Tessa Blanchard, Roderick Strong, and Thunder Rosa set for CMLL title challenges

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CMLL is stacking the Friday show with title shots. Tessa Blanchard, Roderick Strong, and Thunder Rosa are in line to challenge for gold in Arena Mexico, and that’s not even the main event. The CMLL lineup for Friday, July 31 includes: Leyenda de Plata: Mascara Dorada vs. Komander CMLL World Heavyweight Championship: Hechicero (c) vs. Roderick Strong CMLL Women’s World Championship: Persephone (c) vs. Tessa Blanchard Templario, Dragon Rojo Jr., & Star Jr. vs. Ultimo Guerrero, Barbaro Cavernario, & Zandokan Jr. Mexican National Women’s Championship: India Sioux (c) vs. Thunder Rosa Titan & Neon vs. Austin Aries & Leon Cage Mexico vs. Japan: Xelhua, Valiente Jr., Capitan Suicida, Fugaz, & Pantera Jr. vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Yutani, Douki, Okumura, & Shoma Kato in torneo cibernetico 🔜 📍Arena México 🗓️ Viernes 31 de Julio '26 🕣 8:30 p.m. 🎟️ en taquillas y en Ticketmaster: https://www.ticketmaster/event/1400648FE5DC53B7 📲 Transmisión EN VIVO para miembros nivel “Campeón Mundial” y “Leyenda”: https://t.co/5P6Lo6oSLQ#ViernesEspectacularCMLL pic.twitter.com/L9FhWrww4e — Lucha Libre CMLL (@CMLL_OFICIAL) July 29, 2026 The feature attraction is the Leyenda de Plata tournament final to honor El Santo. Mascara Dorada and Komander qualified last week as the last luchadores standing in an eliminator. This matchup is guaranteed to be high-octane action in a battle of the shooting star press. Dorada closes matches with that move, and Komander finishes with a rope-walking version. Roderick Strong gets another crack at heavyweight gold. Strong previously defeated Hechicero in a #1 contender bout. Strong was unable to pry the title from Claudio Castagnoli’s finger tips. Hechicero ended up being the man for that job by dethroning Claudio. Now, Strong will have a chance to prove that first win was not a fluke, whereas Hechicero aims to show his dominance. View this post on Instagram One of Tessa Blanchard’s goals when choosing CMLL over TNA is the world title. She will receive that opportunity to challenge Persephone. Blanchard has two recent pins over the champ in tag team and trios action. Time will tell if she can do it again when it matters most. Tessa Blanchard dio un golpe de autoridad venciendo a Persephone a una semana de su duelo de Campeonato. La Gringa Más Mexicana le dio el triunfo a Garra Negra y Skadi ante La Diosa del CMLL, Keyra y Reyna Isis.#ViernesEspectacularCMLL 📲 https://t.co/5QIL09x9cv pic.twitter.com/t3QHIkjnws — Lucha Libre CMLL (@CMLL_OFICIAL) July 25, 2026 Thunder Rosa earned her shot for the national women’s title by surviving an eliminator. Thunder will battle India Sioux for that prize. ¡Thunder Rosa es la retadora oficial del Campeonato Nacional Femenil! Tras ganar la eliminatoria, La Mera Mera se enfrentará a India Sioux el próximo Viernes 31 de Julio en la Arena México. #DomingoFamiliarCMLL 📲 https://t.co/YPRua03l8o pic.twitter.com/G7GxPIplLV — Lucha Libre CMLL (@CMLL_OFICIAL) July 20, 2026 The card rounds out with appetizers for upcoming events. Austin Aries (MLW) and Leon Cage (Rev Pro) are getting their legs acclimated for the International Grand Prix on August 7. The trios match in the middle of the card could give hints for potential mask versus hair at the Aniversario show on September 18. Share your thoughts and predictions for the CMLL lineup on Friday night from Arena Mexico.

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CMLL was busy with important matches on Friday night (July 31, 2026). The Leyenda de Plata winner was crowned, titles were challenged for by Roderick Strong, Tessa Blanchard, and Thunder Rosa, and more went down in Arena Mexico. The feature attraction was the Leyenda de Plata final to honor El Santo. Masacara Dorada defeated Komander in a highlight reel match. AEW referee Aubrey Edwards oversaw the action. Kemonito and Kemalito were the cornermen. Mascara Dorada was victorious via shooting star press. Roderick Strong challenged Hechicero for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship. I hope Strong took some travel sickness pills, because Hechicero took him for rides with rolling and swinging maneuvers aplenty. In the end, Hechicero cranked Strong’s back on a submission for victory. Tessa Blanchard challenged Persephone for the CMLL Women’s World Championship. Due to Blanchard’s star power, I don’t think fans would have been surprised if there was a title change. Well, there was not. Persephone held on the to the gold. Perse attacked Blanchard before the match. She went to work damaging the left knee. Despite the pain, Blanchard rallied to hit her signature moves. Blanchard’s flying Codebreaker finisher wasn’t enough to keep Persephone down. When Blanchard went back to that finisher later in the match, the powerhouse caught her to block the maneuver. That transitioned to Persephone’s crucifix bomb finisher, but Blanchard kicked out in dramatic fashion. Persephone kept the pressure on for a ripcord lariat and a moonsault to win. I suspect that this feud is only just beginning. In a preview of the Aniversario event in September, there is a mask versus hair rigmarole brewing with Ultimo Guerrero, Templario, Barbaro Cavernario, Dragon Rojo Jr., Zandokan Jr., Star Jr., Averno, and Mistico. The first four signed contracts for a lucha de apuesta bout (type of match not revealed yet) for the Aniversario show. On Friday, Star Jr. targeted Zandokan Jr. to sign the contract. As for the trios match itself, Ultimo Guerrero, Barbaro Cavernario, & Zandokan Jr. defeated Templario, Dragon Rojo Jr., & Star Jr. via disqualification when Star Jr. removed the mask of Zandokan Jr. That dirty deed was enough to motivate Zandokan Jr. to sign the contract to get revenge on Star Jr. Thunder Rosa is a champion in CMLL. La Mera Mera won the Mexican National Women’s Championship from India Sioux. Thunder was in some prickly moments in submissions and near falls, then she rallied for the pin via Thunder Driver. The finish was posted earlier in The Feed, and now here is the highlight package. In a prelude to the CMLL International Grand Prix next Friday, Douki was the final man standing in the Mexico versus Japan torneo cibernetico. The NJPW wrestler pinned Xelhua via slingshot DDT to win the match. The full teams were Xelhua, Valiente Jr., Capitan Suicida, Fugaz, & Pantera Jr. representing Mexico and Douki, Yujiro Takahashi, Yutani, Okumura, & Shoma Kato representing Japan. Austin Aries (USA) from MLW and Leon Cage (UK) from RevPro will also be in the Grand Prix. They arrived early to Mexico City to put in work. Unfortunately for them, Aries & Cage went down in defeat to Titan & Neon for a tag team bout. Titan pinned Cage off a flying stomp. Share your thoughts on the action from CMLL.