WWE News: What Can We Expect from Next Week's Raw, Smackdown Mexico Tapings?

Next week on back to back nights at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico, WWE is running a rare set of TV tapings outside of the United States and Canada.

While WWE used to do international tapings somewhat regularly, nowadays they're more likely to double up at the last set of domestic tapings instead of shooting abroad. I would guess that they decided to go in a different direction since they're still in North America.

Some of the past international tapings were tailored to the local audience. For example, tapings in Japan were heavier on longer wrestling matches, catering to its wrestling culture and they were often excellent shows.

On the other hand, tapings in Europe were generally more like regular episodes of Raw and Smackdown, just with hotter crowds. There might be some local flavor like William Regal getting a big win in England, or the debut of Santino Marella in Italy, but that was about it, which makes sense since both countries largely feature American style wrestling nowadays.

Mexico, like Japan, has more of a unique style. Unlike in Japan, WWE has the most watched wrestling shows on TV in Mexico, which has been putting a lot of pressure on AAA and CMLL (Asistencia Asesoría y Administración and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre), the national promotions in the country.

All we really know right now is that Alberto Del Rio was made champion largely so he could be the top star on the tour, and his uncle, the legendary Mil Mascaras, will be appearing at the Smackdown taping. (It's not yet known if Mascaras will feature on television.)

At the very least, I think that WWE should run Sin Cara Azul versus Sin Cara Negro. It's likely that many of the fans in attendance will know the real history behind the feud, and they would also be more into a pure lucha style match than the fans were in New Orleans for their match at Hell in a Cell.

Del Rio needs a showcase match. Since they're in Mexico I suppose he could be matched up with a heel like Christian if they want a fresh, quality match that wouldn't be wasting a potential PPV main event. 

I don't think there's a point in matching him up with either Sin Cara, as he always worked more of an American/Japanese friendly style than most Mexican wrestlers, even when he was Dos Caras Jr.

Rey Mysterio is fresh off another knee repair, so I don't see him appearing. If he was, WWE would advertise he was appearing.

Otherwise, I'm not really sure what they can do on the local flavor front.

Maybe they'll throw together all of the smaller guys in a tag or elimination matches in one of those "something that Americans who aren't familiar with actual Lucha Libre think is Lucha Libre" deals.

At any rate, with a hot crowd in a non-English market that they've never done TV from before, the shows should be unique and entertaining at the very least. Just how entertaining they are will be up to WWE.