Tag: AAA

El Grande Americano celebrated at rescheduled ‘serenade’ event

Posted on by Ian Carey

El Grande Americano was honored by Kings League México on Friday night.

The event had originally been scheduled for Thursday evening. However, it was canceled not long after reports surfaced that Ludwig Kaiser had been arrested on May 20 on a battery charge stemming from an incident at his Orlando apartment complex last month.

Kaiser’s attorneys petitioned the court to allow him to travel both domestically and internationally while the case is pending, and state attorneys did not object. As a result, Kaiser is permitted to travel from the United States to Mexico while the case is pending.

The event was rescheduled for Friday, and El Grande Americano did make an appearance at the Kings League Dome. The public appearance was free but limited to the first 300 attendees.

It was advertised as a special serenade for Kaiser’s Americano character.

El Grande Americano speaks before Kings League México appearance

AAA posted a video of Americano before the event started. In the video, he said (translated via Google):

“My people, we’re here. Where are you guys? I can’t wait. I’m really, really excited, and honestly, I really, really wanted to be here. I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Another clip from the event shows Americano wiping a tear from his mask during his entrance. AAA’s social media posts from the event are below:

El Grande Americano Mexico City event back on after cancellation

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Plans for El Grande Americano are moving forward with Ludwig Kaiser expected to be able to travel outside of the country.

Lucha Libre AAA’s “Serenade for El Grande Americano” event, originally scheduled for Wednesday before being canceled, is now back on and will take place tonight (May 22) in Mexico City. It’s a free event where fans can show their support for Kaiser/Americano ahead of his upcoming mask vs. mask match against Original El Grande Americano (Chad Gable).

The serenade is being held at Kings League Dome and is limited to 300 fans.

Kaiser was arrested this week on a misdemeanor battery charge relating to an incident that took place last month involving a male resident of his Orlando, Florida apartment complex. When he learned of a warrant for his arrest on May 19, Kaiser was in Mexico for WWE/AAA. He returned to the United States the next day to turn himself in and is now out on a $1,000 bond.

Following the arrest, Kaiser’s attorney filed a motion requesting that Kaiser be allowed to continue to travel out of state and internationally. The state of Florida is not objecting to the motion.

El Grande Americano vs. Original El Grande Americano mask match —

The mask match between the two Americanos is set to headline AAA Noche de Los Grandes in Monterrey, Mexico on May 30. Gable originally introduced the Americano character to WWE television, but Kaiser took over when Gable underwent shoulder surgery in 2025. Since Gable’s return, they’ve had one of the best-received feuds in wrestling with Kaiser playing the babyface.

AAA has a live TV episode this Saturday that will finish the build to Noche de Los Grandes.

AAA cancels El Grande Americano serenade event in Mexico City

Posted on by Ian Carey

An event involving El Grande Americano scheduled for Mexico City has been canceled.

Ludwig Kaiser, appearing as El Grande Americano, had been scheduled to be honored with a special serenade on Thursday, May 21, at the Kings League in Mexico City. The free event was organized by Kings League México in collaboration with AAA.

AAA announced the cancellation of Thursday night’s event on Instagram Stories, writing:

“The ‘Serenata for El Grande Americano’ event scheduled for tonight in Mexico City has been canceled. We appreciate your understanding.”

Ludwig Kaiser battery arrest

On Wednesday evening, reports surfaced that Kaiser had been arrested in Orange County, Florida.

Kaiser was charged with battery stemming from an incident that took place on April 24 at an apartment complex where he lives in Orlando, Florida.

Another resident of the apartment complex is said to have gotten into an altercation with Kaiser after Kaiser and a female were said to be “uncontrollably intimate” in an elevator. The victim says he told Kaiser to “please have some manners” before the attack occurred.

Kaiser is said to have become aware of the warrant on May 19. He returned to Orlando from Mexico to turn himself in and was later released on a $1,000 bond.

He has filed a motion requesting that he be allowed to continue traveling both domestically and internationally while his case is pending.

BVV: AAA treads water, TNA sinks

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

TNA and AAA both put out TV shows this week, and one of those promotions managed to avoid shooting themselves in the dick.

Impact was a good example of everything right and wrong with TNA: a talented roster and good wrestling, but some mind-boggling booking and a crippling phobia of creating new stars.

So we’ll get into Cedric Alexander’s defeat of Leon Slater, why it was even worse in execution than it sounds on paper, and what possible thought process might have been going through their heads. Also, why Mike Santana’s top rival as world champion is apparently the dreaded heel authority figure.

To be fair, we will also explain why Alexander vs. Slater was a certified banger of a match, but it wasn’t even the best thing on the show. That honor goes to AJ Francis vs. KC Navarro in a street fight.

As for AAA, well, the build for Noche de los Grandes peaked two weeks ago, and now we’re all just twiddling our thumbs waiting for May 30.

We’ll lay it all out on the Big Vinny V Show!

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Lyra Valkyria eager to explore AAA’s wrestling style

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Lyra Valkyria is eager to crossover and compete on AAA just like Bayley. She further discussed interest in the John Cena Classic and already has a dream opponent set. 

In an interview with Soundsphere, Valkyria expressed interest to participate in the John Cena Classic and indicated at potentially squaring off against Kelani Jordan. 

“Especially with all the talent, like you just said in NXT, you know, I feel like it just could be anyone’s chance to really make themselves the next big thing. So I’m really excited for this tournament, and to see who’s going to, like, stand out, and who’s going to step up.” 

“I crossed over with time in NXT with Kelani Jordan… we never, we never crossed paths in the ring on NXT, but we got in the ring a lot together in the Performance Center.I’ve always thought she had such a fantastic work ethic, and she’s very cool… I want to see if she stepped up. I’d love to see what she’s got, if I was able to choose anyone.” 

Valkyria further cited interest to compete in Lucha Libre AAA. She defined it as an entirely different experience and a new element to wrestling which she would like to be a part of. 

“I’ve never been to Mexico, so I feel like, oh, it’s a whole new world. The style over there… it’s such a huge element of wrestling that I haven’t even touched.”

John Cena announced the special event for new and established WWE talent at Backlash. 

Meanwhile, Valkyria and Bayley have been pursuing the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. Bayley made her AAA debut in March in response to Flammer’s open challenge for the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship. 

Update on why Cain Velasquez hasn’t returned to AAA under WWE ownership

Posted on by Ian Carey

Cain Velasquez would be wrestling in AAA right now if WWE hadn’t purchased the company.

Velasquez was in attendance at the Intuit Dome for Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

During the episode of Wrestling Observer Radio taped immediately following the show, Dave Meltzer noted that while key names in AAA are big proponents of Velasquez, the former UFC heavyweight champion did not leave WWE on good terms.

“If WWE had not bought AAA, he would already be wrestling for AAA,” Meltzer said.

Regarding why WWE may not be interested in bringing back Velasquez, Meltzer said that doing so likely doesn’t fit with WWE’s goals for AAA.

“They didn’t leave on the best of terms,” Meltzer continued before adding, “I don’t think WWE really wants him in the sense of what their goals are. Their goals aren’t like, let’s bring in a Mexican celebrity.”

Meltzer noted that he has been told that if Dorian Roldan was running the company, Velasquez would be back with AAA.

“The AAA people, Dorian Roldan, Konnan, those people that were involved, they love Cain Velasquez.”

“I was pretty much told that if it was Dorian’s company, then they would have definitely brought Cain in for big shows because that’s how much they think of him.”

The full episode of Wrestling Observer Radio is available here for subscribers.

Cruiserweight title match set for next AAA on Fox episode

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

A Cruiserweight championship match has been announced for the next AAA on Fox episode.

For several weeks now, WWE’s Rey Fenix has been in a feud with Laredo Kid for his AAA Cruiserweight championship.

Now, finally, after weeks of feuding, a title match has been set between the two. Next week on the May 23, 2026 episode of AAA on Fox, Fenix will face Kid for the Cruiserweight title.

Kid has held the championship since December 2024. Fenix is himself a former AAA World Cruiserweight Champion and held the belt for over 390 days before vacating the title.

A few weeks ago, on the May 5, 2026, episode of AAA on Fox, Fenix had defeated Kid in a non-title match, prompting the promotion to schedule the two this time with the title on the line.

Chasing the Cruiserweight title on AAA, Fenix had recently also expressed his desire to go after his brother Penta’s Intercontinental Championship on WWE RAW.

AAA on Fox next week lineup | May 23, 2026

As of now, only one match has been announced for the May 23, 2026 episode of AAA on Fox.

  • Rey Fenix vs. Laredo Kid for the AAA Cruiserweight Championship

Multiple WWE stars added to the AAA Noches de Los Grandes match card

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

A few matches consisting of multiple WWE superstars have now been added to the AAA Noches de Los Grandes match card.

Last week, after tension escalated between Pagano and Psycho Clown, The War Raiders (Erick & Ivar) appeared on stage and attacked the AAA World Tag Team Champions. However, with it still being unclear who attacked the rest of the clowns, Pagano and Psycho Clown will now team up despite their differences to defend their AAA World Tag Team titles against The War Raiders on May 30, 2026, at AAA Noches de Los Grandes.

Similarly, last week, after La Catalina’s debut win over Jessy Jackson, she was attacked by members of Las Toxicas. However, with the numbers advantage taking over, the debutant was saved by WWE NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice and WWE veteran Bayley. The trio teamed up to fend off the villainous trio of Lady Flammer, Maravilla & La Hiedra.

A week later, on May 16, 2026, episode of AAA on Fox, it was announced that Bayley, Catalina, and Vice will now take on Flammer, Maravilla, & La Hiedra in a six-woman tag-team match at Noches de Los Grandes.

AAA Noches de Los Grandes updated match card

AAA Noches de Los Grandes is set to take place on May 30, 2026, at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. Here is the updated match card:

  • El Grande Americano vs. Original El Grande Americano in a mask vs. mask match
  • El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. (c) vs. El Hijo del Vikingo for the AAA Latin American Championship
  • Pagano & Psycho Clown (c) vs. War Raiders (Ivar & Erik) for the AAA World Tag Team Championship
  • Bayley, Lola Vice & La Catalina vs. Las Toxicas (Flammer, Maravilla & La Hiedra)

Mexican authorities release statement following Cuatrero domestic violence conviction

Posted on by Josh Nason

Following Tuesday’s conviction of former AAA and CMLL wrestler Cuatrero on domestic violence charges resulting from a March 2023 incident with WWE wrestler Stephanie Vaquer, Mexican authorities released a statement Wednesday about the process to get there.

Cuatrero (Rogelio Reyes) was sentenced to nearly 13 years, two of which have already been served. A report Tuesday stated he could get a reduction in his sentence to another four+ years with Vaquer’s legal side expected to push for a longer overall sentence.

The domestic violence incident took place in March 2023 while Vaquer was wrestling in Mexico and in a relationship with Cuatrero. Vaquer claimed that an argument turned physical with Cuatrero grabbing her violently by the throat and throwing her into a wall, which caused an object to fall off the wall and onto her.

From the statement:

“The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía CDMX) secured a conviction against Rogelio “N” (Cuatrero) after establishing his guilty verdict in the crimes of attempted femicide and equivalent domestic violence, committed against his former partner, in connection with events that occurred on March 2, 2023.

According to the investigation, Rogelio “N” physically assaulted the victim at a residence in the Colonia Doctores on the Cuauhtémoc borough, causing her various injuries. After the assault, he fled the scene.

“In response to these events, the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía CDMX) launched an investigation and obtained an arrest warrant against Rogelio “N,” which was executed on March 11, 2023, by agents of the Investigative Police (PDI), in coordination with personnel from the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Aguascalientes (FGEA). Subsequently, he was indicted and placed under pretrial detention as a precautionary measure.

“On March 7, 2025, a court modified that precautionary measure and allowed him to continue the criminal proceedings while free under supervision, with the obligation to report weekly, not to approach the victim, and not to practice his profession as a wrestler.

“Once the corresponding procedural stages were completed and following the oral trial, the judicial authority handed down a guilty verdict against Rogelio “N” and imposed a sentence of 12 years and 8 months, in addition to the payment of full compensation for the damages. It also determined that the convicted individual will serve his sentence while remaining free and may continue to practice his profession, under judicial supervision, and must therefore report every three weeks regarding his appearances, venues, and match cards. As part of the protective measures for the victim, the court ruled that he may not participate in events where she is present.

“With this ruling, the Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office reaffirms its commitment to combating violence against women through robust investigations with a gender perspective, to ensure victims have access to justice, full reparation for the harm suffered, and protective measures that safeguard their integrity and safety.”

BVV: Recapping weak episodes of TNA Impact & AAA

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Well, you can’t win ’em all. TNA and AAA both put up TV shows last week, but neither turned out to be particularly exciting.

Vince Verhei talks about them all on the latest Big Vinny V Show.

TNA is still six weeks out from Slammiversary and seems to be in no hurry to put a card together. So, Impact featured EC3 making a very uninspiring return against Eric Young; a promo segment building a feud exactly zero fans could possibly want to see; a short, forgettable tag team championship match, which was followed by a longer, non-title tag team match that felt more important; and a completely new and original program pitting a babyface challenger against a heel authority figure.

And then, it was capped off by an Arianna Grace main event, of all things.

Meanwhile, in AAA, there’s a pointless banger of a three-way, an AEW special of a debut, and a main event angle that accomplished nothing.

Thank god I’m entertaining. Come listen to the Big Vinny V Show!

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Bayley returns to AAA, helps Lola Vice & La Catalina

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Bayley has returned to AAA on Fox.

In the second match of the night during La Catalina’s AAA debut, fans saw the triumphant return of Bayley. La Catalina’s AAA in-ring debut took place on the May 9th episode of AAA on Fox, where she secured a win over Jessy Jackson.

Before the match began, AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Lady Flammer joined the commentary team. Following Catalina’s win, she was ambushed by Las Toxicas (Flammer, Maravilla & La Hiedra). Soon, the NXT Women’s Champion and AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champion, Lola Vice, showed up to help. However, to make up for the number’s disadvantage, WWE veteran Bayley returned to AAA to help.

Bayley last wrestled for AAA at Rey de Reyes, where she lost her Reina de Reinas championship match against Lady Flammer.

AAA on Fox results | May 9, 2026

While tonight’s AAA on Fox episode aired on May 9, 2026, the original taping took place on May 2, 2026. AAA on Fox aired shortly after WWE Backlash.

  • Lince Dorado def. Cruz del Toro and Octagon Jr.
  • La Catalina def. Jessy Jackson

AAA on Fox live results: Lince Dorado vs. Octagon Jr. vs. Cruz Del Toro

Posted on by Jeff Moss

A triple threat headlines tonight’s post-WWE Backlash edition of AAA on Fox Latin America.

The three-way will see Lince Dorado vs. Octagon Jr. vs. Cruz Del Toro.

In the women’s division, La Catalina will make her promotional in-ring debut as she faces Jessy Jackson.

Psycho Clown calling out Pagano rounds out the announced card while a four-way tag team match featuring La Parka & Mr. Iguana vs. Money Machine vs. Nueva Generacion Dinamita vs. Tokyo Bad Boys is also anticipated.

Our live coverage begins when the show starts: after the Backlash post-show ends.

**********

We are back and ready to serve up a hot helping of Lucha Libre action on tonights episode of AAA on Fox! WWE made a big announcement about Triplemania earlier during Backlash, so we’ll see how often that comes up tonight.

In the meantime, there’s two great looking matches and a whole bunch of Clown drama on the docket tonight, so let’s not waste any more time!

Triple Threat Match: Lince Dorado vs. Octagón Jr. vs. Cruz Del Toro

This is one of those matches where I think to myself “who cares why this is happening, I’m just stoked that it is!” because it’s just that awesome.

Off the bell, everyone took a second to see who could make the crowd cheer more. Dorado seemed to be the winner but ended up on the outside first. Cruz and Octagon fought in the ring with Octagon nailing him with a tornado shoulder block. Cruz popped back up though and put Octagon in a leg lock, complete with spin move.

Dorado then rejoined the fray and broke it up, trying to grab a pin on Octagon, but Cruz did the breaking up this time. Octagon took a powder and Dorado hit an around the world DDT on Cruz. Cruz countered with an attempted baseball slide, but Dorado leapt onto the ropes to avoid it. He then flipped onto Cruz on the outside.

Dorado pulled Cruz back into the ring and put him in an armbar, but Criz powered out of it with a, well, a power bomb. Octagon showed back up with a twisting dive from the top turnbuckle and all three fought in the ring, with Octagon taking out Cruz with a head scissor.

Things were moving fast and furious as Octagon hit Cruz on the outside with a crossbody from the ring post. Tossing him back in the ring, Octagon hit a tornado splash, but Dorado broke up the pin. He started trading chops with Octagon, then hit a handspring stunner on Octagon off the ropes. Cruz broke up that pin.

All three started spamming superkicks until Octagon hit a cutter on Cruz. Then Dorado took him out, but Cruz was there to take Dorado out. As Corey Graves put it, “this was an all out sprint from the bell!”

Octoagon hit a moonsault slam on Cruz from the top rope, but Dorado was there to break up the pin just in time. Octagon dragged Cruz into position for a high move, but Croz pulled him off the ringpost, set him up in a tree of woe and then went coast to coast with a dropkick.

Dorado then snuck in with a shooting star press on Octagon. Cruz grabbed Dorado, but Dorado countered into a brain buster and got the pin to win the match.

Match Result: Lince Dorado defeated Octagón Jr. and Cruz Del Toro

La Catalina vs. Jesse Jackson

Catalina has been gunning for 1000+ day Reina de Reinas Champion Flammer of Las Toxicas. She gets a warmup tonight against someone who is neither a civil rights activist or an auxiliary member of the Jackson 5.

Before the match could begin, Flammer came down to the ring. She joined the Spanish announce team (or as they are known in lucha libre, the announce team) and the bell rang.

They locked up to begin, with Catalina shoving Jackson into the ropes. They traded wristlocks until Jackson bounced Catalina’s head off the canvas. Catalina returned the favor with an arm drag, sending Jackson into the corner.

Jackson dodged the charge though and Catalina had to think fast and hit her with a dropkick, sending Jackson to the outside. Cataline then dropped a leg on her from the apron and then said hi to Mrs. Roldan at ringside.

Back in the ring, Jackson hit Catalina in the face with an axe handle, then followed up with a meteora, but Catalina kicked out of the cover. Jackson started throwing punches, but Catalina wouldn’t stay down. Jackson sent her to the corner for some chops but Catalina fed her a big boot.

Catalina came off the top with a vicious missile dropkick and then a hip atack, but Jackson kicked out at two. Catalina went for a dropkick, but Jackson dodged it and countered with a running elbow. Jackson came out of the corner, but Catalina was waiting with a high knee.

Catalina went up top, but Jackson cut her off, pulling her down and bouncing the back of her head off the turnbuckle. Jackson then hit a knee and went for a cover, but Catalina kicked out. Jackson went for a suplex, but Catalina countered into a superkick.

She dumped Jackson in front of the ring post and went up top. Catalina hit a splash from the top and that was it. Catalina made the pin and got the victory in her AAA debut.

Match Result: La Catalina defeated Jesse Jackson

After the match, Flammer and Catalina talked trash until the other members of Las Toxicas ran down to beat up Catalina. They held her while Flammer kicked Catalina in the gut and smashed her with forearms. They were laying in a 3-on-1 beating when Lola Vice ran down to make the save. However, she was taken out by the damn numbers game, but who should show up to even the odds? Bayley!

Bayley, Vice and Catalina cleared the ring of Las Toxicas, sending them running up the ramp while they celebrated with the crowd. If this isn’t a six-woman match at Noche de los Grandes, I will be very disappointed.

Speaking of Noche de los Grandes, it was announced that El Hijo De Vikingo will take on El Hijo de Dr Wagner Jr for the AAA Latin American Championship on May 30th.

Psycho Clown Calls Out Pagano

Normally, a promo or interview segment instead of a match to end the night would bum me out, but I don’t think you understand how excited I am for this face off.

To bring you up to speed: Pagano and Psycho Clown are currently the AAA Tag Team Champions. They are also part of the Psycho Circus group that includes Panic Clown, Murder Clown and Dave… The Clown. Someone has been taking out the clowns (not sending them in) one by one over the last few months. Pagano and Psycho have been trying to figure things out while defending their tag titles, leading to the questioning of their co-existence. So

On the April 23rd episode of AAA, Psycho had a match against Ivar of the War Raiders. As one would expect, Erik got involved and Psycho fell to the 2-on-1 advantage. Pagano ran down to help, but was way too late to stop Ivar from winning. This lead to a backstage argument between Pagano and Psycho. Pagao stormed off and Psycho went into the locker room to discover that Murder Clown had been beaten unconscious! Psycho rushed to help his brother-in-clowning only to discover a telltale bandana at the scene. A bandana belonging to Pagano!

So tonight, they will try and hash things out clown-to-clown in an effort to get to the truth of what’s been happening in the Psycho Circus.

Best. Story. In. Wrestling. Right. Now. Maybe. Ever.

Psycho stood in the ring as a recap of the last few months played. He grabbed a mic and addressed the crowd (with Rey Mysterio translating, thanks Rey!). He said he can’t ignore what’s been going on and called Pagano to the ring.

Pagano came down to his version of Sol Ruca’s music and got a mic of his own. Psycho said that they were brothers and their other brothers have been taken out one by one. He then asked Pagano what he had to say about it. He then confronted Pagano with the bandana.

Psycho asked Pagano what was going on. Pagano said that after all they have been through together, how could Psycho believe that he could do something like this? Pagano said that someone was trying to destroy them.

Pagano said that he understands why Psycho would accuse him, but maybe he should take a look at himself in the mirror, because it wasn’t Pagano. He said he would never turn his back on his family and went in for a hug, but Psycho shoved him off.

Psycho threw down his mic and left the ring. Pagano called him back saying when the truth comes out, Psycho will find out that Pagano was innocent.

Suddenly the War Raiders appeared and jumped Psycho from behind. Pagano rand down to help and drove the War Raiders off. Psycho and Pagano then stared each other down and exited through different sides of the entrance as the show came to an end.

Drama! Intrigue! Clowns!!

La Catalina talks working with The Undertaker in AAA: ‘He’s scary’

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

La Catalina has opened up about her experience working with The Undertaker in AAA in Mexico.

On April 11, 2026, fans saw La Catalina make her much-awaited AAA debut, where she confronted the Reina de Reinas Champion, Lady Flammer.

Now, almost a month after her debut, La Catalina appeared for an interview with Denise Salcedo, where she reflected on working with The Undertaker.

“Then, we have The Undertaker. He’s scary, seriously. For me, when I was in front of The Undertaker, and he starts to talk, he’s so tall, and I’m like, ‘Okay, what do I need to do? Whatever you want, Undertaker.’ It is a dream too because I never [thought] that The Undertaker [was] going to be my boss in the future, [it doesn’t feel real],” she said.

The Undertaker is a WWE Hall of Famer and currently responsible for booking the Lucha Libre AAA shows.

La Catalina also highlights working with Jeremy Borash

In the same interview, the former CMLL wrestler also opened up about working with Jeremy Borash in WWE/AAA.

“I think Jeremy [Borash] is the best. He believed in me. He is a good person, and I love Jeremy. All the time, [I’ll say], Hey Jeremy, I wanted this. ‘Okay, we’ll do that.’ Hey Jeremy, I need this. ‘Okay.’ I love it because I feel so good. I feel more confident; I like it. All the time he asks me about who is La Catalina, what I want for La Catalina, and when I say, hey, I want this, it’s ’Okay, we’re going to work on that.’ I love it. Jeremy is one of the [people] that I really love in AAA.”

After spending weeks on the roster, she is set to make her in-ring debut on the upcoming episode of AAA on Fox on May 9, 2026.

AAA Makes Wrestling Fun Again -or- How I learned To Stop Worrying And Love Lucha Libre | Opinion

Posted on by Jeff Moss

Like most things in life, wrestling is cyclical and in a lot of ways, we’re currently at the bottom of the circle. 

WWE is in a creative place where the corporate aspect of being part of TKO is the lead story. WWE as a company is the star and it very much feels like characters and performance are secondary. AEW is putting on quality shows, but they are upwards of 7 hours long, which is a lot for even the most hardened of us to take. Ring of Honor, TNA, NXT, these shows all seem to be putting on decent matches, but the stories and characters can come across as listless and repetitive. 

So, where does that leave a wrestling fan like myself? It leaves me aching for something new and different and in spite of my previous comments about WWE, they have managed to plop it directly into my eyeballs. 

Granted, I’m a little late to the game, but AAA has blown the doors off a whole world of wrestling that was missing from my life. When AAA began to air on Fox in Latin America, I was tasked with doing the weekly live recaps and immediately I fell in love with AAA, the Mexican fans and lucha libre in general. To understand why, we have to go back to the beginning. 

The Birth of Lucha Libre

Lucha libre (which translates to “free fight”), has origins that trace back to the early 20th century, exploding in popularity in the 1930s when Salvador Lutteroth established the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL, known today as CMLL or Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre). 

During this “Golden Age,” the narrative of the técnico (the noble hero) versus the rudo (the villainous rule-breaker) became a reflection of social struggles and morality, captivating audiences across Mexico and elevating wrestlers to the status of living legends. This is probably best personified by El Santo, the “Silver Masked Man,” who became a folk hero through both his prowess in the ring and his prolific career in cinema. 

A luchadore’s longevity is frequently preserved through the sacred tradition of the mask; even as an individual athlete ages or retires, the persona can be passed down through generations, allowing iconic characters like Blue Demon or El Santo to remain eternal figures in the public consciousness.

For many luchadores, the mask is sacred, representing an ancestral lineage and a secret identity that is only revealed if lost in a high-stakes Lucha de Apuestas (bet match). One of these such matches is coming up in AAA as “Real” El Grande Americano will face “Original” El Grande Americano in a Mask-vs-Mask match on May 30th. 

What Makes AAA So Different?

Today’s lucha libre (AAA in particular) has taken all the legacy, excitement and athleticism and amped it up big time. They have amazing characters, incredible matches and an audience that’s hotter than a ringpost around Kane. 

In AAA (and lucha libre in general), the past is not only remembered, but celebrated and factored into the matches and shows happening currently. This makes AAA feel like not just wrestling, but culturally relevant historical moments, which as a viewer, just draws me in more. 

The audience is also a big factor. Not since the heyday of the romanticized “Attitude Era” have I seen weekly crowds that are as hot as a Saturday night AAA crowd. They not only live and die with the performers in the ring, but the reactions and noise they produce makes every episode of AAA feel full of tension and excitement that adds to the incredible work going on in the ring. 

Outcomes feel like wins and losses instead of booking decisions. Interference and run-ins happen naturally and make sense within the story of the match. These may not seem like crazy innovations, but in today’s wrestling world of 15-minute entrances, 45-year olds beating each other up and endless screwy “swerves,” the simple act of telling a story is a novelty. 

What You Need To Know

In addition to the aforementioned El Grande Americano Civil War, AAA is running programs in which El Hijo del Vikingo is desperately searching for success with Omos backing him up, Flammer, the Reina de Reinas Champion (Women’s Champion), is about to battle the newly-signed Catalina, who’s looking to end Flammer’s almost 1000-day title reign and there is major Clown drama, as Pagano and Psycho Clown (holders of the AAA Tag Titles) are about to be at each other’s throats. 

On commentary, Corey Graves and JBL (who has a surprisingly deep level of lucha-knowledge) are joined by Rey Mysterio Jr, who translates any Spanish that needs translating. They work as a great team and I was not a big JBL commentary fan in WWE, so that’s saying something. 

I’m not pretending to have discovered Lucha Libre or present it as something new, but, for the first time in a long time, I spend my weeks thinking about wrestling not in the context of business deals, ratings or news, but thinking of it in terms of fun. Just like I did when WWE and WCW were at their hottest. If for nothing else, I thank AAA for that. If a jaded old wrestling fan like me can rediscover the joy in wrestling through their program, then telling everyone else to watch it is the least I can do.