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AAA NOCHE DE LOS GRANDES
MAY 30, 2026
MONTERREY, NUEVA LEON, MEXICO AT ARENA MONTERREY
AIRED LIVE ON YOUTUBE
REPORT BY DAVID MILLER, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators (English): Corey Graves, John Bradshaw Layfield, Rey Mysterio
Commentators (Spanish): Jose Manuel Guillen, Roberto Figueroa
Ring Announcer: Jesus Zuniga
[HOUR ONE]
-A video package in Spanish spoke of the importance of masks and identity in lucha libre, leading up to tonight’s mask vs. mask encounter between OG El Grande Americano and El Grande Americano. It showed past unmaskings and pointed out the major ramifications of losing one’s mask.
-Corey Graves introduced the show as a panoramic shot of Monterrey was shown. Various wrestlers were shown entering the arena. OG El Grande Americano was shown walking outside to a chorus of boos, followed by the Mexican people cheering wildly for El Grande Americano.
(1) LAREDO KID (c) vs. REY FENIX – AAA World Cruiserweight Championship Match
Before the match, Graves congratulated Mysterio on being appointed the General Manager of AAA. Fenix blasted out of the corner at the bell, delivering a stunning dropkick to the champion. Laredo quickly took control and slowed the pace down. He landed a twisting senton from the second rope, followed by a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Laredo continued to work on the challenger’s back with stomps and a Boston Crab. Fenix reached the bottom rope to break the hold, then continued to get thumped on by Laredo. The champ removed the top turnbuckle pad, but turned to eat a few Fenix forearms. Laredo positioned Fenix onto the second turnbuckle and tied him up in a Texas Cloverleaf on the ropes. That was a new one.
The commentators spoke of the aggressiveness of Laredo, who began getting overconfident as he talked trash to his fallen opponent. He wasted enough time setting up another move, that he took a clothesline, followed by a cross body to the floor and one in the center of the ring. He locked Laredo in an armbar, but the champion made it to the ropes for a break. The two men traded chops and forearms mid-ring. Fenix did a handstand flip out of a DDT, but got caught with a massive destroyer DDT for a two-count. Laredo went for a low blow, but Fenix caught his arm. He put Laredo down for another two-count, then nailed a Sweet Chin Music superkick for another near fall.
Fenix attempted a Mexican muscle buster, but Laredo slipped out. He went for it again and hit it this time, but Laredo kicked out. Fenix picked up Laredo and pointed toward the exposed turnbuckle, but the referee noticed the pad was missing and turned his back long enough for Laredo to connect with a low blow. He connected with a frog splash for a very near fall that popped the crowd. Laredo charged at Fenix, who moved out of the way. Laredo hit the exposed turnbuckle sternum-first, then Fenix whipped him backwards into it. He lifted him into the Mexican muscle buster again, and this time got the pin.
WINNER: Rey Fenix at 12:05 to capture the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship.
(Miller’s Take: Great opening bout. Laredo Kid had gotten away with low blows to Fenix in previous encounters, so it was satisfying to see Fenix overcome Laredo’s dirty tactics this time around. Fenix joins his brother, WWE Intercontinental Champion Penta, as a fellow singles champion.)
-After the match, Fenix celebrated with his wife and kids in the crowd.
-Ernesto Chavana, Poncho de Nigris, AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion Mr. Iguana (w/La Yesca), and La Parka were shown seated in the crowd.
-A video package of the history leading up to the next title match was shown.
(2) EL HIJO DEL DR. WAGNER JR. (c) vs. EL HIJO DEL VIKINGO (w/Doran Roldan) – AAA Latin American Championship Match
As in the previous match, Wagner rushed Vikingo at the bell with a dropkick to take him off his feet. The fight soon traveled to the floor, where Vikingo tripped Wagner into the ring steps. With Wagner trapped in the steps, Vikingo nailed the champion with a double stomp to the chest, driving Wagner into the concrete. He performed a baseball slide dropkick to knock Wagner to the floor again, then landed a beautiful shooting star press from the apron to the floor.
Back in the ring, Wagner managed to regain control of the match with a cannonball to the bottom buckle, followed by a big splash for a near fall. Vikingo dimmed Wagner’s lights with a crucifix driver before Omos was shown walking to the ring. He tripped up Wagner off the turnbuckle, which allowed Vikingo to hit a 450 splash for a two-count. Wagner’s brother, Galeno, ran out to thump Omos, but the Nigerian colossus thumped the Aztec Giant back and pitched him over the barricade. Galeno emerged with a chair and tattooed Omos with it. As Vikingo was distracted, Mini Vikingo landed a springboard dropkick on his larger namesake, then quickly slipped out. Wagner still only managed to get a two-count out of it. On the outside, Omos posted Galeno, then hit a right cross to Wagner that knocked him for a loop. Vikingo followed up with a 630 senton for the pin.
WINNER: El Hijo del Vikingo at 7:31 to become the new AAA Latin American Champion.
(Miller’s Take: Not a surprising outcome, with heel faction El Ojo overcoming the counterattack by Galeno and Mini Vikingo. The in-ring action was very good, as you’d expect from these two stellar luchadores. I’m sure this won’t be the end of this feud. At least Omos has found steady work.)
-Juan Guarnizo, DJ Luian, La Catalina, NXT Women’s and AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion Lola Vice, and Bayley were shown at ringside.
(3) PSYCHO CLOWN & PAGANO (c) vs. THE WAR RAIDERS (Erik & Ivar) – AAA Tag Team Championship Match
The commentators made mention of the recent friction between Psycho and Pagano, which doesn’t bode well for this title defense. The champions immediately put The War Raiders out of the ring, then hit stereo suicide dives to the outside. The Raiders quickly turned the tide when the massive Ivar squished Psycho with a flying press on the floor. Erik took the tag and continued to beat the stuffing out of Psycho. Ivar tagged in, backed Psycho into the corner, and unleashed a flurry of back elbows to the jaw. Psycho made it to his corner to tag his partner, who hit a second rope codebreaker on Erik, then a tornado DDT on Ivar outside the ring. After a near fall on Erik, Pagano tagged Psycho back in to mount an assault on The Raiders.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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[HOUR TWO]
Psycho executed an amazing Code Red on Ivar for a near fall. Pagano tagged in before Psycho Clown lifted Ivar for a Psycho Driver. Pagano landed a top rope legdrop, followed by a splash from Psycho for a two-count. Pagano hit a cannonball on Erik to the floor. Ivar sat on Psycho, then got kicked by Pagano. The kick from Pagano caused Ivar to collide with Psycho. Ivar ducked a clothesline from Pagano, who mistakenly took out his partner. As he checked on Psycho, The Raiders hit their double-team finisher for the pin.
WINNER: The War Raiders at 9:12 to win the AAA Tag Team Championship.
(Miller’s Take: This was a hard-hitting affair with the missteps of the champions leading to their downfall. The War Raiders looked good and, like Omos, seem to have found a home south of the border.)
-After the match, Psycho Clown wasn’t buying Pagano’s explanation. They shoved each other before Psycho Clown ripped off his face and got in Pagano’s face. Pagano calmly stepped out of the ring to leave before the new champions returned to the ring to attack Psycho Clown. Pagano turned to notice the beatdown and looked like he might return to help his partner, then turned his back and continued walking up the ramp.
-Corey Graves plugged next week’s main event, a 6-woman tag team match with Lola Vice & La Catalina & Bayley vs. Las Toxicas, along with an interview with new AAA GM Rey Mysterio.
-They showed footage of watch parties from around the Latin American world.
-GM Rey Mysterio made his ring entrance to a rousing ovation. OG El Grande Americano and El Grande Americano were shown preparing for their match.
-A very cool comic book-style video of the history of both El Grande Americanos was shown. It was narrated by Rey Mysterio and highlighted how the latest incarnation of El Grande Americano has captured the hearts and imagination of the Mexican people. That’s not a cliché, either. He’s WAY over.
-OG El Grande Americano made his ring entrance with a Mariachi band playing traditional Mexican music. The band stopped playing as his normal Mariachi version of Stars and Stripes Forever began. He was soundly booed.
-Another Mariachi band, all wearing El Grande Americano masks, played and sang Cielito Lindo. El Grande Americano was shown in his dressing room, putting on a vest that read “Por Mexico!” on the back. He placed a cowboy hat on his head and turned to walk to the ring entrance. Cielito Lindo stopped as Mascara began playing. El Grande Americano emerged onto the entrance ramp to an ovation that Hulk Hogan would have envied.
-As L.A. Knight would say, “Let’s talk about it.” I’m not exaggerating when I say the Mexican people adore this man. Let’s face it; everyone knows the man under the mask is Ludwig Kaiser. His version of Americano was already popular in Mexico, but his recent arrest was the cannon that shot his popularity into the stratosphere. For the uninformed, Kaiser was recently arrested after allegedly assaulting a man in Orlando who threatened to call ICE on him and his girlfriend, Mexican media personality Andrea Bazarte. Standing up for his girlfriend being threatened with ICE has made him a hero in Mexico. His following comment cemented that status: “The pride of Mexicans is not the color of your skin. The pride of Mexico is the culture, the people, because the people of Mexico are the most beloved and because a Mexican is born wherever he wants.”
(4) ORIGINAL EL GRANDE AMERICANO vs. EL GRANDE AMERICANO – Mask vs. Mask Match
Jesus Zuniga, flanked by members of Americano’s masked Mariachi band, handled the formal ring introductions. OG grabbed a guitar from one of the band members and smashed it over EGA’s head after he was announced. Since there was no disqualification, the referee called for the bell. OG viciously attacked EGA, stomping away at him to thunderous boos. After a couple of minutes, EGA fired up and started trading fists with his opponent in the corner. EGA delivered a delayed vertical suplex, then hit a spectacular dive to the outside, followed by a huge running dropkick.
OG backdropped EGA on the floor, then continued the assault by throwing EGA into the ring steps. He bounced EGA’s head off the steps a few times, then lifted him into an Angle slam variation off the steps to the floor. That looked nasty. Back in the ring, OG began ripping at EGA’s mask. He ripped open a pretty large tear above the eyehole, but paid the price for it when EGA lifted him and delivered a white noise off the apron and through a table on the floor.
The battle continued with OG blasting EGA in the head with a piece of the table they just broke. OG picked up a couple of office chairs and threw them hard down on EGA’s head. He followed that up with a suplex to the floor before pitching him back into the ring. He continued pounding EGA in the forehead, opening up a gash over the eye. EGA fired back with some hard fists of his own, but OG stopped him quickly. OG placed him on the top turnbuckle and continued to pummel him before hitting an awkward belly-to-back suplex off the top turnbuckle.
Blood dripped from EGA’s head as OG continued hammering him with fists. EGA finally woke up and fired back with wild swings of his own. He nailed a blockbuster on OG, then lifted him onto the turnbuckle, climbed up with him, and began tearing OG’s mask. He nearly ripped the whole mask off before OG finally stopped him. They took the fight back to the floor. As OG was sitting up against the steps, EGA dropkicked him into them. EGA threw him back in the ring, where he soon began hammering OG’s forehead, opening him up as well.
EGA took too long to wedge a chair in the turnbuckles and got German suplexed for it. He came up swinging a chair, as did OG. EGA knocked the chair out of OG’s hands, then covered him. Julio and Bruto Americano yanked EGA out of the ring and put him through the announce desk before rolling him back in the ring. OG hit a top rope headbutt, but still only managed a two-count. Rayo and Bravo ran out and began brawling with Julio and Bruto up the ramp.
Rayo grabbed a kendo stick and began wearing out Julio and Bruto. In the meantime, Bravo had climbed to an upper level and launched himself off the top of it, sailing 15 feet below with a cross body that took out all three men. As OG observed the goings-on, he noticed comedian Ojito in the front row, walked over to him, and grabbed him. Ojito, who is blind, thumped OG with his walking stick. Back in the ring, OG was blasted with a guitar by a masked person, who removed the mask and revealed himself as exotico Pimpinela Escarlata, much to the delight of the crowd. EGA hit a diving headbutt, but only managed a two-count.
EGA rolled out to the floor and pulled a bullrope out from under the ring. OG hit a low blow, then began whipping EGA mercilessly with it, but still couldn’t hold him down for a full three-count. Andrea Bazarte came to ringside to cheer on her man and got into a shouting match with OG at ringside. The distraction allowed EGA to take over with the bullrope. Back inside the ring, he planted OG with a huge DDT, but still only got a two-count. The two men rose from their knees to their feet as they swung wildly at each other. OG managed a top rope moonsault for another very near fall. He pulled EGA over to the corner, picked up a chair, and smashed EGA’s leg with it repeatedly.
OG cinched in an anklelock, which EGA maneuvered into a submission of his own before OG slipped out and reapplied the anklelock. The crowd got louder as EGA teased tapping, but instead fired up. He dropped his straps and started to charge his foe, but his ankle gave out and he crumbled to the mat. OG picked him up for Chaos Theory and got yet another two-count. The crowd was frantic by this point. EGA challenged OG to come after him. He did, but his shoulder connected with the ring post when EGA moved. EGA slowly dragged OG to his feet and paused wearily before mustering one last ounce of strength to run the ropes before delivering a flying headbutt that turned OG inside out. He covered him for the pin as the crowd exploded.
WINNER: El Grande Americano at 33:40.
(Miller’s Take: There’s a reason they replayed this match on Netflix after Raw. This epic encounter has to be at the top of the list for Match of the Year candidate. Both men gave everything they had and put on an unforgettable bout. This checked off all the boxes. Technically sound, athletic, brutal, and dramatic. Words simply can’t describe how good this was, and continuing to try to do so would be a disservice to the men involved. Outstanding!)
-After the match, El Grande Americano was being propped up in the ring by his girlfriend, Pimpinela, Rayo, and Bravo while the announcer called for Original El Grande Americano to reveal himself. OG took the mic and said he put on the mask to go on a quest to learn the art of lucha libre so he could defeat all of the luchadores in the world that he hated. He said that in the process, he learned everything there was to know about lucha libre, Mexico, AAA, the Mexican people and culture. He continued by saying he was man enough to admit that he stands here today, not as a mask, but as a man and that tonight, he could not overcome the Mexican spirit.
He pointed at his foe and said he needed to understand that he would always be the original El Grande Americano, but from now on, he is the only El Grande Americano. OG removed his tattered mask to reveal himself as a bloodied and battered Chad Gable. He said his name was Chad Gable and was born March 8th, 1986 in Minneapolis, MN. Blood continued to pour down his face as he exclaimed that he wrestled in the Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling and that he’s been a professional wrestler for 13 years. He introduced his wife and children, who were standing in the ring with him, as the crowd applauded appreciatively. The crowd chanted “Gable” as he said he would be back in AAA, then thanked the crowd. He handed his mask to El Grande Americano and said, “From now on, this is yours.” The announcer announced El Grande Americano as “el unico” as the show signed off.
FINAL THOUGHTS: While the undercard was newsworthy with three title changes, the main event easily stole the show. It could have been the only match on the card, and the fans would have gone home happy. Gable and Kaiser put on a match for the ages and showed the entire wrestling world how it’s supposed to be done. If you haven’t seen this match, treat yourself. This should be required viewing for anyone who laces up their boots and sets foot inside the squared circle. See you next week for Week 2!
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