On May 23rd, 2026 AAA aired their 19th episode of AAA On Fox live in Mexico City Mexico inside Gimnasio Olimpico Juan De La Barrera & can watch it on Fox (Latin American) & WWE & AAA’s YouTube.
Curiseweight Title Match
Laredo Kid (c) defeated Rey Fenix via Frog Splash (8:51) (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
Tag Team Anything Goes Match
Los Americanos Hermanos (Bruto & Julio) vs. Los Americanos (Rayo & Bravo) ends in a No Contest (23:27)
On May 16th, 2026 AAA aired their 18th episode of AAA On Fox live in Santiago De Queretaro Mexico inside Auditorio General Jose Maria Arteaga & can watch it on FOX (Latin America) & WWE & AAA’s YouTube channels.
Fatal 4 Way Tag Team Match
Mixed Tag Team Champion Mr Iguana & La Parka defeated Nueva Generacion Dinamita (Forastero & Sanson), Tokyo Bad Boys (Nobu San & Takuma) & Money Machine (Colmillo De Plata & Garra De Oro) (10:10)
2 On 1 Handicap Match
Galeno defeated Chris Carter & Drago (2:49)
Tag Team Match
Creed Brothers (Brutus & Julius) defeated Aero Star & El Fiscal (7:19)
AAA opened the night with a fast-paced triple threat match between Octagón Jr., Lince Dorado, and Cruz Del Toro. The bout featured nonstop aerial offense, quick counters, and high-impact action from start to finish.
Early in the match, Cruz Del Toro gained control against Octagón Jr. However, Lince Dorado interrupted the attack and launched himself to the outside with a dive onto Del Toro. Moments later, Octagón Jr. answered with a twisting dive onto both opponents to regain momentum.
The pace continued to escalate as the three competitors traded offense throughout the match. Lince Dorado connected with a stunner-like maneuver on Octagón Jr., but Cruz Del Toro broke up the pinfall attempt at two. Shortly after, Octagón responded with a Golden Plex, though Lince once again stopped the finish by placing Del Toro’s legs on the ropes.
Cruz Del Toro later cut off Octagón Jr. from the top rope before delivering a Coast to Coast. Lince Dorado answered with a huge 450 Splash as the action continued at a relentless pace.
Result: Lince Dorado defeated Cruz Del Toro after connecting with a Bronco Buster.
Backstage, Dorian Roldán was seen talking on the phone before being interrupted by Chessman. During the conversation, Chessman mentioned that he had a meeting with Dorian’s mother regarding the General Manager position.
Before the match began, Flammer made her entrance to watch the action from ringside.
The match started with a technical exchange between Jessy Jackson and La Catalina. Jessy quickly took control with an aggressive approach, including a brutal knee strike against the ropes that nearly ended the match. Nevertheless, La Catalina responded with a dropkick from the top rope before following up with offense in the corner to regain momentum.
Jessy Jackson later regained control with several strikes and a double knee attack. Despite the punishment, La Catalina fought back and mounted a final comeback sequence. She sent Jessy into the ropes before climbing to the top rope and delivering a crossbody splash for the victory.
Result: La Catalina defeated Jessy Jackson after hitting a top-rope crossbody.
Following the match, Las Tóxicas attacked La Catalina. Flammer also joined the assault, delivering a hard elbow strike to the chest.
Lola Vice attempted to make the save but was quickly overwhelmed by the numbers advantage. Finally, Bayley appeared to even the odds and helped clear the ring alongside La Catalina and Lola.
With Psycho Clown in the ring, he called out Pagano to confront him over everything that has happened in recent weeks. Psycho stated that the situation goes far beyond championships or matches and made it clear that he suspects someone close to them. He admitted it hurts to believe that one of his own brothers could be behind everything happening.
Pagano reminded Psycho Clown of all the wars and battles they have fought together throughout the years. He denied attacking his partners and claimed that someone is trying to destroy the family from within.
However, Pagano warned Psycho Clown to be careful with his accusations and suggested that the truth might be closer than he realizes. Psycho then shoved Pagano in the middle of the ring. Pagano responded by saying that once the truth finally comes out, Psycho will understand that he was never on the wrong side.
As Psycho Clown stood on the entrance ramp, he was suddenly attacked by War Raiders. Pagano immediately ran from the ring to make the save. Afterward, Psycho attempted to thank him, but Pagano rejected the gesture by pushing his hand away before both men exited in opposite directions.
TripleMania just got even bigger.
During WWE Backlash, it was announced that TripleMania 34 will now be a two-night event. Starting on Friday, September 11th, and concluding on Sunday, September 13th.
While the details were slim, it was noted that the two-night event would take place in two different locations. However, no location was stated other than the first location would take place in the United States and would be announced in the coming weeks. One could argue that more details may be released during the Noche de Los Grandes show on Saturday, May 30th.
BodySlam will continue to update you as more details are released. Stay locked to BodySlam.net and BodySlam socials.
On May 30th, Lucha Libre AAA presents La Noche de los Grandes, an event that will feature the climax of one of the most intense rivalries in the recent years of the Mexican promotion, a Mask vs Mask Lucha de Apuestas between El Grande Americano vs The Original Grande Americano, a match long awaited by the Mexican fans ever since the once controversial character made its debut last year on the company after the purchase by WWE. If you aren’t familiar with the concept: A Lucha de Apuestas is the most important stipulation in Lucha Libre culture and is used as as the culmination of an important rivalry that has seen the fall of the most important Masks in history, the iconic hairstyles and on some occasions: A name of a character on the line. It is very common that when a Luchador loses his mask, he reveals all the information about their “secret” identity, such as their real name, birthplace and the exact years they’ve been wrestling as its very common on Lucha Libre that this information is kept private until they lose a match with said stipulation or pass away.
Today, we will review what are possibly the most important Lucha de Apuestas from the year 2000 onwards in preparation to the collision between the two Grande Americanos.
10.) Pentagon Jr vs Villano IV – Triplemania XXX: Mexico City (October 15th, 2022)
AAA tried doing multiple dates of Triplemania for several years on different locations of Mexico to try and give more importance to the name of the event. In the year 2022, AAA had a tournament named Ruleta de la Muerte, the concept of the tourney was that the losers of the matches would “avance” towards the finals, in said finals, both competitors would put their Mask on the line. The tournament involved heavy names such as Rayo de Jalisco Jr, Blue Demon Jr, L.A Park, Psycho Clown, Canek, Último Dragón and the two finalists: Pentagón Jr (Penta) and the legend Villano IV. Match was remembered as a violent showcase between both competitors, a 57-year-old Villano IV taking bumps on the floor outside the ring, Pentagon Jr’s mask getting ripped and dripping blood after constant and violent attacks by Villano IV that would end up with the iconic picture of Penta holding up Villano’s mask and the emotional speech by the legend after taking his mask off and subsequently retiring from the industry less than a year later.
9.) La Parka vs Cibernético – Triplemania XII (June 20th, 2004)
Right off the bat, this is the type of match many fans are expecting from both Grande Americanos, an overbooked extravaganza. On the year 2004, AAA founder Antonio Peña’s mark of liking to do dramatic, over the top stuff on every single major match the company featured was part of the magic that made AAA special and very different to what CMLL was. La Parka vs Cibernético is proof of that as the match isn’t really remembered by what happened inside the ring but for what happened around the ring during the contest such as the kidnapping on an ambulance of the original TV character “Televisa Deportes” by Los Vipers before Antonio Peña himself saved him after a motorcycle chase to said ambulance (this was shown on the broadcast of the match) and would end with Gronda, Octagon and many more Luchadores coming to the rescue of La Parka before a rollup finish secured the victory for the skeleton and subsequently winning the mask of “El Main Man de la Lucha Libre”, as Cibernético has said on multiple occasions, this is the match that made his bond with Chuy (Parka) stronger than ever as they were close friends in real life.
8.) Nicho el Millonario (Psicosis I) vs Psicosis III – Triplemania XIII (May 15th, 2005)
Many people remember the popular character Psicosis/Psychosis during the ECW and WCW days and even his short WWE run during the Ruthless Aggression era, little do they know that he’s had a history of several Lucha de Apuestas in his long tenure as a Luchador, losing his mask TWICE, on in Mexico to Rey Mysterio Jr and one in the United States to Billy Kidman. After wrestling many years outside of AAA, he lost a legal dispute for the name during the year 2000, becoming Nicho el Millonario on the independent scene while AAA gave the Psicosis name to another competitor who would go on wrestling with the iconic mask for 27 years. On Triplemania XIII, both Psicosis faced each other on a violent and iconic Lucha de Apuestas that involved brawls throughout the Plaza de Toros in Guadalajara, Mexico and the use of several objects to see who was worthy of keeping the Psicosis name. During the final moments of the match, longtime friend of Nicho, Histeria, interfered on the contest and attacked Psicosis II, only to end up betraying Nicho when he tried to open the box and opening the box himself, resulting in a no contest ending that evolved into a story of Histeria calling himself Psycho-Histeria as he said he owned the name after taking the “legal documents.” AAA would end up reversing this decision as Histeria was not an official competitor of the match, leaving Psicosis II with the name while Nicho El Millonario continued under this name until his departure from Lucha Libre AAA.
7.) Atlantis vs La Sombra (Andrade) – CMLL 82nd Anniversary (September 18th, 2015)
By the year 2015, Atlantis was considered one of Mexico’s greatest Luchadores ever after taking some of the most iconic masks in history while on the other hand, you had the young rising star La Sombra, who two years before this contest won a Lucha de Apuestas against the iconic Volador Jr, which cause La Sombra to work a more intense and rudo style that stablished him as one of the top acts of the company. Over the summer of 2015, Los Ingobernables (Rush & La Sombra) would wrestle several of the tecnicos tag teams to start making a name for themselves as one of the biggest threats until they ended up facing Atlantis on several occasions, which ignited the rivalry between La Sombra and Atlantis, with Sombra attacking the legend on constant occasions, which resulted in a match between both winner of the two previous Anniversary Shows, resulting in an epic two-out-of-three falls with Atlantis emerging once again victorious on a Lucha de Apuestas. La Sombra would unmask himself and subsequently became Andrade “Cien” Almas and making the jump to WWE, capitalizing on all the eyes generated from this match.
6.) L.A Park vs La Parka – Triplemania XVIII (June 6th, 2010)
A match that felt like watching a mirror for a generation. Many people remember the iconic, skeleton like masked Luchador La Parka from WCW, who started using this gimmick on AAA and was part of the group of Luchadores that wanted to mark a difference outside Mexico. But there was a big factor in this story, and it was AAA’s own founder: Antonio Peña, who felt that he couldn’t have his product without the iconic Parka character and ended up giving it to 29-year-old luchador, Karis La Momia, thus becoming the second incarnation of La Parka. Adolfo Tapia (the first Parka) would go on saying the way they revoked the name from him was unfair as he built a name with all his effort, thus renaming himself La Parka Original, later L.A Park (L.A meaning “La Autentica Parka”, The Authentic Parka). After Park left WCW, he competed in the independent circuit and CMLL, while La Parka became one fo AAA’s most important roster members and also winning the already mentioned Cibernético mask, until Park returned in 2010, laying out the challenge that he should be the only man known as La Parka and not a “wannabe impostor”, this would lead to tensions for several months until Triplemania XVIII. The winner of the match would be the rightful owner of the name the same way it previously happened with both Psicosis. The match featured the interference of Joaquin and Dorian Roldan, who became the two people in charge of AAA after its founder, Antonio Peña, passed away in 2006. Dorian originally sided with Park but mid match betrayed him until the final moments of the contest when popular stable Los Perros del Mal interfered and dragged Park’s body to a knocked-out Parka, subsequently winning the match and originally keeping the name. The Mexico City Boxing and Lucha Libre Commission would later revert the results of this match as the involved of Los Perros del Mal was controversial and La Parka kept the name while L.A Park continued with this name and worked as a freelancer with the company but not with all the negative critics of the chaotic match.
5.) Psycho Clown vs Dr Wagner Jr – Triplemania XXV (August 26th, 2017)
Starting strong with the top five Lucha de Apuestas comes one of the most controversial ones that took place in Triplemania XXV. The story started a year prior during the main event of Triplemania XXIV, which featured Psycho Clown vs Pagano. Wagner interfered during this match to rescue Psycho from an attack by Nicho el Millonario and Damian 666, only for him to betray Psycho with a low blow followed by a Wagner Driver. Despite this, Psycho would go on and win the match, shaving Pagano’s head. Wagner would challenge Psycho to a mask vs mask match that would go on and build for an entire year before reaching its climax. As Triplemania was getting closer, Psycho Clown got betrayed by Monster and Murder Clown, with whom they created the original trio of Psycho Circus. Despite all this, Wagner Jr assisted Psycho in multiple tag matches against the now rudo clowns. Finally, when the match occurred, Psycho Clown secured the victory with a Code Red after almost 30 minutes, marking the end of an era for such an iconic Luchador like Dr Wagner Jr. This decision caused very negative comments, as Wagner got called a sellout for allowing this to happen, which is something AAA wasn’t expecting back then as they visioned Psycho Clown as the next top Tecnico of the promotion. Wagner Jr would then rename Rey Wagner and would continuously switch between both names every time he wrestled.
4.) Blue Panther vs Villano V – CMLL 75th Anniversary (September 19, 2008)
The Imperial Dynasty, or Los Villanos, were indeed, Villains to the Wrestling industry as they are some of the most memorable rudos that the industry has ever witnessed, you combine this with Blue Panther who is arguably one of the most influential wrestlers ever, not just in Mexico, but on the world as his innovative style is reflected on many icons the world has seen, especially on the likes of Bryan Danielson. This was an emotional contest, as both legends were accompanied by then rising stars Hijo del Perro Aguayo/Perro Aguayo Jr on Villano V’s side and Místico on Blue Panther’s side. And, after 21 minutes of a very acclaimed technical match, Villano V pinned El Maestro Lagunero and taking his mask, revealing the face of Blue Panther to the world as the man known as Genaro Vazquez Nevarez. Despite this, Blue Panther still wears his iconic mask with previous authorization for matches he considers special while Villano V would lose his mask a year later against Ultimo Guerrero.
3.) Místico vs Black Warrior – CMLL 73rd Anniversary (September 29th, 2006)
Anybody that has followed Mistico for a long period has heard who Black Warrior was, as he is the man responsible for Mistico’s boom during the mid 2000’s due to their iconic rivalry that reached its highest point at the CMLL 73rd Anniversary Show when both individuals put their masks on the line in the main event of the evening. This event was remarkable as CMLL had a long list of veterans that could’ve been the main event of that evening, but it all came to the newest generation of Luchadores willing to proof their worth. The two-out-of-three falls match lasted for over 15 minutes; the first fall came three minutes into the match when Black Warrior submitted Mistico with La Tapatia. During the second fall, Warrior ripped Mistico’s mask off to a classic look of a beaten-up Principe de Plata y Oro, but Black Warrior’s confidence backfired and Mistico tied the score with a pinfall. Then, during the third and final fall, Mistico returned the favor to Black Warrior, ripping his mask to a very invested crowd and continued to go back and forth until Mistico finally locked in La Mistica to beat his rival in his second Lucha de Apuestas and probably his most iconic one until the contest with El Negro Casas years later.
2.) Atlantis vs Ultimo Guerrero – CMLL 81st Anniversary (September 19th, 2014)
To many individuals, this was the last time a Lucha de Apuestas had a heavy weight until what will come on May 30th at Noche de los Grandes. A culmination of many years of rivalry between two former tag team partners. The rivalry was reignited to a high point during the 2013 Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles by forcing both individuals to tag team once again despite of years being rivals until they lost the finals of the tournament during 2013’s edition of Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, causing frustration on both Atlantis and UG, causing a brawl between them that ended up with Atlantis ripping off Guerrero’s mask. Later, they both signed a contract to seal a deal for a Mask vs Mask match without announcing a date and during Atlantis’ 30th Anniversary as a wrestler, Ultimo Guerrero attacked him, seeking vengeance after many months of verbal and physical altercations. The match was planned for the 80th Anniversary but plans never came to fruition until the 81st Anniversary after the event Juicio Final in 2014 at which the match was made official. Ultimo Guerrero pinned Atlantis for the first fall while Atlantis tied the score with a submission with one of Ultimo Guerrero’s favorite holds, El Pulpo. You could feel the tension in this match as both legends never lost a Lucha de Apuestas before this match with such a resume between the two with an actual possibility of Atlantis, a real-life superhero for the children, losing his mask. After almost 18 minutes of war, Atlantis locked in La Atlantida and ended the almost decade-long rivalry, unmasking Ultimo Guerrero who couldn’t avoid getting emotional, breaking into tears during the post-match ceremony and giving up his mask to Atlantis.
1.) Atlantis vs Villano III – CMLL Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2000: Juicio Final (March 17th, 2000)
One could say anything about this match, but there’s no doubt it’s the best Lucha de Apuestas in history and one of the greatest wrestling matches the mankind has ever seen. A lot of words could be said, but why hear or read it? Watch it and witness it yourself with your own eyes.
VILLANO III vs ATLANTIS Máscara vs Máscara
Before the bell rang, El Hijo del Vikingo surprised Mini Vikingo with an immediate attack, taking full control of the match from the opening seconds.
The punishment continued outside the ring, where El Hijo del Vikingo connected with a powerbomb onto the entrance ramp, maintaining control of the match.
Back inside the ring, he went for the win but decided to pull his opponent up at the count of two, extending the punishment as a show of dominance.
Mini Vikingo eventually managed to respond, sending his opponent out of the ring before connecting with a tornillo followed by a crucifix pin attempt.
With the referee down after a previous impact, El Hijo del Vikingo attempted to use a chair, but the situation changed when El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. appeared and intervened, delivering a Wagner Driver onto the chair. That left the opening for Mini Vikingo to hit a spectacular dive and secure the victory.
Highlights:
El Hijo del Vikingo attacked before the bell
Powerbomb onto the entrance ramp
Vikingo stopped the count at two as a show of dominance
Mini Vikingo responded with a tornillo followed by a crucifix
El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. intervened with a Wagner Driver onto the chair
Result: Mini Vikingo defeated El Hijo del Vikingo.
Post-Match: Debut And Chaos In The Ring
After the match, Omos appeared and attacked Mini Vikingo. Omos then continued the assault on El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. before El Galeno del Mal, the brother of El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., appeared to confront him.
Together, they managed to send the giant out of the ring, marking El Galeno del Mal’s AAA debut following WWE’s acquisition.
The match was a high-level contest from the start, with both wrestlers exchanging offense and showcasing their agility inside the ring. Rey Fenix used his aerial style to gain the advantage, while Laredo Kid answered with speed and attacks from the top rope.
The match remained evenly contested for much of the bout, with multiple near falls that only reached two, increasing the intensity in front of the crowd.
Highlights:
Rey Fenix walked the ropes to connect with a spectacular hurricanrana
Laredo Kid connected with a splash from the top rope
Both men survived multiple two-counts
Rey Fenix delivered a DDT in Laredo Kid’s style
A final exchange of strikes fired up the crowd
Result: Rey Fenix hit the Mexican Muscle Buster to defeat Laredo Kid.
Post-Match: Tension Continues
After the match, Rey Fenix attempted to shake Laredo Kid’s hand, but Laredo Kid rejected the gesture of respect.
The rivalry between both men continues following what happened in the ring.
Tension took over the ring with the highly anticipated contract signing ahead of Noche de los Grandes, where the mask vs. mask match was made official.
The segment began with the introduction of El Grande Americano, who took the microphone to emphasize the importance of the match and demanded that everything be officially signed. The contract terms were then read, including a clause prohibiting any physical contact until May 30, adding even more drama to the upcoming showdown.
The situation escalated when the immediate firing of Andrea Bazarte was demanded as a condition for the match to take place, which was ultimately carried out in front of the crowd. With everything in order, El Grande Americano signed the contract, making the apuestas match official.
However, chaos quickly broke out. In the final moments, The Creed Brothers made a surprise appearance and attacked El Grande Americano, delivering a devastating Alabama Slam through the table in the middle of the ring.
When the situation appeared completely out of control, Bravo and Rayo arrived to clean house and end the attack, closing the segment with major intensity ahead of the anticipated showdown.
Lucha Libre has caught the attention of fans outside Mexico over the last couple years, specially when the Mexican companies where one of the few ones that continued to do shows during the Pandemic, giving people another alternatives to watch pro wrestling outside WWE, specially when AEW was just starting to build up their identity around the time, while a few prospects from Mexico caught the attention of people. Today, we will speak about the curious case of one of the top mentioned names that are still shuffling in current day: El Hijo del Vikingo.
Background of HDV
First of all: Who’s El Hijo del Vikingo? He’s a second generation star, son of the Luchador King Vikingo, a wrestler known for his independent run on local promotions in Puebla, Mexico and a tenure on Lucha Libre AAA, company where he formed some ties that would have an impact on what would be the future for his children on the industry. King Vikingo was not a popular name for the average fan of Lucha Libre.
His names starting gaining more attention during 2025, when he was attacked by Alberto El Patron during a tv show in Mexico called Venga La Alegria in the middle of his feud with Hijo del Vikingo in AAA.
Hijo del Vikingo would make his debut in 2012 at the age of 14 and by the age of 19, he signed a full time contract with AAA in 2017, he started as a filler participant in multi man tag matches and ended up receiving a contract by Vampiro Canadiense.
Hijo del Vikingo would then become a relevant individual on the Trios Division and the Tag Team Division, working with Laredo Kid and Angelikal in a stable known as Los Jinetes del Aire and would later be joined by Golden Magic, Octagon Jr and Myzteziz Jr. He would become a 2 time World Trios Champion for the company and challenged for the Tag Team Championship several times, one being the highly acclaimed match between him and Laredo Kid against The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr and Rey Fenix) at Heroes Inmortales 2021.
The Turning Point
After then reigning AAA Mega Champion, Kenny Omega, retained the championship against Andrade El Idolo at Triplemania XXIX, he randomly declared his intentions to defend the championship against Vikingo, this decision would cause hype on some cases but also a lot of criticism, as a certain sector felt that Vikingo didn’t earned the opportunity to get that chance to not only wrestle Kenny Omega, but a change to become the Mega Champion. The match would end up not happening as Omega vacated the championship due to injury. Vikingo would go on to become champion in a Five-Way match by defeating Samuray del Sol, Bobby Fish, Jay Lethal and Bandido, this match occurred thanks to the former alliance between All Elite Wrestling and Lucha Libre AAA.
Championship Run and Current Day Boos
Vikingo would start appearing on AAA programming and several promotions around the United States as champion, including MLW’s Azteca Underground, GCW and finally AEW, where he finally had his match against Kenny Omega in a match that was considered a dream for many, but a forced act for others as Vikingo never looked like a “credible champion” despite being ranked eight on PWI’s top 500, the highest a Mexican wrestler has ever been since Alberto del Rio since 2013. He would go on an vacate the AAA Mega Championship after 833 days due to injury in March 2024.
During his time way during injury, it was revealed that Hijo del Vikingo stopped paying child support to both of his children, its known that one of the kids is product of his previous relationship with female Luchadora Hades while the other child’s mother information is not of public matter, starting the slow turn of support by Mexican fans towards Hijo del Vikingo, who, apparently, never acknowledged or explained the situation legally (and publicly), causing the AAA socials filled with negative comments towards his persona. He would then return from injury, feuding with Alberto El Patron and El Ojo, but due to the negative comments of child support and the involvement of King Vikingo, who was rumoured to be vouching for his son to get a bigger importance along him on the product, Vikingo started getting constant boos on every show he presented himself in Mexico. Feuding with El Patron, who’s a beloved wrestler in the country and was the AAA Mega Champion at the time didn’t helped his case. WWE would go on and buy AAA, including Vikingo’s contract and making him the first WWE-AAA Deal to be signed, forcing the story with Alberto and El Ojo be wrapped up abruptly, beating him for the AAA Mega Championship to an immense and loud angry crowd and then beating him on a rematch inside a Steel Cage at Triplemania Regia, El Patron would go on and leave AAA after being betrayed by El Ojo, thus getting his contract terminated by WWE orders.
Hijo del Vikingo has been a prominent persona ever since AAA was purchased by WWE and still is to this day, forming a new version of El Ojo after his heel turn due to the negative of people wanting to support him along Omos and Dorian Roldan. Vikingo’s most recent chapters of his career was challenging Dominik Mysterio at Rey de Reyes, failing to become a three-time AAA Mega Champion and then challenging Penta for WWE’s Intercontinental Championship in what became the first time a WWE Championship was defended on AAA programming.
The opening match kicked off at a fast pace as Money Machine launched an early attack before the bell. However, Rey Fenix and La Parka quickly responded with a spectacular double dive to the outside.
Fenix was isolated for much of the match until he managed to tag in La Parka, who shifted the momentum.
The finish came when:
La Catalina appeared in a backstage segment, reflecting on her recent debut and making her intentions clear:
She is coming for the Reina de Reinas Championship.
Catalina also spoke about her journey and her goal of inspiring young fans across Latin America.
Two of AAA’s top champions collided in a high-level match that showcased both speed and power.
Laredo Kid controlled much of the early action with fast-paced offense and aerial attacks, while Wagner Jr. relied on strength and resilience.
Key moments included:
After the match, tensions rose briefly, but both competitors ultimately showed respect with a handshake.
Marisela Peña announced that a new General Manager will be revealed live on May 23.
The main event delivered a physical and storyline-driven match, especially highlighting the long-standing rivalry between Texano Jr. and El Mesias.
Highlights included:
After the match:
The internal conflict continues and is expected to escalate next week.
Since 1933, Mexico has had the opportunity to have the privilege of being the home country of what is current day’s oldest wrestling company in the world: El Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), guided by the vision of the man that is known as “El Padre de la Lucha Libre” (The Father of Lucha Libre), Salvador Lutteroth, who’s inspiration and memories are still remembered every year in La Catedral de la Lucha Libre in Arena Mexico with the known event Homenaje a Dos Leyendas.
Then, in 1992, during one of the biggest booms that the sport has ever seen in the country, former CMLL (Then EMLL) writer and booker, Antonio Peña, founded what would be known as Lucha Libre AAA WorldWide with his own vision, giving an alternative promotion for Mexico and bringing some talents with him on a road to create a new legacy that would be disliked by many individuals that felt it was a betrayal, but reality was different, it was an opportunity to share a beloved sport to even more people around the country.
Both companies would go on on a rivalry that would be both promotions on a gigantic clash. Bringing some of the most iconic luchadores to the show to see who could present the biggest shows and both companies would work evenly, bringing the likes of Mil Mascaras, El Canek, El Hijo del Santo, Eddy (Eddie) Guerrero, Blue Demon and Blue Demon Jr. But also creating icons, new characters to relate to people in the form of La Parka (A.K.A L.A Park), Rey Mysterio Jr, Psicosis, Atlantis, Ultimo Guerrero, El Felino, Negro Casas and many more. Lucha Libre was here to stay, not just be an occasional sport, it was becoming part of Mexico’s culture, a way of living, an escape from reality that would be embraced on several environments.
The Big Jump to the United States
Jackie Joe, a luchador from Sonora was the first Mexican to wrestle in the United States in 1933, but it wasn’t until 1972 when Mil Mascaras made the first jump to a major company when he wrestled for WWE (Then WWWF) at a Madison Square Garden. Mil Mascaras would go on and challenge for the WWWF World Championship, Intercontinental Championship and the WWF Tag Team Championship along SD Jones. Then, thanks to the creation of AAA, the idea of being conservative, traditional and more with Lucha Libre started being an old idea with Antonio Peña saw some of the contracted luchadores to make a jump to American soil, regardless if he was agreeing to their decision or not, he was recognized as one of the principal people that brought Lucha Libre to the United States. Some of them worked at the 1997 Royal Rumble with Mil Mascaras himself, Cibernetico, Latin Lover and Pierroth Jr being participants of said match and then working on several promotions, but the most remarkable: Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Delivering us infamous moments such as the Mexican Death Match between Tajiri and Super Crazy, La Parka running around with his chair and being nicknamed “The Chairman”, Rey Mysterio and his legendary battles against Eddie Guerrero and Psicosis. All of this where the first steps for the American fans to explore on a new style of wrestling, a style that would also be more noticeable on WCW’s Cruiserweight Division and in matches that featured Luchadores part of the original Latino World Order (LWO). All the main elements and legacy would allow for several eras of Luchadores to participate in companies such as TNA, WWE and most recently, AEW.
More Than a Mask; An Identity
In Wrestling, a gimmick is usually the character that identifies your career for maybe a short period, maybe the rest of your career, but in Lucha Libre, it determines your life forever if you decide to persuade the dream of entering the four corners of survival. The most important figures of the industry that have left this world adopted a life that was tied with the mask, going beyond the sport, becoming icons and one with the name, with El Santo and Blue Demon being buried with their masks on and are character’s that have surpassed the industry itself, becoming an immortal part of not just Mexican Culture, but culture in general, as they were billed as real life superheroes that are still mentioned current day, being featured in movies, novelas, wrestling matches and more media that nobody has been able to surpass.
Americanization On The Industry
There’s no secret that Lucha Libre saw a decrease of the interest by fans and society around the 2006 all the way to 2008, key moments like the death of Antonio Peña, the insecurity in Mexico and the rise of popularity of WWE and MMA in the country started taking away the attention of the traditional methods. Lucha Libre started feeling it was rinse and repeat every time, until AAA started leaning towards a style that looked familiar, a style that could only be defined by “sports entertainment”, which made fans turn back to the company, only to realize they tried to be a bootleg version of WWE, even tried to bring bigger international names like AJ Styles, Bobby Roode or James Storm or doing angles too similar to what we could watch on the other side of the river with controversial endings such as the infamous L.A Park vs La Parka disaster when Los Perros Del Mal helped out L.A Park until the decision was reverted back, cause criticism to raise on the lack of creativity and essence that made the Mexican industries stand out, even reaching to a point that AAA was considered “a bootleg version of WWE with a cheap budget”, hurting the perspective of fans towards the company.
During the second half of 2024 and throughout 2025, it was clear that the popularity of Lucha Libre generated a modern boom, leading several stars to go viral thanks to highly acclaimed fights, Luchas de Apuestas that would represent a giant step in the careers of wrestlers such as Zandokan Jr. and Hechicero (to name a few), until these Mexican talents were incorporated more naturally into the two largest companies in the industry today: WWE and AEW, but not without notable consequences.
Despite everything, the attention that companies such as CMLL and AAA managed to attract from the general public outside the country has had consequences, including the participation of wrestlers who are not accustomed to the guidelines that are customary in the country, which has had a noticeable impact, especially since WWE purchased Lucha Libre AAA. Initially, the product changed gradually, with improvements such as better production and planning of spots, but also an even more noticeable departure from what was customary in Mexico, where, once again, the scarcity of Luchas de Apuestas caught the attention of fans, as this led to several already advanced storylines disappearing from the programming without a trace, being completely forgotten and trying to give a bigger importance to championships, which some fans would consider abnormal, as titles are mostly just decorations, rather than the highest price for companies.
Recently, another important detail was mentioned by several fans, where since the end of December 2024, it was noticed that every time a wrestler from AEW visited the Arena Mexico and the CMLL, the stipulations of the matches were changed to fit their customs. This was replicated during the “International Weekend,” where the scarcity of trios matches and 2 out of 3 fall matches was quite displeasing and received criticism, as the product began to lack personality, gradually becoming “AEW Dynamite Hours 3 and 4.” A couple of weeks ago, the CMLL announced that the Captain’s Rules for trios or tag matches would disappear completely, once again raising alarms among Spanish-speaking fans, who compared it to an American style and accused it of trying to be “colonized,” as many were labeling it.
Last week, during the most recent broadcast of Lucha Libre AAA, we saw how the long-standing rivalry between Abismo Negro Jr. and El Fiscal has been revived. Rumor said that this rivalry would be the main event at TripleMania XXXIII, where the two would battle it out to see who would carry on the name and mask of Abismo Negro. It was a fight that had been eagerly waited for a long time and was one of those that had been forgotten. This has left a glimmer of hope that, perhaps, AAA management is realizing that fans are not entirely happy with moving away from what sets them apart. The tradition of betting hair, names, and masks is something totally sacred, along with the rules of combat that have been followed for so many generations.
CMLL, on the other hand, does not seem to be backing down from its roots, as criticism continues to mount with each passing week, such as this week’s example with the Caballera vs. Cabellera match between Angel de Oro and Johnny Consejo (Johnny TV in AEW).
There is a fine line between supporting these alliances that have been reflected in the product and leaning entirely toward one side. It does us no good to have sold-out crowds week after week if things continue to feel empty, directionless, and above all, without heart and soul. Lucha Libre is a culture in Mexico, not just another sport and entertainment like in other countries. It represents our history, our real-life heroes, our escape from society to unite with others who share the same belief that without it, life would be flat and boring. Let’s not forget where we come from. Let’s embrace it and carry it forward because without it, we wouldn’t be where we are today after more than 90 years, bringing people’s eyes from outside your origin won’t pay off losing the people that’s always been there.
World Wrestling Entertainment held Day 4 of WWE World At WrestleMania 42 on April 19th, 2026. The event took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and aired LIVE on the WWE YouTube Channel.
Day 4 of WWE World at WrestleMania 42 showcased five matches featuring WWE Main Roster Superstars, NXT Superstars and stars from AAA. You can see the full results from the event below.
(h/t Cagematch for the results.)