Triplemanía XXIV

Outdoor view of the Arena Ciudad de México building.

2016 marked the 24th year since 1993 where the Mexican professional wrestling company Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (AAA) or Triple A held their annual Triplemanía show and the 31st Triplemanía show promoted by AAA, as they held multiple Triplemanía shows over the summers of 1994 to 1997. The 2016 event took place at the Arena Ciudad de México (Mexico City Arena), an indoor arena in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, Mexico that has a maximum capacity of 22,300 spectators.[1][2] This was the fifth consecutive Triplemanía (XX, XXI, XXII, and XXIII) held at the venue.[3][4][5] AAA's Triplemanía is their biggest show of the year, the highlight of their year, AAA's equivalent of the WWE's WrestleMania or their Super Bowl event.[6] AAA later confirmed that the show would be available as an internet pay-per-view (iPPV) with both Spanish and English language commentary, but not available through traditional PPV channels.[7]

The Triplemanía was the first of three major shows held within a week of each other, produced by the three biggest lucha libre promotions in Mexico, AAA, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG). The second major lucha libre show, the CMLL 83rd Anniversary Show, will take place five days after Triplemanía on September 2 at Arena México where Psycho Clown's cousin La Máscara will risk his mask as well in a match against Dragon Lee.[8] Finally the third-largest Mexican lucha libre promotion, IWRG will hold IWRG La Hora de la Verdad in Arena Naucalpan two days later on September 4, headlined by a Lucha de Apuestas, mask vs. mask match, between Trauma I and Canis Lupus.[9]

The Triplemanía XXIV show featured seven professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers involved in pre-existing scripted feuds, plots and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed either heels (referred to as rudos in Mexico, those that portray the "bad guys") or faces (técnicos in Mexico, the "good guy" characters) as they followed a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[6]

Psycho Clown, risking his clown mask in the main event.

After Pentagón Jr. won the 2016 Rey de Reyes tournament, he and the rest of Los Perros del Mal were attached by the team of Nicho El Millonario, Damián 666, Halloween and Pagano, claiming they were the "Real Perros del Mal", alluding to the fact that Nicho, Damián 666 and Halloween used to be part of the group.[10] After the show Pagano confirmed that he had indeed signed with AAA.[11] The group was initially known as La Nueva Familia Fronteriza, later shortened to simply La Familia Fronteriza ("The Border Family"). Bestia 666, son of Damián 666, was later added to the group. While the rest of La Familiar Fonteriza continued to work the storyline feud with Los Perros del Mal, Pagano moved off on a tangent, starting a storyline with Psycho Clown, an AAA wrestler who, like Pagano, used a clown ring character. Pagano made his official AAA in ring debut on April 18 as he, Pagano, Damián 666 and Nicho defeated Los Psycho Circus (Psycho Clown, Murder Clown and Monster Clown) by count-out.[12][13] Subsequently Pagano and Psycho Clown faced off in a Hardcore wrestling match. During the match Pagano lit a wooden table on fire and then threw Psycho Clown through it to win the match.[14] Two weeks later the two clashed again, this time in a match that also included Pentagón Jr., a match that was once again won by Pagano.[15] After defeating Psycho Clown once more on July 8 and stealing Psycho Clown's wrestling mask, Pagano challenged Psycho Clown to put his mask on the line while Pagano would put up his hair in a Luchas de Apuestas, or "bet match". At the time Psycho Clown did not respond to the challenge.[16] On July 16 AAA officially announced the match as the main event of Triplemanía XXIV on August 28.[17]

The team of Averno and Chessman, also known as Los Hell Brothers won the vacant AAA World Tag Team Championship by defeating the teams of Aero Star/Fénix and Máscara Año 2000 Jr./Villano IV at the Guerra de Titanes show.[18] Los Hell Brothers subsequently made several successful title defenses and began bragging about how there were no challengers left for them to deal with, that "no man" could defeat them. In the spring of 2016 sisters-turned-rivals Mari Apache and Faby Apache reunited as Mari returned to the tecnico side and started to team up with her sister on a regular basis. The two teamed up with their former step-mother Lady Apache and won the women's version of the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup.[19] Around the time of the World Cup Mari and Faby Apache challenged Los Hell Brothers, demanding that they put the tag team championship on the line, a challenge that Averno and Chessman turned down, acting very dismissing and sexist in the process. During the July 8 AAA Television taping Averno and Chessman dressed up as a pair of frumpy women as they mocked Los Apaches.[20] At the subsequent taping Los Apaches distracted Averno and Chessman during a title defense against Jack Evans and Angélico, which lead to Averno and Chessman losing the tag team titles. Afterwards it was announced that Averno and Chessman had finally agree to face Los Apaches at Triplemanía XXIV.[21]

El Patrón Alberto defeated El Texano Jr. to win the AAA Mega Championship at the 2014 Guerra de Titanes show.[22] Over the next year El Patrón defended the championship on several occasions, until he signed a contract with WWE in late 2015, which led to AAA announcing that since the WWE would not allow El Patrón to defend the championship it was vacated and they would hold a tournament to determine a new champion. At the 2016 Guerra de Titanes show El Mesías and El Texano Jr. defeated Dr. Wagner Jr. and Psycho Clown, earning the right to wrestle for the vacant AAA Mega Championship at a later date.[18] At the subsequent Rey de Reyes show El Texano Jr. pinned El Mesias to become a two time AAA Mega Champion.[23] In the weeks following Rey de Reyes El Texano Jr. was repeatedly attacked by El Mesisas and later on Brian Cage as well, slowly turning El Texano Jr. técnicos in the process. El Mesias, Brian Cage and Johnny Mundo all adopted an "Anti-Mexico" attitude, even naming themselves "Team Trump" after the US presidential candidate. On June 16, 2016 Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated El Mesias by disqualification to become the number one contender for the AAA Mega Championship, surprisingly inserting him into the championship feud.[24] During an AAA press conference on July 28 and confirmed that El Texano Jr. would defend the AAA Mega Championship against both Dr. Wagner Jr. and Brian Cage, but El Mesias was not included.[25]

On July 3, 2016 Pentagón Jr. defeated Psycho Clown to win the AAA Latin American Championship.[26] The following week the team of Johnny Mundo, El Mesias and Hernandez defeated the trio of Pentagón Jr., El Texano Jr. and El Hijo del Fantasma when Mundo pinned Pentagón Jr. Following the match Mundo challenged Pentagón Jr. to defend the Latin American championship against Mundo since he just pinned the champion.[20] On July 23 AAA announced that Pentagón Jr. would defend the AAA Latin American Championship against Johnny Mundo, acknowledging that the two had faced off before as part of Lucha Underground.[27]

The second match of the night was announced as the second ever Copa Triplemanía with 12 wrestlers competing for the trophy. AAA confirmed 11 of the 12 names, La Parka, El Elegido, El Zorro, Daga, Taurus, El Hijo del Pirata Morgan, Pimpinela Escarlata, Mamba, Super Fly, Hernandez and Australian Suicide, but listed the 13th wrestler simply as a Luchador Sorpresa ("Surprise Wrestler").[25][28]