Masked characters switching the performer under the mask is nothing new in lucha libre. Jeff Jarrett decided to borrow the mask of Hulk Hogan’s Mr. America. Technically, that isn’t quite true. Jarrett wasn’t trying to hide his identity, like Hogan. He was more making an effort to hide his freshly shaved head after losing in a hair vs hair match to Dr. Wagner Jr. at Héroes Inmortales XII. But hey, don’t let facts get in the way of a good story.
AAA recently posted some matches from Orizaba that were left on the cutting room floor while putting together that television episode of Gira de Conquista. Along with Jarrett in a trios bout, there was also a light tube-heavy lucha extrema with Pagano & Joe Lider vs Los Macizos and two other lower card trios duels.
Back to the topic of Jeff Jarrett, this match might end up being his final in Mexico. It took place before his surprise appearance to walk with slap nutz at the Royal Rumble and head to Raw to perform his timeless classic, “With My Baby Tonight.” Before Jarrett wrestles Elias tonight on Raw and moves to a backstage producer role, let’s cherish his chicanery south of the border one last time.
Jeff Jarrett, Hijo del Fantasma, & Killer Kross vs Dr. Wagner. Jr., Psycho Clown, & Drago
Here is Jeff Jarrett in all his masked glory.
After calling his competitors trash, they turned around and coerced the crowd to follow along with chants of, “Eh, puto!” Jarrett gave it a try toward the tecnicos but was met with silence. Psycho Clown finished the audience participation session with one more rowdy, “Eh, puto,” for Jarrett. Later, Jarrett would use a replica Psycho Clown mask to rub on his butt before choking Drago with it.
Dr. Wagner Jr. would eventually get Jarrett alone in the ring to forcefully remove the mask. Wagner would pay for that karmic malfeasance as he would be ambushed by Blue Demon Jr. and double suplexed on the entrance ramp.
As for the match itself, eh, who cares. This was all about Jarrett being a goofball. If you are curious, Killer Kross was a wrecking ball of suplexes, Psycho Clown did a sitdown front slam to Hijo Del Fantasma through a table, there was a Tower of Doom where Kross’ butt crack was exposed (never say butt cracks don’t bring strangers together), and Drago won the bout by beating Fantasma with the Dragon’s Lair pin maneuver in a prelude to a title change.
If that was Jarrett’s swan song in Mexico, it sure was a hoot. Thanks for the memories, Sr. King of the Mountain.
It turns out that Jarrett isn’t the only AAA superstar that has learned a trick or two from Hulk Hogan.
To be a fly on that wall. It must have been one wild evening, brother.
Lucha Extrema: Pagano & Joe Lider vs Ciclope & Miedo Extremo
If you enjoy light tube violence, then this is the match for you.
This bout had some nifty wrestling moves, but the story of a lucha extrema is the extreme barbarity. There were chairs, light tubes, a stapler, barbwire, a table, and fire. The first moment of brutality was Pagano doing a suicide dive onto the other three participants while he was holding a light tube.
The light tube didn’t shatter as intended, so Pagano smashed it on the ground as he was on top of the others. That sure caused a mess.
There was also an assisted flying bulldog by Pagano to Miedo Extremo onto a chair, Pagano charging into the corner with a light tube but taking a back elbow to explode on his face, Miedo Extremo hanging in a tree of woe as Joe Lider dropkicked a light tube into his chest/face, Lider stapling Ciclope’s head, Ciclope doing a running stomp onto Lider’s head into a light tube, Pagano wrapping barbwire around his thigh for a backbreaker to Ciclope, and Pagano and Miedo Extremo climbing a steel production post to crash down through a barbwired table.
La guerra EXTREMA no ha terminado, ¿verdad, @Pagano656? En Juárez se escribirá el siguiente capítulo
— Lucha Libre AAA (@luchalibreaaa) November 11, 2018
¡EN VIVO por @TwitchES!
=> https://t.co/eJPPgIngbI pic.twitter.com/kJgTVJSgki
For the finish, Ciclope kicked a light tube into Lider’s face. A flying light tube splash to Lider’s back followed. 1, 2, Lider kicked out!!! Ciclope took it to the next level by lighting fabric on his knee pad aflame for a Flaming Wizard. This time it was a 1, 2, 3 victory for the bad guys.
Every time I see a match advertised for that foursome, I hope it will just a regular tag team bout. It can’t be good for their health to do a lucha extrema each week. I will give them their due though for putting on another entertaining outing. If you want more, check out the match from Ciudad Juarez involving the same teams.
Other bonus matches include Arkangel Divino, Dinastia, & Dragon Bane vs La Parka Negra, Toxin, & Lanzelot (here) and Aerostar, Niño Hamburguesa, & Super Fly vs Taurus, Ultimo Maldito, & Black Danger (here). They were both full of high-flying maneuvers; sometimes sloppy, sometimes cool, but always entertaining.
Would you like to see Jeff Jarrett return to AAA? Should Hulk Hogan take Jarrett’s place under the Mr. America mask again? What is your best, “How many light tubes does it take,” joke in honor of the lucha extrema with Pagano, Joe Lider, Ciclope, and Miedo Extremo?