The unique era of 2025 has already seen major shifts in the wrestling world, and one of the latest rumors suggested that TKO Corporation—the umbrella company behind WWE and UFC—purchased the rights to Lucha Underground. The report, which originated from a now-debunked Twitter post from a fake “WestleVotes” account (impersonating the well-known WrestleVotes), claimed that WWE had acquired the brand with potential plans for a revival. However, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp quickly refuted the story, clarifying that no such deal took place.
While this was misinformation, it does raise an interesting question: What if WWE did buy Lucha Underground?
Lucha Underground was a cult hit that aired on the El Rey Network for four seasons after its 2014 launch. The show, which had ties to AAA in Mexico, brought a cinematic approach to wrestling, blending high-energy lucha libre with over-the-top backstage storytelling. While it developed a loyal fanbase, its business model struggled—offering long-term contracts to talent while lacking the revenue streams to support sustained operations.
Given the reality of WWE’s expansion efforts, would acquiring Lucha Underground make sense?
If WWE were interested, one obvious reason would be the tape library. Many current or former WWE stars—such as Ricochet, Chelsea Green, and the recently signed Penta—were featured on the show. The footage could be valuable for WWE’s archives, documentaries, and streaming content.
However, reviving Lucha Underground under WWE’s umbrella would be a more complicated matter. The original show relied on a controlled studio setting with a pre-recorded atmosphere rather than a traditional touring model. Unlike WWE’s global powerhouse structure, Lucha Underground never tested its drawing power with live ticketed events.
Even if WWE wanted to establish a lucha-focused product, history suggests they may not fully commit to the lucha libre style. WWE has a track record of featuring lucha stars (Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara, Dragon Lee, Santos Escobar, and now Penta), but it has never fully embraced the high-flying, fast-paced nature of lucha libre as a distinct brand. The closest attempt was WWF Super Astros, a short-lived show from 1998-1999 that catered to Spanish-speaking audiences but never gained long-term traction.
Could WWE modernize Lucha Underground and make it work today? Possibly. A reimagined “Lucha Underground: WWE Edition” could incorporate NXT-style developmental elements with a more stylized, lucha-driven format. But the bigger question remains: Why bring back a niche concept when WWE could simply create its own version from scratch?
In the end, while the idea of WWE purchasing Lucha Underground is purely speculative, it’s an interesting thought experiment. The brand had a unique presence in wrestling history, but WWE’s track record suggests they would likely cherry-pick from its legacy rather than revive the entire concept.
For now, the reports of WWE buying Lucha Underground remain a fictional what-if—but in the unpredictable world of wrestling, who knows what the future holds?
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
