Recently, there has been a young 22-year-old prospect from CMLL that has been catching the eyes of many people on social media. Known as “Panterita Del Ring Jr.”, the recently turned 22-year-old son of a legend has attracted much attention with the beyond-impressive athleticism and agility that he shows off in the ring. Debuting for CMLL in 2021, it is easy to see how much Panterita has grown and risen on the match cards in just 2 years. Of course, his growth hasn’t been too fast, but it has turned him into one of the youngest prodigies in Lucha Libre right now.
At the time of writing, Panterita Del Ring Jr. is soon going to don an old gimmick and become “Mascara Dorada 2.0”. This decision has received some backlash from fans because they really wanted to see him thrive as Panterita Del Ring Jr.. The only thing that is certain is that Panterita will face El Desperado on the 30th of June and that he will keep catching the attention of fans worldwide. Most likely, the new fans won’t be sure where to start or what matches to watch of this young prospect, but I’m here to assist you. So, in the second-ever entry of Five Star Selections, let me bring a guide upon you that will help you familiarize yourself with CMLL’s youngest prodigy, Panterita Del Ring Jr.
*Quick Note: All the matches & descriptions are in chronological order. Of course, you don’t have to watch them in that order. If you want to see his early stages of greatness, watch the older ones first. Otherwise, you can start with his most recent and amazing performances, then go back & watch his earlier work.
Panterita Del Ring & Panterita Del Ring Jr. vs Blue Panther & Dark Panther ~ CMLL Viernes Espectacular (September 23, 2022)
At this point, Panterita Del Ring Jr. had proved that he was very impressive in his lower card matches, but this match was definitely crucial in his quick rise up the match card. In this match, 2 wrestling dynasties faced off. In one corner were Blue Panther and his son Dark Panther. Blue Panther was already known as a legend in lucha libre, but his son had a lot to prove in this match. In the other corner, we had Panterita Del Ring and Panterita Del Ring Jr. In a similar fashion, Panterita Del Ring Jr. had a big opportunity to show off his incredible talent.
The match wasn’t just an opportunity for both young wrestlers to show off their skills, but it was also an opportunity to prove that their individual dynasties were in good hands. Panterita Del Ring Jr. nicely showed off his great high-flying abilities in this match. But not just that. He proved that he could also get technical if he wanted to. The match had some very tense moments, especially near the third fall. In the 3rd fall, both of the legends were eliminated first, and it meant Dark Panther & Panterita Del Ring Jr. would face off one on one for a bit. Both of them demonstrated great performances and chemistry. While the final fall was a tiny bit anticlimactic, Panterita Del Ring Jr. still came out looking amazing and alerted the audience to keep an eye on him.
Check it out on CMLL’s Youtube Channel here
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Mistico & Panterita Del Ring Jr. vs Gran Guerrero & Raider ~ CMLL Viernes Espectacular [Gran Alternativa Final] (December 23, 2022)
Panterita Del Ring Jr. had what many would consider a phenomenal 2022. He successfully defended his Mexican National Lightweight Championship 2 times. More importantly, he won La Gran Alternativa alongside Mistico because Volador Jr. caught COVID a couple of days before the match. Before winning the tournament, Panterita & Mistico had to face off against Gran Guerrero & Raider. Gran Guerrero was already the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion, so it was known that he was a tough opponent. In addition to that, Raider had also proven that he was pretty good and contained lots of potential.
The match itself would easily launch the winning novice wrestler into superstardom. It was a very tough back-and-forth fight. Panterita constantly demonstrated how good he was in this match, and it showed that Raider could become a long-time rival. There was a lot of high-flying action from both teams and a lot of great teamwork. Those near falls on either side could have easily gotten people out of their seats. Panterita was able to show everyone his beautiful shooting star press in this match. Not only was this an incredible showing from Panterita Del Ring Jr., but Raider also had a great showing that left lots of people impressed and in awe. Ultimately, Panterita Del Ring Jr. & Mistico won the match and officially became the winners of La Gran Alternativa 2022. This tournament win granted Panterita two wrestling Godfathers. They were Volador Jr. and Mistico.
Check it out on CMLL’s Youtube Channel Here
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Angel De Oro vs Dulce Gardenia vs Esfinge vs Fugaz vs Espiritu Negro vs El Sagrado vs Rey Cometa vs Magia Blanca vs Panterita Del Ring Jr. vs Templario ~ CMLL Viernes Espectacular [Campeones Nacionales Eliminatoria] (April 14, 2023)
Panterita Del Ring Jr. has so far had an amazing 2023 as well. One of his most GIFed matches this year has been the National Champions Elimination Round from CMLL’s Universal Championship Tournament. In this ten-way elimination match, Panterita would have to face off against every other national champion in CMLL. This ranged from the trios champions all the way to the national heavyweight champion. So it was clear that there was a lot of competition that Panterita would have to overcome if he wanted to move on to the final.
A lot of talent had the opportunity to showcase what they’re made of in this match, but the biggest standout ended up being Panterita. The half-hour-long battle had so many amazing moments from every single talent. Fugaz & Panterita brought a lot of great high flying to the match, but it was clear Panterita was out-flying Fugaz. When we got to the final 3, most people guaranteed that Angel De Oro or Templario would win, but Panterita Del Ring Jr. brought an absolutely incredible underdog performance. Everyone was in shock when Angel De Oro got eliminated before Panterita. Panterita Del Ring Jr. had so many people believe that he could be the national champion to move onto the final. He fought back very hard against a tough opponent in Templario, but he, unfortunately, couldn’t pull off the upset win.
Check it out on CMLL’s Youtube Channel Here
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Panterita Del Ring Jr. vs Templario ~ CMLL Viernes Espectacular (April 21, 2023)
After being last eliminated by Templario the previous week, Panterita would find a grand new rival in him. A lot of respect was shared by both the previous week, after the ten-way elimination, but it was now time for them to focus on each other a bit more closely. They wouldn’t have all the time in the world, because the match had a 10-minute time limit. Both men would have to try and show off why they’re better but in a very quick fashion. Panterita & Templario couldn’t be slow. They had to be fast like lightning and still give the crowd one hell of a match.
One very clear thing from the match was that Templario & Panterita Del Ring Jr. have incredible in-ring chemistry. They wrestled very well back and forth. The match included tons of spectacular moments. You honestly couldn’t tell who was going to win this very close bout. It had many people divided. A lot of people wanted Templario to win, but there was also some people that wanted Panterita to get his win back from the previous week. It was intense, but many came out knowing that Panterita & Templario could one day become even bigger rivals. Of course, it hasn’t happened, but we don’t know what the future holds for this beautiful rivalry.
Check it out on CMLL’s Youtube Channel Here
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Mistico & Panterita Del Ring Jr. vs Averno & Soberano Jr. ~ CMLL Martes De Glamour (May 16, 2023)
Finally, here’s a match that perfectly demonstrates that Panterita Del Ring Jr. can have both serious and somewhat silly matches. It was a part of the mini rivalry Soberano Jr. & Panterita Del Ring Jr. had in the La Arena Coliseo de Guadalajara. In this match, they were accompanied by two wrestlers who were themselves rivals. Those wrestlers are Mistico and Averno. The heels did a great job. They acted like cowards, but they still put up a fight.
Panterita & Mistico did a great job in playing off the heelish tactics from Averno & Soberano. Of course, this wasn’t a 5-star tag team match, but everyone was still able to give a pretty good performance. Panterita had his great high-flying spots and it was clear that his rivalry with Soberano Jr. would be escalating after this match. Thankfully, it would lead to them facing off one on one in a pretty good match that could just be the surface of what they’re able to give us. Both of Panterita’s latest rivalries have proved that he still has years of incredible matches ahead of him and is only just starting out.
If you really enjoy fun tag matches, make sure to check this one out. It could entertain you, impress you, and even make you laugh. It included 4 phenomenal wrestlers just doing some pretty good work and you should definitely watch it.