AAA Review – 04.11.26

WWE has been pumping out content lately, so let’s take a look: Raw | NXT | Evolve | Impact | Smackdown

AAA comes to Youtube tonight from the historic Gimnasio Olimpico in Mexico City, Mexico. The American announce team for tonight’s show includes Corey Graves, JBL, and Rey Mysterio. Tonight’s card includes a HUGE WWE Intercontinental title match, so let’s watch some lucha libre!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

Las Toxicas enter the arena led by the longest reigning Reina de Reinas Champion Lady Flammer – her record stands at 973 days. There will be a coronation for Flammer tonight. Here’s El Grande Americano Original entering prior to his battle with Octagon Jr, and finally we see El Hijo Del Vikingo entering with Dorian Roldan chirping away alongside him. Finally, here’s Vikingo’s opponent tonight, WWE Intercontinental Champion Penta entering the arena doing his now-signature strut.

La Hiedra and Lady Maravilla introduce Flammer, who JBL compares to Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali in their primes. A video plays highlighting Flammer’s many defenses and opponents, with comments from many celebrities and luchadoras. Flammer says she’d like to let the crowd know that Earth doesn’t deserve her nor do the crowd. Flammer thanks the people who congratulated her but she doesn’t recognize any of them, but they know her and that’s what matters. Flammer mentions all the women that she’s beaten including Nattie and Bayley, and finally she thanks all the Mexican women that she’s humiliated, stepped on, and destroyed like Lady Shani, Chika Tormenta, and Faby Apache. Flammer says she’s the best luchadora in AAA history and there’s no one left. Flammer says her coronation will never end. We see a video of a pink Cadillac revving up and speeding down a street with a license plate reading “La Catalina”. La Catalina makes her entrance to an immense pop and sarcastically claps for Flammer while marching down the aisle. Everyone is on their feet as Catalina enters the ring to congratulate Flammer while asking for some applause. Catalina says she’s there today because it’s a special day and she hopes Las Toxicas enjoy their party while they can. Catalina then says Flammer has done everything BUT face her, and a fight breaks out. Catalina sends Flammer face-first into the cake sitting on the table behind them. Catalina ends up alone in the ring with everyone on the floor and she picks up the title belt before holding it aloft to another immense pop. We go to commercials.

Octagon Jr vs El Grande Americano Orignal

EGA gets a big “Pero, pero!” chant while Octagon is cheered wildly. Octagon hits an armdrag and there’s an exchange of covers. EGA bails to the floor in frustration before re-entering. EGA chops away but Octagon fires up with a rope walk missile drop kick that sends EGA to the floor. Octagon mashes EGA with a tope suicida and then misses an Asai moonsault attempt. EGA runs Octagon into the ring steps and then backdrops him on the apron. EGA runs Octagon back in and chops him down repeatedly. EGA tries to take Octagon’s mask and that fires him up. Octagon hits a torneo and an enziguri that sends EGA to a corner. Octagon hits a running leg lariat and that gets two.

Octagon positions EGA and meets EGA’s knees when he attempts his next move. EGA yanks Octagon into an Exploder and ascends for a moonsault. Octagon counters it by putting his feet up so EGA yanks him into an ankle lock. EGA pulls Octagon’s mask fully off and the ref calls for the bell as apparently Octagon submitted while in the ankle lock. EGA holds the mask up in celebration to more chanting from the pissed crowd.

I’ll say this for EGA, the man knows how to draw some heat. It’s funny to think back on his career in NXT as part of a plucky pure babyface tag team and now he’s one of the most hated rudos in lucha. You never know where the path is going to lead. There wasn’t much to this other than to get to the post-match stuff, really. 2.25*

Winner – El Grande Americano Original (Ankle Lock submission)

Some celebrities at ringside are asked for predictions on the main event and EGA attacks comedian Ojitos de Huevo who had insulted him. EGA slaps on the ankle lock and he gets slapped by the interviewer Andrea Bazarate. EGA stalks her at ringside and here’s El Grande Americano Nuevo flies out to attack Original. They brawl around ringside and Original goes to the eyes before kicking Nuevo in los huevos. Security flies out to try to stop it but the brawl continues around the announce table. Nuevo breaks free and they fight up the aisle to the back. The crowd was going bonkers during all of this. We go to commercials.

WWE Men’s Intercontinental Championship: Penta (C) vs El Hijo Del Vikingo

Vikingo is clutching a couple of hatchets and is flanked by Dorian Roldan as he enters to a deafening amount of booing. Penta gets a standing ovation and wild cheering when he makes his way into the arena. This is the first time the IC title has been defended outside of the WWE since 1996 when HHH defended against Savio Vega in Puerto Rico’s WWC.

They reverse some go-behinds and Vikingo grabs a headlock. Penta reverses and then they run the ropes. Penta blasts Vikingo with a kick to the gut but runs into Vikingo’s boots when he charges. Vikingo grabs a roll up for two. Penta flies off the ropes and nails Vikingo with a rana and Vikingo responds with one of his won. Penta bails to the floor and when Vikingo tries a tope Penta catches him and slams him on the announce table. Vikingo fires up with a dropkick off the announce table that floors Penta. Vikingo rolls back in as does Penta, and Vikingo tries to tie Penta’s mask to the bottom rope. Penta is clutching his knee and Vikingo charges over to stand on Penta’s neck. Vikingo unties Penta and smashes him with a superkick. Vikingo’s cover gets two.

Vikingo works the injured knee and then slaps on a camel clutch while jamming his fingers in Penta’s mouth. Vikingo wallops Penta with some forearms before clubbering away on Penta’s back. Penta hits a couple of kicks and a sling blade. Penta drops Vikingo with an enziguri and a swinging dropkick that gets two. Penta yanks off Vikingo’s vest and Vikingo fires up with a kick after mounting Penta over the second rope. Vikingo hits a huge double stomp and covers Penta for two. They go nose to nose and start slugging it out. Penta drops Vikingo with a trip. Vikingo rises and they run the ropes. Penta unloads a running dropkick that gets two. Penta misses a charge and eats a Vikingo enziguri. Vikingo lines up Penta and nails him with a Meteora before ascending. Penta catches Vikingo off a dive and powerbombs him for two. Penta gets caught by Vikingo in a standing Spanish Fly, and Vikingo ascends for another double stomp that gets two.

They go to the apron and a chop battle breaks out. Penta hits a superkick and hoists Vikingo on his shoulders, but Vikingo snaps off a poison rana on the apron. Vikingo hits a running Shooting Star Press and then runs Penta back in. All of a sudden both Americanos come flying out from the back continuing their brawl as Security comes out to pull them to the back once more. This distraction allows Penta to waffle Vikingo with a tope con hilo before running him back in. Penta hits the Penta Driver and covers Vikingo for two. Penta gets yanked down by Dorian Roldan, who gets ejected by the referee. Vikingo grabs the belt while all this is going on, and Mini Vikingo comes in from outta nowhere to snatch the belt away. Mini hits Vikingo with a belt shot and he turns right into a Penta Mexican Destroyer. Penta covers and gets three.

As expected, this was an excellent lucha showcase with two of the biggest stars of the artform working their tails off to entertain. Vikingo has leaned so far into his rudo-ness that it’s almost hard to believe. Penta is a natural star and the crowds love him. The ending was slightly overbooked, which I expected, but it doesn’t prevent this from being one of the better matches I’ve seen in the last few months. 4.5*

Winner AND STILL WWE Intercontinental Champion – Penta (Mexican Destroyer)

Post-match sees Vikingo glare at Mini who celebrates while backing away slowly. The cameras catch the Americanos near the timekeeper’s area still brawling. The most ineffective Security on the planet cannot break up the fight as Graves mentions possibly needing the National Guard. Original breaks free again and charges Nuevo, but it’s finally broken up. Nuevo grabs a microphone and says that Original has crossed the line. Nuevo says it’s now an eye for an eye, blood for blood, mask versus mask! LUCHAS DE APUESTAS finally! That is going to be something else when it happens.

This show remains the most consistently entertaining hour of WWE produced television weekly. This was all about Flammer being challenged by the newly-arriving La Catalina, the brawl between the Americanos, and the incredible IC title match with Penta and Vikingo. I don’t know what more you could want out of an hour long wrestling show, quite frankly. Thumbs way up for this episode, and please find some time to watch it today if you get a chance.

Thanks for reading and commenting, and enjoy your Sunday!