Vocabulary format :

Spanish(Translation) : Definition





The company use to be known as EMLL which meant Empresa Mejicana de Lucha Libre.

Empresa - Company

Mejicana - Mexico

de Lucha Libre - Wrestling

All together now : Mexican Company of Wrestling





Then in 1991 they split from NWA and in order to seem like a more global product and refresh their image they changed their name to CMLL.





CMLL means Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre which means

Consejo - Council

Mundial - World

De Lucha Libre - of Wrestling

All together now : World Wrestling Council





Lucha Libre(Free Fighting) : Though this more just means wrestling the straight translation and original meaning is Free Fighting.



Luchador(Wrestler) : Pretty self explanatory, also worth noting : Luchadors do not need a mask. The term Luchador is just associated with masks because many Mexican wrestlers are masked.

Luchadoras(Female Wrestler) : Pretty much what is written above, but female. Not really the focus of CMLL and often in the background.

Mini-Estrella(Mini-Stars) : The smaller wrestlers, might be considered ‘Little People’ though a few sometimes break past the ceiling and will upgrade to the smallest normal weight division belt the Lightweight Belt. The last Mini Estella Champion Astral did that… though it’s not common.



Rudo(Rude/Hard/Burly) : Bad guys, often using underhanded tactics to win matches. The CMLL version of a heel, which is what the bad guys are called in WWE and many other companies.

Tecnico(Technical/Technician/Expert) : Good guys, not needing the underhanded tactics of the Rudos because they can get the job done by being well trained/versed in Lucha Libre. Faces, is what they would be called in WWE and many other companies.

Caída(Falls) : A vast majority of matches in CMLL are 2 out of 3 falls. Often between rounds you will see a ring girl walking up and down the entrance way holding up a card that says either ½/3 Caida. Meaning that fall is starting.



Lightning Match : A staple of CMLL’s shows most often happening on the Friday shows. It’s a 10 minute time limit match, with 1 fall instead of the regular 2/3 falls. The time limit counts up on the titantron behind the ramp way. If 10 minutes is reached it’s deemed a no contest/draw and neither man wins.

Luchas de Apuestas(Betting Fights) : The biggest of deals in Mexico and CMLL. A betting fight is where someone will put their mask/hair on the line. Most of the time the CMLL Anniversary show ends with a bet match. The main event of the biggest show of the year.

La máscara(The Mask) : Used when talking about mask. If you see Mascara in a Youtube video title… it’s likely a mask vs hair/mask match. (Should not be confused with La Mascara the luchador, who ironically doesn’t have a mask anymore.)



Cabellera(Hair) : The other side of the Betting matches, if this is in the title of a Lucha Libre video it probably means someone has bet their hair in this match.



Parejas(Pairs) : Tag teams, not as often used as the next vocabulary word.



Trios(Triplets) : More often done, the bread and butter of CMLL. Trios compete vs other teams of 3.

Atómicos(Atomic) : Team of 4, very rare in CMLL. It is more done in Mexican independent promotions.



Lucharesu : Not a word often used by CMLL officially. This is when someone is working a mix of Lucha style(High flying) and puroresu(Stiff strikes/suplexes). Often seen in CMLL though thanks to their working relationship with NJPW. Getting talents from them for the excursion rookie NJPW talents do to other territories to pick up different styles/get more experience.



Think this basically covered all the needed Lucha Libre terms I’ll use. If I forgot anything feel free to suggest more words. This will stay up and be the start of my CMLL guide. I’ll cover PPV’s, Tournaments and other needed knowledge to fully enjoy CMLL. Stay tuned for more CMLL 101!