CMLL at Palms Slam Fest 2026 (4.16.26) review 

 

April 16, 2026 

 

WRESTLEMANIA WEEK REVIEW #22  

 

We’re at the Pearl Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hosts are Jorge Rivera & Johnny Loquasto. This is the first ever CMLL show broadcast in the USA.   

 

Chamuel & Tengu vs. Kemalito & Periquito Sacrayas  

We start with the minis. Or micros or whatever we’re calling them now. This screenshot looks like an acid flashback. While Periquito looks like a flightless bird, he does manage a dive. Oh wait, he’s a parrot? I guess he could fly all along then. Kemalito needs help on his dive as he can’t climb the ropes due to his tiny stature. Kemalito picks up the win, and everyone is happy. ** 

 

CMLL World Women’s Championship 

Persephone (c) vs. Tessa Blanchard 

Tessa has obviously pissed a few people off in her time and I can hear someone yell “puta madre” at her. Her in ring is ok here and she has good chemistry with Persephone. They have a few sequences that are fluid and make good sense. Tessa draws incredible heat here while still maintaining the fluidity of the match, which is great to watch. Persephone tries to sell a bad wheel and then gives up on it.  

 

They run through some odd spots on the floor where nothing happens for ages, and then there’s a low impact counter into the ring post. Persephone thinks about a ring post spot right afterwards and then switches into the rail and that’s weird too. It’s a shame the match goes to pieces because it started off great. They pick matters up with a couple of good apron spots. What is this, NOAH? Persephone wins with the Crucifix bomb. This was surprisingly good with Tessa really delivering. Based on what I’ve heard about her in recent years, I was not expecting it. ***¼  

 

Ultimo Guerrero vs. Blue Panther 

A proper old man scrap here with 54-year-old Guerrero against 65-year-old Panther. Guerrero is stiffer in the opening couple of minutes than anyone else all weekend. It does make sense that wrestlers have been having to save themselves for future bookings. These two are just here for one match. This one. That said, Ultimo Guerrero has worked in Mexico literally every day since.  

Watching a 65-year-old doing sentons off the apron and diving ranas is crazy. How? This fucking spot monkey comes off the entrance ramp! Between Panther’s flying and Guerrero’s stiffness the match rocks. The tope gives me the broadest smile. I love wrestling, lads. It’s the best.  

WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK? THIS ISN’T EVEN THE FINISH!!! They don’t quite get the Spanish Fly, but Panther does a hip toss off the top. Should have finished with the super rana. Amazing work though. Just top bollocks stuff. ****½  

 

Soberano Jr, Barbosa & Difunto vs. Esfinge, Valiente Jr & Xelhua 

Well, y’all are fucked. You’ve got no chance following that last match. The match runs really long too as they adhere to two out of three falls rules. It’s technically fine. There’s lots of very solid spot work, but I couldn’t commentate on it because I’d be like “remember when Blue Panther did that super rana?” Anyway, they go 1-1 on falls and the rudos dick around a bit. There are a lot of spots and many thighs are slapped. Soberano finally wins with a sit out Tombstone. It was an error to put this on right after Panther and then go 24:00. It felt much longer. *¾  

 

Capitan Suicida & Flip Gordon vs. Mascara Dorada & Neon 

Flip tries some headstand nonsense early on and can’t do it. The crowd quietly laughs before Neon just gives up and saves him. It’s funny how Flip looks so much slower than everyone else, and they politely just wait for him.  

Dorada is obviously excellent, but he can’t quite get the stereo moves with Neon to work. The chemistry between him and Suicida is a delight though. Dorada does this spot where he jumps off the buckles, off Neon’s back and yet it’s Flip, who only has to take an armdrag, who fucks it up. The Dorada/Neon double springboard moonsaults to the floor OFF THE SAME CORNER is crazy. I love it. ***. In spite of Flip trying his hardest to fuck this up, Dorada and the others were doing great stuff. One of the best spotfests of the weekend.  

 

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Atlantis Jr 

First, and only, Claudio match this weekend. When AEW didn’t exist, the top guys not in the fed would be all over this weekend. It was great. Modern fans just don’t know what it was like before Covid. I know Claudio is a heel in a heel stable, but this would have been more fun if he’d just turned up babyface. This is the trouble with having cross-promotional continuity. I preferred it when no one was watching, honestly.  

 

This is a perfectly fine match. Both guys do good work. There is a considerable amount of moments where they’re a little off. Luckily, Claudio is proficient at grabbing a hold and getting it back on track. The striking is pleasingly stiff. I’ve not seen Claudio in a while and it’s notable on stuff like Swiss Death that he isn’t giving it the beans anymore.  

I like how naturally Aubrey goes into the buckles here. There was nowhere else to go. Neutralizer finishes for Claudio. This was fine. Gentleman’s Three, just for you Claudio. *** 

 

Hechicero & Angel del Oro vs. Mistico & Templario  

This was originally announced as Hechicero vs. Mistico. I don’t know why it got switched. Maybe someone got jobberitis. Hechicero can be very deliberate. That sets a specific pace for the main event. It would have been better if it wasn’t following Claudio, who did something similar. This includes an ugly series of mat counters with Templario. Mistico & Templario score a pinfall and I’m like “what?”. Crowd is like “what?”. Comms are like…”oh yeah, this is two out of three falls”. Early finish jumpscare. I could have saved myself 30:00. I have shows to review guys, don’t get me excited like that. 

 

Angel del Oro frogsplashes Mistico to level the scores up. This is much sloppier than it should be. Especially when we get the ‘break down’ and Mistico is popping off ranas. It’s just very untidy. Templario apparently hits a massive senton, but the cameras miss it entirely. The crowd popped loudly for it. Mistico taps del Oro out just afterwards. I guess we’ll never see it. I might catch some flak for this, but I didn’t like this match at all. * 

 

The 411: 

CMLL came here with the intent of showcasing their promotion and showcasing lucha-libre. A product that’s been watered down by AAA in recent years and even more so since the WWE affiliation began. I will admit I don’t enjoy lucha as much as some other styles. That said, you cannot deny how great a 65-year-old dude doing those crazy dives is. Blue Panther went out there tonight and said “I’m going to show you Yankie bastards some god damn lucha-libre” and boy did he.  

 

One of Mania weekends better shows. Mainly because it was completely different. But also because Blue Panther, who’s 65, dived off the stage. One of the easier shows to recommend watching and your mileage may vary. You may enjoy this more than me. I’ve never been the high man on lucha.  

 

 

Show Ranking:   

Effy’s Big Gay Brunch 8.0  

WWE Wrestlemania N2 7.8  

NJPW Death Vegas 7.5  

CMLL 7.1  

TJPW 6.5  

Wrestlecon Supershow 6.3   

HOG Culture Clash 6.1 

MLP Multiverse 5.9  

Dragon Gate USA: Gate of Sin City 5.8   

Progress 5.6   

Bloodsport 5.5  

Spring Break 5.2  

Gringo Loco’s WRLD on Lucha 5.0  

Clusterfuck 4.6  

Ladies Night Out 16 4.5   

Hybrid x PWU Midnight Xpress 4.1   

MDK Fight Club 4.0   

Wrestlemania N1 3.8  

CCW High Rollers 3.4   

Podermania~! 3.1  

FSW ID Showcase 2.8  

Juggalos 2.2   

  

Best Matches:   

Blue Panther vs. Ultimo Guerrero (CMLL) ****½  

Tremont & Gage vs. Takeda & Yamashita vs. Desperado & Kasai (NJPW Death Vegas) ****¼   

Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk (Wrestlemania N2) ****¼  

Brick Savage vs. Mad Dog Connelly (Effys Big Gay Brunch) **** 

Bandido vs. Amazing Red (HOG Culture Clash) **** 

Zack Sabre Jr vs. Fuminori Abe (NJPW Death Vegas) ***¾   

Mark Davis vs. Masato Tanaka (Wrestlecon Supershow) ***¾   

Miyu Yamashita vs. Miu Watanabe vs. Mizuki (TJPW) ***½  

Man Like Dereiss vs. Michael Oku (Progress) ***½   

Tim Thatcher vs. Charlie Dempsey (Bloodsport) ***½  

Gisele Shaw vs. Persephone vs. Killer Kelly vs. Shotzi Blackheart (MLP) ***¼  

Gunther vs. Seth Rollins (Wrestlemania N1) ***¼  

Persephone vs. Tessa Blanchard (CMLL) ***¼  

Manders vs. Thomas Shire (Hybrid/PWU) ***¼   

Zack Sabre Jr vs. Effy (Effys Big Gay Brunch) ***¼  

IC ladder match (Wrestlemania N2) ***¼  

Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre (Wrestlemania N1) *** 

Bandido vs. Galeno del Mal (Wrestlecon Supershow) ***  

Hechicero vs. Jonathan Gresham (MLP) *** 

Perry & Stunt vs. Stackhouse & Orso (Spring Break) *** 

Charles Mason vs. Michael Oku (HOG Culture Clash) *** 

Mascara Dorada & Neon vs. Capitan Suicida & Flip Gordon (CMLL) *** 

Ben K & Hyo vs. Aero Panther & Fight Panther Jr vs. Jordan Oliver & Alec Price (DGUSA) ***  

Fuminori Abe vs. Erick Stevens (Bloodsport) *** 

Thunder Rosa vs. Julissa Mexa (WRLD on Lucha) *** 

Dark Sheik vs. Nyla Rose (Effys Big Gay Brunch) *** 

10 person tag (Effys Big Gay Brunch) *** 

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Atlantis Jr (CMLL) *** 

 

Sandman vs. Invisible Man (Spring Break) 

  

Matches watched: 167 

Number of coffees drunk; 13 

Number of Geoguessr seeds played as a welcoming distraction: 13 

Number of motivational/tactical Irn Bru’s drunk: 8