By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
CMLL “Slam Fest”
April 16, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Pearl Theater at The Palms Casino
Streamed live on TrillerTV.com
This is the venue where the Collective wrestling shows were held last year. Like the House of Glory and Maple Leaf Pro shows I already reviewed from here, lighting and production were really good, and it appears packed here, too. Johnny Loquasto and Jorge Rivera provided commentary, but the commentators’ audio track was really quiet. They didn’t have any on-screen graphics, which is just really bizarre to me — how hard is it to put those up?
I have sampled a few CMLL shows, but I admittedly am not up on the product — I really only know the handful of competitors who appear in MLW or AEW.
* Sam Leterna spoke to the crowd in Spanish to introduce the show. The canvas and ring curtain were plain and black — nothing was written on them.
1. Kemalito and Periquito Sacaryas vs. Chamuel and Tengu. These four are minis, or ‘micro wrestlers.’ Kemalito is the red devil character I see all the time on CMLL shows, but I didn’t even know he wrestled. (I cannot hear the commentary track at all over the intro music, but I can hear it otherwise.) I’m watching, but this type of action just doesn’t hold my interest. Sacaryas is a parrot — this doesn’t look like a costume you could do anything athletic while wearing it. Tengu, wearing black, bench-pressed Kemalito 10 times over his head at 4:00.
Chamuel is the only wrestler not wearing a mask — he looks like he’s playing in a beer league softball division. Sacaryas and Tengu traded chops. (The volume of the commentators is suddenly much louder. Good.) Kemalito hit some armdrags on Chamuel at 9:00. The crowd got all over the ref on a two-count. Chamuel stomped on Kemalito. Kemalito splashed onto Chamuel for the pin. Not my speed, but the crowd enjoyed it.
Kemalito and Periquito Sacaryas defeated Chamuel and Tengu at 12:04.
2. Persephone vs. Tessa Blanchard for the CMLL Women’s Title. Standing switches to open, and Persephone is bigger! I didn’t expect that! (She’s listed at 5’4″ and 145 pounds, while Tessa is 5’5″ and 123 pounds, according to cagematch.net. Persephone is clearly thicker.) They traded rollups. Loquasto talked about the rivalry between them, as Persephone hit a belly-to-belly slam at 3:00 and targeted the arm. Tessa slapped her hard in the face, and that woke up the crowd with some loud boos! Tessa tripped Persephone and crotched her in the corner and got a one-count.
Tessa tied up the legs. Persephone matrixed backward to avoid a clothesline, but she was limping from the work on her legs. They brawled to the floor at 6:30. Persephone again avoided a clothesline, and she hit a superkick. Tessa hit a double stomp to the chest and hit more stomps to the shoulders and head. They got back into the ring at 9:00; Tessa was in control, and she jawed at the crowd. She hit more kicks to the thighs and tied Persephone in the ropes. Blanchard hit a series of kicks to the collarbone, but Persephone hit a suplex for a nearfall.
Blanchard nailed a stunner on the ring apron at 11:00, but Persephone jumped up and hit a German Suplex on the apron, causing Tessa to fall to the floor. In the ring, Persephone got a nearfall. Persephone set up for a Razor’s Edge but Tessa escaped. Persephone missed a second-rope moonsault, and Tessa immediately hit three running stunners for a nearfall at 12:30. This crowd was HOT. Blanchard tried to hit a powerbomb out of the corner, but Persephone held onto the ropes to block it. Persephone hit a spear, then the Razor’s Edge for the pin. That was really good; they clearly are familiar with each other.
Persephone defeated Tessa Blanchard to retain the CMLL Women’s Title at 14:48.
3. Blue Panther vs. Ultimo Guerrero. The crowd popped for Aubrey Edwards! They immediately brawled to the floor and traded chops, and Ultimo shoved Panther’s head into the ring post. Loquasto said these two “have a 27-year history” between them! Back in the ring, Guerrero tugged at Panther’s mask, and he kicked Panther’s knee. Panther knocked him down with shoulder blocks at 3:00, so Guerrero went to the floor. Panther hit a running cannonball off the apron to the floor! The man is 65!
Blue Panther got back into the ring, removed his own mask, and was cheered. Guerrero shoved him back to the floor and was booed. In the ring, Blue Panther hit a huracanrana, then another one to the floor at 5:30! He hit a running crossbody block to the floor. They got back into the ring, where Guerrero backed him into a corner and hit some chops. Guerrero hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 7:30. Panther dove through the ropes onto him! He hit another big dive through the ropes!
In the ring, Guerrero hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall at 10:30. Guerrero missed a moonsault, and Panther made a cover for a nearfall. Blue Panther hit a second-rope Frankensteiner for a nearfall at 12:00. The crowd chanted, “You still got it!” Guerrero hit a bodyslam. They fought on the top rope, and Blue Panther hit an armdrag to the mat for the pin. That was pretty impressive considering their ages. How much longer can these two keep this pace? A lot of crumpled-up bills were thrown into the ring for them.
Blue Panther defeated Ultimo Guerrero at 12:53.
4. Soberano Jr., Barboza, and Difunto vs. Esfinge, Valiente Jr., and Xelhua in a best-of-three-falls match. Soberano (in white) opened with Xelhua (in black-and-silver), and Soberano tied up Xelhua’s legs. Valiente (in red) and Difunto got in at 4:30 and traded mat reversals. Esfinge hit a springboard dropkick. Barboza (a pirate in gold gear) entered and stomped on Valiente and hit some chops. Difunto’s team hit stereo dropkicks to Valiente’s head. They began working over Esfinge. Difunto tugged at Esfinge’s mask. Difunto pinned Esfinge at 8:28! Difunto’s team hit a flapjack on Xelhua at 10:30. They took turns kicking Esfinge and celebrated.
(This seems absurd — one babyface gets beat up, rolls to the floor, another replaces him, gets beat up, rolls to the floor, rinse and repeat.) Soberano hit a punt kick to Valiente’s gut at 12:30. Xelhua hit a backbreaker over his knee on all three opponents. Valiente hit a dive through the ropes. Esfinge tied up Difunto’s legs, leaned backward for added pressure and pinned Difunto at 14:04! It was tied at 1-1. The rudos kept working over Esfinge, but Esfinge hit a series of monkeyflips. He hit a jumping knee strike on Soberano, then a Lethal Injection for a nearfall at 17:00.
Soberano and Valiente Jr. traded forearm strikes, and Soberano hit a suplex for a nearfall at 18:30. Valiente Jr. hit a series of kicks on Difunto. Valiente hit a standing moonsault on Barboza for a nearfall at 22:00. Barbosa and Difunte worked over Esfinge in their corner. Barboza hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Esfinge and Xelhua hit stereo frog splashes for nearfalls. Xelhua hit a top-rope crossbody block to the floor. Valiente Jr. hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall at 24:30. Soberano Jr. hit a piledriver to pin Valiente. This went on too long, but it was fine.
Soberano Jr., Barboza, and Difunto defeated Esfinge, Valiente Jr., and Xelhua at 25:03.
5. Mascara Dorada and Neon vs. Flip Gordon and Capitan Suicida. I miss seeing Gordon compete in ROH! Suicida wore purple-and-yellow gear. All four fought at the bell and traded quick rollups. They all missed dropkicks and had a standoff. Gordon and Neon traded offense, with Neon hitting a springboard armdrag. Suicida entered and hit a huracanrana at 2:00. Dorada entered and traded reversals with Suicida. Flip hit some kicks on Dorada, then a springboard dropkick. He dove through the ropes onto Dorada.
Mascara dove through the ropes onto Neon at 3:30. In the ring, Neon hit a double dropkick. Neon and Dorada hit stereo Fosbury Flops! Nice! In the ring, Dorada hit a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall on Suicida at 5:30. Flip hit a forward Finlay Roll and immediately hit a second-rope moonsault. Nice! Everyone began hitting kicks. Neon hit a springboard dropkick. Dorada hit a top-rope 450 Splash at 7:30.
Suddenly, all four were down. Neon hit an armdrag off the ropes on Suicida for a nearfall. Dorada missed a top-rope moonsault. Suicida hit a top-rope corkscrew senton for a nearfall at 10:00. Dorada hit an armdrag on Flip. Neon hit a Poison Rana. Dorada stood on top of the ring post and hit a moonsault to the floor! In the ring, Dorada hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press while Neon hit a top-rope inverted senton, and they got stereo pins. That was a lot of fun.
Mascara Dorada and Neon defeated Flip Gordon and Capitan Suicida at 11:38.
6. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Atlantis Jr. Claudio came out wearing a black mask, but he took it off upon entering the ring. He attacked Atlantis Jr. from behind at the bell and immediately stomped on him and kept him grounded. Atlantis Jr. hit a huracanrana and a dropkick at 1:30 that sent Claudio to the floor. Atlantis followed, and they brawled at ringside. They got back into the ring at 3:30 with Claudio in charge, and he tied up Atlantis Jr. on the mat.
Claudio hit a high back suplex for a nearfall at 6:00. Atlantis Jr. hit a dive through the ropes; he got a nearfall back in the ring. He hit a kip-up stunner for a nearfall at 7:30. Claudio hit a Nigel-style Tower of London stunner out of the corner for a nearfall. He hit a brainbuster. They hit stereo clotheslines at 9:00 and were both down. They got up and traded overhand chops. Atlantis Jr. hit a backbreaker over his knee and a DDT for a nearfall.
Claudio hit an awesome second-rope gutwrench suplex for a nearfall at 11:30. Atlantis Jr. hit a frog splash for a nearfall, then a Michinoku Driver. Claudio nailed a pop-up European Uppercut, then a diving European Uppercut for a nearfall at 13:30. Claudio set up for a piledriver, but Atlantis blocked it. Claudio performed his Giant Swing but made a lazy cover; Atlantis Jr. rolled him over for a nearfall. Claudio set up for a piledriver but hit his faceplant for the pin. Really good action. Claudio teased that he was going to continue beating him up, but then he shook Atlantis Jr.’s hand.
Claudio Castagnoli defeated Atlantis Jr. at 14:34.
7. Angel de Oro and Hechicero vs. Mistico and Templario in a best-of-three-falls match. The bell rang, but the rudos stalled on the ramp. Templario wore black today with gold trim. He opened against Hechicero with some basic reversals, and Hechicero stretched him. Oro entered at 4:00, and he tied up Templario’s arm in the ropes. Templario dropkicked Hechicero. Mistico entered for the first time and hit a springboard crossbody block on Angel. Angel dropped him with some shoulder tackles. Mistico hit a backbreaker over his knee.
Hechicero jumped in and tugged at Mistico’s mask at 6:00. Templario got a pin at 7:00 even. The rudos stalled on the floor. Oro and Templario traded forearm strikes. Templario hit an armdrag on Hechicero, sending him to the floor at 10:00. Mistico and Angel took turns playing to the crowd; Hechicero jumped in and dropkicked Mistico. Mistico hit a huracanrana on Hechicero at 11:30, then a springboard huracanrana on Hechicero and one on Angel.
Mistico tried a dive to the floor, but the rudos caught him and slammed him onto the thin mat at ringside. Templario tried a dive, but the rudos caught him and slammed him onto Mistico! They dragged Templario into the ring and hit some kicks. Hechicero snapped Mistico’s neck between his ankles. Angel hit a frog splash for a pin at 14:30. The rudos chopped Mistico in their corner. Templario and Mistico hit dives through the ropes.
Mistico hit a Code Red. Hechicero hit a backbreaker over his knee on Mistico. Angel hit a Michinoku Driver on Templario. Templario and Angel were on the top rope, and Mistico hit a huracanrana. Hechicero hit a dropkick on Mistico. Templario hit a dropkick. Mistico hit a crossbody block on Angel, spun him to the mat, locked in the Fujiwara Armbar, and Angel tapped out. Good action.
Mistico and Templario defeated Angel de Oro and Hechicero at 19:47.
Final Thoughts: Claudio has always had a great ability to make smaller guys shine, going back to when I first saw him in IWA Mid-South and Chikara. I thoroughly enjoyed that match with Atlantis Jr. The women’s match was really good, and I’ll go with that for second, ahead of the main event. Those are three very strong matches to top a show.
I admittedly wasn’t looking forward to the Blue Panther-Ultimo Guerrero match, but dang, Panther does not show his age, hitting dives and huracanrana that actually look good. What didn’t work? That best-of-three falls match sure stayed in second gear almost the entire 25 minutes. The minis don’t do anything for me, but the crowd enjoyed it. I didn’t expect to have seen everyone before (except the minis), although I’ve probably seen Capitan Suicida just once — most of these guys I’ve seen more in MLW than on CMLL shows.
Be the first to comment