Jim Cornette has shared his thoughts on the recent mask vs. mask match between Chad Gable and Ludwig Kaiser at AAA Noche de los Grandes.
Speaking on his Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru podcast alongside Brian Last, Cornette described the bout as one of the best wrestling matches he had seen in some time and said he had no interest in criticising it, instead praising virtually every aspect of the presentation.
“I’m not going to take the pi*s out of this thing. It was great,” Cornette said.
Cornette credited the electric atmosphere inside the arena and the passionate Mexican crowd, arguing that fans were fully invested in the match and its stakes rather than simply waiting for big moments or spectacle.
He also praised both Gable and Kaiser for blending athleticism, storytelling and lucha libre elements into a match that felt like a genuine contest.
According to Cornette, the bout succeeded because it avoided what he sees as common issues in the modern styles of both WWE and AEW. He argued the match struck a balance between action and selling, creating what he described as a believable struggle rather than a stunt show.
“I said that was more like wrestling than what we see today,” Cornette said.
The veteran manager was particularly impressed that neither performer had a traditional lucha libre background, yet both delivered a main event that resonated with the Mexican audience.
“Neither Gable nor Kaiser is Hispanic. Neither one is an actual luchador,” Cornette said. “But they worked enough of the style with the athleticism and the dives and the moonsault. It translated, it worked.”
The bout culminated with Gable being unmasked and embracing the traditional lucha libre custom of revealing his identity to the crowd, bringing an emotional conclusion to one of the most talked-about wrestling matches of 2026.
Jim Cornette Also Praised Corey Graves For His Commentary Work On The Match
Jim Cornette also praised commentator Corey Graves for his work during the event, suggesting he could comfortably handle AAA commentary on his own.
The match has received widespread acclaim across the wrestling industry, with several prominent figures calling it one of the year’s standout performances.
Brian Last echoed that sentiment, describing the encounter as the best match he has seen all year. He also credited Gable and Kaiser, along with AAA’s creative team led by The Undertaker and Jeremy Borash, for helping produce one of the promotion’s most memorable matches in recent memory.
