After months of speculation, Penta, the former AAA and AEW star, arrived on Raw as the mystery luchador opponent for Chad Gable. Based on the signs in the crowd in San Jose, his debut wasn’t much of a secret, which is fine because the company actually put his merchandise on WWE Shop a few hours before the Raw broadcast started, and according to PWinsider’s Mike Johnson, Penta has already sold a respectable amount of merchandise for a new star that just got there.
The segment itself was very well done, the introduction alone made Penta look like a major star, and for his first outing on WWE television, the office made sure to put him in a position to succeed. It’s no coincidence that Chad Gable was the opponent for him, as his agility and technical skills allowed him to be more adaptable to Penta’s style. Furthermore, debuting him on the west coast was a very wise decision as well since the Hispanic demographic of the area is more familiar with lucha libre than some of the other areas of the country. Let’s be honest, if the WWE machine truly gets behind him, Penta has the character and the talent to get over as a national star, but at this point, the reality is, the crowd probably wouldn’t have been as familiar with him on his debut night if the show was held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. All due respect to Cedar Rapids, of course.
The fact that the crowd was so behind him, particularly with the “Cero Miedo” chants before the match even started was a major positive because even for the fans that had no idea who he was before he walked out on Raw, it gave the impression that this guy is a big deal. As I’ve written before, perception is reality, which is something that All Elite Wrestling should take note of, specifically with this example of another former contracted talent that shows up in WWE looking like a bigger star in one night than they did in years working for Tony Khan.
As far as the match, it was a little clunky, as Penta worked both sides of the body, something common in lucha libre, but considered essentially backwards in the United States. As a result, Penta’s back was to the camera at different times, which is something you rarely see in the WWE and thus why it stuck out as somewhat odd here. While the post-match promo was very nice because it was a genuine moment, something that is usually very useful in professional wrestling, it seems like Penta might’ve misunderstood the purpose of the post-match segment. Instead of jumping to the portion about a new era of WWE, a tagline since the move to Netflix, and the era of Penta, he basically did an appreciation speech. No, I don’t think Penta went into business for himself or intentionally went off-script, but rather that he isn’t used to working the television environment of WWE.
Yes, he was on the All Elite roster for five years, but I think it goes without saying that the production value and thus the experience needed to work on the stage is on another level in WWE. That’s not a jab at AEW either, simply to point out that working the camera dictates much more of the presentation in WWE than any other sports entertainment company. Something as trivial as ring positioning or when a spot takes place is a key aspect of WWE programming. The talent have to be aware of the hard camera more or less at all times, and it’s understandable that there would be an adjustment period for new talent.
I think that’s why the few mishaps in the overall presentation are moot in the grand scheme of things. Keep in mind, Penta worked his first ever WWE live on Raw so of course there’s going to be somewhat of a learning curve to get up to speed on camera work or timing of promo segments. Granted, I could be wrong, but based on what looked like genuine happiness when he cut the post-match promo, I’d guess that Penta understands that working with the WWE is a different scenario than AAA or AEW.
As we know, Mistico, who wrestled under the name Sin Cara, had a rather infamous run in WWE several years ago because it appeared that he refused to adapt in any form or fashion to the WWE presentation. Remember, the WWE caters to the casual fan so regardless of the specifics, much of the product has to be tailored to the general public. After botches and mishaps, Mistico was released, and another wrestler was put under the mask so the company’s investment in the character wasn’t a complete waste of resources. Make no mistake about it, Mistico was a tremendous drawing card in Mexico, but the WWE is the global stage.
It remains to be seen how Penta adapts to the new atmosphere, but I doubt that he will make the same mistakes as Mistico. Furthermore, I don’t think that WWE brass will make the same mistakes of All Elite Wrestling, basically missing the boat on what they had with Penta and Rey Fenix for the majority of the five years that they were under contract. As we know, Fenix’s deal was extended because of injury time, and while it’s petty, if Tony Khan has the legal right to do it then you can’t blame him for enforcing the contract, especially when Fenix was paid during the healing process from the injuries. Still, it’s more or less confirmed that Fenix will join Penta as soon as his All Elite deal expires.
That might be the biggest takeaway from this whole situation, it’s yet another example of WWE signing a free agent that All Elite underutilized despite the opportunity to spotlight their skills. It’s not just with the presentation and the importance that was placed on his WWE debut, but as was already reported, the WWE has also already successful merchandised the design of his mask. That’s one of the many reasons that the WWE is the entertainment powerhouse that it is today, because more often than not, they maximize potential revenue streams.
As far as if WWE has finally found their next Latino superstar to take the torch from Rey Mysterio, the answer might be yes and no, depending on your perspective. At 40, Penta still has some prime years of his career left, but it’s difficult to say if he will be on the WWE roster five years or a decade. At the same time, the question of if the WWE has a performer that has the potential to be a major superstar and draw big money for the Hispanic demographic at a time when the organization is looking to globalize as much as possible appears to be yes, it’s very possible that Penta could be the key performer for a continued expansion into the Mexican market. Again, it remains to be seen how Penta’s run will develop in the WWE or if he can make the transition to the specific WWE style, but one thing is for sure, it was undoubtedly a very memorable debut, which at least sets up the lucha star for a successful run.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
