title: Mexican National Middleweight Championship
text: # Mexican National Middleweight Championship
  
  The Mexican National Middleweight Championship (Campeonato Nacional de Peso Medio) is a professional wrestling championship controlled by the Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. (Mexico City Boxing and Wrestling Commission). The official weight definition of the middleweight division in Mexico is from 82 to 87 kg (181 to 192 lb). The championship was created in 1933 and was promoted regularly until December 8, 2008. Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL) had control of the championship from its creation until 1992, at which point it was transferred to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). The championship's history between 1933 and 1937 is only partially known; for some periods it is unclear who held the championship. The first champion was Yaqui Joe; records of the identity of his opponent for the championship are unclear. In early 2009, AAA stopped promoting all Mexican National Championships, opting to focus on its AAA-branded championships instead. In 2021, the championship was reactivated by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, with Templario defeating Dragón Rojo Jr. to win the vacant title.
  
  There have been at least 63 championship reigns, and 38 wrestlers have held the championship. El Santo and Octagón both held it four times, the most for any wrestler. The longest confirmed reign belongs to El Santo. His third reign lasted 1,758 days from May 31, 1956, to March 24, 1961. The shortest reign lasted 11 days; Perro Aguayo held it from February 28 to March 11, 1977. As with all professional wrestling championships, matches for the Mexican National Tag Team Championship were not won or lost competitively but by a pre-planned ending to the match, the outcome of which was determined by the CMLL bookers and match makers. Occasionally, organizers of a promotion declared the championship vacant, which meant there was no champion for a period. This was either due to a storyline, or real-life problems such as an injured champion being unable to defend the championship or they had left the company. All title matches took place under two out of three falls rules.
  
  ## Title history
  
  Key :
  
  | No. | Overall reign number |
  | - | - |
  | Reign | Reign number for the specific champion |
  | Days | Number of days held |
  | N/A | Unknown information |
  | (NLT) | Championship change took place "no later than" the date listed |
  | No. | Champion | Championship change | Championship change | Championship change | Reign statistics | Reign statistics | Notes | Ref. |
  | No. | Champion | Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | Notes | Ref. |
  | | Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre |
  | 1 | Yaqui Joe | 1933 | Live event | N/A | 1 | N/A | | |
  | | Championship history is unrecorded from 1933 to 1937. | Championship history is unrecorded from 1933 to 1937. | Championship history is unrecorded from 1933 to 1937. | Championship history is unrecorded from 1933 to 1937. | Championship history is unrecorded from 1933 to 1937. | Championship history is unrecorded from 1933 to 1937. | Championship history is unrecorded from 1933 to 1937. | Championship history is unrecorded from 1933 to 1937. |
  | 2 | Octavio Gaona | February 6, 1938 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 208 | Defeated Black Guzmán | |
  | 3 | Firpo Segura | September 2, 1938 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | N/A | | |
  | 4 | Octavio Gaona | January 1, 19391938/1939 | Live event | N/A | 2 | N/A | | |
  | 5 | Tarzán López | February 9, 1939 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 823 | | |
  | 6 | Black Guzmán | May 12, 1941 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 218 | | |
  | — | Vacated | December 16, 1941 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated after Guzman won the NWA World Middleweight Championship, defeating Tarzán López in Mexico City | |
  | 7 | Murciélago Velázquez | May 24, 1942 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 299 | Defeated Octavio Gaona to win the championship | |
  | 8 | El Santo | March 19, 1943 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 84 | | |
  | 9 | Bobby Bonales | June 11, 1943 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 119 | | |
  | 10 | El Santo | October 8, 1943 | Live event | Mexico City | 2 | 176 | | |
  | 11 | Tarzán López | April 1, 1944 | Live event | Mexico City | 2 | 7 | | |
  | — | Vacated | April 8, 1944 | — | — | — | — | Vacated the championship as he already held the NWA World Middleweight Championship | |
  | 12 | El Santo | May 31, 1944 | Live event | Mexico City | 3 | 366 | Defeated Tuffy Truesdale to win the vacant championship | |
  | 13 | Bobby Bonales | June 1, 1945 | Live event | Mexico City | 2 | 116 | | |
  | 14 | Gory Guerrero | September 25, 1945 | EMLL 12th Anniversary Show | Mexico City | 1 | 151 | | |
  | — | Vacated | February 23, 1946 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated after Guerrero won the NWA World Middleweight Championship | |
  | 15 | Tarzán López | April 12, 1946 | Live event | N/A | 3 | 11 | | |
  | — | Vacated | April 23, 1946 | — | — | — | — | López won the NWA World Middleweight Championship | |
  | 16 | El Santo | May 31, 1956 | Live event | Mexico City | 4 | 1,758 | | |
  | 17 | Karloff Lagarde | March 24, 1961 | Live event | Pachuca | 1 | 826 | Won a tournament for the vacant championship | |
  | 18 | El Santo | June 28, 1963 | Live event | Mexico City | 5 | 1,455 | | |
  | 19 | René Guajardo | June 22, 1967 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 37 | | |
  | — | Vacated | July 29, 1967 | — | — | — | — | | |
  | 20 | Karloff Lagarde | December 15, 1967 | Live event | Mexico City | 2 | 72 | | |
  | 21 | Humberto Gárza | February 25, 1968 | Live event | Monterrey, Nuevo León | 2 | 238 | | |
  | 22 | Alberto Muñoz | October 20, 1968 | Live event | Guadalajara, Jalisco | 1 | 396 | | |
  | 23 | Rene Guajardo | November 20, 1969 | Live event | Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes | 2 | 174 | | |
  | 24 | Humberto Gárza | May 13, 1970 | Live event | Monterrey, Nuevo León | 2 | 328 | | |
  | 25 | Ciclón Veloz Jr. | April 6, 1971 | Live event | Monterrey, Nuevo León | 1 | 983 | | |
  | 26 | Adorable Rubí | December 14, 1973 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 196 | | |
  | 27 | Aníbal | June 28, 1974 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 84 | | |
  | — | Vacated | September 20, 1974 | — | — | — | — | Anibal won the NWA World Middleweight Championship | |
  | 28 | Ringo Mendoza | November 29, 1974 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 812 | Won a tournament for the vacant championship | |
  | 29 | Perro Aguayo | February 18, 1977 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 21 | | |
  | — | Vacated | March 11, 1977 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated after Perro Aguayo won the NWA World Middleweight Championship, defeating El Faraón in Mexico City | |
  | 30 | José Luis Mendieta | April 15, 1977 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 218 | | |
  | 31 | Sangre Chicana | November 19, 1977 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 467-497 | | |
  | — | Vacated | March 1979 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated for undocumented reasons | |
  | 32 | Cachorro Mendoza | June 8, 1979 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 133 | | |
  | 33 | El Satánico | October 19, 1979 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 231 | | |
  | 34 | Ringo Mendoza | June 6, 1980 | Live event | Mexico City | 2 | 182 | | |
  | 35 | El Faraón | December 5, 1980 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | N/A | | |
  | — | Vacated | 1980/1981 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated for undocumented reasons | |
  | 36 | El Solar | May 29, 1981 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 147 | Defeated Cachorro Mendoza | |
  | 37 | El Satánico | October 23, 1981 | Live event | Mexico City | 2 | 119 | | |
  | 38 | Lizmark | February 19, 1982 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 377 | | |
  | 39 | Espectro Jr. (II) | March 3, 1983 | Live event | Cuernavaca, Morelos | 1 | 86 | | |
  | 40 | Lizmark | May 28, 1983 | Live event | Puebla, Puebla | 2 | 6 | | |
  | — | Vacated | June 3, 1983 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated when Lizmark won the NWA World Middleweight Championship | |
  | 41 | Ultraman | August 12, 1983 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 205 | Defeated Águila Solitaria in a tournament final | |
  | 42 | Jerry Estrada | March 4, 1984 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 271 | | |
  | 43 | Atlantis | November 30, 1984 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 457 | | |
  | 44 | El Talismán | March 2, 1986 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 273 | | |
  | 45 | Mogur | November 30, 1986 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 427 | | |
  | 46 | El Satánico | January 31, 1988 | Live event | Mexico City | 3 | N/A | | |
  | 47 | El Dandy | 1989 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | N/A | | |
  | 48 | Javier Cruz | July 26, 1990 | Live event | Cuernavaca, Morelos | 1 | 35 | | |
  | 49 | Emilio Charles Jr. | August 30, 1990 | Live event | Cuernavaca, Morelos | 1 | 82 | | |
  | 50 | Octagón | November 20, 1990 | Live event | Mexico City | 1 | 612 | | |
  | | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración/AAA | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración/AAA | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración/AAA | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración/AAA | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración/AAA | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración/AAA | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración/AAA | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración/AAA |
  | 51 | Blue Panther | July 24, 1992 | Live event | León, Guanajuato | 1 | 665 | | |
  | 52 | Octagón | April 30, 1994 | AAA Show | Veracruz, Veracruz | 2 | 27 | | |
  | 53 | Blue Panther | May 27, 1994 | AAA Show | Tijuana, Baja California | 2 | 609 | Awarded the title by default when Octagón was unable to defend it because of injury | |
  | 54 | El Hijo del Santo | January 26, 1996 | AAA Show | Tijuana, Baja California | 1 | 233 | | |
  | 55 | Fuerza Guerrera | September 15, 1996 | AAA Show | Saltillo, Coahuila | 1 | 867 | | |
  | 56 | Octagón | January 29, 1997 | AAA Show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | 3 | 58 | | |
  | 57 | Pentagón (II) | March 28, 1997 | AAA Show | Nezahualcóyotl, State of Mexico | 1 | 417 | | |
  | 58 | Abismo Negro | May 19, 1998 | AAA Show | Tlalnepantla de Baz | 1 | 253 | | |
  | 59 | Espectro Jr. (II) | January 27, 1999 | AAA Show | Ecatepec de Morelos, State of Mexico | 2 | 141 | | |
  | 60 | Máscara Sagrada Jr. | June 17, 1999 | AAA Show | Toluca, State of Mexico | 1 | 21 | | |
  | 61 | Espectro Jr. (II) | July 8, 1999 | AAA Show | Toluca, State of Mexico | 3 | 659 | | |
  | 62 | Pimpinela Escarlata | April 27, 2001 | AAA Show | Querétaro, Querétaro | 1 | 473 | | |
  | 63 | Psicosis II | August 13, 2002 | AAA Show | Huamantla, Tlaxcala | 1 | 1,086 | | |
  | — | Vacated | August 3, 2005 | — | — | — | — | Psicosis was stripped of the title for defending the title in a hardcore match against Histeria. | |
  | 64 | Zumbido | January 29, 2006 | AAA Show | Salamanca, Guanajuato | 1 | 167 | Defeated Histeria in a tournament final to win the championship. | |
  | 65 | Octagón | July 15, 2006 | AAA Show | Torreón, Coahuila | 4 | 877 | | |
  | — | Deactivated | December 8, 2008 | — | — | — | — | AAA stopped using all of the Mexican National championships around this time, focusing on AAA-branded championships instead. | |
  | | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
  | 66 | Templario | September 24, 2021 | Aniversario 88 | Mexico City | 1 | 616 | In 2021, CMLL (formerly Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre; EMLL) reactivated the title. Templario defeated Dragón Rojo Jr. to win the vacant title. | |
  | 67 | Guerrero Maya, Jr. | June 2, 2023 | Super Viernes | Mexico City | 1 | 55+ | Guerrero Maya, Jr. defeated Rugido to win the vacant title. | |
  
  ## List of championship reigns by combined length
  
  Championships without a specific start or end date are not included as it is not possible to calculate the specific number of dates for a reign.
  
  | Rank | Wrestler | # Of Reigns | Combined Days |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | El Santo | 5 | 3,839 ¤ |
  | 2 | Lizmark | 1 | 2,204 |
  | 3 | Octagón | 4 | 1,574 |
  | 4 | Blue Panther | 2 | 1,274 |
  | 5 | Psicosis (II) | 1 | 1,086 |
  | 6 | Ringo Mendoza | 2 | 1,004 |
  | 7 | Ciclón Veloz Jr. | 1 | 983 |
  | 8 | Espectro Jr. (II) | 3 | 886 |
  | 9 | Fuerza Guerrera | 1 | 867 |
  | 10 | Karloff Lagarde | 1 | 826 |
  | 11 | Tarzán López | 1 | 823 |
  | 12 | Alberto Muñoz | 1 | 621 |
  | 13 | Octavio Gaona | 1 | 573 |
  | 14 | Pimpinela Escarlata | 1 | 473 |
  | 15 | Atlantis | 1 | 457 |
  | 16 | René Guajardo | 2 | 435 |
  | 17 | Mogur | 1 | 427 |
  | 18 | Pentagón (II) | 1 | 417 |
  | 19 | Satánico | 2 | 350 |
  | 20 | Humberto Gárza | 1 | 328 |
  | 21 | Murciélago Velázquez | 1 | 299 |
  | 22 | Talismán | 1 | 273 |
  | 23 | Jerry Estrada | 1 | 271 |
  | 24 | Abismo Negro | 1 | 253 |
  | 25 | El Hijo del Santo | 1 | 233 |
  | 26 | José Luis Mendieta | 1 | 219 |
  | 27 | Black Guzmán | 1 | 218 |
  | 28 | Ultraman | 1 | 205 |
  | 29 | Adorable Rubí | 1 | 196 |
  | 30 | Zumbido | 1 | 167 |
  | 31 | Aníbal | 1 | 154 |
  | 32 | El Solar | 1 | 147 |
  | 33 | Cachorro Mendoza | 1 | 133 |
  | 34 | Emilio Charles Jr. | 1 | 82 |
  | 35 | Javier Cruz | 1 | 35 |
  | 36 | Templario | 1 | 671+ |
  | 37 | Máscara Sagrada Jr. | 1 | 21 |
  | 38 | Perro Aguayo | 1 | 11 |
  
  ## Championship tournaments
  
  ### 1977
  
  Perro Aguayo won the NWA World Middleweight Championship on March 11, 1977, while being the reigning Mexican National Middleweight Champion. As a result, Aguayo relinquished the Mexican National title so that the EMLL could hold an eight-man tournament to determine the next champion. The first round was held on March 25, the semi-finals on April 8 and the tournament's finals on April 15. In the finals, Jose Luis Mendieta defeated Rubí Ruvalcaba to win the championship.
  
  | March 25 | March 25 | March 25 | April 8 | April 8 | April 8 | April 15 | April 15 | April 15 |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Demonio Blanco | W | | | | | | |
  | 8 | As Charro | | | | | | | |
  | 8 | As Charro | | Demonio Blanco | Demonio Blanco | | | | |
  | | | | Jose Luis Mendieta | Jose Luis Mendieta | W | | | |
  | 4 | Jose Luis Mendieta | W | Jose Luis Mendieta | Jose Luis Mendieta | W | | | |
  | 5 | Spirit | | | | | | | |
  | 5 | Spirit | | | | | Jose Luis Mendieta | Jose Luis Mendieta | W |
  | | | | | | | Rubí Ruvalcaba | Rubí Ruvalcaba | |
  | 2 | Rubí Ruvalcaba | W | | | | | | | Rubí Ruvalcaba | Rubí Ruvalcaba |
  | 7 | Tony Salazar | | | | | | | |
  | 7 | Tony Salazar | | Rubí Ruvalcaba | Rubí Ruvalcaba | W | | | |
  | | | | El Faraón | El Faraón | | | | |
  | 3 | El Faraón | W | El Faraón | El Faraón | | | | |
  | 6 | Ringo Mendoza | | | | | | | |
  
  ### 2005–2006
  
  The tournament ran from October 14, 2005 – January 9, 2006. Records are unclear as to who Histeria and Psicosis II defeated to qualify for the semi-finals.
  
  | First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round | Semi-Final | Semi-Final | Semi-Final | | Finals | Finals | Finals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | El Ángel | W | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 16 | Gran Apache | L | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 16 | Gran Apache | L | El Ángel | El Ángel | L | | | | | | | |
  | | | | El Hijo del Fantasma | El Hijo del Fantasma | W | | | | | | | |
  | 8 | El Hijo del Fantasma | W | El Hijo del Fantasma | El Hijo del Fantasma | W | | | | | | | |
  | 9 | Hator | L | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 9 | Hator | L | | | | El Hijo del Fantasma | El Hijo del Fantasma | L | | | | |
  | | | | | | | Zumbido | Zumbido | W | | | | |
  | 5 | Audaz II Jr. | L | | | | | | | Zumbido | Zumbido | W | | | | |
  | 12 | Charly Manson | W | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 12 | Charly Manson | W | Charly Manson | Charly Manson | L | | | | | | | |
  | | | | Zumbido | Zumbido | W | | | | | | | |
  | 4 | El Oriental | L | Zumbido | Zumbido | W | | | | | | | |
  | 13 | Zumbido | W | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 13 | Zumbido | W | | | | | | | | Zumbido | Zumbido | W |
  | | | | | | | | | | | Psicosis II | Psicosis II | L |
  | 6 | bye | n/a | | | | | | | | | | | Psicosis II | Psicosis II | L |
  | 11 | bye | n/a | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 11 | bye | n/a | bye | bye | n/a | | | | | | | |
  | | | | bye | bye | n/a | | | | | | | |
  | 3 | bye | n/a | bye | bye | n/a | | | | | | | |
  | 14 | bye | n/a | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 14 | bye | n/a | | | | Histeria | Histeria | L | | | | |
  | | | | | | | Psicosis II | Psicosis II | W | | | | |
  | 7 | bye | n/a | | | | | | | Psicosis II | Psicosis II | W | | | | |
  | 10 | bye | n/a | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 10 | bye | n/a | bye | bye | n/a | | | | | | | |
  | | | | bye | bye | n/a | | | | | | | |
  | 2 | bye | n/a | bye | bye | n/a | | | | | | | |
  | 15 | bye | n/a | | | | | | | | | | |
  
  ## Footnotes
  
  * ↑ Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre (2001): "Articulo 242: Super Welter 82 kilos / Medio 87 kilos" ("Article 242: Super Welter 82 kilos / Middleweight 87 kilos")
  * ↑ EMLL was renamed Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in late 1991
  * ↑ In this, "control" refers to the everyday use of the title, determination of storylines in which the title is being used, selection of wrestlers who challenge the title, and use the championship's name for public relations.
  * ↑ Due to gaps in the title's history, it is not clear if there was a longer reign.
  * ↑ Hornbaker (2016) p. 550: "Professional wrestling is a sport in which match finishes are predetermined. Thus, win–loss records are not indicative of a wrestler's genuine success based on their legitimate abilities – but on now much, or how little they were pushed by promoters."
  * ↑ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 271, Chapter: Texas: NWA American Tag Team Title [World Class, Adkisson] "Championship held up and rematch ordered because of the interference of manager Gary Hart"
  * ↑ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 20, Chapter: (United States: 19th Century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IW, ECW, NWA) NWA/WCW TV Title "Rhodes stripped on 85/10/19 for not defending the belt after having his leg broken by Ric Flair and Ole & Arn Anderson"
  * ↑ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 201, Chapter: (Memphis, Nashville) Memphis: USWA Tag Team Title "Vacant on 93/01/18 when Spike leaves the USWA."
  * ↑ Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre p. 44 "Articulo 258.- Cada combate de lucha libre tendrá como limite tres caídas; cada caída será sin limite de tiempo, ganará quien obtenga dos caídas de las tres en disputa" ("Article 258.- Each wrestling match shall have as limit three falls; Each fall will be without time limit. The winner will be the one to first obtain two of the three falls in the match")
  