Gran Apache

In 1994 Balbuena, dissatisfied with the opportunities EMLL was giving him, left the promotion to work for Carlos Máynes' promotion. While the promotion was past its heyday in Mexico, Máynes' connections allowed Balbuena to start working in Japan for the International Wrestling Association of Japan (IWA Japan). While in Japan he resumed working as a trainer outside of the ring and wrestling against his trainees on shows to help teach them how to actually work matches. During his time in Japan, he began training his two oldest daughters, Mariella and Fabiola for their wrestling careers.[7][8] While in Japan Balbuena portrayed various masked characters such as Jabagengi, with a mask like a monkey, and Lion, a wrestling lion, before leaving Japan in 1995. Balbuena returned to Japan in 2000 for a short stint to work for CMLL Japan, using the masked character "Kimba".[9] Starting in 2001 Balbuena, as Gran Apache, returned to Japan, working for Michinoku Pro off and on for several years both wrestling and training Japanese wrestlers.[10]

In 1995 Balbuena joined Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide as both a wrestler and a trainer, later becoming the head trainer for AAA.[2] In AAA he reunited with his former Los Gran Apaches partner, with the two adopting the masked comedy gimmick Las Chivas Rayadas, two "wrestling soccer goats" inspired by the Club Deportivo Guadalajara mascot.[11] The masked gimmick allowed the veteran wrestlers to train younger wrestlers by working against them and even allowed various trainees to work as "Chiva Rayada III".[11]

Starting in 2005 Balbuena and his family became the focal point of a storyline that would come to define their careers more than any other.[2] In real life Balbuena's daughter Fabiola, now working as "Faby Apache", had married José Roberto Islas García, better known as professional wrestler Billy Boy.[12] The storyline AAA presented depicted Gran Apache as the "overprotective father" who did not think that Billy Boy was good enough for her daughter. The storyline, sometimes described as a Telenovela, began when Billy Boy began showing up ringside during Faby's matches with flowers and signs professing his love for her. Gran Apache objected to the relationship and attacked Billy Boy as he was not "worthy" of his daughter. The storyline played out over several years and even had the birth of Billy Boy and Faby's son Marvin written into the storyline. At one point Gran Apache defeated Billy Boy, forcing him to not have anything to do with either Faby Apache or his son Marvin. Following the loss the storyline was that Billy Boy was so depressed that he was committed to a mental institution.[12]

Billy Boy later returned as the masked "Alfa", a trainee of Gran Apache, who earned the respect of the harsh father who declared that "Alfa" was worthy of his daughter. Following the statement Billy Boy unmasked to the surprise of everyone, reuniting with Faby Apache and Marvin, though the ruse did not please Gran Apache.[12] During AAA's 2008 Guerra de Titanes show Billy Boy came to Faby Apache's aid after she lost a match, this, in turn, led to Faby Apache slapping Billy Boy, causing Billy Boy to attack her, turning rudo.[13] During an in-ring celebration of Gran Apache's 50 years in professional wrestling, Billy Boy attacked his father-in-law with a steel chair, injuring Apache's knee so he had to be taken from the ring on a stretcher.[14] This turn of events was written into the storyline due to Gran Apache actually suffering a knee injury, and this was used as a way to explain why he was not able to wrestle. The storyline later ended when Faby Apache defeated Billy Boy in a Steel Cage match at the 2009 Verano de Escándalo show.[15]

After the Apache family feud ended Gran Apache focused primarily on working with younger luchadors, teaching them how to plan out matches and work in front of live audiences by wrestling against them on AAA shows. In 2016 his daughters Faby and Mari became involved in a feud with a group of males known as Los OGT (Averno, Chessman and Ricky Marvin), initially siding with the men, claiming that "men were superior wrestlers".[1] At Triplemanía XXIV Faby and Mari wrestled against Averno and Chessman in a match where Gran Apache served as the guest referee. During the match Gran Apache became concerned over the violence that Averno and Chessman displayed, protecting them as they were about to be hit with a fluorescent lighttube, reuniting with his daughters after the match.[16][17] At Héroes Inmortales X Los OGT defeated the Apaches.[18] In the spring of 2017 Los Apaches were scheduled to face Los OGT for the AAA World Trios Championship, but Mari had suffered a serious injury and Gran Apache was unable to compete; at the time they did not explain the health issues he was dealing with. Instead of the trios match Faby Apache wrestled against Ricky Marvin, defeating him to win the AAA World Trios Championship on behalf of her family.[19] Neither Mari nor Gran Apache ever appeared in AAA to defend the championship. On April 21 Faby, teaming with Psycho Clown and Dr. Wagner Jr., lost the championship to El Poder del Norte (Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr. and Soul Rocker).[20]