AAA Lucha Fighter tournament week 2 recap: Pentagon is back breaking arms

AAA returned for week 2 of the live, empty arena Lucha Fighter tournament. The big surprises this week were the reveals of Pentagon and LA Park as participants.

If you missed week 1, get caught up about the return of Dr. Wagner Jr.

The week 2 card had the following matchups:

• Vanilla vs Big Mami
• Keyra vs Lady Maravilla
• Faby Apache vs Lady Shani
• Myzteziz Jr. vs Chessman
• LA Park vs Laredo Kid
• Octagon Jr. vs Pagano
• Niño Hamburguesa vs Pentagon

LA Park vs Laredo Kid was the best bout of the bunch. Niño Hamburguesa vs Pentagon was the most interesting. It put a rising fan favorite against a megastar. We don’t see those types of matches very often in AAA. The women had a chance to show their singles skills. Myzteziz Jr. and Octagon Jr. are always fun to get your fix of flippiness.

Watch AAA’s two-hour Lucha Fighter week 2 episode here.

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Jesus Zuniga welcomed us to the broadcast as emcee and ring announcer. Jose Manuel Guillen and Rafael Ayala handled commentary. Piero el Internacional and Copetes Salazar were the referees.

Let’s run through the notable moments and match finishes.

Big Mami defeated Vanilla. Vanilla was a firecracker of aggression. She controlled the pace throughout until missing a flying senton. Big Mami scooped Vanilla up for a Gory Special slam to win.

After the match, Lady Maravilla ran in to put the boots to Big Mami. Faby Apache came in for the save to chase away Maravilla.

Lady Maravilla defeated Keyra. Maravilla dyed her hair light brown. She brought her Mixed Tag belt with her. Maravilla grabbed a mic to say she will hold the titles with Villano III Jr. for many years. The tournament trophy will be coming home with her.

This battle of comadres was rugged with plenty of counters and neat submissions. Maravilla took charge in the end with a swinging neckbreaker off the ropes. Maravilla rolled Keyra over into a snap suplex then stacked Keyra for a genie submission.

AAA

Keyra verbally submitted. I’ve never seen that hold before as a finisher.

The comadres shook hands after the bout. Big Mami came in for payback. She clotheslined both ladies, hit a corner smash to Keyra, and tackled Maravilla. The feud between Mami and Maravilla is far from over.

Lady Shani defeated Faby Apache. New chapter between old rivals. Top spots were a surfboard submission from Faby and a pendulum submission from Shani. Shani took charge after the pendulum to transition into a Camel Clutch, then unleash a powerbomb, and roll into a bridging pin to win.

Chessman defeated Myzteziz Jr. Myzteziz used his arsenal of corkscrew attacks, while Chessman used cookie sheet strikes. Myzteziz hit a 450 splash, but Chessman grabbed the ropes on the cover. Myzteziz went for a moonsault. Chessman got his boot up then hit a spear to win.

After the match, Laredo Kid attacked Chessman. I have no idea why. They have no pending beef. Carta Brava Jr. gave the rudos a numbers advantage. That didn’t matter to Laredo as he took them out with a somersault plancha off the turnbuckles.

LA Park defeated Laredo Kid. Park grabbed a mic to shout at AAA to give him luchadores that want to battle. He’s tired of all the donkeys on the roster. Laredo Kid answered the call as Park’s opponent. Park attacked during Laredo’s entrance. Laredo fired back with aerial assaults. He even got Park with a Spanish Fly.

In the end, Park sort of speared Laredo in flight. A big running knee knocked Laredo out of the ring. Park then hit a rope-hung DDT. A spear sealed the deal for Park’s victory.

After the match, Park called out AAA again for the lack of competition. He wants luchadores with more fight. Park also threatened the announcers, because he can.

Pagano defeated Octagon Jr. Power versus speed. Octagon missed a 450 splash. Pagano snatched Octagon for a reverse suplex bouncing off the ropes.

That was the winning move for Pagano.

After the match, Chessman attacked Pagano with a spear and cookie sheet cruelty. Chessman was making a statement about their future hair vs hair fight at Triplemania XXVIII.

Pentagon defeated Niño Hamburguesa. Pentagon used chair violence early.

Hamburguesa’s heft kept him in the game. Niño connected on a bowling ball in the corner. He attempted a flying splash, but Pentagon rolled out of the way. Pentagon grabbed Niño’s arm. SNAP! Armbreaker pain.

A flying double stomp gave Pentagon the win.

Afterward, Pentagon grabbed the mic. Big tournaments need big stars. He’s proud to see Hamburguesa’s effort. Sorry that Niño was in his way. Pentagon gave Niño recognition for his growth in AAA. Put whoever against Pentagon and he will come with all he’s got. Cero miedo!

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Another quality week of singles action from AAA in the Lucha Fighter tournament. The stars took care of business and the younger crew made a strong impression. The use of weapons was a touch too much for my liking in this format, but it didn’t overwhelm nor affect the finishes. The closing sequences were all enjoyable. Hearing LA Park run his mouth and seeing Pentagon break arms are always a hoot. I particularly liked the match line-up this week. It offered a nice mix of fresh bouts and storied feuds.

This week was rampant with post-match scuffles. Some made story sense, like Lady Maravilla stomping Big Mami and Chessman attacking Pagano. Others not so much, such as Laredo Kid targeting Chessman. I can only assume that AAA is trying to build heat for extra bouts during the finale. It worked on me in some cases. I’d like to see Lady Maravilla wrestle Faby Apache.

The men moving on to the next round are Chessman, LA Park, Pagano, Pentagon, Hijo del Vikingo, Dr. Wagner Jr., Texano, and Psycho Clown. That is a great group. Chessman is the only one I struggle to envision earning a trip to the finals. All of the other participants will keep me guessing. It makes a tournament more enjoyable when there is no obvious path of predictability.

The women moving on to the next round are Big Mami, Lady Maravilla, Lady Shani, and La Hiedra. I’m hoping for a Mami vs Maravilla rematch next week. Their hair vs hair at Guerra de Titanes was awesome. I don’t expect a tournament bout to be as wild, but it should still deliver intense hatred.

As a reminder, the minis finals will be Dinastia versus Laredo Boy.

Which match was your favorite in week 2 of the Lucha Fighter tournament? Which matchups are you hoping for next week? Who are you picking as your tournament winners?

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