CMLL 12 masked man cage match on 12/25, Ultimo Guerrero contra Thunder on 01/01

CMLL’s press conference just wrapped up.

The Ultimo Guerrero/Thunder feud, which has taken up most of 2015, will finally reach a climax on the first day of 2016. Ultimo Guerrero signed a contract to put his hair on the line against Thunder’s mask for the Sin Piedad show. Thunder will sign the contract later today on CMLL Informa. It seemed possible CMLL might stretch this feud out even longer for Dos Leyendas, but now they’ll be free to move on to anything else. Ultimo Guerrero is the heavy favorite to win match, and they’ll employ every trick to attempt to make it good.

The other major event coming up, Infierno en el Ring, will have a cage match as expected. It’ll be twelve men in the cage, with the loser losing his mask. The Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Esfinge, Fuego, Triton, Pegasso, Tiger, Puma, Cancerbero, Raziel, Sangre Azteca, and Super Comando will participate. Comando & T. Panther have had the longest running feud of the bunch and are the most likely final two, but there’s been plenty of other challenge thrown out. Guys like Pegasso, Cancerbero and Raziel are reasonable possibilities given where they are in their point of this career.

Tickets go on sale for both shows. Kids tickets will be 10 pesos (though not in the first group of rows.) These should be big turnouts for both shows.

CMLL also announced the Copa Junior would return in January on Tuesday shows. This year’s format will be two 8 man ciberneticos, with the winners facing off on 01/19. Block A will take place on 01/05 with Tiger, Canelo Casas, Sanson (debuting), Espanto Jr., The Panther, Hombre Bala Jr., Soberano Jr., and Esfinge. Block B will take place on 01/12 with Puma, Hijo del Signo, Skandalo, Cuatrero (debuting), Blue Panther Jr., Super Halcon Jr., Oro Jr. and Magnus.

Tiger and Puma are the favorites in both blocks, but it’s unlikely we’ll see them face off. The A group is more up in the air, with The Panther, Hombre Bala and Soberano Jr. all being good alternative choices.

The press conference started off with talk about the NJPW/CMLL relationship. CMLL claimed all the FantasicaMania shows were sold out (not quite accurate). Mascara Dorada will return to CMLL in February. CMLL also said more NJPW trainees would be coming, and it would be more than 1. NJPW’s Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu are believed to be leaving Japan for training early next year, and it was assumed/rumored they’d be going to separate places. Perhaps it’s not true, or perhaps one of the other young wrestlers are coming with them.