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

Travis Lopes Jr. is a former U.S. Army National Guard reservist and a father of two, but when he enters a Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) ring, a switch flips – almost literally.

Inside the squared circle, Lopes is known as Flip Gordon. He is CMLL’s current world historic middleweight champion, and in Las Vegas this week, he will help the company make history. CMLL will host its first solo U.S. show ever. It will come in the midst of WrestleMania week as pro wrestling fans hit Las Vegas for a few days of high-flying and hard-hitting action.

Lopes detailed his journey from the National Guard to a pro wrestling ring.

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"I got my start in 2015. I was in the Army National Guard at the time, and I moved from the state of Idaho to the state of Massachusetts to begin this amazing journey of becoming a professional wrestler," he said. "And now, almost 11 years later, it's taken me all over the world. I've gotten to see more than 15 countries, and now I have a beautiful life down here in Mexico."

He said pro wrestling was always his dream – it just took him a different route than most.

But it was his time in the Army that helped him get the discipline he needed to stay the course and keep focus on his ultimate goal. He said he joined the Army when he was just 20 years old and serving helped him become a "grownup."

"For me, I always wanted to be a professional wrestler. So this is something I always knew I wanted to do. Obviously, life takes you on different journeys, but ultimately, I ended up where I wanted it to be. But if it wasn't for the Army, I don't think I ever would have made it as a professional wrestler. The Army taught me a lot of things about being a grownup.

"I joined at 20, but it taught me discipline. It taught me work ethic. It taught how to be away from my family because being in the Army was the first time I was away from family for a long period of time," he told Fox News Digital. "But I think the work ethic and the discipline really helped me the most because wrestling takes a lot of discipline. Not just with the in-ring aspect, but the traveling, being away from home, the discipline of, if you're on a strict diet, not eating junk food or fast-food.

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"So, discipline really is an important part of it. And another thing that helped me, I believe, was my time in college before the National Guard. I was a mascot. But I got to work out with the cheerleaders and the gymnastics, and that's where I learned my body control. I think if it wasn't for these things, especially in the military, I don't think I ever would have been a successful professional wrestler."

Being at CMLL was also a part of his dream as he watched legendary pro wrestlers like the late Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho compete for the company and ultimately become major stars around the world.

Lopes said he first received his opportunity at CMLL when he was with Ring of Honor. He made his debut at the company’s anniversary show. He said he wasn’t initially thinking he would be offered to stay with the company being that he was only into his first few months of his Ring of Honor contract.

He was expecting to take off in September 2017 when an earthquake nearly derailed any hope of him realizing that dream. He said his willingness to stay in Mexico and seeing how the community came together helped him fall in love with Mexico and led him to a CMLL ring full-time.

"I came down here in September of 2017, made my debut on the anniversary show. I was here for about two and a half weeks and then a big earthquake hit, and they canceled shows that whole week because they had to inspect the buildings, make sure it was safe to run events," he recalled. "And I went to the office, and I was like, ‘I know that I was supposed to leave on Monday,’ I was, like, ‘But can I stay another week?’ And they're like, ‘Well, we can't pay you more,’ And I was like, ‘Well, I didn't get to wrestle this week. So, it's the same basically,’ I was like, ‘If you're willing to pay my hotel for the next week so I can stay here, I'd love to stay another week so that I can give you my committed dates.’

"And so, I was able to stay here for another week. And those three and a half, I believe weeks it was, I just fell in love with the country of Mexico. I fell in with the culture, I fell with the Lucha Libre, I fell in love with the food. Just seeing how everybody came together in a time of need was just so inspirational, and I loved just that feeling that everybody had. It's almost like camaraderie, very similar to the military, but it was a whole culture, a whole country coming together for each other."

The CMLL World Historic Middleweight Championship is also known as the National Wrestling Alliance World Historic Middleweight Championship. Gordon captured the title in November 2024, defeating Villano III Jr. at CMLL Viernes Espectacular.

Gordon will be in a tag-team match with Capitán Suicida in Las Vegas. The two will square off against Mascarada and Neón. It’s one of a handful of matches that CMLL has put together during the week.

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The CMLL show will be a part of Slam Fest, which is taking place in the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, Stardom, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling and House of Glory will also run shows at the venue.

The event starts at 3 p.m. PT.