The AAA high flying unit known as Real Fuerza Aerea AAA formed six years ago this month. Some of the participants had been turning up in AAA TV opening matches since the prior fall, and others had been wrestling under different names or making occasional appearances prior, but not together as a unit name. The first show they were the Fuerza Aerea was established was the 02/25 taping in Morelos, with the trio of Nemesis, Rey Cometa, and Super Fly. Laredo Kid was added the next month. Pegasso, el Angel, and finally Aerostar were added thru the year. The seven man group was overfilled with exciting bright future stars. They were definitely treated that way the first few years.
Not so much today. It’s been a gradual change, and it’s been hidden underneath by another wave of young promising tecnicos taking their place, but things haven’t turned well for any of them.
el Angel: the one least fitting in the group, former Oscar Sevilla put under a mask in a Mistico clone attempt. (Many of these were done with that in mind.) His inclusion in the group seemed more to find a use for an existing wrestler than any great hope of him breaking out. Angel was one of the many mid 2009 long time midcard departures, and has drifted thru IWRG, Perros del Mal and AULL since. He seems to be fading out, appearing less each year.
Nemesis: first member of the original group, but switched between this masked identity and the new Barrio Boy Javi unmasked look depending on what the fringes of the AAA roster required that day. Vanished entirely at some point, until someone with his gimmick showed up in IWRG in 2010 (and did the usual IWRG disappearing act.) AAA never seemed that interested in him; he’s the less successful New Barrio Boy.
Laredo Kid: the one who was supposed to be the breakout future star. Appeared on multiple lists of people AAA totally were going to push that year. Had some injuries and bad breaks that changed plans – most notable the broken leg when Ron Killings fell on him taking a move – and was passed by his partners in the pecking order. Still was good when healthy and got to make angry faces at Super Fly for being Super Fly. Part of back to back *** 1/2+ trio matches in June (Neza & Naucalpan), hasn’t been on TV since. Hasn’t actually been on any AAA spot show outside of his hometown since August. Still wrestling around Laredo, but no longer mentioned by AAA.
Aerostar: dare devil high flyer given the backstory of the last character Antonio Pena came up with (oddly, the Psycho Circus claim the same) and the trainee carrying on the memory of his mentor Abismo Negro. Seems to have done well both with in ring performance and outside goofy skits (everything with Fabi.) Liked well enough to be sent to Japan, that people who failed to catch him on dives were strongly reprimanded for their actions. Not liked well enough to actually make TV in the last three months. Not nearly as hopeless as most people on this list.
Super Fly: also known as “poor Super Fly”. Surprisingly strongest pushed member of the group early, winning Super Calo’s mask. Feuded with Electroshock for a long time, Electroshock treating Super Fly as if he was several levels beneath him and destroying the tecnico. Seemed to be leading to Super Fly getting a big win. Just got destroyed some more. (We were told Super Fly’s bad promos were the problem.) Started to turn rudo, story was dropped, started to turn rudo, actually turned rudo, teased a match with Octagon, didn’t go anywhere, was stripped of his position for being a loser, was turned and destroyed by his partners, was destroyed again making his tecnico debut, and has not appeared since. I’m guessing he won’t be over when he’s back. Super Fly desperately needs a fresh start – the guy seen as a big enough promise to win one of the original AAA gimmicks now needs a new name and/or a new home.
Speaking of people who got new homes:
Pegasso: fringe AAA guy who got lumped into this group, much like Angel, but made a lot more of it. Never got much focus in AAA and they probably weren’t too concerned when he left in 2008. Made it to CMLL, and moved up out of openers, but not much more than. Reached the level of being high enough just to miss out on tournaments and anything interesting. Pegasso’s upside seemed to be the new Starman, a decade long run of wrestling in the same spot on the card against the same group of opponents without getting a real chance. (Ultraman Jr. did win a mask, which seems wildly optimistic for Pegasso.) Downside is a career ending at any moment due to a flare of his knee injury, which – allegedly I’m supposed to say – never actually got the surgery it needed and was just rested for a while. (Segundas don’t pay much, just ask Tony.)
Rey Cometa: core and original Fuerza Aerea member who essentially lost his spot to Aerostar and AAA deciding they only needed about three of these guys at any time. Like his partner Pegasso, made it to CMLL and moved up out of openers. Won a coin flip (or of having a couple more spectacular dive) and became the half of the team that was pushed just enough to make the tournaments, but bomb out of them every time. Earned a Twitter hashtag! Is getting really good at doing the Skandalo stomp, having had 100 matches to practice it. Still doesn’t even seem slightly in consideration to be chosen to even lose in title matches – there’s surprising gulf between Cometa and the likes of Fuego & Titan. Still, Cometa has a bit of forward momentum – if enough guys got hurt, left to AAA, or left to WWE, they’d probably give Cometa a chance. It’s be a chance in a mortally injured company, but that worked out for Cibernetico!
None of these guys have developed in the stars they were hoped to be. The hope is not extinguished for some of them; a few probably just need something closer to the chances they were given when they debuted as a group then the ones they’ve gotten of late.
I’m pointing the finger at booking a lot, because it’s always the easiest bit. There have been other reasons hinted at – lack of charisma in some cases – and there are surely reasons we have no clue about. And it’s possible these were just the wrong guys to pick for those spots. Still, there’s certainly a track record of similar problems with similar characters AAA, before and after these guys. None of these guys would even be considered light heavyweights, and there’s the same size preference in Mexico as there is the rest of the world.
I really like Fenix, and Atomic Boy, and Aregenis has been coming on, and Daga will probably be great. They are having fun matches and I hope they continue to, if it’s in the first match or the last, and I more hope they’re very well compensated for it. However, I’d bet against them still doing it in 2017 in any meaningful way; if history is a guide, it’ll be the guy who are already on top, and the guys who were on top in other groups. Being part of great matches alone just does not get you far in AAA.