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.

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)

August 11 wrestling lineup

Puerto Rico offers tonight, August 11, two shows that have a lot of promise for those interested in seeing Puerto Rico’s wrestling scene grow. One show continues stories that have started beforehand, the other is mostly a stand-alone show; yet the first one will drive us to arguably the biggest show we’ll have on the Island this year in December. While the second one could bring more of these stand-alone shows to the Island, which, considering the state of many indies around the world is not a bad thing.

               

To start things off we have the show that will drive us to a December extravaganza that already has Marty Scurll and Colt Cabana scheduled to appear and it’s a show provided by the CWA.

                                                                                

                This show continues with the stablished storylines for this promotion, for which I will provide more insight later on when I catch up. But the line up is filled with local talent, most of whom are new to the scene and could really help boost the profile of Puerto Rican wrestling for years to come.

               

                The line up for this show, per the CWA Instagram page (cwaprtv), is as follows:

-          In a match ordered by the president of CWA: El Gabinente (The Cabinet) will face off against Justin Dynamite, Black Scorpio and a mystery partner.

-          In tag team action: Akiles Falcón & Cazador face off against Bane & Balrog.

-          Cuba open Challenge for the House of Lucha International Title: “El Cubano” Rodrigo García will defend the belt against any wrestler that accepts the challenge.

-          In tag team action: Black Money Services (Joe Colón & Jack Xavier) face off against Alejandro “Niche” Marrero and Victor Rodríguez

-          Leinord White will face off against Nexen. For the initiated, Nexen will face off against Adam Mayhem a week from now for the “Haitch” Title. (Going in Raw)

In the other show tonight, the ICWA (icwa_official), a promotion based in Orlando, Florida; presents their card “Caribbean Confrontation: Mexico vs. Puerto Rico.” This is the first show put together by the promotion in Puerto Rican soil, and they want to keep on putting shows like these together. ICWA is a new promotion founded by Puerto Ricans in Orlando and it looks to bring our style of wrestling to the US mainland, while also providing high quality wrestling for fans in Puerto Rico.

Their first show on the Island, “Caribbean Confrontation”, has a very interesting line up and set up. Mexico and Puerto Rico will be represented by a series of wrestlers and their captains (Alberto el Patrón for Mexico and Savio Vega for Puerto Rico); the country that wins the most matches wins a Cup. Without further ado here is the card:

-          In a match not in contention for the cup, “The Untraditional” Louis Forza faces off against “El Principe de las Tinieblas” Diabólico.

-          In another match not in contention for the cup, “The Untraditionals”, Obi Twynz and Aiden Grimm w/Allison face off against Danny Cruxiel and Jon Justice.

-          In the third match not in contention for the cup, “Puro Macho”, Khriz and Electro face off against “West Side Mafia”, Tabu and Morgan.

-          In our first match for the Grand Prix cup, a Hardcore match: Roxxy, representing Puerto Rico, faces off against Ludark, representing Mexico.

-          In the second match for the Grand Prix Cup: El Nazareno, representing Puerto Rico, faces off against El Hijo de Dos Caras, representing Mexico.

-          In the third match for the Grand Prix Cup: Mecha Wolf (450), representing Puerto Rico, faces off against Mr. Aguila (FKA Essa Ríos), representing Mexico.

-          In a captain face off, part of the Grand Prix Cup: Savio Vega, representing Puerto Rico, faces off against Alberto el Patrón, representing Mexico.

-          In an Ultraviolent Match: Chicano, representing Puerto Rico faces off against Pagano, representing Mexico.

As you can see, both of these shows offer interesting matches for those interested in Puerto Rican wrestling. Arguably the ICWA show is a more interesting event for those who are casually interested in our brand of wrestling, given the one-off nature of the event. But, considering CWA is putting together a show in one of the biggest venues on the Island, one cannot sleep on them at any point in time. Whenever results are made available, or information is known about these shows, I’ll put them here; because, sadly, neither of these shows will be streamed. Yet, this is another proof that #AquíSeHaceLucha