Things have been active enough on this front that I figured it was worth updating the list from July. This time around, I’m just using names who were around AAA on the day Antonio Pena passed away, so those who’ve come and gone since (Niebla, Juvi, Espectro, Junior Piratas, Head Hunters, others) don’t fit.
Faded away off roster (7)
Brandon
Hombre Sin Miedo
JJ de la Borbolla Jr.
Kaoma Jr.
Mungo
La Hechicera
Miss Janeth
Ultraman Jr.
This group was only part time at best and probably most would’ve been gone anyway, or continued to just been used periodically (Janeth and Hechicera brought back for Reina de Reinas.) It’s years later and I still don’t get the whole JJ/Shocker feud. We never figured out who Mungo was, so he may have been recycled into someone else. Same thing with Brandon, really.
Left (27)
Antifaz del Norte – working sporadic local shows, not traveling
Brazo de Plata – IWRG, high end indies
Cibernetico – Perros, high end indies
Angel – we’ll see
Alebrije – IWRG
Hator – northern indies
Histeria – high end indies, his own shows
Mascara Divina – maybe gone and working Villalobos shows? maybe not?
May Flowers – brought back to fill out spot shows
Mr. Condor – UWE
Pegasso – CMLL
Intocable – high end indies
Pirata Morgan – ?
Psicosis II – high end indies, his own shows
Rey Cometa – CMLL
Sangre Chicana – not working
Shocker – CMLL
Silver Cat – maybe brought back to fill out spot shows?
Scorpio Jr. – seems to be not working again
Zumbido – high end indies
La Diabólica – ?
Martha Villalobos – her own shows
Rossy Moreno – Azteca shows, Martha’s shows
Cuije – IWRG
Mascarita Sagrada 2000 – CMLL
Mini Psicosis – CMLL
Monsther – smaller Mexico City indies
Of those who’ve left, only Pegasso, Rey Cometa, Mascarita Sagrada and Mini Psicosis have made it to CMLL for the first time. Shocker’s returned.
AAA would want to point out that very few of these guys have made much of an impact, either in leaving AAA or joining somewhere else. Cibernetico and Sagrada/Dorada are the two who’ve really meant something. Those both appear to be disagreements with management over how they’re being used rather than AAA freezing them out. Mini Psicosis, Pegasso and Cometa are helpful role players for CMLL but not difference makers. No one’s had grand success on the indies.
Deceased (1)
Abismo Negro
That’s 35 gone. At the time of Pena’s death, I count 87 people on AAA’s roster, so it’s been a 40% turnover. I don’t know how best to provide context for that number without doing a lot more research, but lucha libre rosters are generally seem much more static than that.
Going the other way – here’s the additions since Pena’s death (who are still in AAA)
US Indies (3)
Jack Evans
Teddy Hart
X-Pac
Actually, that header should be “WSX”.
Returning (6)
Black Abyss
Extreme Tiger
Latin Lover
Nicho el Millionario
Vampiro
Mari Apache
Latin and Nicho would’ve made their way back eventually. Probably Vamp too. Mari was Lady Venum way back in 1997. The whole “Super AAA”/”Triple A” characters chronology is vastly confusing to me, so Black Abyss might have been around post-Nautilius, but he didn’t really start as full time guy until 2007. Extreme Tiger was around just before Pena’s death, gone a year, and then brought back to join the Mexican Powers.
Japan (1)
KENTA – part time, but he’s worked more TV than Argenis
Mexico Indies (10)
Argenis
Tigre Cota
Tito Santana
Último Gladiador
Yuriko
Sexy Star
Atomic Boy
Mascarita de la Muerte
Mascarita Sagrada 2007
Silver King
It’s always possible Pena had plans for some of the Mexican indies and they just didn’t make it on screen in time. The Poder del Norte guys have worked as local dark match wrestlers (Rio Bravo was on a lot around the cut off time, so he’s not listed as a return.)
CMLL (7)
Alex Koslov
Chris Stone
Dr. Wagner Jr.
Kenzo Suzuki
Marco Corleone
Psycho Clown
Rocky Romero
Chris didn’t start in the ring till much after Alan, though they he may have been doing the run-ins by this point.
??? (1)
Killer Clown
Still don’t know much about this one.
That’s 28 adds. My count is 83 wrestlers on the roster (with guys like Javi, Ricky and Angel Mortal thrown in), so about 1/3rd of the roster has been added in the last 2.5 years.
Who did I forget?
I think JJ is/was some sort of celebrity, so I wouldn’t count him in your list.
Antifaz del Norte hasn’t been the same since the knee injury and working through the injury for NOAH. I wonder if he had surgery because if he didn’t that’s probably a lingering issue with him and most likely why he’s not working on bigger shows or in AAA since he does (or did) fit their current style.
Divina worked a Wagner show last week I think. I saw it in one of Krisz’s reports.
Sangre Chicana works Monterrey from time to time.
Pirata Morgan is working with his “sons” on indy shows.
“high end indies”. That’s a good one Cubs. Never heard it. Guess you coined the phrase.
What gimmick is Mini Psicosis wrestling as in CMLL?
@Capo: Mini Warrior.
I’m referring to the the previous Mini Psicosis who was unmasked, there’s a new one in AAA now.
I never noticed this before , but AAA had it’s best roster (in my opinion)when Pena was alive. And I also noticed that quality in matches & entertainment, has decreased since Pena’s death(at least for me it has).Oh well, life goes on.
calabcd44,
ur rite. ive also noticed da quality of matches n diversity of talent in aaa has gon down since pena’s passing. but i realized dis many months ago. i understand da company is in a state of flux cuz pena’s style is a huge loss n irreplaceable but da company isnt n wont b anything like wut it was. not saying dey wont pik things bak up @ sum point win dey figure out wut works wit da talent dey hav n avail talent. but rite now, its not nearly as entertaining as win pena was da man.
i still watch it cuz it has more brite spots dan dim but current product is seriously lacking in entertainment n in-ring workrate win compared 2 years past. really, da whole industry is hurting product-wise. america, japan, mexico, u name it. all of its jus not as good as it used 2 b.
AAA been changing for years and they into a new era.Some guys stayed,some guys didn’t.New product,different aura,different environment. Casual fans adjust to the new situation.Smarks is having trouble getting used to the new product but they always hated AAA.
AAA actually showed strength,they didn’t drop off when Cibernetico left(and even when he was injured). When Mistico not there,EMLL SUFFERS. Nobody is bigger than the company thanks to Pena setting the template. McMAHON manage to do the same with the WWE, no one is bigger than the company. Cena can jump to TNA and it won’t hurt WWE in the long run. They just give another guy a mega push(ala Mesias taken Ciber spot).
“Smarks is having trouble getting used to the new product but they always hated AAA.”
That’s the most ridiculous statement ever. I was the biggest AAA fan before you even knew what AAA was.
The truth is AAA only started changing to fit Konnan’s idea of wrestling. People could see through it and either fell into three groups:
1. The group that doesn’t like it and stopped watching. (many)
2. The group that doesn’t like it but still watches for the 10% of good things left, i.e. Fuerza Aerea, Zorro, Poder Del Norte, minis at times, Billy Boy, etc. (myself)
3. The group that enjoys the product and swallows all of Konnan’s kool-aid much like the hardcore WWE fans who defend anything Vince does even when he throws a guy off the roof of a building and claims he would have wanted the show to go on. (USAUSA1)
The only thing USAUSA1 is right about is when he says Pena made the AAA name bigger than the talent. The thing he doesn’t see b/c he has Konnan’s liquid in his eyes (*ahem*) is that lately that’s taken a 180 turn. Konnan isn’t a fan of the promotion being the draw, he subscribes to the theory that HE is the draw. This WILL be the downfall of AAA down the road.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – if there was any sort of promoter out there with 1/8th the creativity of Pena, some cash and a connection to get a TV deal – AAA would be out of business in no time. AAA only still survives b/c they are the alternative to CMLL to the regular fans. If anyone gave AAA any sort of competition, they’d be dead in the water b/c the guy running the promotion is not a booker nor a businessman.
Sadly there isn’t anyone out there with any brains as proven by Media’s two-ring shows nor anyone with money willing to make a large investment in Lucha Libre.
Anyways, to add to your list…
Escorpion Negro quit AAA earlier in the week. He fits the mold of the typical person leaving AAA these days:
– midcarder
– Mexican
You could just as easily make a list with the heading:
“Will Leave”
Alan Stone
Chris Stone
El Brazo (it’s coming)
Decnis (won’t have anything to do when Brazo leaves)
El Zorro
Espiritu
Pimpinela Escarlata
Argenis
Los Diabolicos
Polvo De Estrellas
Yuriko
Guapito
Sexy Star
I would toss Billy Boy on there too if I had any faith in CMLL picking him up.
“Actually, that header should be “WSX”.”
Actually, it should be “Konnan’s white friends” and Vampiro should be listed there too.:)
Don’t forget all the white indy guys he brought in like Nate Webb, Josh Raymond, Padrino, Bryan Danielson and the non-whites but still Konnan’s buds like Sabu, Ron Killings, Daivari (he actually got PAID for that appearence!) and Bobby Lashley.
Who would have ever thought – racism against MEXICANS in a MEXICAN promotion?
@Rob: I agree with everything you said except for the whole “white” thing. I don’t think Konnan favors whites over non-whites, he just favors anybody who is from outside of Mexico whether their black, white, brown, or Asian.
“Chris didn’t start in the ring till much after Alan, though they he may have been doing the run-ins by this point.”
Chris did his first run in at verano de escandalo 2006, so Pena was still alive at that point.
Pena tried to recruit Alan and Chris in 2003. They worked a show as Extasis and Genesis before heading back to CMLL right away.
Wasn’t Juvi in AAA when Pena died?
@USAUSA1: Do you think Mistico sold ONE SINGLE TICKET to the UG vs. V5 mask match?
Sure, AAA does not have a franchise player at the moment, but they don’t draw unless they have 35 stars on the show.
If Mistico left tomorrow, the CMLL would survive.
@Rob: Konnan likes diversity. Sure, he wants to bring some whites to Mexico, but when he was in WCW and ECW, he always wanted to get Latinos work in the US. It’s the diversity of look and style he’s aiming for, not pushing any one ethnic group out of work.
If Vince hired Konnan to be on the booking committee, Konnan would do as he has always done-go to bat for Latino workers to get them work in the US.
Alebrije is a loss in my book. So is Pirata.
@LLL: Also going to add, in a business like wrestling, your race/ethnicity can be your gimmick too. Too many people of one race/ethnicity would be too many people doing the same gimmick.
I grew up watching All-Americans, Drill Sergeants, Iranians, Somoans, Indians, Japanese, African-Americans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Beach Bum Hawaians, Russians, Masked Superstars, Billy Superstars, Playboys, all in one group. It was awesome.
Pena always liked having foreigners, usually for the race-baiting angles. Any smart promoter wants a diverse lineup.
@LLL, CMLL will always have no problems selling tickets to the Anniversary show but I was talking about average attendance without Mistico vs. with him. I think Cubs did a topic about this sometime last year.
@USAUSA1: Maybe I missed Cubs piece. Don’t get me wrong, I realize Mistico is one of the most popular wrestlers down there. But CMLL is a group that has been through it all over the years, and one wrestler isn’t going to change that now.