AAA rolls into Tijuana on Saturday, a shambling mess as ever. The cardboard’s headlined by a replay of considered one of a match of the 12 months, a giant tag match which will or could not occur, and one of the common Mexican wrestlers towards an AEW comedy heel.

It doesn’t fairly make sense.

It’s AAA; it by no means does.

TripleMania Tijuana, the second of three, airs dwell Saturday at 6:30 pm Tijuana time. (You may see your begin time right here.) The whole present airs on FITE; they’ve struggled to determine the proper time zone for this present, don’t belief the countdown clock. Followers in Latin America may watch many of the present on Area, Claro Sports activities, and HBO Max – AAA one way or the other beat AEW on that final possibility. The present will ultimately go up on YouTube as properly.

The day-to-day AAA, the a part of the wrestling promotion which exists outdoors of those TripleMania reveals, is deep in some struggles this summer season. A photograph of a principally vacant TV taping over the weekend went viral within the Mexican wrestling group this previous week. (The shared pictures are from earlier than the taping began, so it’s an unfair shot, however the turnout nonetheless ended up poor.) The issues with 2023 are price a deep examination – however not right here as a result of these TripleManias dwell in some alternate universe. (Which may be one of many issues.) AAA will survive dangerous TV turnouts so long as persons are nonetheless popping out of those TripleMania reveals. It turns into dicey provided that these TripleMania reveals don’t promote.

AAA aired a TV episode fully centered on previewing this TripleMania final Saturday. There are seven matches on the cardboard. AAA centered closely on considered one of them, talked some about two extra, briefly touched upon two different ones, and couldn’t discover the time to say the opposite matches. I’ll try and comply with that lead.

Matches that don’t matter, even to AAA

Copa TripleMania is the land of individuals on AAA TV and has no room to do something helpful with them on a serious present. Willie Mack, Mr. Iguana, Jack Cartwheel, La Hiedra, Flammer, Myzteziz, Puma King, Niño Hamburguesa, Dinámico, Gringo Loco, Laredo Child, and Taurus all may in all probability discover higher issues to do. Some even have ongoing feuds, not that AAA will do something with them right here.. AAA introduced a minimum of two thriller folks would seem on this match, considered one of which might be AAA’s new and pointless model of Drago. There’s plenty of expertise there, however AAA struggles at harnassing a lot of it on this format.

Dalys, Girl Shani, Horny Star vs. Kamille, Natalia Markova, and Viva Van is a trios match. I don’t even know why it exists. I suppose it’ll be tremendous. AAA put no effort into explaining why that is taking place, so I’ll put in no effort on this paragraph.

Matches that exist solely to arrange one thing for later

Bestia 666, Mecha Wolf, Pagano vs. Aramis, Jack Evans, Vampiro Canadiense is the center chapter of a slow-developing Vampiro/Pagano story. Some thriller males attacked Pagano at a spot present, placing him out of motion. (Pagano wanted surgical procedure and day without work after years of wrestling like Pagano.) Pagano returned after many months and acquired attacked by a thriller man once more. Pagano believes Vampiro is behind the assaults, primarily based on Vampiro telling Pagano to cease hanging out with Bestia & Mecha and Pagano not listening. This match would be the first time Vampiro reveals up in AAA since that accusation, and possibly we’ll discover out if this can be a Pagano/Vampiro feud or if it’s Rebelion towards each of them, or if it’s one thing else fully. This match shall be a automobile crash.

Argenis, Chessman, Daga, Negro Casas vs. Damián 666, Nicho el Millionario, Rey Horus, and Xtreme Tiger is a Mexico Metropolis vs. Tijuana battle in hype. In actuality, it’s a 4 vs. 4 to assist carry a singles feud. Nicho is beefing with Negro Casas over a 2003-ish CMLL gripe, arguing the promotion protected Casas, and he can solely now get his revenge with Casas outdoors of CMLL. (Nicho acquired fired from CMLL as a result of he no-showed a title protection, however who can keep in mind what occurred twenty years in the past.) Nicho is washed, however that hasn’t stopped AAA from reserving a year-long program with Vampiro, and the unique Psicosis is healthier than Vampiro ever was. Casas is meant to be the nice man within the feud, however it’s a Tijuana workforce in Tijuana, so it seemingly gained’t finish properly for him. It’ll be tremendous.

The three matches that matter, all of that are wildcard

AAA aired weeks of vignettes of a masked man taunting Pentagon, defacing his automobile, attacking him off-screen, and even threatening Penta’s household. Not a single individual anticipated this individual to disclose himself as QT Marshall. It was an out-of-left-field reveal, somebody who hadn’t been in AAA prior and had no connection to the promotion or Pentagon. Marshall isn’t coming in notably sizzling from AEW both, however AEW itself solely acquired again on to streaming in Mexico in the previous few days. QT Marshall is a clean slate to most individuals watching AAA, and he’s coming immediately into an ambulance match third from the highest. It’s wild.

It’s also one thing that form of needed to be Penta and QT’s thought. Penta is a man who’s in all probability not below an AAA contract and solely works in Mexico as a result of he’s having fun with it. He’s doing a program with Marshall as a result of he’s into the thought, as unusual because it reads. Marshall is giving his all within the lead-up promos. He did come by means of in AEW when given an opportunity to for a critical feud blow-off match, the Bunkhouse tag match with Dustin Rhodes towards the Butcher and the Blade. His matches towards the Lucha Brothers earlier this 12 months appeared well-received and will have offered somebody on the idea of this feud. Nonetheless: it’s a man few folks in Mexico know, and so they don’t know for the best causes, getting a highlight match on a TripleMania. Even when he kills it, it may not be the best alternative for AAA followers.

The bit which may swing this match is it’s an ambulance match, and seemingly one primarily as a result of Konnan (as defined on his podcast) believed nobody had performed one in Mexico earlier than and that folks can be excited to see the idea. There’s no motive this ought to be an ambulance match, no construct in the direction of that stipulation; it simply is. AAA struggles at pulling off US-style gimmick matches, and the ambulance stipulation normally makes for a worse match, so these two could have their work minimize out for them.

The Psycho Clown and Sam Adonis vs. LA Park and Rush Guerra de Rivalidades match is a neater one to determine how it could go. They’re going to bleed, they’re going to interrupt plenty of issues, and so they’re going to have a borderline nonsense end with Psycho Clown and Sam Adonis advancing to the masks vs. hair match in Mexico Metropolis. AAA would fortunately push these two males off for one more day if they may get LA Park vs. Rush to occur. They cannot. Konnan (on his podcast once more) revealed AAA had been making an attempt to make that match ‘for 3 years’ and appeared to consider these two would by no means comply with have the match and can simply milk followers and promoters alongside by teasing it ceaselessly. That acknowledgment takes away any suspense with the end in Tijuana (and Mexico Metropolis.)

There’s nonetheless plenty of suspense across the circumstances of the match: like, is Rush going to indicate up? Rush introduced he give up AAA in early June. AAA didn’t acknowledge it. Wednesday, Rush introduced he would wrestle right here in spite of everything out of respect to all of the followers who cared about this rivalry. AAA didn’t acknowledge that half, both. Rush doesn’t appear to care a lot about working for AAA previous this present, and LA Park in all probability isn’t sticking round, both. They’ll each be again in AAA once more sometime however, for this TripleMania day, these two determine to be in full “final day of college” mode. Something is feasible.

The principle occasion is extra strong than different stuff, however it’d have some query marks on a typical present. Kenny Omega is within the midst of one other spherical of not being 100% to construct to restoration but additionally in all probability nonetheless feels that Forbidden Door match a bit. Hijo del Vikingo is wrestling within the US way over initially deliberate, and cashing in on the joy has taken a toll on his performances. Neither man is coming in 100% in a match the place followers count on 200%. They’ve a big benefit of their AEW match; that one needed to introduce Vikingo to a brand new viewers. This one occurs in entrance of followers who know each males properly. It’s as much as them to have the perfect match they need, and that’s normally a fairly memorable encounter.

There are a good quantity of outs to the Vikingo/Omega end if AAA doesn’t need to (or isn’t allowed to) finish it decisively. Takeshita or Don Callis displaying as much as price Omega the match suits the continued AEW storyline. Gringo Loco, on perpetual maintain for a hair match with Hijo del Vikingo, may additionally determine in. Nonetheless, AAA’s performed a exceptional and weird alert job of holding angles out of their AAA mega championships. They’ve appeared to comprehend that what persons are in search of out of an Omega or Vikingo protection is plenty of motion, a transparent winner and loser, and not one of the standard AAA reserving. AAA’s earned some religion on this account that they’ll let these two guys settle it alone.

I haven’t written a lot about finishes right here as a result of the outcomes aren’t depending on a narrative or what is going to revenue AAA essentially the most; they’re all obtainable points. LA Park & Rush are usually not going to make themselves obtainable for an apuesta match, so everybody assumes Psycho Clown and Sam Adonis goes to win. Konnan’s advised the Mexican press that that is Kenny Omega’s one and solely AAA look of the 12 months, so Vikingo in all probability has to remain AAA Mega champion. The end to QT & Pentagon depends upon whether or not these guys really feel like returning for one more rematch. There’s little to sink your tooth into in these.

TripleMania Tijuana has all the identical points as AAA has had for a 12 months plus. It additionally has Kenny Omega vs. Hijo del Vikingo, which is sufficient to forgive loads. I’m intrigued to find what is going to occur with the opposite two essential matches on this present, however it will dwell or die on folks’s pleasure to see the Vikingo/Omega rematch. If it’s a must to see it, it’s a must to get this present. Should you can wait, you would possibly as properly maintain off 24 hours and see what comes off the remainder of this present.