{"id":68468,"date":"2020-05-14T12:02:01","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T16:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/?p=68468"},"modified":"2020-05-14T12:02:01","modified_gmt":"2020-05-14T16:02:01","slug":"sammy-guevara-rise-of-the-spanish-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/05\/14\/sammy-guevara-rise-of-the-spanish-god\/","title":{"rendered":"#OneYearDON: Sammy Guevara and the Rise of the Spanish God"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>#OneYearDON is a look back at All Elite Wrestling\u2019s debut event with match by match retrospectives on how talent has fared in the year since the event as well as other profiles looking at how some performers have progressed from one DON to the next.\u00a0 This piece looks at the rise of Sammy Guevara.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It is May 25, 2019.\u00a0<em><strong> Double or Nothing<\/strong> <\/em>has arrived; the inaugural pay-per-view for <strong>Tony Khan<\/strong>&#8216;s <strong>All Elite Wrestling<\/strong> promotion.\u00a0 Some big stars are on the card.\u00a0 <strong>Cody<\/strong>, the former mid-card <strong>WWE<\/strong> talent with wrestling heritage turned indie megastar.\u00a0 <strong>Chris Jericho<\/strong>, the undeniably talented legend of pro-wrestling involved in all &#8220;GOAT&#8221; discussions.\u00a0 <strong>Kenny Omega<\/strong>, the Canadian talent who became one of the two biggest stars in Japan &#8211; arguably the current &#8220;best in the world&#8221;.\u00a0 <strong>Matt<\/strong> and<strong> Nick Jackson<\/strong> of the<strong> Young Bucks<\/strong>; the arguable Kings of the Indies.\u00a0 Clearly, the <em><strong>Double or Nothing 2019<\/strong><\/em> card was stacked with recognizable talent to draw eyes to this fresh, new promotion.\u00a0 So stacked was this Vegas themed card that lost in the shuffle was a young, 25-year-old Cuban-American from Houston, Texas.\u00a0<strong> Sammy Guevara<\/strong> lost his debut match, but since then, he has become an undeniable prospect.\u00a0 Let us take a look at the rise of the AEW man dubbed the &#8220;Spanish God&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Background of a Spanish God<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Spanish God\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/drm5m9IjifU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Sammy Guevara made his pro-wrestling debut on January 5, 2013.\u00a0 The then 19-year-old appeared in a six-man gauntlet match at <strong>RCW<\/strong>&#8216;s<em><strong> New Year&#8217;s Evolution<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0<strong> Big Sed<\/strong> won that match, of course, but there was no denying the talent of the teenage Guevara.\u00a0 His first victory wouldn&#8217;t come until four months later, when he won a triple-threat against <strong>Kharn Alexander<\/strong> and <strong>William Roberts<\/strong> in <strong>Anarchy Wrestling<\/strong>.\u00a0 Sammy&#8217;s first championship was the Inspire Pro Junior Crown Championship &#8211; which he won from its inaugural holder, <strong>Ricky Starks<\/strong>, on May 25, 2014.\u00a0 Even now, seven years later, you have to imagine that there will be many more victories in the future of Guevara.\u00a0 Between Sammy&#8217;s debut and his signing with AEW in February 2019, he made a single WWE appearance.\u00a0 Teaming with <strong>Tony Guevara<\/strong>, the current <strong>Laredo Kid<\/strong>, the Guevaras were defeated by <strong>Los Matadores<\/strong> (<strong>Diego<\/strong> and <strong>Fernando<\/strong>) on an episode of <strong>WWE Main Event<\/strong> in 2015.\u00a0 Whereas Guevara is perfectly content with AEW, he has not ruled out the possibility of an older Spanish God joining WWE one day.\u00a0 Speaking to Wrestling Inc. after signing for AEW, he said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I was talking to a couple [of other potential employers], but honestly, I have no interest right now&#8230; Like, for me, Sammy Guevara, 25, and my current name where it&#8217;s at, I have no interest in going to WWE at the moment, which is very weird for me to say. If I ever do go there, I want my name to be at a much higher point. When I was at the tryout a couple of years ago, back in 2017, it kind of opened my eyes. It&#8217;s like, oh, if I don&#8217;t have a pretty big following of big names, they kind of don&#8217;t give an f- about you.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><strong>Ability to Work Outside the Ring<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"how to MAKE IT as a Pro Wrestler\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mlPDuIWP9_s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Sammy Guevara is a smart man.\u00a0 He knows how talented he is, but he is also aware of the importance of name value.\u00a0 This is part of the reason why his connection with Chris Jericho is so important.\u00a0 Being under the wing of Jericho &#8211; who has done everything there is to do in pro-wrestling &#8211; guarantees that Guevara is getting first class pro-wrestling education.\u00a0 This will only make him more of a well-rounded performer going forward.\u00a0 Additionally, just like Jericho was able to build a name with non-wrestling ventures, so too has Guevara.\u00a0 Sammy Guevara&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/sammyhighV2\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">self-titled YouTube channel<\/a> is a hit; with 107,000 subscribers as of this writing.\u00a0 Like Zack Ryder and The Elite before him, Guevara has used this platform to establish a cult following for himself.\u00a0 Pro-wrestlers in the digital age need to be able to connect beyond wrestling.\u00a0 Guevara, the Spanish God that he is, clearly understands this and has used this to his advantage.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Sammy Guevara in All Elite Wrestling<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Matt Hardy goes crazy with a golf cart in AEW Street Fight\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-znoQgnzhLE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Sammy Guevara in All Elite Wrestling is clearly a future star.\u00a0 Since debuting for AEW at <em>Double or Nothing 2019<\/em>, he has established himself as one of the certified prospects within the company.\u00a0 For months now, his cocky, brash roguishness has drawn comparisons to a young<strong> Eddie Guerrero<\/strong>.\u00a0 Whereas living up to an Eddie comparison is an impossible task for most who have this moniker placed upon them, Guevara works it.\u00a0 It also helps that Sammy is clearly a very gifted in-ring performer &#8211; capable of wowing audiences with his ability.\u00a0 It has been said a couple of times in the Last Word on Pro Wrestling AEW Dynamite previews that Sammy is a future top heel, whilst Darby Allin is a future top babyface.\u00a0 Their feud can determine the shape of the company going forward.\u00a0 It can quite possibly become the defining feud of the company&#8217;s next era.\u00a0 Just as <strong>The Rock<\/strong> and <strong>Steve Austin<\/strong> defined WWE&#8217;s <strong>Attitude Era<\/strong> and <strong>Samoa Joe<\/strong> and<strong> AJ Styles<\/strong> defined<strong> Impact<\/strong>&#8216;s most successful period.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"AEW Quarterfinals: Darby Allin has Sammy Guevara by the injured ankle\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UAcbbPXdNyE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Lockdown Breakout Performer<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Would I ever wrestle LE Champion?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/w6MuhK48pyI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Since the COVID-19 epidemic disrupted the world and took live audiences away from pro-wrestling, Sammy Guevara has been one of the star performers.\u00a0 It is relatively easy to conclude that Sammy Guevara has been the stand-out performer of AEW.\u00a0 The same as <strong>Asuka<\/strong> has been the stand-out star for WWE.\u00a0 The two of them have made wrestling enjoyable just recently.\u00a0 They &#8211; along with the stars around them &#8211; have provided us with the weekly dosage of wrestling needed to make lock-down somewhat bearable.\u00a0 His entertaining matches &#8211; with <strong>Le Sex God<\/strong> partner, Chris Jericho fawning over him on commentary &#8211; has been a highlight.\u00a0 Sammy Guevara running for his life before being mowed down by Kenny Omega and <strong>&#8220;Broken&#8221; Matt Hardy<\/strong> in a golf-cart will live in wrestling memory for a long time.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Sammy Guevara Going Forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sammy Guevara sings Chris Jericho\u2019s theme song \u201cJudas\u201d AEW Dynamite\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lMDznponMLo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Going forward, Sammy Guevara needs to win more matches.\u00a0 Yes, there has been improvement on this front lately.\u00a0 A big victory last week with Jericho over Hardy and Omega is evidence of this.\u00a0 However, in a company where win\/loss records are a big part of these shows (Sammy has won 12 and lost 13), future stars like Sammy need protecting.\u00a0 Guevara, along with Darby Allin and <strong>MJF<\/strong>, are three potential megastars for AEW.\u00a0 Young stars don&#8217;t need 50\/50 booking; they need to be allowed to build momentum.\u00a0 Whereas it can be argued that losses don&#8217;t hurt Sammy so much because of the nature of his character, they still matter.\u00a0 Of course, this is a mere minor criticism; AEW is a very young promotion still finding its feet.\u00a0 There&#8217;s no doubt that they have big plans for Guevara.\u00a0 However, going forward, they must protect him a little bit more.\u00a0 These empty arena shows have allowed Sammy Guevara to establish himself as an integral member of the roster.\u00a0 Now imagine the potential with a live audience there to interact with.<\/p>\n<p>Stay tuned to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TNT and weekly on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCFN4JkGP_bVhAdBsoV9xftA\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>#OneYearDON is a look back at All Elite Wrestling\u2019s debut event with match by match retrospectives on how talent has fared in the year since the event as well as other profiles looking at how some performers have progressed from one DON to the next.\u00a0 This piece looks at the rise of Sammy Guevara. It [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2482,"featured_media":68469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4677,2,6],"tags":[4133,107,1362,491,386,1602,176,4132],"class_list":["post-68468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aew","category-featured","category-north-america","tag-aew","tag-chris-jericho","tag-cody","tag-darby-allin","tag-kenny-omega","tag-sammy-guevara","tag-the-young-bucks","tag-tony-khan"],"modified_by":"Niklas George","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68468"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68468\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}