AAA on Televisa: 2016-06-18 

Recapped: 06/24/2016

What happened: Pagano stole a win, though cleanly, by pinning both Pentagon and Psycho Clown after they had taken each other out via superplex thru a table. Gran Apahce still doesn’t like Venum. Los Fronterizos picked up a win.

What was good: I like the opener. The rest of the show wasn’t bad, but you could safely skip this week.

Where can I watch it: It’s on AAA’s channel.

Previously: Hernandez & Mesias cheated to beat Wagner & Texano. Drago, Bengala, Aerostar won a trios title shot, but it was really more about the tag title match that isn’t happening (yet).

Show starts with Psycho Clown in the ring. Psycho notes that he lost to Pagano last time, but it’ll be different this time. Pagano sneaks out while his video is playing and gently hits Psycho Clown with a bat. Pentagon rushes in and superkick Pagano, then attacks Psycho Clown while he’s at it. (Camera people are missing plenty of shots here.) They as a three way, not really selling much, until the security decided we’ve seen enough. This takes a while to settle down.

Match 1: Atomic Boy, Dinastía, Pimpinela Escarlata, Venum vs Apache, Mamba, Mini Psycho Clown, Soul Rocker
Arena Aficion, 05/31/2016
Video: luchalibreaaatv, thecubsfan, thecubsfan

Winner: rudos (Gran Apache crucifix powerbomb Venum)
Match Time: 8:50
Notes: Copetes is referee and interfered to stop Pimpi, setting up a Pimpi kiss. Apache beat Venum cleanly (or the production missed foul.) The rudos unmask Atomic Boy & Venum after the match (and they linger around the post match for about four minutes after the match ends.

Review: [good] A better atomicos opener than usual, with the técnico side providing a lot of action. Dinasita stood out in this match, looking good while switching up his usual offense a bit. Venum was a little shaky, he fell on his head in an ugly way with Apache, but just kept going. Copetes helping the rudos is completely unnecessary – even if it was working, why do have two different people doing the same rudo refereeing bit?

Match 2: Argenis, Australian Suicide, Niño Hamburguesa vs Damián 666, Halloween, Nicho el Millionario
Arena Aficion, 05/31/2016
Video: luchalibreaaatv, thecubsfan

Winner: Los Fronterizos (Nicho flatliner Australian Suicide)
Match Time: 9:27
Notes: Chyron list Pagano on the Fronterizos team, but obviously it’s Halloween. As happens in every Halloween TV match, the rudo time threatened to walk out at one point.

Review: [ok] not a super interesting match on its own, but successful for the purpose it had. The rest of Los Fronterizos needed a dominant win to make them look credible if they’re going to be a top group, and these were three técnicos who could be beat. The rudos sold sold much for Niño than I would’ve guessed, but these guys know how to stooge for someone like that and make it look good. A clean rudo win was a nice change of pace, though the idea of the finish – a shooting star press reversed into a flatliner – reads better than it came off (Nicho getting bodypressed by a move and just not selling.) I’m not sure these guys would by my pick for rudos to go with in 2016, but if you’re going to do it, you might as well get behind it as they did here.

Argenis has been a fringe player for AAA for most of his time there, occasionally going many months without appearing on TV. If Lucha Underground hadn’t brought him in, he probably would be in Elite with Argos & Hijo del Karonte – and it’s not like LU appeared to have many plans for him, they just wanted another body and it’d make sense to be another AAA guy. Argenis stayed in AAA when his brothers didn’t, and he’s been an important part of the promotion the last few months, where they’d be hurting (more) without having him. That’s kind of a statement about all the people they’re missing or who’ve left, but he’s taken advantage of his opportunities and come off much better as a tag partner for Australian Suicide than it looked like on paper. This match worked as much as it did because these técnicos had some credibility, and Argenis is a rare success story of the last few months of AAA.

Noti AAA

• Boing & AAA press conference

• Pagano & Psycho Clown are feuding

• Faby Apache really wants that tag title match

• AAA posted the Xochitl Hamada vs Pentagon match from TripleMania, to show what happened previously with a woman fought a man.

• Antonio Pena would’ve had a birthday this week.

Match 3: Psycho Clown vs Pentagón Jr., Pagano
Arena Aficion, 05/31/2016
Video: luchalibreaaatv, thecubsfan

Winner: Pagano (pin Pentagon Jr. & Psycho Clown)
Match Time: 12:49
Notes: The moves switch between the three guys the whole way, and weapons come in to play after a few minutes. Psycho Clown superplexed Pentagon Jr. thru a wood panel with thumbtacks and Pagano crawled on top to cover both.

Medics are out after the match, taking away Psycho Clown first. Los Fronterizos are out to celebrate with Pentagon, but it quickly turned into beating up Pagano. Taya tries to make save and is attacked as well. Taya recovers enough to crawl over and cover up Pentagon, but she gets buried under a wood panel and the rudos throw chairs at it. Pagano gets in his catchphrase

Review: [ok] They were working very hard in the match and I’m inclined to believe other people are going to like the match a lot more, but it came off as numbing violence to me. There were lots of spots, but no flow or much of build to a bigger spots at the end, just more until they were done. It was definitely better than the previous Psycho/Pagano match because three people kept the action going and it didn’t feel like the match came to a halt to set up spots nearly as much, but nothing really resonated with me. The finish was inventive and my favorite part of the match.