Candela: Mr. Niebla, Héctor Garza & Hijo del Perro Aguayo Had A Huge Influence On My Thinking & The Aesthetics Of Wrestling

Candela credits Mr. Niebla, Héctor Garza, and Hijo del Perro Aguayo.

Fightful’s Luis Pulido conducted an interview with Candela, and as the conversation moved along, the CMLL talent opened up about the influences on her on-screen presentation and the way she approaches wrestling.

Here’s what she had to say:

“Well, for me, life in wrestling and life in general is cyclical, so even if we feel like we’ve discovered the wheel, in reality we’re just going through what someone else has already gone through at some other time. It’s up to us to infuse it with our own essence. I grew up during the heyday of Mr. Niebla, Héctor Garza, and Hijo del Perro Aguayo. They’ve had a huge influence on my way of thinking and on the aesthetics of wrestling. Obviously, there’s a big difference between imitating them and being influenced, because why imitate something that’s already been done? Instead, it’s up to us to reinterpret those flashes we saw from these wrestlers, which are one-of-a-kind because they’re one-of-a-kind. Some people are virtuosic, one-of-a-kind, and there will never be another like them. I feel that we also seek an affinity with people who don’t represent certain things or concepts that don’t represent them. Mister Niebla was a character—an excellent, well-rounded wrestler—but also, as I mentioned a moment ago, he’s not a clown; he had that mischievous spirit of Mexican wrestling that I really like. Also, as the Rey del Guanaco, with those Afro-inspired touches that Candela also seeks to represent in the ring. I’ve always believed it’s good to have younger generations as role models in wrestling, because it’s important to understand the sport. I’m glad in CMLL there is a genuine recognition of the male and female wrestlers who have been role models, because when I was an independent wrestler, some of my peers weren’t very familiar with the male and female wrestlers who came before us. I think we even have an obligation, as athletes, to know our sport.”

Candela is competing in the 2026 CMLL Amazonas Universal Championship tournament and has advanced to phase two.