We are a less than an hour away from Triplemania as I type this…which means there’s still time for one more edition of Triplemania Week! As you may have seen on social media, earlier today Lucha Central put up a Triplemania Playlist on our YouTube channel consisting of nine famous matches from AAA’s big show. With nothing to do this afternoon, I decided to dive in, watch all nine matches and do a column reviewing all of them! The hype is real for me right now. So what more is there to say, other than it’s time to review the Lucha Central Triplemania Playlist!
Faby Apache vs. Mary Apache (Triplemania XVI). Faby defeats Mary after pinning her with a Dragon Suplex. Combining the story this match had going in (you know, the one where Faby was in love with Billy Boy, her family didn’t approve and war raged over this) with the action and this match remains BRILLIANT! There’s blood, with both Faby and Mary gushing at points, some incredibly stiff shots because what’s a Faby Apache/Mary Apache match if they aren’t beating the tar out of each other, some nice high flying and some truly great wrestling. On the outside Billy Boy and Gran Apache play their roles perfectly and this may be career best work from Hijo del Tirantes as referee; he’s completely impartial and his counts on the numerous great near falls in this match are sensational. The match is equally renowned for its post match, where Gran Apache offers to have his hair shaved in Mary’s place (and actually does shave some of his hair off) only for Mary to have her hair cut anyway, leading to the Faby embrace and the family putting their differences aside. Great emotional moment that finally put the family feud to bed…until Billy Boy became a jackass and started the story up again. But yeah; great match. Probably the best luchadoras match in Triplemania history to this day. **** 1/4
Angelico vs. Australian Suicide vs. Bengala vs. Daga vs. Drago vs. El Hijo del Fantasma vs. Fenix vs. Jack Evans vs. Joe Lider vs. Pentagon Jr. (Triplemania XXII). Fantasma was the last man standing, eliminating Angelico last to unify the AAA Cruiserweight Championship and the AAA Fusion Championship. Order of elimination (with the eliminators in parenthesis) was Lider (Bengala), Suicide (Pentagon), Drago (Angelico and Evans), Evans (Daga and Pentagon), Bengala (Fenix), Pentagon (Fenix), Fenix (Daga), Daga (Angelico) and, obviously, Angelico (Fantasma). Let’s describe my reaction to this match with gifs before I use words.
Holy shit. I have seen this match several times previously and it was even better than I remembered it being and then some. What an outstanding match. With the exception of Joe Lider, who is barely in this match, everyone here looked like an absolute stud. Suicide lived up to his name with a Shooting Star Senton to the floor where he pretty much landed on his head. Bengala, aka Ricky Marvin, looked like NOAH era Ricky Marvin. Angelico and Evans did some TH2 stuff and individually were even better, especially Angelico, who probably has his greatest performance ever in this match between going the distance, flying around and delivering some great knees. Drago was really strong. Daga (yes; Daga!) was mightily impressive in the final third; what a pity he forgot he was this good. In what will surprise absolutely no one, Pentagon and especially Fenix were sensational; you can see the signs that Pentagon was about to explode a few months later on LU with his viciousness and Fenix, like he does today, is doing all sorts of incredible things where he’s seemingly on the verge of ending himself but just holds on. And then there’s the winner Fantasma! Yeah, he’s good two; the final sequences between him and Angelico in particular would’ve made for a great singles match and Fantasma’s tope sending Angelico into the seats was awesome. Definitely a worthy winner; worthier than Daga at least! I can maybe quibble with a few moments between Bengala and Fenix in the middle point where they seem to have miscommunication, but otherwise this match is borderline perfect. An incredible experience that you need to revisit. **** ¾
Mascara Sagrada vs. Black Cat (Triplemania II-B). Sagrada defeated Black Cat two falls to one after Black Cat was counted out at the start of the third fall. This is only a twelve minute sample of the match (the whole match remains lost, much to the frustration of myself and Roy Lucier, who has worked tirelessly to find even this version), but it’s included because a) it’s one of the highest rated mask matches ever by Dave Meltzer and b) I love Mascara Sagrada. Plus the footage available does feature the legendary finish of this match thought up by Antonio Pena; Sagrada, selling a neck injury all match suffered at the hands of Black Cat a few shows ago, gets his revenge by hitting Cat with a Martinete (Tombstone) at the end of fall two. The move DQ’s Sagrada, but it also knocks out Cat, who then can’t answer the count to start fall three and thus loses by DQ (much to the chagrin of his cornermen Love Machine and Eddy Guerrero). Still an incredibly clever finish. The rest of the available match is strong too. Black Cat was an exceptional worker and it shows here, while Sagrada does a great dob selling his neck and getting in some nice moves. It’s incomplete, but what we see are the signs that this match lives up to its reputation. Hopefully someday soon the whole match will be available. ****
Super Calo vs. Winners (Triplemania III-C). Calo defeated Winners two falls to one to unmask his longtime tag partner and friend. Triplemania III is largely remembered for the Winners-Marabunta mask match at III-B, but in my opinion this match is the crowning jewel. Calo and Winners not only have a great performance complete with some terrific dives (Winners even does Calo’s signature dive!), but the story of the two good friends reluctantly having to fight each other to protect their masks is impeccably done and the fact that they reaffirm their friendship afterwards is really cool. The only flaw in this match is Tirantes, who is positively glacial with his count, especially at the finish. Otherwise this is a classic, and the beginning of the path that led to Winners becoming Abismo Negro. **** ½
Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera (Triplemania IV-C). Misterio defeated Guerrera with an Avalanche Victory Roll to win The Juice’s car. That’s right; the match was for a car!
What a great match for a car it was though. Not surprising; this is Juvy and Rey in their early 20’s going at it and they just tear it up. Misterio is so great at pretty much everything and his offense is absolutely breathtaking. Juvy doesn’t fly around nearly as much but when he does he’s right there with Rey (his Asai Moonsault where he nearly blows out his leg rocks) and he does an effective job in playing a cocky rudo. The ending overbooked but in a good way, with Pierroth Jr. getting involved, only for Konnan (dressed in disguise) to come out, swerve the rudos into thinking he’s going to attack Rey and then instead attacking them, leading to Rey getting a brand new automobile. Probably not the best Rey-Juvy match ever but considering how many great ones there were there’s no shame in this being, what, the fourth or fifth best of the bunch? A really great, really fun match. **** ½
El Hijo del Santo, Jack Evans, La Parka, Octagon and Vampiro (Team AAA) vs. Chessman, Electroshock, Kenzo Suzuki, Silver King and Teddy Hart (La Legion Extranjera) (Triiplemania XVII): Team AAA won after Santo was the last to escape the cage. Order of escape was Vampiro (AAA), Suzuki (La Legion), Evans (AAA), Hart (La Legion), Octagon (AAA), Chessman (La Legion), Electroshock (La Legion), Parka (AAA) and Santo (AAA), with SIlver King the only one not to escape. THIS MATCH! It is both the weakest match of the playlist to this point and somehow the most entertaining. It may not even be as entertaining as the pre-match controversies, which saw Silver King nearly not compete on this show because he wanted to wear his mask (which he lost to Santo back in the 80’s), while Jack Evans and Konnan were nearly barred from this event because, and this is true, they beat the crap out of Juventud Guerrera backstage at a show not long before this. The only surprise is that there isn’t a story involving Vampiro or Teddy Hart to go along with it; you would’ve thought there’d be something about Vamp trying to make himself the hero or Teddy re-enacting the Jessie’s Girl scene from Boogie Nights.
Admit it; Teddy Hart could totally be this guy
The match itself is a glorious mess. At one point we cut to backstage for a promo of Konnan holding a key, then several minutes later someone is beat down for reasons I’m still not sure about! Cien Caras is at ring side to fight off Konnan. Konnan and Joaquin Roldan trade weapon shots. El Zorro turns technico. And in between it all there’s a cage match. For the most part the action is relatively normal, with Parka, Octagon, Vampiro, Electroshock, Suzuki and to a lesser extent Silver King contributing very little (though Silver does do stuff towards the end). The stars are Teddy Hart (doing crazy shit), Evans (doing crazier shit), Chessman (with a typically reliable performance) and unbelievably Santo, who at 47 years old out works everyone except Evans and Hart (typically magic with each other). Really impressive stuff from one of the best ever. Overall the match is pretty pedestrian but the stakes, a few impressive moments (shockingly Chessman, Evans and Hart do dives off the cage), Santo’s performance and the atmosphere make this a highly enjoyable, if not necessarily great, Triplemania headliner. *** ½
Perro Aguayo Jr. vs. Cibernetico (Triplemania XXI): Aguayo defeated Cibernetico to win Ciber’s hair. Another overbooked and wildly entertaining match. You’ll be shocked to hear this but Perro Aguayo Jr. was great. Just great. He’s so charismatic, so tremendous at the character stuff, so great at being a rudo and, oh yeah, is a really good wrestler! It all comes together here with a Cibernetico that, limited as he can be, has a really good performance in a big situation. Both men bleed, many a weapon is used, Nicho el Millionario goes through a table because it’s Nicho (his contract pretty much guarantees he takes one dangerous bump per show), Cuervo gets Martinete’d, Daga…is also there and the crowd heat is off the charts. It’s not a traditional great match but as a Triplemania main event it is an awesome spectacle, anchored by Ciber stepping up and Agayo with typically great work. A great spectacle and a fitting tribute to Perro’s fallen comrade Hector Garza. ****
Konnan vs. Cien Caras (Triplemania I): Caras defeated Konnan two falls to one after Konnan was famously counted out while brawling with Jake Roberts, an encounter that would end Konnan’s career (for the time being) and lead to the two wrestling in the main event of Triplemania II-C next year. First off the match starts off with Konnan entering to “Eye of the Tiger” in front of nearly 50,000 fans in Plaza de Toros so that right there is a huge win. The match itself is basic but well worked by both Caras and Konnan (Caras in particular was a really smooth worker in this match), the crowd heat is tremendous, the angle between Roberts, Konnan and Caras (who also brawls with Roberts) was exceptional and the finish is an all timer, especially considering what AAA was going for. The post match, with Konnan crying, fans rushing the ring to cry with him and other fans crying in the stands while emotional music plays is also really well done. A great example of a match that, while simple in its style, was a huge success thanks to booking, heat, atmosphere and emotion. *** ¼
El Mesias vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. (Triplemania XVII): Wagner defeated Mesias with the Wagner Driver to win his first AAA Mega Championship at his first Triplemania. This is Nevermind, Kenneth Branagh in Hamlet, Mike Vernon in Game 7 against Vancouver, Jason Heyward’s speech during the rain delay The Swellers’ “The Way Back Home” all rolled into one. In other words this is the greatest Triplemania match of all time. Don’t believe me call Alan Greenspan,
Finally I found a good excuse to make an Out Cold joke, while also quoting the line wrong!
Just incredible. Everything great about AAA comes together here without the occasional negatives (the overbooking). It’s largely a straight wrestling match with impeccable work from Wagner and Mesias (at the peak of his powers here), the limited amount of hardcore wrestling is well done (Mesias’ Chokeslam on Wagner is a legit “HOLY SHIT!” moment the way Wagner lands on the table), the crowd is spectacular, the drama is off the charts; it’s exactly what a World Title match on a major show should be. It also goes nearly 40 minutes and never wears out its welcome, the biggest plus of a match that goes long. If this match had taken place at a Wrestlemania it would probably be remembered as one of the great matches. As such it is still one of the greatest matches of all time, the greatest Triplemania match of all time and easily a top five match in AAA history (maybe even the best). An absolute, no doubt about it classic that you need to set aside the time to see if you haven’t already. *****
There you have it sports fans! With that it’s time to go dark till the end of Triplemania XXVIII. You can catch me then with a review of the show. Till said time, here’s Pagano getting powerbombed into a shopping card.
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RELATED NOTE: Triplemania Week: Chessman and Laredo Kid (Plus Triplemania Preview)
Triplemania Week: Chessman and Laredo Kid (Plus Triplemania Preview)
