AAA Triplemania XXIII Preview
August 9, 2015
Preview by: Josh Boutwell of Wrestleview.com
This Sunday night Mexican Lucha Libre promotion AAA will present their biggest event of the year and quite possibly one of the biggest events ever in the history of the promotion with “Triplemania.” Headlined by a “dream match” and a Hair vs. Hair Match the show packs plenty of star power with former WWE World Champions Rey Misterio Jr. and Alberto el Patron along with some of the best high flying wrestlers on the planet. American audiences have come to know many of these stars via Lucha Underground as well as May’s very popular “Lucha Libre World Cup.” Now, AAA continues it’s American invasion by presenting its first live traditional PPV since the “When World’s Collide” event back in the mid 1990’s. Ironically enough that PPV was the very first full blown Lucha Libre event I ever saw (on a bootleg VHS tape mind you). Let’s take a look at the card for Sunday night.
Relevos Atomicos de AAA
Daga, Mamba, Mini Psycho Clown, & Sexy Star vs. Drago, Pimpinela Escarlata, Dinastia, & Goya Kong
The Relevos Atomicos is a AAA staple which features a high flyer, an exotico (transgender wrestler), a mini (midget wrestler), and a luchadora (female wrestler). These matches are very ppular with AAA fans and give a chance for luchadors of all kinds to mix it up together. American audiences will be familiar with Sexy Star and Drago who are two of the stars of Lucha Underground. Daga is equally as talented as Drago and is a former AAA Cruiserweight Champion. Pimpinela Escarlata is one of the most popular exoticos ever and always puts on an ntertaining match for the fans. Mini Psycho Clown is the youngest brother of Myzteziz and one of the most talented minis in lucha libre. Dinastia is also considered one of the best minis and is the current AAA Minis Champion. Those two have had a great feud going on for a few months now. Goya Kong is the daughter of Brazo de Plata/Super Porky and the sister of Psycho Clown, she jumped ship from CMLL last month. This will be her PPV debut for AAA.
AAA World Trios Championships
Triple Threat Steel Cage Match
Los Hell Brothers (Cibernetico, Averno, & Chessman) (c) vs. Fenix & Los Gueros del Cielo (Angelico & Jack Evans) vs. Pentagon Jr., Texano Jr., & Hijo del Fantasma
When this match was announced it was a shoe-in for the show stealer on the card with all of the incredible talent involved in the match, but this week AAA revealed at a press conference the match would be held inside of a Steel Cage. For some reason AAA feels it is necessary for them to hold a Steel Cage Match every year on this show and unfortunately for these great luchadors and the fans they will be constricted inside that cage. Nonetheless Lucha Underground fans will obviously be familiar with Fenix, Jack Evans, Texano Jr., and Pentagon Jr. along with Hijo del Fantasma who works as King Cuerno in Lucha Underground. They all put on some incredible performances in Lucha Underground with Fenix winning the Gift of the Gods Championship this past week at Ultima Lucha. The Hell Brothers are three top rudos with Averno being a long time rival of Myzteziz dating back to their run in CMLL together while Cibernetico is a former AAA World Champion. Pentagon Jr. has become unbelievably popular with American fans and his performance here will likely be top notch.
Los Psycho Circus (Psycho Clown, Murder Clown, & Monster Clown) vs. Los Villanos (Villano III, Villano IV, & Villano V)
This match is great for history reasons but will likely be the weakest match of the night. The Villanos and Alvarado families have been feuding for decades dating back to the Los Brazos vs. Villanos feud in the 80’s. Psycho Clown is the son of Brazo de Plata and has taken his hatred from the Villanos family over to AAA and plans to retire his families arch rivals. Villano III suffered a stroke in recent years and has not wrestled in quite some time. AAA is advertising this as his retirement match but he has said openly in public that if a promoter pays him he will wrestle past this match. Villano V held a Retirement Show for himself only to return to wrestling just days after that match though I don’t believe he has wrestled since 2013. Villano IV, the youngest of the brothers and the only one still masked, has been pretty active over the last few years including some bloody matches with Blue Demon. He and Psycho Clown have been feuding and it seems like they may eventually have a Mask vs. Mask Match in the future.
Blue Demon Jr. & La Parka Jr. vs. Electroshock & El Mesias
AAA is celebrating Blue Demon Jr.’s 30th Anniversary of being involved in Lucha Libre with this match as he teams with La Parka Jr. to face off with El Mesias and Electroshock. This match will likely be fairly entertaining because of La Parka’s routine and the fact that the fans still eat it up, but it won’t be a technical classic by any stretch of the imagination. Demon took part in Lucha Underground this year so American fans will recognize him.
Hair vs. Hair Match
Alberto el Patron vs. Brian Cage
Ever since returning to Mexico in 2014 Alberto has been one of the biggest stars in the country and he returned to American TV this year as well appearing for both ROH and Lucha Underground. Brian Cage was also impressive as a part of Lucha Underground and has been feuding in Mexico with Alberto for months now. Alberto demanded this Hair Match after their last match which ended in a no contest. Alberto has only took part in one Apuestas Match (Hair vs. Hair, Mask vs. Mask, Mask vs. Hair Matches) in his entire career and that was way back in 2003 so this is a rare occasion for the star. This will be Cage’s very first chance at a Apuestas Match and he will do so on the biggest Lucha event of the year.
Dream Match
Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Myzteziz
For years fans wondered how great a Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Mistico match would be and when Mistico signed with WWE and became Sin Cara we all though that match was right around the corner. The two teamed up infrequently and rumors circulated for years that WWE wanted to do the feud but it never materialized. Now both men have left the WWE and will headline Rey’s return to TripleMania with the “Dream Match.” Rey has been pretty great since his return to the land of high flyers but this will be his very first singles match. Myzteziz had a ton of problems with consistency (and honestly just learning the WWE style) when he was in America but since returning to Mexico has been back to his spectacular self. Whether or not this match can live up to the hype is to be seen and I’m sure everyone realizes that it can’t be as good as it would have been a few years ago, but regardless that doesn’t mean it can’t still be a Match of the Year quality battle.
“Triplemania” takes place this Sunday, August 9th, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern (6:00 CT) on traditional PPV in America as well as iPPV online for everyone.
I will be covering the event here on Wrestleview and live on Twitter.