Match Point is an on-going series at Last Word on Pro Wrestling, where we look at intriguing matchups in indie wrestling and beyond. They may be dream matches, first-time matchups, or hotly anticipated rematches. In this edition, we will take a look at perhaps the most intriguing first-round match in the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament, Rey Fenix vs. Penta El Zero M.
Last week, the brackets for the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament were revealed. AEW announced their first-round matches, but perhaps the most surprising was the impending showdown between masked brothers. In the first round, AEW Dynamite viewers will see the first singles clash of The Lucha Brothers under the company banner. This coming Wednesday, Rey Fenix will go head-to-head with his partner and own flesh and blood, Penta El Zero M.
Getting to Know Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M
To understand the weight of this match, it’s important to look at the careers of Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M. They began their careers in the mid-to-late 2000s, carving their individual paths. Despite being brothers, they would go on to develop unique wrestling styles, with Fenix being the high-flyer compared to Penta’s approach as a brutal brawler. From Lucha Underground to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, they found success as singles wrestlers.
In fact, most American wrestling fans first knew of The Lucha Brothers through Lucha Underground. Ironically, Fenix and Penta never teamed on the show. Moreover, they seldom touched over the course of multiple seasons. Regardless, they were heavily featured in different ways. Fenix, for example, became the inaugural Gift of the Gods Champion before eventually being crowned the show’s first Triple Crown Winner. Meanwhile, the punishing Penta went on to become a two-time Lucha Underground Champion, an accolade shared only by Prince Puma, portrayed by current WWE Superstar Ricochet. It wasn’t until the mid-2010s when Fenix and Penta began to team more consistently.
The Rise of The Lucha Brothers
From there, The Lucha Brothers became one of the hottest tag teams in professional wrestling. It didn’t matter if they were in AAA, IMPACT Wrestling, or Major League Wrestling; if there was gold, they would claim it. Furthermore, rumors circulated that they were on the radar of WWE. For a time, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility for Fenix and Penta to sign with, at the time, the only major promotion in the industry. However, they continued to ply their craft until, ultimately, joining AEW in 2019.
From the get-go, The Lucha Brothers were positioned as one of the top teams in AEW. Given that the promotion, even in its infancy, boasted a solid tag team division, this spoke volumes. The Lucha Brothers made a tremendous first impression at Double or Nothing. They faced then-AAA World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks in an epic match. From there, The Lucha Brothers began to exercise their dominance in AEW, picking up victories over the likes of Private Party and The Jurassic Express. Earlier this year, they would even form a faction with Pac known as The Death Triangle. However, due to complications regarding COVID-19, the faction in question went on hiatus.
The Influence of Eddie Kingston
This wasn’t to say that The Lucha Brothers were without allies, however. Earlier this summer, The Lucha Brothers teamed with The Butcher and The Blade in a losing effort against The Jurassic Express and The Natural Nightmares. Following this loss, relative AEW newcomer Eddie Kingston stormed the ring to mediate the tension among the losing teams. Furthermore, he pumped them up, letting them know why they should be successful. According to Kingston, anything they wanted would be theirs. At that moment, The Lucha Brothers became part of a larger family.
Kingston’s intervention proved advantageous for The Lucha Brothers. Since then, they picked up more success as a team, picking up victories over Brian Pillman Jr., Sonny Kiss, and Joey Janela, just to name a few. Keep in mind that it wasn’t too long ago that many AEW fans and critics believed that The Lucha Brothers were starting to lose their luster. With the backing of Kingston, not to mention the added brutality of The Butcher and The Blade, The Lucha Brothers were as strong as ever.
Like any partnership, however, The Lucha Brothers experienced bumps in the road since then. Last month, The Lucha Brothers were upset in a match with Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus. This came as a result of miscommunication when Penta inadvertently hit Fenix with the Mexican Destroyer. As the two brothers argued, The Butcher, The Blade, and Kingston intervened. Though Kingston attempted to keep the peace, he expressed frustration over his stable’s poor performance in the All Out Casino Battle Royale. Despite the five of them being in the match, not one of them emerged victorious. After some difficulty, however, Kingston was able to get Fenix and Penta to finally embrace. Like brothers, they quarreled one moment and hashed things out the next.
In Closing: Rey Fenix vs. Penta El Zero M
Partnerships and family will be temporarily set by the wayside on this upcoming episode of AEW Dynamite, however. As formidable as The Lucha Brothers are, as a team, their skill sets as singles competitors can’t be denied. Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M have attained success as singles competitors, traveling their own paths in the process. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, for being brothers, their wrestling styles are incredibly distinct. Though the upcoming AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament will present various match-ups, this may be the most fascinating of all.
Stay tuned to Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TNT and AEW DARK Tuesday nights at 7 PM ET on YouTube.
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