The game is incredible easy to beat, I won with la Parka mainly with tests of strengths (UP and triangle) and then doing his finisher, Lion Tamer (down, sq, sq,sq).More often than not, there are interferences!!! If you want someone to help you, just press select...you don't get a DQ!Game-wise, WWF Warzone is better, and I guess that N64's Revenge is also better, as I understand, in that game, the luchadors (and wrestlers) got their finishers (in Thunder, Juvi's finisher is the shooting star press!?!?), and it is said that Parka does his little dance!!!
---Starting 1999, Box Y Lucha Mag changed a bit, now they have both front and back covers in full color, and they said they'll extend and improve their lucha coverage soon. On the other hand, Super Luchas has just changed its format, not, it is sized just as a regular magazine, much like Box y Lucha itself. The paper is no longer glossy stock, but cheap newspaper like. Still full color. Actually, it looks neat like that. They have a new editorial worker, 'El Testigo', who used to work for ByL but has joined Super Luchas recently.
Arturo Rivera has join Box y Lucha editorial staff. He'll use it to trash everyone there, just as he does during the AAA shows. Atcually, he's funny, unlike... say, Shiavone, he trashs EVERYONE, including AAA, well, mainly Konehead & Co, and CMLL, but no one is safe. He even has accepted that Latin Lover, Heavy Metal, Blue Panther, Fuerza Guerrera and others have seek Rivera to talk about his comments, he thanks them all for not beating the hell out of him!! In the columns, he said that Perro Sr has all the right to do whatever he wanted with his 'career', but that he was tricked into ruining Perrito's as well (by joining CMLL). He also mocks at the 'loyal' CMLL workers and says that they'll get pushed back once Konnan and friends return to Arena Mexico. So it seems Arturo Rivera is pretty sure that WCW will be back at Arena Mexico...
---Well, it seems that he got THAT wrong, according to an email from Robert Bihari, Felino might (not confirmed yet) be fired from CMLL, the reason? Well, he went to Konnan's WCW Fiesta or whatever name it had. Paco Alonso, head of the EMLL warned Felino about going to that taping, Felino went anyway and got fired. The thing of note here is that if Paco Alonso is still so mad about Konnan's group as to fire one of his better workers just like that (usually they give a month or two of suspension to luchadors, it might still be the case here...), then it means that CMLL will keep closer to WWF SuperAstros... or will they? Felino was at CMLL's last friday show, in the semifinal along with Shocker and Mr Niebla vs Scorpio jr, Apolo Dantes and Bestia Salvaje.
Besieds Felino showing up at the taping of WCW Festival, there were: Pierroth, Ricky Santana, El Boricua (Fidel Sierra), Villano III and Pirata Morgan, weren't some of those guys related to Quiñones' WWC? Besides those: El Felino and Super Kendo (CMLL), Venum Black (original), Piloto Suicida, Salsero, Zorro (He was in Super Astros for some shows), El Texano, Rey Misterio jr and sr, Mosco de la Merced (original... well, the original mosco is Fuerza Guerrera... this was the guy who wrestled at AAA as Mosco de la Merced) Wild Child, Chris Jericho (maybe as Corazon de Leon), Kaz Hayashi, Superboy, Psicopata, Blitzkrieg, Chavo Guerrero jr, Disco Inferno, Lenny Lane, Ron Rivera, Fit Finley, Johnny Swinger and Norman Smiley. All matches were to one fall only, and were said to last from 10-20 minutes each.
Unconfirmed results:
*Super Kendo, Venum Black and Silver King over Felino, Villano V and Super Boy.
-Before the next match, Pierroth, Boricua and Santana got to the ring with Jimmy Hart to work the crowd and establish themselves as the heel group of the 'sub-federation'.
*Parka (reported as the most over luchador along with Konnan and Rey jr) Super Calo and Salsero beat Damian666, Halloween and Mosco (de la Merced... maybe he'll go with the name 'Mosco' from now on, Super Luchas called him that every time).
*Rey Misterio Sr, Villano III and El Texano defeated El Zorro, Piloto Suicida and Blitzkrieg.
* (main event for the first show) Konnan, Rey Misterio jr and Hector Garza over Psicosis, Pirata Morgan and Juventud Guerrera.
* Parka, Super Kendo and Blitzkrieg defeated Kaz, Psicosis and Ron Rivera.
* Pierroth, Boricua, Santana and Psicotico over Rey Misterio Sr, Texano and Villanos III and V.
* Konnan, Rey Misterio jr, Hector Garza and Silvver King over Chris Jericho, Lenny Lane, Johnny Swinger and Norman Smiley (Black Magic).
* It seems that the main event was Konnan vs Disco Inferno. Apparently all the Mexican workers are faces (tecnicos), while the heels are the 'gringos' and Pierroth's faction. The Super Luchas reporter compared that event to the classics as 'La Revolucion del Norte', Rayo jr vs Cien Caras masks match, AAAmania I, Gringos Locos at When Worlds Collide... etc.
Word is that Scorpio and Rey Bucanero are working already with WWF, both unmasked, considering that WWF has besides those two: Apolo Dantes, Papi Chulo, all the Japanese, all the Puerto Ricans (save Miguel Perez) working there as heels, then, it makes sense that WWF will try to use some of CMLL's tecnicos, Mr Niebla would be choice, heck, even Black Warrior could be there as face... and showing his face? Who knows, it seems WWF doesn't want masked wrestlers... it seems WWF even ASKED Santito to drop the mask!!!
---Speaking of that, Mr Niebla's character rights were ruled by a court as property of the Naucalpan prommoter, so the one working in EMLL should stop doing that gimmick. They might change his gimmick, but that strategy usually takes the mommentum away from the luchador, just look at Starman, he is a couple of steps BACK from his Ultraman jr days. He could lose his mask to Black Warrior or Fuerza Guerrera, but they need some time to work the feud up, if done right, it could evven be the main event for the Arena Mexico's season opening, that would be possible if WWF decides to take this guy up there.
--- I had just commented to some friends that the Mexican media does a lousy job covering international wrestling... and then Super Luchas comes with great coverage of WCW Fiesta Latina and Germany's CWA mega event. In that event, Super Crazzy lost the (Catch Wrestling Association) Jr belt to Karsten Kretschmer.
--- A week ago, in a match with Abismo/Ciber/Kick Boxer vs Octagon/Latin Lover/Heavy Metal, Kick Boxer was less than cooperative with los Vipers... why? In an erlier math of Vatos vs Vipers, los Vipers spotted Kick Boxers mua-thai instructor and attacked him, so Kick Boxer came to help his teacher, thus los Vipers don't want him anymore, considering that, Kick Boxer might be on his way out, or at least, down of the card, right there with los Insectos or something like that.
Now that I'm on the Viper's subject, I guess everyone has noticed that Abismo Negro losed his middleweight national championshig at hands of Espectro jr, oh yeah, Abismo is way over as the top rudo, but, on the other hand, I've learned by reading Rivera's column that Abismo was late at the Cuernavaca taping, and missed the taping at Pachuca, the Pachuca main event had Pentagon, Abismo Negro and Espectro jr vs Octagon, Latin Lover and Heavy Metal. At the end, Cibernetico subbed Abismo... 8 days later, Abismo loses the belt... my guess (AND IT IS ONLY A GUESS) is that he dropped it as a de-pushing move from PAPSA, after all, it seems that the Pachuca match was going to be used to push the Pentagon-Abismo Negro alliance, which has been on the back burner for a while.
--- Super Luchas gave a Konnan's interview 2 full pages, I think Konnan is trying to clean his image a little for the Mexican fans, after all, he's been trashed and billed as unloyal, selfish, treaserous, etc. by almost everyone in the media. In his interview, he basically said that he's not evil and that if he goes to another company (and takes some guys with him) it was to improve their lifes with better paid checks. He said that he left AAA b/c they promised him a tv show (I guess Lucha extreme) but he never got anything, and then, the same thing happened at Promo Azteca. He stated that his 'group' was doing well at the WCW with Juventud, Smiley and Rey jr becoming popular and that Parka and Psicosis will be pushed in 1999. He talked about his Telemundo project, said that it was his dream, and that he will be using workers from Tijuana, CMLL, WCW and other indies.
I've read that WCW wasn't that happy with what they saw from the tapings at Waco, but that doesn't mean that the show was bad. Maybe the WCW guys wanted to see a Nitro in spanish... as far as I know, the Festival Lucha or whatever it's named will have traditional 'australianos' or six-men-tag team matches, which should work better than the Super Astros project, don't know if the WCW Latino matches will be to the best out of three falls...
---According to a message posted by Stephen H. Sims at Highspots' newsboard, Reina de Reinas will include: Xóchitl Hamada, Miss Janeth, La Fugitiva, La Venus, Princesa Sujei, Migala, Lady Discovery, Linda Star, Vicky Carranza, La Nazi, Martha Villalobos, Zahori, La Briosa Alda, Rossy and Esther Moreno. AAA had announced that they're going to invite la Monster and some Japanese workers, but it seems that the tournament will be all-Mexican, if anything, I'm surprised AAA managed to put 16 ladies of their own... I don't expect the workrate to be that great here, but maybe the sotrylines will be advanced, Rossy/Esther/Alda fued should kick off from there, and maybe Sujei/Janeth/Migala might also get a feud leading to hair/mask matches. Las Brujas might end the show as the lady Vipers version (if they're not that yet).
Something else to note: less than 1/3 of the ladies are tecnicas. The format of the tournament (and wheter or not the title will be used as a female championship which could change of hands via title bout) is yet unknow. If they use the same format as the male counterpart, it should have 4 four corners matches, each of the 4 winners would get to yet another four corner match to have the winner. This means 5 matches, will AAA run an all-female card? I think they need to have Vatos, Vipers, Octagon and Heavy Metal, etc to bring the crowd in... I guess they could have two 8 ladies Cibernetico tag matchs with the final 2 advancing to the final, and that way, they could put Vipers or Juniors there....
--- Since I don't have anything better to do, here are some predictions for 1999 CMLL's booking:
-Santo resolves his feud unmasking Scorpio jr in a couple of months... but Negro Casas and Felino ( if Felino is still there) turn on him turning rudos... yeah, I know that Negro can get away attacking Santo, but he'll attack Perro, and the crowd will turn on him.
-Los Hermanos Dinamita and Rayo de Jalisco jr will... who cares?
-Felino feuds Santito, Negro feuds with Perro.
-At the 66th anniversary show, they'll have a hair/mask triangle match with Scorpio losing his hair to Santo when Felino interferes (Felino was also there putting the mask in the line, this is what happened in Perro/Konnan/Cien Caras match, CMLL will do it again).On the other hand, in the main event, Perro Aguayo LOSES HIS LAST MATCH AND HIS HAIR to Negro Casas.
-Later, at the December season closer show, Perrito Aguayo gets the ultimate revenge by taking Negro Casas' hair, this way, Perrito goes over, which should be Perro Aguayo's main concern. Santito at last takes Felino's mask.
Charles jr could play Negro's part, considering that Negro, Charles and Perro (heck, even Ringo Mendoza) play virtually the same gimmick, it wouldn't make sense to have all of them as tecnicos...
- If Felinos is gone, they could set Santo to feud with someone else leading to the anniversary or end of year show (I think pushing Santo vs Scorpio mask match that long will be wrong). The biggest rivals for Santito could be: Blue Panther, they could have a classic match, but I think Panther is not willing to lose his mask yet. Fuerza Guerrera, this could be huge, and Fuerza might do the job, not only he would get a big check from that, but his popularity would go through the roof. Dr Wagner jr, since he's becoming CMLL's top rudo, that match could be on of the biggest masks match ever... it would need to coincide with Wagner dropping the mask in Japan... Villano III, considering his profile, a Villano vs Santo masks match could be the biggest ever!!!!!!
-Back to Rayo and Dinamitas... well who cares? Actually, it seems that Rayo jr is injured and will need to go under surgery (angle or real?). Rayo might be off the mat for 6 or 8 months... so expect to have los Dinamitas feuding with Tinieblas jr. A lucha mag printed some months ago that Rayo migh need surgery in his back and that he might get that by late December, maybe he waited to see if he could avoid that (like Micheals-- what?, I'm using Rayo jr and Shawn in the same paragraph?) but now he has to let the knife do its thing...So expect to see Universo 2000 turning into a monster heel untill Rayo returns and unmask him by this year's end... unless Rayo jr pulls a Perro '79 and returns from his injury by April...
Finally, I hope I got those wrong, I mean, when is CMLL start pushing its young talent?? I fear that indeed Rayo and Perro will be the main workers for CMLL (with Santito), but they won't last forever (not to mention that they're past (waaaaaaaay past) their time), and then, Virus, Oriental, Rencor Latino, Pantera, Zumbido, et al will keep doing the low card matches for ever...
Over in AAA, it's harder to tell which feuds could take place in the year... I'm pretty sure that Kickboxer MUST LOSE his mask soon, the angle is already old with Heavy Metal. I think Princesa Sujei might lose her mask to Miss Janeth, and maybe Mascara Sagrada jr might take Hijo del Solitario's mask. The rest should have cage matches with no purpose at all...
For the indies, the biggest match of the year is in the works right now, Psicosis vs Rey Misterio jr masks match!!! The story is that Rey jr might drop the hood to Miss Elizabeth at this month's (Feb) PPV. So to get extra cash he might have a masks match before (Feb 19 might be the date) or after the PPV. This has gone unknown to the Mexican lucha media, although it seems that Morales talked about that in his colunm at the newspaper. Anyway, it won't get to the level of hype Parka and Pierroth achieved last year, but the match itself might be one of the greatest ever!!! I think that the match will happen after the PPV, after all, WCW is know for 'booking on the fly' and changing the cards at every second... My pick is that both Rey and Psicosis get double count out when they brawl against a run in... they both lose the mask!!! That way, Rey won't have to job to Psicosis BESIDES jobing to Miss Elizabeth (well, Luger and Nash, anyway). It seems that Rey might lose his mask 4 TIMES at different locations... which one will be the 'official'?
