How Lucha Libre Is Reshaping American Wrestling
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Lucha Libre has had a major global impact on professional wrestling, introducing audiences to a faster-paced, high-flying style. Originating in the early 1900s, the style reached new heights with the rise of El Santo, who debuted in the 1930s and became one of its most iconic figures.
While Lucha Libre has long been deeply rooted in Mexican culture and remained especially popular in U.S. border cities like Los Angeles, it didn’t break into the American mainstream until the 1990s.
At the time, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) showcased Luchadors on their platform. ECW also had the likes of Rey Mysterio, Psicosis, Super Crazy and more, which gave hardcore wrestling fans their first look into that style of wrestling.
Now, thirty-plus years later, Lucha Libre is arguably more popular in the United States than ever before.
The Shift
While WCW featured Lucha Libre stars like Rey Mysterio Jr., Konnan, Eddie Guerrero, and Último Dragón, many arguably reached even greater heights after WWE acquired WCW and introduced them to a broader audience in the early 2000s. Especially Eddie and Rey.
In the ’90s, WWE briefly partnered with Lucha Libre AAA. However, they primarily showcased Mini-Estrellas on their secondary programming. They even had a short-lived Lucha based show titled “Super Astros”, that lasted less than a year. Still, they did get a showcase at the 1998 Royal Rumble.
But, WWE didn’t have any main Lucha stars on their roster, despite having a Rumble match appearance by the legendary Mil Mascaras. That all changed when Rey Mysterio Jr. exploded with popularity following his debut in 2002. And the eventual mega-rise of Eddie Guerrero with both eventually becoming WWE Champions.
Over the years, WWE has slowly integrated different Luchadors such as Sin Cara, Kalisto, El Torito and Andrade El Idolo. But now, the Lucha Libre influence in the 2020’s has exploded, and it’s in-escapable. AEW has some influence on that, too.
AEW’s Forbidden Door To Mexico
Since the inception of All Elite Wrestling in 2019, they’ve not been shy about sharing the pro wrestling styles of talent world wide. The Japanese scene influenced AEW a lot. But, the Lucha style has taken over like none-other.
In 2023, AEW partnered with the longest running Lucha Libre promotion in the world, CMLL. This partnership wasn’t like WWE’s with AAA in the 90’s, no. This was a full-on partnership that saw CMLL wrestlers on AEW’s main shows and pay-per-views, as well as AEW stars on CMLL events.
The AEW & CMLL Partnership
It’s now come to the point where they’re holding each other’s titles, and having dual contracts. CMLL stars Mascara Dorada, Persephone, Mistico & Hechicero have dual contracts with both CMLL and AEW. Even AEW’s Claudio Castagnoli has a dual contract with CMLL.
Claudio also held the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion, but has just lost the gold recently against the previously mentioned Hechicero. On the most recent set of Ring of Honor tapings under the AEW banner, Luchadora Persephone defended her CMLL World Women’s Championship against AEW’s Lacey Lane.
And most shockingly, CMLL megastar Mistico won the AEW Trios Championships alongside Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight this month at the AEW Revolution PPV. It was there, where Mistico’s dual contract was announced.
But, it’s not just CMLL’s Luchadors on AEW’s shows. They have their own, such as Komander, Andrade El Idolo, RUSH, Dralistico, Beast Mortos, Hologram, El Clon, and Bandido. The influence is seen throughout AEW products on a weekly basis.
Masks, Hair, and Legacy
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the importance of Mask vs. Mask or Hair matches in history of Lucha Libre. This just recently came into the lore of AEW when AEW/ROH star Johnny TV, wrestling under Johnny Consejo in Mexico, had a Hair vs. Hair match in CMLL against Angel De Oro on February 27.
Johnny lost that match and had to shave his head. In Mexico the importance of a match where hair or a mask is on the line is so extremely high.
These matches aren’t just about winning or losing. It’s about legacy, identity and pride.
Some Lucha’s go a lifetime without ever showing their face to the public, let alone allowing anyone to know their real name. Losing their mask (or hair) is like losing their identity and can become deeply emotional for the wrestlers and fans.
Luckily, no masks have been taken in AEW yet, but maybe down the line. The partnership between both brands has fans excited, and hopefully continues on for a very, very long time.
WWE’s Embracing of Lucha
Aside from WWE’s brief partnership with Lucha Libre AAA in the ’90s, the landscape changed dramatically on April 21, 2025. WWE announced its acquisition of the company, an effort to expand its presence in Latin America and further strengthen its global brand.
The announcement was massive. Initial reactions were mixed, with some fans skeptical and others outright upset. But, most agreed it was worth seeing how things would unfold. After a slow start, WWE introduced the Worlds Collide event in June, showcasing AAA talent against WWE stars. The show was well received and led to a follow-up event in September, where AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo dropped his title to WWE’s Dominik Mysterio.
Despite carrying the Mysterio name, Dominik has distanced himself from his father, Rey, claiming instead that he is the true King of the Luchadors. That persona evolved into a consistent act, with Dominik appearing across multiple shows carrying the AAA Mega Championship and even making appearances in AAA itself.
WWE also began airing weekly AAA events on YouTube in January, a move that continues to build the brand’s visibility.
From Partnership to Programming
Beyond the acquisition, WWE has continued to integrate Lucha talent directly into its programming. Rey Fenix and Penta made the jump from AEW, while Rey Mysterio remains a staple. Talent like Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, and Dragon Lee have also helped maintain the Lucha style across WWE shows.
The company has even experimented with new characters inspired by Lucha culture. “El Grande Americano,” portrayed by Chad Gable, initially drew criticism from fans who felt the gimmick missed the mark. However, momentum shifted following Gable’s injury.
In his absence, a new El Grande Americano, played by Ludwig Kaiser, emerged and unexpectedly connected with Mexican audiences. Alongside him, Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate adopted masked personas as Rayo and Bravo Americano.
While the trio draws boos in the United States, they’ve been embraced in Mexico, creating a unique cross-cultural dynamic. Especially now with the return of the original El Grande Americano and the ongoing feud between the two.
The WWE–AAA Crossover Era
AAA talent have yet to become a regular fixture on WWE’s main shows, but there have been notable appearances. Mr. Iguana and La Parka made surprise entries in this year’s Royal Rumble, signaling growing crossover potential.
Meanwhile, WWE stars have become increasingly involved in AAA programming. Ethan Page and Chelsea Green captured the AAA Mixed Tag Team Championships before dropping them to Mr. Iguana and NXT’s Lola Vice.
Additional crossover appearances have included The War Raiders (Erik and Ivar), Je’Von Evans, Bayley, and the various El Grande Americano personas. Rey Fenix has also returned to AAA, teaming with his brother Penta, who currently holds the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Penta has even announced plans to defend that title at an upcoming AAA event, another sign of how intertwined the two promotions are becoming. While this partnership is still in its early stages, the foundation is clearly strong.
On WWE television, the influence is already undeniable. Penta, Dominik Mysterio, and Dragon Lee are featured regularly on Raw, continuing to push Lucha Libre further into the American mainstream.
Why Lucha Libre Works Right Now
There’s no doubt that Lucha Libre has boomed in the United States. From WWE to AEW to even the independent scene, it’s on fire.
There’s many reasons as to why. But, it’s not lost on me that in this current age of social media, you may have heard the term “TikTok Brain.” In this day and age, it’s short form, fast pace videos that people can easily flip through and keep the attention span of the current day humans. While Lucha Libre isn’t “short form”, the fast paced action keeps the attention of a lot of fans, only making them want more.
Plus, you can’t deny the flashiness of Lucha Libre. It grabs your attention like nothing else. From unique masks that feel like wearable art to the over-the-top characters that have largely faded from American wrestling, it brings a style that instantly stands out. It’s the reason a talent like Mr. Iguana can get over with American fans.
On the surface, if I told you there was a man who paints his face green and carries a stuffed iguana that he integrates into his matches, you’d look at me crazy. But, when you actually watch it, it makes so much more sense. It’s fan-friendly, it’s kid-friendly, and he intertwines a great Lucha style that can captivate any fan.
From the insane athleticism of Místico to the wild presentation of Psycho Clown, it’s grandiose. It’s a spectacle like no other. Beautiful, captivating, and impossible to ignore. It’s Lucha Libre.
Lucha Libre Accessibility
For American fans, Lucha Libre wasn’t widely accessible in the 1900-1990’s. Aside from tape-trading, many fans just had access to what was on their television, which was the likes of NWA, WCW and WWE.
As time went on, Lucha became more accessible to American fans, especially through streaming and online outlets. But now, it’s more accessible than ever before.
Remember when I noted the “Tik-Tok brain” humans have now? Well, a lot of wrestling fans have a hard time actually outsourcing wrestling. Especially if it isn’t right at the click of a button.
Now, it is! WWE airs weekly AAA events on their YouTube and across their social platforms for free every Saturday, alongside every major AAA event. CMLL airs events on their YouTube page. But, it will cost a small fee to become a YouTube member in order to enjoy their shows.
If you’re new to Lucha Libre, or looking for new talent to check out, I wouldn’t be doing my duties if I didn’t name some Luchadors to keep an eye on. In CMLL; Atlantis Jr, Templario, Titan, Max Star, Neon, Xelhua, La Catalina, Princesa Sugehit and Zeuxis to name a few.
On the AAA side; Aero Star, Laredo Kid, Ocatagon Jr, Pagano, Abismo Negro Jr, Lady Shani, Faby Apache, Flammer, Lady Maravilla, La Heidra and various others that get platformed on WWE’s social channels weekly.
CMLL and AAA may be the biggest Mexican promotions, but they’re also not the only. There are various Lucha Libre promotions spanning the country and all have Luchadors and Luchadoras that deserve support. The Crash, IWRG, LLF and many more.
The Future
Lucha Libre is bigger in American wrestling right now than maybe ever before. So it begs the question; Will it die-down? Will it grow more?
Truly, only time will tell. But, with WWE owning AAA and AEW only expanding to become more competition, there’s a chance we could see Luchadors main eventing WrestleMania, or AEW All In. Hell, there’s a chance AAA could have an attraction match on WrestleMania this year.
The Lucha Libre style has certainly intertwined into many American wrestlers move-sets. Many stars are even going to Mexico to train. The possibility of Lucha Libre just becoming a default style you see on American wrestling programming weekly is high. Only causing a true pro wrestling ecosystem.
What happens in the future, I can’t tell. But, Lucha Libre certainly is the now. It isn’t just influencing American wrestling, it’s reshaping its identity. As its spirit continues to spread, the line between cultures fades, leaving behind a more vibrant and unified future for the sport.
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