AAA Mini Line - 02/23/08 (#821)
Recapped: 02/26/08

Dr. Morales is with the crew. Everyone seems excited for no particular reason. More than always, maybe. I don't know why I notice, maybe I didn't hit the fast forward quick enough. Turns out to be a six sided ring this week. It's quite cold for an outdoor venue - you can see about every breath Jerrito Estrada takes.

Video package: Mari Apache, smashing machine. They're not stressing the "Michinoku Driver of death", I wonder if they dropped that already.

Match 1: Ayako Hamada, La Diabólica, Mari Apache (c) vs Estrellita, Fabi Apache (c), Sexy Star  
Plaza de Toros Teziutlan, Puebla, 01/26/08

Winner: Rudas
Match Time: 11:00 (4:00+7:00)
Notes: Estrellita is introduced by a mini clown, with random dancers and kids in the rings and Estrellita wearing a microphone and no music playing. Something went wrong? Sexi Star's music gets cut off too soon and Fabi Apache's takes too long to come on, so someone's having a tough start to the day. All the music is quiet, so maybe something just isn't miced right. Fabi's significantly more over than the other two. Mari has her title back. No Gran Apache? Fabi and Mari go face to face and have to be broken up by a top hat wearing Hijo de Tirantes. Oh, Gran Apache got himself a front row ticket for this, right next to the Pena family. What are the odds? Big hug from, uh, Ayako - does that mean the Hamadas and Apache's are friends now? Mari comes over to hug him eventually. 

Tecnicas turn their backs on the rudas to start the fall and deservingly get beat for it. What idiots. Somehow, this doesn't turn into a beatdown. Everyone but Diabolica and Sexi Star just rolls out, Diabolica quickly takes a headscissors on her head, but pops up and punches Sexi Star in the face. Big moves in no time, Sexi Star ending up with a faceslam (out of a powerbomb) and walking straight to the corner to pose rather than follow up at all. Tags to the Apaches. Crowd way into cheering Fabi, but Mari crushes her with a clothesline. Mari seems way more into this than a few months ago. Fabi yanked around by her hair. Mari whips her into the corner, but eats a boot on the charge. Corner whip, reversed, Fabi jumps off and headscissors her sister. Fabi off the ropes, lifted onto Mari's shoulders, and headscissors Mari out. Mari runs to avoid a dive, and Fabi does a dive fake instead. Estrellita and Ayako. Crowd chants for 'lita but with much more prompting. Both run off the ropes, Ayako realizes she not running off the right set and makes a right turn on the run, Estrellita drops down, Ayako stomps her. Headbutt. Headlock, Ayako cranking it in lot. Lita shoots her off, Ayako comes back with a shoulderblock. Estrellita waved by, directly into an armdrag. Lita gives her a bad looking stomp, Ayako gets back up, Lita ducks an invisible clothesline, Lita runs by one more time and thinks to grab the hair on the way by. Not so good. Dropkick slides Ayako out. Mari in, Lita escapes a powerbomb with a backflip and armdrags her away. Kick, corner whip, reverse, Lita goes to the middle rope, "kicks" Mari away, and takes her down with an overhead headscissors (not even close to connecting.) Break just as Estrellita teases a dive.     

Diabolica and Sexi Star are next, but only long enough for Diabolica to ground and pound her. Has she always been this strange? Beatdown from there. Sexi Star takes a dropkick to two inches to the side of her head (Ayako maybe needs to look into contacts) and a bronco buster form Diabolica. She's going to be totally surprised when she finds out X-Pac works for this promotion. Ayako redeems herself with a great looking superkick on Estrellita. Whipping someone into a superkick is a very underrated cool spot. Ayako gives her a double stomp to the back as well, and Mari this the Apache family senton con giro. They need a Gran Apache reaction shot on that. Fabi's thrown around by her hair a lot, and Hijo de Tirantes teases a DQ just so we could remember he's there. Fabi kicks Mari on a corner charge, enziguris Ayako and stops Diabolica with a spinning backbreaker to single handily start the comeback. The Apaches fight out by the announce desk, but the cameraman keeps going back to an exciting chinlock by Estrellita. Sexi almost throws Mari into the announcers. Tecnicas try to get the rudas counted out, but Hijo de Tirantes waves it off for whatever reason. Fabi and Mari pick the match back up, Mari throwing a wheel kick (and somehow seeming to connect only on the back leg. Mari tries to pick u Fabi for more, but Fabi gets short arm scissors and rolls Mari around the ring like a Farmer's Roll. That's crazy awesome. Mari powers up to reverses it into a stretch muffler, but the tecnicas break it up. The lesser four all and fighting, with the tecnicas getting beat up in little time. Estrellita eats a superkick but somehow falls forward into Ayako. Diabolica double clothesline gets her partner, and even I can tell the announcers could care less about this match. Sexi Star and Estrellita's double team fails just as bad. Diabolica takes out Sexi star with a faceslam, and then decides to take a break rather than follow up. Which actually makes sense - when she does follow up, she ends up spearing the post and taking a silla from Sexi Star. Ayako flips Ayako with a dropkick, and follows with a Asai Moonsault, which is actually not as bad as it might seem. Better than Fabian's, for sure. Estrellita comes up hurt and Tirantes checks on her, leaving the Apache's alone. Fabi surprises Mari with a missile dropkick, and throws her with an electric chair suplex. Cameraman reads ahead in the script and eagerly pans over to Gran Apache, just before he actually jumps the rail. Dad breaks up the pin, gives the Devil's wings to Fabi, rolls out, and waves Mari over. Mari doesn't cover - Michinoku Driver, just as Hijo de Tirantes comes back in. One two three.     

Gran Apache celebrates in the ring with the rudas, which leads Hijo de Tirantes to believe something may have occurred here. Billy Boy is out, mad. Gran Apache misses with a slap once, misses with a slap twice (gets Mari that time) and gets dropkicked out of the ring. Billy chases him outside, but Gran Apache begs off and walks to the back. You can still hit him if he has hands up, Billy! Billy checks on Fabi instead, who's not moving. Replays. Fabi is helped together feet outside the ring, but they still end up putting her on to a stretcher to carry her out. 

Interview: Abismo Negro rants about the current Viper situation (he's leader, he's the only leader) while wearing a Vipers shirt. 

Match 2: Jerrito Estrada, Mascarita de la Muerte, Mini Chessman (c) vs Mini Charly Manson, Mini Dizzy, Octagoncito (c)
Plaza de Toros Teziutlan, Puebla, 01/26/08

Winner: Tecnicos
Match Time: 10:57 (6:00+4:57)
Notes: If Pena was still alive and planned on using these newer minis often, wouldn't they have been quickly regimmicked? No point in having a Mini Dizzy when the main guy isn't around much. Mini Chessman and Mini Charly Manson are wearing Hell Brothers shirts to explain the problem here. Always let your tag team partner know you're turning tecnico ahead of time. Pepe Casas is ref.  All the rudos push and shove before the match, but Mini Charly and Mini Chessman are subtly kept separate. They tease a big Jerrito Estrada/Mini Charly issue. Is Jerrito now a mini Viper? It doesn't really work otherwise.  

After some debate, Mini Charly and Muerte start with mat wrestling, and Mini Chessman attacks from behind to break up a Mini Charly hold. Mini Charly doesn't see who did it, and Mini Chessman tries to plead innocent. Jerrito breaks up the next hold, and Mini Charly is in a hurry to beat up him, so maybe he bought it. They end up with a six man standoff outside the ring. Tecnico showcase early on. Mini Dizzy has complicated armdrags (well, one), and i can't shake the feeling he's really like 14 under the mask. Octagoncito finishes off Mini Chessman with a Asai Tornillo to send the match to break.

Beatdown starts about 30 seconds after break. Mini Chessman treats Mini Charly like he's not wearing the same shirt. Mini Chessman gets in overly setup flip escape spot for no particular reason. It's one of those things that are really easy to talk about because it doesn't look like it fits in at all, and that's easier to point out the average stuff. Like this beatdown. Rudos do try to pin Octagoncito after a double team powerbomb + legdrop, but Mini Charly breaks it up. Mini Charly also quickly makes the comeback, dropkicking the two guys who aren't Jerrito and teasing the big fight with his rival. While this feud doesn't feel like it works from an TV episode aspect, the match builds well to this point, and the fans are into when Charly finally gets his hands on Jerrito. It doesn't last long - Octagoncito trips up Jerrito when he runs the ropes, and Charly dropkick him out from there. Mini Dizzy dives at his rival with a tope con giro, then bounces into the front row. Mini Chessman goes up to add his own dive, but Charly pulls him off with a middle rope Angle slam. Jerrito breaks up the pin, Octagoncito knocks him out in turn, then gives Mini Chessman a fireman's carry into a powerbomb. Rope flip moonsault, one two Muerte breaks it up. Dizzy dropkick him out, and gets his turn pinning Mini Chessman via bodyscissors roll and back bridge cradle. Jerrito breaks that up and Chessman finally gets out of there. Dizzy tricks Jerrito out, and sorta kinda hits him on an Asia moonsault. Mini Charly gets Muerte with a springboard plancha, and captains are left in. Octagoncito knocks down Mini Chessman with twisting moonsault, and nearly pins him off an armdrag into a crucifix. Cradle does it.

Mini Chessman really excels at making tecnico minis moves look good and I'd give him a new gimmick before changing him to a tecnico. So... Anyway, Minis blame Mini Chessman for the loss, which seems fair as he did lose. Apparently they get too mouthy to Mini Chessman, which leads to pushing and shoving encounters, and Muerte and Jericho beating up Mini Chessman. Kicks to the chest, kicks to the spine, stompdown. Tecnicos watch from the stage - and Mini Charly decides to make the save. The Mini Hell Brothers clean house, too not much of a reaction. Octagoncito and Mini Dizzy help out after a delay. Mini Charly Manson and Mini Chessman have long discussion about the merits of being a tecnico, Mini Chessman consults the crowd a few times, offers a handshake, and Mini Charly accepts it. Crowd pops for the hug, so they care more than it seemed at points.  

Noti AAA:  
- Dos de Tres hard sell
- La Parka appeared at the show
- Konnan interrupted the happiness to be angry he wasn't booked on the first show of the year last week. He's the BEST IN THE WORLD. He also has dressing room issues and wants less ugly fans. Konnan gets angry and backed up by security. You can tell Prez Roldan is starting to enjoy his role, and probably a little bit more than is healthy. 
- Rey de Reyes is happening soon. 
- the newest group on the AAA scene: the Psycho Circus. They've got 22 wins, and they're coming for all the top teams. They also can not be heard too well in their masks. Killer Clown forgets his words in mid promo, probably not a good sign. 
- YOU TUBE JAPANESE
- Intocable, dancing, and occasionally wrestling
- donations boxes will be at all AAA shows, though I don't catch why. It's in memory of Antonio Pena.   

Match 3: Killer Clown, Psycho Clown, Zombie Clown vs Argenis, Billy Boy, el Ángel
Plaza de Toros Teziutlan, Puebla, 01/26/08

Winner: Psycho Circus
Match Time: (6:38)
Other Match Notes: Argenis looks like someone cloned Mistico's gear, but was doing it from memory and didn't get all the details right. It's unmistakenly supposed to be a clone - you don't end up there without realizing who you look like, right down to entrance gear shoulder pads. The magazine story we're supposed to sorta believe is he's a brother of Mistico, which is plausible (when was the last time I saw Dr. Karonte Jr. listed anyway?) but not especially likely. I think the real idea is doing Axxel as a work, but maybe I'm over thinking it. Angel kinda debuted as a clone of Mistico as well, maybe that's why they team up here.  Billy Boy is far more over than these other two, though it seems like mostly girls. Copetes is ref, despite the Guapos not being involved. Zombie Clown steals a child this week. I notice a reoccurring pattern. Clowns jump the tecnicos for no particular reason.  

Another total destruction. Everyone copies everyone, but it was amusing to see spots from Virus and Sangre Azteca lifted here for no apparent reasons. They've got plenty of other moves. I figure they watch Guerreros del Ring too. Tecnicos get the first semi-comeback against the Clowns here, though it doesn't last long, isn't too complete and involves a lot of people standing still waiting for turns. Basically, it's just an excuse to allow Billy to get a dive in (backdropped into a tope con giro and may have hit his head on impact) and the other two hold it together long enough to teasing actually getting control of the match. It takes two tecnicos to get anything going on one of the much large clowns, and even that doesn't last long. Billy and Argenis take sit-down powerbombs for the pin, and Clowns note how fast they did it again, and generally celebrate a six minute match. 

Interivew: Mr. Niebla's ready to take on Abismo Negro one on one for control of the Vipers. They really want to his this angle on an otherwise off week.  

Match 4: Electro Shock (c), Head Hunter I, X-Pac vs El Elegido, Joe Lider, Juventud Guerrera (c)
Plaza de Toros Teziutlan, Puebla, 01/26/08

Winner: Tecnicos
Match Time: 13:28 (6:30+6:58)
Other Match Notes: Alicia wears a "I love my boyfriend" t-shirt, which is a bit odd nowadays. Electroshock, apparently a rudo, tries to get people chanting for him. Lider has his tag belt. This is such an odd tecnico team. Juvi and Joe feel the need to shoulder hug to reaffirm their hetrosexuality. No, it's not supposed to make sense. And it doesn't really work when Juvi wearing his pink outfit. Piero is ref.

Electro really really wants to be cheered tonight. I have no idea. Whistle blows, and then they realize they forget to introduce Alicia. Juvi and X-Pac show each other, and it's so heated they switch to a camera shot of the ceiling. The ring is also filled with confetti, and no one's made the slightest attempt to clean any of it out. Once those two leave the ring, way too quickly, I realize there's nothing else left in the match for me. Juvi actually tries to make it work with Electro, but then something goes wrong enough in his exchange with X-Pac necessitating a major cut. Juvi's not working at NOAH speed, but still enough fun with X-Pac that I wonder how something could've possibly gone wrong. Break is pretty randomly timed, just as electro and Elegido are getting started, but all the breaks are coming at suspicious exact times this week.

Beatdown starts after the break, rather suddenly. Elegido makes a comeback as little exciting as possible, clotheslining X-Pac and showing how much he cares by staring down blankly at the man. Juvi and Electro are all about giving and taking DDTs tonight. Don't hope to understand it. Alicia walks in the ring for no reason after the comeback, slaps Elegido, gets edited, gets killed by Elegido, and gets accidentally clotheslines by her boyfriend. I BET THAT'S HOW IT STARTED. (Worst thing I ever typed?)  Mexican Powers all get in dives, and Electro eventually shows up to save Elegido from himself, and give him a crappy clothesline. Electro is super fired up, and I can only wonder what occurred before this match. He's also really tired after like three chest slaps. Maybe he's just stalling for Elegido, who seems worse. More chops, as they've killed off about fifteen seconds. Are they waiting for someone? They're waiting for something, and it really needed to be edited out. Off the rope avoidances, until they stare each other and are lost. Electro finally ends up behind Elegido and pants him - I think Elegido is okay with that, actually. Elegido lifts up Electro for a Juvi Blockbuster, and Lider adds a hammerlock backbreaker - I guess? It didn't really look like a move, but whatever, it was three and so this is over. 

Rudos hang around to protest the loss forever.

Interview: Cibernetico is not here, but still managed to talk about Mesias. He'll take care of the Legion if the Mesias doesn't show his head. All the promos are by guys not at this show - I wonder if they just came by the office at some point. Cibernetico's going to win the title, and he's going to take care of all who opposes him, and in case you're confused, he'll keep repeat the same promo over again and yell it in your ear. 

Interview: Chessman. He's still talking about Halloween, who's not in the next match, and his no eyes are still freaking me out. Chessman offers to teach Kenzo espanol! Just so Kenzo knows the towns he's losing in. 

Match 5: Kenzo Suzuki & Zorro vs Cuervo & Ozz vs Charly Manson & Chessman
Plaza de Toros Teziutlan, Puebla, 01/26/08

• Sect eliminated (7:42)
• Hell Brothers eliminated (11:08)

Winner: Kenzo Suzuki & Zorro
Match Time: 11:08 (8:49+2:17)
Other Match Notes: Sect has their belts. Kenzo can't find the announce desk to stand on at first, which is the best part. Zorro's the only guy on this show with fireworks. Zorro should threaten Dr. Morales if he's going to keep calling him Dr. Morales. Pepe Casas and Hijo de Tirantes are refs. I was kind wondering if Hijo de Tirantes just went home after the opener. Break before this one gets going.  

They did clear out the confetti, good someone found a broom. No graphics for the lineups, maybe they don't have a template for tag teams. Does anyone have a clear idea of the rules? It doesn't seem that way. They all just start brawling because that usually works. Zorro and Kenzo ends up on the outside as the other teams fight, and the Sect immediately introduce a chair. Sect take complete control for a while, while the Legion watch. Chair shots and such. Ozz almost provokes Kenzo into fighting when he does the Aguila Oriental pose, but Kenzo just responds by doing the pose correctly. Someone's taught Chessman to get his hangs up on chair shots, which is is nice. Chessman and Charly make  short comeback, but Chessman completely overshoots Ozz on a plancha, and Ozz is able to break up Charly's submission on Escoria. Chessman ends up outside, and Ozz knocks him over with his tornillo. Escoria puts Charly in a sharpshooter, and the Legion finally get involved, Kenzo swinging a chair into Escoria's face. I guess this is not elimination. Sect's turn to get beatdown Kenzo and Zorro team up for a chair assisted knee drop version of the curbstomp to kill Escoria. Hell Brothers eventually make the save to stop the Legion form making a killing blow, then turn right back on Sect. Scoria takes a slingshot into a double knee gutbuster. This is very much one team doing a beatdown while the third team stands outside watching. Catapult->spear spot is really good and should be used more often, but only get two. Charly gets his inverted figure four on Escoria and a quick submission. So I guess it IS elimination after all, and the Legion was just really stupid to keep the Hell Brothers in it. I don't know.

Legion immediately takes control, because it's all one time or another. Mini Charly toes a big double press slam and double kick to the head. Chessman is worked over with chops and slaps. Flapjack, wacky Kenzo knee drop, Zorro starts to put on a leg hold and then just doesn't. Huh. I guess he know a break was coming anyway.   

Zorro attempts to cane Zorro low, but Hijo de Tirantes takes the stick away. Zorro argues, allowing Chessman to start the comeback on Kenzo. He's sent out, and Charly wipes him out with a tope. Chessman takes Zorro out, and almost submarines on his own tope. Not sure what happened there. Hijo de Tirantes makes a big deal of a countout just to remind us he's there. Chessman and Zorro end up back in first, and Tirantes stands way too close to the action for no discernible reason. So of course Chessman and accidentally swings Zorro into him. Pepe Casas is still up, anyway. While Zorro goes for his cane, Halloween appears. Pepe Casas cuts him off in the aisle while Chessman stares at him, which gives Zorro an opening. Cane shot, kung fu motions, superkick. Zorro covers, Hijo de Tirantes recovers, one two three. 

Halloween slides in to talk trash, but he's sort of comatose. Zorro claps for Halloween, but in a mocking way. Handshake? No, Halloween waves it off. At least they didn't fight. Zorro still claps for him anyway. Anyone who helps him get a win is okay in his book, I guess. Halloween retreats to the stage, and Zorro walk behind to follow him - and lure him into a beatdown by Electro, X-Pac and Head Hunter I.  Scratch that "at least they didn't fight" part. Everyone's a rudo and no one gets a long. General beatdown, including a chair shot to the head an a Head Hunter top rope elbow drop. Zorro canes him low to rub it in. It's almost like Zorro is an effective leader of this motley crew. I must be confused.

Replays and we're out.