According to wrestlingdata.com, a total of 190 title changes have taken place on this date across promotions around the world. Here is a look at some of the bigger championship changes tied to June 5th:
Title changes on June 5th
Year
Championship
New champion(s)
1975
Mexican National Lightweight Title
Tauro
1989
All Asia Tag Team Titles
Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas
1990
All Asia Tag Team Titles
Akira Taue & Shin’ichi Nakano
1990
AJPW Unified Triple Crown Heavyweight Title
Terry Gordy
1995
CMLL World Mini-Estrellas Title
Fili Estrella
1998
Mexican National Minis Title
Mini Abismo Negro
1998
IWGP Tag Team Titles
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Masahiro Chono
2000
WCW Hardcore Title
Eric Bischoff
2001
WWF World Light Heavyweight Title
Jeff Hardy
2003
WWE Cruiserweight Title
Rey Mysterio
2004
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
Gedo & Jado
2004
IWGP Heavyweight Title
Kazuyuki Fujita
2005
GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
Takashi Sugiura & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
2019
IWGP United States Heavyweight Title
Jon Moxley
Early title changes (1975-1990)
The earliest June 5th entry comes from 1975, when Tauro captured the Mexican National Lightweight Title. The All Asia Tag Team Titles changed hands on this date in back-to-back years, first to Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas in 1989, then to Akira Taue and Shin’ichi Nakano in 1990. Terry Gordy also won the AJPW Unified Triple Crown Heavyweight Title in ’90.
Lucha libre and Japan (1995-1998)
Fili Estrella won the CMLL World Mini-Estrellas Title in 1995, and Mini Abismo Negro claimed the Mexican National Minis Title in 1998. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Masahiro Chono teamed up to win the IWGP Tag Team Titles in New Japan Pro-Wrestling in the same year.
The 2000s: hardcore, cruiserweights, and IWGP gold
In 2000, Eric Bischoff won the WCW Hardcore Title. Jeff Hardy won the WWF World Light Heavyweight Title in 2001, and Rey Mysterio captured the WWE Cruiserweight Title in 2003.
New Japan had two title changes in 2004: Gedo and Jado won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles, while Kazuyuki Fujita claimed the IWGP Heavyweight Title.
Recent title changes (2005-2019)
In 2005, Takashi Sugiura and Yoshinobu Kanemaru won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles in Pro Wrestling NOAH. The most recent entry came in 2019, when Jon Moxley captured the IWGP United States Heavyweight Title.
Mistico is officially set to make his in-ring return this Friday night.
After spending a couple of weeks on the sidelines due to a knee injury, Mistico said he hoped to make his CMLL return on the June 5 Arena Mexico card. That has now been confirmed with CMLL announcing that Mistico, Mascara Dorada & Neon vs. Zandokan Jr., Difunto & Furia Roja will headline Friday’s show.
The injury Mistico suffered happened during a May 17 trios match, and he appeared on CMLL’s Informa talk show last week with his knee in a brace. Mistico said he’s been doing physical therapy twice a day so he can return on June 5. It was noted during the appearance that Mistico has pending dates for both AEW and NJPW coming up. He is under a dual contract with CMLL/AEW and competes for NJPW through the partnership these promotions have. In NJPW, Mistico currently holds the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles with El Desperado.
CMLL’s June 5 Arena Mexico card —
Friday’s CMLL show also has matches with AEW wrestlers Komander, Sammy Guevara, and Beast Mortos scheduled. Komander will be in singles action against Soberano Jr., while ROH Tag Team Champions Guevara & Mortis will team with Black Tiger (the former Magnus) against Barbaro Cavernaro, Villano III Jr., & El Hijo del Villano III.
Here is the full lineup:
Mistico, Mascara Dorada & Neon vs. Zandokan Jr., Difunto & Furia Roja
Soberano Jr. vs. Komander
Barbaro Cavernaro, Villano III Jr. & El Hijo del Villano III vs. Sammy Guevara, The Beast Mortos & Magnus
Lluvia, Garra Negra & Kira vs. Lady Frost, Dark Silueta & Keyra
Brillante Jr., Diamond & Oro Jr. vs. Polvora, El Coyote & Vaquero Jr.
Rey Cometa & Espiritu Negro vs. Infarto & Cerebro Negro Jr.
🌎⏳🫰🏻🆚🫡 |😎♉ 🔜 📍Arena México 🗓️ Viernes 5 de Junio '26 🕣 8:30 p.m.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including Ben Askren returning from near-death and a double lung transplant to wrestle again, Grand Slam Mexico, Balor moves to Smackdown, AAA and CMLL notes, gotta talk about Conor and Ray Stevens, and the RAW report. A fun show as always so check it out!
Timestamps: Start: Update on WWE PLE lawsuit, Ben Askren returning to amateur wrestling for RAF match 9:10: When AEW Grand Slam Mexico will take place, more on upcoming WWE Mexico tour, Finn Balor moves to SmackDown 14:07: CMLL notes, ratings 23:15: More on controversial Holly Holm decision, Conor McGregor fight ticket sales, BJ Penn found not fit to stand trial 30:58: Why WWE is running Triplemania in Las Vegas, WWE Raw recap 54:26: Dave tells Ray Stevens stories
Mistico, the top star in CMLL, helped play a part in announcing Mexico’s team for the 2026 World Cup.
The official 26-man squad for Mexico has now been unveiled ahead of the World Cup kicking off on June 11. In one of the two announcement videos released, a variety of athletes and celebrities made appearances and listed off the names of the players included in the squad. Mistico and boxer Canelo Alvarez were among those to appear. Fullback Mateo Chavez was the name unveiled by Mistico.
Mexico’s Group A match against South Africa is the opening game of the World Cup. South Korea and Czech Republic are the other teams in the group.
Mistico’s participation in this video comes just a few weeks after CMLL and its wrestlers Mascara Dorada & Soberano Jr. collaborated with the NFL to announce a San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings game that’s taking place in Mexico City this November.
CMLL is currently on a hot streak that saw it voted Promotion of the Year and Mistico named Wrestler of the Year in the 2025 Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards. With Arena Mexico becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination, we’ve seen celebrities show up to events and CMLL even put on a Pokemon-themed show last year.
— Selección Nacional (@miseleccionmx) June 1, 2026
Mistico’s injury status —
A knee injury has kept Mistico out of action since the middle of May, but he’s hoping to make his CMLL return later this week. He is under a dual contract with CMLL/AEW and also competes for NJPW in Japan, where he currently holds the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles with El Desperado.
The most detailed look at the sale of New Japan, what happened, the glory days that Bushiroad built and why it came down and what led to the sale.
Business realities of Japanese wrestling today.
The reason for the surprising low sale price.
The shareholders lawsuit against Vince McMahon and the WWE Board of Directors is getting near. Judge Travis Laster orders sanctions against Nick Khan and Vince McMahon for destruction of evidence. Laster makes a ruling, and we look at it in detail, on how this changes the trial and the exact details of the destruction of evidence including when McMahon and company knew not to do it and ignored their own lawyers. Also we look at problems with the case.
AEW Double of Nothing coverage. Business notes, historical biggest gates in U.S. pro wrestling, three-time world champions by 30, how the PPV did, poll results, Mick Foley and more.
Did Ronda Rousey set a viewing audience record for MMA, plus coverage of Rousey vs. Carano, how everything goes forward, can things be sustained, can she fight, will she fight, her thoughts on AEW.
Scott Coker returns to MMA with a new promotion.
Marcel Barthel (Ludwig Kaiser) arrested.
A look at the career of Jerry Grey.
The most detailed look at the ratings for all the TV shows over the past two weeks.
Mistico injury update.
How CMLL is doing this year compared to last year.
Natalia Jiminez and J Balvin appear and are part of CMLL shows.
Wrestlers vs. media soccer game.
Grande vs. Grande match looked at.
Major return to Stardom.
Champion Carnival finals.
NOAH tag team tournament.
New Japan Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
Hana Kimura tribute show.
Phil Hickerson passes away.
WCW announcer is the final anchor as CBS News Radio closes its doors after 99 years.
Death of the Laguna version of Piloto Suicida.
Junior Hodge Trophy winner.
Advance ticket sales for all major events in AEW, WWE, TNA and other indies.
Pro wrestler/fighter on the Rousey-Carano undercard.
WWE stars purchase promotion.
Tony Khan media appearances.
More thoughts on how Paramount/Skydance can affect AEW.
What can affect the time slot of Collision in 2027.
— Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Grande de los Noches, Clash in Italy, Holly Holm, Ray Stevens, Collision, King & Queen of the Ring, Copa Juniors, and assorted other topics with Wrestling Observer Radio.
— I’ll save the talk of today’s show for tonight. I will say that if you have not seen the main event from Noche de los Grandes, you should drop everything and do it as quickly as you can. The Grande Kaiser vs. Grande Gable match is a candidate for best match and a probable winner for best feud of 2026. But that is not the big news from the show.
— The big news is that WWE is now taking direct aim at CMLL, which should surprise nobody. With CMLL announcing its anniversary show for 9/18 at Arena Mexico, WWE has now announced a SmackDown on 9/11, TripleMania on 9/13 and Raw on 9/14 all at Arena Ciudad in Mexico City. Mexico City is the No. 1 pro wrestling market in the world by leaps and bounds, but even that is stretching things. TripleMania should sell out and the anniversary show will sell out, and I think Raw will as well. SmackDown I’m not sure about. But just the fact WWE will book TV in Mexico City, and specify it the week before the anniversary show indicates something that eventually was going to happen, but is happening now. The TripleMania show is traditionally in August and was clearly moved back a month because September is anniversary month, but adding the tapings was something more as WWE had been okay with AAA vs. CMLL, but adding WWE to the mix takes things up. I suspect there will be AEW talent on the CMLL shows both of those weekends.
— At last night’s show they announced the first night of Triplemania would be in Las Vegas at the Luxor Hotel’s HyperX Arena which, depending on the setup, holds 650 to 1,000. Fans in Monterrey last night were mad because they thought they “deserved” it. Why you are doing Triplemania in a building that small is a question for sure.
— The final three-hour episode of SmackDown for the next several months will be on 6/26. Many thought it would be this past weekend. But it is another month. The Braun Strowman Everything on the Menu show will be starting at 11 p.m. until July, when it likely moves to 10 p.m.
— We’re awaiting more of an update on Octagon Jr., who was injured on last night’s show in a match taped for later. But he was hurt significantly.
— Atlantis Jr. was taken off all shows through the end of the month.
— Jacob Fatu was injured in Liverpool on Thursday night. On the broadcast they tried to act like that wasn’t the case. It may play into why today’s match wasn’t nearly as good as the first Roman Reigns vs. Fatu match.
— We’re looking for your thoughts on Clash in Italy and Grande de los Noches from AAA last night. You can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle for each show as well as a best and worst match of each show to [email protected]
— Paul Levesque before the show claimed something would happen on this show that would change the foundation of WWE. I have no idea what he was talking about.
— Nice tribute to Dennis Condrey at last night’s Collision show in Huntsville, AL. Condrey was living in Huntsville when he passed away in March. Bobby Eaton grew up in Huntsville. The Midnight Express was the best tag team of its era.
— For the shows and topics this weekend, here are the Google searches as of earlier today:
Clash in Italy – 52,000 Holly Holm vs. Stephanie Han boxing for the world lightweight title – 22,000 UFC in Macau – 40,000 AAA Grande de los Noches – 10,000 Real American Freestyle – 10,000 Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship – 5,000
— Steveson debuted in RAF last night and beat Alexandr Romanov via tech fall in the second round. Colby Covington beat Chris Weidman 5-4 in the semifinal. FOX Nation did stream the show for free live last night. Steveson challenged both Abdulrashid Sadulaev and Amir Hossein Zare to wrestling matches in RAF.
— With the win, Covington will face Arman Tsarukyan.
— Merab Dvalishvili suffered a broken nose in his tech fall win over Frankie Edgar. The two bonked heads, causing the broken nose. He had just recovered from a broken nose in training.
— For WWE on A&E tonight:
8 p.m. – WWE Rivals on the feud between The Miz and Daniel Bryan
9 p.m. – Seth Rollins vs. Triple H
10 p.m. – LFG featuring Mike Derudder (Dorian Von Dux now) vs. Elio LeFleur
11 p.m. – WWE Greatest Moments on ladder matches
11:30 p.m. – WWE Greatest Moments on Bret Hart
— Best of the Super Juniors updated standings:
A Block
Titan and Master Wato – 10
Jun Kasai, Nick Wayne, Kosei Fujita, Robbie X and Francesco Akira – 8
Ryusuke Taguchi – 6
Valiente Jr. – 4
Daiki Nagai – 0
B Block
El Desperado – 10
Sho, Yoh, Taiji Ishimori and Robbie Eagles – 8
Daisuke Sasaki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Hyo and Jakob Austin Young – 6
Kushida – 4
— Dralistico returned to action during the ROH tapings for AEW last night in Huntsville. He teamed with Lee Johnson, Blake Christian and Jay Lethal in a loss to The Outrunners, Dalton Castle and Adam Priest.
— The MVPW show with Han vs. Holm for the title drew the largest combat sports gate in the history of the El Paso County Coliseum, drawing a sellout of 7,000 fans. Many people believe Holm should have won the title and it was another robbery coming off the poor judging in the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven heavyweight title fight last week. Holm outlanded Han by a significant margin but two judges gave it 96-94 to Han and one had it 95-95. I’ll probably talk about it either tonight or tomorrow night, but Holm did have a sizable edge in strikes landed.
— Former NFL star Greg Hardy, who fought in UFC for years after his NFL career ended, missed weight by 25 pounds. Hardy weighed 292 pounds and lost via third-round stoppage.
— Villano III Jr. beat Zandokan Jr. Friday night at Arena Mexico to win the Copa Juniors. Atlantis Jr. was to face Villano III Jr. but he’s out with an injury. Very good match, many called it the best of the weekend. It wasn’t for experimenting with flashy moves, but that’s not all of pro wrestling. It did have great heat as well.
— Jushin Liger will be appearing for TMart Promotions at The Gathering from 7/22 to 7/26 in Charlotte, NC at the Hilton University Place. Liger will be there on 7/26.
— 72-year-old Tony Atlas won the ISPW Tri-State Championship in a tag team match last night in Wallington, NJ. Atlas and Joe Clean beat Anthony and Angel Reyez, and if Anthony was pinned he would lose the title. Atlas will defend the title on 7/23 in Wildwood, NJ.
The most detailed look at the sale of New Japan, what happened, the glory days that Bushiroad built and why it came down and what led to the sale.
Business realities of Japanese wrestling today.
The reason for the surprising low sale price.
The shareholders lawsuit against Vince McMahon and the WWE Board of Directors is getting near. Judge Travis Laster orders sanctions against Nick Khan and Vince McMahon for destruction of evidence. Laster makes a ruling, and we look at it in detail, on how this changes the trial and the exact details of the destruction of evidence including when McMahon and company knew not to do it and ignored their own lawyers. Also we look at problems with the case.
AEW Double of Nothing coverage. Business notes, historical biggest gates in U.S. pro wrestling, three-time world champions by 30, how the PPV did, poll results, Mick Foley and more.
Did Ronda Rousey set a viewing audience record for MMA, plus coverage of Rousey vs. Carano, how everything goes forward, can things be sustained, can she fight, will she fight, her thoughts on AEW.
Scott Coker returns to MMA with a new promotion.
Marcel Barthel (Ludwig Kaiser) arrested.
A look at the career of Jerry Grey.
The most detailed look at the ratings for all the TV shows over the past two weeks.
Mistico injury update.
How CMLL is doing this year compared to last year.
Natalia Jiminez and J Balvin appear and are part of CMLL shows.
Wrestlers vs. media soccer game.
Grande vs. Grande match looked at.
Major return to Stardom.
Champion Carnival finals.
NOAH tag team tournament.
New Japan Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
Hana Kimura tribute show.
Phil Hickerson passes away.
WCW announcer is the final anchor as CBS News Radio closes its doors after 99 years.
Death of the Laguna version of Piloto Suicida.
Junior Hodge Trophy winner.
Advance ticket sales for all major events in AEW, WWE, TNA and other indies.
Pro wrestler/fighter on the Rousey-Carano undercard.
WWE stars purchase promotion.
Tony Khan media appearances.
More thoughts on how Paramount/Skydance can affect AEW.
What can affect the time slot of Collision in 2027.
— Garrett Gonzales and I have our week in review talking about the current issue of the Observer and latest news show being taped today. My weekend show with Bryan will be Sunday after Clash in Italy.
— Judge Travis Laster, who is in charge of the shareholders lawsuit against WWE, ruled in favor of reporter Brandon Thurston’s challenge regarding documents WWE was attempting to keep sealed. Thurston challenged WWE’s attempt to keep evidence confidential and not to be reported on, including a voicemail message from Ari Emanuel to Vince McMahon. There were key deposition questions regarding discussion of the Wall Street Journal’s sources regarding sexual misconduct claims.
WWE lawyers argued according to Post Wrestling, which Thurston writes for, that the information could have unfavorable or reputational consequences such as weakened negotiating position or public embarrassment. They also argued it could create damages to professional relationships within and outside WWE, harm to an individual identified and would erode confidence among stakeholders. Laster ruled those arguments were not sufficient and the information must be revealed stating that the defendants’ harm was outweighed by the public interest in the information. The conversation Thurston was trying to get access to was part of the one where Emanuel had claimed he could go to lawyers he knows and help get the criminal investigation against McMahon regarding sex trafficking to go away.
— Tonight on USA will have the SmackDown taped this afternoon from 8-11 p.m., WWE: Made in America, a documentary at 11 p.m. and the first episode of Braun Strowman’s Everything on the Menu at midnight.
— The Huffington Post reported that Donald Trump has purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 stock in TKO Holdings. He made the purchase on 3/26. This leads to major conflict of interest claims given his having the show at the White House.
— The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is recruiting hundreds of troops to appear as spectators at the UFC show at the White House on 6/14. However, those who attend are required to pay their own way and have to meet height and weight requirements to attend. Those attending must meet acceptable waist-height ratios and be physically fit, and are required to wear short-sleeve dress uniforms. Neither UFC nor the defense department will cover arrangements or accommodations. In fact, this event is the U.S. equivalent to Collision in Korea, except it won’t draw as much, and has far less star power.
— We’re looking for your thoughts on Sunday’s Clash in Italy. You can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
— Arena Mexico tonight has changed its main event. The Copa Juniors finals is now Villano III Jr. vs. Zandokan Jr., who finished third in last week’s elimination match. Atlantis Jr., who was to face Villano III Jr. in the finals, blew out his knee on Sunday. At first he was advertised for the show but he was later in the week pulled from the show. They still sold out yesterday. The rest of the show has Mascara Dorada & Volador Jr. vs. Esfinge & Averno, Los Calaveras Jr. I & II & Soberano Jr. vs. Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja & Cobarde, El Hijo de Blue Panther vs. El Hijo del Villano III, Tessa Blanchard & Skadi vs. Olympia & Sanely and Oro Jr. & Pantera Jr. & Pendulo (who is like a second cousin of Eddy Guerrero) vs. Estudiante Jr. & Robin & Sangre Infernal.
— Villano III Jr. said that if he wins the Copa tonight, he would like to put it at stake against Atlantis Jr., when he’s healthy.
— Salvador Lutteroth was at Double or Nothing on Sunday.
— The first CMLL Wednesday night show at Arena Mexico (they’ll be running almost every Wednesday in June and July) starts this week. No word on if it will be streamed live, nor do we have a lineup.
— Mistico has said that he hopes to be back by next Friday’s show. He had a huge knee brace on when talking on Informa Wednesday night. He said he has not been cleared. It was also noted on the show that he has dates scheduled for AEW & New Japan. We knew he’d be in AEW soon and I suspect something big for August, if not June. He’s part of the junior tag champions in New Japan so he’d have to be back there soon. He had been advertised to appear signing autographs last night in Pachuca, and he had been making his dates and doing signings. However, the promotion announced just before show time that every effort was made with them and CMLL, but due to the severity of the injury, he would not be appearing. He said he would appear in Pachuca as soon as he can to make up for this.
— On AEW Spanish language commentary, Carlos Cabrera said Grand Slam Mexico would be in August, which confirms that we had been told it would be after the end of July but before school starts. AEW has tapings already announced 8/12 and 8/26, leaving 8/5 and 8/19 open. I suspect the announcement will come relatively soon.
— AAA Noche de los Grandes on YouTube from Arena Monterrey tomorrow night at 10 p.m. Eastern:
Grande Americano vs. Grande Americano mask vs. mask
Pagano & Psycho Clown vs. War Raiders for AAA tag titles
El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. El Hijo del Vikingo for the Latin American title
Laredo Kid vs. Rey Fenix for the cruiserweight title
Lola Vice & Catalina & Bayley vs. Flammer & Maravilla & La Hiedra (this will be taped for 6/6)
The show is scheduled for 90 minutes.
— Two corrections from the current issue. Regarding the advance for the 6/11 MLW show at the Melrose Ballroom in New York, we listed it as sold out. It is not sold out. They can get 912 in the building. Also, we said Fabian Aichner told Jon Alba that he had a TNA contract into the summer. Alba, who did talk with Aichner, said he got the contract info from another source.
— The Best of the Super Juniors continues later tonight at 2 a.m. Eastern time from Takaoka. The tournament matches are Jakob Austin Young vs. Hyo, Yoh vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Robbie Eagles vs. Daisuke Sasaki, Kushida vs. El Desperado and Sho vs. Taiji Ishimori.
— Today’s results from Tsubame for B block matches:
Hyo (6) b Yoshinobu Kanemaru (6)
Master Wato (10) b Daiki Nagai (0)
Robbie X (8) b Ryusuke Taguchi
Nick Wayne (8) b Titan (10)
Kosei Fujita (8) b Valiente Jr. (4)
— UFC is in Macau for a show that starts late tonight at 4 a.m. Eastern:
Loma Lookboonmee (115) vs. Jacqueline Amorim (115.5)
Zhu Kangjie (145) vs. Rodrigo Vera (145)
Angela Hill (115) vs. Xiong Jing Nan (115.5)
Rei Tsuruya (135) vs. Luis Gurule (135)
Aoriqileng (135) vs. Cody Haddon (135)
Ding Meng (170.5) vs. Jose Souza (170.5)
Yi Zha (185) vs. Luis Felipe Dias (184.5)
Alex Perez (125.5) vs. Sumudaerji (126)
Jake Matthews (170) vs. Carlston Harris (170.5)
Kai Asakura (135.5) vs. Cameron Smotherman (135.5)
Sergei Pavlovich (257) vs. Tallison Teixeira (250)
Zhang Mingyang (205) vs. Alonzo Menifield (206)
Song Yadong (136) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (135.5)
— Eddie Hearn has asked Dana White to release Tom Aspinall from his contract, saying that he will pay Aspinall a minimum of three times what he’s getting in UFC, and that White should be happy for a working class man to be able to earn so much more money.
— TNA has announced for 6/28 Slammiversary in Boston (this will be an afternoon show to avoid AEW) that Mike Santana defends the TNA title against Eddie Edwards, Cedric Alexander, Leon Slater and others in an Ultimate X match, Lei Ying Lee defends the Knockouts title against Xia Brookside and there will be a ladder match on the show.
— Thursday’s TNA TV has The Hardys vs. The Righteous in a Wicked Garden match, Santino Marella & Indi Hartwell vs. Stacks Lorenzo & Arianna Grace and Edwards vs. BDE.
— Ricky Sosa vs. Amazing Red takes place for House of Glory Wrestling on 6/19 at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago.
— Zuffa Boxing announced a 7/26 show at the Infosys Theater in Madison Square Garden.
— A two-hour episode of MLW Fusion will air tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. on YouTube, 9 p.m. on Veeps and 10 p.m. on beIN Sports. This was the show taped in Orlando with Trevor Lee vs. Austin Aries, Alex Hammerstone vs. Bishop Dyer, Shotzi Blackheart vs. Priscilla Kelly, Scarlett Bordeaux vs. Aleah James and more.
— Among today’s birthdays are Samu Anoa’i turning 63, Pete Gas turning 56, Steve Corino turning 53, Brian Kendrick turning 47, Nia Jax turning 42, Hornswoggle turning 40, Josh Alexander turning 39 and Konosuke Takeshita turning 31. Man Mountain Dean, a major drawing card in the 1930s, died 73 years ago today at 61. Tarzan Goto died four years ago today at 58. (thanks to Tony Richards)
— Metro in the U.K. had an interview with TNA announcer Tom Hannifan today. He said that when he announced the Kofi Kingston WWE title win over Bryan Danielson, he did not know Kingston was going to win the title. He also said that Michael Cole and Lance Storm have been huge helps to his career. (thanks to Matt Barker)
CMLL’s Atlantis Jr. is no longer fit to compete after recently getting sidelined with a knee injury.
On the latest edition of CMLL Informa on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, it was announced that Atlantis Jr. has been sidelined with a knee injury. He will now be unable to compete in his scheduled match against Villano III Jr. on May 29, 2026.
The scheduled match was set to be the Cope Junior Final. Zandokan Jr., who finished third in the Copa Jr. VIP 2026 Semi-Final Cibernetico, will replace Atlantis.
Atlantis Jr’s last wrestling match dates back to May 24, 2026, where he teamed up with Blue Panther & Neon in a loss to Los Guerreros Laguneros (Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr. & Ultimo Guerrero). He suffered the injury after landing on his feet on the apron following a top rope dive. The exact return timeline for Atlantis Jr. from his injury is currently unknown.
Another CMLL star, Mistico, is also sidelined with an injury and recently shared his thoughts about a possible return date.
#CMLLInforma || ¡Cambio de último momento rumbo a la Copa Jr. 2026! 🚨🏆 Debido a su lesión, Atlantis Jr. no podrá participar en la final del Torneo… y será Zandokan Jr. quien tome su lugar para enfrentar a Villano III Jr. en un duelo que promete sacar chispas. pic.twitter.com/g9KLZnV9Cl
Mistico has opened up about his potential injury return date.
On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, during the latest edition of CMLL Informa, Mistico shared an update on his knee injury while wearing a knee brace.
Mistico informed fans that he sustained the injury on May 17, 2026, when he teamed with Mascara Dorada & Neon during their win over Los Guerreros Laguneros (Gran Guerrero, Stuka Jr. & Ultimo Guerrero). He was later checked after the match and ruled out of action.
Mistico mentioned needing another week of rest. He also opened up about attending physical therapy twice a week, while hoping to return on June 5, 2026. Although he is still awaiting medical clearance for in-ring action.
Mistico, 43, is currently one-half of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions alongside El Desperado and also the reigning CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion. Amid his injury, it was also noted that he currently has dates scheduled with both CMLL and NJPW.
#CMLLInforma || ¡La espera está por terminar! ✨🔥 El Rey de Plata y Oro, Místico, llegó al Noticiero Oficial del CMLL para revelar la fecha de su esperado regreso a los cuadriláteros.
The 2025 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Wrestler of the Year appeared on crutches at CMLL’s May 18 event in Puebla, announcing that he would not be able to perform on the show. He had been scheduled to team with Neon against Rocky Romero & Hechicero in the main event.
The nature of Mistico’s injury is unclear, although SuperLuchas reports the issue is believed to be a knee injury.
Our own Dave Meltzer addressed Mistico’s situation on Wrestling Observer Radio recently, stating that he had been told Mistico could return as early as Friday’s Arena México show.
Meltzer said:
“I have been told Místico could be back as early as Friday. We’ll see, but it’s not gonna be a long-term thing, I don’t think. Put it this way, they are under the impression he’s coming back soon. If he didn’t take time off, it would be a bad thing. He needed to rest. They rested him as expected. He was probably gonna come back real quick because, I mean, the guy’s the most valuable guy in wrestling. He’s just an incredible drawing card when you’re a house show business. He’s the guy.”
¡Un profesional en toda la extensión de la palabra! Místico hizo el viaje hasta la Arena Puebla para ofrecer una disculpa personalmente a la afición, luego de no poder presentarse debido a una lesión.
Two CMLL stars are heading to an upcoming Dodgers game to celebrate Mexican Heritage Night.
The MLB team announced on Saturday that Mascara Dorada and Xelhua will be in attendance on May 26 to celebrate the holiday. In addition, they will also be interviewed as part of the festivities. The Dodgers will be playing the Colorado Rockies that night.
Earlier this month, the promotion collaborated with the NFL for the football league’s upcoming Mexico City game, with Mascara Dorada and Soberano Jr. representing the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings.
CMLL has gotten a lot of attention
CMLL has been on a hot streak in the last year, frequently selling out shows across Mexico with Mistico and Dorada as its top stars. Earlier this year, it was announced that their Viernes Espectacular events would be airing on Fox Sports Mexico, further building their momentum. They also got attention from the Korean supergroup BTS, who attended a show in Arena Mexico earlier this month.
Both Dorada and Xelhua have made appearances for AEW & ROH in the past, with Dorada having a dual contract with AEW.
The Luchadores Máscara Dorada and Xelhua will be in the house on 5/26 to celebrate Mexican Heritage Night!
The official date has been announced for CMLL’s upcoming 93rd Anniversary show.
Earlier today, CMLL, aka Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, announced that their upcoming 93rd Anniversary show will take place on Friday, September 18, 2026, at Arena Mexico. Salvador Lutteroth founded the Mexican-wrestling promotion in 1933, which will complete 93 years in 2026.
“BREAKING NEWS: DATE SET FOR CMLL’S 93RD ANNIVERSARY It will be Friday, September 18, when the Greatest Party of Wrestling takes place at Arena México,” CMLL’s official social media announcement read (translated from Spanish).
Last year, at the 92nd Anniversary show, the mask vs. mask match between Esfinge and Valiente headlined the event. The event also featured Mistico fighting and defeating MJF in a violent title vs. mask match for the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship.
Last year’s event took place on September 19, 2026, at Arena Mexico with a reported attendance of 16,000, per Cagematch.
⚠️ DE ÚLTIMA HORA: YA HAY FECHA PARA EL 93 ANIVERSARIO DEL CMLL Será el próximo Viernes 18 de Septiembre cuando en la Arena México se celebre La Fiesta Máxima de la Lucha Libre. #CMLLpic.twitter.com/zXkZkFGz0t
For more than a decade, Ring of Honor has been presenting Global Wars events, matching its roster against wrestlers from all over the world. We now know the date and location of the next Global Wars show, and which promotions will be involved.
During the Zero Hour portion tonight’s Supercard of Honor show, ROH announced Global Wars: Cincinnati would be taking place on Thursday, June 18. They also announced that talent from CMLL and World Wonder Ring STARDOM would be on the show. The event will be available on WatchROH.com.
The first Global Wars show (then known as Border Wars) took place on May 12, 2012, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Kevin Steen (now known as Kevin Owens) defeated Davey Richards in the main event. Eddie Edwards, the Young Bucks, Tomasso Ciampa, and the Briscoe Brothers were among the other names on the card last night.
The most recent Global Wars event was in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in March. That show was co-promoted with Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling. The main event of that show was a four-way tag match, with the Good Brothers defeating Kaito Kiyomiya & Bishop Dyer, the Gates of Agony, and Bryce Hanson & Sheldon Jean to win the MLP Canadian Tag Team Championships.
There have been 22 Global Wars events in total, mostly in the US and Canada, but also in Australia, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. This will be the first Global Wars event in Cincinnati and the second in the state of Ohio. In 2017, Kenny Omega teamed with the Young Bucks to defeat the Best Friends & Flip Gordon in the main event of Border Wars: Columbus.
Following Tuesday’s conviction of former AAA and CMLL wrestler Cuatrero on domestic violence charges resulting from a March 2023 incident with WWE wrestler Stephanie Vaquer, Mexican authorities released a statement Wednesday about the process to get there.
Cuatrero (Rogelio Reyes) was sentenced to nearly 13 years, two of which have already been served. A report Tuesday stated he could get a reduction in his sentence to another four+ years with Vaquer’s legal side expected to push for a longer overall sentence.
The domestic violence incident took place in March 2023 while Vaquer was wrestling in Mexico and in a relationship with Cuatrero. Vaquer claimed that an argument turned physical with Cuatrero grabbing her violently by the throat and throwing her into a wall, which caused an object to fall off the wall and onto her.
From the statement:
“The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía CDMX) secured a conviction against Rogelio “N” (Cuatrero) after establishing his guilty verdict in the crimes of attempted femicide and equivalent domestic violence, committed against his former partner, in connection with events that occurred on March 2, 2023.
According to the investigation, Rogelio “N” physically assaulted the victim at a residence in the Colonia Doctores on the Cuauhtémoc borough, causing her various injuries. After the assault, he fled the scene.
“In response to these events, the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía CDMX) launched an investigation and obtained an arrest warrant against Rogelio “N,” which was executed on March 11, 2023, by agents of the Investigative Police (PDI), in coordination with personnel from the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Aguascalientes (FGEA). Subsequently, he was indicted and placed under pretrial detention as a precautionary measure.
“On March 7, 2025, a court modified that precautionary measure and allowed him to continue the criminal proceedings while free under supervision, with the obligation to report weekly, not to approach the victim, and not to practice his profession as a wrestler.
“Once the corresponding procedural stages were completed and following the oral trial, the judicial authority handed down a guilty verdict against Rogelio “N” and imposed a sentence of 12 years and 8 months, in addition to the payment of full compensation for the damages. It also determined that the convicted individual will serve his sentence while remaining free and may continue to practice his profession, under judicial supervision, and must therefore report every three weeks regarding his appearances, venues, and match cards. As part of the protective measures for the victim, the court ruled that he may not participate in events where she is present.
“With this ruling, the Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office reaffirms its commitment to combating violence against women through robust investigations with a gender perspective, to ensure victims have access to justice, full reparation for the harm suffered, and protective measures that safeguard their integrity and safety.”
For the international portion of its 2026/2027 schedule release, the NFL enlisted the help of CMLL and a couple of the promotion’s wrestlers.
It was revealed today that the NFL will return to Mexico City on November 22 when the San Francisco 49ers face off against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football. The announcement was made via a video with CMLL’s Mascara Dorada and Soberano Jr. representing the respective teams. Estadio Banorte (Estadio Azteca) will be hosting the game.
“Whether you’re a rudo or tecnico, the showdown awaiting us on November 22 at Estadio Banorte will be unforgettable!,” NFL Mexico wrote. “Are you Team Vikings or Team Niners?”
No importa si eres rudo o técnico, ¡la lucha que nos espera el 22 de Noviembre en el Estadio Banorte será imperdible! 🏈🇲🇽
CMLL had a stellar business year in 2025 and was voted Promotion of the Year in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards. The oldest active promotion still in existence, CMLL also collaborated with Pokemon for a show last year and recently had the South Korean K-pop supergroup BTS attend one of its events.
The history of pro wrestling on the Turner Networks
The skyrocketing success and rapid decline of WCW
The television heyday of Georgia Championship Wrestling
How Ted Turner first got involved in pro wrestling
Why Vince McMahon hated Ted Turner and how irrational it was at times
The local TV business in the early 70s
The 1972-74 Atlanta wrestling war, how it started and ended
The start of Gordon Solie and Tony Schiavone on TBS
The growth of TBS
The launching of CNN
How Vince McMahon got on TBS
Why McMahon and Turner had issues during their year working together
The role Jim Barnett played
The death of Mid South Wrestling
The death of Jim Crockett Promotions
The death of WCW
How Barnett manipulated the Crocketts getting on TBS
Vince McMahon’s cable power plays and Turner’s reactions
The signing of Hulk Hogan and rise of Eric Bischoff
Hall, Nash and Bret Hart come to WCW
How Bischoff nearly purchased WCW and how it fell through
A reprint of a 2001 article on the closing of WCW that Ted Turner himself read and praised
Reaction to the death of WCW
Numerous people react to the death
The tribute on AEW television
His exploits in other sports
Rupert Murdoch, Ric Flair, Jane Fonda, Tony Khan and others in sports comment on Turner’s death
Turner’s life after he lost control of the networks
His charitable work
Update on Tanea “Rebel” Brooks
A first look at how UFC is performing and its revenue driven vs. expense for Paramount
WWE cuts continue and are looked at
A crazy note about the income of just four of TKO’s top executives and how it compares to the pay for UFC and WWE athletes. This is absolutely shocking
Nick Khan’s new contract with TKO
Why so many cuts were made this year and more notes on the pay cuts
New Day bid farewell
WWE & UFC first quarter financials looked at
More talk regarding Middle East shows, Zuffa Boxing, and complaints regarding WWE and UFC
Backlash preview, business notes and odds
Notes on AEW Double or Nothing
New Japan Dontaku coverage
Nico Ali Walsh on Nick Khan’s testimony before Congress
NOAH big show notes
The most detailed look at the TV ratings from the pro wrestling and MMA shows this past week
Fantastica Mania Mexico
CMLL vs. MLW at Arena Mexico notes
Grande Americano vs. Grande Americano
Lots of injury updates
Who in AEW was set for a major push that is now on hold
Champion Carnival down to final four
Cuatrero convicted in domestic violence case involving Stephanie Vaquer
Raja Jackson case coming to a close
Former WWE wrestler murder case makes pub again
Worldwide YouTuber numbers
Dana White talks McGregor’s return
Notes on Roman Reigns and his schedule
When did Nick Khan learn Vince McMahon was being investigate for sex trafficking
Mistico wears a BTS-influenced jacket (Image credit: CMLL)
— We have two weekend shows up right now. Last night Bryan and I talked about Backlash, Collision, Ted Turner, Mistico, WWE business and other subjects. Today’s show with Garret, with questions from the current issue of the Observer, the UFC 328 show and more on Ted Turner, wrestling, baseball and cable.
— Happy Mother’s Day for all the mothers out there.
— Last night’s UFC show did the largest numbers the company has done since the first major show on Paramount. So I expect big numbers for CBS when they come out on Tuesday. It was the No. 1 rated show worldwide on Paramount+ for the day, even beating South Park. In fact it was so big that old UFC shows placed No. 10 for the day. Outside of Europe and Australia (where it aired after midnight so it wouldn’t be listed until tomorrow), it was the No. 1 show in every market it aired in on Paramount + other than the U.S., where it was No. 2 to South Park.
— Not a lot coming out of Backlash, although the post-match made it appear that Roman Reigns would be doing something to try and get Jacob Fatu out of WWE starting on tomorrow’s Raw.
— Regarding the details of the John Cena Invitational, we were just told today that this is a work in progress. They wanted to make the announcement but as far as what it is, that is not decided so any speculation of tournament vs. individual matches or how the champions will be set up is just speculation.
— We’re looking for your thoughts on Backlash, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestliing observer.com
— For Google searches, last night’s UFC show led by Sean Strickland’s middleweight title win over Khamzat Chimaev did 1,360,000 searches. WWE Backlash did 254,000. Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano did 10,000.
— There were two very close decisions on last night’s UFC show. Sean Strickland beat Khamzat Chimaev on 47-48, 48-47 and 48-47 scores. I had Chimaev clearly winning rounds and and four, Strickland winning round two and I did have Strickland three and five but both were so close they could have gone the other way. Media scores were 54 percent for Chimaev. This could have gone either way. I still had it open in the last ten seconds that if Chimaev landed strongly I had him winning. Chimaev is not going to ask for a rematch because he’s moving to light heavyweight. He had way too much weight to cut and it made a difference with his stamina.
— Judge Eric Clon went for Strickland winning rounds two, three and five. Sal D’Amato gave Strickland the same three rounds. Sue Sanidad had Strickland winning two and three and Chimaev winning one, four and five. In Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta, had Cortez-Acosta winning one and three but most had it the other way. Media scores were 80 percent in favor of Volkov, who won. Judge Jon Bilyk had all three rounds for Vokov. Henry Krawiec had one and two for Volkov. Dave Tirelli had two and three for Volkov.
— Not much in the way of reports on great matches this weekend. Aside from Backlash and the Darby Allin vs. Pac match, we didn’t get anything in the way of recommendations.
— At Arena Mexico on Friday, members of the band BTS were in the front row. Mistico came out with a BTS jacket. Then last night at the BTS concert before 65,000 fans at Estadio GNP Seguros, Jin had a Mistico jacket on and they led the crowd in chants for Mistico. BTS ran three shows in Mexico City. It was reported that when tickets were put on sale that there were 2.1 million people in the queue to buy tickets. Reports were that they turned away 40,000 fans at the stadium last night.
— Group member Yoongi talked last night about being a lifelong fan and his favorites being Rey Mystreio and Eddy Guerrero. Backstage group members were trying to do Mistico moves on each other last night.
— Tonight at Arena Mexico has Mistico & Mascara Drada & Atlantis Jr. vs Averno & Soberano Jr. & Hechicero as the main event.
— The A&E Biography today is on The Four Horsemen at 8 p.m. LFG airs at 10 p.m. and WWE’s Greatest Moments air at 11 and 11:30 p.m. The 11 p.m. show will be on Nitro and the 11:30 p.m. show will be a history of Backlash.
— Tito Santana, born Merced Solis, turned 73 today. Frankie Hill Murdoch, the father of Dick Murdoch, was born on this day in 1909. Billy Sandow, one of the most important figures in pro wrestling history, was born on this day in 1912. Jerry Brown of the Hollywood Blonds tag team was born on this day 1937. Hall of Fame promoter Frank Tunney of Toronto died 43 years ago today at the age of 70. He was the uncle of Jack Tunney, who took over Maple Leaf Wrestling after Frank’s death. Ilio DiPaolo, the biggest pro wrestling regional star ever in Buffalo and also well known for the Italian Restaurant DiPaolo’s (which still exists today after 61 years), died 21 years ago today at 68. Mack York was 90 when he died ten years ago today. Bob Bruggers was 80 when he died two years ago today. So this week’s Observer in 2024 had the story on the 1972 Class of Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson trainees, which included Bruggers, Ric Flair, Ken Patera, Iron Sheik, Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell. The two expected to be the biggest stars were Patera and Bruggers, who was a high school basketball legend and former NFL player. (thanks to Tony Richards)
— CNN aired a documentary last night on the life of Ted Turner. There was no mention of pro wrestling in the documentary.
