Vampiro Explains Why WWE's Penta Was Almost Fired From Lucha Underground

While many WWE fans will have only been introduced to Penta since his debut on "WWE Raw" in January 2025, long-time fans of the masked man will remember when he broke onto the scene in the United States thanks to his prominent role in Lucha Underground. As Pentagon Jr. and later Pentagon Dark, the current WWE Superstar became one of the promotion's most popular performers which led to him and his brother Rey Fenix joining TNA and later AEW. However, things could have ended very differently for Penta as former Lucha Underground commentator Vampiro recently revealed on the "83 Weeks" podcast that the promotion almost fired him.

"I remember Pentagon, when Pentagon got into Lucha Underground, they were going to fire him," Vampiro said. "He wasn't getting it, he wasn't clicking with the American psychology, he couldn't pick it up and nobody was getting through to him. With just a little bit of guidance, look where he is now. So he's not new either, but when he was doing things in Lucha Underground, we're talking 2015 you know? 10 years later, just in that 10 year span the way the business has become full circle again and being reborn."

Vampiro knew exactly what Penta was made of during his time in Lucha Underground as the two men would end up having an extensive feud in the first season of the show, culminating in a "Cero Miedo" match that saw Penta win after putting Vampiro through a flaming table. The two men would later cross paths on the Mexican independent scene shortly after the COVID-19 restrictions in Mexico were lifted, and in AAA, the company that was most closely associated with Lucha Underground.

Please credit "83 Weeks" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.