Blue Panther vs. Love Machine
07/18/1993
MASK VS. Hair
AAA
Year: 1993
Type: Mask vs. Hair
Other: Historical; Angle
Synopsis:
One year after Love Machine lost his mask to Blue Panther in CMLL, the two old adversaries met in an apuesta re-match in AAA. The match is storyline and angle driven, but it is a good storyline and a well-executed angle. Love Machine lost his mask in 1992 due to a dumb mistake and is coming to take Panther’s mask as means of righting that wrong. As is often the case with revenge plots, this one goes horribly off the rails for Love Machine. This match is an interesting comparison to the Ciclon Ramirez/Felino mask match CMLL ran earlier the same month. While the wrestling in Panther/Love Machine is only okay at best and the work in Ramirez/Felino is great, the booking of the AAA match and post-match makes it the more indelible match. This one has obvious historical implications as well given that is spawned the successful Los Gringos Locos angle.
Additional Reading:
- Cross Arm Breaker Review
- Pro Wrestling Only Discussion Thread
Wrestling Observer Newsletter (July 26, 1993)
The biggest match in Mexico since TripleMania, the mask vs. hair match with Blue Panther vs. Love Machine, took place on 7/16 in suburban Guadalajara before a sellout 20,000 fans. AAA got its wrestlers on two national television shows during the week to help hype the show, and to insure the sellout, just a few weeks after selling out the same building, they brought Rayo de Jalisco Sr., the biggest drawing card ever in Guadalajara, out of retirement at the age of 61 in what was billed as his retirement match. Machine-Panther saw a bizarre third fall finish after Machine took the first fall with a german suplex and Panther the second via submission with the figure four leglock. Despite Panther being the heel, he was cheered by the majority of the crowd from the start. In the third fall, Machine kept refusing to pin Panther although he had him beat, which caused the fans initially cheering Machine to turn on him, so Panther was turned face to those who weren’t with him to begin with. He then went for the tombstone piledriver, which is illegal in Mexico, and his second, Perro Aguayo, started screaming at him to not do it. At this point the ref was distracted. Machine dropped the hold and started yelling at Aguayo, who then got in the ring. The ref turned around and saw Aguayo in the ring and Panther helpless and DQ’d Machine for outside interference. After the match Machine jumped Aguayo and with the help of Fishman (Panther’s second), they doubled on him with Machine turning heel. Panther ended up making the save, beating up on Machine after, although Fishman just walked away on his own so he never had a confrontation with Panther. After the match Machine had his head shaved. The match airs this coming weekend on Galavision. From those who saw the satellite feed, it appeared Machine made a total heel turn, but Panther was simply Panther and will remain a heel who everyone cheers who is probably the best technical wrestler in the country. *** 1/4
Accolades:
