TripleMania Regia Report: Hijo del Vikingo wins Mega Champioship
By: thecubsfan
Luchablog.com
AAA held their second TripleMania Regia event on December 4th. The extension of the TripleMania brand into a second yearly show at a baseball stadium in Monterrey debuted in 2019. AAA canceled last year’s event due to the pandemic
The show was AAA’s first PPV offering since the 2019 Invading New York show and the first Mexico-based PPV since the Lucha World Cup events in 2016. Recent major AAA shows have aired for free on various AAA social media platforms; this show remained free for Mexican fans watching the event on cable station Space and broadcast channel Azteca. TripleMania Regia was only AAA’s first broadcast outside of Mexico in a whole year due to an ongoing lawsuit over worldwide rights to the promotion filed by other investors in the Lucha Underground project. Those around AAA believe the case is settled, but neither side has discussed it. AAA’s Facebook and YouTube pages remain restricted to Mexico IP addresses only.
AAA shows can have quality matches and unmatched chaos, leaning towards the chaotic aspects. Brawls, unexplained stipulation changes, and confusing guest appearances ruled the day. If you’re looking for traditional good action, perhaps only the main event and the Laredo Kid tag match are worth your time. I watched the show only on the Spanish feed, which was as good as usual. Reports on the English broadcast said the announcers’ mics were too quiet, and the announcers were generally unknowledgeable about the show they called, as always. AAA’s chaos makes it an exceptionally tricky show to announce, but seemingly no effort was made to get someone in who was familiar with their promotion.
AAA & Fite changed plans on which matches from this show would air live multiple times. In the end, AAA started the event late, the stream also started late, and seven of the eight matches aired. The show began with an extended military presentation of the national anthem, taped before fans arrived at the stadium.
Las Toxcias (La Hiedra, Maravilla, Flammer) beats Faby Apache, Maravilla, Sexy Star in 10:19
This match was also a lumberjack strap match for no obvious reason outside of getting more people booked on the card. Hijo del Tirantes refereed the match as part of his forever feud with Faby Apache. Las Toxicas got to the name a few months before
This began the same as every other AAA lumberjack strap match: every sequence built to a wrestler getting knocked out of the ring and trying to escape the lumberjack’s attacks until finally referee Hijo del Tirantes was also thrown out and attacked by everyone. Hijo del Tirantes left the match at that point. His father, former AAA lead referee and current Azteca TV announcer, Tirantes hit the ring in a suit to take over counting duties. The older Tirantes has taken over Faby Apache’s side in the feud and refereed cleanly as each woman took a turn hitting a finishing move and getting their pin broken up. Most of the participants were down following a four-person superplex spot, and the rudo lumberjacks distracted the older Tirantes. The young Tirantes tripped up Faby Apache to set up Las Toxicas finishing sequences, then made the fastest three count possible to give the heel trio the win. The match itself only existed as a backdrop to the intrafamily squabbling but was fine when given a chance.
The older Tirantes criticized his son for his action after the match. He promised once again to go after Konnan for unclear reasons. He also apologized to Faby, telling her he saw her as a daughter and was upset with how his son was treating her.
The last few seconds of a Taya video aired, teasing her return to the promotion to challenging Reina de Reinas champion Deonna Purrazzo. The full video later aired on social media.
A momentary shot of Cibernetico on a motorcycle appeared before AAA intended to air it. AAA switched to the planned shot of Konnan coming to the ring, his first appearance since the previous TripleMania. He opened with his usual crowd insults. Konnan announced Kenny Omega would get a Mega title shot when he returned to the promotion, claiming AAA stripped Omega because of an anti-foreigner bias. Konnan guaranteed FTR would keep the AAA tag team titles over the Lucha Brothers. Konnan went back to taunting the crowd by promising to destroy AAA in 2022 before he was interrupted by Cibernetico for real this time. Cibernetico insulted Konnan, who left before Ciber got to the ring. Cibernetico promised to destroy Konnan. Cibernetico also talked about being the leader of the Vipers in the 90s and how he would be again.
Nueva Generacion Dinamita (Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón) beat Poder del Norte (Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana, with Goya Kong) and Los Vipers (Abismo Negro Jr., Arez, Psicosis) to earn a shot at the AAA Trios Championship in 13:25
All teams brought weapons to the ring. The Vipers attacked NGD before Poder del Norte could arrive, but the paramilitary trio took out the others with dives. Goya Kong added a plancha onto NGD. Poder del Norte ran through much of their trios offense on the Vipers, including their Raffles finishing sequence on Arez. NGD broke up the pin, though they were slow at it. NGD took their turn, getting in their triple sliding kick on Carta Brava, ripping Tito Santana’s shirt off of him. and giving Mocho Cota a combination double stomp/faceslam. NGD went for their own dives onto the Poder del Norte, only to be pulled out of the ring by the Viper and smacked with cookie sheets, the ubiquitous AAA weapon of 2021. Abismo and Arez held up Cuatrero for a Psicosis top rope senton to the floor, beginning the Vipers turn at offense, though Poder del Norte seemed to put a stop to that much quicker. Carta Brava and Tito Santa held Abismo up on the outside so Mocho Cota could do an insane doomsday tope through ABismo Negor and into a table. The Vipers set up another table on the outside, laying Sanson on the table and light tubes on top of him. Psicosis went for another top rope senton, with Sanson fleeing and Psicosis going through both the table and the tubes solo. Cuatrero and Forastero combined for their Catapult Dinamita to knock Arez through a third table leaning in the corner, pinning him to end the fight. NGD earned a shot at the AAA Trios Championships, currently held by Los Mercenarios.
Cibernetico ran to the ring after the count, looking more mobile than his most recent CMLL run. He easily laid out the six Poder del Norte & NGD wrestlers, then reunited with the Vipers. The team that lost the match stood tall in the post-match, an AAA staple.
The show had an extended break at this point. The announcers talked about the show, which digressed into Hugo Savinovich criticizing WWE. A sponsorship segment for McCormick Mayo aired. The announcers and hose Jesus Zuniga talked about upcoming matches, then promoted newly available t-shirts in the store. Zuniga then asked the fans to light up their phones and wave them in the air for an impressive opening to the Space portion of the card. That still took some time, and a re-opening video followed. All in all, it was a fifteen-minute pause between matches.
La Empresa (Diamante Azul, Puma King, Sam Adonis, w/Estrellita) beat Psycho Circus (Dave The Clown, Murder Clown) & Chessman in 14:08
Chessman was a late substitution on the Psycho Circus side. Regular member Monster Clown had been dealing with a variety of injuries complicated by a bout with COVID, and was not able to return to the ring for this show. Dave the Clown wore a split Monster Clown mask in tribute.
AAA creative under Konnan has many well-worn tropes. The Vince Russo style swerve, where a character is introduced as a friend of a tecnico only to betray them, has been done so many times in AAA that it’s lost all effect. AAA used this bit with Goya Kong at TripleMania. At TripleMania Regia, Murder Clown walked out with unidentified lesser clowns. When they didn’t leave ringside at the start of the match, it was clear this match was simply waiting around for the moment where they’d reveal themselves as secret La Empresa henchmen to give that team the unfair win. That is exactly what happened.
The luchadors did a lot of crazy stuff before the inevitable. This match came off as a lot less organized and more out of control than the previous brawl. Puma King ripped up Murder Clown’s mask in the initial attack, and Murder Clown wrestled much of the match with his face exposed. Adonis landed an early 450 splash on Chessman, though there was no attempt to win. Puma King took out Chessman with a middle rope headscissors into a propped up headscissors, a spot that looked impressive but came out of nowhere. Puma attempted to repeat the bit later with a light tube, only for Chessman to powerbomb him into it instead. Murder Clown speared both Estrellita and Adonis into a table-like object about the same time. A messy series of dives followed, though not the worst-looking move to the outside to come. The highlight was Murder Clown press slamming Estrellita out of the ring onto everyone else. Murder Clown broke out the thumbtacks, pouring some on himself by mistake. All the tecnicos hit moves on all the rudos on the tacks at the same time, only for Estrellita to pull out referee Piero and make out with him as a distraction. The rudos did the same to the tecnicos, and those extra clowns took their turn to pull out the referee. They did not make out with him. Moments later, despite just costing La Empresa a chance to win the match, those extra clowns disrobed to reveal their Empresa shirts and beat on the Psycho Circus team 8 to 3. (Interference is not a disqualification in AAA, except when it is.) Dave the Clown got a brief flurry before being pinned, with the AAA cameras mostly missing the count.
La Empresa continued to beat up the tecnicos after and unmasked both Murder Clown and Dave the Clown after the match. Chessman was loaded onto a backboard after taking a move to the floor. Sam Adonis attempted to moonsault onto Chessman anyway, only to misaim and mostly miss in a blooper clip that’ll be repeated many times.
The Lucha Brothers came out for an unscheduled promo segment, promising to regain the AAA tag team titles. FTR & Vickie Guerrero interrupted, dragging Hugo Savonvich with them to translate the heel’s xenophobic insults. Dax Harwood had a couple of close interactions with fans on the way to the ring. The two teams ended up brawling before being separated by the crowd. This segment seemed to exist to establish FTR as heels since AAA had failed to promote them prior to the show. We’d later find out their tag title match had been modified to being a ladder match, something that might have been the purpose of this promo but was never communicated.
Los Hermanos Lee (Dragón Lee & Dralistico) beat Willie Mack & Laredo Kid in 13:54
Impact’s Willie Mack was Laredo Kid’s surprise partner. Mack is also a favorite in Tijuana’s The Crash promotion, where Konnan is also part of the creative team, and that was likely the reason he was used here. Mack’s act got over just as well, and he was the breakout star of a match intended to build up Lee & Dralistico. This match was Dralistico’s – the second CMLL Mistico – debut in AAA. His brother Dragon Lee previously appeared at the first TripleMania Regia two years ago.
Laredo Kid & Dragon Lee started in the ring, in the first match to start without a brawl in a long while. The exchange of single-leg takedowns and pinning attempts was novel at this point. Penalty kicks led to a hard chop exchange and then simple choking. Dralistico helped his brother from the outside, enough to distract Laredo into a knockdown. Mack came in back up his partners, leading to a standoff. Lee & Laredo left their partners in, and they exchanged shoulderblocks. That went better for Mack. Elbow smashes went Mack’s way as well. Dralistico was able to fight back with kicks out of the corner and dropkicked Mack out. Laredo Kid flipped Dralistico to the apron, Dralistico kicked him and springboarded in with a headscissors as the crowd booed him as loud as they had anyone. Laredo Kid tripped up Dralistico for the outside, then ducked a Dragon Lee charge, sending him out. Laredo Kid followed with his Laredo Boom springboard moonsault. Back inside, Mack slammed Dralistico and Lraroed came in with a springboard splash for a near fall. Dragon Lee entered to help his brother and took shots from both opponents. Mack landed a corner splash, Laredo a springboard forearm, Mack lifted Lee on his shoulders, and Laredo pulled him off with a springboard cutter. Mack added a Macarena moonsault, and Dralistico broke up the pin. Laredo and Dralistico evenly exchanged chops until Mack slapped Dralistico to the mat. Mack danced and dropped a senton for another two count. Dragon Lee avoided a corner charge to finally turn back control for his team, Mack getting kicks to the face by Dragon Lee and Dralistico. Laredo Kid ate the bridging chinlock/dropkick combination, with Mack breaking up the resulting pin. Dragon Lee and Dralistico tripped up Mack and kicked him before mocking his dancing. Mack kipped up and attacked both men before a double superkick put him down. Dragon Lee & Dralistico played some invisible baseball, a reference to a Rush signature taunt. Laredo Kid reentered and knocked the Munoz brothers out of the ring, setting up a Mack tope con giro. Laredo brought Dragon Lee to the top rope and pulled him off with his Laredo (Spanish) Fly finish. Dralistico broke it up, then landed a springboard Canadian Destroyer finish. Willie Mack knocked down Dralistico with a jumping kick. Dragon Lee tried to cut him off with a Spanish Fly, got blocked, and came up with a powerbomb instead, leaving everyone down. Dragon Lee and Laredo Kid got up first, Dragon Lee knocked Laredo down and climbed up. Mack cut him off and the two exchanged forearms and headbutts on the top rope. Dragon Lee knocked Mack over to set up his hanging stomp, but Laredo cut him off before he could finish. Dralistico cut off the cut-off with a springboard headscissors, and Dragon Lee landed the hanging double stomp after all. Both Hermanos Lee covered, and both got a very close 2.99 count. They threw thew Mack out and dropped Laredo with a kick and a running forearm, but Laredo kicked out at two. Dralistico suplexed Laredo for another two count. Dralistico dropkicked Laredo Kid out, then intended to moonsault onto him but only sort of got there. Back in the ring, Mack tossed Dragon Lee into a flapjack forearm for a close two count – the crowd was very into the idea of Mack winning. Mack went up top, but his splash hitting Dragon Lee’s was the beginning of the end. Dragon Lee hit a ripcord knee, and then his Incinerator knee smash for the win.
Dralistico thanked the fans after the match and asked to face the best in AAA. He praised Mack & Laredo, then said that any team needed to beat the Hermanos Lee to consider themselves the best. Dralistico wanted a shot at AAA Tag Tema Championship. Dragon Lee repeated the tag challenge and added one for Laredo Kid’s cruiserweight championship. Laredo Kid immediately accepted the challenge. No date was set.
Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood © defeated Fénix & Pentagón Jr. to retain the AAA World Tag Team Championship in a ladder match in 12:12
Fénix missed this week’s AEW taping with what was explained on-air as an injury that left him unable to travel. Fenix, in a media interview prior to the start of this show, clarified it was actually a visa issue which left him unable to leave Mexico at the moment and not an injury. This was a ladder match, which had not been promoted prior and was not apparent until the belts were hung above the ring. This match continued the pattern of matches that sounded better on paper, a serviceable but unmemorable encounter repeating bits done in better AEW matches. Fenix appeared healthy yet didn’t figure in much of the match. AAA’s focus seemed to be getting heat on FTR, and in only that way was this match a success. Whoever set up the chain holding the belts didn’t center in the ring, leaving it strangely close to the entrance side.
The Lucha Brothers tried to attack the tecnicos before the match, which turned this into another brawl. FTR took briefly until the Lucha Brothers were able to land dives. Both teams messed with ladders on the outside before bringing one back in, and the Lucha Brothers continued to outsmart the tecnicos. Fenix kicked down both FTR members into the corner and flipped his brother into them. FTR ate a few more kicks before the Lucha Brothers tried to climb for the belts, but they were pulled down into the ropes. FTR isolated Penta for a while, working him over with a cookie sheet and dropkicking a ladder low. Fenix fought back against Cash before taking a DDT on the apron, which was pretty much the end of Fenix in this match. FTR tied Pentagon’s mask to the middle rope. They took their time setting up a ladder, taunting the crowd, and moving the ladder around a few times. Penta finally unmasked himself to knock the heels off the alder. Fenix and referee Piero retrieved Penta’s mask for him. Dax begged off, and Penta ignored him to set up the ladder, but before getting the cookie sheet back to attack both men. Dax kissed Penta’s boots and asked for a handshake, getting a kick to the face instead. Penta tried to climb up a now shaky-looking ladder. (The referee was often stabilizing the ladder after this point.) Dax grabbed Penta by the lead, Fenix returned to give Dax a Cutter. Cash took out Fenix, Penta did the same to Cash. Penta brought in a table, adjusted the ladder to face a new direction, and set up the table so someone could be thrown off the ladder into it. Dax recovered and knocked Penta’s head into the table, which bent it noticeably. Penta fought him off and went back to climbing, this time cut off by Vickie Guerrero. Penta kicked his way free, though Dax recovered to foul Penta from behind. Dax climbed the other side of the ladder, Vickie threw powder in Penta’s face, this somehow made Penta fall backward through the table, and Dax climbed up the ladder to retrieve the titles.
FTR celebrated, including Dax screaming into the camera that lucha libre sucks, as they had in their previous promo.
Cain Velasquez, Pagano & Psycho Clown over LA Park, Rey Escorpion & Taurus
Velasquez wrestled the match in a Toro mask with a weird fake skin tone. The entire focus of the match was on LA Park & Velasquez, with the crowd strongly behind the local Monterrey legend and booing the MMA star as a result. Those reactions seemed the opposite of what the match was intended to get, though LA Park seems likely to be cheered in every match he’s in. Cain’s previous AAA matches were built around highspots with Taurus; those two barely interacted in this match due to the focus on Park & Cain.
Pagano and Taurus started, battling to a stalemate. Prior TripleMania opponents Psycho Clown and Rey Esocprion were next, trading nearfalls until Psycho clotheslined Escorpion out of the ring. The crowd got as loud as it had been all night when Cain and LA Park got in, again behind La Park. LA Park threw punches, Cain knocked him back with mid-kicks. Park tried a kick of his own. Cain took him down and followed with a ground and pound until warned by referee Hijo del Tirantes. LA Park hiptossed Cain and went for his own punches but nearly was pulled into a triangle. Park was shown as out of his league fighting MMA style with Velasquez, yet the crowd was even stronger behind him just for the boldness to try it. Cain and Park switched to lucha libre, with the fans cheering on Park’s every spot and booing Cain’s takedowns. Taurus and Escorpion charged in to help Park, and the six men brawled around the ring with the ubiquitous cookie sheets. Escorpion clocked a security worker with a sheet, who barely sold it. Park and Cain spilled into the crowd, fighting deep out of camera range. Back in the ring, Taurus & Escorpion tossed around Psycho Clown. Park dragged Cain back over the barricade and ripped up Cain’s mask, which wasn’t really keeping a mystery. Los Mercenarios helped hold Cain on the ropes so Park could batter him for chops. Cian broke free and knocked down Park with a superman punch to boos. Pagano pulled out Taurus and Escorpion to work them over, while Cain attacked and ripped at Parka’s mask in the ring. Psycho Clown got in his signature broom-breaking spot on Escoprion, though Escorpion came back immediately with a DDT. Psycho and Escoprion battled up top, and Psycho pulled Escorpion off in a Spanish Fly for a two count, Taurus breaking it up. Taurus and Pagano exchanged poor-looking big boots, and Pagano pulled off a middle rope headscissors. Pagano’s through the ropes tope con giro was unusually on target. Psycho knocked Escoprion out of the ring and followed with a running tornillo. This left the two protagonists. LA Park missed a flashy spinning kick on Cain, Cain did not miss his. Cain tried to submit Park, only for LA Park’s sons (LA Park Jr. & Hijo de LA Park) to run out for a distraction. Dad LA Park, freed from Cain’s grasp, grabbed a non-folding chair and smacked Cain hard for more cheers. The match stopped again as the lights were turned down, then turned back up to herald the appearance of Rayo de Jalisco Jr. appeared. Rayo started a promo, then stopped. LA Park stopped staring at him long enough to walk into a Cain takedown, and Cain submitted the skeleton man with a cross armbreaker to win, a clean loss by LA Park standards.
Rayo, restarted his promo, thanking the fans and slowly walking to the ring. Rayo talked about history in Monterrey. His father lost his mask here in 1989. He also mentioned AAA’s history; Rayo Jr. was a regular in the promotion’s first year. Rayo shook hands with the teniccos and appeared baffled by the boos from a crowd still upset LA Park lost. Nueva Genarcion Dinamita, family rivarls of Rayo, interrupted to confront him. Forastero put over their win earlier in the night and said they’d put Rayo de Jalisco in his place. Rayo reminded NGD about how he unmasking Cien Caras, which of course got him attacked. Psycho, Pagano, and Cain ran them off. The tecnicos celebrated to boos.
Hijo Del Vikingo defeated Samuray del Sol and Jay Lethal and Bobby Fish and Bandido to win the vacant AAA Mega Championship (14:22)
Bandido & Vikingo were clearly the two most over participants during the introductions, though the others did get reactions during the matches. The announcers repeated Kenny Omega’s claim that it was unfair to strip him of this belt as a valid point. The match generally turned into a series of one on one matches with the rest hanging outside, though they did break it up with more complicated segments. The time and the number of participants meant that no one got a lot of space, though Vikingo did come across as the most spectacular performer.
Everyone shook hands and appeared to be participating as a tecnico. The match started with a five-way lockup, Samuray and Vikingo get the best of it and sent everyone else out. They battled to a standoff before Lethal interrupted them. Lethal took out Sol with a flapjack and eventually Vikingo with a dropkick. Bandido ran in to land a backcracker. Fish cut off a Letahl handspring with a kick, then did about the same to Vikingo. Samuray tried kicks on Fish. His handspring was messily caught by Fish, then thrown via a leg capture suplex. Bandido and Vikingo exchanged forearms, Bandido evaded Lethal and headscissors him out. Lethal cut off Bandido with a kick and flipped him to the outside. Bandido flipped back in with a sunset flip and then a headscissors from the mat. Vikingo to his turn to return with a dropkick but ran into Bandido’s one arm pressed slammed. Bandido sent Vikingo out with a kick to the back of the head and set up for a dive, only to be cut off by a spinning Samuray kick. Fish & Lethal stopped Samuray with kicks and took turns striking him. Sol fought them back, though a complex flying headscissors to set up a DDT spot didn’t come off cleanly. Vikingo attacks Smaury, unintentionally whipping him into a tope on Lethal. Vikingo ran for his dive, Fish stopped him and rammed him into the corner. Fish set up Vikingo on the top rope, Samuray stopped him from doing more. Leath and Smaury fought while Lethal and Vikingo grappled in a different corner. Bandi came in, but Leath pulled them both out of the ring with a headscissors. Vikingo fought off Bobby Fish, walked the ropes from corner to corner, and pulled Samuray off with a Spanish Fly. Vikingo ran back up the corner, walked halfway over the ropes, and came off with a tornillo. This series was an incredible back-to-back sequence of spots.
Vikingo came back to cover Samuray, but the others broke up the pin. Lethal, Fish, and Samuray del Sol exchanged strikes for a moment, with Bandido briefly getting involved. Vikingo with a handspring on Lethal but was caught and dropped into a reverse faceslam. Lethal connected on the Lethal Injection to a mild reaction, with Fish breaking up that pin. It didn’t appear the Spanish announcers were aware that was his finish, the same for the crowd. Fish flipped Lethal to the apron, and the two fought to the top rope. Fish pulled Leath off for his super Falcon Driver, and Bandido broke up the resulting pin. Fish knocked Bandido back with a forearm but lept and caught on Bandido’s shoulders. Bandido connected with the Westknee GTS variation. Fish fell into position for Bandido’s 21-plex, and Bandido pulled off his finish. The announcers got that one. Samuray broke up the bridge with a senton, then got his Salida del Sol finish on Bandido. The announcers knew that one, though I had forgotten. Sol didn’t have the opportunity to cover before Vikingo landed on him with a 450 splash, which was a two-count and the first near fall the crowd believed could be it. Vikingo went right up for his Cuerno del Vikingo 630 splash, but Lethal tripped him. Bandido fought Lethal and put him on the top rope in another corner. Fish charged over and ate a Bandido kick. Bandido picked up Fish on his shoulders, also grabbed Lethal on his shoulders, walked to the middle of the ring slowly spun around before dropping them with a double Samoan Drop. It was a crazy strength display. Both Americans rolled out, and Bandido followed with a beautiful springboard moonsault, ending the match for all involved. Samuray del Sol attacked Vikingo, still tripped on the top rope where Lethal had left him. Sol attempted a top rope Salida del Sol, but Vikingo knocked him to the mat. Vikingo set up for a move, lost his balance, recovered on the ropes, and landed a double springboard moonsault. Vikingo went up a second time quickly, and this time got off the Cuerno de Vikingo 630 splash. The crowd counted along as Vikingo got the three count and the Mega Championship.
Bandido hugged Vikingo, who then rolled out and hugged AAA president Maricela Pena. Vikingo was in tears as the referee strapped the belt on him. All the AAA regular top tecnicos, Cain Velasquez and Willie Mack celebrated with Vikingo, with frequent partner Laredo Kid giving Vikingo a big hug. Laredo & Pagano lifted Vikingo on their shoulders, and fireworks went off to end the show.