Day: August 29, 2016

AAA TV (SUN) 08/28/2016 Arena Ciudad de México, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal [411Mania, AAA, Culticon, Kronosport, Medio Tiempo (3), Medio Tiempo (6), Medio Tiempo (7),Publimetro, R de Rudo, Sipse, SuperLuchas, Tape Machines are Rolling, Televisa, thecubsfan, Wrestling With Words, Yucatan]
1) Australian Suicide b La Parka, El Elegido, Taurus, Hernandez, Pimpinela Escarlata, Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Daga, Súper Fly, Zorro, Mamba, Argenis [TripleMania Cup]
21:13. Moved to the first match. Rules were revealed to be the first four starting in the ring, someone new added every minute, over the top eliminations and the last two having a match. Argenis was the surprise luchador (though he wasn’t identified as such, and came off as a replacement for someone.) Mamba, Suicide, Daga & Parka started. Parka was the last one thrown out, with Suicide & Daga lasting the whole way to face each other. Suicide got the three count after his tornillo shooting star press, though Daga’s foot was on the ropes. Daga had dedicated the win to Perro Aguayo Jr. and attacked Suicide after he was given the win. The trophy broke in the process.
2) Faby Apache & Mary Apache NC Averno & Chessman
Around 9:07, no official ending. Moved up a spot. El Apache was referee, helping the rudos early on but stopping them when Averno tried to hit Faby with a beer bottle (as Faby had done to him.) Rudos attacked Apache, preventing him from counting a Faby visual pin on Chessman. Averno hit Faby with a light tube in the back, causing her to bleed heavily from the forehead. El Apache made the save and called for the doctors. Ricky Marvin ran in and hit El Apache with a chair, causing him to bleed as well. The match had no finish or ending, and the best guess is no contest. Averno, Chessman, and Ricky Marvin are now known as OGT.
3) Aerostar & Drago b Angélico & Jack Evans © and Matt Cross & Paul London and Garza Jr. & Hijo del Fantasma [AAA TAG]
11:49. Garza Jr. replaced Fenix, who was never mentioned. Cross & London’s AAA debut. Drago pinned London to win the titles in the best match on the show. Aerostar & Drago are the 17th champions. Angelico & Jack fall on their first defense; this is the second time they’ve lost the titles without being pinned this year.
4) Johnny Mundo b Pentagón Jr. © [AAA LA]
15:05. Mundo defeated Pentagon Jr. when Taya fouled Pentagon. Taya & Mundo are now together in AAA. Mundo is the 7th champion. Pentagon Jr. falls on his first defense.
5) Dragón Azteca Jr., Prince Puma, Rey Misterio Jr. b Marty Martinez, Matanza, Mil Muertes
11:55. Only Vampiro (as special guest announcer) and Misterio were given entrances. Rey wore Perro Aguayo Jr.’s boots, and “Perrito” on the back of his gear. Misterio beat Marty with a frog splash.
6) Texano Jr. © b Dr. Wagner Jr., Cage [AAA HEAVY]
11:16. Moved up a spot. Texano small packaged Cage for the win. First defense. After the match, Hernandez, Mesias, Taya and Mundo helped Cage attack Texano. Mesias posed with the belt. Aerostar, Drago and Garza were all unsuccessful in making the save.
7) Psycho Clown b Pagano [hair, mask]
27:46. Extreme match, with chairs and tables and thumbtacks. Damian & Nicho ran in near the end, Dr. Wagner Jr. made the save, but fouled Psycho Clown. Pagano and Wagner lit a table on fire, then immediately were speared into the table by Psycho Clown. Psycho Clown pinned Pagano for the win. Tirantes was referee, played it fair most of the time, fast counted to help Pagano near the end, then counted the final pinfall without much of an issue. Monster & Murder Clown celebrated with Psycho Clown after the match. Wagner stopped the post match preceedings to challenge Psycho Clown to a mask match in one year’s time, at TripleMania XXV. Psycho Clown accepted, and AAA confirmed it as the plan for next year after the show. Pagano got his head (quickly) shaved in the ring.

Air Date: 09/10 & 09/17.

AAA did the scene at the end of the with the idea they would actually have Dr. Wagner Jr. versus Psycho Clown next year. This time last year, AAA would’ve thought they had Rey Misterio, Myzteziz and Alberto in this year’s main event. This time a year ago, Dr. Wagner was trying to get back into CMLL. A lot can change in a year, and neither AAA or Wagner himself are all that stable. It’s also a very expensive match, and AAA’s seemed to be having financial issues at times. Wagner/Psycho match would be a very big deal match (and one where Wagner would seem likely to finally lose his mask), but it’s a long way from happening.

AAA’s recap only mentions Garza Jr. as running in to save Texano after the title match. It could just be an accidental omission of Drago & Aerostar (the new tag team champions who were mostly laid out off-screen), but AAA’s got a big show in Monterrey in five weeks and it’s the time to do something with him if they’re going to do it. They seemed to point at Mundo/Garza, which justifies the title change in a short sided way.

The building looked full, though we didn’t get a lot of shots of the entire building. (We got lots of close-ups of fans instead.) Joaquin Roldan did say it was a sell out, which is a big success given the lack of star power on the show compared to past years.

Fenix is be done in AAA right now. There was no mention of him on the show, even though they were promoting him on the show as recently as the TV show the night before. He’s already taken dates on Heroes Inmortales weekend. The Pentagon/Fenix match is not happening in AAA. My impression is the problem between Fenix/AAA are not insurmountable (it’s not as bad as Flamita/AAA), but any Mexico lineups currently listed as having Fenix should be treated as false. (The only one I have is the 09/16 show in Ecatepec.) AAA has previously warned there wrestlers that they would lose their role in Lucha Underground if they leave AAA; this hasn’t seemed to apply to Sexy Star and it’ll be worth watching if it happens with Fenix.

(It’s weird that the Fenix & Fantasma team introduction was done in Toluca, the same place the Octagon Jr. character was introduced. Both started great and didn’t last long.)

I had heard Pentagon was also done, but he wrestled as scheduled. This was incorrect info, and I apologize for posting it.

El Cuadrilatero bemoans Wagner stealing the spotlight at the end of the show. If AAA’s going to continue to borrow layout ideas from the WWE model, they should probably take the “RAW after WrestleMania” formula and schedule a TV taping in Mexico City the day after TripleMania every year. There’s logistical reasons to do it – instead of giving away TripleMania on TV two weeks after it airs, it can be the end of the year repeat programming – but it’d also let them set up their new programs without squeezing them all into TripleMania. In this case, it might have flowed better if Wagner to get involved at TripleMania, but the big challenge was saved for the next day as to not overshadow the result of the main event. (Running TripleMania on Sunday makes this harder to do, but I think they could fill Naucalpan on a Monday night.)

Pagano thanked fans for their support. He listed Nicho & Damian as part of his group. Halloween wasn’t at the show, and I’m beginning to wonder if he just invited himself to the pilgrimage and isn’t in AAA any more.

+Lucha has interviews with Pagano and Psycho Clown following the main event.

Joe Lider’s bleeding heavily in the Mundo/Pentagon match was very random. Lider was a surprise wrestler in hardcore promotion NGX Saturday and bled a bunch, so it likely was the wounds from the previous night opening up really easily.

Aerostar & Drago winning the tag team titles was a genuine surprise, as was Daga & Suicide being in the finals of Copa TripleMania. The Aerostar/Drago bit was hurt when they were later used as disposable bodies for Team Trump to beat. My fear is they’re being set up as small guys for Hernandez and Cage to squash while winning the tag titles, my hope is Jack & Angelico get a rematch.

(The Team Trump sure seems like it has an expiration date of November, but AAA also seems to be aiming to carry it thru the rest of the year at least.)

Here’s the three video posts I put up about Matt Striker & Vampiro:

• Matt Striker referring to a Pentagon tope con giro as “doing it for Bengahzi”
• Matt Striker going off on either the audience for not liking the above, or on generally on people who question his political views on Twitter
• Matt Striker & Vampiro entertaining themselves (and pretty much only themselves) during the Lucha Underground match.

The more I think about it, the more I believe Vampiro was kind of forced into doing announcing and didn’t really want any part of it. He absolutely acted like a person who did not want to be out there. (His actual role may have been agenting the Pagano/Psycho match, as it felt like LU matches.)

Matt Striker’s not going to change. The fault lies on AAA on bringing him back time after time. He’s gotten basically the same reviews every time, and AAA doesn’t seem to care all that much. Maybe AAA waiting to the last moment to announce Striker & Hugo was because they couldn’t find anyone else, or maybe it’s because they knew the reaction they’d get. All I know is when I get plenty of people telling me they switched to the Spanish commentators (who are not much better if you understand Spanish), then you’ve really defeated the purpose of having English commentary.

The reality is this is probably a dead issue for, since AAA’s not going to bother with an English feed for Heroes Inmortales and probably not Guerra de Titanes, if they’re even iPPVs.

A while after the show ended (though curiously not during the show), AAA announced participation on a multiple promotion show in Korakuen Hall on 10/26 called Star Battle Japan. It’s a home and home for the Lucha World Cup; many of the Japanese promotions who participated (Noah, Ouduo, Wave, Zero1) are listed on the show. Rey Mysterio, Pentagon Jr., Psycho Clown, Cage and Taya are pictured. In Japan, they’ve mentioned Akebono will wrestle. (He seems to be the entire Ouduo promotion, so he has to if they’re part of it.)

Note that Mysterio is an independent guy, and not an AAA exclusive. He’s working the next The Crash show, which will also have Rush on it. Working the Japan show doesn’t mean necessarily he’s in for more AAA (though it’s always nice to see him.)

The next taping is scheduled to be on 09/16. AAA’s been acting squirrely about that show on TV, but it is listed on the Hard Rock Riveria Maya’s site. The show after that is Heroes Inmortales, and both lineups may be out soon.