Not every beloved wrestler can be a highly decorated champion with an impressive winning streak. All Elite Wrestling can boast many of those, including Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson, and CM Punk, but they’ve also got masked luchador Fuego Del Sol, the kind of wrestler fans love not because they win, but because they try really, really hard before taking a loss.

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Since he began making appearances for AEW in 2020, Fuego’s been developing a totally organic grassroots fandom, but many fans who don’t watch the company’s YouTube exclusive shows, AEW Dark and AEW Dark: Elevation, may feel like he came out of nowhere. Let’s take a look at Fuego Del Sol and what fans should know about him.

10 Started In The Backyard

Fuego Del Sol in his backyard wrestling days

Like many future stars, Fuego Del Sol got his start fighting his friends in a makeshift backyard wrestling promotion, but he’s young enough that there’s a load of this early work available on YouTube. In his youth, Fuego wrestled unmasked under the ring name of KAGE for Mobile, Alabama’s KBW Wrestling, which touted itself as “extreme wrestling by teenagers” and “top of the line backyard trampoline wrestling.”

It was certainly a unique promotion, as matches did indeed happen on trampolines, with young competitors jumping off roofs to execute hurricanranas.

9 Debuted In 2014

Fuego Del Sol

After graduating from the backyard to formal wrestling training, Fuego Del Sol made his debut in the Oklahoma indie wrestling scene, performing for local promotions like World Class Revolution (back then known as Imperial Wrestling Revolution) and Mid South Wrestling Alliance.

Working under the name Fuego Del Sol and sometimes simply Fuego, he was able to capture his first title in IWR’s Revolutionary Championship, holding the belt for a 198-day run. Soon enough, Fuego began branching out of Oklahoma, performing for indies in neighboring Texas.

8 WWE Match

Fuego Del Sol appearing on WWE Raw as KJ Orso

Like fellow AEW wrestlers like Britt Baker, Alex Silver, and John Reynolds, WWE diehards may have seen Fuego Del Sol on their television screens without even knowing it. Expectedly, Fuego wrestled a jobber squash, making his national television debut on Raw, where he worked unmasked under the name KJ Orso.

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Despite Orso’s eagerness, he lasted only 25 seconds against Erick Rowan, and memorably had his face put into Rowan’s mysterious covered cage prop, after which he ran off with an apparently bloodied face.

7 Debuted in AEW During The Pandemic

Fuego Del Sol

As fans well know by this point, COVID-19 disrupted pretty much everything, especially the wrestling business. During much of 2020, AEW utilized its aforementioned YouTube show Dark to not only give its roster more in-ring time, but also give indie workers a quick payday as jobbers.

Fuego Del Sol was one of those indie workers, making his debut on the opening match of the 6/9/2020 episode of Dark, where he teamed with Low Rider in a losing effort against Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky.

6 Mobile, Alabama’s Favorite Luchador

Fuego Del Sol

AEW Dark tends to be a breezy show where commentators Excalibur and Taz generally crack jokes while calling matches where the winner is never in question. As part of that, Fuego Del Sol — billed from Mobile, Alabama — would be regularly labeled by the commentators “Mobile, Alabama’s favorite luchador,” a memorable bit that not only gave them an opportunity to riff, but also created a sense of familiarity.

This would, of course, pay off as Fuego ended up sticking around and became a consistent presence on the YouTube shows.

5 Epic Losing Streak

Fuego Del Sol

Of course, as an unsigned extra in AEW, Fuego Del Sol regularly lost matches on TV. Since debuting, he wouldn’t just take the loss against Ricky Starks and various members of the Dark Order, but also undercarders like Peter Avalon and Brandon Cutler and then-unsigned up-and-comers like Griff Garrison and Danny Limelight.

Fuego would rack up a year-long losing streak before finally getting a win thanks to tagging with Marko Stunt against Baron Black and Ryzin on the 7/6/2021 episode of Dark.

4 Friendship With Sammy Guevara

Fuego Del Sol and Sammy Guevara

One important thing fans need to know about Fuego Del Sol is his long-time friendship with fellow AEW star Sammy Guevara. The two first met in the ring in Imperial Wrestling Revolution in March 2016, and have clashed numerous times since, including a bout on a July 2020 episode of AEW Dark.

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Their friendship would become a matter of wrestling fan interest thanks to Fuego making appearances on Sammy’s vlog. These appearances would contribute to Fuego’s popularity, as Guevara was a rising star on the AEW roster.

3 Feuded With QT Marshall

Fuego Del Sol vs. QT Marshall

More than just a source of fan interest in Fuego Del Sol, Sammy Guevara’s vlog also contributed to an actual on-screen storyline. In one installment, fellow AEW star QT Marshall — who’s also responsible for booking talent for Dark — appeared on the show, trashing the indie wrestlers he hires.

That drew the ire of Fuego, who lobbied for a match against Marshall. Fuego finally got his wishes, taking on QT in his first substantial match in AEW, losing to Marshall after nearly eight minutes on the 3/9/2021 episode of Dark.

2 Too Fast Too Fuego

Cody Rhodes and Fuego Del Sol as Too Fast Too Fuego

By 2021, Fuego Del Sol was a pretty dependable staple of AEW’s roster, and even got his own tag team in the form of Too Fast Too Fuego. Joined by a masked Cody Rhodes — though his well-known and visible tattoos were a dead giveaway — Fuego Del Sol was named Fuego 1 while Rhodes was Fuego 2.

The two would only team for four matches, however, from October to December 2021. Their biggest effort would be against Aaron Solo and Nick Comoroto of the Factory on the 11/9/2021 episode of Dark.

1 Finally All Elite in 2021

Sanmy Guevara gives Fuego Del Sol an AEW Contract

The grassroots love for Fuego Del Sol would eventually necessitate signing the increasingly popular performer, which occurred via storyline. On the very first episode of AEW Rampage in August 2021, Fuego challenged TNT Champion Miro in a bout where winning would not only earn him the title, but also an AEW contract.

Fuego lost, but was awarded a contract anyway, which was delivered by Sammy Guevara. Just as Sammy Guevara’s vlog helped make Fuego more popular, this angle also served Guevara, as he would soon take on Miro and become the new TNT Champion.