10 Things Fans Should Know About Mexican Wrestling Promotion CMLL

For most casual fans, the pro wrestling universe only extends as far as The United States. What most hardcore wrestling fans know though, is that some of the best pro wrestling on the planet sometimes comes from a foreign land. Many of the foundational stars of AEW spent significant time in Japan before joining the start-up promotion.

Much like Japan, Mexico has also produced some incredibly talented performers over the years. Many of them have become huge stars in the mainstream U.S. wrestling market. Still, most fans remain unfamiliar with Lucha Libre culture. Consejo Mundial De Lucha Libre (CMLL) specifically, has a rich wrestling history with some interesting facts that all wrestling fans should know.

10 Founded By Salvador Lutteroth Gonzalez

For anyone familiar with Mexican Lucha Libre, it's hard to imagine a time when Lucha Libre didn't exist in Mexico. However, that was exactly the case before 1933. In 1933, Salvador Lutteroth decided to start the first Mexican wrestling promotion ever, Empresa Mexicana De Lucha Libre (EMLL).

In the beginning, Lutteroth's shows would heavily feature non-Mexican wrestlers, even in the main event. Eventually, though, Lutteroth would find young Mexican talents to build around and introduce many Lucha Libre elements that still exist today. Including masks.

9 Previously Part Of The NWA

Today, American pro wrestling fans know The NWA as a small independent promotion that despite trying hard, isn't on par with WWE, or AEW. However, during the 20th century, before WWE exploded in popularity, The NWA was the dominant force in pro wrestling. The NWA wasn't technically a promotion back then, but rather governing board that controlled the booking of certain World Championships.

In 1953, Salvador Lutteroth agreed to have EMLL join The NWA. This gave EMLL control of the NWA Light Heavyweight Championship and allowed them to rebrand some of their other championships with the NWA name. EMLL would remain a part of The NWA for nearly 40 years.

8 Modern Day Stars

Like most pro wrestling promotions, the secret to CMLL's continued success is constantly creating new stars. Some of the biggest legends in Lucha Libre history have come through CMLL over the years. In modern times, CMLL hasn't produced as many legendary performers as in years past but some of their recent stars are nothing to scoff at.

In recent years, CMLL has boasted stars like Mistico, who would notoriously perform in WWE as "Sin Cara." The promotion also introduced one of the most globally influential stables in recent history, Los Ingobernables, which even spilled over into Japan.

7 Their Biggest Show Of The Year

In 1983, American wrestling fans were introduced to the first Supercard in U.S. wrestling history, Starrcade. In 1985, WWE would one-up the Jim Crockett Promotions event with their Supercard, WrestleMania. Each show would become a staple of both's promotions' yearly event calendars. CMLL also has a yearly Supercard.

The biggest show on CMLL's yearly calendar is their anniversary show simply known as the "CMLL Anniversary Show." There has been at least one CMLL Anniversary Show every year since 1934, except 1985. Despite being the longest-running yearly event in pro wrestling, the anniversary show lacks the reputation of a WrestleMania or even a TripleMania, for that matter.

6 Vampiro & Konnan Rivalry

Every pro wrestling promotion has certain rivalries that help define certain eras. In Mexican Lucha Libre, there have been countless legendary rivalries in that fans were fully captivated by. Perhaps no Lucha Libre rivalry has been as personal and as publicized as the rivalry between Vampiro and Konnan. In 1991, Vampiro arrived in CMLL, becoming an overnight sensation.

This caused serious friction between him and incumbent CMLL megastar, Konnan. Their rivalry played out on CMLL programming but was never truly settled. When Konnan left CMLL for a rival promotion, their on-screen rivalry would take a break but their personal rivalry would only get worse. Today, both men are on good terms but have no problem speaking about their former disdain for each other.

5 Spawned Its Competition

In 1975, Francisco Flores and Ray Mendoza broke away from EMLL to form the rival UWA promotion. While EMLL and UWA would co-promote shows on occasion, UWA was EMLL's only competition in Mexico for a while. In 1992 however, the biggest threat to CMLL's stranglehold on Lucha Libre, Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion (AAA), was formed by former CMLL booker, Antonio Peña.

Both times, the CMLL defectors cited the promotion's restrictive booking style and promotional style as the catalysts behind the split. When Peña split in 1992 though, it was a big blow to CMLL as Peña took the promotion's biggest star, Konnan, with him.

4 The Legend Of El Santo

In Lucha Libre, there are legends like Blue Demon, Rayo De Jalisco, and Perro Aguayo. Then, there's the almost mythical, El Santo. El Santo is without a doubt the most iconic Luchador in Mexican Lucha Libre history. His popularity in Mexico transcended Lucha Libre and spilled into mainstream Mexican pop culture.

During his nearly five-decade career, El Santo not only wrestled but also starred in various Mexican films. He starred in no less than 54 films from 1958 to 1982.

His dedication to kayfabe was also next level. When El Santo passed away in 1984, one of his instructions was for him to be buried in his iconic silver mask. Even death couldn't unmask the legendary Luchador.

3 Arena Mexico's Origin

Throughout pro wrestling history, every promotion has had a home venue. For decades, WWE's home venue was always the hallowed grounds of Madison Square Garden. Today, AEW uses Daily's Place as its home venue. This was especially true during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. For CMLL, their home venue is the legendary Arena Mexico.

The venue was built on the same grounds as their original venue, Arena Modelo. As legend has it, Salvador Lutteroth used lottery winnings to partially pay for the new arena. His investment paid off as, today, Arena Mexico is considered "The Cathedral Of Lucha Libre."

2 Invented Luchas De Apuestas

One of the most honored traditions in Mexican Lucha Libre is their "Lucha De Apuestas" matches. In English, that roughly translates into "Bet Match." That kind of match isn't exclusive to Mexico but over the years, it has become a staple of Lucha Libre. Lucha Libre doesn't feature many gimmick matches other than this style of match.

EMLL first introduced a Lucha De Apuestas in 1940. At the time, El Murcielago Enmascarado and Octavio Gaona were in a bitter rivalry. Eventually, Gaona would challenge Murcielago to put his mask on the line against Gaona's hair. Gaona would go on to win the match, unmasking Murcielago in the process and starting a time-honored tradition.

1 The Name Change

There's perhaps nothing more important in pro wrestling and Lucha Libre than name identity. This goes for both performers and wrestling promotions. Hands down the most memorable and important name change in wrestling history happened in 2002 when the World Wrestling Federation was forced to change its name to World Wrestling Entertainment.

Likewise in Mexico, EMLL went through a name change in 1991. That year, Empresa Mexicana De Lucha Libre was rebranded as Consejo Mundial De Lucha Libre. The name gave CMLL a more global feel and luckily didn't do much to hinder its success. Although, there are probably still purists who wish the name had never changed.