Aro Lucha Live!

Beaumont, TX

Friday evening found my son and I deep in the heart of east Texas.  We attended an Aro Lucha show at the Beaumont Civic Center.  In the last year my son has really taken a lot of interest in lucha libre, a form of professional wrestling originated and perfected in Mexico.  I’ve encouraged and molded that interest by allowing him to watch Lucha Underground on Netflix and pulling up videos on the web of wrestling matches from companies such as CMLL and AAA.  I’ve also taught him what little information and history that I know about the wonderfully colorful world of lucha libre.

My initial exposure to luch libre was via WCW.  Wrestlers such as La Parka, Psicosis, Juventud Guerrera, and Rey Mysterio, Jr. grabbed my attention.  I also enjoyed the underhanded antics of the Guerreros.  I eventually started watching promotions like AAA and CMLL and begin to watch the careers of wrestlers like Blue Demon, Jr. and Shocker.

My son and I arrived at the event about an hour before the doors opened in the hopes of catching a glimpse of some of the wrestlers.  We saw John Hennigan (aka John Morrison, Johnny Mundo, Johnny Impact), Taya Valkyrie, and members of LAX walk into the building.  Other wrestlers were walking in as well, but we were parked a little too far to tell who they were (some had on hoodies).

Once the doors opened, we went into a world where there was a free photo area with an Aro Lucha background, free Aro Lucha temporary tattoos and raffle tickets, and shirts, masks, and Meet and Greet opportunities for sale.  Concessions were also available at reasonable prices.

We entered the arena for the show and saw the brightly colored ring.  There was also an entrance ramp with a large screen playing the Aro Lucha “sizzle reel” to get folks pumped for the show.  As more people flowed into the arena, a Texas based DJ began playing upbeat music to keep the crowd’s energy level up.  A hype man also circled the arena to energize the crowd, encouraging chants and screams from the audience.

When it was time for the show to begin (and it began promptly at 7:30), the announcer, Dee Dee, entered the arena on the entrance ramp and gave a quick run down on the rules of the matches.  After that, it was time for the first match, which featured Xtra Talented facing off against Thunder Rosa (aka Kobra Moon from Lucha Underground) and Lowrider.  The teams provided an excellent opening bout which had a fairly long run time.

Other matches included wrestlers such as Steve Pain and Laredo Kid facing off against LAX, Demus and Super Crazy versus Hurricane Helms and Mascarita Dorada, Ultima Ninja versus “The Best Ever” Sammy Guevara, a three way match featuring Low Ki, James Storm, and MVP, and the main event, a six-man tag event featuring the teams of Chavo Guerrero, Jr., John Hennigan, and Taya Valkyrie versus indie wrestler Keyra, Maximo, and the legendary Blue Demon, Jr.

All of the matches went well, with Sammy Guevara, Laredo Kid, Thunder Rosa, and Lowrider turning in some of the biggest performances of the night.  The more seasoned veterans, especially those in the main event, delivered as always.  MVP and John Hennigan taunted the crowd.  James Storm drank beer straight from the hands of audience members.

Despite being a promotion that is still in its early stages, Aro Lucha showed me excellent signs of growth potential based on the quality of the talent on the card, the production level of the live event, and the heavy interaction with the fan base.  Sammy Guevara is a young and talented wrestler, and the promotion should use him as much as possible to gain a following.  Seasoned veterans such as Blue Demon Jr., John Hennigan and Chavo Guerrero, Jr. are also excellent flag bearers for the company if they can lock them in for more shows.

The level of excitement in the fans was great.  Many of them, old and young (myself included) wore masks of their favorite wrestlers.  The staff at the event was friendly, interacted with the fans, and as far as I know there were no reports of any bad experiences from those in attendance.

My son loved every minute of the event, and said that attending the event was one of the coolest things he’s ever done.  I really hope that Aro Lucha returns to Beaumont or, better yet, makes its way into southwest Louisiana so that we can see attend another live show.  Even if Aro Lucha doesn’t make it as a major promotion, I hope that they at least develop a regional brand.  They are based in Nashville, TN, but their brand is a perfect fit for states like Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California.

If you get a chance to attend an Aro Lucha event, I highly recommend it.

As always, thanks for reading my post.  I’ll be reviewing the latest film in the Cloverfield franchise, the direct-to-Netflix The Cloverfield Paradox, in the very near future.  I also have plans to check out and review the Black Panther film.  I’m also just a few weeks away from attending CyPhaCon in Lake Charles.  Keep checking my blog for more information and fun!