WWC and WWL Still in a Blackout
The two biggest companies in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, World Wrestling Council and World Wrestling League are still inactive. The promotions that dominated 2017 -especially WWL – haven’t announced a show or a match since they went on shutdown following last year’s Hurricane Maria blasted the islands.
For the WWC, they announced that when they return, it’s going to be their road to the Anniversary show, which is the Puerto Rican version of WrestleMania (but 10 years older). Some reports state that they’ll be returning on March. The key talents for the promotion right now is WWC Universal Champion Ray Gonzalez, Chicano, Puerto Rican champion Gilbert and PWI Rookie of the Year Runner-up Ray Gonzalez Jr.
In the WWL side, things are a little bit tricky. They have started putting some angles together like their booker, Hector “Moody” Melendez and assistant Dennis Rivera appearing on video, discussing how Konnan and Manny Ferno – WWL’s top heel right now – had taken over WWL and they need it to fix that. Also, the Puro Macho faction appeared on video attacking talents like WWL Six Man champion Allison on an indie show. They haven’t announced their comeback, but reports point to March as well, since February is already here, and the only good date was 2/17 – just 2 weeks away. Mecha Wolf 450 confirmed that his schedule is full till May. That could mean either that WWL contacted him and set up some dates, that WWL is returning on May or that the promotion is going forward without him. Those last two are very unlikely.
FWR Cancels and Reschedules for May
In what is probably one of the biggest scandals in the Puerto Rican Wrestling scene in 2018 (and the first one probably), Florida Wrestling Revolution canceled their 2/10 show in Orlando and moved it to May 19. For the occasional reader, that wouldn’t be a big deal, as its common practice for promotions to cancel and to move shows to other dates, but, in this situation, there’s more when you examine it.
When FWR broke the news about their cancellation, many fans wondered why they did it. Were the rumors about their turbulent organization true? Early information showed that to be true and more. It came to light that FWR was really in bad shape economically from the start. The promotion had bad logistics, with people inside the promotion confirming that there were more than 20 plane tickets in their books, a pre-sale that didn’t fare to what they were expecting and a bad taste in their mouth when the killer of Bruiser Brody, Jose Gonzalez, was announced for the February show.
Reports started to pile up, with debts of over $5,000 being revealed and talents raising their voice against their leader and his lies. When Ernesto – owner of FWR – called the Orlando Recreational Complex, he told the building that the show didn’t fit the people that he was going to get to the show, when, in fact, the pre-sale in December was very weak, to the point that they already decided in that point in time to cancel the show.
Talents like Star Roger and Cuervo started asking for the plane tickets, since the previous day, they were flying to Ohio and then to Florida, and since they heard that FWR’s owner had cut a deal with Cleveland Knights Championship Wrestling’s owner for the connection, it seemed obvious to start organizing their flight. It came to light that not only did FWR did not have an agreement with CKCW, but that they didn’t even had the money to cover the tickets. Ernesto’s excuse to some of the talents about the cancellation was that Cuervo and Star Roger had pressure him so much, that he decided to cancel the show.
It was a mayhem in terms of logistic. Mexican promotion, AAA, told the FWR that even though they had cancel their show, they still needed to pay for some of the booking of their talents, like AAA Latin American champion Hijo del Fantasma, Texano Jr. & Psycho Clown. It’s been reported that the main reason for the show in May, is to be able to find the money to pay that debt with AAA and postpone the payment.
People like former TNA announcer Willie Urbina and Contralona TV’s Joel Torres are owed more than $3,000 in work, which was confirmed by Ernesto Cruz himself.
The whole situation has left a bad taste in people’s mouth. It was an exciting new project, which featured some of the most exciting talents in the Caribbean, like Star Roger, Mike Mendoza and Cuervo, and some legends like former WWF/E superstar Carlito, Savio Vega and Miguel Perez Jr. It has made people show distrust to this kind of project, that come with a lot of hype and end up disrespecting fans.
Justin Dynamite in CKCW
Championship Wrestling Association’s brightest star and Puerto Rican champion, Justin Dynamite, was announced for the Cleveland Knight Championship Wrestling event “New World Rising”.
Justin Dynamite, who is being deemed as “The Future”, will be wrestling in a Dark Match in the 2/9 show in Palma, Ohio. He holds the same record as CWA champion Star Roger, holding the CWA Puerto Rican title for over a year – he won it the same night that Roger beat Jay Lethal for the CWA title – and beating the likes of WWE NXT talent Lio Rush, Alex Cruz and just recently CWA Tag Team champion, Lynx.
This is a big opportunity for Justin, who is looked by some people in CWA as the man that will beat Star Roger for the CWA title and go on to be the franchise of the promotion. For that to happen, he will need to gain experience internationally.
CNL Launches Their Biggest tour in Chile
Campeonato Nacional de Chile (CNL), which is probably the hottest promotion in South America, started 2018 their Summer tour this week (it’s already summer in that part of the world). The promotion that barely has 1-year of existence under their belt have captivated fans from Chile and even NXT scouts like William Regal.
They started on February 2 in Temuco, were Chuck2Sis, who were featured in our Last Word on Pro Wrestling 100 Best Tag Team (2017), won the CNL Tag Team titles over Divos Salseros and Eddie Vergara & Valentín Bravo. They had their next show in Valdivia, Chile, were Rocket defended his CNL National title against Valeting Bravo and Pedro Pablo – who ended up injured after the match. On Saturday they are on Puerto Varas, Chile, with Rocket defending his CNL National title against Eddie Vergara & Pedro Pablo. Plus, Alessandro defends the Metropolitan title against Perfecto Bundy, Amadeo Borges and Engranaje Jack. They are looking to increase the numbers of show that they put this year, with CNL just commanding attention with their professionality and insane crowds that they’re getting.
Other News from the Caribbean
– Epico, who is one half of the former WWE Tag Team champions, The Colons, and the nephew of Puerto Rican icon, Carlos Colon, had shoulder injury this week. Orlando Colon (Epico) will be out for month, and Eddie Colon (Primo), was already out with a knee injury. One would think that the time of the Colons in WWE are ending soon.
– Lacey Lane, who is part of La Rebelion Amarilla of Garza Jr., Mecha Wolf 450 & Bestia 666 in The Crash in Mexico, won The Crash women’s title against Keira in Tijuana. La Rebelión Amarilla were “fined” by the wrestling commission on that same show and then were put in the next show in the semi-opener, because of the “heel” ways. The were beating by the team of Masada (CZW), Penta 0M and Daga.
– International Gladiators Wrestling Alliance (IGWA), which is a promotion with Panamanian and Puerto Rican talent, has a big event this Saturday in the center of Puerto Rico, Villalba called “Febrero de Ascándalo”. The show will have former WWC Universal Champion, Abbad, one part of the WWC Tag Team champions Zcion and 4-times WWC Jr. Heavyweight champion, Peter the Bad Romance. The promotion landed a tv dead with Univision Puerto Rico, specifically with Tele Isla.
– Next week will be the epic encounter of Mike Mendoza and Star Roger for the CWA Heavyweight title in Palma, Ohio for CKCW and live on iPPV in the Fite App.
– 2-times Puerto Rican champion, Angel Fashion, seems to by staying for now in Florida, and not returning to Puerto Rico. He is booked until mid-March.
