THE EL GRANDE AMERICANO MASK VERSUS MASK WAS AWESOME!
- 2 minutes ago
- 5 min read
This wasn't supposed to happen.
And yet it did.
And I love it.
The Mask vs. Mask match at Noche de los Grandes ended with El Grande Americano defeating The Original El Grande Americano. I felt the match was overbooked, but considering the number of people involved, the rivalry between these men, and the grandeur of the situation, that's probably why it needed to be that way.
At first, I thought El Grande Americano's victory was a foregone conclusion. He was the one adored by the people, and he had elevated what was supposed to be a comedic role. Even in defeat, he likely would have received the same reaction because of how sincerely he embraced the culture.
In some ways, it felt like Ludvig Kaiser losing the mask could have led to him building his own Imperium-like stable, with Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate also losing their masks. However, as the build-up continued, there was a legitimate chance for The Original to keep his mask.
For starters, his story was that he became El Grande Americano to defeat the best luchadores in AAA. Had he won, he could have continued that journey and become the promotion's biggest heel. Hell, he could have even turned babyface if he chose to clash with the company's established villains, such as El Hijo del Vikingo.
But then Ludvig's arrest happened.
At first, people saw it as a situation where he and his girlfriend were making out in an elevator, someone got annoyed, and instead of walking away, he responded with a senseless beatdown. However, reports later indicated that the man had been rude and even threatened to call ICE to deport his girlfriend, Andrea Lazarte.
Filipinos and Mexicans share a similar cultural mindset: when a woman is disrespected, the man must defend her honor. That appeared to be the case here, and it only endeared El Grande Americano to fans even more.
Again, I wasn't really a fan of all the furniture being thrown around. I expected Bravo and Rayo to get involved alongside The Creed Brothers, but I could have done without the table spot, the false finishes, the female guitarist, and the blind comedian.
I did, however, love the way the match started. During the introductions, The Original blasted El Grande Americano with a vicious chair shot. Yes, it felt like there was a little too much powder inside the guitar, but it only added to the illusion of how devastating the shot was. Whether it was a disqualification or a no-disqualification scenario, the advertised main event was always going to happen unless the promotion wanted fans leaving disappointed.
The match was long, and it had plenty of blood. I liked how El Grande Americano's mask was torn early in the match, although I thought they could have delayed The Original's near-unmasking a little longer. Then again, I understand why they did it.
They wanted this to be a visual masterpiece, and for me, it delivered.
There was tension in the air throughout the match, and I thought Gable carried that aspect exceptionally well. I also liked how El Grande Americano was essentially "hulking up" during key moments.
One of the biggest reasons why Hulk Hogan became such a success was his ability to find that second wind when the odds were against him.
If the mask is truly revered, and if everyone who wears it is supposed to gain a superstar-like aura, then it makes sense for the babyface to draw power from it while feeding off the energy of the crowd. It added another layer to the story and made El Grande Americano's comeback feel earned rather than forced.
I did want the match to have at least some of the aura of the Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk match at WrestleMania. Again, I'm not a fan of furniture being thrown around because I already expected interference from their allies. The outside involvement was enough on its own, and some of the extra weapon spots felt unnecessary.
That said, Rayo's dive from the rafters was awesome. He launched himself at his opponents with little regard for how he was going to land, which made the spot feel even crazier. It was one of those moments that reminded you just how fearless luchadores can be when the stakes are at their highest.
So yes, the match happened, and El Grande prevailed over The Original.
Then, The Original revealed himself to be Chad Gable. The reveal was handled beautifully, with his family by his side, a sincere address to the crowd, and a gracious exit from the arena.
I don't know how this will affect the Americano storyline on Raw, but hopefully, it leads to a better-booked American Made stable, especially considering how important Gable was in turning this comedic storyline into something fans genuinely cared about.
Meanwhile, El Grande Americano celebrated with class. His friends stood beside him, the crowd loved every second of it, and his girlfriend kissed him at the end after they shared a slow dance in the middle of the ring.
It was a moment Kaiser will never forget for the rest of his life.
I know he's an outsider, and AAA is now filled with WWE wrestlers. Dominik Mysterio, Bayley, The War Raiders, and others have all become frequent visitors to the promotion.
But I think Kaiser is there for the long haul.
After this match, I can see him becoming a legitimate championship contender. At the same time, he could continue drawing the ire of the other heel luchadores, as if they still discriminate against him because of his origins.
That said, Raw also needs to book him properly.
The problem with Kaiser is that he's presented as a comedy act in the United States while being revered in Mexico. Much like how Raw should be handling its NXT call-ups, it needs to apply the same philosophy here.
At the very least, WWE can acknowledge his history while also recognizing the importance of El Grande Americano. He's no longer on Raw just to recreate the Spider-Man pointing meme. He's there to expand the world's appreciation of lucha libre.
Because here's the thing. For decades, WWE has tried to replicate the success of Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero by pushing wrestlers such as Alberto Del Rio, Kalisto, Dragon Lee, and Rey Fenix. The only wrestler who has truly found success through that formula, in my opinion, is Penta, largely because his presentation is completely different from Mysterio's.
I think that's the goal here.
WWE has organically created its own Mexican champion, and now it has a choice. It can continue treating him as a comedy figure, or it can turn him into a wrestler who gives the company its best opportunity to connect with fans south of the border.
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