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Add FightsATW on GoogleThe 34th annual Lucha Libre AAA ‘TripleMania‘ will be held as a two-night event for the first time in company history, despite the 2024 supercard spanning 3 cities on 3 different dates over four months. There are several firsts in store for this year’s show (or firsts in a while), and that includes returning the event to America for the first time since TripleMania IV in ’96, as well as the first time the show will be held outside of Mexico since TripleMania VIII in Tokyo, Japan.
The Friday, September 11 show will be held stateside at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Nevada, while night two will broadcast live from Mexico City, Mexico, inside the Arena CDMX on Sunday, September 13 – the card featuring Dom Mysterio’s AAA Mega Championship defense against El Grande Americano.
There were industry rumors that TKO would eventually put real juice behind the promotion’s biggest event of the year in hopes of landing a U.S. TV rights deal for the Mexico-based promotion by using night one of TripleMania as a ‘showcase’ for TV executives in the Vegas area.
This also aligns with the recent addition of the Roman Reigns storyline courtesy of Triple A GM Rey Mysterio Jr. following this week’s MNR (reports suggest it will be El Grande Americano challenging for Roman’s heavyweight title, and even Wrestling Observer Radio’s Bryan Alvarez said that could be the plan—for now).
Last year’s TripleMania produced record-breaking numbers, but if TKO is going to brand the event as one of the hottest dates on the wrestling calendar, they will need recognizability. When it comes to putting someone over in wrestling, and much like waxing cars, the polish is only as good as the initial ‘rub.’
Putting over a wrestler is not much different than putting over a company; you get your brightest spotlight—in this case, Roman—to ‘shine’ on the roster’s most talented. With all the pieces being put into place, this includes CM Punk’s expected inclusion in the ‘Worlds Collide’ WWE/AAA joint show in Chicago; the only question will be which talent to feature in what spots?
That is why FightsATW is taking the time to give a ‘crash course’ on AAA‘s most over talent as well as those with the potential to feature on Worlds Collide, TripleMania XXXIV, or against Roman for the heavyweight title at the MNR in Mexico. There are many incredibly talented luchadores in AAA, too many to list in one piece, so this list will focus on those with a commercial-ready appeal needed for the upcoming events.
- MECCA WOLF
     From: Puerto Rico
     Age: 39
To start the list, we will have to push the goal post away from ‘immediate usability’ to make room for Mecca Wolf. The former tag team specialist who held tag team gold in NWA has an incredible look; unfortunately, the gimmick overlaps Jacob Fatu’s own ‘Samoan Werewolf’ schtick.
It could be a problem, or it could be a terrific program, but he can communicate with the crowd through his in-ring work, and that is not a virtue to be overlooked in this current landscape of wrestling. Not all heroes wear capes, and in wrestling, some heroes are there to lose and make others look good in the process. And right now, WWE is in desperate need of believable heels.
- MINI VIKINGO
     From: Mexico
     Age: 18
The brother of the former Mega Champion, El Hijo del Vikingo, Mini Vikingo’s stock has never been higher after CM Punk put him over by mentioning his name in the post-show for SummerSlam night-one as a potential dream match. His acrobatic style and unique athleticism allow Mini Vikingo to separate himself from an already stellar roster of performers despite his limited stature. The ‘execs’ in Vegas for TM34 night-one will need only see his aerial finisher, the 630 senton, to be sold.
- PERROS DEL MAL (Faction)
     Members: Angel(MEX), Berto(MEX), Daga(MEX), Bronco Nima(U.S.—OAK), and Karmen Petrovic(Bosnia)
     Catchphrase: Dios Perdona, Los Perros No (God Forgives, The Dogs Don’t)
Perros Del Mal (the ‘Dogs of Evil’ for the gringos) exists as the most problematic group in AAA with bad intentions and a cast of characters capable of carrying out the catastrophic. The faction has historical roots in Mexico’s Lucha Libre lore, originally forming in CMLL under the guidance of Hijo del Perro Aguayo. The original group disbanded in 2015 following the death of its founder, but it has seen many iterations since, with its current brand of bad occupying the AAA roster.
WWE could use some outside ‘guns for hire’ capable of causing havoc in any locker room on any day of the week, but they could also be used to confront Chad Gable to see if he really has ‘that dog in him’ – at the very least, these dogs are cooler than the Mug Root Beer mascot.
- EL HIJO del DR WAGNER JR (Aztec Warrior)
     From: Mexico
     Age: 34
Featured before on WWE and NXT programming, El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. is probably the most important feature on this list because he meets all the criteria. In fact, there are good reasons to believe that he exists as a potential WWE guy in the not-so-far future. His work with Ethan Page during the early cross-promotion days was seen favorably amongst those ‘in the back’ of both companies.
As the former Latin American champion (his father, Dr. Wagner Jr., was the inaugural title holder), he should be favored to reclaim the title in his fatal four-way to determine a new champion following the injury to El Hijo del Vikingo that caused him to vacate. Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. is scheduled to face La Parka and two others (TBD), so his odds of a second title reign will depend on who else is added to the match.
HONORARY MENTION
Before we get to the number one, you will find names considered to be obvious for this list missing, and that is precisely because they are ‘obvious.’ That said, the following are names that already occupy some space in the heads of casual American wrestling fans and are likely to feature in one or most of the cross-branded shows:
– El Hijo del Vikingo (injured so he won’t be used in any capacity, but his talent is so immense that he is still worth mentioning)
– Mr. Iguana (he already has a huge line of merch drops that include ‘figs’; the star has been discovered, and now it’s about finding out if ‘long-term life’ is orbiting)
– Rey Fenix (current cruiserweight champion for AAA, WWE fans should know he is amazing by now)
– Lady Flammer (Reina de Reinas champion, this talent could be ‘called up’ to the WWE roster tomorrow and immediately level up either SmackDown or RAW’s women’s division)
- LA CATALINA
In today’s wrestling market, creating content is a daily job filled with meticulous scrolling (you must have a plan, so as not to get distracted) and never-ending research. Keeping your finger on the pulse of the ever-changing pro-wrestling landscape is a must, and that effort is only one of the metrics that defines La Catalina’s potential. In the time covering Triple A, names like El Grande Americano and El Grande Americano have hit heights few ever expected, but the two names with the most recent traction going to La Catalina and the aforementioned Perros Del Mal.
After making a very impactful debut, La Catalina was instantly over with the Triple A crowd, but the more fascinating aspect was how much of an imprint she left on English-speaking American fans with little to no reference of her prior work. They had not seen her brand of wrestling, but she was already a ‘fan favorite’ among regular WWE watchers who happened to catch her debut on YouTube.
There will be faces made regarding this entry, but with Rhea Ripley out for some time and the women’s division feeling lacking without her, La Catalina could be the successful expansion into the market that Stephanie Vaquer was supposed to be before her injury derailed her run.
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