The STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships will be defended at NJPW x CMLL Lucha Kingdom on November 16, with reigning champions Los Hermanos Chavez facing two challengers in a three-team title match at Arena Mexico.
Ángel de Oro and Niebla Roja, collectively known as Los Hermanos Chavez, will defend against the newly assembled pairing of Templario and Francesco Akira as well as Titan and Taiji Ishimori. The bout adds a major championship attraction to an event that already includes a singles match between Mistico and El Desperado.
The announcement places a premium New Japan Pro-Wrestling championship in one of lucha libre's most recognizable venues. It also brings together wrestlers with different connections to the STRONG tag division, CMLL, NJPW and the United Empire faction. With two separate challenger teams pursuing the same prize, the champions enter Lucha Kingdom with no shortage of variables to manage.
Los Hermanos Chavez Near One Year as Champions
Los Hermanos Chavez head into Arena Mexico as the defending STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions after winning the titles in Mexico last November. Ángel de Oro and Niebla Roja captured the belts from TJP and Templario, beginning a reign that is now approaching the one-year mark.
For more background on this topic, read NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling Full Card Set With Five Title Matches.
That history gives the upcoming match an especially notable wrinkle for Templario. He was part of the championship team Los Hermanos Chavez defeated to begin their reign, meaning he will have an opportunity to directly challenge the brothers for the titles they took from him and TJP. Rather than reuniting with his former title partner, however, Templario has aligned with Francesco Akira for the Lucha Kingdom challenge.
The champions' longevity is central to the stakes of the match. Los Hermanos Chavez have kept the STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships in their possession through a run that began on Mexican soil, and their next defense will take place in Arena Mexico. A successful defense would extend a reign that has become closely tied to the cross-promotional environment in which it began.
For Ángel de Oro and Niebla Roja, the contest presents the challenge of defending against not one but two pairings at once. Every exchange can alter the direction of the match, while the presence of multiple challengers means the champions must remain aware of both teams. The brothers will be trying to retain their championship position in a setting where their opponents have distinct motivations for leaving with the gold.
Templario Recruits Francesco Akira
Templario's decision to team with Francesco Akira gives the match a clear United Empire presence. The challenger is seeking to bring the STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships back to United Empire after losing them alongside TJP to Los Hermanos Chavez last November.
Akira enters as Templario's chosen partner for that pursuit, creating a fresh tandem for one of the biggest matches on the Lucha Kingdom card. Their partnership immediately carries championship stakes, and the pair will be working to convert that opportunity into a title change in Arena Mexico.
Templario has an obvious personal connection to the belts due to the circumstances of their previous title change. The November 16 defense is therefore more than a standard challenge for him: it is a chance to reclaim a championship he previously held and to reverse a loss to the current champions. Akira, meanwhile, has the opportunity to help restore the titles to United Empire in his first announced pairing with Templario for this championship match.
The team will also need to contend with the fact that their route to the titles is not limited to defeating Los Hermanos Chavez. Titan and Ishimori are equally positioned to capitalize on the match and leave with the championship. Templario and Akira can be focused on the reigning titleholders, but they cannot overlook a second challenger team with the same objective.
Titan and Taiji Ishimori Join the Championship Chase
Titan and Taiji Ishimori round out the three-team field. Their inclusion adds another high-profile combination to the title picture and ensures that every team in the match has a direct route to becoming champions.
With Titan and Ishimori in the bout, the challengers are not simply waiting in line behind one another. They will compete simultaneously with Los Hermanos Chavez and the Templario-Akira pairing. That structure raises the unpredictability surrounding the title defense, as the defending champions can lose the belts without a traditional one-on-one confrontation against a single designated challenger.
The announced match has been described as a high-speed, high-impact championship encounter, an expectation that fits the collection of talent involved. Los Hermanos Chavez bring the cohesion of an established reigning team. Templario and Akira arrive with United Empire's championship ambitions behind them. Titan and Ishimori complete a field in which the pace and momentum could shift rapidly.
There is also a broader competitive contrast in the matchup. The champions are the established unit with nearly a full year holding the STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships, while one challenge is built around Templario's desire to regain a title lost in Mexico and the other introduces another team ready to seize an opening. The result will determine whether Los Hermanos Chavez continue their long reign or whether the division gets new champions at Lucha Kingdom.
A Major Title Match for Arena Mexico
Arena Mexico will host the NJPW x CMLL Lucha Kingdom event on November 16. The STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship defense is the second match publicly listed for the show, joining Mistico versus El Desperado.
The title match reinforces the collaborative nature of the card. Los Hermanos Chavez bring the CMLL connection as the reigning champions who won the belts in Mexico. Templario also has direct history with the titles in that setting. Francesco Akira and Taiji Ishimori add NJPW-associated challengers to the field, while Titan completes a lineup built for a significant international championship contest.
The location adds another layer to Los Hermanos Chavez's reign. Their championship run began with a victory in Mexico last November, and now they return to Arena Mexico to protect the same titles against a competitive field. The setting offers Templario a chance to revisit the site of a consequential loss, while Akira, Titan and Ishimori each enter with an opportunity to make a defining statement by winning the STRONG tag belts.
Only two matches have been announced so far for NJPW x CMLL Lucha Kingdom:
- Mistico vs. El Desperado
- STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships: Los Hermanos Chavez (Ángel de Oro and Niebla Roja) (c) vs. Templario and Francesco Akira vs. Titan and Taiji Ishimori
Championship Stakes Take Center Stage
The three-way defense gives Lucha Kingdom an important match with consequences for the STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship scene. Los Hermanos Chavez are trying to preserve a reign that has lasted nearly a year. Templario is attempting to regain the gold he lost to the champions, now with Akira at his side. Titan and Ishimori are entering as a dangerous additional team capable of changing the result in an instant.
For the champions, retaining would keep the titles with the brothers after a lengthy run that started in Mexico. For Templario and Akira, a victory would bring the championships back to United Empire. For Titan and Ishimori, winning would establish them as the new titleholders in one of the event's marquee bouts.
All three teams will converge at Arena Mexico on November 16, when the STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships are contested in a match built around championship history, cross-promotional stakes and a crowded field of challengers.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.