Fenix’s WrestleMania debut came together at the eleventh hour.
On April 19, the Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada hosted the opening night of WrestleMania 41. Rey Mysterio had been scheduled to face El Grande Americano but he was ultimately replaced by Rey Fenix in what became the former AEW star’s first WrestleMania appearance.
Appearing at Ringside Fest 2025, Rey Fenix explained how the moment came together, revealing that he was asked to compete at the last minute and did not have his gear.
“I remember we had the conference for the news of AAA. I’d been in the hotel waiting for the car to go to the conference. So over there, like, 11 in the morning, someone came to me and asked me, ‘Hey, you have your gear with you?’ I say, ‘No, I got the conference only.’ They’re like, ‘Okay, so you need it because you have to wrestle tonight.’ I was like, ‘How? Where?’ Like, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna replace Rey Mysterio for the injury, so go for your stuff.’ I have no chance to jump in the ring before the show. I have no chance to jump to the stage. I have no chance for nothing… When I did my entrance, that was the first time in the day I see the stage, I see the arena—I have no chance to do it before. So that was very impressive for me.”
-Rey Fenix
Fenix ultimately came up short against El Grande Americano, who was being portrayed by Chad Gable. Ludwig Kaiser has since taken on the Americano role while Gable remains sidelined, although recent reports suggest that his return may be approaching.
Future plans for Rey Fenix include a Lucha Brothers reunion announced for AAA’s Guerra de Titanes on December 20, although it remains unclear how the injury suffered by Penta during the November 24 edition of Monday Night RAW may affect those plans.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on future plans for Rey Fenix as soon as we hear more.
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