CMLL Leyendas Mexicanas

CMLL Leyendas Mexicanas
Legends Mano Negra (front) and El Solar during the 2018 show.
PromotionsConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
First event2017
Last event2019
Event gimmickveteran wrestlers return to CMLL for matches

CMLL Leyendas Mexicanas (Spanish for "Mexican Legends") is the collective name of a series of annually occurring lucha libre, or professional wrestling supercard how promoted by Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). Starting in 2017 CMLL has held specially themed shows to celebrate the history of lucha libre and features a number of lucha libre legends invited to wrestled for CMLL for the shows. There has been a total of two events promoted under that name, with a third scheduled for December 6, 2019, all taking place on special editions of CMLL's Friday night Super Viernes shows at Arena México.

The November 17, 2017 Leyendas Mexicanas show was the first of the series, but CMLL had previously held shows featuring "legends" invited specifically for the event, especially for anniversary shows such as Arena Coliseo 70th Anniversary Show,[1] Blue Panther 40th Anniversary Show,[2] Atlantis 35th Anniversary Show,[3] Negro Casas 40th Anniversary Show[4] that all featured "legends" booked by CMLL for special appearances.

As part of their celebration some wrestlers, who had previously been unmasked by losing a Lucha de Apuestas match, were given permission by the Mexico City professional wrestling commission to wear their mask again for one night.[5] The wrestling mask has always held a sacred place in lucha libre, carrying with it a mystique and anonymity beyond what it means to wrestlers elsewhere in the world.[6] The ultimate humiliation a luchador can suffer is to lose a Lucha de Apuestas, or bet match. Following a loss in a Lucha de Apuesta match the masked wrestler would be forced to unmask, state their real name and then would be unable to wear that mask while wrestling anywhere in Mexico.[7] Wrestlers who worked the shows wearing their masks again include Mano Negra, Cien Caras and Máscara Año 2000.[8][5][9]

Rayo de Jalisco Jr., Villano IV. El Canek, and Máscara Año 2000 have worked the main event of all Leyendas Mexicanas shows so far. In contrast Los Diabolicos (El Gallego, Rocky Santana, and Romano Garcia) have worked the opening match of all three shows, twice against Trio Fantasia (Super Muñeco, Super Pinocho, and Super Raton) and once against Super Muñeco, Ricky Boy, and Skayde. El Solar, Super Astro, Mano Negra, and Fuerza Guerrera have also worked all three shows, albeit not in the main event. Of the remaining leyendas, El Satánico and Negro Navarro have worked two shows and Octagón, Dos Caras, Cien Caras, Jerry Estrada, and Tinieblas Jr. have only worked one show as of the 2019 Leyendas Mexicanas event.[8][5][9]

  1. ^ "La Arena Coliseo festejo sus 70 anos". Medio Tiempo (in Spanish). MSN. April 8, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  2. ^ "Blue Panther celebra 40 años de carrera con victoria". Esto (in Spanish). October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  3. ^ Valdés, Apolo (July 14, 2018). "Los Ingobernables, nuevos Campeones de Parejas del CMLL". MedioTiempo (in Spanish). MSN. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  4. ^ Ocampo, Ernesto (August 3, 2018). "Resultados Arena México (3-08-18) — 40 años del Negro Casas". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference L2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Madigan, Dan (2007). ""Okay... what is Lucha Libre?"". Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre& honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 29–40. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
  7. ^ "CANOE – SLAM! Sports – Wrestling – Viva la lucha libre!". Slam.canoe.ca. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference L2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference L2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).