This Day In Wrestling History - November 6

Date: November 6, 1994 (19 years ago)

Feature: Lucha Libre wrestling was introduced to a mainstream U.S. audience when Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, and Konnan starred in the AAA promotion's "When Worlds Collide" PPV event co-promoted by WCW...

Torch Back-Issue: PWTorch Newsletter #307.

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WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
AAA/IWC debut pay–per–view event
Novermber 6, 1994
Los Angeles, Calif. - Sports Arena
Live Attendance: 12,000 ($205,000)

As expected, there were positives and negatives coming out of “When Worlds Collide.” Sunday night, many American wrestling fans were introduced to the Mexican–developed AAA/IWC style of wrestling and, according to the Torch poll, were by and large impressed.

In the main event, 49–year–old Perro Aguayo defeated the 29–year–old top heel Konnan in a cage match. Tons of activity outside the cage, in–ring psychology, and intense fan heat made up for a largely mediocre athletic performance by the two men. The highlight of the card was the double–hair vs. double–mask match where Octagon & El Hijo del Santo beat Love Machine & Eddy Guerrero. Machine & Guerrero had their heads shaved after the match.

Besides the quality of the matches and the match outcomes, there were several other standout differences between this event and the usual WWF and WCW pay–per–views. Besides the obvious higher work ethic among the wrestlers and the overall higher level of skill displayed by virtually the entire crew, the announcing stood out. WCW b–team announcer Chris Cruise and WCW hotline host Mike Tenay put together a remarkable dialog throughout the show. There was a sense of honestly from them for the most part and, more than anything, a feeling that they were not “above” or “better than” the audience.

The most significant element coming out of this show may be a realization on AAA/IWC’s part that WCW, to put it bluntly, is not their ally. All reports out of the show indicate that WCW did a lot to damage the show. The Turner production people in charge of pacing the show repeatedly rushed it despite ending with over 40 minutes to spare, they refused to allow the elaborate ring entrances that are a trademark of AAA events, and they vetoed having a dark match which usually takes place so fans are in their seats for the start of the TV events.

All politics aside, the wrestling contained on this card impressed those responding to the Torch poll. The following is a run–down of those bouts.

MATCH RESULTS

The program opened with a low, wide–angle shot of the Los Angeles Sports Area as Chris Cruise introduced the event over the house mic. As the fireworks over head subsided, Cruise handed over the mic to the Spanish–speaking ring announcer, Arturo Rivera. Ring music then began for the minis match. Mike Tenay and Chris Cruise then began announcing the introductions of the minis.

(1) Octagoncito & Mascara Sagrada beat Jerrito Estrada & Espectrito (current World Minis Champion) at 8:26. For those who thought opening with a minis match was too circus like at the start, they had no choice but to respect the efforts of all four men. A good, shorter than usual AAA minis match with the technicos using dazzling moves and the bigger rudos using brawling moves. (***1/2)

(2) Psicosis & Fuerza Guerrera (cptn.) & Madonna’s Boyfriend (Louie Spicolli) beat Rey Misterio Jr. & Heavy Metal (cptn.) & Latin Lover. The storyline as given by Cruise and Tenay was that the younger techinicos team was seeking to earn respect by beating the older heel team. Cruise pointed out that ring introductions were in Spanish because the crowd was predominantly Spanish–speaking.

After some back and forth action and frequent tags, Spicolli tagged in. Because of his dominant size, he easily dominated Misterio. He patronized Misterio by patting him on the head after setting him on the top rope. He caught Misterio’s bodyblock and pressed him. Misterio then hit Spicolli with a dropkick and tagged out to Lover, who was comparable in size to Spicolli. The two exchanged power moves as Spicolli gloated after his moves with some dancing celebrations. Lover rebounded each time and then tagged in Metal.

Psicosis then battled Metal. After a quick exchange, Guerrera and Misterio entered. After Misterio flipped over the top rope and moved out of the way of a flying Guerrera, he took Guerrera to the floor with a flying head scissors off the apron. Psicosis then squared off with Lover with Lover coming out ahead when he moved out of Psicosis’s way. Metal and Guerrera then squared off. Guerrera kneed Metal low, which Tirantes ruled was a knee to the inner thigh. Metal returned with a low knee of his own. Spicolli then entered and battled Misterio at ringside, press throwing him four rows deep down the aisle.

At 8:00 Psicosis and Guerrera doubled on Lover. Misterio finally returned to the ring and Psicosis threw a charging Misterio eight feet into the air. Lover and Fuerza then battled with Lover taking Guerrera down with a kick to the chin. Lover missed a splash off the top when Guerrera moved. Guerrera then clamped on the Scorpion death lock. At 11:45, Misterio somersault back splashed Spicolli from the top rope to the ringside floor. Metal then missed a flip splash onto Guerrera, who then locked on an armbar neckjam for the submission at 12:36.

The finish came out of nowhere, so much so that Cruise wondered aloud if the one–fall stipulation had been expanded to best of three. The rudos beat on Metal after the match. Although the bout failed to gain momentum through traditional U.S. psychology because of frequent tag outs, it had enough nonstop action and intriguing match–ups with minimal low blows and goofing around to be a very good example of a good AAA six–man match. In hindsight, given the ample time left on the show, this should have been best of three falls. (****)

(3) Chris Benoit & Tito Santana & Too Cold Scorpio beat Blue Panther & La Parka (current Mexican Lt. Hvt. Champion) & Jerry Estrada at 14:38. Although the difference was never explained between the two promotions, this was billed as a battle between IWC and AAA teams. Cruise and Tenay talked up Benoit as one of the top wrestlers in the world. Santana was described as the possible “weak link” in the team due to lack of experience in the lucha style.

Scorpio and Panther opened as Parka and Estrada argued in their corner. Panther, as is his style, worked on the mat at first. Benoit and Parka then squared off. Parka got a big laugh out of the crowd when, after he was taken to the mat with an armdrag, he came up in the Karate Kid crane kick position. Parka’s early antic stole the show. When Santana entered the ring, Estrada argued with Parka over who got to wrestle him. Estrada won the argument. When Santana got an armbar on Santana, Parka refused to tag in. Estrada and Parka argued so Panther entered the ring to face Benoit. At 5:35 Benoit matter-of-factly suplexed Panther over the top rope to the floor and then hit him with a tope. Scorpio and Parka then had a staredown.

At 11:48, Scorpio missed a high back splash off the top rope. Estrada and Parka then fought with each other over who got to pin Scorpio. Finally, Scorpio stood back and encouraged the two to fight each other. Estrada held Santana in a full–nelson outside the ring as La Parka flew out of the ring. Santana moved and he hit Estrada. Estrada battled Parka as Scorpio flew onto them. Meanwhile, in the ring, Blue Panther powerslammed Benoit and then missed a top rope splash. Benoit returned with a second rope legdrop. Benoit then rolled out of a powerbomb attempt into a roll–up pinfall finish.

Another good match mainly because of the collection of highspots. Santana was out of place but enough in the background not to stink up the match. Parka’s antics were a highlight. (**3/4)

(4) El Hijo del Santo & Octagon beat Love Machine (Art Barr) & Eddy Guerrero. Before the match, Cruise and Tenay plugged the Clash and Starrcade. Cruise and Tenay talked about the heat between Guerrero and Santo because Guerrero claims his father, Gory, was the leader when he teamed with Santo Jr.’s father years ago. Santo and Guerrero began the match. Cruise and Tenay gave background on how important Santo Jr.’s mask is because he pledged to his legendary father, Santo, that he would never lose the mask before his father died. His father’s funeral, Cruise said, was the biggest ever in Mexico and his father was buried in his mask. Octagon and Machine then tagged in. Guerrero hit Santo, who was propped on Machine’s shoulders, with a top rope rana (“Frankensteiner”) and got the three count. Guerrero then suplexed Octagon off the top rope and Machine hit Octagon with his top rope splash to end the fall at 4:08.

Guerrero and Santo began the second fall. Machine hit Octagon with two excellent standing dropkicks to the head. Santo and Octagon soon took over on the heels and dropkicked them out of the ring and then ran them into the security railings with diving shoulder blocks. Guerrero hit Santo with a top rope rana at 3:49 to get half way toward ending the second fall. A strong “Me–hi–co” chant began as the heels tried to pin Octagon. Octagon surprised Guerrera with a surprise reversal of a powerbomb into a rana for a pinfall, then Russian leg sweeped Machine into a submission to end the second fall at 4:51 for the biggest pop of the night up to that point.

As the third fall began, Machine told Guerrero, “Let’s do it for the United States.” Santo got an early near fall on Guerrero, but Guerrero moved to a camel. Octagon broke that up with a kick to the face. Machine did the same when Santo put a camel clutch on Guerrera. After four minutes of various moves and saves, the heels hit the faces with a double dive through the ropes to the floor. Santo hit Guerrera with a sunset flip over the top rope to the floor. Meanwhile, Machine tombstone piledrived Octagon in the ring while the referee’s back was turned, the most feared, most sold move in AAA. Octagon was stetchered from the ring, leaving Santo alone with Machine and Guerrero. Machine clotheslined Santo into a power belly-to-back suplex rolled into a pin for a near fall. Guerrero then superplexed Santo off the top rope and Machine hit Santo with a top rope splash for an apparent finish, but Santo kicked out at the last second at 6:40. Machine accidentally clotheslined Guerrero out of the ring. Santo hit Guerrero with a top rope dive to the floor. Santo meanwhile piledrived Machine behind the ref’s back. Santo scored a three count on Machine leaving Santo vs. Guerrero.

At 8:28, Santo got a near fall on Guerrero. Guerrero powerbombed Santo at 8:44 for a near fall. Guerrero hit Santo with a top rope belly to belly suplex for a near fall at 9:10. Guerrero hit Santo with a top rope rana for a near fall at 9:30. “Santo, Santo” chants began. After another near fall, Santo sat out of a full-nelson and rolled up Guerrero for a three count at 10:19. As a result, Santo and Octagon didn’t have to unmask, but Machine and Guerrero had to have their heads shaved. This match combined the spectacular, well–executed hot moves seen often in previous matches with a stronger storyline and more drama given the fan heat and match stipulations. As a result, it was the best match of the night. (****1/4)

Scenes aired of Octagon being carted into an ambulance. Machine and Guerrero cut each other’s hair in mid–ring with scissors as they cried, winced, and later argued. Santo passed some of the hair to the fans at ringside. Afterward, backstage, their heads were shaved clean.

(5) Perro Aguayo defeated Konnan in a cage match at 17:54. Konnan came to the ring with the IWC World Title and the UWA Double Power Cup belts (which he defeated Aguayo for recently). Cruise and Tenay drew parallels between Konnan vs. Aguayo and Hogan vs. Flair. Konnan opened the match with a press slam of Aguayo. After a few collisions that knocked Konnan to the mat, he ran for cover, but could go no where with the cage. Konnan gave Aguayo a low kick. At 2:11, Aguayo used Konnan’s head to climb the cage, but Konnan dropped Aguayo backward off the cage. Konnan came up just short of hotshotting Aguayo on the top rope and on a second attempt, he rammed Aguayo’s face into the cage. Aguayo began to bleed and Konnan rammed him into and rubbed his face against the cage. Konnan began to climb the cage, but Aguayo sent him backward to the mat. At 4:57, a “parental discretion is advised” message came on the screen. Both fought on the top rope for leverage, exchanging chops. Both returned to the mat and Konnan clotheslined and double–stomped him.

At 7:00, Konnan began to dominate offense. At 8:46, Aguayo dropped Konnan shoulder–first off the top rope. That caused Eddy Guerrero and Spicolli to run to ringside. At 10:00, both Konnan and Aguayo battled on the top of the cage as the fans intensely watched and reacted to changes in momentum. At 11:05, Guerrero threw a cup of soda into Aguayo’s face and tossed Konnan brass knuckles. Konnan, thanks to the no–DQ stipulation, began beating on Aguayo. Konnan gave Aguayo the Niagara Driver. Referee Pepe Casas tried to stop Guerrero and Spicolli from entering the cage as Cruise and Tenay commented that the fans were nearly ready to charge it. At 14:00, a very, very bloody Aguayo began a comeback, so Konnan asked for Guerrero to throw the brass knuckles back into the cage. At 15:42, the Dynamite Brothers music started and they ran to ringside to stop the interference of Spicolli and Guerrero. As the Dynamite Brothers beat on Guerrero, fans began hitting Guerrero. Guerrero turned around and violently grabbed at the fan and leaned over the security railing throwing punches of his own. As Konnan reached the top of the cage, Cien Caras met him from the other side and hit him, knocking him off the top. Aguayo then began to beat on Konnan. Aguayo double–stomped Konnan from the top rope. Aguayo then climbed the cage and reached the floor at 17:54 for a victory. On his way from the ring, the bloody Aguayo shook hands with fans at ringside and even kissed a woman.

It wasn’t nearly on the level of the Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart cage match in some respects because Konnan and Aguayo are not nearly the athletes that Owen and Bret are. However, it was much more brutal and the storyline at ringside at the end created a chaotic climax. The fan heat at the end was also strong, and thus a pretty average cage match in terms of in–ring action was raised a level. (***)

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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