Penta came up short against Roman Reigns on WWE RAW in Mexico City, but the loss only raised his stock backstage.
On Monday, September 14, Penta challenged Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. The finish came when Reigns countered a Mexican Destroyer attempt with a Superman Punch before hitting the Spear to get the pin.
According to Cultaholic, WWE executives at Arena CDMX were “extremely happy” with Penta’s performance.
Per the same report, the match reinforced an existing internal belief that the former Intercontinental Champion is expected to win a world title on the main roster at some point. WWE is also said to see Penta as a long-term money maker.
Following his match with Roman Reigns, WWE executives in Mexico City were reportedly “extremely happy” with Penta’s in-ring performance.
— EliteRockerz 𝕏 (@EliteClubS0B) September 16, 2026
His performance reportedly reinforced WWE higher-ups’ internal belief that Penta will indeed be a future World Champion in the company.… pic.twitter.com/vIo2Oxkkh4
The match’s impact wasn’t limited to backstage. According to data compiled by EliteRockerz, Reigns vs. Penta topped 74 million views across WWE’s social media in under 15 hours, making it the most-watched WWE TV match of 2026 on those platforms.
Penta earned the shot by winning the tournament to determine Reigns’ challenger. In the final on August 31, he beat his own brother Rey Fénix with the Mexican Destroyer, punching his ticket to RAW’s return to Mexico City for the first time in 15 years.
Penta’s rise in WWE has been swift. He debuted on January 13, 2025, with a win over Chad Gable and later captured the Intercontinental Championship. His first reign ended at SummerSlam this year, fittingly against Gable.
There’s no word yet on when another world title shot could come, but the Reigns match left Penta in an even stronger position in WWE’s long-term plans.