How This AEW Star Was Nearly A Wyatt Family Member

Luchasaurus' road to AEW wasn't quite as straightforward as simply gambling on himself on the independent scene in the hope that something like Double Or Nothing would simply come along.

Matelson was released in 2014 after never making it too far beyond the Largo loop, and in 2015 entered Season 17 of Big Brother in America, but it was a 2016 Lucha Underground rebirth as Vibora helped him break back into his first love in such a big way.

With the niche "f*cking massive lizzard man" genre cracked, he was suddenly of value elsewhere, and worked a string of different shows on the circuit under various alterations of the Judas gimmick and his real name. A celebrated 2017 triple threat match for House Of Hardcore against Matt Riddle and Willie Mack confirmed his future with the Luchasaurus gimmick when he gained critical and audience acclaim in victory.

In much the same way he stole the pre-show at Double Or Nothing, his relationship with Jungle Boy on Being The Elite has helped make the pair the most recent (and possibly last) organic success story ahead of AEW's October television launch. With a career that once looked extinct, Matelson's drive and decision-making brought him into this potentially huge spotlight - one far brighter than the old lantern Bray Wyatt was fond of extinguishing.

The lights went out on Luke Harper's WWE run earlier this year when Vince McMahon lost interest in yet another fragmented part of an exploded and disposed-of Wyatt Family. Is it that wild to suggest All Elite Wrestling could serve as his destination away from the figurative and literal backwoods his career ended up lost amongst?

They brought back the dinosaurs...