A mask match over a year in the making headlined Triplemania XXV on Saturday night in Mexico City. The masks of Psycho Clown and Dr. Wagner Jr. were at stake on a show at Arena Ciudad that likely set a box office record for lucha libre.
Psycho Clown took the coveted mask of Dr. Wagner Jr. in the main event at the 25th installment of the annual supercard for what was billed as the “Match of the Decade.”
Elsewhere on the card, Johnny Mundo defended his triple crown of three different AAA championships in a three-way ladder match against El Texano Jr. and Hijo del Fantasma. Mundo did an angle with Vampiro afterwards.
Sexy Star defended her Reina de Reinas Championship in a four-way women’s match that could prove controversial based Star’s actions at the end of the match.
In another title match, Monster Clown & Murder Clown became the new AAA World Tag Team Champions on a show were clowns fared very well.
The show itself was a mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sometimes all those happened in the same match.
Kevin Gill and Gabriel Ramirez provided English commentary, and they did their best. Bless their hearts. They tried.
Ramirez throughout the night translated Spanish annoucements and promos into English.
Vampiro, La Parka and Faby Apache were at ringside to judge the Llave a Gloria (Key to Glory) matches on the pre-show.
Ashley, Dragon Solar, Pardux & Solaris defeated Chicano, Bronco Gonzalez & Fetiche in a Llave a Gloria match
Dragon Solar scored the pinfall in a haphazard match that opened the show.
Angelikal, Hijo Del Vikingo & Tigger defeated Tiger Boy, Villano III Jr. & Angel Mortal Jr. in a Llave a Gloria match
Lots of dives, high flying and highspots in a match where the tecnicos won wiith triple pinfalls.
Marisela Pena is sitting at ringside with her family, along with the ashes of Antonio Pena. She was introduced to the live crowd, and she waved to the people.
A military band played the national anthem during the opening ceremonies. An introductory music video featuring Aerosmith’s “Dream On” set the mood to rock ‘n’ roll.
Mini Psycho Clown, Hernandez, Hiedra & Mamba defeated Mascara de Bronce, Dinastia, Big Mami & Estrella Divina
Mamba pinned Big Mami in an intergender eight-person tag match. Hernandez did some funny spots with Big Mami. The others did dives and flew around. Hernandez powerbombed Bronce over the ropes to the outside where a group caught him. Big Mami popped the crowd with a splash off the middle turnbuckle onto a pile of bodies on the floor. Bronce did an injury angle being taken out by Hernandez.
AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Sexy Star defeated Rosemary, Lady Shani & Ayako Hamada to retain her title
Sexy Star submitted Rosemary with an armbar. This was tornado rules with everyone fighting at once in a wild match. They were beating the heck out of each other. Shani was busted open underneath her mask. They brought in a chair. The English announcers were wondering if the match was no DQ when the luchadoras started cracking each other with the chair. That settled the debate. They also used a sheetmetal garbage can. FMW lives! Rosemary went to the top rope, but Sexy Star caught here in an armbar. Rosemary tapped out, and Sexy Star refused to break the hold before doing so having retained her title.
A retired luchadora and former Reina de Reina champion, Martha Villalobos, presented Sexy Star with the title belt after the match.
Vampiro announced the Llave a Gloria winners as Angelikal, Ashely and Hijo del Vikingo. He also did the Dana White/Oprah gimmick of awarding everyone something. Participants from the previous prelim matches become the first class enrolled at a new training facility run by AAA.
Monster Clown & Murder Clown won the AAA World Tag Team titles in a four-way tag match with Dark Cuervo & Dark Scoria, DJZ & Andrew Everett, and Drago & Aerostar
Murder Clown pinned both members of the Dark Family after outside interference. Like the women’s match, this was also tornado rules. It was a highleet reel of crazy spots. They took it to the air early and often. Everett did a shooting star press to the outside to begin a parade of dives. After several dives, Murder Clown did a dive onto a group. Moments later, Murder Clown got superplexed on a Tower of Doom spot.
A lighting rig was lowered down to the ring, and Aerostar climbed aboard. The rig raised back up, high above the ring. Everybody kept fighting in the ring as Aerostar motioned to raise the lighting rig even higher. Aerostar then jumped off the rig high above into a crossbody down below on everybody in the ring.
Marty the Moth ran in and interfered while wearing clown makeup. Dave the Clown also interfered. Murder Clown splashed the Dark Family, and covered them for the pinfall to win the titles.
Marisela Pena delivered a speech and introduced a tribute video honoring legends and luchadores that have passed.
La Parka won the 25th anniversary torneo lumberjack match
Trios teams entered Royal Rumble style, and eliminations occured via pinfall. The teams meant nothing really, as it was every man for himself. The first entrants were Heavy Metal, Lanzeloth & Ricky Marvin. The next in was Faby Apache, Pimpinela Escarlata & Australian Suicide. Then came the OGT faction of Chessman, Super Fly & Averno. Next was Histeria, Maniaco & Psicosis. They were followed by Scorpio Jr., Zumbido & Decnis. Then came Halloween, Mr. Aguila & X-Fly. Next in was the Mexican Powers of Nino Hamburguesa, Crazy Boy & Joe Lider. Wait, Joe Lider jumped factions. WTH? Anyway, in next is La Parka, Argenis & Bengala. The legends team followed with Blue Demon Jr., Pirata Morgan & El Cobarde joining the match. Jeff Jarrett entered the scene throwing tortillas at fans. He got hit with a beer. His GFW partners were supposed to be Bobby Lashley and Moose. Jarrett was doing his own thing, though, as he heeled on fans. They threw trash at him in response.
Latin Lover made a surprise appearance to present La Parka a championship belt for winning.
Pagano vs. Mesias in a street fight ended as a no-contest
Mesias attacked Pagano in the aisle during introductions, and they began brawling. The fought in the ring, before the fight spilled outside. They brawled around ringside, using chairs and a garbage can. They returned to the ring and continued the brawl. Pagano did a flip dive through the ropes.
Back in the ring, Pagano gave Mesias a draping piledriver. Pagano grabbed a bundle of barbed wire. He went for a moonsault with the wire — but he missed and landed on the wire. Mesiad hit Pagano with the wire. Pagano soon fired up again as the fight lumbered on. The fans began turning on the match.
Pagaon retrieved a barbed wire baseball bat. Soon thereafter, Pagano hit Mesias in the knee with the bat. A doctor came in to check on Mesias, and medics brought out a stretcher for him.
Meanwhile, Rey Escorpion ran in to attack both Mesias and Pagano. He delivered a beatdown on each of them. As Pagano and Mesias were being stretchered out, Escorpion kept viciously attacking them.
Multi-champion Johnny Mundo defeated Texano Jr. and El Hijo del Fantasma in a ladder match to retain his triple crown of AAA championships
Titles defended included the AAA Mega Heavyweight title, the AAA Cruiserweight belt and the Latin American Heavyweight Championship.
Tables, ladders and chairs were utilized liberally during this melee. Texano ripped and tore at the mask of Fantasma.
Fantasma did a tope through the ropes, trying to drive Texano through a table. The table didn’t break. Fantasma was then put through the table, and Texano did a senton off a ladder on to the floor. Fantasma was busted open and bled heavily. Texano also got color and bled a lot.
Mundo climbed a ladder, and Fantasma tipped the ladder over. Mundo crashed through a table on the floor. He looked to have taken a nasty bump as he almost overshot the two tables set up at ringside.
Fantasma backdropped Texano off a ladder onto another ladder set up like a bridge. Fantasma climbed the ladder and went to grab the titles. Kevin Kross ran in to attack Fantasma. Mascara de Bronce made the save. Hernandez also did a run-in. Texano and Fantasma — with the help of Bronce — fought off the intruding rudos.
Fantasma and Mundo slugged it out atop a ladder. Texano set up a ladder beside them and joined the slugfest. Fantasma shoved Texano off the ladder, and he bumped through a table. Mundo knocked Fantasma off the ladder.
Mundo then began taking the belts down. His music (Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”) began playing before Mundo even grabbed the third belt. Good thing he still won when he pulled down the third title, or that would have looked awkward. It still kind of did anyway.
After the match, Mundo cut a promo. He called out Vampiro, and Mundo wanted Vampiro to put the belts around his waist. Mundo cussed Vampiro and called him a “bitch-made mark” a couple of times. Vampiro would not fight back.
Mundo slapped Vampiro across the face and spat at him. Mundo cussed him so more, until Vampiro could take no more. Vampiro grabbed Mundo by the throat and delivered a chokeslam. Vampiro then cut a promo on Mundo.
Texano and Fantasma started fighting again. They hit each other with chairshots to the head, and they continued to bleed. They started to brawl until they were separated by officials and security.
Psycho Clown defeated Dr. Wagner Jr. in a mask match
The crowd was chanting before the match ever started. The match started in the ring, but they soon began brawling on the floor. They went out into the crowd and brawled their way back into the ring.
They were trading moves when Wagner hit Psycho with a chop block to the knee. Wagner began working over Psycho, and Wagner ripped at Psycho’s mask. Wagner son, who accompanied him to the ring, threw a chair in the ring. Wagner hit Psycho with the chair, and Psycho got color by hitting a gusher. With Psycho bleeding all over the place, Wagner again hit him with a chairshot to the head.
Wagner kept pummeling Psycho as he continued to sell. Psycho fired up into a comeback, and he got a two count from a crucifix. Psycho got another near fall with a rollup. Psycho then began doing dives. He went for a flip dive onto Wagner’s son, and landed hard on the floor when he barely connected.
Psycho leapt over the guardrail into a flying clothesline in the first row. When they returned to the ring, Psycho tore at Wagner’s mask. Wagner soon cut off Psycho, then he gave Psycho a draping DDT.
Psycho fired up and got a near fall with la magistral cradle. Wagner fought back and he jumped off the apron with a senton. Wagner’s son interfered to trip Psycho. Wagner picked up Psycho in a fireman’s carry and dropped him into the first row with a fallaway slam.
Wagner executed a superplex for a close two count. Psycho countered with an Air Raid Crash neckbreaker for a near fall. They began trading moves down the stretch. Psycho delivered a swining DDT. Wagner got a two count after a Wagner Driver (Michinoku Driver). Psycho also kicked out of a second Wagner Driver.
In the closing moments, Psycho gave Wagner a superplex followed by a lungblower. Psycho Clown used a Code Red to finish off Wagner as he covered him for the pinfall.
Dr. Wagner Jr. must unmask.
Maximo and La Mascara, relatives of Psycho Clown, joined him in the ring to celebrate. Psycho brought his child into the ring. Wagner’s son consoled his father.
Wagner unmasked as Juan Manuel Gonzalez Barron, age 52, from Torreon.
