CMLL 88th Anniversary results: Historic women’s main event & men’s heavyweight title shocker

CMLL’s 88th Anniversary show was a night of champions. Five titles were on the line, teeth were lost, and a new faction was born. Let’s break down the results.

The matchups were formed from fan voting. The championship that received the most votes overall was slotted in as the main event. In a surprise, the women’s tag titles received that honor to become the first women’s main event for an anniversary show.

Lluvia and Jarochita carried in the Mexican National Women’s Tag Team Championship to duel with Dark Silueta and Reyna Isis. The big spot of the match was a double flying crossbody off the stage from the champs. Lluvia and Jarochita conquered their foes with a fancy double-team involving a fisherman’s suplex and a camel clutch submission.

In the semi-main, Rey Cometa & Espiritu Negro successfully retained the Mexican National Tag Team Championship against Akuma & Espanto Jr. Cometa damaged his dental work in the winning effort. A kick to the mush looked to be the culprit. The champs kept their gold with a 450 splash from Cometa and a surfboard submission from Espiritu.

The shocker of the evening came in the heavyweight division. Ultimo Guerrero had the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship in his possession for 1,074 days. His streak ended at the hands of Hechicero.

Hechicero played mind games early by announcing El Satanico as his second. Ultimo Guerrero was peeved since he had history with Satanico. The elder luchador had recruited Ultimo Guerrero to join Los Nuevos Infernales faction in the 1990s. Ultimo Guerrero kicked Satanico out of the group a year later, and they feuded for years.

During the hard-fought battle, Hechicero survived a super reverse suplex. He rallied to lock in a pretzel submission for victory.

Post-match, Satanico offered Hechicero to join a new faction. Satanico brought out Mephisto and Euforia as members. Hechicero accepted to recreate Los Infernales.

The CMLL World Tag Team Championship was left open when Mistico exited CMLL for free agency with his brothers Rush and Dragon Lee. That put Caristico in the lurch without a partner. It wasn’t a total loss for Caristico, since he took back the Mistico character he made popular before leaving to become Sin Cara in WWE.

The new titleholders would be either Volador Jr. & Titan or Los Gemelos Diablos I & II. The devil twins earned rudo heat by booting the beloved Kemonito. The mini had payback with a flying splash. On the double pin finish, Titan hit a teamwork springboard stomp lungblower, then Volador connected on a Mexican Destroyer.

In the opener, it was a battle of badass entrance gimmicks. Templario brought a long sword, while Dragon Rojo Jr. had a guitar that shot fireworks. They competed for the vacant Mexican National Middleweight Championship, which had been dormant since 2008. Templario won in the end using a Texas Cloverleaf variation with a bodyscissors. This bout has the best highlight reel with cool flips, flights, and slams.

CMLL announced their next big event for October 8. Japanese wrestlers Tsukasa Fujimoto, Tsukushi, and Momo Kohgo will be arriving in Mexico to compete in CMLL’s first women’s Grand Prix. Teams will be Mexico versus the world.

Lucha! Lucha! Lucha!