Former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez wowed fans of Lucha libre when he made his in-ring debut with AAA during Triplemanía XXVII on August 3rd, 2019, as part of a six-man trios match. Wearing a mask, he’d team with Cody Rhodes, and Psycho Clown beating Texano Jr, Taurus, and Killer Kross, and looked like a veteran performing moves someone his with his experience level shouldn’t be able to do.
His foray into pro wrestling caught the attention of New Japan. who had a meeting with him. Still, WWE would act faster and signed him for what was understood to have been a big-money deal to wrestle Brock Lesnar, who he had famously defeated inside the Octagon. Despite such little training, WWE would debut him during the 1st episode of SmackDown on FOX in 2019, setting up a match between the pair at Saudi Arabia’s Crown Jewel event.
Regrettably, for Velasquez, he would look inadequate in the match due to a knee injury and was squashed by Lesnar in just over two minutes. Following a single houseshow appearance in Mexico, he was sent to train at the Performace Center before eventually being released. Now in an interview with In This Corner with Cyrus Fees, he has discussed his time working for Vince McMahon’s company, saying he wasn’t given enough time, and he prefers to wrestle the Lucha style.
You need to develop in this sport. If you want a certain product out of me that I can produce, you have to give me time. I just needed time and needed to be in there and practice to make it second nature to where I wasn’t thinking when I’m out there. I wasn’t there yet, and I was thinking so much, and you could tell I was thinking. It’s just developing. The Lucha is a different style, and it translates for me a lot better and smoother.
WWE threw Velasquez in at the deep end, and fan first impressions of him wasn’t great. Unfortunately, after his match with Lesnar, WWE really didn’t have anything else for him. However, Velasquez still has pro wrestling ambitions despite being aged 39 and is set to return to AAA in December, where he will be able to utilize his natural Lucha abilities. Hopefully, this second chance will and the extra time he has had to train will allow him to eventually redeem himself in the eyes of fans.
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