AAA Night of Champions recap: Hijo del Vikingo and Bandido put on a highlight show main event

When AAA announced Hijo del Vikingo versus Bandido for the Megacampeonato to main event the Night of Champions event in Acapulco (Dec. 28), lucha libre aficionados began salivating at the prospect of amazing highlights. Vikingo and Bandido delivered on that front.

Grab your popcorn.

First on the list is Vikingo leaping from the top of the ring post onto a scaffolding structure to climber higher for a moonsault.

Vikingo added an extra twist on a Phoenix splash.

Bandido scored on a monkey flip into the ring post.

Vikingo had the move of the match with an Imploding Poison Dragonrana.

Bandido flexed his strength on a Guerrero Special inverted suplex over the ropes.

In the end, Vikingo blitzed with offense. He slammed a swinging uranage and landed a 630 senton. Bandido wouldn’t go down easy. Both men battled for position on the top turnbuckle. Vikingo won that exchange to execute a super poison rana. Vikingo finished with an inverted 450 splash for victory to retain the AAA Megacampeonato.

Let’s run down the rest of the results from AAA Night of Champions.

AAA World Tag Team Championship: Dragon Lee & Dralistico win titles from FTR. After referee shenanigans from Hijo del Tirantes favoring FTR, Konnan ejected the official. Los Hermanos Lee kept on the pressure for a running knee from Dragon Lee and a springboard swanton from Dralistico to pin Dax Harwood. Afterward, Dragon Lee revealed that he signed with WWE. (Full details here.)

Campeonato La Leyenda Azul Blue Demon: Arez triumphed over Taurus and Villano III Jr. in a three-way. Taurus rallied for backbreakers and a discus lariat to Villano. Arez hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Taurus to take the bull out of the picture. With damage already done, Arez used a bridging suplex to pin Villano. Blue Demon Jr. presented the ceremonial championship to the winner.

Copa Mundo Imperial: Pagano won the battle royal. Pagano was joined by Vampiro, Aerostar, Blue Demon Jr., Niño Hamburguesa, Pagano, Mr. Iguana, Diva Salvaje, Jessy Ventura, Murder Clown, Dave The Clown, Panic Clown, and Parka Negra. Eliminations via pinfall or over-the-top. The final two were Pagano versus Vampiro. Vamp missed on a twisting senton, then Pagano pounced to win via powerbomb. (Full details here.)

AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship: Flammer & Abismo Negro Jr. won titles over Lady Shani & Octagon Jr. and Sexy Star & Komander. Sammy Guevara & Tay Melo were stripped of the titles after no-showing due to a double-booking with AEW on Dynamite. Shani softened up Sexy Star, then Flammer sneaked in to capitalize for a piledriver to win. (Full details here.)

AAA World Trios Championship: Sanson, Forastero, & Cuatrero retained against Willie Mack, Myzteziz Jr., & Aramis. Mack lived up to the Hot Chocolate moniker by dancing sexy for the crowd with hip gyrations, the worm, then the reverse worm only to eat a dropkick in the mush to start the match. The champs worked divide and conquer for control. The strategy felt like a true trios team versus three singles wrestlers, and it showed. The babyfaces scored a high-flying rally, so Hijo de Máscara Año 2000 ran in with blatant interference to help his cousins regain control. Myzteziz was held up into the air to receive a flying splash across the back. Sanson and Cuatrero landed diving attacks to the outside on Mack and Aramis, while Forastero finished with a spinning powerbomb on Myzteziz for victory.

Grade: B-

Entertaining matches throughout the card. In my opinion, production hindered the viewing experience with rapid cuts, far angles, and missing action. It’s like they tried to get too cute for their own good. Overall, the show was decent, however, it wasn’t on the level of a Triplemania party with all the craziness.

Hijo del Vikingo and Bandido had the best match on the show. I don’t think it reached epic levels in terms of emotion, but it definitely delivered on the wow factor. The FTR tag bout was okay. Don’t watch that match expecting their AEW style. FTR embraced the weasel rudo side with crooked referee shenanigans. The rest of the matches had their fair share of highlights and neat moments.

The replay of AAA Night of Champions is available through Fite TV.

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