WWE may have found a new formula for pulling in viewers, and Penta is a big reason why. His match against Roman Reigns in Mexico City delivered some of RAW’s biggest numbers of the year. Now the belief is that WWE has taken notice, and it could mean a lot more opportunities for Mexican wrestlers moving forward.
Speaking on the October 19, 2026 episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer brought up the subject while discussing RUSH’s future in AEW and whether he could eventually land in WWE. Meltzer explained that WWE is looking at Mexican talent differently these days, especially after seeing what happened when Penta challenged Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship on September 14. Meltzer claimed the match delivered RAW’s second-biggest worldwide audience of the year, and the numbers weren’t simply coming from Mexico.
“Penta showed. He drew, you know, him and Roman drew the second biggest rating of this entire year for, for Raw. And that’s a worldwide number, not a Mexico number, and that is big in the United States.”
And WWE already knows how successful that match was. As Ringside News previously covered, the September 14 episode drew more than three million global Netflix views, with both WWE and Netflix extremely pleased with the numbers. Netflix was so impressed that it wanted WWE to start putting bigger names and matches on RAW more often. But Meltzer says there’s another part of the equation. With Nielsen placing greater emphasis on Hispanic households, having Mexican wrestlers in major television roles is becoming increasingly valuable for WWE.
“So having Mexican stars in higher positions and more is more valuable right now to WWE than it was two months ago. And they know it. You know, this is their business.”
Meltzer believes this could lead to Mexican wrestlers getting bigger opportunities on both RAW and SmackDown. He also thinks AEW should be paying attention because simply putting those wrestlers on television isn’t enough. They need to be positioned as legitimate stars who can draw viewers.
“It is very smart right now for both companies to have one or more Mexican stars in. In very high positions, at high enough positions to be drawing key people.”
He made it clear that the wrestlers need to be involved in meaningful programs, including championship matches, rather than simply filling spots on the card.
“But having them in key spots as top guys as at the championship level, that’ll make a difference if, if they’re, you know, as long as they have some charisma to them.”
There’s already evidence that Penta’s performance changed his own standing in WWE. Ringside News previously covered how Penta wasn’t originally supposed to win Money in the Bank, but his match against Reigns helped change those plans. He eventually walked away with the briefcase, putting him in position for another major championship opportunity.
That’s what makes Meltzer’s comments so interesting. Penta didn’t beat Roman Reigns in Mexico City, but the audience he helped deliver may have done more for his career than a championship victory would have. And if WWE believes other Mexican stars can bring in those kinds of numbers, Penta might not be the only one benefiting from the company’s new approach.
Do you think WWE should start pushing more Mexican wrestlers into main event positions after seeing Penta’s success? Who deserves the next major opportunity? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
