Hugo Savinovich has voiced strong criticism towards WWE regarding the recent AAA Mega Championship change, where El Hijo Del Vikingo defeated Alberto Del Rio. Speaking on Lucha Libre Online, Savinovich contended that the manner of the title transition demonstrated disrespect for lucha libre culture and was a poorly executed business decision.
Savinovich asserted that the championship change lacked adequate build-up, particularly given its proximity to the WWE x AAA Worlds Collide event. He expressed that many anticipated Alberto Del Rio, as the reigning champion, would be a prominent part of that show.
There was no build-up for Alberto Del Rio, who was still the reigning Mega Champion. Worse yet, the title change happened just before Worlds Collide. Fans expected Alberto Del Rio to be featured, not dethroned like this. I didn’t want to speak out too harshly, but it made me angry—not because Alberto lost the title—but because of how WWE handled the business.
He further elaborated by comparing current WWE leadership to past practices, suggesting a missed opportunity. Savinovich noted WWE’s recent acquisition of AAA presented a significant moment, arguing that Del Rio possessed greater mainstream recognition than El Hijo Del Vikingo, despite Vikingo’s in-ring abilities.
The problem is that Triple H is repeating the same mistake Vince McMahon made with Roman Reigns, dragging things out for eight years until they finally got it right. Now they’ve bought AAA and had a golden opportunity with Alberto. Instead, they rushed to crown Hijo Del Vikingo as champion—who, while talented, doesn’t have the mainstream appeal of an ex-WWE champion like Del Rio.
Savinovich characterized the decision as “poor business,” suggesting a more compelling approach would have been to feature Del Rio defending the championship against El Hijo Del Vikingo at Worlds Collide.
This was poor business. Instead of promoting a marquee Worlds Collide match—Alberto defending the title against Hijo del Vikingo—they hotshotted the belt change before the big show. Triple H, you say you’re the boss—and you are—but don’t let that power blind you. There’s a way to handle stories. The ending tonight lacked meaning. It wasn’t respectful to the culture of lucha libre. If WWE is going to claim it honors lucha tradition, they should’ve known better than to script such an obvious and disrespectful outcome.
Following these events, El Hijo Del Vikingo is now scheduled to defend the AAA Mega Championship against Chad Gable at the WWE x AAA Worlds Collide show.
READ MORE: El Hijo Del Vikingo Retains AAA Mega Championship at Worlds Collide