NJPW grants CMLL wrestler permission to use Black Tiger gimmick
CMLL wrestler Magnus is officially adopting a classic NJPW gimmick.
On this week’s edition of CMLL Informa, it was revealed that Magnus will now be going by the name “Black Tiger.” He is the ninth wrestler to don the mask, which was originally introduced in the 1980s as a rival to Tiger Mask. The character has been portrayed by the likes of Mark Rocco, Eddie Guerrero, and Rocky Romero.
NJPW chairman Naoki Sugabayashi appeared on Informa and gave the character change his blessing. This comes after Magnus wore the Black Tiger mask during this year’s NJPW & CMLL Fantasticamania tour. The final night of the tour included a singles match where Tiger Mask defeated Magnus.
#CMLLInforma || Mensaje del Sr. Naoki Sugabayashi directamente desde New Japan Pro-Wrestling para el CMLL Informa.
— Lucha Libre CMLL (@CMLL_OFICIAL) March 26, 2026
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Along with competing in CMLL, Magnus has made appearances for AEW/ROH and MLW. He is a former MLW Tag Team Champion and recently wrestled at MLW’s TV taping in Atlanta on March 14.
The babyface Tiger Mask character in NJPW is currently played by Yoshihiro Yamazaki, who will be retiring from the ring this July. He is the fourth iteration of Tiger Mask, following Satoru Sayama, Mitsuharu Misawa, and Koji Kanemoto.
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