Over the years, the masked superstars in the WWE have received love and admiration from WWE fans. The Luchadors, known for their high-flying skills and athleticism, have entertained for a while now and garnered a special place in their hearts.
While Luchadors are a breath of fresh air every time they step into the ring, they always appear to be treated like the second-tier category of wrestlers in the WWE, most probably because of their physical attributes.
WWE fans think Luchadores deserve to compete at the highest level
Rey Mysterio has emerged as the only Luchador wrestler to make it big in the company. (Image Credit: WWE)
The masked men of WWE, famously known as Luchadores, have been knocking on the company’s doors for quite some time now. However, with only a few exceptions, most have struggled to gain a foothold in the mainstream spotlight. Over the years, fans have voiced concerns about what they perceive as selective treatment and partiality toward these high-flying athletes.
A glance at this year’s WrestleMania lineup reflects the current standing of within WWE. The company pitted Rey Mysterio, arguably one of the most iconic Luchadores of the modern era, against La Grande Americano. Subsequently, Mysterio could not perform at WrestleMania after the mystery wrestler attacked him with a metal piece. His partner in the LWO, Rey Fenix, fought against him instead.
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While the match was technically sound and entertaining, the storyline felt weak and underdeveloped, focusing more on the challenger’s identity than on Mysterio’s legacy or lucha libre culture.
Some WWE fans pointed out that the selective treatment of Luchadores will portray the company in a bad light in the future. These fans suggested WWE give Luchadores more detailed storylines and include more masked wrestlers to better reflect inclusivity in the company’s plans.
Spitting in the face of Lucha Libre with a carricatural gimmick and entrance, billing him from a place Trump annexed and flaunting it, having white wrestlers with fake luchador gimmicks defeat real luchadors, and announce WWE purchased AAA. Sounds about WWE. #WrestleMania— Banshee (@itsbybanshee) April 20, 2025
On the grandest stage, they gave rich narratives and thrilling climaxes to matches featuring wrestlers with more imposing physiques. This imbalance has disappointed many fans who have long awaited intense action and meaningful representation for Luchadores in marquee events of the company.
this gimmick still sucks ass. chad deserves better, and your REAL luchadors deserve to be respected. https://t.co/np5nM5JBRg— there is strength in numbers. be outspoken. 🍉 (@sistertonin) April 15, 2025
The complaint against selective treatment towards Luchadores is nothing new. It comes from a long line of superstars who failed to make it big in the squared ring because of a lack of opportunity or direction.
A look at the failed Luchadores of the WWE
Rey Fenix fought against La Grande Americano at WrestleMania 41. (Image Credit: WWE)
Over the years, the number of Luchadores entering the squared ring has remained consistent, but only a few have made it big. The biggest example of Luchadores who, despite all the talent and skill set, failed to become the next big thing is Último Dragón.
Último Dragón joined the company in 2003, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by performing at Madison Square Garden and competing on the grand stage of WrestleMania XX. Renowned worldwide for his innovative in-ring style and legendary runs in Japan and WCW, he brought a wealth of experience and an arsenal of dazzling moves, including his signature Asai Moonsault.
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Despite his undeniable talent and global acclaim, Último Dragón never reached the same heights in WWE. A combination of limited character development, underwhelming creative direction, and a lack of consistent storytelling relegated him to the mid-card scene.
Additionally, WWE’s focus at the time leaned more toward larger-than-life personalities and entertainment-driven characters, which may have made it challenging for a pure in-ring technician like Dragón to truly shine, and he quit the company in 2004.
Subsequently, WWE introduced characters like Sin Cara and Kalisto in the mid-2010s, but even they failed to attract the attention of creative heads for several years, and the company left them mostly to mid-level matches.
what better way to gain the trust of your latino fanbase than by having one of its most beloved luchadors lose to a white wrestler who’s gimmick is making a mockery of our culture https://t.co/LG6HbrGRZt— 𝕵𝖆𝖘𝖔𝖓 🇲🇽 (@xxJasonJxx) April 20, 2025
With this in mind, the future of the rising Luchador generation—stars like Penta and Dragon Lee- hangs in the balance. Will they defy expectations and carve out a path to main-event stardom, or will they, like many before them, remain on the fringes of ultimate glory? Only time will tell.
WrestleMania 41 is currently streaming on Peacock in the United States and Netflix everywhere else.
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