(ARGWRES) The Current State of Argentinian Wrestling 2022 Edition
Pro Wrestling Argentina - UPDATE
Gint Giovanna dives towards Ricky Rocca and his enforcer Erik Fierro during Legion Dojo 3
In my last post I talked about the state of Argentinian Wrestling (Or Argwres as some have recently coined) during the lockdown and before. Today I’m going to focus on the post-covid (I know, optimistic) state of affairs in the local circuit.
A lot has changed since last time, new promotions have appeared, some old ones have become active again and there is an overabundance of events to see each month from really varied promotions with different styles and target audiences.
Let’s do this bit by bit and let’s start with the return of audiences to the shows and go from there. The audiences are overall up, some promotions doubled or tripled their usual attendances, and many times those are composed of wrestling fans and not just casual audiences. There are more shows dedicated to wrestling for smart audiences.
More and more promotions have also done the jump to the digital realm, with Catch Argentino streaming their matches on Twitch, Legion Nueva Era uploading every show, and Super Estrellas de la Lucha making a weekly show free on YouTube. Many had to do this during the lockdown and the skills gained from that is helping a lot to increase the availability of homegrown wrestling content.
I believe this might be the period with the most active promotions in the last ten years and most likely the highest amount of active wrestlers without counting the two golden ages of wrestling in Argentina. We could argue this is a golden age for Indie Wrestling in Argentina, considering how active the Indie Circuit is.
There are no signs of Wrestling being back on TV in the near future, but the overabundance of content on the internet and the ease to upload make it almost a moot point when it comes to wrestling fans. But this method lacks as much reach as the TV would give the companies, even if most of the younger audiences are more focused on streaming content than traditional TV.
The scene continues to be mostly amateur, in the scene where most people aren’t getting paid and they do this for the love of the game. There are some paying gigs from time to time, but nobody is actually living out of being a wrestler and only a handful of wrestlers can brag about seeing money for their matches each month, or almost every month.
Most if not all the promotions have improved in some way since the return to full activity, with more wrestlers, larger crowds or better production. Some new promotions like ASW (Argentina Selection Wrestling) have appeared on the scene with their first shows while others had a flurry of activity during the winter season (Many old-school promotions in Argentina tend to work more during winter and summer holidays).
J-Master kicking Francisco Rolon's head off during their match in "Back to the Mandril"
Active Promotions you want to watch:
Catch Argentino: With a new generation of talent added to the old guard, Catch Argentino is in the process of rebuilding their roster but they haven’t lost any quality during the transition. As mentioned before they’re streaming their shows through Twitch and uploading them with edits to their youtube page.
Highlighted Talent: J-Master, formerly one of the youngest champions in the Argentine circuit, even after losing the belt hasn’t lost a step. An amazing performer who just joined one of the biggest heel factions CLS.
Legion Nueva Era Argentina: Ascendant after the turmoil of the pandemic lockdown, Legion Nueva Era has seen a massive improvement in production and the quality of their shows thanks to a strategic alliance with “El Tope Suicida” a local wrestling podcast with good connections. Their crowds are still the most rabid and rowdy from all the circuit.
Highlighted Talent: Teo Griffin, has speed, strength, technique, charisma, and the most impressive German Suplex in Argentina Being part of the uber-popular baby-face stable “Conurbardo” alongside Frankie Legrand and Cassidy also helps his case. Griffin is also highly active in Catch Argentino.
Duelo de Leyendas: Gradual improvement from their previous years with new faces on the roster and slightly increased audience, more shows uploaded online and more connections to other promotions.
Highlighted Talent: Bobby Cruz, a complete package all-rounder with good technical skills. Currently holding the top belt in the promotion.
Superestrellas de la Lucha: Came back with a vengeance after being inactive during the lockdown, it started new live shows and has a weekly wrestling show on its YouTube channel.
Highlighted Talent: Jorge Lucero, a veteran of a previous crop of wrestlers, Lucero is a highly skilled technician with a lot of experience. Currently holding the top title in the promotion.
Argentine wrestling is on the edge of something great, with a lot of young passionate talent, a growing fanbase, and more promotions popping out into activity.
Bobby Cruz performing a Suplex on Jeyco during the Rumble match in the event "The Last Supper"
Editor’s note: This post was originally shared on Reddit at the following link.
