AAA Noche de Los Grandes Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights

AAA returned to Arena Monterrey Saturday night for Noche del Los Grandes, a massive event headlined by the culmination of the hottest rivalry in professional wrestling as El Grande Americano battled the Original El Grande Americano in a Mask vs. Mask Match.

Which Superstar suffered the ultimate disgrace of being unmasked in front of the world, and did the hotly anticipated match live up to expectations?

Find out with this recap of the event, including grades and analysis for each of its high-stakes contests.

Lineup

Announced for Saturday's show were:

Mask vs. Mask: El Grande Americano vs. Original El Grande Americano

AAA Latin American Championship Match: El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. (c) vs. El Hijo del Vikingo

AAA Cruiserweight Championship Match: Laredo Kid (c) vs. Rey Fenix

AAA World Tag Team Championship Match: Psycho Clown and Pagano (c) vs. War Raiders

AAA Cruiserweight Championship Match: Rey Fenix vs. Laredo Kid

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Last Time in Action: Laredo Kid defeated Rey Fenix (AAA on Fox, May 23)

Laredo Kid, champion for 539 days, entered Saturday's match with Rey Fenix, looking for his second victory over his opponent in seven days. A chorus of boos met him as he made his way to the ring for the night's opening contest.

Fenix started hot, but a powerbomb by the champion halted the babyface's momentum. The champion grounded him, applying a Texas Cloverleaf, looking for a submission, but Fenix grabbed the bottom rope to force the break.

Kid removed the top turnbuckle and applied a submission in the ropes, but Fenix refused to give up and proceeded to mount a comeback. Fenix delivered a near-fall and immediately transitioned into the arm bar, but the champion fought to the ropes.

Fenix escaped a tornado DDT, but Kid answered seconds later with a destroyer DDT. Building on their last encounter, Fenix blocked a low blow and delivered a cutter for a dramatic two-count.

Sweet Chin Music followed but the champion kicked out again.

The challenger landed a Mexican Muscle Buster, but agan failed to put the champion away as the crowd rained down with chants of "esto es lucha (this is wrestling)!"

Kid utilized another low blow to his benefit and followed with a frog splash, but Fenix kicked out, keeping his championship hopes alive.

The babyface utilized Kid's own tricks against him, sending the champion into the exposed turnbuckle from earlier in the match and delivering another Mexican Muscle Buster for the pinfall and championship.

Result

Rey Fenix defeated Laredo Kid to win the title

Grade

B+

Top Takeaways

Laredo Kid removed the turnbuckle right in front of AAA general manager Rey Mysterio, who was on commentary with Corey Graves and JBL. The 2023 Hall of Famer's reaction when pressed by Graves? "That's not my job." Unintentionally hilarious, it was covered up by Graves, who quickly pointed out the authority figure deferring to the referee.

This was an extraordinary opener and a great moment for Fenix, who has been inexplicably underutilized in comparison to his brother, Penta, who is a legitimate star on the Raw brand. He and Kid had fantastic in-ring chemistry, hit their spots, had fans hanging on every near-fall, and delivered a great finish down the stretch. A red-hot start to the show.

AAA Latin American Championship Match: El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. El Hijo del Vikingo

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Last Time in Action: El Hijo del Vikingo lost to Mini Vikingo (AAA on Fox, May 2); El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. lost to Galeno del Mal in a Three Way Dance also involving Octagon Jr. (AAA/Producciones Sanchez La Neza Es La Neza, May 7)

Accompanied to the ring by Dorian Roldan, former AAA Mega champion El Hijo del Vikingo looked to add more championship gold to his resume as he challenged the incredibly popular El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr.

Vikingo halted an early onslaught by the champion with a double stomp on the floor that drove the air out of him, then added a running shooting star press from the apron to the floor.

The babyface fought back and delivered a big splash, but could not keep the challenger down for three.

Omos made his way to the ringside area and, as Roldan had the official distracted, shoved Wagner from the top rope. A running double knee by Vikingo and a 450 splash followed, but the heel could not put the titleholder away.

Wagner's brother, Galeno del Mal, made the save for his sibling and fended off Omos. Meanwhile, Mini Vikingo interfered on behalf of the champion, but his namesake refused to stay down. With chaos reigning supreme, Vikingo capitalized on a cheap shot from the recovered Omos and delivered a 630 off the top rope for the win and the title.

Result

Vikingo defeated Wagner to win the title

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

The hatred for Vikingo is still amazing, considering he was positioned as the face of the promotion before and at the time of WWE's purchase of AAA. With that said, he has developed into a great villain and the trio of him, Roldan, and Omos has potential to be a steady act for the company, regardless of where they are on the card.

This was a fine match that had the crowd into it from start to finish, even if it was slightly overbooked for some's liking. Even then, the interference made sense within the context of the build to the match. Not up to the level of the opener, it was still a fine showcase of the talent involved.

AAA World Tag Team Championship Match: War Raiders vs. Psycho Clown and Pagano

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Last Time in Action: Pagano and Psycho Clown defeated El Hijo del Dr. Wagner and La Parka Negra (AAA/MaxProad Arena Actopan 40. Aniversario, April 30); The War Raiders fought to a no-contest with Pagano and Psycho Clown (AAA on Fox, March 14)

With tensions high between them and questions about trust permeating the team, AAA world tag team champions Psycho Clown and Pagano defended against The War Raiders, Erik and Ivar.

They found themselves on the defensive early and often as the larger, more ferocious and intense challengers beat down and isolated Psycho Clown from his partner.

The tag to Pagano allowed the champions to mount a comeback as the face-painted luchador entered the ring and downed Erik with Emerald Frosion. Psycho Clown re-entered the ring and continued to build momentum, delivering a Death Valley Driver. Pagano added a top-rope leg drop, and his partner followed with a frog splash, but Ivar kicked out.

Later, Pagano kicked Ivar into Psycho Clown, then accidentally rocked his partner with a clothesline. The challengers capitalized, delivered DTM, and won the match and titles.

After the match, the former champions argued before Pagano walked out, leaving Psycho Clown to catch a beating from the winners, who left him lying to a chorus of boos.

Result

War Raiders defeated Pagano and Psycho Clown

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

The match was not the prettiest of the night, but it did not have to be. It was a palate cleanser, completely different from anything fans had seen to that point. It was a bruising battle that put over Ivar and Erik while simultaneously continuing the story of distrust and mounting frustration between the popular babyfaces. It accomplished what it set out to and ended with the inevitable breakup between Psycho Clown and Pagano.

The crowd reaction for Pagano walking out on Psycho Clown was full of passion, a reflection of the care the audience has for the competitors and their story. It is that passion that has been missing from the main roster, WWE programming for a while now.

Mask vs. Mask: El Grande Americano vs. Original El Grande Americano

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Last Time in Action: El Grande Americano and Los Americanos defeated Original El Grande Americano and Los Americanos Hermanos (Raw, May 18)

The best ongoing story in professional wrestling wrote its final chapter Saturday night in the much-anticipated Mask vs. Mask match as El Grande Americano squared off with the Original El Grande Americano (OG for the sake of this recap).

The heel attacked El Grande Americano from the opening bell with a guitar shot before laying into him with a flurry of rights and lefts to the dismay of the fans. The babyface fired back up and fended his opponent off, surviving a collision with the ring post and delivering a Death Valley Driver on the floor.

In a moment that drew the biggest heel heat of the match so far, the OG ripped and tore at Americano's mask, only for the babyface to drive him through a table. The heel recovered, first applying an ankle lock, then dumping Americano with a German suplex.

The action intensified at ringside, where the OG continued his brutal assault on his opponent, punishing him as fans chanted in support of their favorite wrestler, hoping to will him back into the match.

The babyface fired off a tremendous comeback, daring his opponent to bring more, then rocking him with a suplex of his own. He turned to the crowd to help energize him, and they did. He ripped and tore at his opponent's mask, then sent him face-first into the ring steps.

Despite being busted open, the OG countered a steel chair attack with a German suplex. Americano recovered and caught his opponent with a steel chair, only for Los Hermanos de Americanos to make the save. Julio and Bruto pulled the babyface to the floor and drove him through the announce table.

The heel delivered a diving headbutt, but Americano kicked out at two in a dramatic near-fall. Rayo and Bravo hit the ringside area, fighting off Julio and Bruto. Bravo dove out of the audience and onto the mass of competitors below as the crowd again broke out into "esto es lucha" chants.

Comedian Ojitos de Huevo hit the OG with a walking cane, and Pimpinela Escarlata returned to lay out the heel. Still, he refused to stay down, even after a running headbutt from Americano.

The heel recovered and utilized a bullrope, brutalizing his opponent with it. As the OG choked Americano in the ropes, the babyface's girlfriend, Andrea Bazarte, appeared and provided the motivation needed for Americano to turn the tables.

Neither the ankle lock nor the Chaos Theory could keep Americano down. He fought back, delivered the running headbutt, and finally put the OG down for the win.

After the match, the OG unmasked to reveal himself (unsurprisingly) to be Chad Gable. Bloodied but gracious, he cut a babyface promo, introduced the fans to his family, and promised to return to AAA before leaving the ring to Americano.

Result

Americano defeated the OG Americano

Grade

A+

Top Takeaways

The reaction for Americano was otherworldly. He entered the arena as a cultural hero, despite being a German-born wrestler, and that is a testament to Ludwig Kaiser throwing himself into the character and embracing Mexico and its fans. Their love for him made for one of the most incredible atmospheres for a WWE match in years.

This was pure cinema. A brilliant, hard-fought match with an abundance of drama, logical run-ins, blood, a little romance, and a definitive finish. JBL repeatedly referred to the match as a "defining moment" for the winner, but this was a career moment for both participants, something each man should be incredibly proud of. They had the weight of the world on their shoulders to deliver a match befitting all of the hype and creative build that went into it, and they succeeded. A Match of the Year contender for AAA and WWE as a whole

Gable was a total babyface after the match, earning chants of "thank you, Gable" from the fans. He delivered in his role and added gravity to his opponent's victory.

MVP(s) and Overall Grade

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MVPs: El Grandes Americanos

There was so much riding on the Mask vs. Mask match between El Grande Americano and the OG that anything short of an amazing, main event match between the two of them would have been considered a major letdown.

Thankfully, the men under the mask, Ludwig Kaiser and Chad Gable, were up to the task.

In the most important match of either's WWE runs, they delivered a worthy bout that was long, full of drama, and provided fans with the desired outcome. It was everything it needed to be and more, and the result was a satisfied crowd that showed both men love after the bell.

Overall Grade: A

The main event delivered, and that is more than enough to earn Noche De Los Grandes an "A." That Fenix and Laredo Kid tore the house down in the opener, and the rest of the card was at least fun, only enhancing the overall quality of the show.

For a brand that had earned a reputation as the best product WWE puts out each week, it backed it up here.