Hechicero Reflects On Being Part of Don Callis Family, Having First Dual AEW & CMLL Contract

Hechicero is a core member of the Don Callis Family, and he says the group has a great camaraderie amongst each other. The CMLL World Champion joing Don Callis’ stable in June of 2025 and has been a big part of the extensive group. He was also the first person to be under a dual contract with both AEW and CMLL, a status that several more talent have now including Claudio Castagnoli, Persephone, Mascara Dorada, and Mistico.

Hechicero talked about his dual contract and being part of Callis’ group during his interview with Fightful’s Luis Pulido. He spoke about the alliance between the two companies and more. You can see the highlights below:

On His Dual Contract With CMLL & AEW:

“First off, I have a lot to be grateful for. Of course, to Mr. Salvador Lutteroth (Lomeli), director of CMLL, for trusting in my work and allowing me to cross borders. Of course, Tony Khan and AEW played a major role in this international expansion I’ve experienced; you’re right to mention that. There was an appearance with Volador (Jr.), Máscara Dorada, Místico, and Hechicero invading AEW, and four days later—well, the very next day—they announced that I would return to face Bryan Danielson one-on-one, and that definitely changed my wrestling life. Maybe those who know or are loyal fans of wrestling or who follow the sport around the world do recognize the top wrestlers from each promotion or each country, but the fact that I had this match with Bryan Danielson—and that he had it—is something I always want to explain clearly: When you step into the ring to compete, that’s the only way you can progress and become better. Every day is about allowing yourself to be challenged in the ring. All wrestlers, just like all athletes, have a comfort zone. We know it works for us—both against our opponent and with the audience—but when you’re competing against someone unknown, for the first time, or new to your sport, allowing yourself to be challenged—not closing yourself off—is like a boxer who closes his guard: it works for him, but it doesn’t put on a show. If you don’t take risks, you don’t win. I’m not just talking about winning a fight, but about not gaining experience, not gaining visibility, not gaining a following, not winning over the crowd.

“That’s what I tried to do. Chris Hero was also my coach for that match, my producer, and he gave me some very timely and specific advice at just the right moment, and I’ll share it with you all: Don’t lose your essence. Don’t make that mistake. We’re bringing you here; they’re inviting you to compete here against one of the most technical wrestlers in the world. If someone like Bryan Danielson was the best in his day, it’s because he has the ability and the quality. Don’t change. Don’t try to please the crowd by doing things that aren’t your style. Stand by your principles, what you came here to do, your essence. Yes, he’s very good, but if he does a submission hold, you do two submission holds; you come here to do what you know how to do—that’s why they brought you here. Don’t make the mistake of changing; I stuck to my style. Bryan Danielson competed, allowed himself to be challenged—which allowed me to challenge him—and he challenged me too. From that point on, my wrestling landscape changed. I believe that, from CMLL, I was the one working with AEW the most for nearly two years, constantly, until this contract was secured. I think I’ve always said this and made it clear within CMLL and to Mr. Salvador Lutteroth: I don’t need you to assign me responsibilities. I take it upon myself to be a standard-bearer, to carry the weight of representing CMLL, and at the same time, because I have this dual contract, whatever I do—right or wrong—will have a positive or negative impact on this synergy, on this partnership. So I believe that whatever I’ve done, whether much or little, I’ve done it well, and so much so that now there are more wrestlers. Of course, my colleagues’ great talent opened the door and put them in the spotlight to secure these contracts.”

On Being Part of the Don Callis Family:

“Believe me, over the years—in life itself, not just in wrestling—you learn, of course, to plan and prepare for your goals, but you also learn to let yourself be surprised. Let life flow, let wrestling flow, and that’s what’s been happening to me these past two years in AEW. They’ve trusted my work, they’ve given me important matches, I’ve been a regular on the card, and by being part of the Don Callis Family. We’re a dysfunctional family, but I’m talking in a sense about the variety of characters and personalities; at the same time, the main families aren’t just bound by blood. It’s a family of ideology, of a way of thinking, of having this shared vision of what our goal is within wrestling, and every time we step into the ring. Imagine what it’s like to be in the same locker room where we change: Okada, Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, Lance Archer, Romero, Josh Alexander, Mark Davis, now Andrade, El Clon. There are about 13 or 14 of us in the Don Callis Family.

“We haven’t all been together at once due to injuries, but most of the time we’re there; so, in my view, it’s a pretty pleasant camaraderie. There are Mexicans like El Clon and Andrade, but when I walk in, I greet them and strike up a conversation. I know a little English, but they also know a little Spanish. This shows that they’re interested in talking, in having this connection with me, not only in the ring, but in the locker room. This speaks to a sense of belonging—even though the group can be intense at times due to everyone’s strong personalities—once you’re part of it, you feel welcomed, you feel like you belong, and that’s exactly how I feel. I don’t feel like a guest; I feel like part of the family because that’s how they make me feel—not because a T-shirt says so or because I’m listed on a website as part of the Don Callis Family, but because they make you feel like part of it. With ‘Yo Soy Hechicero,’ Don Callis can do whatever he wants; people love it. ‘Yo Soy Hechicero’ may have started as a translation error, but Don Callis is a marvel. He really sees that it fires people up, and that makes the audience turn to look at both him and me, since I’m the wrestler in the intro. For a new American audience that I didn’t have before, I wasn’t really on their radar. He’s going to keep doing it; he knows when to use the resources, the tools that come up, and a spark is born. A mistake there becomes an opportunity; he knows how to exploit everything, every resource in the profession.”