Blue Panther Wins MLW Openweight Title from Ultimo Guerrero

Blue Panther, the 65-year-old lucha libre legend, captured the MLW National Openweight Championship Sunday at Arena Mexico, defeating longtime rival Último Guerrero during a CMLL show streamed for free to mark National Lucha Libre Day. The victory, which sent the crowd into applause and prompted Panther's son to place the belt around his waist, capped a rematch six weeks after Guerrero had retained the title in the same venue.

Accounts of how the match ended differ. Some reports say Blue Panther secured the pin with an armdrag off the top turnbuckle, while others describe a Spanish Fly as the decisive maneuver. Regardless of the finishing sequence, the result was undisputed in the ring: Guerrero shook Panther's hand and aided in the postmatch celebration by hoisting the new champion onto his shoulders, a gesture widely read as a sign of respect between two veterans.

The bout reused a storyline established at their August 8 meeting, when Guerrero retained amid heated exchanges. That earlier contest featured Guerrero relying on classic rudo tactics and Panther answering with high-risk offense, including a flying crossbody that was rolled up for a near fall. Guerrero had carried...