AEW Signs Major Independent Star

AEW has signed prolific luchador Serpentico to a full-time contract. He is now officially a member of the AEW roster. The masked-man has been wrestling for the company for six months, and he was finally offered a full-time contract. Serpentico revealed the news in an interview with Inside the Ropes.

Serpentico is an AEW Dark showstealer

Jonathan Cruz Rivera, also known as Serpentico, has made numerous appearances on AEW Dark this year. He’s wrestled twenty matches on the YouTube exclusive show.

These matches range from tag-team matches, to handicap matches and even six-man tag team matches. He’s faced the likes of Brian Cage, Orange Cassidy, Scorpio Sky and many other AEW Dynamite mainstays.

Serpentico has made one pay-per-view appearance in his pre-contract stint with the company. The luchador faced Joey Janela at AEW All Out.

The match was not on the main card, but featured on the Buy In. Janela pinned Serpentico after hitting him with a picture-perfect elbow drop from the top rope.

Tag Team with Luther

Serpentico is now part of a tag-team with Luther called Chaos Project. The deathmatch wrestler and the luchador are sort of a throwaway tag team, but have proven to be quite entertaining. They have racked up wins against Brian Pillman Jr and Griff Garrison, Brandon Cutler and Peter Avalon, and Pineapple Pete and Brady Pierce.

Serpentico’s biggest match in AEW came a couple of weeks ago. He and Luther took on Chris Jericho and Jake Hager in the main event of the Chris Jericho 30th Anniversary special episode of AEW Dynamite.

The match was set up after Luther and him got involved in an altercation with Jericho during his match with Isiah Kassidy. Consequently, Hager and Jericho beat Luther and Serpentico after Jericho nailed Luther with the Judas Effect.

The importance of Serpentico’s signing

Serpentico’s signing may not be a groundbreaking one but is quite important for the company. The luchador is more than just cannon fodder to Lance Archer or Brian Cage. In fact, he is AEW Dark’s most consistent wrestler, and his match with Scorpio Sky is one of the best in the show’s short history.

Serpentico has also made appearances for Major League Wrestling, CZW and Evolve. Most shockingly, he has appeared on NXT in losing efforts against Akam and Rezar, and Elias.