Subscribe

Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis

Error: Contact form not found.

Subscribe elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. Aenean leo ligula, porttitor eu, consequat vitae eleifend ac, enim. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus.

Error: Contact form not found.

Subscribe elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. Aenean leo ligula, porttitor eu, consequat vitae eleifend ac, enim. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus.

Error: Contact form not found.

The Bond of CMLL and Los Ingobernables De Japon Runs Deep

1 year ago

The Bond of CMLL and Los Ingobernables De Japon Runs Deep

By: Sonal Lad

Professional wrestling might seem like a cutthroat business. Yet, there are actually more alliances than would be expected. In particular, New Japan Pro Wrestling has a strong connection with the Mexican company Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), which started back in 2008.

Although the relationship between CMLL and NJPW isn’t as obvious in 2022, one major result of the bond is always present in the form of Los Ingobernables de Japon.

The Original CMLL Faction

The start of Los Ingoberables came back in 2014 when CMLL’s Rush joined forces with La Máscara and La Sombra as heels to attack some of the company’s babyfaces. After spending years as a técnico (good guys), the three because rudos (bad guys). They then dubbed themselves Los Ingobernables, which meant “The Ungovernables.”

The faction was created with no clear leader, and the members were billed as equals. The faction continued to grow over the years, adding more members and gaining huge victories.

Tetsuya Naito In CMLL

Naito made his first trip to CMLL back in 2009 when he and his then-No Limit partner Yujiro. During this time, they played a significant role in the company and were represented as heels alongside fellow Japanese wrestler Okumura. The three wrestlers went under the name La Ola Amarilla which stood for “The Yellow Wave.” They were presented as heels who were anti-Mexican.

Throughout their time, they teamed with several wrestlers. The teams also had feuds with some of the biggest stars, including the likes of Ultimo Guerrero, Mistico, and many more. Naito stayed there for several months and didn’t return to Japan until January 2010 for Wrestle Kingdom IV.

Yet, although he was picking up titles, Naito wasn’t receiving the love expected from a babyface. In 2015, Naito decided to spend some more time at CMLL. During this time, he continued teaming with La Sombra as part of the Los Ingobernables stable. He was also officially made the fifth member of the faction. He was also the first non-Mexican wrestler to become a permanent part of Los Ingobernables.

Los Ingobernables’ NJPW Debut

After Naito’s excursion to CMLL was complete, Naito returned to NJPW in June 2015 with a brand new persona. His style and personality suited the more “Rudo” style Los Ingobernables was known for. He continued representing the faction in Japan, using the fans’ earlier disdain as the reason for his change.

Yet, it wasn’t until September that a new faction seemed possible. Naito teased bringing in a “Pareja,” or partner. On October 12, former young lion Takaaki Watanabe returned to attack Tanahashi under the name “EVIL.” When BUSHI returned from his injury in November, and debuted as the third member. From then on, Los Ingobernables de Japon (LIJ) officially became a unit and a force to be reckoned with.

Even with just three members, the link with CMLL was still extremely important to LIJ. Whether it was the storyline where Máscara Dorada turned down a place in LIJ from BUSHI, which led to him being unmasked, or the Fantastica mania shows, Los Ingobernables was slowly gaining attention from fans.
From that moment, Los Ingobernables seemed to go from strength to strength.

With the additions of SANADA and Hiromu Takahashi, followed by Shingo in 2018, LIJ seemed even stronger than ever. It seemed like the faction had managed to take over the company, whether it was the junior or heavyweight division, in singles or tag action.

Even when EVIL decided to betray the faction during the 20 G1, LIJ knew that it was part of wrestling. In CMLL, the faction had a number of members leave and join for various reasons, so it was an inevitable part of the growing faction.

LIJ’s Link To CMLL Becomes Concrete

In particular, the faction’s link to CMLL became even stronger with their newest member Titán. Titán first made his debut for CMLL all the way back in 2008 under the ring name “Palacio Negro,” and it wasn’t until 2011 that his character was repackaged as Titán.

On October 10, after a match between LIJ and The Empire, a masked figure helped LIJ win. After unmasking himself and revealing that he was actually Titán. The wrestler then shared his desire to be part of the faction. The members then voted on whether Titán should be added to the group and chose to to welcome the luchador.

The newest addition to Los Ingobernables de Japon also marked the first non-Japanese full-time member of the faction. It meant that the faction’s link with CMLL had gone full circle with a direct link between companies that hadn’t been seen in a long time.

Fantastica Mania

Even with Los Ingobernables de Japon becoming their own entity in Japan and the most popular faction, CMLL has always been a huge part of LIJ’s history. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Fantastica Mania tour was one of the most anticipated tours post-Wrestle Kingdom.

The tour first started in 2011. Even back then, Naito was teaming with CMLL wrestlers. The events saw everyone’s favorite NJPW wrestlers teaming with those from CMLL. For many New Japan fans, it was the first time seeing pure Lucha wrestling live.

Throughout the shows, NJPW talent would team with wrestlers from CMLL. It was inevitable that Los Ingobernables de Japon would team with the original Los Ingobernables members. In 2019, several of the show’s main events saw the members of LIJ teaming with El Terrible against members of the New Japan roster. It included SHO and YOH using their CMLL personas, Fujin and Raijin.

Over the years, along with helping create LIJ, CMLL has taken numerous Young Lions and helped them grow as wrestlers. More recently, Rocky Romero cemented the relationship after beating Volador Jr for the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship, and their feud seems far from over, with NJPW’s presence in CMLL even more prominent.

NJPW has seen the return of Fantastica Mania in 2022, and with the faction completely different from the last event, it’s impossible to predict what chaos could occur.

By
Features, New Japan

Written by:

Hi, I’m Sonal. A history graduate with a degree in Modern and Contemporary History at Queen Mary University Of London. I carry a gold standard NCTJ qualification, and work as a full time journalist. I fell in love with wrestling because it combines sports and storytelling. I’ve always loved telling stories through words and for me, journalism is the perfect way to share the lives of real people and make sure all voice are heard. It’s also an industry that, despite a bad reputation, it can be used for good and make a difference in the world.