Bandido says he looked at the original All In event from 2018 as just another independent booking.
The 2018 All-In event, promoted by Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, and Cody Rhodes, ended up being a blueprint for what would become All-Elite Wrestling. At the time, it was a celebration of the booming independent scene. Bandido competed in the main event of that show, completing the Lucha dream team of himself, Rey Fenix, and Rey Mysterio. They competed in a losing effort against The Golden Elite (Kota Ibushi and the Young Bucks).
Reflecting on that event during the most recent episode of Hey! (EW) with RJ City, Bandido explains that for him, it was just another booking, and he was excited because he wanted to continue making money.
"Yeah, that was another indie show for me. That was the... good thing for me. I want to sell my merch because I need money at that time," he said. "My really good friend, Rob Viper, I sent a very... He helped me a lot in my career. He told me, you're going to do this, this booking, I have for you this. I said, 'okay, I can do it.' He told me, 'but it's a very special match.' Okay, I want to do it."
The only individual not ever signed to AEW that was in that main event match is Rey Mysterio. He would go on to return to WWE where he was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2023 and still works there today.
Elsewhere in the interview, Bandido jokingly explained why he wears the mask. Read more here.
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