Summary
- Penta made his WWE debut on Raw against Chad Gable, delivering a compelling performance.
- Some backstage talent were reportedly not thrilled about the length of Penta’s debut match and promo.
- After spending time on the independents and in AEW and Ring of Honor, Penta’s WWE debut fulfilled a lifelong dream for the wrestler.
Michael Cole called it the “worst kept secret in the business.” Lucha phenomenon Penta finally made his highly-anticipated debut on WWE Raw
on Monday night. The company has been teasing the international superstar’s debut over the past few weeks. And he did not disappoint.
The 39-year-old wrestled against Chad Gable in his first-ever WWE
match and the two superstars put on a clinic in the ring. The two went back-and-forth throughout the match. While all eyes were on Penta, the former Olympian held his own as well and even delivered a vicious German Suplex on his opponent on the ring apron.
The Luchadore eventually gained the upper hand after delivering a Destroyer to Gable. Penta then put the finishing touches on the American Made leader with a Penta Driver to win in his debut match in the WWE. Following his successful debut, Penta cut a passionate promo and exclaimed that this is his time now.
“This is the WWE new era. This is not only the Netflix new era. Now is the PENTA new era!” – Penta
Fans inside the SAP Center in San Jose, California were obviously thrilled to finally see Penta in a WWE ring. However, some wrestlers reportedly did not feel the same.
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Backstage Reaction on Penta’s WWE Debut
Some talents were “not thrilled,” per reports
Following RAW, PW Insider reported that the 39-year-old’s match and promo “went way longer” than expected. His match went around 13 minutes and his promo was a little over three minutes. As such, the WWE needed to cut off some time for other segments during the show. This apparently did not sit well with some WWE superstars backstage.
Nonetheless, PW Insider did note that management was delighted with Penta’s debut and how the crowd responded to him. Likewise, the early returns of the new superstar’s merchandise sales have reportedly turned out well.
Penta isn’t new in the wrestling world. He began his career in the independents. Some of his more notable stints include Lucha Underground and Lucha Libre AAA. Before getting to the biggest wrestling promotion in the world, the 39-year-old spent the last five years (2019 to 2024) in AEW and Ring of Honor.
Regardless of his popularity, making the WWE was a dream come true for Penta. The Mexican has been grinding to get to this point, and it was clear from his post-match promo how much this meant to him. His family, especially his daughter, could not contain their emotions as well on seeing Penta finally make his WWE debut.
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