CMLL champion Flip Gordon talks going from US Army National Guard reservist to pro wrestling ring

LAS VEGAS – Travis Lopes Jr. is simply a erstwhile U.S. Army National Guard reservist and a begetter of two, but erstwhile he enters a Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) ring, a move flips – almost literally.

Inside nan squared circle, Lopes is known arsenic Flip Gordon. He is CMLL’s existent world historical middleweight champion, and successful Las Vegas this week, he will thief nan institution make history. CMLL will big its first solo U.S. show ever. It will travel successful nan midst of WrestleMania week arsenic pro wrestling fans deed Las Vegas for a fewer days of high-flying and hard-hitting action.

Lopes elaborate his travel from nan National Guard to a pro wrestling ring.

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CMLL prima Flip Gordon performs a dive extracurricular of nan ring. (CMLL)

"I sewage my commencement successful 2015. I was successful nan Army National Guard astatine nan time, and I moved from nan authorities of Idaho to nan authorities of Massachusetts to statesman this astonishing travel of becoming a professional wrestler," he said. "And now, almost 11 years later, it's taken maine each complete nan world. I've gotten to spot much than 15 countries, and now I person a beautiful life down present successful Mexico."

He said pro wrestling was ever his dream – it conscionable took him a different way than most.

But it was his clip successful nan Army that helped him get nan subject he needed to enactment nan people and support attraction connected his eventual goal. He said he joined nan Army erstwhile he was conscionable 20 years aged and serving helped him go a "grownup."

"For me, I ever wanted to beryllium a master wrestler. So this is thing I ever knew I wanted to do. Obviously, life takes you connected different journeys, but ultimately, I ended up wherever I wanted it to be. But if it wasn't for nan Army, I don't deliberation I ever would person made it arsenic a master wrestler. The Army taught maine a batch of things astir being a grownup.

"I joined astatine 20, but it taught maine discipline. It taught maine activity ethic. It taught really to beryllium distant from my family because being successful nan Army was nan first clip I was distant from family for a agelong play of time," he told Fox News Digital. "But I deliberation nan activity ethic and nan subject really helped maine nan astir because wrestling takes a batch of discipline. Not conscionable pinch nan in-ring aspect, but nan traveling, being distant from home, nan subject of, if you're connected a strict diet, not eating junk nutrient aliases accelerated food.

Flip Gordon prepares for a lucifer successful CMLL. (CMLL)

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"So, subject really is an important portion of it. And different point that helped me, I believe, was my clip successful assemblage earlier nan National Guard. I was a mascot. But I sewage to activity retired pinch nan cheerleaders and nan gymnastics, and that's wherever I learned my assemblage control. I deliberation if it wasn't for these things, particularly successful nan military, I don't deliberation I ever would person been a successful master wrestler."

Being astatine CMLL was besides a portion of his dream arsenic he watched legendary pro wrestlers for illustration nan precocious Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho compete for nan institution and yet go awesome stars astir nan world.

Lopes said he first received his opportunity astatine CMLL erstwhile he was pinch Ring of Honor. He made his debut connected nan company’s day show. He said he wasn’t initially reasoning he would beryllium offered to enactment pinch nan institution being that he was only into his first fewer months of his Ring of Honor contract.

He was expecting to return disconnected successful September 2017 erstwhile an earthquake astir derailed immoderate dream of him realizing that dream. He said his willingness to enactment successful Mexico and seeing really nan organization came together helped him autumn successful emotion pinch Mexico and led him to a CMLL ringing afloat time.

"I came down present successful September of 2017, made my debut connected nan day show. I was present for astir 2 and a half weeks and past a large earthquake hit, and they canceled shows that full week because they had to inspect nan buildings, make judge it was safe to tally events," he recalled. "And I went to nan agency and I was like, ‘I cognize that I was expected to time off connected Monday,’ I was, like, ‘But tin I enactment different week?’ And they're like, ‘Well, we can't salary you more,’ And I was like, ‘Well, I didn't get to wrestle this week. So, it's nan aforesaid basically,’ I was like, ‘If you're consenting to salary my edifice for nan adjacent week truthful I tin enactment here, I'd emotion to enactment different week truthful that I tin springiness you my committed dates.’

"And so, I was capable to enactment present for different week. And those 3 and a half, I judge weeks it was, I conscionable fell successful emotion pinch nan country of Mexico. I fell successful pinch nan culture, I fell pinch nan Lucha Libre, I fell successful emotion nan food. Just seeing really everybody came together successful a clip of request was conscionable truthful inspirational and I loved conscionable that emotion that everybody had. It's almost for illustration camaraderie, very akin to nan military, but it was a full culture, a full state coming together for each other."

Flip Gordon gets a CMLL title put astir his waist. (CMLL)

The CMLL World Historic Middleweight Championship is besides known arsenic nan National Wrestling Alliance World Historic Middleweight Championship. Gordon captured nan title successful November 2024, defeating Villano III Jr. astatine CMLL Viernes Espectacular.

Gordon will beryllium successful a tag-team lucifer pinch Capitán Suicida successful Las Vegas. The 2 will quadrate disconnected against Mascarada and Neón. It’s 1 of a fistful of matches that CMLL has put together during nan week.

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The CMLL show will beryllium a portion of Slam Fest, which is taking spot successful nan Pearl Theater astatine Palms Casino Resort. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, Stardom, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling and House of Glory will besides tally shows astatine nan venue.

The arena starts astatine 3 p.m. PT.