Despite his name, Laredo Kid isn’t a relative newcomer to professional wrestling. On the contrary. The TNA star is a veritable veteran who has been wrestling for more than two decades – more than half his life. In that time, he has been a staunch protector of the lucha libre style and traditions, and he’s hoping that he can bring even more of that to TNA, including this weekend when the company heads to San Antonio, Texas, for Victory Road.
Currently, Laredo Kid – in honor of the lucha libre tradition, he has protected his real name from getting out into the public – is the only masked star in the company, and he wears the mask like a badge of honor.
“It’s very important to me,” he told SlamWrestling.net in an exclusive interview days earlier this week, “that I can represent the lucha libre tradition and culture. I get to represent all of my people in Mexico, and in San Antonio – which is so close to the Mexican border – I know there will be lot of people who I will try to make proud.”
At press-time, he didn’t know who he would be wrestling, either on Friday night’s Victory Road event (which can be seen on the company’s TNA+ streaming service) or the next day’s TV taping. But he does have a couple of opponents that he would like to face.
“I’d really like to wrestle ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey,” he revealed, “and challenge him for the X-Division Championship. I’ve had a match with him before, and I thought it was very good. I’d also like to face KUSHIDA – the last time we got to wrestle, it was a really good match, since we got to mix up my lucha libre style with his New Japan Pro Wrestling style.”
Mike Bailey flips onto Laredo Kid on Impact Wrestling, airing on April 21, 2022, taped in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com
Indeed, much of what Laredo Kid finds appealing about wrestling for TNA is the ability to have the full spectrum of opponents, each of whom brings their own unique style to the ring.
“Lucha libre is more of a high-flying style. So it’s fun to have different types of matches with different opponents,” he said.
“For example, in the Ultimate-X match (at last month’s Emergence event), there were a lot of different types of wrestlers in that match. Hammerstone is a big, strong heavyweight. Then we had (Riley Osborne) from NXT who brought his own thing. I got to learn a lot in that match – I’d never done anything like that before. It’s why I like working in TNA, because they do different things.”
One of those different things TNA is doing these days is allowing its wrestlers to compete in NXT, and vice-versa, in a crossover deal between the two companies. That opens the doors to a lot of other opportunities to face different opponents, and that’s something that appeals to Laredo Kid, naming AJ Styles as one of his dream matches.
But he’d prefer to do that only after he’s achieved a goal that Styles has done several times, namely winning the X-Division Championship. Though Laredo Kid has already held gold in TNA, being a former Digital Media Champion, it’s the X-Division title that he really wants to focus on. And he’s willing to raise the stakes, if necessary, to get the shot, noting that he would relish the chance to put his mask on the line for a chance at the title.
“We do that kind of stipulation a lot in Mexico – mask vs. mask, mask vs. hair, mask vs. title. I would really like to do something like that in TNA. The mask is so important for (Mexican wrestlers), so putting it on the line for the title would show that, and I think if we got to that point, it would really be something the fans would like to see.”
Laredo Kid at Expo Lucha on Sunday, June 12, 2022, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. Photo by George Tahinos, georgetahinos.smugmug.com
While it is often a tradition for a lucha libre star to hang up the boots after losing the mask, retirement isn’t in Laredo Kid’s plans quite yet.
“I have been wrestling for 22 years, but I don’t think I’m old. I consider myself to be a young experienced wrestler. Right now, I think I have about ten years more to keep working in the ring. Maybe at that time, I’ll stop. Or at least slow down – you know, the body isn’t the same after that long, especially doing the lucha libre style.”
At that point, he says, there may even be someone to carry on the family tradition: one or both of his sons, the elder of whom – at 17 years old – is already training to become a wrestler. When not on the road for TNA, Mexico’s AAA promotion, or wrestling on independent shows all over the world, he spends most of his free time with his sons, training, going to the movies, or bowling.
Of the latter, “my son is better than me,” he laughed.
But in the ring, Laredo Kid is the one leading the way. And he looks forward to getting the chance anytime he can – including this weekend.
“I appreciate all the fans who support me by watching TNA. I look forward every time to seeing them at the shows.”
TNA Victory Road airs this Friday night on the TNA+ streaming service.
Tickets to Victory Road and Saturday night’s tapings of TNA Impact, both emanating from the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, can be bought at https://tnawrestling.com/events
TOP PHOTO: Laredo Kid in 2024 in TNA. Photo by TNA
