Claudio Castagnoli is set for a high stakes title defense this Friday night at Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre’s iconic Arena México, and this time he will not be facing just one challenger.

CMLL has announced that Castagnoli will defend the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship in a three way bout against Euforia and Akuma. The match came together after both men answered an open challenge laid down by the reigning champion, making it clear they were ready to test themselves against one of the most dominant titleholders in recent memory.

Castagnoli captured the championship from Gran Guerrero in November 2025 and has been on an impressive run ever since. The All Elite Wrestling star has already turned back four challengers, defeating Ultimo Guerrero, Roderick Strong, Xelhua, and Josh Alexander to solidify his reign. Friday’s contest will mark his fifth defense and arguably one of his toughest tests yet given the unpredictable nature of a triple threat environment.

When issuing the open challenge, Castagnoli left little doubt about his confidence.

“I know I’m the best CMLL World Heavyweight Champion that you’ve ever seen,” Castagnoli declared. “Now I want to know who is going to step up when I come back to Arena Mexico next Friday, February 27 to defend this prestigious title.”

Despite recent civil unrest forcing CMLL to cancel a scheduled event in Guadalajara, the Arena México show is still set to go ahead as planned. In addition to Castagnoli’s championship defense, Johnny TV of AEW will headline the card in a hair vs hair main event against Angel de Oro.

CMLL’s Friday night events stream live on YouTube for fans subscribed to the promotion’s top tier membership options.

⌛️🌎🇨🇭
Tras defender por cuarta ocasión el Campeonato Mundial Completo del CMLL, Claudio Castagnoli se mantiene firme en la cima y lanza nuevamente el desafío para el próximo viernes.

👀 ¿Quién dará un paso al frente y se atreverá a desafiarlo?#ViernesEspectacularCMLL pic.twitter.com/c5FROfi4aj

, Lucha Libre CMLL (@CMLL_OFICIAL) February 24, 2026