Místico’s elimination from Physical 100: Mexico came against someone willing to join him in putting on a show. Brandon Díaz had represented Mexico in freestyle wrestling, winning silver at the 2020 Pan American Championships.
Against Místico, he took a move straight out of a lucha libre villain’s playbook.
The challenge only required possession of a ball. By the end, the other competitors were arguing over Místico’s mask.
Díaz Takes the Rudo Role
Their matchup appeared in the third episode. Whoever held the ball when the three-minute clock expired would advance, leaving both men free to use their grappling skills to fight for control.
Both men used headscissors during the exchange, giving wrestling fans something familiar to enjoy outside the ring. Then Díaz removed Místico’s mask. The CMLL star covered his face on the ground as competitors watching from above demanded that Díaz return it.
Soberano Jr. took the opposite side, pointing out that nobody had said the move was against the rules. The scene had the appeal of a wrestling crowd picking sides. A beloved masked star, an opponent willing to antagonize him, and spectators loudly disagreeing about what they had just seen.
Overtime Gave Místico Another Chance
Neither man possessed the ball when regulation ended. That meant a one-minute tiebreaker, with Místico allowed to replace his mask before they resumed.
Díaz won the extra period and advanced, ending Místico’s run on the show.
Afterward, Díaz embraced his turn from técnico to rudo, lucha libre’s hero and villain roles. In an Instagram post, he referenced Perro Aguayo and thanked Místico for what he called, in translation, “the most beautiful match I could ever have.”
For all the controversy over how he competed, Díaz’s tribute ended with respect for the man he eliminated. “The king is still the king.”
