The Pokemon Company is promoting Legends Z-A in some extremely unique ways. The latest wrestling collaboration was the perfect celebration of the franchise in one of lucha libre's most important venues: Arena Mexico.
Let me throw a bit of context your way: back in August, Game Freak unveiled Hawlucha's Mega Evolution, sending fans into a frenzy. Paying tribute to the character's roots, a unique show was announced in collaboration with the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), Mexico's oldest and most historic wrestling promotion, which has gained popularity in recent years outside the country due to its ongoing partnership with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
As soon as the event, scheduled to take place on September 25, was unveiled, fans wondered what type of surprises to expect. As it turns out, it was mostly a regular CMLL show, but with a twist: it was Pokemon-themed. At first, that might sound disappointing, but the whole vibe felt like an incredible celebration of the franchise with a crowd of over 15k enthusiasts enjoying every single match.
Throughout the Arena, there were plenty of Pokemon-related activations, with some even lucky enough to get exclusive Pokemon TCG cards of Hawlucha. But the real treat was seeing some of the finest lucha libre in the world, with a gorgeous Z-A ring mat and adorable Pikachu and Eevee mascots hyping up the crowd. Some of the wrestlers went the extra mile and crafted unique ring attire inspired by Pokemon. Female wrestlers Kira and La Catalina came out with outfits inspired by Togepi and Sylveon, respectively.
Soberano Jr, one of the known Pokefans in the CMLL roster, also had a special showing using Gengar-inspired gear. Speaks volumes about how much he wanted to be a part of the show, since he didn't get to wrestle due to an ongoing injury, but it was his first appearance in many months as he introduced a special belt that the winner of the main event would take home. And what a main event it was.
With legendary luchador Mistico wearing a Hawlucha outfit, taking on Hechicero representing Machamp, fans got to see a crowd-pleasing ending to a surreal yet incredibly fun evening. As a fan of lucha libre that's fallen out of love with the Pokemon franchise, I'll admit this piqued my interest in Pokemon Legends Z-A more than any other piece of marketing they've done for the game. You can watch the entire show for free via the CMLL YouTube page. I'll leave the video below.
And that's it. For more, stick with us at Gfinityesports.com: your go-to source for all things Pokemon.