CMLL World Middleweight Championship
Current Champion
 Dragon Rojo Jr., 17th Champion |
Dragon Rojo Jr. defeated Japanese legend Jushin Liger on November 18, 2011 to capture the CMLL World Middleweight Championship.
History of Championship
13: Averno defeated Negro Casas for the championship on September 17, 2006, part of Averno's continued rise up the rudo ranks. Averno would end up holding the belt for nearly three years, but it was the same afterthought of a championship as it had been prior. Averno defended the title against younger tecnicos, typically in smaller CMLL arenas.
Averno won the NWA World Middleweight Championship in 2007. CMLL did not unify the two similar championships, treating them instead as distinct titles to be defended separately. In practice, this meant Averno defended the more historically important NWA title, and this championship was ignored until the loss to Fantasma.
14: After Hijo del Fantasma pinned Averno to turn back the title challenge of Averno's Hijo del Averno team and retain the CMLL World Trios Championship for his team, Fantasma challenged Averno to defend his CMLL title next. Averno surprisingly agreed, and Fantasma defeated him the next week for the title. The period from challenge to title win was surprisingly quick, even at a point when 2-4 weeks was the standard. Fantasma became a double CMLL champion upon winning the title, and appears to be the youngest champion ever at 25.
Fantasma's title reign was more a status symbol than an active championship. It was part of Fantasma's general ascension - he was also the CMLL World Trios Champion during his reign - but not very feuded over. The sudden end of his title reign was a mild surprise.
15: Veteran rudo Negro Casas cleanly defeated the young champion in his second defense. Negro was also CMLL World Welterweight Champion, and interviews in following weeks reminded fans he was also held the IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Championship (though hadn't defended it since CMLL broke ties with IWRG), as well as a belt billed as the UWA World Welterweight Championship (which had not been seen in six years, and there is no record of Negro winning the belt.) This presentation of Negro Casas as a four belt champion seems to designed to soften the blow of what would be to come in retrospect.
16: Negro Casas took a tour with NJPW in late April/early May of 2010 to celebrate his 30th year of wrestling. The tour climaxed with a middleweight title defense against Jushin Liger. Liger had come to Mexico the previous year, but was unsuccessful in title challenges against Ultimo Guerrero (for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship) and Mistico (for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship).) Back in Japan, Liger was able to defeat a Mexican to win a title, becoming 16th champion. NJPW & CMLL's alliance means Liger will eventually defend this championship against another CMLL wrestler, but the day and identity are currently unknown.
Champions Listing
Sources:
- ↑ Lucha Libre Weekly 47
Gallery of Champions
 Blue Panther, 1st Champion |
 El Dandy, 2nd, 4th & 6th Champion |
 Bestia Salvaje, 3rd Champion |
 Emilio Charles Jr., 5th & 11th Champion |
 Javier Llanes, 7th Champion |
 Satanico, 9th Champion |
 Ringo Mendoza, 10th Champion |
 Negro Casas, as 12th Champion |
 Averno, 13th Champion |
 Hijo del Fantasma, 14th Champion |
 Negro Casas, as 15th Champion |
 Jushin Liger, 16th Champion |
