Hechicero Defeats Claudio Castagnoli for CMLL World Heavyweight Title

Hechicero is the new CMLL World Heavyweight Champion, defeating Claudio Castagnoli in a title match held Friday night at Arena Mexico, ending Castagnoli’s 112-day reign.

The victory marks Hechicero’s second time holding the championship, having previously won the title in October 2018 before losing it to Gran Guerrero in November 2022. Castagnoli had captured the championship from Guerrero on November 28, 2025, bringing an end to Guerrero’s 1,118-day run as champion.

The match saw Hechicero overcome a strong challenge from Castagnoli, escaping a neutralizer and avoiding Castagnoli’s signature low blow. He countered with a headscissors slam and transitioned into a submission hold resembling a Rings of Saturn. Despite Castagnoli’s resistance, Hechicero secured the win by applying pressure to the side of Castagnoli’s face.

Both Hechicero and Castagnoli compete under dual contracts with CMLL and All Elite Wrestling (AEW). This past Wednesday, it was announced that Castagnoli had also signed a dual contract, allowing him to compete in both promotions. The two have also been engaged in a feud within AEW, with Hechicero aligned with the Don Callis Family and Castagnoli representing the Death Riders. Most recently, on March 11th, Castagnoli and Jon Moxley defeated Hechicero and Konosuke Takeshita on an episode of AEW Dynamite.

Friday’s event at Arena Mexico also featured El Satanico winning his retirement match against Atlantis and Blue Panther, and a successful defense of the CMLL World Trios Title by El Sky Team against Daniel Garcia, Jon Moxley, and Wheeler Yuta of the Death Riders. Approximately 16,000 fans were in attendance, according to Cagematch.