By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
AAA Triplemania XXX Mexico City
October 15, 2022 in Mexico City, Mexico at Arena Mexico
Streamed on FITE TV
Joe Dombrowski and Larry Dallas provided commentary from their homes (not at ringside), which made them sound somewhat tinny. Dombrowski always does a great job. This building looks to be on par in size with where an NBA team would play, holding perhaps 15,000 or so fans. AAA uses the hexagon “six-sided” ring.
Ugh, the show gets underway and we have the faces of Dombrowski and Dallas in the corner of the screen. That is distracting and unnecessary.
1. Dragon Lee & Dralistico defeated Arez & Willie Mack, Kommander & Mysteziz Jr., and Toxin & Latigo in a four-way tag at 9:01. Kommander has impressed in several matches this year for GCW. I saw Toxin & Latigo once this summer; if it wasn’t in GCW, maybe in Warrior Wrestling? If you weren’t aware, Dralistico is a brother to both RUSH and Dragon Lee. If you have watched MLW, you’ve seen Arez compete there.
Mack and Arez hit simultaneous standing moonsaults. This was quick lucha action. Dragon Lee hit an impressive dive to the floor at 5:00, barreling into his opponents. In the ring, Willie Mack hit a running spin kick on the much smaller Kommander, then Willie hit a flip dive to the floor. Dombrowski said Kommander is only 23 but a 10-year pro. That’s insane. Kommander ran the ropes and hit a springboard Shooting Star Press onto everyone at 8:30. In the ring, Dralistico hit a butterfly piledriver for the pin on a masked guy (either Toxin or Latigo.) That was a blast but far too short.
Side note: I find the way they shoot the action very distracting. Lots of cut-aways to people in the crowd reacting mid-match. I felt that a LOT of spots were missed. Mack was the last wrestler in the ring. Stuffed animals fell from the sky on him, apparently from a corporate sponsor. Mack tossed the toys into the crowd and danced with the oversized mascot, which appears to be for a car dealership. The commentary team was as clueless as I was as to what exactly was going on…
* Rey Mysterio sent in a video from his home; you can see a display of wrestling toys and masks behind him. He spoke entirely in Spanish; sorry, my translation skills are shot. The commentary team thanked WWE for letting Rey send the video.
2. Taya Valkyrie defeated Kamille to retain the Reina de Reinas Title at 15:33. Kamille attacked before the bell, and she hit a chairshot over the head, and Taya was bleeding from the forehead near her hairline. Kamille wiped blood on her cheeks. The video feed was briefly lost. Kamille set up a table on the floor at 5:00. They kept brawling in and out of the ring, with Taya hitting her over the head with a cookie sheet.
Kamille put Taya on her shoulders in a Torture Rack position, then spun her down to the mat for a nearfall at 8:30. Kamille nailed a second-rope superplex for a nearfall, then a Canadian Destroyer for another nearfall. They fought to the floor, where Taya slammed Kamille’s head on the ring apron at 12:00. They both came off the apron and crahed onto the table at ringside, but it didn’t break. Taya rolled her in the ring and got a nearfall at 14:00.
Arez hopped in the ring and distracted Kamille, but he dove on a masked female wrestler on the floor. Meanwhile, Taya applied a modified Camel Clutch on Kamille, who tapped out. Decent match, but it didn’t need the interference at the end.
* Konnan spoke, entirely in Spanish. Cibernetico and three other masked luchadors hit the ring, and they are clearly angry! They attacked Konnan and put the boots to him.
3. Sam Adonis & Brian Cage & Johnny Caballero (f.k.a. Hennigan/Morrison) defeated Psycho Clown & Bandido & Laredo Kid and Sanson & Cuatrero & Forastero in a three-team match at 12:50. I don’t know Sanson’s team at all; they all wore masks and their overall presentation are enhancement workers who are just there to get tossed around. Adonis has competed in NWA as “El Rudo” and he’s the brother of Cory Graves; he’s competed a lot for Chicago-based Warrior Wrestling, too. A live band played, leading to Johnny Caballero heading to ringside; it’s quite an entrance.
I can’t claim to understand the rules of this match because it sure seemed like everyone flowed in and out of the ring; the six guys I know seemed to be beating up the three masked luchadors I don’t know. Cage hit a Lesnar-style F5, and Adonis immediately hit a 450 Splash for a nearfall at 6:30. Cage’s team worked over Psycho Clown. Clown hit a Code Red for a nearfall.
Clown hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on a masked guy, but a female wrestler hopped in the ring to break up the pin. Sanson’s team hit simultaneous sliding dropkicks on Psycho Clown at 9:00. Bandido hit a superkick on Cage, then an impressive Gorilla Slam. Caballero hit a Canadian Destroyer. In an unbelievable spot, Cage hit a monkey flip on Bandido that sent him over the top rope and onto several people on the floor at 11:30. In the ring, Laredo Kid missed a top-rope corkscrew press on Caballero. Caballero hit a low blow punt kick on Laredo Kid, rolled him up, and got the cheap win. Alright match, but considering the level of talent, I had hoped for even more.
* The boxes in the corner, showing the announcers, have vanished. Good. You don’t need to see them from their home studio.
* A Hall of Fame celebration for Arturo “Rudo” Rivera, a legendary broadcaster. He died a few months ago. They showed pictures of wrestlers already in their Hall of Fame, from Art Barr to Hector Garza to La Parka. His family came out for the presentation. This is quite classy and well done. Blue Demon then came out for his HOF presentation.
4. Pagano defeated Cibernetico in a “hair vs. hair” match at 21:38. Cibernetico, now age 47 and still looking great, has several masked luchadors with him at ringside to help interfere. Dombrowski compared Pagano’s general demeanor and style to Jon Moxley. They immediately brawled to the floor. Pagano dove to the floor but landed hard back-first on the floor. Cibernetico hit an elbow drop off the ring apron onto Cibernetico, who was lying on a table on the ground at 4:30. Dombrowski noted that Cibernetico competed in the 1997 WWF Royal Rumble.
Pagano pulled out a fork and did his best New Jack impression, gouging Cibernetico in the forehead. (Dallas made an Abdullah the Butcher reference, which is probably more accurate.) The masked “Vipers” hopped in the ring at 9:00 and attacked Pagano, and this is no DQ so it is legal. Charly Manson, wearing ghost white facepaint and pink pants, ran to the ring to help Pagano. The ref got bumped. Vampiro then hit the ring to a huge pop, and he acted as referee, doing a two-count for Pagano.
Pagano applied a half-crab. Cibernetico hit a Frankensteiner out of a corner for a nearfall at 14:30. Thumbtacks were poured in the ring, and Cibernetico hit a piledriver onto the thumbtacks. Cibernetico chokeslammed Pagano onto a barbed wire-covered chair. Cibernetico shoved Pagano off the ring apron and onto the broken table on the floor, and got a nearfall at 19:00. Cibernetico’s masked Vipers beat up Pagano on the floor and on the rampway to the back.
Konnan came out and hit a few Vipers with a baseball bat to their guts. Meanwhile, Pagano and Cibernetico brawled on a ladder set up on the entrance stage; Pagano hit a suplex off the ladder through a platform, with both men crashing through the platform, and Vampiro made the three-count, awarding the match to Pagano.
* Cibernetico was stretchered to the back; Dombrowski said he will have his haircut at a later point. However, Pagano followed them, got out scissors, and he cut Cibernetico’s long hair; Cibernetico hung his head and didn’t attempt to stop him. Pagano walked away, but Vampiro got out an electric trimmer and continued to shave Cibernetico’s head.
5. Hijo Del Vikingo defeated Rey Fenix to retain the AAA Mega Championship at 19:18. Fenix has a AAA cruiserweight title and his AEW six-man title belts with him. Dombrowski said these two have “revolutionized their genre.” Unfortunately, Dombrowski’s audio is going in and out, so he’s hard to comprehend. They opened with some quick mat reversals. Vikingo hit a springboard huracanrana at 2:30. They brawled briefly to the floor. Back in the ring, Fenix was in charge. Fenix hit a decapitating clothesline at 6:00. Vikingo hit a Code Red for a nearfall. Vikingo hit an inverted senton to the floor.
Vikingo hit a Poison Rana on the floor at 8:00. He then hit a running Shooting Star Press from the apron onto Fenix, who was lying on the floor. Fenix is bleeding from under the mask. In the ring, Vikingo hit a springboard 450 splash for a nearfall. They brawled on the rampway between the ring and the main entrance. Vikingo hit a uranage, and they were both down at 11:00. The commentators agreed this was more of a fight than they expected. In the ring, Vikingo hit another uranage for a nearfall at 12:30. Fenix hit a Vader Bomb for a nearfall. Vikingo hit an impressive mid-ring huracanrana. Vikingo hit an incredible springboard 450 for a nearfall. He then hit a top-rope 630 Splash for a nearfall at 15:00.
They brawled back to the floor. In the ring, Fenix hit a Rikishi Driver for a believable nearfall. Fenix hit a second Rikishi Driver for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. While the sound here isn’t great, the crowd is definitely into this action. Vikingo hit a top-rope Poison Rana, but somehow Fenix landed on Vikingo as they crashed to the mat at 18:30. Vikingo hit his inverted 450 Splash to score the pin. That was a real blast.
6. Pentagon Jr. defeated Villano IV in a “mask vs. mask” match at 25:31. This is the conclusion of the eight-man “la Ruleta de la muerte” tournament, featuring eight masked wrestlers. The wrestlers who lost “advanced” in the tournament, leading to the finale where someone will lose their mask. Villano IV, now age 57, wore a mostly pink outfit. Elaborate entrances for both men, but Villano IV attacked Pentagon as he walked to the ring. Villano ripped at the mask and dominated early. He got a thin cookie sheet and hit Pentagon over the head with it. He put a trash can over Pentagon’s head and hit it with a cookie sheet.
They brawled on the floor. Villano flipped Pentagon through a table on the floor at 6:30, with the table shattering. Pentagon got in the ring and hit an impressive flip dive onto Villano. Pentagon dragged Villano in the ring and he started tearing at his mask. They brawled back to the floor, with Pentagon fully in charge, hitting him over the head with the thin cookie sheets (which truly don’t look like they hurt at all.) In the ring, Pentagon hit a superkick at 14:00 and a double stomp to the chest for a nearfall. Both men are bleeding under their torn masks.
Villano tied up Pentagon in a pretzel in the middle of the ring at 17:30, but it’s clear he’s gassed. They began trading mid-ring forearms and slaps, and both went down. Pentagon hit a second-rope legdrop for a nearfall at 20:00. Pentagon put him on his shoulders for a Torture Rack; Pentagon dropped him and celebrated, thinking Villano had tapped out. Either way, the ref ordered the match to keep going. Villano immediately threw Pentagon through a table in the ring.
Villano tied up Pentagon’s legs, and Pentagon “tapped” on Villano’s side, but once again, the ref didn’t see it and the match continued. Pentagon cranked on the arm and hit a Divorce Court armbreaker. He then made the cover for the pin. Villano IV spoke on the mic before removing his mask, showing off his bald head, deep scars on his forehead, and he looked every bit his age of 57.
Final Thoughts: I can’t think of a single wrestler alive today over the age of 55 who should attempt to wrestle a 20+ minute match. I’ll be blunt; the main event may have been a spectacle for the live fans, but it was rarely good action. Pentagon really had to work hard to hide Villano IV’s deficiencies, particularly after Villano got winded halfway through that match.
Vikingo-Fenix stole the show. I can’t imagine anyone saying with a straight face that any other match was better. The announcers noted that Vikingo is 5’5″ or 5’6″, which is the only limit for him. He’s talented with a unique look; he’s a bonafide star.
It was fairly short, but I’ll give that opening four-team tag match second best, ahead of Cibernetico-Pagano.
I have heard Kevin Kelly provided commentary on New Japan shows remotely from his home, and he was crystal clear (even better than from ringside where he has to wear a mask and is muffled.) So, it is a bit disappointing that their commentary sounded so tinny in comparison. The show clocked in at about 3 1/2 hours.
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