CMLL presents its first-ever full international show today at the Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The main event was originally set to be Mistico vs. Hechicero. However, a late change now has Mistico teaming with Templario against Hechicero and Angel de Oro.
Other matches scheduled for the show include Claudio Castagnoli vs. Atlantis Jr., Blue Panther vs. Ultimo Guerrero, Persephone vs. Tessa Blanchard, and Máscara Dorada teaming with Neon against Capitán Suicida and Flip Gordon. A tag match will also see Chamuel & Tengu vs. Kemalito & Periquito Sacaryas.
The full lineup for the show is below:
- CMLL Light Heavyweight Champion Mistico & Templario vs. CMLL Heavyweight Champion Hechicero & Angel de Oro
- Claudio Castagnoli vs. Atlantis Jr.
- Blue Panther vs. Ultimo Guerrero
- Máscara Dorada & Neon vs. Capitán Suicida & Flip Gordon
- Persephone vs. Tessa Blanchard
- Chamuel & Tengu vs. Kemalito & Periquito Sacaryas
Our live coverage begins at 6 p.m. Eastern.
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Kemalito & Periquito Sacaryas defeated Chamuel & Tengu
Sacaryas and Tengu started off, trading arm drags until the former writhed on the ground. Tengu trapped Kemalito in a modified surfboard stretch. Kemalito recovered momentarily with a hurricanrana. Chamuel faceplanted Kemalito with a double-underhook slam. Sacaryas attempted to make the save, but Chamuel stomped him down and slapped him in the corner. Tengu, to make matters worse for Kemalito, Gorilla pressed him ten times until tossing him to the mat. Sacaryas evicted Tengu outside with a Flying Headscissors. Kemalito splashed from the top rope, knocking Chamuel flat.
Kemalito mounted a comeback for his team, dizzying Chamuel with multiple arm drags. Tengu rocked Kemalito with a double-underhook. A Springboard Splash resulted in a miscommunicated two-count, where the referee accidentally hit the mat a third time. Kemalito connected with a DDT and another Springboard Splash, ultimately acquiring the pinfall.
I see why Kemalito is a beloved wrestler from the lucha libre scene. Sacaryas was also a joy to watch. However, I was impressed by Tengu and Chamuel as well.
Persephone (c) defeated Tessa Blanchard for the CMLL World Women’s Championship
Blanchard swiftly gained power of Persephone’s arm, twisting and stretching it. Persephone wrenched it back with a side headlock. They traded wrist control, later transitioning into more headlocks. Persephone snuck in a rollup. She’d soon apply pressure to Blanchard’s neck with her palm. A missile dropkick tumbled the challenger across the ring. Persephone ducked a lariat, and despite her weakened leg courtesy of Blanchard, she sent her opponent outside with a dropkick.
Dodging yet another lariat, Persephone blasted Blanchard with a superkick. With a snarl across her face, Blanchard bullied Persephone with boots to the face. Though tenderized by successive kicks to the chest, Persephone hobbled back to her feet and withstood multiple strikes. Persephone survived a cutter and delivered a German suplex on the ring apron. Blanchard evaded a moonsault to unleash a trilogy of cutters. Rushing Blanchard’s skull into the top turnbuckle, Persephone thwarted her once and for all with a Crucifix Bomb.
Persephone is such a hoss and a believable babyface. It was interesting to see the circumstances of this: a CMLL talent with a dual contract with AEW against someone who appears regularly in TNA. I know, contracts and handshake deals and whatnot. Still, a great match, despite me not being a fan of the challenger.
Blue Panther defeated Ultimo Guerrero
Guerrero denied the Las Vegas fans in attendance the chance to show love for Panther. He swept the legs of his opponent and dropkicked him outside. Untying the strings on Panther’s mask, Guerrero stomped on Panther’s shoulders in rapid-fire succession in the corner. The blue luchador toppled his bare-faced rival outside with a senton. Guerrero took advantage of the unfocused Panther, pushing him off the top rope following the latter’s removal of his own mask. Panther retaliated with a Flying Headscissors outside and again, onto the floor. Guerrero reunited with the concrete floor thanks to Panther’s Flying Crossbody from the ramp.
Seeking another Flying Headscissors from the top rope, Panther instead fell victim to Guerrero’s powerbomb. The Nevada crowd cheered as Panther devastated Guerrero with a tope con suicida. Guerrero meandered outside the ring, falling prey to a Flying Crossbody. Panther persevered through a superplex. A Spanish Fly gave the win to a proud Blue Panther.
Seeing men like these two remain as crisp as they are at their age with performances like these is a thrill. Panther doesn’t look like he should be able to move in the way that he does, but that sure doesn’t stop him.
Barboza, Difunto & Soberano Jr. defeated Esfinge, Valiente Jr. & Xelhua
Xelhua and Soberano Jr exchanged control over the other’s legs, leading to the former sneaking in a quick roll-up. Locking in Soberano Jr’s legs, Xelhua twisted around the ring; Soberano returned the favor. Valiente Jr toppled Difunto outside with a dropkick. Soberano Jr, Difunto, and Barboza harassed Esfinge, with Difunto inflicting more pain via a dropkick. Barboza sent Xelhua rolling with a missile dropkick. Difunto ensnared Esfinge so that Soberano Jr could land a leg drop.
Esfinge initiated another comeback with Xelhua, as both crushed the rudos with tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. Xelhua and Esfinge tapped Barboza and Difunto out with Nudo Egipcio. The rudos teased a falling out before embracing to exasperate the tecnico team. Xelhua thrusted each rudo with arm drags. The tecnicos collided with the rudos into the steel barricades. Racked with exhaustion, Xelhua and Esfinge struck Barboza and Difunto with Flying Crossbodies. Soberano Jr snatched Valiente Jr on his shoulder, which he directed into a Tombstone Piledriver to end the match.
These six men were a rollercoaster to watch. I totally had the tecnicos pegged as the ones to win. Soberano Jr was the standout for me.
Máscara Dorada & Neon defeated Capitán Suicida & Flip Gordon
Dorada withstood much of Suicida’s offense, countering each time with headscissor takedowns. Suicida diverted his attention to Neon, crashing him into the barricade with a dive. Neon and Dorada flung the rudo team outside with headscissors. Dorada sent Suicida into Neon’s cutter, courtesy of a hurricanrana. Neon burst Gordon with a dropkick, who retaliated with the Star-Spangled Stunner. The tecnicos coordinated moonsaults to disorient the rudos. Neon landed a Double Springboard Moonsault and Dorada, a 450 Splash to Suicida and Gordon, respectively.
I’m always in awe of Dorada, but he and Neon mixed like chocolate and peanut butter. Suicida had some really cool gear.
Claudio Castagnoli defeated Atlantis Jr
AEW’s Death Rider spared no second in attacking Atlantis Jr, chopping him against the ropes. Atlantis Jr’s misfortunes continued when Castagnoli resumed chopping him against the ring post and unleashing a gut punch against the barricade. The competitors battered each other until Castagnoli dropped Atlantis Jr with a brainbuster. Atlantis Jr landed a comeback through a dive between the ropes that pushed Castagnoli into the guardrail.
Castagnoli returned to glory momentarily with another brainbuster, but a double-clothesline flattened each man. Atlantis Jr clobbered Castagnoli with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and DDT. In his frustration, Castagnoli rocked Atlantis Jr with several European Uppercuts, each of them resulting in 2-count pins. Atlantis Jr endured a Giant Swing and converted that into a crucifix pin to no avail. Castagnoli replied with his Neutralizer, which put away Atlantis Jr down for good.
Castagnoli clearly has a beating heart for Mexico and CMLL; his selling was so fluid. It’s shown in the flourishes between moves in AEW and CMLL.
Main Event
Místico & Templario defeated Hechicero & Ángel de Oro
The menacing Hechicero cornered Templario, yet they grappled to a stalemate on the canvas. Hechicero maintained full dominance on Templario’s left arm, which Oro was all too happy to continue in his part. Oro and Hechicero tried their best to keep Templario isolated from Místico, yet he ultimately came in by way of a Springboard Crossbody. Hechicero grounded him with arm drags and tore at Místico’s mask. Templario dropped Oro with a Fireman’s Carry, while Místico punctured Hechicero with a splash to score the first fall.
Each time Templario and Místico steadied for some sort of dive, Oro and Hechicero would hide behind the audience or the barricade. The rudo team alienated Templario from Místico, tenderizing him with kick after kick. Hechicero twisted Místico’s arm and neck with his technical skill, allowing Oro to tie the score with a Frog Splash.
Místico planted Oro with a Code Red. Hechicero swung him around before being dropped face-first by Templario. Hechicero paid dearly moments later once Templario hit a massive senton on him. Místico tapped out Oro with an armbar to win the final fall.
This main event solidified why these men are often brought up high in the conversation as the best of the best in CMLL. Místico is naturally credited for his insane pull in the revolutionary two years of CMLL’s boom period. With Hechicero having AEW pull and Templario holding NJPW sway, they added familiarity for unaware audiences. I’m glad this gave a fond spotlight to Oro though, as he was hugely entertaining here.
Final Thoughts
Given that CMLL is in a different market right now, I expected less of a crowd turnout in the USA. While the seats weren’t filled in completely, far more showed up than I thought. I shouldn’t be surprised. CMLL’s having an insane run in Mexico, completely selling out arenas. They didn’t oversell or undersell themselves here. Instead, they showcased just what makes CMLL one of the hottest promotions in wrestling right now.
And they brought their A-game for this historic show. With CMLL, so much heart and thought go into everything. Even the tiniest details matter, adding substance to each match. What they brought on April 16, 2026, was what they can be expected to deliver: the soul of lucha libre and the culture thereof. I recommend giving the entire show a watch.
