Lucha Libre is history, tradition, culture. The ring, the wrapped arenas, the eternal fight between the tecnicos and the harshThe cries, insults, laughter, colors and everything that represents its tradition is all part of the Mexican sports show. In recent years, it has become an emblem, a symbol of national identity and pride. Some even dare to say that the wrestler’s mask is a more representative symbol of the country than the sombrero. In short, it belongs to the Mexicans. But what would happen if the whole package was acquired by an American company? Some people believe that to use a football comparison, it would be as if Liga MX had been bought by MLS. Or worse still, as if we Representation of the Virgin Mary Vennered by the Mexicans, were sold in China for operations.
However, that’s exactly what happened. On April 19 in Las Vegas, it was announced that the main Mexican promotion of Lucha Libre AAA had been acquired by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the largest and most important wrestling company in the world. Before the most important event of this year’s sporting show for the American company, Wrestlemania, with wrestlers standing behind him and cries of “Lucha! Lucha! Lucha!” Fans in the background, the Director General of AAA, Dorian Roldán, said that it was the start of A new chapter for sport.
The head of the Mexican company, as well as his mother and the president of the company, Marisela Peña, are heirs of an inheritance which was launched 33 years ago by her uncle Antonio Peña, who passed the baton to his father Joaquín Roldán until the Mexican company specializes in 2017. This Mexican struggle has a place on the world.
“What they created is spectacular. We only have respect for their product And for the fight. The great athletes came out of the AAA. They came to WWE and were seen around the world. The cultural impact they had resonated during the generations. (…) It’s incredible. We seek to continue this tradition. We are going to go to the next level, “said the former wrestler and director of WWE content, Paul” Triple H “Levesque.
The announcement triggered curiosity, suspicions and even fantasies among fans – some seriously, jokingly – on confrontations between characters from the two companies, such as El Hijo del Vikingo (Viking son) against Roman Reigns or La Parka against The Undertaker, to name just a few. From an economic point of view, even if the figures have not been revealed, it is a good decision, explains Ernesto Campo, journalist for the Superluchas media.
However, from a cultural point of view, he thinks it is a credit. Even if the acquisition has been announced as a collaboration between the three companies, “the truth is that it looks more like an absorption. Lucha Libre could be translated, reinterpreted and ultimately domesticated, “he said.
The reality, according to Ocampo, is that WWE wants to penetrate the Mexican market. He has always tried to do it because he has a base of fans deeply devoted to his product. However, for many years, companies like AAA and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) have formed a sort of barrier, preventing the entrance to the American conglomerate founded in 1953 by Vincent J. McMahon, when he was still known as Capitol Wrestling Corporation.
Eduardo Bates, a wrestling marketing specialist, considers the expansion of WWE on the Mexican and Latin American markets as “a huge opportunity”, as this could bring better job opportunities, not only financially but also in the form of established contracts. He also believes that the acquisition of AAA could be an opportunity for improvement and growth for this national sporting event.
“I have the impression that the Mexican struggle has been stagnating for at least 15 years. The (World Wrestling Council) does the same old thing.
The opening of WWE opening on the Mexican market will start significantly. The alliance will take its first steps in Los Angeles with the The worlds collide Event, which will be held on June 7. The 2025 card should include wrestlers such as Pagano, Psycho Clown, Laka and Laredo Kid, as well as other Mexican talents working for American society such as Penta, one of the most recent signatures and at the origin of Ecatepec – as well as Mexican wrestlers such as Andrede, Rey Fénix and Rey Mystério. It is an ambitious range that seeks to unite two styles and two cultures in a single high -voltage event.
This first event will be broadcast by Netflix as part of a 10-year contract with WWE worth $ 5 billion which makes the platform the exclusive streaming service for all weekly shows of the wrestling company, as well as its à la carte events in the United States, Canada, in the United Kingdom and Latin America from 2025.
WWE: things to improve
One of the greatest criticism of WWE over the years is that it has not managed or understood its talent for Latin wrestling. Most of the time, he offered a folk representation of them, without giving them a precious space in programming, stories or rivalries. It was always limited to a fight among Mexicans, rather than for opportunities or important titles.
Oporto calls WWE a “very racist“Company in general, although they have sometimes been able to free themselves from prejudices.” If we look at what they are doing today, they have put all black wrestlers in rivalries against other black wrestlers. The same thing happens with Latinos and Mexicans, ”he adds.
Bates differs and believes that things have changed in WWE. “Currently, there is a lot of exhibition of Mexican and Latin American talents in the ring. The most important thing is the link with people, and I think Penta has shown that thanks to his charisma; If we delete the fact that he is Mexican, if we simply talk about the person, the human being, the work he has done is incredible.
Bates and Oporto mention exceptions such as Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio, both of Mexican origin, with a passage in AAA and more in the wrestler profile, which managed to win the title of first title in American society. Or the case of Alberto Del Río, of San Luis Potosí, who triumphed because of its distinctive characteristics, such as its size, muscle construction and its control of the microphone in English, which brought it to the top to a certain point in his career. The most recent success in WWE is that of Penta, which has managed to participate in major à la carte and friction events with important stars such as John Cena and Roman Reigns.
“I think the WWE landscape has changed. There is a lot of exhibition for Mexican and Latin American talents these days, many of them incredibly talented in the ring. The most important thing is to connect with people, and I think Penta has shown that thanks to his charisma. Him, ”adds Bates.
Many questions remain on the way WWE activities will evolve in Mexico. For example, concerning the new talents and potential perspectives that can emerge. “AAA can monitor them and take them. With the help of WWE, he could become a business with a list too big to get me everyone, but ultimately, the goal may be to take over the market, “reflects Bates.
“Perhaps the expansion plans are not as ambitious as we thought before, because they simply explore the market,” explains Ocampo, adding that it remains to be seen how AAA talents will be treated internally on the Mexican wrestling market, because many wrestlers are called by small promotions to make the headlines. “It is possible that with the expansion of the AAA, they will be more restrictive regarding the participation and selection of events for their stars,” specifies Ocampo.
The Mexican struggle has entered a new arena and is faced in the ring, thanks to WWE, against an opportunity that could catapult it towards many world achievements, but it could also be a destructive dream machine. It remains to be seen who harsh and the tecnicos are; and which of them will prevail in this decline in the expansion of the struggle.
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