Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre: La Mejor Lucha Libre del Mundo

[Hollywood]

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

 

La Mejor Lucha Libre del Mundo

CMLL (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre) is the oldest active promotion in the world. It's the promotion which runs Arena México and Arena Coliseo in Mexico City, and has done so for decades. The first show was held on September 21, 1933, and they hold an annual anniversary show, one of the biggest shows in Mexico of the year. The Lutteroth family owns CMLL. Most of the day-to-day decisions are made by former wrestlers who are now part of the front office.

Where do CMLL events take place?

 

ARENA MÉXICO
"LA CATEDRAL DE LA LUCHA LIBRE"
Inauguración: 27 de Abril de 1956
Shows: Fridays 8:30 p.m.; Sundays 5:00 p.m.; Tuesdays 7:30 p.m.

The aptly named "Cathedral of Wrestling" is the most important wrestling arena in the world. All the spotlights are on this magnificent stage, which is the main home of CMLL and where the most important wrestling battles in history have taken place. In its ring, many star wrestlers have become legends.

It has also been an important stage for boxing, there many of Mexico's greatest fighters had moments of glory and this majestic Arena also became the venue for the boxing competitions of the 1968 Olympic Games being renamed 'Arena 68' and where Mexico won two gold medals and two bronze medals.

Thousands of fans have seen their favorite artists or groups at Arena Mexico. This magnificent venue has hosted music greats such as Juan Gabriel, Luis Miguel, Calle 13, among others. The Circus and the Holiday On Ice have had great winter or summer seasons and filled with emotions and joy entire generations and became a tradition for the daily life of Mexico City.

In this way, Arena Mexico has become a very important entertainment pole and a reference of the cultural, sports and artistic offer of Mexico City.

 

ARENA COLISEO
"EL EMBUDO DE PERÚ 77"
Inauguración: 2 de Abril de 1943
Shows: Saturdays 7:30 p.m.

Nestled in the heart of the Historic Center of Mexico City, "El Embudo de Peru 77" is the oldest wrestling arena in the world, which was the cradle of the golden age of Mexican wrestling.

In this very important place took place the most remembered of the battles of the first half of the history of this emblematic sport, the duel of Mask against Mask between El Santo and Black Shadow, which took place on October 7, 1952.

Currently, on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., the fans of this sport gather at this historic venue to enjoy the Saturday night show where they enjoy wrestling with a very special flavor.

 

ARENA PUEBLA
“EL TEMPLO DEL DOLOR”
Inauguración: 18 de julio de 1953
Shows: Mondays 9:00 p.m.

The festive atmosphere is enjoyed every Monday at 9:00 pm at the Arena Puebla where its Lucha Libre shows have become a tradition and one of the main entertainment options in the capital of Puebla.

This Arena was inaugurated on July 18, 1953 with a stellar battle where Enrique Llanes, Tarzan Lopez and Black Shadow defeated El Santo, Cavernario Galindo and El Verdugo. From that moment to date, the greatest wrestlers have gathered in this very important venue.

 

ARENA COLISEO DE OCCIDENTE
Inauguración: 20 de Junio de 1959
Shows: Tuesdays 8:45 p.m.

The daily life of the people of Guadalajara would not be the same without the Arena Coliseo de Occidente. Glamour Tuesdays have positioned itself as a meeting point for family and friends to enjoy an unbeatable atmosphere with The Best Wrestling in the World.

Unlike the rest of the venues, this one was inaugurated with a boxing match, in which "El Chiquis" Rosales faced Joe Medel and the following day, a Lucha Libre show was held with a stellar battle where Blue Demon and El Espectro fought in a spectacular duel in mano a mano.

[Hollywood]

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

 

La Mejor Lucha Libre del Mundo

 

What are some of the big CMLL events?

 

ANIVERSARIO (Anniversary) - All the spotlights on Lucha Libre are focused on this great moment, since it is the most important event of the year for CMLL. In this way, the month of September celebrates one more year of the foundation of the most important and long-lived company in the world of this sport. Here the most important rivalries come to a climax and the course of history changes every time this great event takes place.

HOMENAJE A DOS LEYENDAS (Tribute to Two Legends) - It is the second most important event of the year, which takes place in the month of March, commemorating the birth of Don Salvador Lutteroth Gonzalez, where in addition to recognizing the so-called "Father of Lucha Libre", the legacy of a wrestler who is recognized as a Legend is celebrated. The wrestlers who have had the best performance in the preceding months are invited to the event, and one or two wrestling matches are held to bet on masks or scalps. At the same time, the Arena Coliseo de Guadalajara and the Arena Puebla hold a function of Tribute to Two Legends where, in addition to commemorating Don Salvador Lutteroth González himself, a local legend of this sport is remembered and celebrated.

DÍA DE MUERTOS EN LA ARENA MÉXICO (Day of the Dead at Arena Mexico) - On the weekend closest to the traditional celebration of November 2, the beings of the Underworld take over the ring in the special Day of the Dead functions. A moment that breaks the schemes, where "La Catedral de la Lucha Libre" becomes "El Templo Mayor de la Lucha Libre", La Catrina is present, the atmosphere is filled with the smell of copal, and becomes a giant offering to our deceased. A pre-Hispanic God leads the army of Guardians and the little Cuicas, who capture the losers of each battle and punish them by taking them to the Underworld. In these matches, the title of 'King of the Underworld' is also disputed.

GRAND PRIX INTERNACIONAL (International Grand Prix) - It is a tournament that began in 1994 and had its first winner in Rayo de Jalisco Jr. In this tournament, a representative of Mexican gladiators compete against a selection of the best wrestlers in the world. Thus, gladiators of the highest quality arrive at La Catedral de la Lucha Libre to participate in the most important international event in a Torneo Cibernético where Mexico faces the rest of the world.

TORNEO INCREÍBLE DE PAREJAS (Amazing Pairs Tournament) - This is the most controversial tournament in CMLL, since 16 pairs are formed by a rudo and a technical wrestler or two gladiators who have a rivalry. The tournament has two elimination phases and a Grand Final, where the duos will have to forget their hatred and make common cause in order to win.

TORNEO LA GRAN ALTERNATIVA (The Great Alternative Tournament) - It is a tournament that represents a great opportunity for the young talents of CMLL to jump to stardom. It consists of two phases, in each of which eight teams participate formed by a rookie wrestler who is sponsored by a star wrestler, who will be in charge of guiding his 'godson' to obtain the right to place in the main event.

TORNEO LEYENDA AZUL (Blue Legend Tournament) - Remembering Blue Demon La Leyenda, this tournament is held for the gladiators of the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight categories of the CMLL, where after a battle royal, a one-on-one match is held until the winner of that edition is obtained.

TORNEO LEYENDA DE PLATA (Silver Legend Tournament) - The wrestlers of the middleweight category of the CMLL are called for this prestigious tournament that commemorates one of the greatest legends in the history of Lucha Libre. In this tournament, a battle royal is held until two wrestlers remain so that the final is disputed by the two gladiators who have had more wrestling resources and better physical condition.

TORNEO REYES DEL AIRE (King of the Air Tournament) - It is the most spectacular tournament in CMLL, as the wrestlers with aerial style are summoned to find the most effective and spectacular wrestler of the year. A battle royal defines the groups that will face each other in a Torneo Cibernético until the final winner is determined.

COPA JR. (Junior Cup) - Wrestling is perhaps the sport where technique, discipline and above all the love for this activity is transmitted from parents to children. Thus, and as a recognition of the legacy, this competition is held, where the heirs of the wrestling tradition are summoned to obtain the best Junior of the year.

INFIERNO EN EL RING (Hell in the Ring) - This function is mainly carried out as an Extraordinary Christmas Function and a betting battle is programmed, either in cage fighting or in direct duels. A real family party is lived in Arena Mexico where the atmosphere is unmatched.

SIN SALIDA (No Escape) - A special function that takes place in the middle or end of the year according to the rivalries that are arising to culminate with a battle where there are masks or scalps at stake, usually in a cage fight.

SIN PIEDAD (No Pity) - It is the special show with which CMLL starts the year. Usually, it is a function where a bet of masks or hair is carried out, which is the highlight of the most important rivalries of the last part of the year.

CAMPEONATO UNIVERSAL (Universal Championship) - This tournament brings together the National and World Champions of the CMLL to obtain the Champion of Champions of the year.

CAMPEONATO UNIVERSAL DE AMAZONAS (Universal Championship of Amazonas) - This is the most important moment for the Amazonas of CMLL, as it is a tournament that celebrates the female category of the sport, which has been characterized by its passion and dedication.

LEYENDAS MEXICANAS (Mexican Legends) - The greatest figures of Lucha Libre that have passed the threshold of time to become eternal come together in this show. A night full of nostalgia that revives the greatest glories of the most important wrestlers of previous eras in a moment where the Arena Mexico vibrates again and fills with emotion.

VIERNES ESPECTACULAR VIP (Friday VIP Spectacular) - In this show, which is a tradition since 2017, from the first to the main event, is made up of some of the best battles of the previous year. In this way, the CMLL makes a recognition of the most spectacular fights and their protagonists with this magnificent program.

[AboardTheArk]

Super excited for this. CMLL has been the best company in the world for over a year now.

[Uncrewed]

Interesting, I don't think I've ever seen a real-world lucha libre dynasty before on here. Your introduction so far is amazing though, I'm looking forward to this!

[TheSmoothLefty]

I love everything Mexican wrestling so considered me invested!

[kinnikuniverse]

That's something new. I haven't watched much lucha since Dragon Lee and Rush left, so might be a good way to catch up.

 

On 8/25/2023 at 4:23 AM, AboardTheArk said:

Super excited for this. CMLL has been the best company in the world for over a year now.

Really? That's surprising. Goes to show how much i'm out fo the modern game lol

[Blodyxe]

Looks super clean, and I learned a lot of new stuff already. Bring that good lucha thing

[kinnikuniverse]

Wait, Princesa sugehit lost her mask? Wut??

 

Also, surprised barbaro cavernario is still there. I thought he'd have followed Rush and Dragon Lee

[Hollywood]

Soberano/Dorado in Guadalajara, Flamita & Emperador announce they left AAA (like two months ago)

CMLL

Cards for the first half of the week:

CMLL (MON) 07/31/2023 Arena Puebla
1) Halcón Surano Jr. & Metatron vs. Dr. Karonte I & Dr. Karonte II
2) Aéreo & Acero vs. Pierrothito & Mercurio
3) Esfinge, Pegasso, Star Black vs. Felino Jr., Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr.
4) La Jarochita & Lluvia © vs. Hera & Olympia [MEX WOMEN TAG]
5) Soberano Jr., Último Guerrero, Volador Jr. vs. Máscara Dorada, Místico, Terrible [Relevos Increíbles]

CMLL (TUE) 08/01/2023 Arena México
1) Leono & Oro Jr. vs. Grako & Inquisidor
2) Astral vs. Valiente Jr. [Lightning]
3) La Jarochita, Sanely, Skadi vs. Olympia, La Catalina, Zeuxis
4) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Volcano vs. El Felino, Felino Jr., Kraneo
5) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black vs. Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
6) Atlantis, Templario, Titán vs. Euforia, Mephisto, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]

CMLL (TUE) 08/01/2023 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Acero, Fantasy, Último Dragoncito vs. Mercurio, Pequeño Violencia, Pierrothito
2) Retro & Rey Samuray vs. Difunto & El Coyote
3) Hombre Bala Jr., El Gallo, Robin vs. Furia Roja, Fuerza Guerrera, Sangre Imperial
4) Atlantis Jr., Esprítu Negro, Rey Cometa vs. Akuma, Dark Magic, Raider
5) Máscara Dorada vs. Soberano Jr.

Arena Coliseo Guadalajara announced a Lucha de Naciones 2023 for 08/15. It’s their usual bit of using the Gran Prix wrestlers in a similar match a few days ahead.

NJPW’s 08/19 All Star Junior Festival announced Soberano Jr. as their 21st participant and first from CMLL. That’s a NJPW PPV.

CMLL Informa has Mistico, Volador Jr., Mascara Dorada, Misterioso Jr., and Futuro as guests.

AAA

Flamita and Emperador Azteca both posted statements to Facebook saying they were finished up in AAA and graciously thanking the bosses there. In reality, they were both done with AAA two months ago. Wrestling on the June 2nd The Crash show meant they were done with AAA – they had either told AAA then, or AAA told them off after. These announcements were for CMLL’s benefit. AAA rarely announces wrestlers coming in and never announces them leaving, so the only people who knew they were gone were people who listened to Konnan’s podcast or those who read dumb summaries of that podcast. CMLL needed a much more public split before Flamita & Emperador Azteca could appear on the upcoming CMLL/Big Lucha show, and so the Facebook farewells.

This was Flamita’s third stint (at least) with AAA. It’s wrestling, there may be a fourth. I’m not sure AAA is a great place for a wrestler at his level. It’s a few extra TV appearances, but it will also make wrestlers at his level seem less of a star. If AAA can’t find room to consistently do stuff with more ‘homegrown’ guys like Laredo Kid and Taurus, there’s no chance for a Flamita there. Or an Emperador Azteca.

WBD sent out about TripleMania Mexico City airing on Space and HBO Max, talking about “seven stellar matches”. That’s a mistake, they’re doing the same late start time and airing the last few matches as ever.

Other News

The KeMonito documentary is coming to the Ambulante Film Festival (but that’s a multi-city Mexico festival from August to October, and they haven’t said when or where yet.)

Mexican serial killer Juana Barraza gets some added attention because of her supposed double life as luchadora La Dama del Silencio. It came up again last month; Barraza broke her leg in prison and it was a story for a couple of days. No one can find a record of her actually wrestling and other wrestlers around that time believe she may have promoted small shows but never actually wrestled. The case for her being a wrestler is a photo of her with a title belt that’s circulated around. SuperLuchas, in reviewing the recent Netflix documentary about her life and his victims, reveals that the photo is from SuperLuchas issue 61. Barrza talked the photographer into including her in a reoccurring wrestler roundup feature they did, complete with a title belt and a concocted story about her winning it in Los Angeles. (It is an obvious WCW replica belt with Goldberg’s name on it.) The one trace of her wrestling is a known fake story. I wonder how many of those quick profiles weren’t what they seemed; probably quite a few.

[Hollywood]

FantasticaMania U.K., Dorada vs. Soberano in Guadalajara

CMLL

CMLL (MON) 07/31/2023 Arena Puebla
1) Halcón Surano Jr. & Metatron b. Dr. Karonte I & Dr. Karonte II
2) Pierrothito & Mercurio b. Aéreo & Acero
Acero broke his fingers in the match
3) Esfinge, Pegasso, Star Black b. Felino Jr., Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr.
4) La Jarochita & Lluvia © b. Hera & Olympia [MEX WOMEN TAG]
Las Chicas Indomable make defence number 12 of the titles
5) Soberano Jr., Último Guerrero, Volador Jr. b. Máscara Dorada, Místico, Terrible [Relevos Increíbles]
Soberano played Rudo and fouled Mistico for the win; Mistico shone in the match; Dorada’s name changed to remove the “2.0”

CMLL (TUE) 08/01/2023 Arena México
1) Grako & Inquisidor b. Leono & Oro Jr.
2) Valiente Jr. b. Astral [Lightning]
Alright match; Valiente won in 6:44
3) La Jarochita, Sanely, Skadi b. Olympia, La Catalina, Zeuxis
4) Blue Panther Jr., Dark Panther, Volcano b. El Felino, Felino Jr., Kraneo
5) Esfinge, Fugaz, Star Black b. Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
Luciferno challenged Star Black to a MEX National Heavyweight title match
6) Atlantis, Templario, Guerrero Maya Jr. b. Euforia, Mephisto, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]
Guerrero Maya Jr. replaced Titán who was not cleared; Templario got the final fall over Mephisto

A fine show, nothing too exciting but watchable. Not sure why Titán was not cleared - he would have helped the main event.

CMLL (TUE) 08/01/2023 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Acero, Fantasy, Último Dragoncito b. Mercurio, Pequeño Violencia, Pierrothito
2) Difunto & El Coyote b. Retro & Rey Samuray
3) Hombre Bala Jr., El Gallo, Robin b. Furia Roja, Fuerza Guerrera, Sangre Imperial
4) Atlantis Jr., Esprítu Negro, Rey Cometa b. Akuma, Dark Magic, Raider
5) Máscara Dorada b. Soberano Jr.
Soberano Jr. played Rudo quite a bit and it dragged the match down; the rest of the tecnicos on the card came out after the match to celebrate with Dorada

NJPW announced Fugaz for the 08/19 All Star Junior Festival. If he’s on, he’ll turn heads. That show is 12 days away, and I’m slightly concerned they’ll still be announcing people after the show takes place.

CMLL Informa snuck in two important news bits. Julio Cesar Rivera mentioned “all the details” about the Aniversaro show would be revealed next week during the same show. That means all the matches and the mechanism CMLL has planned for the main event. This announcement came during the Mascara Dorada segment, and there was a tease of Rocky Romero/Mascara Dorada happening on the Aniversario, as well as other international names appearing. Tickets are about 80% sold out on the Ticketmaster map, and these announcements may finish those off.

The bigger surprise closed the show: CMLL and RevPro will hold FantasticaMania UK on September 23th in Manchester. You can sign up for ticket info at cmlluk.com, a real URL I’m not making up. CMLL wrestlers have appeared on RevPro shows and in Europe in general prior, but this is the first CMLL-branded show to take place in that part of the world that I know of. This show is part of the entertainment at a taco festival; lucha libre wrestling fits, but it’s still notable RevPro reached out to CMLL rather than just look for independent guys.

No wrestlers are announced yet for FantasticaMania UK, no number of wrestlers are announced. FantasticaMania Mexico was Rocky, Titan, and four wrestlers from Japan (and DOUKI ended as a bonus), so that could be a starting point. That was a week of FantasticaMania shows and this is just one, so maybe keep expectations grounded.

RevPro shows go up on their on-demand service ($9.50 USD a month) after a short delay and it’s safe to assume this show will be the same. This show, or at least the relevant Mexican matches, really should go up on CMLL’s on-demand service too if they’re serious about it. I’d be happily surprised if that did happen.

There will be FantasticaManias in Japan, Mexico, and the UK this year. No US one. The obvious partner in the US is the NJPW Strong shows, but the problem there is they’re running less often, and they seem to be running bigger venues. They’re also running the All Star Junior Festival in August, so it might be a while before NJPW Strong wants to run another themed show. Maybe something gets put together for later in the year because I guess I can’t rule out anything after the UK show got announced.

One point brought up a lot in the wake of “FantasticaManiaUK” is AAA talks quite a bit about how they have plans to go to various countries, and CMLL is the one that actually is going places this year. There is more nuance to it. CMLL tends to work with established groups doing relatively smaller-scale projects. The 2019 CMLL/ROH collaboration did not appear to work out, but it was aimed at buildings with less than a thousand people. AAA always wants to go big; they seem to need to see attendances of multiple thousands, or they’re not going to bother. That also leads to AAA working with promoters who don’t have as much wrestling experience or knowledge; anyone who can draw in thousands of wrestling fans (WWE, AEW) doesn’t need to split that with AAA. It would probably be better for AAA’s brand to have some smaller wins, to build up a track record before they go for the big show, but they’re all or nothing.

[CGN91]

Really dig the cubsfan/luchablog design here. I think this style fits the best for lucha libre and is just unique, also I need to say the Fantasticamania UK idea is sweet. Can't wait to see the lineup for this stuff. 

[AboardTheArk]

I really liked Soberano's rudo performance in the irl version of that Dorada match, but it's slightly clipped anyway

[Hollywood]

Atlantis Jr., Mistico, Soberano Jr. vs. Los Guerreros Lagueneros main on Friday, Pig Destructor championship win

 

CMLL
Closing out the week with:

CMLL (FRI) 08/04/2023 Arena México
1) Explosivo, Flyer, Max Star vs. Apocalipsis, Cholo, Disturbio
2) La Magnífica, Lluvia, Skadi vs. La Amapola, Hera, Zeuxis
3) Difunto vs. Magnus [Lightning]
4) Dulce Gardenia, Espíritu Negro, Rey Cometa vs. Hijo del Villano III, Villano III Jr., Zandokan Jr.
Non-title
5) Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Star Jr. vs. Bárbaro Cavernario, Terrible, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]
6) Atlantis Jr., Místico, Soberano Jr. vs. Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Último Guerrero

CMLL (SAT) 08/05/2023 Arena Coliseo
1) Átomo & Mije vs. Micro Gemelo Diablo I & Micro Gemelo Diablo II
2) Diamond, Elétrico, El Gallo vs. Dr. Karonte I, Dr. Karonte II, Raider
3) La Amapola & La Vaquerita vs. Maligna & Tiffany [Relevos Increíbles]
4) El Audaz, Guerrero Maya Jr., Stigma vs. Akuma, Dark Magic, Espanto Jr.
5) Esfinge © vs. Misterioso Jr. [MEX LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT]
1st defense
6) Ángel de Oro, Dragón Rojo Jr., Niebla Roja vs. Stuka Jr., Templario, Volador Jr. [Relevos Increíbles]

CMLL (SUN) 08/06/2023 Arena México
1) Fantasy & Último Dragoncito vs. Mercurio & Pequeño Violencia
2) Capitan Suicida, Fuego, Hombre Bala Jr. vs. Apocalipsis, Disturbio, Sangre Imperial
3) Enfermero Jr., Okumura, Pólvora vs. Cancerbero, Luciferno, Virus
4) Fugaz vs. Rugido [Lightning]
5) Atlantis, Panterita del Ring, Valiente vs. Gemelo Diablo I, Gemelo Diablo II, Sagrado
6) Atlantis Jr., Hechicero, Máscara Dorada vs. Euforia, Mephisto, Dark Panther [Relevos Increíbles]

The Los Infernales Consagrados implosion story (Hechihero vs. Euforia) continues in the main.

AAA

Alberto el Patrón posted a video online calling out Psycho Clown. He called him an embarrassment to the industry and he doesn’t deserve to be the face of lucha libre. If he didn’t say Psycho’s name I would have thought he was talking in a mirror.

IWRG

Lots of title matches on IWRG’s Thursday show. Some weird booking choices, almost as if an AI was booking the show.

IWRG (THU) 08/03/2023 Arena Naucalpan
1) Hellboy, Jessy Ventura, La Diva Salvaje b. Keyra, Noicy Boy, Spider Fly
2) Cerebro Negro & Cerebro Negro Jr. © b. Hijo de Pirata Morgan & Pirata Morgan Jr. [IWRG Intercontinental Tag]
3) Pig Destructor b. El Hijo de Canis Lupus © [IWRG Rey del Ring]
4) Puma de Oro DQ Dr. Cerebro
5) Pig Decapitador & Pig Pool b. Gianni Valletta & Lolita
6) Tonalli © b. Sick Boy [IWRG Intercontinental Welterweight]
7) Pig Destroyer b. Karaoui
8.) El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. b. Black Terry [Cage]

Other News

Gravity lost to Christian Cage on AEW Dynamite.

Micro Man has joined the Second Gear Crew in Major League Wrestling. He tagged with 1 Called Manders and lost to Sam Adonis and KC Navarro.

Edited September 8, 2023 by Hollywood