When Worlds Collided: 25 Years Later
Looking back on AAA’s historic event in the United States.
Today marks 25 years since arguably the most important supercard in the history of lucha libre: AAA When Worlds Collide.
A joint venture between AAA, the IWC (International Wrestling Council) and WCW, When Worlds Collide broke barriers by presenting, for the first time via a major pay-per-view provider, the traditional high-flying style of Mexican wrestling to North American fans. It is a show that laid the groundwork for all other lucha libre-influenced events to follow, while also laying the groundwork for a generation of up-and-coming independent talent to conquer the industry over the next two decades.
When Worlds Collide is a show that is very close to my heart. Growing up in the ‘90s, the cruiserweights of WCW were what drew me so deeply into this thing we call professional wrestling. Many of the wrestlers I love appear on this monumental event, and their performances still blow me away today.
My first exposure to this event came courtesy of Eddie Guerrero’s two-disc DVD Cheating Death and Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story. The set features many matches from Eddie’s ECW, WCW and WWE tenures, but also featured a match from this event. Up until this point, I’d never seen any of Eddie’s work pre-ECW, so it was a real treat to be able to see a match from so early on in his career. Little did I know that this match would spark an interest in the show that would stay with me to this day.
Founded by Antonio Peňa in 1992, Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (more commonly known as AAA) was a fresh and exciting lucha libre alternative in South America. Breaking away from the traditions of rival Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), AAA quickly established itself as arguably the hottest wrestling promotion in the world. Thanks to huge draws such as Konnan, Perro Aguayo and Blue Panther, as well as amazing rivalries from Los Gringos Locos and El Hijo Del Santo, coupled with new, innovative and influential talents such as Rey Misterio Jr., Psicosis and La Parka, AAA was picking up momentum and on its way to conquering the wrestling world.
We need to remember that back in the early ‘90s, specifically the years 1992 to 1994, North American pro wrestling was really struggling. Gaps were beginning to open in the market as disillusioned fans looked elsewhere for alternatives. While UFC was only in its infancy, it still made enough an impression to lead many fans away and subsequently never return. And those who stayed with pro wrestling used their resources closest to home, notably tape-trading, magazine subscriptions and this new device called the internet, to discover promotions outside of the WWF and WCW they otherwise would not have seen worldwide.
Riding on the crest of its momentum, AAA not only caught the eyes of curious fans, but also the eye of a young, brash TV producer called Eric Bischoff. He had recently become a figurehead in WCW and was ready to freshen up the fledgling promotion as soon as possible. Seeing how successful lucha libre was becoming, Bischoff wanted to capitalize on the sensation and bring it to the North American audience. Bischoff then began negotiating a deal with AAA to produce a joint WCW and AAA PPV show for fans to see the best of both worlds, hence the PPV’s namesake. But this idea did not come to fruition.
A lot of the WCW personnel did not want to affiliate with AAA. Perhaps due to industry politics and possibly even some racial tensions, the joint show idea never took place. Instead, a deal was struck where WCW would produce the event with its production and video crew, but WCW was not billed on the card. Rather than WCW appearing on the marquee, it was the IWC that appeared on the show. But outside of the second match on the card, the IWC had no further presence on the show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTxIPEg2rfY
Interestingly, I have not been able to find any information about the IWC online or any shows they ran. The only real information I have found is a very long interview with a gentleman called Ron Skoler, who also had large input into When Worlds Collide getting off the ground.
Yet, while WCW did not actively appear on the show or on the graphics for the card, the main announcer for the show was WCW employee Chris Cruise. He had worked on smaller WCW shows, such as WCW Worldwide and WCW Main Event, but had never been a focal point. As mentioned earlier on, with WCW not wanting any major personnel appearing on the show, Cruise was given the chance to call the event and it may have been one of the best chances an announcer could have gotten. His play-by-play was out of this world and the show just fit his voice like a glove. When you see the show, you cannot imagine J.R. or Tony Schiavone or even Joey Styles calling the action; you only envision Cruise.
But he didn’t call the action alone. Not only was When Worlds Collide monumental for showcasing many of the future in-ring stars of the next 25 years, but it was also monumental for giving the world its first exposure to arguably the greatest announcer of all-time: Mike Tenay!
“The Professor” had been a lifelong professional wrestling fan, producing independent publications and interviews for nearly 30 years. Employed by WCW to work on the WCW Hotline, Tenay, a radio broadcaster by trade, had gathered a wealth of wrestling knowledge and expertise, which held him in fantastic stead calling in-ring action alongside Cruise. Add in the fact that Tenay is a California native, where the PPV was held, and you couldn’t have a better combination if you tried. As a fan of wrestling all my life, the combination of Cruise and Tenay is one of my favorites and could not have been more perfect. They bounced off one-another and truly made a great team.
So, you can already see how special the event was back in 1994, even before mentioning any of the five matches. Five matches! Only five matches?! Yes, back in 1994, having only five matches on a PPV was almost unheard of. It was a given that North American PPVs would have between seven and nine matches. Only Survivor Series was the notable exception, but even then, the matches usually went over 20 minutes. In regards to how this show feels as a viewer, it is almost like a precursor to an NXT Takeover. Only a few matches are on the card, but each feels special.
A sold out crowd of 13,000 fans jam packed the LA Memorial Sports Arena to see this historic event. Largely Hispanic and South American, the crowd was hot and passionate. From start to finish, they were chanting, cheering and booing, from start to finish.
In a cruel move by the WCW/TBS producers, they reduced the running time of the show by 40 minutes, meaning the first three matches were now going to be contested under single-fall rules, rather than the traditional 2/3 falls. The producers also cut back on the elaborate entrances for the performers, as well as a dark match. This cut was most ironic during the broadcast, as Cruise and Tenay kept referring to a possible impromptu sixth match (presumably as the card was going faster than people expected) taking place on the card, but it never happened.
Finally, and most shockingly, executives could not decide if the semi-main event, Los Gringos Locos vs. El Hijo Del Santo and Octagon should just be a 2/3 falls match between Eddie Guerrero and El Hijo Del Santo or the proposed tag match. From reading Eddie’s autobiography, he fought endlessly to have the tag team match stay on the card, which fortunately, it did. Given the historical implications this match had, could you imagine if this match was bumped off the card?
Watching this PPV in 2019, the match quality doesn’t necessarily hold up as well as it did 25 years ago. But that is not to say that this show isn’t amazing. While the opener involving the minis is a little bit sloppy, even by 1994 standards, the risks all four men take are still crazy. The billed “Battle for Respect” featuring a very fired up Psicosis, a very arrogant Madonna’s Boyfriend (ala Louie Spicolli) and a very young Rey Misterio Jr. is ‘90s lucha libre at its finest.
The IWC vs. AAA six-man tag-match was booked wonderfully with rivals La Parka and Jerry Estrada unable to see past one another’s differences and function as a team with Blue Panther against Pegasus Kid (aka Chris Benoit), Tito Santana (in his first post-WWF appearance) and the innovator of the 450 splash 2 Cold Scorpio. The trademark antics of La Parka no doubt helped make him the fan favorite he has become today and one of the most important figures in lucha libre history.
Then we come to the semi-main event: 2/3 falls. Masks vs. Hair. El Hijo Del Santo and Octagon vs. Los Gringos Locos AKA La Pareja del Terror (Eddy Guerrero and “Love Machine” Art Barr). This is the match that caught my attention on Eddie’s DVD set all those years ago, and what made me find out everything about this PPV since. This match is a tag team masterpiece, and Barr is the greatest rudo (villain) in lucha libre history. Heck, Barr may even be the greatest heel in wrestling history.
If there was one match I could see live, it would have to be this one. If any prospective wrestlers are reading this article, I urge you to watch this match and study Barr. Trained in part by “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, the psychology Art puts to play in this match is astounding. Art holds the screen whenever he is on it. The emotion he riles from the fans is like nothing you will see today. It is a sensational piece of performance art, transcending outside pro wrestling.
This match made me search out the entire feud of Los Gringos Locos vs. El Hijo Del Santo and Octagon, which lends itself greatly into the context of what this match meant to the live crowd. Out of context, this match is still wonderful to watch, but with the layered history added into this bout, you can really see just how special this match was, and how the previous encounters play into this match beautifully.
The match is adrenaline-fueled, athletic, violent and incredibly creative. Rarely will you see a tag team match as emotional as this. The crowd made this match even more special and one of those unique instances when all of the stars aligned and perfection was in the air. After you have seen this match, you really understand what the traditions of lucha libre mean to its fans.
And now it’s time for the main-event! A cage match pitting lucha libre megastar Konnan against legendary brawler Perro Aguayo. What stands out most of all is Konnan’s body tone. Most fans are familiar with Konnan via his alignment with LAX in Impact Wrestling, and you don’t really see just how much of an imposing athletic figure he is. Back in the ‘90s, he looked like a heavyweight boxer! Perro, on the other hand, may not have had the tone of Konnan, but his brawling ability and violent tendencies make him equally as scary to look at.
This match is a brutal, bloody brawl causing the fans to rile up in a frenzy. It isn’t pretty and there is nothing special between the ropes, but the fire of the fans and the passion of the competitors is truly exceptional to watch. The conclusion of the PPV with Perro celebrating amongst his fellow countrymen is a fitting ending to this history-making event.
AAA When Worlds Collide is not only historic for the event itself, but also its aftermath. Coming out of the event, Tenay would go on to become a regular member of the WCW announce team, and then eventually the voice of TNA Wrestling. Rey Misterio Jr., Konnan, Psicosis, La Parka and many more luchadores would usher in a new era of wrestling in the United States, leading to the cruiserweight revolution and influencing a new breed of stars.
Tragically, a mere three weeks after the event, Barr died at his home in Oregon aged just 28. It was news that rocked AAA and lucha libre as a whole. It has been reported that following the PPV Barr and Guerrero were being scouted by every major company in the U.S., as well as Japan and even rival CMLL. AAA’s booking plans for the duo also had to be dropped and with it, the promotion began a steady decline which was felt for many years to come, due to talent dissension and economic issues in Mexico.
Upon hearing the death of Barr, his best friend left AAA and began touring the U.S. and Japan as a singles competitor. In a tribute, Guerrero adopted Art’s Frog Splash (which Barr created) as his finishing move. Nearly 10 years later, that move led Guerrero to his inspirational WWE Championship victory, also in California, bringing the story of Los Gringos Locos full-circle.
So ends my article celebrating the 25th anniversary of AAA When Worlds Collide. It was a show of firsts and a show of lasts. It was a modern show, but also a show steeped in tradition. It is a show which brought a country together.
It is a show that needs to be seen to be believed.
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