Noche de Los Grandes lived up to its name and the hype Saturday night as the biggest match in the WWE-owned era of AAA had fans in Monterrey, Mexico, rabid from start to finish.
In the main event, an adopted hero — who turned a gimmick meant to mock lucha libre into a celebration of Mexican culture — became a symbol of national pride in a battle that earned the chants of “¡Esto es lucha!”
The Mexican Spirit Prevails
El Grande Americano defeated the Original Grande Americano in a bloody Mask vs. Mask match Saturday night at AAA’s Noche de Los Grandes.
True to his word, the Original removed his mask and revealed himself as Chad Gable. The reveal surprised no one, but his humility afterward did.
“Tonight, I could not overcome the Mexican spirit,” a humbled Gable admitted.
From the moment he arrived, Gable wasn’t just fighting El Grande Americano. He was fighting Arena Monterrey. Even with the help of Los Credos, a masked Julius and Brutus Creed, he was outnumbered.
Grande’s amigos, Rayo and Bravo, rushed to even the odds, leading to a 15-foot balcony dive from Bravo that wiped out Los Credos, Rayo, and himself.
Pimpinela Escarlata, whom Gable had violently assaulted months earlier, seemingly knocked Gable unconscious with a guitar shot.
Andrea Bazarte, AAA announcer and Grande’s girlfriend, who had been forced to give up her job as a condition of the match, arrived and led a “Sí se puede” or “Yes, you can” chant.
And then there were the fans.
Upon assuming the gimmick from an injured Gable last summer, Grande won fans over by how wholeheartedly he embraced their culture. In return, they stood with him, literally, as fans could be seen standing for long stretches, urging him on.
“I’ve never lived this atmosphere before in my life,” remarked AAA General Manager Rey Mysterio during the match.
Finally, with whatever strength he had left, Grande hit the ropes and delivered an Aztec Headbutt that put Gable down for good.
Monterrey came unglued as if Mexico had won the World Cup. In the midst of jubilation, animosity gave way to respect as Monterrey chanted, “Gable! Gable!”
Joined by his family, he vowed to be back, drawing cheers for the strength of his performance.
But in the end, all eyes were on the prevailing hero as he celebrated with his friends, his woman, and his people — now the one and only El Grande Americano.
They are feasting in Valhalla as the War Raiders have done what the Vikings before them never did: conquer Mexico.
Erik and Ivar defeated Psycho Clown and Pagano to add the AAA Tag Team Championship to their trophy case. But this one felt pedestrian compared to their first meeting at Rey De Reyes in March, which disintegrated into a no-contest.
The champs looked strong but unraveled at the end after bad timing by Pagano led to Psycho getting wiped out twice. After the Raiders dispatched Pagano, they leveled Psycho with a War Machine to claim the gold.
Post-match, Pagano and Psycho almost came to blows before Pagano walked out. The Raiders, still in an ass-kicking mood, beat on Psycho some more. As he pleaded for his partner to return, Pagano gave it some consideration before turning his back and marching out to a chorus of boos.
Next is a rivalry renewed that began a decade ago for the former champs. Meanwhile, the War Raiders — whose resume now includes the WWE, NXT, IWGP, ROH, and AAA tag titles — are poised for a resurgence that could lead to a revival on Raw. Long-term, a homegrown team from AAA is likely to benefit from getting a win over the most accomplished duo in WWE today.
Outside interference reigned supreme as the AAA Latin American Championship hung in the balance between the champion, El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., and El Hijo del Vikingo.
Omos, Wagner’s brother Galeno, and Mini Vikingo, dressed in street clothes, each played a part in getting this to the finish. After Galeno temporarily disabled Omos, Mini struck Vikingo with a springboard dropkick before disappearing.
However, Omos recovered just in time to catch Wagner with a knockout punch. That allowed Vikingo to score with a 630 splash for a much-needed win that left fans cursing.
Though this one held my attention, the fans were noticeably cooler compared to the opener. Still, they rallied behind Wagner at key moments.
The finish here was brilliant for three reasons. First, Vikingo snapped a three-month losing streak, albeit under dubious circumstances, to regain his heat, save his credibility, while leaving room for a rematch with Wagner.
Speaking of rematches, Mini scored an upset victory over Vikingo earlier this month. That, coupled with his involvement here, sets up a rematch with the stakes raised and the Latin American title on the line.
Fenix Rises From the Ashes
Live by the exposed turnbuckle pad, die by the exposed turnbuckle pad. That was the story as the night began with a hot opener between Rey Fenix and Laredo Kid for Kid’s AAA World Cruiserweight Championship.
False finishes and brilliant counters highlighted this match. Fenix avoided a spike DDT by getting his hands up, stunning the champ. Kid countered by turning a Mexican Muscle Buster, which he surprisingly kicked out of at one point, into a small package for a near-fall.
But as he did last week, Kid removed the turnbuckle pad. Frustrated at his inability to keep Fenix down, Kid charged at him but ran into the exposed steel. A step-up kick and a Mexican Muscle Buster, the second of the match, put Kid down for good.
Monterrey was hot for this from bell to bell, erupting when the ref’s hand hit the mat for three. Afterward, the new champ celebrated with his family. Absent was Penta, who’s on tour with WWE in Europe.
Now that the Lucha Bros. each have singles gold, a brotherly showdown might be in the cards somewhere in the future.
As El Grande Americano made his way to the ring, my wife asked, “Do you want to cry right now?”
Without taking my eyes off the TV, I replied, “I’m crying right now!”
As it turned out, so was Mrs. G.
She was thrilled for Grande, calling him an underrated performer who deserved this moment. I agreed, but I also felt the same about Gable. He proved he was far more than “Shorty G” or whatever silliness WWE’s previous regime tried to place on him.
The crowd chanting “Thank you, Gable” in English was the ultimate sign of respect. As much as I would have loved to hear from the only Grande in town, giving Gable some spotlight was a classy touch.
It will be interesting to see what comes next for both men. Gable teased a return to AAA, raising questions about what role he might play. Does he come back as a rudo seeking revenge on Grande, or as a técnico standing beside his conqueror?
The bigger question, though, is what awaits El Grande Americano. The winner of the 2026 Rey de Reyes tournament is due a AAA Mega Championship match with his former friend Dominik Mysterio, though that likely will come later.
For now, WWE and AAA need to keep Grande’s momentum going. WWE finally created the Mexican star it had long sought. Now it has to present him like one.
Overall, Noche de Los Grandes was exactly what it needed to be. The opener started hot, while the middle of the card held the crowd’s interest just enough to allow Monterrey to save its energy for the main event. Had Gable and Americano wrestled all night, they would have stayed with Grande until the job was done.
As it should be in wrestling, the main event stole the show, and plenty of hearts, in a performance that might be hard to beat in December when it’s time to vote on Match of the Year honors.
