What’s the story?
In a recent interview with Interactive Wrestling Radio, Lucha Underground personality Vampiro aka Ian Hodgkinson spoke about a deal between AAA and Impact Wrestling.
Apart from the possible AAA/Impact Wrestling cross-promotion, Vampiro also thanked the LU fanbase and promoted the return of Lucha Underground Season 3 on El Rey this May 31st.
In case you didn’t know...
Vampiro, whose real name is Ian Richard Hodgkinson, has competed as a professional wrestler for notable promotions such as WCW and TNA (now-Impact Wrestling) in the past.
The 49-year old Canadian presently serves as a producer and announcer for Lucha Underground and is the Head of Talent Relations Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion).
The heart of the matter
When asked about a possible collaboration between Lucha Underground and Impact, Vampiro spoke about the possibility of talent exchange between AAA and Impact Wrestling, stating:
“No, that is not going to happen. That is a deal between AAA and Impact. Impact will have matches on AAA shows, for example. We will integrate some of our talent into TNA. Hopefully, eventually, way down the line, maybe do some inter-company angles. Baby steps. We want to do it right."
Besides, hyping the return of LU Season 3 on El Rey, Vampiro added:
“I think everybody's kind of waiting on it, you know what I mean? There's such a cool vibe around the show. After such a long time, people are getting used to the idea that we are a TV show based on wrestling and there is going to be a season split. I think in this day and age, it is refreshing to have that. The other companies that are going strong, you really don't mind it if you miss a week or two or even a month. It is almost too much sometimes. To have us coming back, we've got people ready for it. It is a pretty good feeling. We're all motivated!"
Furthermore, speaking about Lucha Underground’s fanbase, he revealed that the way LU relates to, treats and co-exists with the fans plays a huge part in it having such a loyal following, besides lauding the creative freedom accorded by El Rey to the performers.
What’s next?
Lucha Underground Season 3 will return on the El Rey network on May 31st. If Vampiro is to be believed, fans can expect an increase in the talent exchange between LU and Impact Wrestling, apart from the pre-existing AAA/Impact joint-venture, in the near future.
Author’s take
Lucha Underground may not be as big as say the WWE, NJPW or even Impact, however, LU does boast some of the best performers in the world and we ought to give credit where it’s due.
As for potential talent exchange between AAA and Impact Wrestling, I’m all for it. With a bevy of talented and severely underrated pro-wrestlers on both rosters, the organisations could put up several intriguing cross-promotional matchups for the fans. What a time to be a professional wrestling fan!
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