By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
AAA Noche de Campeones
December 28, 2022 in Acapulco, Mexico at Arena GNP Seguros
Streamed on FITE TV
Joe Dombrowski and Larry Dallas provided live, remote commentary. AAA uses the hexagon ring. The mat was an ugly bright yellowish-green color. The lights are low, but based on what I can tell, this appears to be a venue that can probably seat 5,000.
* “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler hit the ring. Cash got on the mic and demanded their translator introduce them as “the Living Lucha Legends.” They are really turning up their heel mannerisms. Dax told the crowd the grocery list of all the tag titles they’ve held. However, he said “there is no reason” for them to face Lee and Dralistico. They also have a hand-picked referee, and Cash hugged the ref. Konnan hit the ring and said he’s been put in charge of all talent. He said he will make sure the match is called fairly.
1. Sanson, Cuartero, and Forastero defeated Aramis, Willie Mack, and Mysteziz to retain the AAA Trios Titles at 11:24. Mack’s team are the babyfaces. The heels wear fairly identical masks and look interchangeable. Mack danced at length before the bell. Mysteziz hit a corkscrew dive to the floor. The heels worked over Mysteziz, then Aramis. Mack hit a huracanrana at 4:30, then a massive flip dive to the floor. Mysteziz hit a mid-ring head-scissors takedown. Aramis got in and also hit a huracanrana.
Mack and a heel traded chops at 7:30. Aramis and Mysteziz hit dives to the floor while Mack nailed a rolling cannoball in the corner. Mack hit a mid-ring standing moonsault for a nearfall. Another masked heel, Mascana 2000, hopped in the rig and beat up the babyfaces. One of the heels hit a spinning Razor’s Edge/overhead powerbomb to score the pin.
2. Flammer & Abismo Negro Jr. defeated Komander & Sexy Star and Lady Shani & Octagon Jr. to win the vacant Mixed Tag Team titles at 13:39. AAA stripped Tay Melo and Sammy Guevara of the Mixed Tag Team titles. Komander has competed frequently in GCW this year and he’s a fantastic high-flyer. Shani and Octagon wore fairly similar blue and gold colors. Flammer just competed in NWA; she and Negro wore red and gold. Larry Dallas explained that the women and men are allowed to fight each other here. Octagon hit a backbreaker over the knee on Komander, then Octagon hit a corkscrew plancha to the floor.
All three women wear masks; Flammer and Shani traded good offense at 3:30. Shani hit a Northern Lights suplex on Komander for a nearfall. Sexy Star entered for the first time at 6:00 and she hit a running knee on Shani for a nearfall. Flammer nailed a Canadian Destroyer on Octagon. Negro and Sexy Star traded slaps; Negro is easily the biggest competitor in the match. Flammer hit a dropkick in the corner on Sexy Star for a nearfall at 9:00.
Negro got a cookie sheet and hit several people with it; it is so thin I don’t think it hurts at all. Flammer hit Octagon with the cookie sheet. However, she accidentally hit Negro with it. Octagon put both Flammer and Negro on his shoulders and hit a double Samoan Drop. In a cool spot, Kommander walked the ropes from one corner to the other, then hit a head-scissors takedown to the floor at 12:00. Octagon followed that up with a top-rope springboard moonsault onto everyone on the floor. In the ring, the women hit a Tower of Doom spot. Shani hit a Lungblower on Sexy Star. Flammer hit a running piledriver to pin Sexy Star. That was a really fun lucha match.
* An announcer showed off a trophy that will go to the winner of the next match.
3. Pagano won a Battle Royal-hybrid match at 17:07. You can eliminate competitors via pin or tossing over the top rope to the floor. Competitors included: Murder Clown, Panic Clown, Dave the Clown, La Parka Negra, Mr. Iguana, Aerostar, Nino Hamburguesa, Pagano, Blue Demon Jr., Vampiro, and maybe five others. Dombrowski wondered how anyone would flip the chubby Hamburguesa over the top rope. Pagano eliminated several guys. Dave the Clown pinned Hamburgesa.
Blue Demon nailed a dive through the ropes to the floor at 10:30. Vampiro hit a chokeslam and pinned Aerostar. Vampiro hit a spin kick to pin Blue Demon, and we are suddenly down to our final two! Vampiro and Pagano traded hard blows. Pagano hit a summersault senton off the ring apron to the floor on Vampiro, sending him crashing through a table. In the ring, Vampiro missed a top-rope corkscrew press. Pagano threw a chair at him. Pagano then nailed a powerbomb for the pin. OK match.
4. Arez defeated Villano III Jr. and Taurus in a three-way to win the Leyenda Azul title at 11:19. Spanish translation is this belt is for the “blue legend.” My first time seeing Villano III Jr., who is thin, a chest tattoo, and a black mask; he reminds me of Fuego Del Sol. He traded blows with the much larger Taurus. Taurus hit the pop-up Samoan Drop on Arez for a nearfall at 2:30. Villano powerbombed Arez onto Taurus in the corner. He then hit a nice Arabian Press for a nearfall. Arez hit a headscissors takedown, with multiple rotations, on Taurus on the floor at 5:30.
Villano hit a flip dive to the floor on both opponents. In the ring, Taurus hit a spear on Arez, and everyone was down. Villano hit an impressive Poison Rana on Taurus, then a second-rope Poison Rana on Arez for a nearfall at 8:30. Arez hit a shotgun dropkick on Taurus, then a pumphandle powerbomb on Villano for a believable nearfall. Villano hit an Ospreay-style Stormbreaker off his shoulders on Arez. He hit another Arabian Press, but Taurus made the save. Taurus nailed a backbreaker over his knee then a discus lariat on Villano. Arez hit a twisting Northern Lights Suplex on Villano III for the pin.
5. Dragon Lee and Dralistico defeat “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler to win the AAA Tag Team titles at 15:57. FTR jawed at the fans in the front row, as the commentary team praised FTR’s 2022 run and accolades. FTR hugged and hugged before the match got going; they wore star-spangled pants. The bell ran, but we had our first contact between Dralistico and Dax at 3:00 with a tie-up, and FTR worked Dralistico over early on. The brothers hit some quick moves, so FTR bailed to the floor and stalled. The brothers hit stereo dives at 6:00 and they all brawled on the floor.
Cash hit Dragon Lee with a chair while they brawled on the floor. In the ring, FTR worked over Dralistico. Dragon Lee got in and they him simultaneous superkicks on Dax at 11:30. Dralistico hit a springboard frogsplash, but the heel ref delayed before starting to count, then he had a “cramp” in his arm and couldn’t make the three-count. Cash hit a piledriver; the referee started to make the count, but Konnan pulled the ref out and sent him to the back. Dax hit a spinebuster.
Dax and Lee traded forearm shots at 14:00. Dragon Lee hit a powerbomb on Dax for a nearfall, as we have a new ref now. Dralistico nailed a springboard moonsault to pin Dax. Larry Dallas said FTR is having a terrible end to the year after having a fantastic 2022. They were champs for 438 days.
* They both spoke on the mic in Spanish. Sorry, years of high school and college Spanish aren’t helping me with translation. However, Dragon Lee announced he is leaving for WWE. (He did say “WWE” clearly. He did something along the lines that he will represent the country of Mexico and its people in WWE.) Dombrowski acknowledged what we now know, that Dragon Lee is headed to WWE.
6. Hijo Del Vikingo defeated Bandido to retain the AAA Mega Championship at 23:40. The commentary team acknowledged the only way to see Vikingo in the United States is live/in person, as his matches are barred from streaming services. An intense lockup to start. Vikingo hit a top-rope huracanrana at 2:00. Bandido nailed a dive through the ropes. In the ring, Bandido removed a corner pad. Vikingo nailed a flip dive to the floor at 4:30.
In the ring, Bandido nailed a Mafia Kick for a nearfall. Vikingo hit another headscissors takedown off the ropes. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Vikingo leapt off the top rope and onto the scaffolding near ringside, climbed a few more feet, and hit a 15-foot-high moonsault onto Bandido on the floor at 7:30. That was an insane sequence. In the ring, Vikingo hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash for a nearfall. Bandido hit a Gorillas Press and got a nearfall.
Bandido hit a clothesline into the corner. Vikingo went for a Poison Rana, but Bandido caught him and put him in a modified Lion Tamer/Boston Crab at 11:00. Bandido flipped Vikingo face-first into the corner where the turnbuckle pad had been removed earlier in the match, and they were both down. They fought on the ring apron, and Vikingo hit a headscissors takedown to the floor. Vikingo then hit a running Shooting Star Press from the apron to the floor at 13:30.
Bandido gave him a monkeyflip into the ring post, and they were both down. In the ring, they began trading forearm shots. Vikingo removed his vest, and they began trading overhand chops to the chest. (I hate the camera work here, as it kept flipping from one camera to another as they traded blows. Very disjointed.) Bandido hit a Go To Sleep. He went for the 21-Plex at 18:00, but Vikingo managed to flip him up and over the top rope. Vikingo nailed a 450 Splash-into-a-Poison Rana for a believable nearfall. (GO WATCH THIS MOVE ON TWITTER.) They were both down.
They again fought on the top rope, and Bandido hit a reverse suplex for a nearfall at 20:30. Vikingo hit a top-rope 630 senton for a believable nearfall at 22:00, and the announcers went nuts for the kickout. Vikingo nailed a top-rope Poison Rana and a running knee into the corner. Vikingo then nailed an inverted 630 Splash for the clean pin. Larry Dallas said that may be the match of the year.
Final Thoughts: A superb main event worthy of the buzz it is getting. Like I noted, the insane flip into the Poison Rana is all over Twitter today; it shouldn’t be hard to find and watch that spot. Vikingo is definitely the real deal, and I really wish his GCW matches were going to be available to us watching at home.
The tag title change wasn’t surprising, but I like how they are building a storyline of them being on a losing streak. I wouldn’t be surprised if they now lose their NJPW titles next week at Wrestle Kingdom. FTR as heels are so much different than we’ve seen this year, with lots of stalling and the obnoxious hugging.
Pagano was the right guy to win that modified Battle Royal; I’ve written this before, but his brawling and daredevil style make him AAA’s version of Jon Moxley. Arez continues to be the most underrated guy on this roster. He doesn’t get the buzz of a Pagano, Fenix, Pentagon, Vikingo or Bandido, but he sure can go in the ring. This was an entertaining show.
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