Professional wrestling wouldn’t be what it is today without the Latino influence that has frequently been a part of it. Mexican wrestling (a.k.a. lucha libre, which basically translates to “freestyle wrestling”) is over a century old, and the high flyers that you currently love today definitely owe a lot of credit to the Latino wrestlers of yesterday. Many moons ago, we covered the most influential Hispanic WWE stars, but today, I want to talk about the current rosters of both WWE and AEW.
Both wrestling promotions currently have some outstanding Latino talent. Although we no longer have the “Latino heat” himself, Eddie Guerrero (You remember that Dominik Mysterio/Eddie Guerrero paternity storyline back in the early 2000s? So weird!), there’s still plenty of Latino heat to burn up the ring at least a few times a week. So, with that being said, here are the best Latino wrestlers currently working in the WWE and AEW!
Rey Mysterio (WWE)
Master of the 619, Rey Mysterio is probably one of the most famous lucha libre wrestlers in the entire world. He’s actually kind of an anomaly in the WWE as he’s a pretty small guy (billed at being 5’6″) but won the World Heavyweight Title on multiple occasions.
In 2023, he was rightfully inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame (his son, Dominik, walked out of the ceremony, in true heel fashion), and he’s currently a member of the LWO (Latino World Order) on the Raw brand. What a legend.
Dominik Mysterio (WWE)
Oh, Dominik Mysterio, a.k.a.,”Dirty” Dom. If ever there was a heat magnet, it’s you (I mean, the WWE shop even sells toilet paper with his face on it). A third generation wrestler, Dominik has technically been in the business since he was a child, as he was involved in the Mysterio/Guerrero paternity story mentioned in the intro. Today, he totally plays up the possibility that he may actually be Guerrerro’s son, both with his trademark mullet, as well as wrestling style.
Mysterio is currently still a member of The Judgment Day, but after a legit elbow injury from Andrade (who I’ll get into next), he engaged in a spicy storyline with Liv Morgan that didn’t make Mami, a.k.a. Rhea Ripley, too happy. Unfortunately for Mysterio (and fortunately for the fans), “Dirty” Dom got his comeuppance at Bash in Berlin when he and Morgan lost to Ripley and Damian Priest. Hey, you can’t win them all. Even if you lie, cheat, and steal.
Thunder Rosa (AEW)
La Mera Mera herself, Thunder Rosa, with half her face painted, pretty much wears her heritage on her sleeve, and we love her all the more for it.
Though she’s been on-again, off-again on television due to injuries throughout her AEW career, Rosa is still exciting to watch since she isn’t afraid to get violent in order to snag a victory. Case in point, her Tijuana Street Fight with Mariah May at the Worlds End PPV (which had some WWE vets backstage, no less). While she didn’t snag the victory, she did put up a good fight, as that’s just what Thunder Rosa does. She fights. Forever (Do you see what I did there?)
Damian Priest (WWE)
Former member of The Judgment Day, Damian Priest has a background in Goju-ryu karate, and it shows in his hard-hitting style, where he often throws his opponents around like they’re laundry. Starting out with the WWE in NXT, he looked like a monster early on when he defeated Keith Lee in one of his early matches.
Nowadays, he keeps his eyes on the big title belts. Last year, he was the World Heavyweight Champion until he lost to Gunther. But, in losing, he also had a face turn, which was his first in a while. He’s currently feuding with Finn Bálor and vying to reclaim his title belt from Gunther. We’ll see how that goes.
Bayley (WWE)
2024’s Women’s Royal Rumble winner (and former member of Damage CTRL), Bayley is one of those extremely rare wrestlers who is equally good as both a face and a heel Starting out with the WWE on NXT (where she actually wore a Luchadora mask in her first match), Bayley went from a loveable fangirl persona to the badass that she is today. Now that’s talent.
Bayley won the WWE Women’s Championship and held the belt for a while, defending it against the likes of Naomi, Tiffany Stratton and Piper Niven, but eventually lost it to Nia Jax at SummerSlam (mostly due to interference from Stratton). But, Bayley got the last laugh at Survivor Series WarGames, where she beat Jax, Stratton, and others with the help of Rhea Ripley, Naomi, and more. Honestly, it’s only a matter of time before Bayley’s back on top again.
Sammy Guevara (AEW)
When you go by the moniker, “The Spanish God,” you better be damn good at your job. Luckily, Sammy Guevara lives up to that title, as he’s one of the most exciting wrestlers that AEW has to offer. Guevara can now often be seen alongside Dustin Rhodes in AEW’s other promotion, Ring of Honor.
With Rhodes, he won the ROH tag title after beating The Undisputed Kingdom. And, it’s fitting, because both he and Dustin are Texas boys and they formed “The Sons of Texas” stable, which also includes Marshall and Ross Von Erich (yes, THOSE Von Erich’s, like the ones in the excellent wrestling movie, The Iron Claw). Guevara has never put on a bad match, so whenever his entrance music comes on, you know it’s going to be a good night.
Andrade (WWE)
As a big fan of AEW, it kind of broke my heart to watch Andrade leave the promotion. But really, it was more like he was going back home again (much like CM Punk) as he was formerly in WWE before he departed for AEW, only to return to WWE in the 2024 Royal Rumble.
Since his return, he’s feuded with Dominik Mysterio, got drafted to SmackDown, became the WWE Speed Champion (it’s an internet title from WWE), and lost it to Dragon Lee. He then got into a feud with Carmelo Hayes (which LA Knight had something to say about). All said, Andrade is currently in a much better place now than he ever was in AEW, where he was often in the background. So, I’m happy for him. Oh, also of note, he’s married to Charlotte Flair, daughter of the legendary Ric Flair. So, can I get a WHOOO for that?
Zelina Vega (WWE)
Zelina Vega – I’m sorry, Queen Zelina – has had an interesting career ever since she entered the WWE back in 2017. At first, she rolled with and managed Andrade before he left for AEW, often getting in the middle of matches and delivering hurricanranas whenever possible.
Today, she’s a member of the LWO, and the cool thing about Zelina Vegais that she can do pretty much everything – even act, as she portrayed AJ Lee in the movie, Fighting With My Family. All hail the Queen.
Raquel Rodriguez (WWE)
Formerly a bodyguard for Dakota Kai (similar to how Diesel was a bodyguard for Shawn Michaels for a few years) Rodriguez was on an extended hiatus until she returned at the Bad Blood PLE in 2024.
Rodriquez is a tall, strong woman, and she brings that strength to The Judgment Day. She couldn’t beat Bayley, Iyo Sky, or Naomi at WarGames, but she’ll get them next time. She just has to. She’s too good.
Rush (AEW)
Former member of the Don Callis Family and current leader of La Faccion Igobernable, Rush (Or, should I say ROOOOSH!) is as intimidating as you can get. He has been in a number of promotions, including CMLL (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, ROH (Ring of Honor), and NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling), but AEW is his current home.
Since Rush can go toe-to-toe with anybody in AEW, it wasn’t much of a surprise that he was MJF’s first opponent once “The Salt of the Earth” came back to the promotion. Like Dominik Mysterio, Rush comes from a wrestling family, as his father is La Bestia del Ring, and his younger brothers perform as Dragon Lee in WWE and Draslitico in AEW. Oh, and speaking of which…
Dralistico (AEW)
Dralistico is like an anomaly since he’s tall (about 6’’), but flies around the ring like a much smaller luchador. In fact, as the middle brother, he’s the perfect blend of Rush’s hard-hitting style, and Dragon Lee’s acrobatics. In every way, he’s a marvel to watch in action.
The original Dragon Lee (I suppose he gifted the name to his younger brother), Dralistico is taking no prisoners alongside other wrestlers like his brother, Rush, and The Beast Mortos. It’s a whole vibe. And, if you want to understand my passion for lucha libre, just watch one of my favorite Jack Black movies, Nacho Libre. It’s the best.
Dragon Lee (WWE)
The current WWE Speed Champion and member of the LWO, Lee (Or should I say Dragon?) cut his teeth in CMLL, NJPW, ROH, and even AEW for a little bit before he went to WWE.
Once there, he got started in NXT, and it wasn’t long before he was brought up to the main roster after a feud with (Who else?) Dominik Mysterio. Lee is currently making a name for himself as one of the premier luchadores in the company, wrestling alongside the legend, Rey Mysterio. It’s heartwarming.
There are other great Latino wrestlers in these and other promotions, but I mostly wanted to spotlight the two main companies. For more news on everything wrestling, make sure to swing by here often.