Various: Impact Holding Lucha Libre Celebration Event This October, Richard Holliday Announces Retirement (Update), Indies

Impact Announces Lucha Libre Celebration Event for This October

Impact Wrestling recently announced that they will be holding a Lucha Libre Celebration themed event on October 22nd at the Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois.

It was announced that Lucha Libre legends Konnan and Juventud Guerrera will be making an appearance for the company at this upcoming event.

Official press release:

IMPACT Wrestling Honors Lucha Libre Legacy On Sunday, October 22 in Chicago

Legendary Luchador Konnan Will Be Among Mexican Wrestling Legends At The Lucha Libre Celebration; Juventud Guerrera and Samuray Del Sol Will Both Be In Action

First-Ever “Lucha Fiesta” Fan Event Is Scheduled Pre-Show On Sunday With Autographs, Photo-ops, Tacos & Much More

IMPACT Wrestling confirmed today that the Bound For Glory Fallout Show on Sunday night, October 22, will be a Lucha Libre Celebration, honoring the tradition and legacy of the high-flying style of professional wrestling that originated in Mexico.

The Lucha Libre Celebration will be held at Cicero Stadium in the Chicago suburb of Cicero, starting at 7 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to dress like their favorite luchador, past or present.

The Lucha Libre Celebration kicks off at 5 p.m. with IMPACT’s first-ever “Lucha Fiesta” where a very limited number of fans will get exclusive access inside Cicero Stadium to a Q&A with all luchadores at the show, commemorative, numbered collectibles, autograph opportunities, photo-ops and a traditional fiesta feast with home-made tacos, rice, beans and more. The “Lucha Fiesta” is $100 and tickets are on-sale now at shopimpact.com.

One of the biggest names in lucha libre history is returning to IMPACT Wrestling for the Lucha Libre Celebration:

Konnan.

Konnan has spent more than 30 years in pro wrestling, competing around the world for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), and other promotions. He has been a champion on multiple occasions, in numerous promotions. He also has been a manager, color commentator and creative consultant during his legendary pro wrestling career.

Konnan has helped develop and advance the careers of countless luchadores and he was the presenter at the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame when Rey Mysterio, Jr. was inducted.

Born in Cuba of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, Konnan was raised in South Florida. He was in the U.S. Navy, where he won the California state (amateur) Middleweight Boxing Championship. He ultimately received an honorable discharge from the Navy and pursued pro wrestling.

The Lucha Libre Celebration also will feature the in-ring return of Juventud Guerrera, a second-generation Mexican wrestling legend who last competed in TNA/IMPACT wrestling in 2005. Juvi, as he is commonly called, is the son of Mexican wrestler Fuerza Guerrera, and he was a 5-time Cruiserweight Champion (WCW and WWE), best known for his nonstop, high-energy offense.

Juventud Guerrera is Spanish for “Youth Warrior.”

Other luchadores confirmed for in-ring action at the Lucha Libra Celebration:

Samuray Del Sol

Born in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Samuray Del Sol is a second-generation Mexican-American who long idolized lucha libre legends Tinieblas and Octagón. Samuray Del Sol attended Chicago’s Curie Metropolitan High School, which is a 5-mile drive from Cicero Stadium. Growing up in Chicago, Samuray Del Sol participated in numerous sports, including gymnastics, taekwondo, jujutsu, amateur wrestling, and football.

Laredo Kid

Now in his 20^th year as a pro wrestler, he has competed around the world, including IMPACT Wrestling and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. Laredo Kid has been a champion in singles and tag team action.

Black Taurus

A masked wrestler for IMPACT Wrestling and AAA, Black Taurus has been a singles and tag champion on multiple occasions. He has been aligned of late with IMPACT’s Crazzy Steve, but that team has since parted ways.

The Lucha Libre Celebration is part of IMPACT Wrestling’s Bound For Glory Fallout Show. Matches for the Fallout show will be announced in the coming weeks, but bitter rivalries will be settled and championships will be on the line.

Doors open at Cicero Stadium on Sunday, October 22, at 6 p.m., with preliminary matches set for 6:30 p.m. The Lucha Libre Celebration kicks off at 7 p.m.

Bound For Glory, the showcase event of the year for IMPACT Wrestling, is Saturday night, October 21, at Cicero Stadium, starting at 7 p.m. BFG will be a star-studded, electricity-filled night with two of the most anticipated matches already confirmed:

Alex Shelley defends the IMPACT World Championship against 2-time former World Champion Josh Alexander.

Will Ospreay makes his long-awaited return at BFG, facing offensive juggernaut “Speedball” Mike Bailey.

TICKETS FOR BLOND FOR GLORY on Saturday, October 21:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/impact-wrestling-bound-for-glory-tickets-687626929657

TICKETS FOR THE BOUND FOR GLORY FALLOUT SHOW on Sunday, October 22:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/impact-wrestling-bound-for-glory-fallout-tickets-687633459187

TICKETS FOR THE LUCHA FIESTA on Sunday, October 22:
https://shopimpact.com/products/impact-wrestling-lucha-fiesta-ticket-october-22-5pm-ct-cicero-stadium-chicago

---

Correction: Richard Holliday Announces Retirement From Fantasy Football & Not Wrestling After End of This Year

Correction: Richard Holliday had announced his retirement from his fantasy football career and not his actual wrestling career. My apology for the mistake caused in the initial report.

Indie wrestler and former Major League Wrestling talent Richard Holliday recently announced on Twitter that he will be officially retiring from wrestling at the end of this year.

“I have decided to retire at the end of this year. My passion is simply not there the way it was at the beginning of my career.

Too much work w/ no real payoff for me, so id like to put my focus into other projects.

Thank you for the memories, Fantasy Football.”

Prior to his announcement, Holliday had been wrestling since 2015 and most notably successfully battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma from June of 2022 to this past May. Holliday also had been among the indie talent invited by WWE for their recent set of new tryouts at their Performance Center this past September.

---

Misc. Wrestling News & Notes

As noted before, wrestling legend Terry Funk passed away this past August. A tribute mural of Funk was recently unveiled in Funk’s hometown of Amarillo, Texas.

Former NFL player and wrestler Russ Francis died in a plane crash on Sunday in Lake Placid, New York at the age of 70. Francis and a passenger were flying in a Cessna 177 and crashed into a ravine following an issue after takeoff that resulted in both of their deaths. In regards to wrestling, Francis’ career in wrestling spanned from 1974 to 1987 and was most known for competing in a battle royal match at WWE’s WrestleMania II event in 1986. Besides WWE, Francis also had notable stints in Pacific Northwest Wrestling and American Wrestling Association.

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda’s WrestleBinge podcast, Josh Alexander gave his thoughts on the potential of a The North reunion with Ethan Page in the future. Alexander stated “We kind of play in separate sandboxes and we really don’t have much of a relationship anymore because of that. I’m really not focused on anything tag team wrestling. If I were to tag would anybody, honestly, I don’t think Ethan Page would be my first pick right now.” Alexander also gave his thoughts on who would be his choice for a new tag team partner. Alexander stated “It’s tough to say now going into Bound For Glory, but I think I would have to pick Alex Shelley as my partner, even though he has a long and storied history with Motor City Machine Guns. I think the blend together would be nice. If I had to pick anybody else, it’d be Mike Bailey, just for the Canadian Connection and hopefully we can bring back Team Canada 2.0 one day.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

As noted before, Hirooki Goto has been out of action for New Japan Pro Wrestling since this past September Destruction in Kobe 2023 event due to a lower body injury. NJPW recently provided an update stating that Goto was diagnosed with an MCL injury and as a result, they have pulled him from the remainder of this year’s Destruction tour of events.

NJPW also recently announced one new match for the card of their NJPW Strong Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2023 event on October 28th in Las Vegas, Nevada:

• NJPW Strong Openweight Championship – HENARE vs. Eddie Kingston (c)

Game Changer Wrestling recently announced one new match for the card of their To Live And Die In Tokyo event on October 10th in Tokyo, Japan:

• GCW Ultraviolent Championship – Takayuki Ueki vs. Rina Yamashita (c)

Major League Wrestling recently announced two new matches for the card of their Slaughterhouse event on October 14th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

• Spin The Wheel, Make A Deal match – Rickey Shane Page vs. 1 Called Manders
• CMLL World Historic Welterweight Championship & MLW World Middleweight Championship, Title vs. Title match – Rocky Romero (CMLL) vs. AKIRA (MLW)