What WWE Star Penta's Catchphrase 'Cero Miedo' Means

Whether it was in AAA, CMLL, Lucha Underground, the independent scene, TNA, AEW, or now WWE, there's always been one constant about Penta's career; "Cero Miedo". It's connected to him in a way that not even his brother and long-time tag team partner, Rey Fenix, is. Wherever Penta travels, the catchphrase "Cero Miedo" is right alongside him, generally accompanied by Penta's equally famous hand gesture, one that has been adopted by Penta's biggest fan, NFL star George Kittle, after the San Francisco 49ers tight end makes a big play. But while it's easy to associate Penta with the catchphrase and hand gesture, there's still plenty out there who may be wondering just what exactly "Cero Miedo" means and stands for.

The answer to both is rather easy and can be figured out via a quick translation, or by going back and listening to old Penta interviews; "Cero Miedo" is Spanish for "Zero Fear." Simply from a wrestling catchphrase standpoint, it's the kind of phrase that will have many wrestlers kicking themselves, wondering how they didn't come up with it first, though WCW era Roddy Piper may argue that his "No Fear" catchphrase was close enough. But as Penta's career has continued to evolve through his journeys through many promotions, "Cero Miedo" has evolved alongside him. That's why it was no surprise when Penta told Chris Van Vliet during an interview earlier this year that "Cero Miedo" was more than just a phrase now, it was a lifestyle. And given his success, it's hard to argue that the "Cero Miedo" lifestyle isn't working for Penta.

So how did Penta come up with "Cero Miedo" as a catchphrase? In the aforementioned interview with Van Vliet, Penta revealed the origin stemmed from his love of music, corridos tumbados music to be exact. A lifelong fan of the genre, itself a takeoff on a Mexican musical tradition, Penta was listening to a corridos band early in his career when he heard the phrase "Cero Miedo" for the first time. Still, it was not a phrase he used in wrestling until he was finally given promo time in AAA, shortly after receiving the Pentagon Jr. gimmick. Needing something to say has he wrapped up his promo, Penta admits he blurted out "Cero Miedo," the first time he'd use the phrase in wrestling.

Still a lower card wrestler in AAA at the time, however, "Cero Miedo" didn't start to catch on until Penta joined the Lucha Underground roster in 2014. As one of the first true AAA luchadors to join up with the promotion, Penta initially interested people due to his unique appearance. But upon introducing "Cero Miedo" as a catchphrase during his initial promos, Penta rose from a midcard foil/lackey to Chavo Guerrero and into a violent, killing machine who left a trail of broken arms in his wake, all in the search of his mysterious "master." And it was there "Cero Miedo" began to transform from that catchphrase and into the embodiment of what Penta was; a man with no fear, willing to cross every line imaginable and break every bone in one's body to get what he wanted. Some of the more violent tendencies were later toned down, but the overall aura of Penta and "Cero Miedo""remained, and a path to superstardom was born.