full TripleMania lineup (will stream on YouTube & Facebook), weekend roundup

TripleMania Press Conference

(You can watch it in full here. They started on time, as they seem to do when it’s a virtual press conference.)

The full card

AAA TV (SAT) 12/12/2020 Arena Ciudad de México, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal
TripleMania XXVIII
1) Máximo, Mr. Iguana, Niño Hamburguesa vs Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana
2) Fénix & Pentagón Jr. © vs Myzteziz Jr. & Octagón Jr. and Rey Escorpión & Texano Jr. [AAA TAG]
3) Faby Apache vs Lady MaravillaChik TormentaLady ShaniLa HiedraHades [Copa TripleMania Femenil]
4) Monsther Clown, Murder Clown, Psycho Clown vs Blue Demon Jr., Hijo de LA Park, LA Park
5) Arcano & Leyenda Americana vs Terror Purpura & Venenoide
6) Kenny Omega vs Laredo Kid [AAA HEAVY]
7) Pagano vs Chessman [hair]

The show will start at 7 pm CT. It’ll air live on AAA’s Facebook and YouTube and Space in Mexico. Azteca will be starting at 10:30 (not sure if that means they just get the last few matches or start late.) The show will also air on Multimedios on Sunday. TripleMania will also be shown in some Cinepolis movie theatres on Sunday if you’re a brave soul who wants to go to a movie theatre in 2020. It will not air on Twitch, it will not have English commentary.

Is this as big as a recent TripleMania, with a historic mask or hair match? Nah. Is it still a good card in a year where wrestling in Mexico has been barely hanging on? Absolutely. It’s good to have a big show at all and a skinner card has some advantages. I’m disappointed not to see some of my favorite names here but a problem with TripleMania – and most promotion’s major shows of the year – are the bloated feeling of cramming people onto the show just to say they were there. There’s little of that here. There’s also a show here, which there was no guarantee we’d get at this point. It’ll be a no fan show, so expect the corporate sponsors to be loudly thanked for making this possible.

Pagano versus Chessman will be a spectacle. The two titles match should be great matches, as really should be Copa Triplemnania Femenil. The opener and the Psycho Circus match should be good as well. The Marvel match has a lot of intrigue (and is also probably a reason why this show is still on.) Space has four hours for this show, which should give every match plenty of time.

No TripleMania appearances for Big Mami, Parka Negra, Dinastia, Super Fly, Mamba, Drago, Aerostar, Dave the Clown, and Abismo Negro Jr., who were all appeared fairly often on the AutoLuchas shows. I’m probably forgetting a few more. Hijo del Vikingo’s awkward situation with AAA seems to have left him off this show. Keyra has a non-COVID medical issue. Averno still seems to be around but not used in the ring. Daga mentioned this press conference enough last night in a way where I presumed it meant he’d be on this show. Nope. Rush is specifically off due to ROH commitments. Taya is also off due to other commitments; it wasn’t said if it was specifically Impact. (I’d guess those are Hijo de LA Park & Hades spots onto the show.) There is usually a Michael Nakazawa appearance whenever Kenny Omega wrestles in AAA, I guess he’ll just not get a match this time. That is OK. Hugo Savonvich’s story about Lio Rush & the Colons showing up soon is apparently not this soon, or plans were scuttled once they went to no fans.

Some of those missing people may be under masks as the Marvel Lucha Libre characters in match five; everyone’s keeping those identities quiet. There was also the usual vague promises of surprises, so perhaps one or more names could appear in another fashion. No minis or exoticos does stick out. A Relevos AAA may have been considered out of bounds; this is the first time AAA’s run a 3v3 match since March. Even Copa TripleMania is limited to six people.

La Parka will be added to the AAA Hall of Fame on the show. Space and Azteca will have some form of fan interaction digitally through the show.

No English commentary is maybe not as deep a concern to people who read to this blog – who are used to both watching lucha libre in Spanish and not really having a choice – but it is to the people who watch TripleMania as their one show of the year and respond to me on Twitter. AAA has to have good English commentary if they’re going to expand the reach northwards, but this is a year where AAA is trying to just survive. The more immediate concern is this will end up with me tweeting around 500 times on 12/12 and maybe you should put me on mute.

Dorian Roldan presented the show as following all health protocols including COVID testing. I’m still cautious something may happen with this show if Mexico City declares a red light health emergency this upcoming Friday, but AAA presented this show as if it was definitely happening. Roldan also said he didn’t think AutoLuchas would work for TripleMania and wanted to keep it in Mexico City.

I think most people assume Pagano is winning the main event. I’m much less sure he’s winning.

Other News

IWRG (SUN) 11/29/2020 Arena Naucalpan [Mas LuchaOvaciones, R de Rudo]
1) Dick Angelo 3G b Cheff Benito LUCHA LIBRE IWRG (posted by Internetv Deportes) Super Libre: The Tiger vs Toxin | #RevoluciónIWRG | Arena Naucalpan (posted by +LuchaTV)
Dick Angelo 3G replaced Komander
2) Mexica, Relámpago, Veneno b Estrella Divina, Karaoui, Tiago LUCHA LIBRE IWRG (posted by Internetv Deportes) Super Libre: The Tiger vs Toxin | #RevoluciónIWRG | Arena Naucalpan (posted by mluchatv)
3) The Tiger b Toxin [super libre] LUCHA LIBRE IWRG (posted by Internetv Deportes) Super Libre: The Tiger vs Toxin | #RevoluciónIWRG | Arena Naucalpan (posted by mluchatv)
sets up a title match
4) Baby Xtreme b Sobredosis [IWRG IC Light, semifinal] LUCHA LIBRE IWRG (posted by Internetv Deportes) Super Libre: The Tiger vs Toxin | #RevoluciónIWRG | Arena Naucalpan (posted by mluchatv)
Baby Extreme advanced to face Puma de Oro in the final
5) Jessy Ventura & Pasion Kristal b Big Chico Che & Big Ovett LUCHA LIBRE IWRG (posted by Internetv Deportes) Super Libre: The Tiger vs Toxin | #RevoluciónIWRG | Arena Naucalpan (posted by mluchatv)
Chico Che wants a singles match with Kristal
6) Hijo de Canis Lupus & Hijo del Alebrije DQ Demonio Infernal & Fresero Jr. and Hijo Del Espectro Jr. & Súper Nova and Fuerza Guerrera NG & Puma King [Relevos Increíbles] LUCHA LIBRE IWRG (posted by Internetv Deportes) Super Libre: The Tiger vs Toxin | #RevoluciónIWRG | Arena Naucalpan (posted by mluchatv)

Baby Xtreme & Sobredosis seemed messy in what I’ve seen. Most of the other top matches are already announced rivalries continuing onto the big 12/06 show (and probably past that.) The R de Rudo recap seems to think that main event is setting up a heavyweight title match. A cage match seems possible too. Attendance seemed slightly down here (though I’d still gamble it was more than 30%).

Lucha Memes (SUN) 11/29/2020 Coliseo Coacalco, Coacalco, Estado de México [Lucha Memes, Mas Lucha]
1) Perro De Guerra Jr. b Belial
2) Avisman b Energía
money thrown in
3) Judas el Traidor b Tromba
Tromba replaced Latigo (injury)
4) Black Terry b Aramis
5) Arez b Trauma II
6) Mr. Electro b Ricky Marvin
7) Aeroboy & Solar I b Dr. Cerebro & Negro Navarro
All the wrestlers on the show (and both Traumas) came out to honor Negro Navarro before his match.

This was a Negro Navarro tribute show with matches ending by submission. I read the main event result many times presuming I wasn’t understanding and Navarro actually won, but he apparently did lose. It’s Negro Navarro and Solar, I should be surprised it wasn’t a draw. Navarro did lose on the DTU iPPV back in July, which was also unexpected. Perhaps he’s realized it’s near the end and has decided he no longer needs to win.

Ricky Marvin losing to no one but then losing to Mr. Electro is strange. Latigo has a neck injury. Lucha Memes returns on 12/20 with a show honoring Coliseo Coaclaco owner Justicero.

Mr. Potro, Chucho el Roto, Leviatham, Villano III Jr., Villano V Jr., and Centella Oriental will have a six-way cage mask match on 12/25 in Arena Lopez Mateos. It’s the first two who’ve been feuding but maybe one won’t lose or they felt they needed the Villanos to make a stronger match. Centella Oriental shockingly retained his title over Villano III Jr. this past Sunday to set this up.

Joe Lider actually defeated Ultimo Guerrero by foul Saturday at Arena Lopez Mateos, with Halloween and Toscano as partners. Challenges followed for a hair match. Seems a safe bet Ultimo Guerrero is not losing that one. This main event didn’t draw particularly well and I’m not sure a hair match is going to do much better, but promotions are pushing on anyway.

Mas Lucha streamed the season 3 debut of Welcome to Mi Barrio on Friday night. Last season was airing earlier in the week, but I presume this means they’re on Fridays going forward. Mas Lucha seemed to avoid streaming their own content on Friday nights against CMLL but, given CMLL running once a month and probably to a small audience, it must seem a much safer decision now.

Milenio recaps an Arturo Rivera video on Abismo Negro, with a story about the time Abismo Negro got into a fight with Mil Mascaras because of Mascaras’ ego. Rivera’s stated belief if Abismo Negro had schizophrenia and that’s what led to his odd death. It is commonly believed Abismo Negro had substance issues, though those two ideas are necessarily not mutually exclusive.

Lucha Strong did run Arena San Juan Saturday, though there’s scant information about the show. They posted a video of the building being sanitized, which again makes me think the reason shows weren’t recently allowed in that building had to do with health issues.

Box Y Lucha mentions a luchador Coquito Blanco passing away back on 11/27, with no more details.

La Silla Rota has a story on the murder of Guanajuato luchador Rey Muerte, who trained (current?) MLW wrestler Septimo Dragon. He passed away back in September and this is a follow-up. The article mentions another one of Muerte’s students being involved in the murder of a local journalist. I’m not sure if I’m missing some connection or if they just threw in to make seem more scandalous.

Box Y Lucha 3450 has Bobby Lee and the Leyenda de Azul on the cover. It’s more Bobby Lee inside.

Oaxaca’s NVI Noticias continues their weekly profiles of lucha luchadors with Baby Demon.

Luchadors from Hidalgo traveled to flood devastated Tabasco to hand out collected pantry items.

The 12/04 drive-in show in Queretaro is canceled due to health issues.