TNA Wrestling star and professional wrestling legend Matt Hardy recently talked about the Mask vs. Mask match at AAA Noche de los Grandes. The match featured The Original El Grande Americano (Chad Gable) facing off against El Grande Americano II during an episode of his podcast, “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy.”
Hardy said, “I watched it yesterday. And then I watched it back this morning, because I was so intrigued by it. I’ve watched AAA on and off -— there’s been stuff I’d seek out or find, or whatever when I would hear about things — but I’ve never watched it on a regular basis. It’s not like it’s broadcast on TV or streamed super easily for me… I adore this match, I was in love with this match. The match that El Grande Americano OG and El Grande Americano… the match that they had was amazing. And that match is what pro wrestling is. It had everything in it. And the fact that it went down in AAA — and what blows me away even more is that it was two Caucasian guys, right? There’s an American and a German. There is a German pretending to be American. But the fact that they went out there, and the fact that Americano [II] was so embraced by the Mexican audience and the AAA audience and the culture. They were into this match like you were watching El Santo versus Rey Mysterio when they’re both at their peak, which was incredible. Which shows how great the story had been told, because they were emotionally invested in it. And that’s pro wrestling at its best.”
On Gable:
“They both busted their ass. Chad Gable was in amazing shape. It was so crazy that they were able to go out and and and and capitalize on this energy and have this energy, especially considering who they were. It just shows these players were put in a position to succeed… and this was a career-defining moment for both guys. Chad Gable, I’m not sure where he goes from here. But if I was WWE and I had that guy under contract, I’d want to repackage him as Chad Gable and put him in a prominent spot, no doubt about it. Because he has so much equity and he’s so over… Even if WWE doesn’t go all in with him, he has still made a name for himself that is going to keep him very valuable. He raised his equity by 500% following this match and this whole story.”
On his championship hope for Gable:
“It would definitely start with making him Intercontinental Champion, no doubt. I’d start him in the middle of the pack, I would let him continue to build momentum. I would get him as over as you could possibly get him, and see how greatly this momentum is being carried. Because I feel like this match was watched by a s**tton of people… it’s got like two and a half million views on YouTube. There was so much buzz. It would start with him with an Intercontinental Title run, and then I’d try to push him up into that top stratosphere, that world title scene, and see where we can go if his momentum continues. I would give him a test, because he proved himself in this and he made people believers. Even in losing this match, he was more of a winner in some ways than the guy who won it. He was a big winner on this night.”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
