Místico kept his mask and took Averno’s hair in the main event of the CMLL 93rd Anniversary show on Friday, September 18, at a sold-out Arena México in Mexico City. Averno didn’t go quietly: mid-shave, he turned on El Sky Team, tore off all three men’s masks and left them face down in the ring.
Every champion on the stacked 93rd Anniversary card retained, including Hechicero, who submitted Claudio Castagnoli in a three-way that also featured Zack Sabre Jr. The show streamed on the Leyenda tier of CMLL’s YouTube channel membership.
Quick Results
- Mei Seira, Ema Maishima & Maika def. Kira, Candela & Sanely (8:41)
- Blue Panther def. Jeff Jarrett (8:38)
- CMLL World Tag Team Championship: Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja (c) def. Hijo del Villano III & Villano III Jr., Máscara Dorada & Neón, and Calavera Jr. I & Calavera Jr. II (8:33)
- CMLL World Welterweight Championship: Titán (c) def. Komander (11:12)
- Soberano Jr. def. Bandido (12:36)
- CMLL World Women’s Championship: Persephone (c) def. Tessa Blanchard, Starlight Kid & Mina Shirakawa via DQ (12:09)
- Andrade El Ídolo def. Volador Jr. (18:50)
- CMLL World Heavyweight Championship: Hechicero (c) def. Claudio Castagnoli & Zack Sabre Jr. (14:12)
- Four-way elimination: Místico & Averno def. Templario & Último Guerrero, Star Jr. & Zandokan Jr., and Bárbaro Cavernario & Dragón Rojo Jr. (13:03)
- Mask vs. Hair: Místico def. Averno (17:58)
Mask vs. Hair: Místico def. Averno
The rivalry dates back to 2005, but Friday marked the first time Místico and Averno met one-on-one in an Aniversario main event. Averno accepted Místico’s mask vs. hair challenge in late July, after a Los Infernales attack on a Viernes Espectacular left Místico injured and forced him to miss AEW Redemption.
Místico raised the stakes himself. “I think if I were to lose the mask someday, at that moment it’s goodbye,” he told Animal MX (translated from Spanish) days before the show. Averno, for his part, told Arena México in August that it was “the last time you’ll see him masked.”
Averno controlled the early going, dragging Místico up the entrance ramp, driving him into the video screens and tearing at his mask. Místico survived the Devil’s Wings and a long armbar, then crashed on a missed tornillo to the floor. The ring doctor checked on him, but he refused to stop.
Averno landed another Devil’s Wings, this time off the middle turnbuckle, for a two-count. Místico rallied with a one-man Spanish Fly and a reverse crossbody before locking in La Mística for the submission.
Arena México didn’t fully side with the hometown hero. Averno has become the cool villain, and a big portion of the crowd kept cheering him even in defeat.
The win adds Averno’s hair to a list of Místico’s Aniversario trophies that includes the mask of Black Warrior, the hair of Negro Casas, and the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship he took from MJF in a title vs. mask match at last year’s 92nd Anniversary.
Averno Unmasks El Sky Team After the Loss
Averno honored the stipulation at first. With his head being shaved, he handed Místico a portion of his hair and raised his arm in victory.
Then El Sky Team came in to celebrate, and Averno snapped. He attacked all three members, ripped their masks off and left them lying in the ring before storming out to applause. The broadcast closed on an overhead shot of the trio face down on the mat.
Four-Way Elimination: Místico & Averno Advance
The eight men brawled around the entrance before pairing off. Templario eliminated Bárbaro Cavernario and Dragón Rojo Jr. first, pinning Dragón Rojo Jr. with a sit-out powerbomb.
Zandokan Jr. hit an Asai moonsault to the floor in the second fall but never returned; he was tended to at ringside, and it wasn’t clear whether the injury was legitimate. Averno then pinned Star Jr. with the Devil’s Wings. Místico finished it by hitting a Tiger Feint kick on both Templario and Último Guerrero and springboarding into a Destroyer to pin Templario.
CMLL World Heavyweight Championship: Hechicero (c) def. Claudio Castagnoli and Zack Sabre Jr.
Castagnoli sent Hechicero to the floor with a gutwrench suplex off the apron, and Sabre Jr. kept a triangle choke locked on even as Castagnoli dumped him over the top rope. Sabre Jr. later hit his Zack Driver on Hechicero for a near fall.
Castagnoli delivered the Neutralizer to Hechicero and a Ricola Bomb to Sabre Jr., but Hechicero answered with his spiking headscissors for a near fall. He then tied Castagnoli up by all four limbs to force the submission and retain.
Andrade El Ídolo def. Volador Jr.
Andrade returned to Arena México wearing his old La Sombra mask, the one he lost at the CMLL 80th Anniversary, with Aubrey Edwards as the referee. Volador Jr. hit a crossbody off the top of the entrance stage to the floor, and Andrade’s hammerlock DDT only earned a one-count.
Volador Jr. came within a fraction of a second with a butterfly Destroyer. Andrade finally put him away with the elbow and his finisher at 18:50, the longest match on the card, and the two shook hands afterward.
Soberano Jr. def. Bandido
This one got personal early. Soberano Jr. ripped off Bandido’s pants and whipped him with them, went after his mask, and Bandido tore at Soberano Jr.’s mask in return. On the English call, Veda Scott explained that in the storyline Soberano Jr. passed on an ROH title match because he sees Bandido as a sellout for working in the U.S.
Bandido hit the X-Knee and the 21 Plex for a near fall. Soberano Jr. answered with a tombstone off the turnbuckle and another in the middle of the ring for the win.
CMLL World Women’s Championship: Persephone (c) def. Tessa Blanchard, Starlight Kid and Mina Shirakawa via DQ
Tessa Blanchard came out with her father, Tully Blanchard. The finish drew the most criticism of the night: Persephone grabbed her title belt, handed it to Blanchard and sold as if she’d been hit, borrowing Eddie Guerrero’s classic trick. The referee saw Blanchard holding the belt and called for the disqualification.
It was an unglamorous defense for Persephone, who came to the ring carrying both her TBS Championship and her CMLL title.
CMLL World Welterweight Championship: Titán (c) def. Komander
Komander hit a ropewalk Fosbury flop to the floor and a ropewalk shooting star press for a near fall, while Titán countered with an AA on the apron. Titán retained by submission with a dragon tamer at 11:12.
CMLL World Tag Team Championship: Los Hermanos Chavez (c) Retain
Neón delivered a Spanish Fly off the top onto a pile at the entrance, and Ángel de Oro and Niebla Roja closed it with a Liger bomb and frog splash combination. Los Hermanos Chavez are nearing five years as champions. Los Villanos raised the champions’ hands afterward but made clear they want another shot.
Blue Panther def. Jeff Jarrett
Jarrett, making his CMLL debut, jumped Blue Panther before he could take off his jacket, then blew his nose on it. Panther, wrestling on his 66th birthday, hit a plancha off the ramp and won with a Fujiwara armbar.
CMLL vs. Stardom Trios
Stardom’s Mei Seira, Ema Maishima and Maika opened the show with a win over Kira, Candela and Sanely. Seira pinned Candela with her Checkmate crucifix bomb.
Around the Show
A military band, a mariachi and La Sonora Santanera performed during the night. Video messages aired from AEW’s Tony Khan, NJPW’s Naoki Sugabayashi, Stardom’s Taro Okada, MLW’s Court Bauer, RevPro’s Andy Quildan and Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s Scott D’Amore.
What’s Next
Averno lost his hair but left with the last word, and his assault on El Sky Team gives CMLL an obvious thread to pull. Los Villanos have also put themselves next in line for Los Hermanos Chavez. Zandokan Jr.’s condition remains unclear after he failed to return to the elimination match.
