NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
LAS VEGAS – Travis Lopes Jr. is a former U.S. National Guard reservist and father of two, but when he steps into 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 the current historic CMLL World Middleweight Champion, and in Las Vegas this week he will help the company make history. CMLL will host its first ever solo show in the United States. This will take place in the middle of WrestleMania week as professional wrestling fans head to Las Vegas for a few days of high-flying, hard-hitting action.
Lopes detailed his journey from the National Guard to a professional wrestling ring.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
CMLL star Flip Gordon performs a dive outside the ring. (CMLL)
“I debuted in 2015. I was in the National Guard at the time and moved from the state of Idaho to the state of Massachusetts to begin this incredible journey of becoming a professional wrestler,” he said. “And now, almost 11 years later, it’s taken me all over the world. I’ve visited over 15 countries and now I have a great life here in Mexico.”
He said professional wrestling had always been his dream – it just took him a different path than most others.
But it was his time in the Army that helped him gain the discipline he needed to stay the course and stay focused on his ultimate goal. He said he joined the military when he was just 20 and that serving helped him become an “adult.”
“For me, I always wanted to be a professional wrestler. So it’s something that 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 without the military, I don’t think I would have ever made it as a professional wrestler. The military taught me a lot of things about being an adult.
“I enlisted at 20, but it taught me discipline. It taught me work ethic. It taught me how to be away from my family because being in the military was the first time I was away from my family for an extended period of time,” he told PK Press Club Digital. “But I think work ethic and discipline really helped me the most because wrestling takes a lot of discipline. Not just the in-ring appearance, but also the traveling, being away from home, the discipline of, if you’re on a strict diet, not eating junk food or fast food.
Flip Gordon prepares for a CMLL match. (CMLL)
RISING PRO WRESTLING STAR PERSEPHONE TO BE PART OF CMLL’S HISTORIC SHOW AT SLAM FEST, REACTS TO PRAISES FROM TONY KHAN
“So discipline is definitely a big part. And another thing that helped me, I think, was my time in college before the National Guard. I was a mascot. But I was able to train with cheerleading and gymnastics, and that’s where I learned to control my body. I think without those things, especially in the military, I don’t think I would have ever been a successful professional wrestler.”
Being in CMLL was also part of his dream as he watched legendary professional wrestlers like the late Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho compete for the company and eventually become major stars around the world.
Lopes said he first got his opportunity in CMLL while he was with Ring of Honor. It debuted during the company’s anniversary show. He said he initially didn’t think he would be asked to stay with the company given that he was only in the first few months of his Ring of Honor contract.
He was expecting to take off in September 2017 when an earthquake nearly derailed any hopes of realizing his dream. He said his drive to stay in Mexico and see how the community came together helped him fall in love with Mexico and led him to work full-time in the CMLL ring.
“I came here in September 2017, debuted at the anniversary show. I was here for about two and a half weeks, then a big earthquake hit, and they canceled the shows all week because they had to inspect the buildings and make sure the events were being held safely,” he recalls. “And I went to the office and I was like, ‘I know I was supposed to leave on Monday,’ I was like, ‘But can I stay another week?’ And they said, “Well, we can’t pay you more.” And I was like, “Well, I didn’t get a chance to wrestle this week. So basically it’s the same, I was like, “If you’re willing to pay for my hotel for next week so I can stay here, I’d like to stay another week so I can give you my promised dates.”
“And so, I was able to stay here for another week. And in those three and a half weeks, I think, I fell in love with the country of Mexico. I fell in love with the culture, I fell in love with Lucha Libre, I fell in love with the food. Just seeing how everyone came together in times of need was so inspiring and I loved that feeling that everyone 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.”
Flip Gordon gets a CMLL championship around his waist. (CMLL)
The CMLL Historic World Middleweight Championship is also known as the National Wrestling Alliance Historic World Middleweight Championship. Gordon won the title in November 2024, defeating Villano III Jr. at the CMLL Viernes Espectacular.
Gordon will compete in a tag team match with Capitán Suicida in Las Vegas. The two will face Mascarada and Neón. This is one of the few matches hosted by CMLL during the week.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
The CMLL show will be part of Slam Fest, which will take place at the Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino Resort. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, Stardom, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling and House of Glory will also host shows at the venue.
The event starts at 3 p.m. PT.
