If WWE isn’t going to do anything special, or even anything, really, with Rey Fenix, I want to continue to see him defend his AAA Cruiserweight Championship on “SmackDown.” His previous matches with Nathan Frazer and Axiom were great, and I really loved his bout tonight against AAA Latin American Champion El Hijo del Vikingo.
I’m a big fan of Vikingo’s, though I suppose it should be acknowledged that he was reportedly injured rehearsing for a match ahead of this week’s “WWE NXT,” so thankfully, this match was taped. I really love his style, and he’s one of the stars I gravitated toward the quickest when I started watching AAA here and there following WWE’s acquisition of the company. If you’re a wrestling fan on social media at all, you’ve probably heard of Vikingo (like I had before starting to tune in), so giving him some time on “SmackDown” against Fenix was a great choice.
I thought the crowd actually responded really well to Vikingo and this match, though, of course, knowing WWE, some of that could have been piped in. I did see some fans physically clapping along to the “This is awesome!” chants, though, so at least some of that was real. Before that, I thought I heard “Lucha libre!” chants, which were also cool. If crowds are going to respond like that, even in Atlantic City, and no shade there, but it’s not exactly a hotspot of Lucha culture, we’re more likely to continue to see AAA stars and title defenses on the main roster, despite the blue brand losing an hour.
The pair had a really fun, fast-paced match, and I’m glad “SmackDown” is two hours now, because I felt like I had the energy to focus on it a little better. Vikingo has some crazy moves he doesn’t look like he should be able to do, like the springboard 450, and he looked great alongside Fenix. Fenix’s Mexican Muscle Buster is also always impressive to see and a fantastic finisher.
While I don’t think it’s impossible that a AAA title changes hands on the main roster, Fenix’s three defenses on the blue brand have looked solid, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be losing it anytime soon. Hopefully, WWE has some more challengers lined up for Fenix, as the fast-paced nature of his bouts works so well to liven up a show. I also hope Vikingo gets well soon if he is indeed injured, as he is also a breath of fresh air on the main roster, and I think both shows could benefit from sporadic appearances from the Latin American Champion.
Written by Daisy Ruth
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