What does a fan know, right?

Presumably a WWC show in the 1980's

On this final day of the 30 days wrestling challenge; I’m to speak about my views on the current scene. Well, I decided to make this challenge exclusive to the Puerto Rican scene; meaning, this final day will be my thoughts on the current status of what, to me, is local wrestling.

Still, I can’t talk about the current state of wrestling on the Island without talking about the current state of wrestling around the world. It boggles my mind, both as a fan and as an academic who studies wrestling as literature/art; how much wrestling is there these days. Not just simple wrestling, good and even great wrestling is available for almost every single type of fan out there. From the indiest of indy shows to the mainstream, wrestling might not be at its peak of popularity, but it’s as robust as it has ever been as an industry.

That’s a good thing for workers from around the globe, they don’t have to get to the mainstream in order to make a living out of what they love to do. In turn it is a good thing for the promotions because they can enjoy the global bonanza and utilize technology to draw more eyes to their product; which often gives fans an alternative that suits their tastes and/or gives new wrestlers a platform to showcase their abilities to a wider audience.

That brings me back to the topic at hand. I have had talks with people in the “fandom” (to put a word to it) about Puerto Rican wrestling. To some I have even shared videos of matches or events that you might find on YouTube and they are the reason I started this blog to begin with. Most of those talks always have the question of “what happened?” in some form or fashion.

We went from having sold out crowds for both IWA and WWC, to barely filling out a small arena. We went from being a stepping stone for many WWE/ECW/WCW/CMLL/AAA/NJPW legends to a stage that has very little coverage. “What happened?”

I’d love to have an answer to that question; but since I’m not an insider and I don’t have a way into the local industry; I can’t pin point anything. There are some who believe Victor Quiñones’ untimely death derailed local wrestling; others cite the economic situation our Island is living; others the narrow mindness of promoters in the island. The fact remains, local wrestling is a shell of its former self.

Obviously, as a scholar, I have some ideas of what might’ve happened. I believe, and this has been brought up in conversations I’ve had, that local wrestling in Puerto Rico is experiencing the same thing the UK scene experienced in the late 90’s early 00’s. Where veterans chose to give themselves and a select few the leading roles within their respective promotions; which lead to a lot of young promising wrestlers leaving the Island in search for an opportunity; which in turn left the Island dry in young talent for a long period of time combined with the fact some promoters only think about the “now” and not about the “future”. But, I’m just a fan... what do I know, right?

Yet, even if I feel sad about the current state, I remain optimistic about the future. I know for a fact there are some championing for change. I, myself, am open to give my knowledge, skills and ideas to better the product. Wrestling on the Island has a bright future; IF those in charge change their minds and see the ways other promotions have flourished around the world.

Promoters on the Island live with the fear of fans not going to the shows if they are broadcasted; but miss out on streaming revenue due to that. A bunch of promotions started small, filming live shows on small venues; word got around and their shows started to fill more and more with fans. It’s simple math, money is not earned easily, especially on an Island with more than 70 billion dollars in debt... so people won’t spend it blindly on a product, any product. Fans want to see and know what they’re buying before they buy... let them see and let them know.

But once more, what does a fan know, right?

Puerto Rican wrestling scene roundabout 8/25/18

             

   Tonight Puerto Rico has two big wrestling shows, one is CWA’s “Implantando Respeto” one of the promotion’s biggest shows of the year and one that could possibly set the tone for a lot of the stories currently in progress within CWA. With eight matches announced (and that I have knowledge of), this presents itself as a very interesting show to say the least.

Main Event: For the CWA World Championship

“El Rey de esta Generación” Star Roger (c) vs. "Showman" Mike Nice

This is a big opportunity for “Showman” Mike Nice, arguably the biggest one of his career. Star Roger has been a record setting champion for CWA; so I expect this to be a good match, but one that could possibly end in defeat for Nice; yet, a good showing here could go a long way for him. Roger on the other hand, might continue his run until Christmas Showdown… who knows?

Semi-Main: Justin Dynamite vs. Rey Fury

Fury has been brought in to face Dynamite. Rey is no stranger to the Puerto Rican wrestling scene as he is also from the Island; yet this is a rare appearance for him over here. Fury is talented and might be a tough challenge for Dynamite; but going with the story so far, my guess is that it is part of the reason Fury has been brought over. With the amount of talent involved in this match, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the match that steals the night, expect a showcase from Dynamite.

Cuba Open Challenge: Rodrigo García vs. ???

Let’s be honest, who knows if anyone will answer this or not. So once more, this could either be utilized as a segment spot, a breather for the fans, or it could lead to the return or the debut of someone big.

For the CWA Intercontinental Championship

Maxx Stardom (c) vs. Nexen

Nexen is coming out of a match for the Going in Raw “Haitch” title against Adam Mayhem, now he faces off against Maxx Stardom, a wrestler who recently appeared in 205 Live and is now part of the MLW roster. Someone is impressed with Nexen’s abilities to be in these two kinda high profile matches almost back to back; so, keep an eye on the guy.

For the CWA Tag-Team Championships

La Dinastía Rodríguez (c) vs. Los Fugitivos

Last time I covered CWA’s show, Victor Rodríguez had “Niche” Marrero as his tag-team partner to deal with Black Money Services. I expect this match to be good, until shenanigans happen; I can see BMS interfering in some fashion and possibly leading to a three way for the titles at some point in the future.

Trios Match

El Gabinete vs. Bambino & Black Scorpion & Kenolly

I was impressed by El Gabinete last time I saw them wrestle, Black Scorpion moves well for his age. I don’t know enough about Bambino or Kenolly to make an assessment about their abilities; but I guess this is not going to be a 5 star classic; in my opinion this would be mostly a brawl as this could be labeled as a grudge match.

Hardcore Trios Match

Bullying Crew vs. La Milicia

I know little to nothing about both of these teams; so I’m going out of a limb here and say this is going to be your standard grudge hardcore match that will be full of bodies flying and be kind of a clusterfuck.

Tag-Team match

Balrog & Bane vs. Akiles Falcón & Cazador

Another match that could end up being a brawl; but I could see the winners of this match aiming for the Tag-Team titles and possibly making the future match a four way for the belts.

WWC presents itself in Manatí with a full card, but two matches are what I could find around. So, those two matches are the ones I’m going to hype up.

For the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship

Mighty Ursus (c) vs. “El Alma Perdida” Xix Xavant

Both wrestlers have been around the scene for a while; this would be Xavant’s first shot at the coveted title; arguably the most historic title in Puerto Rico; one might argue the state of that history at the moment, but that’s a topic for another day. What should interest you is that Xavant managed to defeat Ursus and that’s why he gets this opportunity. Given the fact Ursus is built as a monster heel, I don’t think Xavant will walk away with the title; he might win via DQ, but this is a story that shall continue to develop.

For the WWC TV Title in a Lumberjack Match (12 fans with straps)

“Superstar” Bellito (c) vs. Anarchy

The most physical feud WWC has going on so far. Anarchy has been around since the IWA days, so he’s a veteran and knows his way around the ring. Bellito, I know little about, but he’s the TV champion. This could prove to be a very physical match and depending on the 12 fans with straps, a very gruesome one, if a strap hits too hard.

There are obviously some other matches, but I can’t find info on those anywhere so, there it goes.

AAA tonight has their biggest show of the year, TripleManía and a Boricua, Vainilla Vargas, will be a part of the show. She’ll be tagging along with Hijo del Vikingo for the AAA Mixed Tag-Team Titles. I’d be stocked if they managed to win the titles (which are kind of irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, as most titles in Mexico are); but at the same time, I just hope she doesn’t get injured and has a good showing. She deserves all the attention she’s getting, as I know she busted her ass off to get to where she is right now.

Vanilla started as Angel Fashion’s valet; (fun fact Fashion started out as a referee in WWC). So seeing the growth both Vanilla and Fashion have had over the years and how much they have accomplished since been given a chance it’s inspiring. I know she isn’t in a big match at TripleManía, so a lot of international fans might skip hers, but if you can, make an effort and watch it.

Ray González, one you should know more

A young Ray González with the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship

                Through the years, the Puerto Rican wrestling scene, has given a lot of high caliber performers. From Pedro Morales, Carlos Colón and José Miguel Pérez Sr; to Mike Mendoza, Angel Fashion and Mecha Wolf 450. A lot of them have been in WWF/E: Savio Vega, Huracán Castillo Jr, Miguel Pérez, José Estrada Jr, Carlito, Primo, Epico and Eric Escobar, among others. Yet, there’s a wrestler that has been vital to Puerto Rican wrestling, one that, maybe, not a lot of current wrestling fans know; I’m talking about “Mr. Raytings” Ray González.

                I could work a biography here, but for that we have online pages as Wikipedia or many others. My intention here is to give you my opinion as to why Ray González is the best wrestler from Puerto Rico, tha you probably don’t know. Many would argue that Ray González is X or Y as a person; many hate him as a wrestlers, many love him as a wrestler. Me, I’ll try to be as objective as I can in the next few paragraphs in order to accomplish that.

Ray González with the WWC Univesal Heavyweight Championship

                Through his career, González, has managed to capture the Puerto Rican fans’ attention. His demeanor and charisma catapulted him to the highest spheres of the local wrestling scene; and to me that’s not surprising. González has always carried himself as a star, a superstar indeed. Whenever his music hit the sound systems, fans got out of their chairs and paid attention. When the rumors of his departure from WWC to IWA started circulating, that was arguably the one thing fans talked about. That’s how big Ray González was at the time, that whatever he did was enough to make people talk about it. In fact, González is one of the few wrestlers to keep his main event status in both WWC and IWA at the time; which puts him in a select group of wrestlers, and it’s a fact that just mentioning his name was enough to secure a good gate.

Ray González as the IWA Heavyweight Champion

                We could describe Ray González as the total package, what every wrestling promoter would want from a performer. His character wasn’t that far off from what Ric Flair and Rick Rude were at their time; his demeanor, his flow, the way he dressed… yet, he managed to own those aspects and transform them to his favor. Inside the ring, for little old me, he was a master of his craft. The way he utilized ring psychology in order to lure the fans into everything he did, in order to elicit a reaction, was something few local wrestlers have been able to master. That ability to manipulate a reaction, was what catapulted a young Carly Colón (Carlito) towards stardom; arguably, without González, there would be no Carlito.

Ray González and Vampiro

                Sadly, for whatever reason, González wouldn’t have a long run in any international promotion; he did have bookings in Mexico and Japan. Wikipedia cites the store his father had in his hometown as the reason; González himself, in an interview for Contralona, cites a bit of fear and personal reasons for never stepping foot in a promotion outside of Puerto Rico for a long run. Which is the reason I see for many fans outside of the Island not knowing about his in ring and microphone prowess. Without a doubt, a prime Ray González would’ve been a big star outside of the Island, as, once again, he was the total package.

Ray González and his son Ray González Jr

                González is still active in WWC, yet for many fans he’s not the same man he once was. Obviously, age is not a wrestler’s biggest fan and few are able to keep themselves at a peak level of athleticism past certain age. Many fans in the Island would argue that it’s time for González to hang up his boots and let his son be the one to carry the legacy; but I feel there’s still a place for a guy like González in wrestling, someone with that much charisma and that much knowledge shouldn’t just retire and go off into the sunset. His mic work could benefit many up and coming wrestlers here and that alone merits him a place as an active performer. Yet, even if he retires today, there’s no denying the place “Mr. Raytings” Ray González had, has and will have in Puerto Rican wrestling.

The following are a couple of his matches, interviews (Contralona), and what not. Most are in Spanish, so, watch it, if not for anything else… just for the visuals.

1. Jaque Mate: El Especial

An In Character interview about González's career so far. (in Spanish)

2. Jaque Mate: El Especial Extra

González talks about his career in Puerto Rico and why he didn't go out of the Island.

3. Ray González vs. Eddie Gilbert 1994

4. Ray González vs. Carlos Colón (1998)

5. González (as Rey Fenix) vs. Ricky Banderas part 1 (2002)

6. González (as Rey Fenix) vs. Ricky Banderas part 2 (2002)

7. Rey Fenix (González) unmasks

*Check that pop when he does unmask*

8. Ray González (C) vs. Apolo (2003)

9. XWF Episode: First match Juvy & Psicosis vs. Konnan & González

WWL High Voltage Live 8/18/18

WWL High Voltage ticket

WWL High Voltage Live (8/18/18)

Matches:

1. Puro Macho (PMS Rose & PMS Montes) v. Untraditionals

Puro Macho won after a Spinebuster + Diving Elbow combination. This was a quick, but fun match to start the night. Untraditionals seem to have a high ceiling and I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point during the next year they become a high profile tag-team in Puerto Rico. (* 1/2 stars out of 4)

2. “Puro Macho” Khriz “The Chosen” Díaz v. Excellent Martel

Khriz Díaz wins what was essentially a squash match, although Martel got in some offense. It seems they’re running a lack of confidence angle with Martel. (1/2 star out of 4)

3. For the WWL Cruiserweight Title: “The White Shadow” Mark Davidson (c) vs. Pupe Jackson

Mark Davidson won and retained the title with a variation on the Rings of Saturn. This was a very entertaining match, the crowd was really into Pupe Jackson, which made Davidson’s job to get despised by the crowd that much easier. Fun match to really kick off the previously announced card. (*** out of 4)

4. Allison vs. Roxxy

This turned out to be an angle, as Allison came out to say she had an order from her doctor that stipulated she couldn’t wrestle that night due to injuries; but she had a replacement.

4. Roxxy vs. Vassago

Making what I believe is his debut with WWL (if he was in WWL before excuse me), Vassago came in and attacked Roxxy from behind. The former friends in 100% Lucha had a pretty interesting intergender match, with Vassago dominating much of it, due to story reasons (Vassago was a replacement, Roxxy didn’t have time to prepare and Vassago attacked her from behind, also Allison helped Vassago, so in essence was a 2 on 1 match). Vassago wins after hitting his finisher, which I didn’t see because the guy in front of me stood up and I’m not the tallest guy around (lol). (* 1/2 out of 4)

5. “Puro Macho” Electro vs. Noel Rodríguez

This was a match created in a segment after the first match by WWL’s co-owner, Richard Rondon. To be honest I wasn’t familiar with Electro; but after this match I have to say I’m a fan. Noel Rodríguez still has it and proved his previous match with PMS Rose was just a thing where Rose and himself didn’t really clicked in the ring. Noel won after a School Boy type pin. After the bell rang the rest of Puro Macho attacked Noel and they appear to be running an injury angle here. (** out of 4)

6. For the WWL America’s Title: “The Executioner” JC Navarro (c) vs. Mr. Big

In my roundabout I said this was the perfect opportunity for JC Navarro to prove that he could hang with a bigger opponent and he did just that. It was a fun match while it lasted, because the match ended in a no contest after what appeared to be a legit injury to Big. (More on that in a bit). For what it was, it was a fun match that had fans jeering Navarro. (* ½ out of 4)

7. Triple Threat TLC Match for the WWL Tag-Team Titles: Los Primos Meléndez (c) v. The Third Generation/Holy Fashion v. West Side Mafia

WOW! What else can I say about this match. Sure, there were some mishaps thanks to production botches (on which I will write more in a bit). But outside of those mishaps, the action itself was top notch. All three teams delivered on what I expected and more. The crowd was on their feet for most of the match and I haven’t felt that rush from a match in Puerto Rico in a long while. I already knew Holy Fashion were good, after tonight I’m certain they’re the next to break out. Los Primos Meléndez are really, really good and West Side Mafia are arguably the most over team in the whole Island. With these three teams WWL’s tag-team division is secure; add Puro Macho and the Untraditionals to the mix and you have a pretty robust tag-team scene; something you don’t see too often here. West Side Mafia win after retrieving the belts and becoming two time champions. (**** out of 4)

8. Main Event: “Puro Macho” Manny Ferno vs. “El León” Apolo

This match was going to have a tough time following the TLC match no matter what they did. Yet, somehow, Manny Ferno managed to get the crowd’s attention back to this match with his heel antics and Apolo delivered what the fans were waiting to see from him, his brute power. The match ended in DQ after the interference of the rest of Puro Macho. (** out of 4)

Segments:

Through the night there were a series of segments, no doubt done to pad up the weekly show that they’ll make splitting matches from this night.

1. After the first match Puro Macho came out and their leader, Manny Ferno, talked about Savio Vega and the WWL v. IWA angle they’ve been running He was interrupted by Richard Rondon who talked about the papers that acknowledge Ferno as WWL’s president. Ferno threatened Rondon with an attack but Rondon was quickly surrounded by Tabú, Morgan, Noel Rodríguez and Apolo. Richard says that as far as he’s concerned Manny is no longer the president and that Electro must face Noel tonight.

2. Before the TLC Match, former WWC Universal Champion and former WWL performer, BJ appeared from the entrance. He announced he is back in WWL and that he’s glad WWL no longer have old people hogging up the roster spots. He said he came here because WWL has competition and challenges Mecha Wolf 450 for the WWL World Heavyweight Championship. (BJ’s valet almost killed herself due to her high heels and the ring being a bit unstable)

Other noteworthy things:

1. El Nazareno came to help West Side Mafia at one point during the TLC match and then celebrated with his buddies. Angel Fashion stayed after the match to congratulate Los Primos Meléndez in what was a nice gesture from him and the crowd gave them a standing ovation.

2. After Puro Macho attacked Apolo and he fended them off; Manny Ferno took the mic to say they were still going to attack Apolo. When they entered the ring, Mr. Big’s music hit and he came out with a chair and limping. Once inside the ring, Puro Macho retreated as Big and Apolo challenged them off. Once Apolo turned his back to Big, he attacked Apolo with a chair and the rest of Puro Macho continued their attack to end the show.

3. Puro Macho is GREAT. Everything in their presentation is top notch, I don’t know why they don’t get the attention I feel they deserve from US indies, as I feel they are really close to being on that next level. Especially JC Navarro, Manny Ferno and Khriz Díaz. Electro has everything to lead the next generation alongside Justin Dynamite from CWA. Also, Puro Macho’s entrance theme is stuck in my head, I need that song.

Constructive Criticism:

1. My experience was a great one, to be honest, I haven’t felt that rush watching a local wrestling show since I was a kid (then again this was my first live local wrestling show since I was a kid, so maybe the atmosphere helped). I have no gripes with either the fans or the wrestlers but…

2. The production crew had some things wrong and it almost costed the wrestlers in terms of serious injury. Apparently the ropes were a bit slippery and it almost made Electro and Noel Rodríguez fall off of them, luckily they didn’t and the match continued as planned. Then in the TLC match, the titles weren’t hanged high enough and they have a really big ladder, this was at first a joke amongst the crowd, as with a small jump either Angel Fashion or Mike Mendoza could’ve retrieved the titles; yet the really scary thing happened once Morgan and Mendoza were fighting on top of the really big ladder. Mendoza and Morgan had a table set up and they seemed to have planned a spot where Mendoza would jump and hit Morgan with a double foot stop driving him thru the table; but due to the cable where the titles were hanged being so low, Mendoza almost hung himself on the cable. This was a really nasty looking spot and one that had most of the fans worried. Fortunately Mendoza seemed to be fine as he finished the match and then came out for the closing segment to try to help Apolo.

3. There are two cameras, one hard camera and one rotating one. The rotating one should do that, rotate, because otherwise the talking segments have the wrestlers almost always giving their backs to the crowd, which kind of defeats the purpose, you want that interaction with the crowd. You want the crowd to feel involved for the product to look nice and tight for the cameras. I feel this should be said in order to improve the product, as I feel they have everything else, just need those small details.

4. Mark Davidson has everything as I said, he has the looks and charisma to pull it off and be a star in wrestling. But it wasn’t just me who compared him to Neville, I heard those same comments from a couple of fans around me and being compared to another wrestler based on your in ring abilities isn’t a bad thing; the fact they were comparing him due to his aesthetic is what I feel is not so good, as it makes him seem like a copy, and being a copy is not a necessarily good thing in wrestling.

Overall Thoughts:

1. WWL proved that you don’t need past their prime wrestlers to garner attention and deliver an enjoyable show for the fans. If they continue on this route, I expect them to keep growing to the point they might become the biggest brand of wrestling in the Island.

2. Obviously this show will be divided and backstage segments will be added in order to create the weekly High Voltage show, of which I will also make reviews off, due to the backstage segments probably adding some flavor to the matches.

3. WWL’s next live show will be on September 1^st, so WWL has basically a somewhat bi-weekly schedule, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it gives them some separation from other shows taking place and could possibly bring a new era where talents are available for other promotions (doubtful, but probable).

4. I’m officially a fan of Puro Macho.

Pictures of the three teams in the TLC, not the best pictures, I'm not a photographer and I was a bit far away from the entrance.

Angel Fashion and Mike Mendoza (CKCW tag-team Champions)

West Side Mafia (Tabú [masked in the pic] and Morgan)

Los Primos Meléndez (Victor, facing the camera, and Alex)

For better pictures of this and other local events follow luchalibre_boricua and contralonatv on Instagram.

Puerto Rican Wrestling Roundabout

- Well, last night WWL released their High Voltage episode for this week. The show had no actual matches in it; instead it was more so a compilation of hype packages for this weekend's show. The card for said show has already been announced and its as follows:

Main Event: "Puro Macho" Manny Ferno vs. "El León" Apolo w/Habana

I'm under the impression the TLC Match should be the Main Event as my guess is more people will go to the show to watch that match in particular than any other on the card. Yet, this match being in the Main Event makes sense with their current storyline of IWA originals vs. WWL guys. The reason the IWA originals are the faces in this story, has more to do with nostalgia than anything else. One would argue WWL guys being the faces would've been easier to pull off, with an invasion angle... but instead they went with Puro Macho representing WWL and a new generation; which in my opinion is both creative and interesting for the new guys.

Apolo has always been known to be more of a brawler, not much a technical wizard; and Ferno can wrestle with the best of them. This should be a good showcase for both the storyline and Ferno, who I believe will do great things for Puerto Rican wrestling.

Semi-Main: Triple Threat TLC Match for the WWL Tag-Team Championships

Los Primos Meléndez (c) vs. La 3ra Generación/Holy Fashion vs. West Side Mafia

These three teams aren't strangers to one another. In fact all three teams have been involved in matches here and there and this is probably the climax of a three way story. Arguably what should end up being the match of the night, without a doubt. Angel Fashion and Mike Mendoza from Holy Fashion are on the cusp of breaking out in the US and interationally. Those who know me, know that I've been preaching the Holy Fashion's gospel for a while now and know that I think these two are the next in line to make it big. Meanwhile, Morgan and Tabú from West Side Mafia have been carving themselves a name on the Puerto Rican scene and are one of the more over tag-teams on the Island. Victor and Alex, Los Primos Meléndez, are currently the champions; and the match I saw them in, really had me impressed. So, I'm expecting this match to be a showstealer and probably the one to circle around the globe from this card.

For the Americas Championship: "The Executoner" JC Navarro (c) vs. Mr. Big

I've said already that I believe JC Navarro is another one to keep an eye on from WWL. Here he defends the title against an opponent that's taller and heavier than he is, so here Navarro can prove to a lot of people he can hang with opponents on a weight class above his and has a chance to cement his spot on the list of those close to breaking out. Mr. Big on the other hand, is a veteran. He has a couple of years under his belt and for his size, the man can move. So I don't expect this to be a barn burner, but also I don't expect it to be a dull match.

Grudge Match: Roxxy vs. Allison

Last week I said I expect big things from Allison. She seems confident in front of the camera and all I need to see is how she performs in the ring. This is a good match for her to showcase her skills. Roxxy is a veteran that can make anyone look good here. So, I think the ladies can put up a good to great match here.

For the Cruiserweight Championship: 

"The White Shadow" Mark Davidson (c) vs. Pupe Jackson

These two put up a fun match last time they faced each other. I'm expecting another fun match from them this time around. Mark Davidson is the guy I compared to Neville, so I hope he brings something different to the table this time around, just to avoid getting that comparisson. Pupe, will do Pupe things and be entertaining for the fans in attendance.

Adam Mayhem returns to Puerto Rico.

-100% Lucha returns tonight with a new season of wrestling on the South of the Island. Their first card includes the return to his homeland of the Going in Raw "Haitch" Champion himself, Adam Mayhem, who defends the belt against an up and coming wrestler by the name of Nexen. The rest of the announced card reads as follows:

Singles Match: Victor Meléndez vs. Khriz Díaz

Victor is part of Los Primos Meléndez in WWL and Khriz Díaz is a part of "Puro Macho", so these two know each other fairly well. I was impressed by what both wrestlers did in the match I saw in WWL. So, this can prove to be an interesting match up for 100% Lucha.

Singles Match: Peter The Bad Romance vs. Alex Meléndez

The second match to feature one of the Meléndez, Alex faces off against one half of WWC's tag-team champions in Peter The Bad Romance. This match can be a mixed bag, since it could be great or it could simply be. Yet, the prospect of half of the current WWL Tag-Team champions going one on  one with half of WWC's tag-team champions and that's always an interesting sight in a scene where you rarely see talents being shared.

For the Going In Raw "Haitch" Championship: Adam Mayhem (c) vs. Nexen

For the initiated this is probably the selling point of this card. Adam Mayhem returns to his homeland to defend the title of a popular wrestling podcast against an up and coming wrestler. Regardless of the result, this is a golden opportunity for Nexen, who recently signed to perform with CWA. Having a good showing against Adam Mayhem could open up some doors in the US for the youngster and who knows, maybe he'll appear in Going in Raw at some point.

Singles Match: Morgan vs. Brandom Mullem

This appears to be a match between student and mentor. Morgan seems to be Mullem's teacher in the arts of wrestling, so it seems fitting that Mullem's first match with 100% Lucha is against Morgan.

Open Challenge: El Gentil vs. ???

To be honest, I haven't seen anything about El Gentil, so my guess is this is a spot that will be used to debut a "high profile" wrestler; or El Gentil might simply have a talking spot, who knows.

Rumble Gauntlet match: ???

The name of the match says it all, probably a bunch of indy wrestlers competing here, it might be a fun way to open the show.

- Expect news from 100% Lucha over the weekend and I'll be attending WWL's show tomorrow night. So, yes, that should be fun.

CWA Acción Vibrante Recap

Acción Vibrante (8/13/18)

1) El Gabinete (Dimes, Eduardo Ortiz and Fast Forward) vs. Justin Dynamite & Black Scorpion & ???

El Gabinete won after a combination of a Curb Stomp from Eduardo Ortiz and a Diving Elbow on Black Scorpion. Fun match, they gave it time to breathe and engage the fans in the arena. (** ½)

2) Black Money Services vs. Alejandro “Niche” Marrero and Victor Rodríguez

Marrero and Rodríguez win after a combination of a Neckbreaker and sort of a Senton. Another fun match that was a bit on the overbooked side of things, but everything made sense within the storyline. (***)

Noteworthy things:

-          There were two promos hyping up the international talents signed up for their final show of the year, Christmas Showdown. Those two names are Marty Scurll and Colt Cabana.

-          After the first match ended the current champion Star Roger entered the ring and attacked his number 1 contender, Justin Dynamite.

-          They also hyped up their show on the 25^th which is one of their big shows. There Dynamite will face someone who isn’t Star Roger, so I guess they’re milking his number one contendership a lot.

Constructive criticism:

-          The commentary team was lackluster to say the least. I know it is a live show, but the matches are taped beforehand. They at least should’ve watched them before they started filming and have some notes. Given the first match lacked any actual sound, everything you heard was the commentary team and the fact they were improvising a lot didn’t help my experience. So, my advice is to re-watch the matches before filming and contextualizing everything to the benefit of those who might watch the show and have no idea of what’s going on.

Notes:

1. Justin Dynamite impressed me a lot, his physique and ability inside the ring is really good for his age and he’s only going to improve from here. It’s no wonder why CWA pushes him so hard, I see big things for him in the future and HOPEFULLY… he’s the one picked to face off against Scurll, as I feel that would be a great match to watch.

2. The masked wrestler in the first match, Fast Forward, also impressed me. Its rare to see masked wrestlers who aren’t over the top heels or comedic relief in Puerto Rico, so watching him was a pleasant surprise.

3. Black Money Services showed me a lot, they have a lot of chemistry together as a tag-team and have an interesting look to them. I can see the two of them making waves for years to come in the tag-team division in Puerto Rico.

4. After the show CWA announced the third international wrestler confirmed for their Christmas Showdown show, and it was "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn.

Overall Thoughts:

1. This was a really fun show. My only gripe with it was commentary, but that’s something they can improve upon. The in ring action was what really hooked me up, there were only two matches, but they were given a lot of air time and it helped me invest on the show, which didn’t feel an hour long at all.

2. If you wish to watch this show and see if my assessment of it was correct or not, you can do so in here: CWA Acción Vibrante (8/13/18)

WWL High Voltage Recap

Note: For the show recaps I'll be using a 4 star rating to describe the matches. Of course this is out of personal taste. Also, names on green are faces and on red are heels.

High Voltage (8/10/18):

1) Noel Rodríguez b. PMS Rose

Noel won after a cutter in what was a rather skippable match (*)

2) "The White Shadow" Mark Davidson b. Pupe Jackson (c)

This match was for the WWL Cruiserweight championship that Jackson had. Davidson won after applying the Rings of Saturn to become the new champion. (**)

3) Los Primos Meléndez (Alex and Victor) (c) b. "Puro Macho" (Khriz Díaz and PMS Montes)

This match was for the WWL Tag-Team titles and whoever won would be inserted into the TLC Match on August 18. The Puro Macho representatives are part of the WWL Trios Champions and this was the most fun match of this whole show. Los Primos Meléndez won after applying a combination of a Spinebuster (Victor) and Frog Splash (Alex). (***)

4) Huracán Castillo & Apolo b. "Puro Macho" (Manny Ferno and Electro)

I don't doubt the match live was an interesting watch, but on the program it served more as a segment than a match itself. Puro Macho were beating Castillo whose partner was supposed to be Savio Vega, but he "no showed"; leading to Apolo making an apperance for WWL. The match ended in DQ when the rest of Puro Macho interfered. It all ended with WWL's president, Boris Bilbraut, booking a match pitting Apolo against Puro Macho's leader, Manny Ferno for the August 18 show.

Other noteworthy things:

- There were a series of promos hyping up the August 18 card, which is to be headlined by the TLC match. Holy Fashion/The Third Generation (Angel Fashion and Mike Mendoza); West Side Mafia (Tabú and Morgan); and Los Primos Meléndez (Victor and Alex) cut some promos that managed to captivate me during the show and actually made me want to go there and watch the TLC match for myself.

Notes:

1. Puro Macho seems to be a really well developed heel stable of new up and coming wrestlers which in my opinion will leave a mark in Puerto Rican wrestling for years to come. They remind me a lot of Lucha Libre 101 when they debuted in IWA Puerto Rico all those years back. Little did we know that that group of new wrestlers, Lucha Libre 101, would go on to give us wrestlers like Chicano, Abbad, Eric Escobar, etc who all became staples of Puerto Rican wrestling and found some degree of success overseas. I can see that happening with Puro Macho, especially with Manny Ferno, JC Navarro and Khriz Díaz.

2. I like Allison's promo abilities. She seems to be confident enough in front of a camera to convey what she needs to say without stumbling on her words. That's always a plus. It remains to be seen on what level her in ring ability is; but I can see her spearheading a female "revolution" in Puerto Rico alongside her opponent on the August 18 show, Roxxy and Vainilla Vargas. WWL has three top female performers, which is rare for promotions in Puerto Rico, so we'll see.

3. Mark Davidson, the new Cruiserweight champion, is WWL's version of Neville, cape, Rings of Saturn and all. He has a nice look, but the comparison wouldn't help him outside of the Island. I liked what I saw from him, should be a decent Cruiserweight Champion for WWL, but if he wants to go overseas, he'll need to find his own look. Again, I think he has it in him.

Overal Thoughts:

1. With this being the first WWL show I watched, I had low expectations. Overall the matches they showed were decent enough; the show had some decent pace and it seems like WWL is really trying with their production value. I'll try to attend the August 18 show to see what WWL is all about live, I hope the TLC match delivers on the hype I have for it.

2. If you want to check the show I saw out, here's the link. Commentary wasn't that good and it's in Spanish; but you can watch the matches and see if you agree with my assessment of them.

WWL HIGH VOLTAGE 8/10/18