Between the World Cup match up between Mexico and England earlier this summer, and the countless number of foreign wrestlers working for CMLL and AAA this year, the altitude in Mexico has become a hot topic of conversation. And while some have had difficulty dealing with the elements, one person who hasn't is AEW/CMLL dual star Claudio Castagnoli. That's one of the reasons, according to Dave Meltzer on "Wrestling Observer Radio," why Castagnoli is held in high regard by both CMLL luchadors and its front office."I remember the guys there were telling me how impressed they were with Claudio, because Claudio would fly in there, and they would do these singles matches, and he would not get tired," Meltzer said. "And you know, the Mexicans don't get tired because they wrestle in that altitude. But a lot of the Americans have trouble."Castagnoli has not only shown no difficulty adapting to the elements in Arena Mexico, but has thrived there, winning the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship last fall and holding it for several months. Perhaps more impressively, Castagnoli was recently part of the CMLL International Gran Prix, and alongside fellow AEW/CMLL star Hechicero wrestled the entire match, which lasted a little less than seventy four minutes.CMLL's respect for Castagnoli is only matched by his own respect for the promotion, as Castagnoli became the first AEW star to sign a dual AEW/CMLL deal in March. In a recent interview, Castagnoli also referred to CMLL's homebase of Arena Mexico as his favorite wrestling venue to work in.If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
