Claudio Castagnoli was in high spirits following his successful defense of the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship against Roderick Strong on AEW Collision. The very next day, CMLL announced via video that Castagnoli, known as the Death Riders Enforcer, would be returning to Arena Mexico this Friday with plans to defend his title against “a young luchador who I believe has what it takes to dethrone me.”
Shortly afterward, CMLL revealed the challenger: rising star Zelhua officially accepted Castagnoli’s challenge early Monday afternoon. The promotion confirmed the match is set for this Friday. After delivering promo segments mainly in Spanish, Zelhua concluded with a message in English directed at Claudio, stating, “Claudio, I’m ready, and this championship stays in Mexico.”
Zelhua, considered one of the most technically gifted luchadores globally despite being just 21 years old, is familiar to AEW and Ring of Honor audiences through his battles with ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty. The two have clashed three times since late July. Their first encounter ended in a time-limit draw, but Moriarty successfully defended his title in subsequent matches at ROH Death Before Dishonor and a recent CMLL event at Arena Coliseo.
This upcoming match will mark Castagnoli’s third defense of the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship during his reign and Zelhua’s first crack at this particular title. Previously, Zelhua challenged both Atlantis Jr. and Guerrero Maya Jr. for the World Historic Light Heavyweight and Mexican National Middleweight championships, respectively. Though unsuccessful in those attempts, defeating Castagnoli would secure Zelhua his first CMLL championship.
Fan Take: This match is a significant moment for AEW fans as it highlights the growing collaboration between AEW and CMLL, offering unique dream matches that blend styles and fanbases. Zelhua’s challenge to a proven star like Castagnoli could shake up the championship scene and showcase the exciting talent coming out of Mexico, raising the bar for technical wrestling worldwide.
