MLW Azteca Lucha
May 10, 2025
By: John Siino
Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois
Commentary: Joe Dombrowski & Austin Aries
RESULTS:
- MLW World Tag Team: Magnus & Rugido (c) over Blue Panther Jr. & Dark Panther via pinfall (13:22)
- Alex Hammerstone over Satoshi Kojima via pinfall (12:21)
- Atlantis & Esfinge over Guerrero Maya Jr. & Hechicero via pinfall (11:47)
- MLW National Openweight: Ultimo Guerrero (c) over Barbaro Cavernario, Zandokan Jr. via pinfall (10:28) (RECOMMENDED)
- MLW World Heavyweight: Matt Riddle (c) over Donovan Dijak via submission (14:31)
- Mistico over Ikuro Kwon, Templario via pinfall (11:16) (RECOMMENDED)
MLW World Tag Team Championship: Los Depredadores (Rugido & Magnus) (c) vs. Dark Panther & Blue Panther Jr.
Los Depredadores won the MLW World Tag Team Championship on May 2nd at the CMLL vs. MLW show at Arena Mexico, from CozyMAX. Magnus & Blue Panther Jr. start the match, as Magnus kicks his handshake away before they go right into running the ropes and arm-dragging each other down. (Sii-note: This is Blue Panther Jr.’s first match in MLW, while his father and brother have both competed in the past). Dark Panther & Rugido quick tag in and do more of the same before Dark Panther sends Rugido to the outside as the Panthers start double-teaming on Magnus. Los Depredadores start working on Dark Panther next in the corner and going for pins as Magnus hits a backbreaker for two. The Panther Brothers send their opponents to the outside and dive on them. Blue & Rugido go at it in the ring before Magnus tags in, stops Blue from tagging out to his brother, and keeps him in the corner. Blue fights off both his opponents with a flurry of backbreakers before diving onto them both on the outside. Dark tags in and hits the dropkick from the corner, but Rugido grabs the bottom rope to stop the pin attempt. Dark Panther ends up sending Rugido into the crowd, where he hits him with a tope suicida, crashing into the empty chairs. In the ring, Blue & Magnus get mixed up with the referee as Magnus takes advantage and hits Blue down low with his knee, to pick up the pin and the win.
Winners: Los Depredadores (Magnus & Rugido) by pinfall at 13:22, to retain
Blue Panther Jr. gets on the mic after and speaks Spanish, challenging Los Depredadores for a rematch down in Arena Mexico. Magnus gets on the mic, speaks English, and pretends not to understand what he said. Magnus then gets on the mic and accepts the match before they take out the Panthers with their titles and pull off the Panthers’ masks.
Mistico Is Back From Injury
We go to the office of Cesar Duran, where he is greeted by Salina de la Renta with a basket full of Don Gato tequila (Sii-note: This is the tequila from actor Danny McBride, and his fictional luchador named ‘Don Gato’). They both take shots before being greeted by Mistico, who said he’s recovered from his injuries and is ready to return and reclaim his championship in MLW. Templario walks in and says that tonight, the era of Mistico comes to an end. Mistico says Templario’s going to eat his words. Jesus Rodriguez rushes in and tells Duran that the Contra Unit has broken in and caused chaos, as Duran takes another swig before rushing away.
Alex Hammerstone vs. Satoshi Kojima
Okumura doesn’t come out with Satoshi Kojima, as Joe Dombrowski says that since losing the tag team titles, Kojima & Okumura haven’t seen eye-to-eye. Dombrowski brings up this being Alex Hammerstone’s first singles match in MLW since December 2023, as he starts the match by knocking down Kojima a couple of times. Hammerstone starts attacking Kojima into the corner before sending him to the outside, where he continues on the attack. Back inside, Hammerstone continues on the attack, attacking Kojima on the edge of the apron. Hammerstone continues on the attack until finally Kojima sidesteps in the corner and hits machine gun chops. Hammerstone comes back and heads to the top rope to hit a missile dropkick before hitting a pump-handle slam for two. Kojima fights out and hits a Koji Cutter, but Hammerstone is right near the bottom rope to put his foot on it. Kojima fights out of a Nightmare Pendulum attempt and hits a lariat, but both men get laid out from it. Hammerstone blocks another lariat attempt, hits a German Suplex and the Nightmare Pendulum to pick up the pin and the win.
Winner: Alex Hammerstone by pinfall at 12:21
Myron Reed Returns To MLW
One of Cesar Duran’s henchmen, Azteca 13, makes his way to the ring for a match, but before his opponent can come out, Myron Reed makes a surprise return and takes out Azteca 13 with a cutter. Reed gets on the mic and says The Young GOAT is back in MLW and that he’s watched the World Middleweight division go straight down to the toilet for too long, as there is no champion. Reed says order has been restored and justice will be served. This is the first time Reed has appeared in MLW since he left in January 2023.
Title Match For War Chamber
We see Shoko Nakajima in the crowd, as it’s announced that she will be defending the MLW World Women’s Featherweight Championship against Delmi Exo at War Chamber, which was taped alongside this show, but will air on Saturday, June 7th.
Guerrero Maya Jr. & Hechicero vs. Esfinge & Atlantis
Esfinge & Guerrero Maya Jr. start the match by taking each other down to the mat as Esfinge works on the knee of Maya before they trade arm drags and go for pins. Hechicero & Atlantis go at it next, with Hechicero getting down low to try and take down Atlantis, as the crowd is getting behind Hechicero. Maya & Hechicero start double-teaming on Atlantis, working on him in the corner, not before taking down Esfinge from the apron. Maya starts working on Esfinge yet, as all four are in the ring now, with the rudos staying in control. Esfinge tries to fight back, but comes up short before they start working on Atlantis, and take turns tagging in and out, attacking him, and go to take off his match. Atlantis tags out and makes the hot tag to Esfinge, who goes to town with kicks as Austin Aries wonders why Guerrero Maya Jr. didn’t go with Black Terry Jr. Atlantis gets the tag and goes to town on his two opponents. As Atlantis takes out Hechicero on the outside, Esfinge catches Maya in the Egyptian Knot to get the pin and the win.
Winners: Esfinge & Atlantis by pinfall at 11:47
The Rogue Horsemen Want War Chamber
We see The Rogue Horsemen in the back, as Brett Ryan Gosselin is sick and tired of Matthew Justice, Paul Walter Hauser, Mr. Thomas, Alex Kane & Paul London, and says he wants War Chamber against them. CW Anderson warns him that you don’t come out the same way you enter, as Bobby Fish questions BRG as well. Brock Anderson agrees with BRG and convinces the rest of them to agree to the match.
They promote that MLW will be returning to the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York, on June 26th for Summer of the Beasts.
MLW National Openweight Championship: Ultimo Guerrero (c) vs. Barbaro Cavernario vs. Zandokan Jr.
Ultimo Guerrero recently became champion at the CMLL vs. MLW show as well, taking the title from Matthew Justice. Zandokan Jr. appeared on that same show, but this is his first official MLW appearance. Zandokan & Barbaro Cavernario start the match double-teaming on Guerrero, but it doesn’t last long as Barbaro takes them both out on the outside with a dive. Back inside, Zandokan & Barbaro go at it, until Guerrero pulls Barbaro to the outside and starts attacking him on top of the guard rail as Zandokan tries to attack him, but misses and goes rib-first onto the guard rail. Guerrero quickly follows with a dive to both of them on the outside. They go back to double-teaming on Guerrero, but he fights them both off, sending Barbaro to the outside. They fight on the top rope, as Guerrero hits an inverted Guerrero Special for a two-count. They continue for a bit, as Barbaro runs in to break up the pin attempt from Zandokan. Barbaro gains a bit of momentum, as Aries hates his mannerisms. All three fight in the corner and hit a Tower of Doom, as Zandokan gets a two on Guerrero. Barbaro takes out Zandokan with a dive, before going after Guerrero, but gets stopped on the top rope as Guerrero hits the Guerrero Special to pick up the pin and the win over Barbaro.
Winner: Ultimo Guerrero by pinfall at 10:28, to retain
Joe Dombrowski goes to the stage and brings out Alex Hammerstone, and asks him what’s next. Hammerstone grabs a USA flag and says he feels like the embodiment of the USA. Hammerstone says he wants some gold and looks at Ultimo Guerrero in the ring. He says he never lost the National Openweight Championship and wants it again. Guerrero gets in his face, but as he goes to leave, Hammerstone attacks him from behind and lifts the title before dropping it on the downed Guerrero.
We get the ‘breaking news’ that Paul London, Mr. Thomas, Alex Kane & Matthew Justice have accepted the challenge from The Rogue Horsemen for War Chamber.
MLW World Heavyweight Championship: Matt Riddle (c) (w/ Tom Lawlor) vs. Donovan Dijak (w/ Saint Laurent)
This is a rematch from One-Shot back in December, where Matt Riddle won by disqualification. Riddle starts by putting on a rear-naked choke, but Donovan Dijak backs up to break out of it and goes outside to regroup with Saint Laurent. Riddle sends Dijak to the outside with a headscissors, but Dijak catches him and chokeslams him onto the apron. Dijak starts pulling on the tape around Riddle’s ribs and going for pins. Riddle tries to fight back with kicks, but Dijak knocks him back down until Riddle pulls out a Fisherman’s Buster. Riddle stays in control, attacking Dijak in the corner with forearms, before he gets stopped with a discus boot. Riddle escapes a chokeslam attempt and hits a knee for a two, but misses a top rope moonsault. Dijak goes to the top rope next, but Riddle stops him with a German Suplex, followed by a Broton for a two. Dijak comes back with a Tombstone and a top rope moonsault, but Riddle kicks out and regroups with Tom Lawlor on the outside as Dijak takes them both out with a dive. Riddle escapes from a Feast Your Eyes attempt and hits a cutter, but Saint Laurent distracts the referee from making the count. Dijak hits a low blow and Feast Your Eyes, but this time, Lawlor pulls out the referee. Lawlor takes out Laurent as Mads Krule Krugger runs out to try and cash in his title shot, but accidentally takes out Dijak with the briefcase. Lawlor takes out Krugger as Riddle rolls up Dijak into a body scissor submission as Dijak taps out.
Winner: Matt Riddle by submission at 14:31, to retain
Dijak and Krugger start going at it after the match
Shotzi is Coming Soon
We get an animated vignette with tanks in the background that says, “June 26, hearts turn black, the warning ‘shotz’ will be fired” as it looks like Shotzi Blackheart will be making her debut for MLW. Shotzi had recently stated that she still had a good amount of time on her contract, but would be free come July.
Ikuro Kwon vs. Templario vs. Mistico
Ikuro Kwon comes out with the stolen MLW World Middleweight Championship that he took from Mistico as he was vacating it, as Templario comes out with one-half of the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship, which he won the night prior at Resurgence. Kwon surrendered the championship to the referee, but this match is not for the vacant title. They start the match fast, as Kwon gets sent to the outside, as Mistico takes him and Templario out with a dive. Templario starts kicking away at Kwon, but Mistico quickly enters the fray. Templario sends Mistico outside with an arm drag and hits a tope suicida, as commentary reminds us that Templario has gotten a pinfall victory over Mistico recently in a tag team match. All three go at it, trading pins with Mistico coming out on top, hitting another dive to Templario. (Sii-note: There is someone on a megaphone in the crowd, who is really behind Templario.) Templario & Mistico start going at it and take each other out as Kwon takes advantage, going after Mistico. Mistico stops him with a faceplant and hits the Senton Atomico to pick up the pin and the win.
Winner: Mistico by pinfall at 11:16
As soon as the match is over, Kwon snaps Mistico’s neck and takes off his mask, and takes the World Middleweight Championship back as the show goes off the air.
