Make FightsATW Your Preferred Combat Sports Source
Enjoy our boxing and wrestling coverage? Add Fights Around The World as a Preferred Source on Google so our latest stories can show up more often in your Top Stories.
Add FightsATW on GoogleTonight’s Lucha Libre AAA show, ‘Noche de Los Grandes,’ was live from Monterrey, Mexico, as Corey Graves, JBL, and the newest acting GM for AAA, Rey Mysterio Jr., handled commentary ringside. This event has been over a year in the making, as the “Mask vs. Mask” match is a sacred stipulation in the territory, dating back to Lucha lore.
The El Grande Americano character was originally seen as a mid to low-card gimmick, a comedy act with little depth. That narrative changed as both men embodied the character on weekly AAA TV, and they became grittier outside the WWE’s confines.
The four-match card will go down as a candidate for ‘event of the year.’
EL GRANDE AMERICANO VS EL GRANDE AMERICANO (OG) – MASK VS. MASK
With a full mariachi band and the entire stadium singing “Cielito Lindo” in harmony, El Grando Americano (Ludwig version) received a hero’s welcome from the Monterrey crowd as he donned a native-style jacket with the words “Por México. “OG Grande was in the ring and enjoyed his own grand entrance that was marred after failing an attempt to snag a young fan’s OG Grande Mask from the crowd—the heat was real as fans saluted him the way they used to Vince McMahon in the “Attitude Era.”
Chad Gable debuted in March of 2025, and the vignettes leading up to the repackaging received mixed reactions at first. Eventually, the character would become a marketing machine, as ‘gringo’ fans could participate in the beautiful tradition that is LUCHA.
The character’s success led to Gable’s first WrestleMania win just weeks after redebuting as the El Grande character and going full kayfabe, pretending to be different men—the angle was eventually dropped due to Gable’s injury. That injury Gable suffered was anything but timely, as the character began to take off culturally, and the WWE/AAA era was just beginning to take shape, and that is when Ludwig picked up the mask. The character really took off after that.
Ludwig was able to connect with the Mexican audience in a way that Gable never could because the German-born wrestler speaks fluent Spanish. But it was not just about being able to speak the language; this version of El Grande Americano had a deeper grasp of the lore of sports in Mexico and how they relate to their entertainers and artists. With all of Ludwig’s success, it was easy to forget just how innovative Gable’s performance was and how vastly different it was from what he had been doing on the roster. The WWE was always biding their time before Gable returned from injury and they could capitalize on a massive showdown—Mascara V Mascara.
The match started fast as OG Grande hit Americano with a guitar he took from the masked in-ring mariachis—we did not get the Doink V Doink moment, but the match was better for it. The first half was a tale of two matches as they battled around the ring and brutalized each other with furniture—including OG Grastraight-chunkingking an office chair at the face. There were suplexes and grounded in-ring work, but it was the spectacle that would eventually take over, as it often does in the world of Lucha.
Both Julius and Brutus came down to help OG Grande while Rayo and Bravo Americano neutralized the threat on behalf of Americano. The pop of the night came when Pimpinela Escarlata hit OG Americano with a guitar, wearing a lucha mask and a mariachi outfit. They played all the hits in this one as callbacks galore were introduced around ringside. First, blind Mexican comedian Ojitos whipped OG Americano with his walking stick—returning the receipt after OG beat on the comedian early in the feud.
Next, Andrea Bazarte got in her spot after she was ‘banned’ from working the event per OG Grande’s terms to get under the skin of his nemesis—Ludwig—and she is dating him. She was shown ringside as OG Americano demanded security escort her out, and that is when she showed that she had a ringside ticket. There were several attempts by both men to rip the mask off the other before the match ended, leaving OG Americano looking like a bloody mess, with the top of his mask ripped open as if blood were spewing from it—it was a powerful optic.
It was difficult to find a finish for a match like that after tables, chairs, and walking sticks were used to no effect, but in the end, El Grande Ameircano defeated OG Americano in what has to be the most over-the-top match of the year (yes, that includes WWE’s main roster). El Grande Americano celebrated his win in the ring with Andrea and Pimpine, as Rayo and Bravo flankehimer. In the post, El Grande Americano OG was allowed to go back on all the lucha hate that got him in hot water in the first place, and with his family in the ring, he apologized.
It was an amazing moment to see Gable unmask himself and say, “Me nombre es Chad Gable,” as he admitted he was ‘defeated’ by “the Mexican spirit.” He handed his mask to El Grande Americano, claiming that he will always be the ‘original,’ but, from now on, Ludwig is the only one. Chad essentially turned face as the crowd chanted, “Thank you, Gable.” Confetti dropped from the air as the crowd once again serenated the in-ring performers. This was better than anything WWE has produced this year at any level.
El Hijo de DR Wagner JR (c) VS Vikingo—AAA Latin American Championship
This feud grew almost as fast as the heat Vikingo has garnered for himself in the last year, but it is easy to be the top heel when you’re willing to hit vicious offensive moves on your little bro. In fact, this match was born out of Wagner JR attempting to save the younger brother of the former AAA Mega champion.
The match was phenomenal, and while the action was terrific, it was the context of these two men—one weighing roughly 120lbs with a pocket full of quarters while the other is pushing 240lbs—that produced a believable performance despite the massive height difference. This is the artistry of AAA that sets it apart from the top promotions worldwide.
In the end, we saw Omos come down to interfere with Dorian puttering around ringside, but Mini Vikingo attempted to return the favor to Dr. Wagner and cost his bro a title opportunity in the process. It did not work, and the heel claimed the win to become the new Latin American champ.
LAREDO KIDD (c) VS REY FENIX—AAA Cruiserweight Championship
Laredo Kidd entered this match 539 days as AAA’s cruiserweight champion, but he went on a generational run that culminated in banger after banger—imagine the U.S. title ‘open challenges’ on steroids. Kidd has been one of the top luchadores in wrestling over the last decade, but tonight’s match with Rey Fenix set a new bar.
Rey Fenix’s rise has not been as meteoric as his brother Penta—the current WWE Intercontinental champion—after the two were recruited by the company as a package deal. Initially, Penta debuted on RAW, while Rey eventually began his career on the ‘blue brand.’
The assumption was that the Lucha Bros would eventually reunite under WWE, but injuries thwarted those plans. Then, Fenix posted a cryptic message on social media, claiming to be ‘happy for his IC champion brother,’ while assuring that he had his own title designs in mind.
The action started FAST as Rey wasted little time going for offense; he almost landed his finisher half a minute into the match, and JBL even referenced Hagler-Hearns’s 3-round epic that delivered far beyond expectations.
Fenix displayed a wide arsenal of both in-ring anaerobic assaults, but Kidd has gained a reputation for taking shortcuts to retain for well over a year. That does not mean Kidd was without his own amazing moments as he hit a ‘destroyer DDT’ that nearly decapitated Rey.
However, the story of this match was Rey Fenix being a step ahead of the champ, with blocks, reversals, and counters on Kidd, who eventually ‘went low’ on the challenger. Fenix had blocked many of Kidd’s devious low blows, but it was his own cheating attempts that would come back to bite him.
Fenix survived the three-count, and then Kidd was kicked into the exposed turnbuckle he himself had untied, as the champ was dethroned by a ‘muscle buster’ followed by a 1-2-3—and a new champion!
Psycho Clown & Pagano (c) VS The War Raiders – AAA Tag Team Championship
The Psycho Clown ‘party’ is no more, as they lost both their tag titles and their partnership, while The War Raiders picked up another international tag title to add to their resume—they really are underrated. It was a physical match, but the issues between the Psycho Clown Circus had left the champs, now former, vulnerable heading into this title defense.
The War Raiders raided the AAA tag titles, but they did not stop there, delivering a post-match beatdown to Psycho Clown after he and Pagano began arguing and shoving in the wake of their title loss. As Ivar and Erik began their assault, it was Pagano who considered going back to the ring to save his now ex-partner, but he decided against it and allowed him to get squashed.
Discover more from Fights Around The World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
