LyC (SUN) 05/13/2012 Arena Coliseo Monterrey [LMdLL]
1) Rey Orion b Xtreme Boy, Angelus, Dark Fenix
2) Golden Boy & Rey Demonio Jr. b Hijo Del Mongol Chino & Misionero
3) Lady Puma, Ninja Jr., Silencio b Gemelo Muerte I, Gemelo Muerte II, Sexy Star
4) Rico Rodriguez & Zorro b Neurosis & Simbolo
5) Hijo del Ninja b Héctor Garza, El Elegido, Toscano
Ninja snuck in a foul on Garza.
Attendance was better than the typical ACM show but seems disappointing for Ninja’s first unmasked match and the AAA wrestlers being in. There’s only a couple pictures up, but it looks like the bleachers were empty and the floor seats were moderately filled.
Today is the 20th Anniversary of the first AAA show. AAA was announced as forming on May 7th, 1992, then ran it’s first show in Veracruz this day 20 years ago. (There’s a spot show there today.) The first show led off with one of Antonio Pena’s innovations, a high energy minis match, and the second match featured the debut of Winners, the future Abismo Negro.
It’s also the 20th anniversary of the La Parka character. Principe Island was most recently a notable indy wrestler but not part of CMLL or UWA when AAA scooped him up for one of their most iconic characters. Parka teamed with Fuerza Guerrera (still around, not on good terms with AAA) and Ice Killer (who’s reapperaed in the last few years as a small time promoter) took take on Angel Azteca (deceased), Justiciero (promoter of Coliseo Coacalco), and Octagon (still around, now much more round.) The main event was Hermanos Dinamitas vs Fantasma, Mascara Sagrada and Perro Aguayo Sr., all of who are still around, though none with AAA. The two referees on that show, Pepe Casas & Tirantes, are still refereeing on opposite sides, but in opposite promotions. Konnan (prohibited from wrestling due to CMLL holding up his visa), Juvi (who had just debuted), Hijo del Santo, and Blue Panther are active names who appeared at that initial press conference and appeared on later shows. It took a few months of securing arenas and local promoters before they could run enough shows to get everyone working.
The whole thing was incredible risk for everyone involved; if AAA had failed, all those who left CMLL would face a lot of resistance returning there, and the ringleaders (Octagon, Konnan and Pena) are still blackballed from the promotion. Some people might have made it into UWA, but those three had their careers on the line.
As much as Televisa has maligned AAA in recent years, the promotion still owes the media company a huge debt of gratitude. AAA never exists, much less last 20 years, had Televisa not agreed to fund the promotion and give it a TV slot. AAA was treated by Televisa as equal or more important than CMLL, which must’ve been a big help in getting the promotion accepted as a major deal right away. Antonio Pena capitalized on the opportunity, and AAA launched into one of the hottest periods any wrestling company has ever had.
Rob has highlights of 05/1 CMLL.
Links
- AAA has highlights of the Leon taping.
- Mr. Cacao shows off a Mascara Dorada mask he’ll be wearing shortly. Cacao is making a special mask for a CMLL wrestler each month this year.
- Cronicas Y Leyendas has an interview with Sangre Chicana from 1982.
- Zombie Blood Fights – a great name – has pictures and a recap from the Lucha Libre USA show in San Antonio.
- Los Bastardos are having a children’s drawing contest.
Lucha Libre in Japan
The Lucha Libre Fan Fest will air on Samurai TV, between June 18th and June 24th.
Angel de Oro’s Best of Super Juniors match versus Prince Devitt, Taichi, and Rocky Romero will take place on TV tapings. Not sure if any of the others will surface; two years ago, NJPW uploaded all of the matches to their YouTube channel, but only showed highlights last year.
Lineups
CMLL (MON) 05/21/2012 Arena Puebla
1) Tigre Rojo & Tigre Rojo Jr. vs King Jaguar & Sauron
2) Estrellita, Luna Mágica, Marcela vs Amapola, Princesa Sugheit, Tiffany
3) Arissma, Asturiano, Espiritu Maligno, Lestat, Milenium, Stigma vs Dragon Lee, Hombre Bala Jr., Pegasso, Puma King, Skándalo, Súper Comando [cibernetico]
4) Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr., La Sombra vs Mr. Águila, Olímpico, Psicosis
5) Atlantis vs Volador Jr.
The cibernetico is a rematch of a really great one back in 2010, though the DF team doesn’t have Raziel this time. Puebla team might be able to take this.
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The best revelations in 20 years of Triple A:
Eddie Guerrero (Deceased)
Art “The Love Machine” Barr (Deceased)
Cibernetico
Charly Mansoin
Los Vipers
Los Hell Brothers
Billy Boy
Fabi Apache
Sexy Star (to a fault)
Perro Jr.
Zorro
Jack Evans
Real Fuerza Aera…
And so many more that I cannot name
It’s amazing how short Televisa’s run was with AAA. By the end of 1994 they were out of the wrestling business.
@KDB_33: One fall matches on television is another great idea Pena took a chance on and didn’t seem to hurt one iota even though purists will say “Lucha Libre is 2 out of 3 falls”.
AAA’s goal should be to get back on Galavision in the US. They have to find a way to make that happen. It should not be too hard. They just need to think things through instead of chasing deals that are never going to happen. Ignore people who say that they are going to get them on “television in the United States” and focus on more realistic goals.
Don’t forget Las Ratas!!!!
Jose once wrote this as a tribute to Antonio Pena but it can also be used for a representation of AAA’s best and worst…
“Ultimately I’ll personally remember him as a guy that, at several points in time, created and pushed a human ice cream, Power Rangers, mariachis, football players, hockey players, teenage soccer players, soccer goats, a pumpkin, ninjas with colorful attires, ninja turtles, Elvis, one eyed monsters, a stable of kickboxers, a Tiger Mask clone, a fourth rate Dump’s Army, a dozen different types of insects, Chucky, several stables of wrestling clowns including gay clowns, Micro Konnan, two monkeys, Acapulco beach bums, a gringo lion, evil goblins, a shark, male and female mentally ill wrestlers (including an insane version of Gloria Trevi, a famous star convicted for being a this document contains no data), rabbits, mafiosi, midget versions of Mankind, Goldust and Vader, zombies, bats, ghosts, spectres, dead men, evil monks, two dozen masked martial artists, Japanese kamikazes, satanists, aliens, a very fat guy and a very tiny guy with currency names, crying monsters, an evil policeman called Policeman, whatever Alebrije and Cuije are supposed to be, street gang members, midget street gang members, evil witches, Andre The Midget, mini Head Hunters, a fuhrer, several monsters coming from deep in the sea, Blue Demon from other space, Hannibal, American farm boys, several scarecrows, bullfighters, mummies, yetis, roosters, transvestites, the wolfman, an over the top gay mocking a rival network’s president, snakes, dracula, the hunchback, Aladdin and the genius, rappers, skaters, underage street cleaners, female strippers, themed male strippers (an Aztec, a nazi and a pharaoh), a stable of wrestlers named after guns, Kiss and Marilyn Manson themed wrestlers, the Crow, a male version of the Spice Girls, a sultan and his slave, a wrestler based on a serial killer, sewer rats, second and third versions of half of those mentioned before, evil Santo, a stable of American rebels, a Canadian vampire, five dancing skeletons and GRONDA.”
The Acapulco beach bums were awesome.
@Rob: I wish AAA would do a gimmick battle royal with some of these characters.
@KDB_33: How can you not mention Latin Lover?
AAA Should Track Down El Nino De La calle…
Now we can only hope that Triplemania XX can pay proper homage to the legacy of AAA.
@Jimmy K: I wouldn’t count on it. Not with this regime. I’m sure they’ll give us a little video montage but that will be as far as it goes.