Tag Archives: Mask vs. Hair

BLUE PANTHER VS. VULCANO
04/09/1993
AAA
Mask vs. Hair

Year: 1993
Type: Mask vs. Hair
Other: n/a

Synopsis:

Can anyone explain why Vulcano – and the other Destructores for that matter – wear what are seemingly full length masks but are allowed to put their hair on the line in apuesta matches? (EDIT: See below tweets for possible explanation.) If nothing else, this match shows the kind of groove AAA was in from a presentation standpoint at this time. Vulcano and Los Destructores are about as low on the AAA totem pole as anyone.  Tony Acre and Rocco Valente both lost their hair to a young Rey Mysterio Jr. late in 1992. This is a rudo/rudo feud with one month build that airs on a random episode of AAA television three weeks before TripleMania. Despite all of that, the match is both heated and very watchable. The match does not need to be seen and in fact, there is little memorable about it but the work is perfectly fine and the heat is good given the circumstances.

Additional Reading:

• Lucha Libre Weekly (Arpil 21, 1993)

  Mascara contra caballera: The Blue Panther (seconded by ? – I still don’t know whom) defeated el Vulcano (seconded by Ice Killer) two falls to one. They put the referees and commissioners over in the first two falls more than they put the wrestlers over but it appeared to be an excuse to get to a one fall match. And what a third fall they had, considering how few spectacular moves each man has. The crowd heat was intense, all for Panther, until they overdid the near falls and by halfway through the third fall had worn the crowd down (not kmt them mind you, just exhausted them). Big pop when Vulcano submitted to the e/ nudo submission hold. I liked it better than some, I think. *** (all for the third fall)..
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter (April 19, 1993)

  Actually the worst match on the show was said to have been the main event where Blue Panther beat Vulcano in a mask vs. hair match. ** 1/4 (Correspondent)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter (April 26, 1993)

  Headline was Blue Panther vs. Vulcano in a mask vs. hair match, which was better than I’d been led to believe. It’s weird. Panther is supposed to be a heel and this was supposed to be a heel vs. heel feud. Panther was the most over face on the card except for Konnan. So El Tirantes, the heel ref, DQ’d Panther in the first fall largely for doing nothing. Promoter Antonio Pena comes out and throws Tirantes out of the match and replaces him with Pepe Casas (the father of Heavy Metal, Felino and Negro Casas). Casas DQ’d Vulcano in the second fall for Ice Killer’s interference. They went back-and-forth with near falls until Panther got a submission and the crowd went nuts as Vulcano was shaved. It wasn’t classic Panther. His best matches are as a scientific heel having a title match against a good technical face.
• Why Los Desctructores wore masks despite being “unmasked” luchadores:

(1/3) Can’t remember the story, either SIms or Fernandez, but there is a story that Los Destructores were asked by Televisa to wear those

— Eduardo Martinez (@PharrFromHeaven) July 10, 2016

(2/3) mesh masks because they looked too ‘indio’ (indigenous). Can’t track down the full story but they does have an bad reputation when it

— Eduardo Martinez (@PharrFromHeaven) July 10, 2016

(3/3) comes to this stuff. Even among people who don’t really talk about this type of stuff, will casually mention how ‘white’ Televisa is.

— Eduardo Martinez (@PharrFromHeaven) July 10, 2016

Accolades:

• n/a