about the recent empty arena match held days ago by @LuchaMemes and shown on Lucha+ TV (see link below). Cubs gives a rundown on the show and what matches are worth watching. Then, we discuss the future plans of Lucha in Mexico, including the recently postponed Dos Leyendas show, and when will the hair match between Cavenario and Felino take place. We also mention some recent matches now online to watch and reminisce about CMLL’s 2014 Busca de un Idolo tournament. And if you didn’t notice elsewhere on the site, we are finally reviving our review of that event, which we started a year or ago but progress on it got delayed and delayed. But, now is a good a time to bring it back as ever. You may have even see Friend of the Show @hechicero tweeting clips from some of his matches.

Finally, like millions of people around the world, Cubs and I are addicted to the new Animal Crossing game on the Nintendo Switch. We talk about our respective progresses so far in the game, watching YouTube hint videos versus avoiding spoilers and how it has helped while away the time.

We have a few guests lined up for these short mini-episodes, so hopefully they will help. Thanks for listening

Episode Seventy-Four - The Skeleton Dance

Sharp Dressed Caveman. The Anniversary Main Event

The podcast is back from its summer holidays just in time to discuss a big week of lucha libre news and to help us digest it all, we welcome back Rob Viper (@robviper) to the show.

CMLL just announced the card for the Anniversary show in September and needless to say, many folks are not happy we are not getting a Rush vs LA Park main event. We go over the whole card and spend plenty of time discussing why it did not happen, who's to blame, who's spinning their version as to why the match is not happening this year and more.  There is the usual talk about CMLL booking philosophy and business management, as well as talking about all the big crowds this year, in Mexico CIty, but also in Puebla and Guadalajara. 

Rob also tells us about his recent trip to Mexico to see a bunch of shows, including the Negro Casas 40th Anniversary card a few weeks ago (see below), the Mexa Wresting and Pura Raza show, featuring (friend of the pod) Hechicero vs Christopher Daniels. 

We also discuss the recent passing of the legendary Villano III, including some match recommendations (including the famous WON Match of the Year vs Atlantis). For more on Villano III's career, make sure to read Fredo Esparza's obit at Luchaworld. 

Other topics include: the atmosphere at lucha shows compared to American/Canadian shows and online pals like Puma King (@pumakingoficial) and Zeuxis (@ZeuxisLucero) leaving CMLL and going independent and their upcoming big events in PWG and the Mae Young Classic, respectively. 

At the end, we also sneak in some summertime hockey chat, since John Tavares just had his first public skate as a member of Rob's Maple Leafs. 

Hopefully, health permitting, the pod will be back on a more regular basis going forward. We have a bunch of folks lined up for September. Card Subject to Change. 

Episode Sixty-Five - El Gringo Enojado

Love Machine Sam Adonis on his way to fight Blue Panther in Arena Mexico.

Sam Adonis (@realsamadonis) returns to the podcast to discuss his upcoming hair vs hair match against Blue Panther August 4th in Arena Mexico. 

We discuss the world-wide media attention he has gotten for his flag-waving American gimmick in Mexico and how that fits in with wrestling's history of xenophobic heels. We talk about the feud with Blue Panther and invoking the name and gimmick of the late Love Machine Art Barr and his feud 25 years ago in CMLL. We chat about his favorite opponents and partners over his year in Mexico, his upcoming trip to Japan and how things are going for his brother, WWE announcer Corey Graves. 

Sam is super busy these days, so we thank him very much for his time.

Also, a quick shout-out to former podcast guests Colleen Coover and Paul Tobin, for their third consecutive Eisner Award for Bandette. You can hear them discuss it on episode 24. Congratulations to all the winners, some of whom are tentatively planned as future guests.

Episode Sixty-Three - Es Un Asunto de Familia

Puma King with his copy of issue six at Break the Barrier 2017.

If you missed the news a couple weeks ago, issue six of the magazine is now out. It debuted at the Break the Barrier show in Old Forge PA, where Puma and his dad Felino wrestled Guerrero Maya Jr and Skayde. That match was the basis for our cover (by Kcidis) and cover story bios by The Cubs Fan (@luchablog).

To talk about his article in the magazine, we were joined on the pod by Dr. Lucha Steve Sims. We discussed his article on the Alvarado Family (Los Brazos, Maximo, La Mascara), their history and how that related to what happened to Ultimo Guerrero's car, the guys who were and were not fired over the incident and all the things that connect to the incident. We also discuss some of the other big families in lucha right now: The Munoz Family (Rush, Dragon Lee, Mistico and Pierroth), the Ibarra Family (LA Park, Volador Jr, Super Parka), the Panthers (Blue Panther Sr and Jr, The Panther) and of course, the Casas Family (Negro Casas, Felino, Puma, TIger, Dallys, Canelo), There's also other lucha talk, including why hasn't there been any legal action over the vandalism, the usual head scratching involving CMLL booking and talk about the next project coming to the website, a look back at what Rob Viper called CMLL's best tournament ever, the 2014 En Busca De Un Idolo tournament, which involved people like Hechicero, Barbaro Cavernario, Dragon Lee, Cachorro/The Panther and Sobernao Jr.  

After that, we talk about Matt's article on Gino Hernandez's time working in Houston for Pail Boesch. We talk about his matches there, both as a single and a tag team with Tully Blanchard. Unfortunately, Matt was unable to be on the podcast to discuss his article. But if you want to see many of the matches he wrote about and we discussed, you can see them on the NWA Streaming Service (at least as of this writing). 

Then there is a whole mish-mash of subjects, from what wrestling we could watch in the mid-1980s to watching wrestling in college (Steve in Chapel Hill in the 70s, me in Bloomington in the 80s) to a bunch of other stuff. 

For more information on the magazine, check out its page here on the website. 

Episode Fifty-Eight - Di-no-mita

We welcome lucha libre promoter Dhani Ledesma (@luchamemes) to the podcast to talk about his career and upcoming shows. We talk about how he started in lucha and the various companies he worked for until his current promotion Lucha Memes. We discuss his working relationship with CMLL, how it began and how he hopes itwill grow in the future. We also discuss booking foreign talent for shows, matches that did not come off as planned and ones he hopes to put together in the future. If you are familiar with our stuff, you know we talk about some of our favorite luchadors on these upcoming shows, including Puma (@pumaking), Tiger *@yosoutiger), Virus (@virus_cmll) and friend of the magazine, Hechicero (@_ReyHechicero).  We discuss his thoughts on making his shows available on-line. 

You can now watch the Black Terry /Negro Navarro vs Hechicero/Virus match on youtube

Episode Fifty-Four - Pumas and Tigers and Panthers, Oh My!

Luchaworld's Alfredo Esparza (@therealfredo) returns to the pod to talk about all the recent news in lucha libre. We discuss the just-announced return date for Lucha Underground and their long-awaited arrival on Netflix. We also talk about the wrestlers who left AAA, notably Pentagon Jr., now known as Penta el 0M, how their decision might effect their bookings in the US and Mexico.  Then we discuss what's going on with the Crash promotion and can they become the number three lucha company.  Of course, we talk about CMLL, their head-scratching booking, what's coming up for Dos Leyandas, all the multi-generational trios, as always, the greatness of Negro Casas, Fantasticamania 2017, CMLL talent working indy shows and more.  We mentioned the recent Lucha Memes show and learned after recording the VOD (including Rush vs Raymond Rowe) will be available probably by the time you download this podcast.  Fredo also discussed the new Luchaworld podcasts available on podbean, including the first episode of Lucha Classics with Vandal Drummond (@vandaldrummond), discussing 1930s lucha in El Paso, luchadors in WCW and Vandal's favorite promotion, Titanes en el Ring from Argentina. Fredo is also the co-host of the Lucha Talk pod on the MLW network. 

Episode Thirty-Three - The God Phoenix

The Mod/Emma Peel Wonder Woman. (C) 2016 DC Comics

0:56 - @TKD_117 returns to talk about his recent trip to Mexico for the 2nd Anniversary @Caralucha show, including the Hechicero/Cavernario vs Black Terry/Bestia 666 and Flamita vs Mascara Dorada matches. We talk about some other recent indy lucha, including Hechicero vs Virus. We also discuss the AAA Lucha World Cup, the always frustrating CMLL booking and more. As always, your source for great indy lucha footage is @BlackTerry. Tweet him for his match lists. For more lucha news, check out Como Estaz with @luchablog and @robviper & Luchaworld with @therealfredo and @vandaldrummond.

43:45 - Magazine contributor Matt D discusses DC Rebirth and a possible shift for a brighter storytelling outlook for DC. We talk about the metatextual nature of the issue and which books we are excited about going forward (hint: listen to episode 32 of the podcast). We also discuss some of the lucha matches covered earlier with TKD. We end with discussion of the two new Marvel superhero movies and was Movie Zemo really such an affront to his comics counterpart?

As discussed in the pod,  Arena Coliseo Monterrey -- Negro Casas vs Rey Hechicero

Technical note: During the interview with Matt, I left my desk fan on and the interview is a little wind-tunnely.  Apologies if it is distracting.