Víctor Gutiérrez on Becky Lynch, Sergio Ramos and Monterrey sports

Víctor Gutiérrez told Felix Joyner that Becky Lynch sharing his WWE photos helped build his wrestling audience, while filming a Rayados–Tigres derby from inside the supporters’ parade produced one of his best soccer stories. The Monterrey-based host and producer also discussed covering Sergio Ramos’s debut, the pressures of television journalism and why an interview with wrestler Julissa changed how he thinks about his work.

How did Víctor Gutiérrez get started in sports media?

Víctor Gutiérrez entered sports media through university radio after an unexpected start in musical theater. He chose to produce a show about women in sports, helped deliver approximately 80 episodes and later joined a Monterrey sports program as an intern, where an NFL fantasy piece became his first written sports work.

At Tec de Monterrey, he had played the rabbi in a production of Fiddler on the Roof, learning some Hebrew for the role. After the production was disrupted by the pandemic, a university casting opportunity led him toward radio. He chose the women’s sports program over a proposed cinema show, then moved into hosting and anchoring at the station.

His first week at the Monterrey program was as a production assistant. When a colleague was absent, Gutiérrez offered to help a sports reporter with production. The opportunity led to the NFL fantasy piece and, eventually, work involving WWE and World Cup figures.

That path shaped how he makes stories. Gutiérrez credited colleague Yvonne Vargas with teaching him to take responsibility for the whole piece: researching, writing, recording and editing it. He said he still handles those stages himself, whether preparing coverage ahead of a WWE visit or capturing the atmosphere at an event.

What did Víctor Gutiérrez say about Becky Lynch and his favorite wrestlers?

Becky Lynch’s decision to share Víctor Gutiérrez’s photos gave his wrestling work a major audience boost, he said. CM Punk remains the favorite wrestler from his childhood, but Gutiérrez also names Lynch among his favorites because of what her support meant to his career.

WWE photos shared by Becky Lynch

Gutiérrez recalled arriving at a Monterrey WWE event during a difficult period following his grandmother’s death. In addition to his assigned work, he took and posted his own photographs. Carlito and Rhea Ripley shared images, but he singled out Lynch’s share as especially consequential: he said it helped build a substantial part of his wrestling audience within weeks.

He remains grateful for that support even as soccer has taken up more of his professional attention. The response also gave him a reason to keep publishing wrestling work when he found it difficult to balance the two subjects.

CM Punk’s childhood championship

As a child, Gutiérrez made a paper championship bearing CM Punk’s name. He brought it, along with a script from his first wrestler interview, when he took a picture with Raquel Rodriguez. The keepsake is his evidence that Punk was not a recent choice: he had followed him since childhood.

What did Víctor Gutiérrez learn from Monterrey’s independent wrestling shows?

Monterrey’s independent wrestling shows taught Víctor Gutiérrez that the people and venues around a match can be as revealing as the action in the ring. Working ringside with a camera brought him into the show itself, while conversations with wrestlers such as Charro Negro helped him understand the local scene.

A ballroom show and its crowd

Gutiérrez has filmed shows in converted spaces, including a ballroom, as well as more conventional arenas. At one event, a storm knocked out the lights. At another, he recalled a grandmother shouting at the wrestlers throughout the show and a grandfather throwing a chair toward one of them. He described the crowds as close to the performers and deeply involved in the occasion.

After the ballroom show, he spoke with Monterrey independent wrestler Charro Negro about how wrestlers work locally and what a journalist should pay attention to. Gutiérrez values talking with rising wrestlers as well as established names; he said those conversations have given him a clearer view of their working conditions and ambitions.

Mexican roots and cross-border influences

Gutiérrez sees wrestling in Monterrey as both distinctly Mexican and connected to entertainment across the border. He discussed the mix of circus presentation, athletic styles and local venues that, in his account, helped shape Mexican wrestling. More broadly, he argued that sports stories become richer when cultures meet rather than remain separate.

How does Víctor Gutiérrez handle soccer broadcast pressure and reporting ethics?

Víctor Gutiérrez handles a compressed soccer broadcast by planning for the time he actually has, not the time he hopes to get. He also believes speed and commercial demands cannot excuse an unchecked claim or a misleading headline, particularly when coverage can affect an athlete or coach.

A ten-minute postgame show

One match ran into penalties and left the team with roughly ten minutes for a postgame program that also had commercial breaks to fit in. Gutiérrez said he would structure that kind of show in short steps: give the result, go to a break, air a prepared piece and move to the next break. He finds the priority given to commercials frustrating, but treats it as a television constraint he must plan around.

His work spans both sides of the camera. He makes journalistic pieces and voiceovers, and he sometimes appears on air. Preparing match coverage means watching the game, editing a summary and keeping separate notes on tactical details he might need later.

Checking a claim before publishing it

Gutiérrez said journalists should check information repeatedly, consider when to release it and avoid turning uncertainty into clickbait. He was particularly concerned about commentary that harms players without enough care for the pressure they face. He also described how a host who has not watched a full press conference can misjudge an athlete or coach after relying on a shortened account.

For him, better reporting is part of improving relations between journalists and athletes. He said access can be rigid in Monterrey and understands why players might distrust media coverage. His aim is to make room for more direct, responsible conversations rather than treat that distrust as inevitable.

What did Víctor Gutiérrez see covering Sergio Ramos and a Rayados derby?

Víctor Gutiérrez filmed Sergio Ramos’s Monterrey debut against Atlético de San Luis, including Ramos’s goal celebration, and later put himself inside a Rayados supporters’ parade before a derby with Tigres. Those assignments showed two sides of his approach: capturing a major player’s moment and staying close to the crowd that gives a local match its character.

Sergio Ramos’s Monterrey debut

Gutiérrez called the debut one of his most memorable soccer assignments. He worked on camera and on the finished piece, and was close enough to capture Ramos celebrating his goal. The chance to record that moment himself made the match stand out among the games he has covered.

The Rayados–Tigres supporters’ parade

Before one derby, Gutiérrez joined the Rayados supporters known as La Adicción as they gathered to greet the team bus. He recorded with a DSLR camera in one hand and his phone in the other. When a supporter’s nose was hurt by something thrown during the parade, Gutiérrez stopped to help get water; he said people in the group then helped him capture more personal footage.

He also recalled a firework going off near his arm and another object striking it. He continued filming but struggled to lift the arm while covering the second half. The assignment ran from roughly late afternoon until early morning, and he still regards the resulting piece as one of his best. Asked about the effort, he explained his decision simply: he needed a good story.

Monterrey matches and stadium possibilities

Looking ahead to a busy weekend, Gutiérrez discussed following Tigres against Pachuca and a Monterrey match against Tijuana, with El Loco Abreu’s return to the city as Tijuana’s coach among the storylines that interested him. For a visitor, he recommended the Monterrey derby as the city’s most intense fixture.

He also drew a distinction between a venue suited to soccer and one suited to an NFL game. In his view, Monterrey’s stadiums present obstacles for an NFL event despite their size, including how close the first seats sit to the pitch at Rayados’ ground. He sees the city’s arena as a possible NBA venue, though he said it had not hosted an NBA game.

What advice did Víctor Gutiérrez take from interviewing Julissa?

Interviewing Julissa reinforced Víctor Gutiérrez’s belief that a journalist can give an athlete something valuable simply by taking their story seriously. He urged people entering sports media to stay disciplined through difficult stretches, protect their mental health and build relationships rather than assume they must succeed alone.

His mentor Pedro Caballero suggested an interview after Julissa returned to Monterrey following her time in WWE’s NXT. Gutiérrez said her manager later told him that Julissa had been struggling before the invitation, but afterward returned to training and became more open to interviews. Gutiérrez described hearing that as one of the most meaningful responses to his work.

It also reminded him of the help he felt when Becky Lynch shared his photos. He said he has no family member in media and had to build his place through work and connections. Weight training, which he takes seriously, helps him manage the pressures of broadcasting and production.

Gutiérrez summed up the advice he wants others to keep in mind:

But remember that even though you may be on this path alone. It doesn't mean that you have to do this alone.

Who is Víctor Gutiérrez?

Víctor Gutiérrez is a sports media host, producer and storyteller who covers football and professional wrestling. His work connects fans with the people, moments and stories behind sports entertainment.