CMLL has officially stated that as a result of a severe knee injury, Villano III Jr. will be unable to compete in the upcoming Viernes Espectacular event against Zandokan Jr. on Friday. In his stead, however, Villano III Jr. will be honored, thereby continuing the Dinastía Imperial legacy. Fast recovery wishes for Villano have also been extended by CMLL.
The statement read:
“CMLL announces that Villano III Jr, due to a significant knee crisis involving a torn anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus tear, will not be able to participate in the prestigious Viernes Espectacular VIP event on January 3, where he was to face off against Zandokan Jr. This match was highly anticipated, seen as the rematch of one of 2024’s best performances. Therefore, in honor of Villano III Jr., the legacy of the Dinastía Imperial will be celebrated. We extend our wishes for a swift recovery to Villano III Jr.”
In other wrestling news, Jake Atlas, during his recent appearance on the “Developmentally Speaking” podcast, opened up about the possibility of making a return to wrestling after spending time focusing on his mental health healing through therapy. According to Atlas, his journey of self-discovery brought him peace, though he also acknowledged feeling sadness at the abrupt end to his wrestling career. He expressed a need to rekindle his love for the art of wrestling by becoming a fan again and continuing to support his friends who are still in the industry.
Atlas stated:
“It’s been quite calming, which isn’t related to WWE or wrestling. I’m ever grateful to my therapist. The therapeutic work I’ve done in the last three years has brought peace into my life. It’s been a new, yet emotional experience since I had to bid goodbye to the wrestling industry and mourn the character I put my heart and soul into creating and building. It’s peaceful, but admittedly quite sad too. I didn’t choose this, and the feeling of being pushed out without a proper farewell is disappointing. There’s a lot of sadness accompanying that. Nonetheless, I’m thankful for therapy and the opportunity it has given me to deeply explore many underlying issues, understand what led to my departure from WWE in particular and wrestling in general. It’s been a humbling experience. During the right circumstances, I’d certainly consider returning to wrestling. But for now, my primary focus is gaining that innate fan spirit back. It’s been nearly two years since I’ve seriously followed any wrestling content. I’ve managed to distance myself from it, beyond what I catch from my friends in the industry. I believe attending wrestling events and supporting from the sidelines will be a healthy and healing process for me and a way to reconnect with it again. I still have unfulfilled ambitions in life, possibly in wrestling or other forms of entertainment. Healing my soul and distancing myself from the trauma that wrestling caused me is the most beneficial thing for me now. Hopefully, next year, I’ll gather enough courage to voice my opinions more, making my presence felt again and allowing people to hear what I have to say.”
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