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Night 2’s rumble between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes may have been what everyone was waiting for, and what all of the posters promoted the most, but few could deny the spectacle of Rey Mysterio’s WrestleMania Night 1 showcase. Not only did he get to revel in his induction to the Hall of Fame, but his battle with Dominik, his son, built a tremendous atmosphere in the crowd and delivered on so many levels.
A powerful Hall of Fame ceremony, a highly-charged grudge match, and a packed stadium in Los Angeles truly brought the spotlight back to the potential draw of the lucha libre for the biggest company of pro wrestling.
The exhilarating form of freestyle wrestling native to Mexico has been a huge attraction in Central America and some of the southern states of the US since the 20th Century. The colourful masks, rapid sequences, athleticism, and often aerial move sets have made it iconic, with elements adopted into other large pro wrestling circuits, such as in the US and Japan. Of course, in the WWE, the luchador has long been encapsulated by Rey Mysterio.
Still, in the WWE’s quest for ratings and determination to beat back the rising storm of AEW, the company should seek to add more to its lucha libre offering. As shown at WrestleMania 39, there’s a strong following for this colourful and fast-paced style of pro wrestling, and it wasn’t solely down to the legendary Rey Mysterio being in action. The following and adoration in LA remain very strong, as it does in many other major US cities.
So, not only would more luchadors help to bring in a wider audience of Latin American fans, but also add more variety and mystique in a very well-known package. Lucha libre is arguably more identifiable in markets beyond the US than the WWE. This can be seen by the presence and popularity of the Lucha Rumble slot game at the new UK casino, with aesthetics and iconography tied to the lucha libre, as well as some welcome offers to ease you into the game. It also shouldn’t come as a surprise that in the UK, Mysterio is one of the most beloved wrestlers of the WWE.
It wasn’t too long ago that the WWE seemed to be angling toward a heavier luchador focus. It made sense, too, as luchadors are instantly-recognisable by their colourful masks and exciting stunts and appeal to a wide audience. In came top talents Kalisto and Gran Metalik, but the company did little to make the most of these potential stars. For now, perhaps Rey Mysterio is enough to pull in this audience, but the 48-year-old will eventually retire.
Making such a huge occasion of his Hall of Fame induction and grudge match with Dominik might be a sign of things to come for the more Latin-focussed lines. It was a tremendous success in the WWE’s biggest event, and the grudge will almost certainly continue. Importantly, the Latino World Order was revived by founding member Rey Mysterio earlier this year, which will hopefully bring more luchador action to the company.
The making of a strong team in the WWE has always been rooted in having worthy opponents. In The Judgment Day, LWO looks to have what it needs to make for entertaining lines. The Mysterio vs Mysterio dynamic will remain key, but there’s enough talent on both sides to create entertaining matches as it builds towards epic confrontations in the square circle between the two teams.
It’s an incredibly exciting form of pro wrestling, and hopefully, the WWE is now looking to lean more heavily into its stable of potentially iconic luchadores.
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