Rey Fenix has made his position clear on the newly revived Perros del Mal: he respects the history of the legendary faction, but he does not believe the current version lives up to that name.
Perros del Mal returned with a new lineup on the June 20 episode of AAA On Fox. The present group consists of Daga, Angel, Berto and Karmen Petrovic. Its revival immediately connected the name to one of lucha libre’s most recognizable and confrontational faction identities, one that was built around the late Pedro “Perro Aguayo Jr.” and a collection of major personalities across Mexican wrestling.
During an appearance on La Razón de México, Fenix was asked about the group’s return. He said he was surprised to see Perros del Mal brought back, while also stressing that his criticism comes from familiarity with the faction’s past rather than a lack of respect for its place in wrestling history.
“I have great respect for the Perros del Mal as a faction,” Fenix said. “I had the opportunity to face Pedro (Perro Aguayo Jr.) and the original Perros del Mal: Halloween, Bestia, Damián, Nicho el Millonario (Psicosis), Joe Líder, and even when Penta and Daga were around.”
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Fenix then delivered an unambiguous verdict on the current lineup. In his view, no other incarnation of Perros del Mal has been less imposing than the version that has emerged in 2026.
“I’m going to be completely honest with you: This current version is the weakest version of Perros del Mal that I have seen,” Fenix said. “It’s true. From Perros del Mal’s inception to today, 2026, this version with Daga, Berto, and (Ángel) Garza is the weakest. It doesn’t move me or my brother at all because we’re two wrestlers who’ve faced the best version of the Perros del Mal.”
Fenix’s history with the Perros del Mal name
The force of Fenix’s comments is rooted in the people he associated with the group’s earlier eras. He specifically cited Pedro Aguayo Jr., Halloween, Bestia, Damián, Nicho el Millonario/Psicosis and Joe Líder while reflecting on the faction’s history. He also noted the period in which both Penta and Daga were connected to Perros del Mal.
That perspective is important because Fenix is not treating the faction simply as a current AAA issue. He is evaluating a revival against a legacy formed by wrestlers who defined a volatile, rebellious presentation and gave the Perros del Mal name considerable weight. For Fenix, the comparison is not favorable to the new roster.
His remarks also carry a personal dimension. Fenix and Penta have encountered high-level versions of the stable in the past, and Fenix said the current group does not intimidate either member of the brotherly duo. Rather than dismissing the faction’s history, he separated that history from what he sees in front of him now.
It is a pointed distinction: Fenix can acknowledge the status of Perros del Mal and the people who made it important while still arguing that the revived group has not shown the same impact. His assessment was not framed as a cautious critique. He repeated that he considers this incarnation the weakest in the faction’s entire history.
Penta’s response to the group
Fenix was also asked about Penta declining to join Perros del Mal. He said he understood his brother’s decision, explaining that Penta’s respect for Pedro Aguayo Jr. and the faction does not mean joining the revived version would be the right move.
“I understand my brother’s response to the Perros del Mal; obviously, he wasn’t going to get in with them,” Fenix said. “I know the love and respect my brother has for Pedro and for the faction, but it’s not something he needs right now.”
The comments underline the distinction Fenix drew throughout the discussion. The brothers can hold admiration for Pedro Aguayo Jr. and the legacy of Perros del Mal without accepting the current group as a natural fit for Penta. In Fenix’s telling, Penta’s refusal was not a rejection of what the faction once represented. Instead, it was a decision based on what the group is now and on the strength of Penta’s own support system.
Fenix said Perros del Mal attempted to use underhanded tactics, but suggested that Penta was not dealing with the situation alone. He pointed to the continued bond between the brothers, even though they have not worked alongside each other as consistently in recent years.
“Perros tried to play dirty, but they didn’t know my brother has strong backing,” Fenix said. “Maybe we haven’t spent as much time working together in recent years, but that doesn’t mean our closeness and our love don’t keep us together.”
That statement places the story beyond a simple faction recruitment angle. Fenix emphasized that his connection with Penta remains meaningful regardless of how often they share the same space professionally. The relationship, he said, remains a source of support when the situation calls for it.
Dragon Lee joins Fenix and Penta at Ola de Calor
Fenix also referenced Dragon Lee while discussing the recent confrontation surrounding Penta and Perros del Mal. Calling Dragon Lee “a great wrestler and a great friend,” Fenix said the situation played out at Ola de Calor, where he believes the outcome showed which side was superior.
“Accompanied by Dragon Lee, a great wrestler and a great friend, we saw this play out this weekend at Ola de Calor, where it was made clear who was better,” Fenix said.
Fenix did not soften his larger opinion after bringing up the Ola de Calor events. Instead, he returned to the same conclusion that framed his response from the start: the revival caught him off guard, but it has not convinced him that Perros del Mal has regained the standing it once possessed.
“Anyways,” Fenix added, “I was surprised by the return of the Perros del Mal, but in my opinion, this is the weakest version of the Perros del Mal in their entire history.”
A major legacy brings major expectations
The return of an established faction name always invites comparisons to the past, and Perros del Mal comes with especially demanding expectations. Its history is closely tied to Pedro Aguayo Jr. and to a group of wrestlers Fenix described as the best version of the collective. That history is why a new roster is unlikely to be judged only on its own early results or appearances.
For Fenix, the present version has already been measured against every earlier era and found lacking. His comments were not aimed at denying that the group exists or minimizing its attempt to establish itself in AAA. They were an assertion that the new Perros del Mal has not created the same feeling, threat or significance that he experienced when facing prior incarnations.
His assessment also makes clear that Penta is not expected to be drawn in merely by the familiarity of the name. Fenix believes his brother respects the past too much to confuse that respect with a need to join the current lineup. With Fenix and Dragon Lee identified as part of Penta’s backing at Ola de Calor, the revived Perros del Mal has already found itself facing opposition from wrestlers who know precisely what the faction has represented at its strongest.
Whether the current group can change Fenix’s mind remains to be seen. At this point, however, he has put an unmistakable label on the revival: surprising to see, worthy of comparison because of the name it carries, but nowhere close to the version of Perros del Mal that he and Penta remember facing.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.