No one has ever seen their faces, no one has ever read their real names. In a social media world, where everyone knows everything, Pentagon Junior and Fénix have been able to protect their identity, to ensure the Lucha Libre tradition would keep going. Their names have been synonymous with the best over the last few years, all over the world. Now they’re in the Impact Wrestling roster. In 2018, they’ve been a part of the best matches the company produced. Pentagon vs. Sami Callihan at Slammiversary was even named Match of the Year by Impact fans. But this Sunday, at Homecoming, The Lucha Brothers will try to dethrone LAX to become the new Impact World Tag Team Champions.
Pentagon and Fénix banned the world impossible from their vocabulary, defying gravity, elevating traditions, and being innovative. During a recent Impact Wrestling Press Pass, Pentagon Jr and Fénix brought the media into an interesting and educational path of life, the one of 2 brothers so passionate about wrestling they have made it something incredible. As Pentagon doesn’t speak English, Taya Valkyrie kindly helped Fénix, “her brother”, to chat with media.
On LAX and their Homecoming match
Fénix: “LAX is currently the best team in the world right now, other than me and my brother. Santana and Ortiz are awesome. They bring absolutely everything that is Lucha Libre in a pro-wrestling style. It will be an interesting match-up and you don’t want to miss it.”
Pentagon: “Although it was short, I felt very fortunate and very happy with my Impact World Championship reign. It would be great to have the opportunity to be Champion again. Right now, however, my focus is on the tag team titles with my brother.”
On being brothers in the ring, sometimes as opponents, sometimes as partners
Fénix: “When we start our careers, we started as a team. Sometimes we had singles matches against each other but we needed to be professional. I look for being the best in my profession. So I don’t care he’s my brother and I know 100% he doesn’t care too. We just want to do one of the best matches every time, we want to be better every time, every match, even if he’s my brother. But, after the match, we are family again, we’re brothers, he’s one of my best friends. He’s my teacher, he teaches me a lot to be better in life and professional wrestling, he’s the person behind Lucha Brothers. Every idea, every move, every idea in my mind and Lucha Brothers’ mind, Pentagon knows what’s good, what we need when we want to do special things for wrestling. Penta is the big mind of Lucha Brothers.”
Pentagon: “I really do love a face-to-face confrontation with him, because he brings out the best in me. Instead of 100%, I have to give myself 200% because my brother really knows me and knows every facet of my arsenal. I fell like we are the most complete tag team because we’re different. When you combine the Fénix style with the Pentagon style, you have a completely different package. Together, we are the most different and complete tag teams in the entire wrestling universe.”
On bringing Lucha Libre to Impact and to the world
Fénix: “I like the Mexican crowd because it’s never quiet, but really the Impact crowd surprised me a lot. Every crowd is different. We’ve travelled the world and I feel crowds are becoming more and more similar, more and more excited. Wrestling as a whole is growing all over the world, so everyone’s getting a little bit of Lucha Libre flavour.”
Pentagon: “When we return to Mexico after being on Impact, we feel that the Mexican wrestling fans are now watching it. They’re very excited as fans to see there are some crossover talents here. I couldn’t be more proud of that.”
On the origins of “Animo” and “Cero Miedo”
Fénix: “Animo is a word like power, it’s like an excitement. It’s one of my favourite words in Spanish”
Pentagon: “When I changed my character from Dark Dragon to Pentagon, people thought it was bad luck, a bad omen. A lot of fans and Luchadors and friends would tell me, “I don’t think you should take this name or this character that you’re being given,” because of the bad history of this name. And my only answer was only one thing, “Cero Miedo”, “No Fear”. Then I started to do the hand signals and I remember everyone in the back saying “what the hell is he doing? What is happening right now?” It’s pretty incredible that, at the time, when everyone was hating on me, I made this work and now Cero Miedo is one of the most recognizable hand signals in wrestling.”
On the importance and the inspiration of their masks
Pentagon: “Basically, Lucha Libre has always been involved with a sort of magic, and mysticism that we, wrestlers, have to give it, especially as Mexican wrestlers. When we came to the United States, we were the most different from other wrestlers, be it, Japanese, American, British, because our culture allows us to use this type of attire that is loud, and calls attention to itself. They are bright combinations with different colours and materials, also in having the mask, designates and shows us as Mexican Luchadors. Basically, what identifies a true Mexican luchador, it’s how you use the gear, mask, those costumes. I think it’s what helps make us special, not just in the US, but all over the world. In dressing and looking elegant, imposing to our opponents and fans, in the middle of the ring.
Fénix: “I think that is a type of heritage. For example, the wrestlers, our trainers, our wrestling ancestors, it is something they leave us, a lesson that they tell us in needing to look good, larger than life, using different materials, and overall looking good. It is one of the big things our teachers, old school luchadors, teach you in the business, you need to look like real big star, you need to look bright, you need to look like luchador, luchador is like superhero bro, just, you need to shine, you need an elegant costume, that- Is it, help me, it’s like heritage? What the word for heritage? It’s like a living legacy. Everybody’s character is different, everybody takes care of the gimmick, but I think Mexicans, we go a little bit over the top.”
On Impact Wrestling and their favourite matches with the company
Fénix: “When we started our career in Lucha Libre, we were watching a lot of wrestling, like WCW or TNA. We knew the best wrestlers in the world were here on Impact. We wanted to be the best in the world, so we followed the same way. I don’t have any favourite match on Impact, because every match I tried to be better. I have some special things for every match. I really enjoyed when I wrestle with my brother against Austin Aries, or when I wrestle Johnny Impact for the Championship. It was really an amazing match, I enjoyed it a lot. I really have so fun time on Impact. We feel comfortable, we feel happy, in fact, we are Impact Wrestling.”
Pentagon: “One of my favourite matches was the 3-way one against Fénix and Austin Aries when I became Champion, but I believe every single one is important. The Slammiversary match against Sami Callihan is also one of his favourites. I’m just excited to keep moving forward and continue having great rivals, which I have here on Impact.”
Brothers seem like making the best tag team in wrestling. Pentagon Jr and Fénix have faith in each other and their ability to dominate the Impact Wrestling Tag Team division. With “Animo” and “Cero Miedo”, they could, on Sunday night, open a new chapter of their already highly-decorated career. With the Impact Tag Team belts around their waist, they could quite simply define a new standard for the company. Pentagon Jr and Fénix have just started to rule the world, after all.
(For the record, Pentagon asked me how we say Cero Miedo in French, so “Pas Peur, Zéro Peur”…)
All pics and videos courtesy of Impact Wrestling.