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For pro wrestling fans, it’s easy to criticize when things are off the mark or if the crescendo of a storyline fails to meet lofty expectations. The naysayers log on consistently and the criticism is often louder and more overblown when those things happen.
It was safe to say that Saturday’s night end to the storyline between El Grande Americano and Original El Grande Americano at AAA Lucha Libre Worldwide’s Noche de Los Grandes surpassed expectations and fermented itself as one of the best wrestling matches of the year.
The hype was palpable. El Grande Americano appeared on WWE and AAA programming and became a fan favorite in Mexico. Pro wrestling fans in the country sang to him and welcomed him into Lucha Libre culture. Original El Grande Americano was the hated villain who fans booed loudly, flipped middle fingers to and pushed back against any momentum he would gain.
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It all culminated into an extraordinary match Mask vs. Mask match in Monterey in front of a jammed arena. In the end, El Grande Americano defeated Original El Grande Americano in a bloody contest. Original El Grande Americano was forced to remove his mask, revealing himself to be WWE star Chad Gable.
It was a drawn-out affair that featured Gable assailing El Grande Americano with a guitar shot to start the match, Rayo and Bravo take out the Creed Brothers and El Grande Americano putting Gable through a table.
Both men pummeled each other, trying to strip off each other’s masks before the match was finished. They were left bloodied, battered and beaten by the end of it.
Pro wrestling fans universally agreed that it was one of, if not the, best match of the year.
“I put on this mask to go on a quest to learn the art of Lucha Libre so I can defeat all the Luchadores in the world that I hated, hated, hated,” Gable said after the match. “In that process of my journey, I learned everything there was to know about Lucha Libre, about Mexico, about AAA, the Mexican people and the Mexican culture.
“I’m man enough to admit, I stand here in front of you, not as a mask, but as a man. And it pains me to say this, it hurts me bad, but with all the honor in the world, I’ll say that tonight, I could not overcome the Mexican spirit.”
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Gable wrote on Instagram later that he was off to Italy. It’s unclear what he does next, but WWE will hold Clash in Italy in Turin on Sunday.