Hechicero defeats Claudio Castagnoli for CMLL Heavyweight title

In a battle between two AEW stars, Hechicero defeated Claudio Castagnoli to win the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship at Arena Mexico on Friday night.

Hechicero kicked out of a neutralizer was able to avoid Castagnoli’s trademark low blow and counter with his own trademark, the headscissors slam. He went to put Castagnoli in something resembling a Rings of Saturn. Castagnoli still refused to submit until Hechicero pressed his boot into the side of the champion’s face, which was enough to finish off the former ROH World Champion. 

It’s the second reign for Hechicero as CMLL World Heavyweight Champion. He won the title from Ultimo Guerrero in October of 2018, then lost it to Gran Guerrero in November of 2022. Gran Guerrero would hold the belt for over three years before losing it to Castagnoli last November. 

Castagnoli successfully defended the title six times over his reign, in both CMLL and AEW. Some of his more notable challengers include Roderick Strong, Josh Alexander, and Ultimo Guerrero (twice). 

The two have also been feuding in AEW, with Hechicero fighting for the Don Callis Family and Castagnoli representing the Death Riders. Most recently, Castagnoli teamed with Jon Moxley to defeat Hechicero & Konosuke Takeshita on the March 11 episode of Dynamite.