When it comes to professional wrestling, it is normal to imagine big, tall fighters. The global impact of figures such as Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Triple H, Batista, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton and John Cena, among many others over the years, has had a lot to do with it.
However, the ring has always had space for the little ones, although the path is usually much more complex for them. Perhaps no example is more appropriate than that of Rey Mysterio Jr., who despite being one meter and 68 centimeters tall, has managed to cultivate one of the most impressive careers in the history of the business.
That is precisely the example that Bandido followed.
The talented Mexican wrestler, just a couple of centimeters taller than the “Maestro del 619”, has a resume full of achievements and recognitions in the world of wrestling; And at 31 years of age, the masked man from Torreón may still have the best stage of his career ahead of him.
“He is my great idol. He always has been and that will never change,” Bandido said in a conversation with Diario Las Américas this week. “Not only is he a great fighter, who also proudly represents his Mexican roots, but he is a very good human being. On the times we have met, he has always been very kind and I appreciate that very much,” he added.
As current Ring Of Honor (ROH) champion and AEW World Trios Champion, along with Brody King and Adam Page, Bandido, who also confessed to being a big fan of Místico, another Mexican wrestling legend, has quickly established himself as one of the pillars of the company chaired by Tony Khan.
Bandido won the ROH title for the second time in April 2025, when he defeated veteran Chris Jericho on an edition of AEW Dynasty. His current reign, which already exceeds 560 days, is the second longest in the history of the title and between his two reigns he holds the record for the most combined days as champion of the renowned brand, which made famous fighters such as Bryan Danielson, Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens in WWE) and Tyler Black (Seth Rollins).
“Being ROH champion again is a great honor for me. This title represents a lot and has been carried by some of the most iconic names in wrestling history,” he explained. “My goal today is to be able to defend this belt as many times as I can and extend my reign as much as possible.”
A few weeks ago, Bandido was included in 11th place among the 500 best wrestlers today in the annual list of the renowned Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine.
It is a great achievement for the Aztec warrior, although this position is still far from being the one he desires.
“I was very close to being among the best 10,” Bandido said with a smile. “But it is also a great honor. We are talking about the best fighters in the world, not just one company, so being in that position is something very important. My goal is still to reach the number one position at some point,” he added.
In addition to his current experience in AEW, recognized today as the second most important wrestling company in the world, behind the gigantic WWE, Bandido has also gained experience in other promotions with a lot of tradition in the business, such as Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in Mexico and New Japan Pro Wrestling in Japan.
“It has been a unique experience and a journey that I can feel very proud of. The most exciting part is that there is still a long way to go and I hope to be able to achieve all the goals I have set,” he explained.
Among those objectives, Bandido does not hide the fact that he is becoming AEW world champion.
“That is the title we all want. Anyone who comes to this company immediately thinks about winning that championship. It has a lot of prestige and great fighters have won it, so I hope to become one of them later,” he said.
But among his goals there are also struggles that he wants to make a reality one day.
“There are many fights that I would like to have, but without a doubt one of the ones I would like the most would be against Kenny Omega,” confessed the Mexican, referring to the former AEW and NJPW world champion. “He is one of the best fighters of the moment and it would be a luxury to share the ring with him.”
Meanwhile, the Mexican flyer is committed to raising the flag of his country, which has one of the richest traditions in the history of wrestling.
“I am proudly Mexican and I carry my Aztec style with me everywhere,” he said.
