AAA TV (FRI) 05/26/2017 Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal [AAA, ESTO, Estrellas del Ring, MT (title), The Gladiatores]
1) Angelikal, Charly Madrid, Tigger b Ángel Mortal Jr., Canibal Jr., Tiger Boy
2) Aerostar & Drago b Australian Suicide & Bengala [AAA TAG, #1 Contenders]
Aerostar & Drago were announced as being added to the Verano de Escandalo tag title match (but that might have changed again by the end of the night.) Suicide apparently didn’t turn rudo, but freaked out again and cost his partner the match.
3) Máscara de Bronce b Venum, Lanzeloth, Raptor [Oportunidad de Oro]
New stip, where the elimination order determines which of the four mystery contracts they received. Venum was out first, and won a mixed tag title shot (as long as he can find a partner.) Lanzelot was out second, and will participate on Triplemania (in what sounded like a battle royal).) The debuting Raptor was out third, and will get a trios title shot with two partners of his choice. Mascara de Bronce was the winner, and will get a shot at Johnny Mundo. No date was announced for any of the matches.
4) El Mesías & Pagano © b Dark Cuervo & Dark Scoria [AAA TAG]
ordered as a title match by Vampiro. Cuervo & Scoria fall on defense two. Pagano & Mesias are the 19th champs.
5) Mini Psycho Clown b Dinastía [AAA MINI]
Pimpinela & Mamba were the seconds. Dinastia loses his title on his 8th defense (four years) when Mini Psycho uses the ropes to pin him. Mini Psycho is the 6th champ.
6) Argenis & La Parka b Averno, Chessman, Súper Fly
Prior to the 3v2 match, OGT told Parka & Argenis claimed they had scared off their partner (not mentioning Ricky Marvin by name.) The tecnicos still won when Pirata Morgan came to ringside, teased as though he was going to do something with Parka, and then tripped up Chessman to setup an Argenis roll up.
7) Dr. Wagner Jr. & Psycho Clown b Hijo del Fantasma & Texano Jr.
Psycho beat Texano when neither team could get along. Poder del Norte ran in to attack Wagner & Psycho. OGT ran into attack Poder del Norte, demanding a trios title match at Verano de Escandalo in addition to their mask match. Wagner also unmasked Psycho Clown.
Air Date: 06/17 & 06/24
This was a confusing show to follow from the internet, even by the standards of AAA tapings in 2017. It also followed the pattern of all the matches changes. Of the 20 matches on the last three TV tapings, 19 have not happened as scheduled. That trend will not end.
For me, the most amazing part of this show was the bravado behind golden opportunity match. These guys definitely getting those four matches when AAA is making a point of not doing any of the matches they’re announcing is hard to fantom. The idea that these guys are getting chances they wouldn’t get otherwise doesn’t work when there’s two unannounced title matches and a trio setting up their title challenge by losing a 2v3 handicap match. Maybe the matches announced will happen, but there’s no reason to believe something is going to happen just because AAA says so.
I hope AAA puts out a new Verano de Escandalo card this weekend. They’re going to look terrible if they’re promoting an old lineup when they obviously changed the card around. Here’s that original lineup again:
AAA TV (SUN) 06/04/2017 Gimnasio Municipal Josué Neri Santos, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua
1) Aerostar, Bengala, Drago vs Australian Suicide, Lanzeloth, Máscara de Bronce
2) Argenis, La Parka, Ricky Marvin vs Averno, Chessman, Súper Fly
3) Dark Cuervo & Dark Scoria © vs El Mesías & Pagano [AAA TAG]
second defense
4) Pimpinela Escarlata vs Mamba [bull terrier, hair]
5) Hijo del Fantasma vs Kevin Kross
6) Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Psycho Clown, Monsther Clown, Murder Clown, Carta Brava Jr., Soul Rocker [mask]
They have acknowledged the opener and the third match aren’t happening as scheduled. They’ve definitely implied Ricky Marvin won’t be around in the second match. They had Pimpi & Mamba not wrestle and not get involved much, so I wonder if the hair match is off. Fantasma feuded with Texano, so maybe they’re the match now. And who knows what the main event is at this point with the OGT setting up their own match and Murder & Monster not appearing and not being acknowledged. (I’m sure it’s a 99% chance of nothing, but Ricky being written out makes me wonder about nothing.)This Verano de Escandalo card is not happening, AAA knows this card is not happening, AAA has acknowledged on their show it’s not happening. If they go around pushing this old lineup all week, they’re just lying for the sake of lying.
Vampiro was just complaining last week about people not telling the whole story of a complex situation. This is not a complex situation at all. This is really just a test for AAA. There are two correct answers here: “this is actually the correct lineup for our show” or “we don’t actually know what it’ll be yet, but it’s not that one.” If AAA gives anything but those two answers, I don’t really want to hear from Vampiro or anyone else with AAA complaining about people being unfair to them or yellow journalism or anything else about how hard it is for them. If AAA can’t be honest on the most basic things, than they should have no expectation of that treatment from anyone else.
Most of you reading this aren’t buying tickets to an AAA TV taping, so changing lineups aren’t affecting your life in that way. Maybe the only way AAA sees your money directly this year is if they air TripleMania on iPPV, and even then it’s almost just as much for the sake of buying one AAA show a year than the lineup (though people should rightly be angry if they pay for Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Psycho Clown and get anything else.) The effect of the changing lineups is the results don’t feel like they matter that much either. Those matches set up don’t seem important if there’s little belief they’ll happen. There’s no great story to Pagano & Mesias winning the tag titles at a random moment or Mini Psycho Clown being champion out of nowhere. If everything made sense in a way where it felt like there was a big master plan for everything with AAA and the poor fellow in charge of putting together the posters was just not in the loop, it might work, it might be tolerable. There’s just not that much consistency to even believe in a direction here. It’ll probably come together a bit better when we see it on TV, but I’m skepitcal.
I still think Psycho/Wagner will happen, and I think they wanted the Mexico City fans to believe it’ll happen and so the show ended with Wagner taking Psycho’s mask instead of something building up a show in Juarez. I also think that’s maybe the one anchor they have left tethering AAA to any sort of stability, and they’re going to be adrift in craziness once it’s cut loose.
I don’t know for certain that Ricky Marvin is gone. They did the thing AAA always does when someone is gone, referring to them but never by name – if he was hurt or sick, it’d be easier just to say that. The Pirata turn came out of nowhere and seemed like a way to make the sides even without Ricky. Marvin’s supposed to be part of an AAA spot show in his hometown of Veracruz today; missing that would seem to confirm he’s out.
Dinastia losing his title after four years in an unannounced match to feet on the ropes is fitting way to end the reign for an underutilized luchador. The minis division in both promotions are death to the few really talented guys on them. They could just be done better, but I’m more holding out hope Dinasita is just going to be dropped into the main group.
Next taping is Sunday in Ciudad Juarez.
