Cain Velasquez surprised just about everyone, except those who had seen him train, pulling out several acrobatic moves in a very successful pro wrestling debut Saturday night.
Velasquez was one of the most intriguing stars of TripleMania, the annual major show of the year for the AAA promotion, the most popular pro wrestling group on Mexican television. The show was at Arena Ciudad in Mexico City, the same venue where Velasquez lost his UFC heavyweight championship to Fabricio Werdum four years earlier.
Velasquez, a fan of lucha libre (Mexican pro wrestling) and its cultural idols like El Santo and Mil Mascaras, didn’t play off his MMA skills in his debut, but instead wanted to be an authentic luchador, right down to wrestling wearing a black mask.