CM Punk may have gotten all the attention this Saturday night with his return to AEW but he was far from the only wrestler that night to make their United Center in-ring debut. Prior to the cameras going live for the big AEW: Collision debut episode, a series of Ring of Honor matches were filmed for the rabid Chicago fans in attendance. One of those matches saw local wrestler turned rising star Gringo Loco take on Willie Mack.
Loco has had the wind at his back since beginning to wrestle for ROH back in April. In his first match with the promotion, The Basegod took on another quickly rising star, El Hijo de Vikingo, in a match that was so well received it resulted in Tony Khan putting them over at the top of the entrance ramp. During an exclusive interview with Haus of Wrestling, Loco gave his thoughts on Ring of Honor now that it is under Khan’s ownership.
“I really like it. I think it’s pure wrestling to the best of everybody’s ability,” he said. “You’re talking Ring of Honor, I’ve seen pure Lucha Libre there that is just blowing people’s minds. Everybody was talking about that match with Vikingo versus Komander, everything that Dralistico is doing.
“I think that the product, it just fits me so well. I’m sure you saw that interview that I did where I was like, ‘This is where I belong, this is where I feel the most at home.’ Every time that I’m backstage, in any capacity, I just tell myself, I want this forever. This is what I’ve been working on for my entire career. It just feels right.”
Outside of his critically acclaimed match against Vikingo, Gringo has also taken on notable names in the ROH ring like GCW World Champion Blake Christian, and The Lucha Brothers’ Rey Fenix. Each of those matches, along with the high-profile bouts he has had for promotions like GCW and AAA, have raised his notoriety. With that in mind, it would seem there are going to be more opportunities for Loco on the horizon, and there is always the possibility that WWE comes knocking, something I mentioned to him.
“I will always keep the doors open to WWE. I mean, who wouldn’t? You’d be a fool not to,” he laughed. “But I think right now, at this chapter, where I’m at, I think Ring of Honor and AEW is where I’m trying to be. There are a lot of people who are my friends and we can absolutely create magic within that ring. And, you know, I’m a fan of Tony Khan, to be honest with you. I think he’s a great guy.”
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