WrestlerMexicanMaskedChampion

Dragon Lee (wrestler)

Dragon Lee is a Mexican masked professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, known for holding championships in major promotions including CMLL, ROH, and NJPW.

1. Overview

Dragon Lee (born May 15, 1995) is a Mexican masked professional wrestler (luchador enmascarado). He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand and is a member of the Latino World Order. He is also the reigning WWE Speed Champion.

A second-generation wrestler, he is widely recognized for his extensive work in various major promotions. Prior to joining WWE, he achieved prominence in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in Mexico, where he wrestled as a tecnico character and held the CMLL World Lightweight Championship twice and the CMLL World Welterweight Championship once. In Ring of Honor (ROH), he was both the ROH World Television Champion and a two-time ROH World Tag Team Champion with Kenny King as part of the stable La Faccion Ingobernable. His tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) saw him compete under the name Ryu Lee (リュウ・リーRyū RīJapanese) and capture the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. He officially joined WWE in December 2022, initially performing on the NXT brand where he notably became the NXT North American Champion.

Dragon Lee is the son of professional wrestler Arturo Muñoz. He is the second wrestler to use the Dragon Lee ring persona and mask; the original Dragon Lee was his older brother Carlos, who now wrestles as Dralístico. His other brother, William, is known by the ring name Rush. As is customary for many masked wrestlers in Mexico, his real name is not publicly known. He was also honored as the Rookie of the Year in 2014 by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and is notably the fourth wrestler to win championships in ROH, CMLL, and NJPW, following Rocky Romero, Matt Taven, and Tama Tonga.

2. Personal Life

Dragon Lee's personal life reflects his deep roots in professional wrestling and his commitment to his family.

2.1. Early life and family

The man known under the ring name Dragon Lee was born on May 15, 1995, in Tala, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. He is the son of professional wrestler Arturo Muñoz, who has worked under various ring names including Toro Blanco, Poder Boriqua, Poder Mexico, and Comandante Pierroth. His two older brothers also became professional wrestlers; the oldest, William, made his wrestling debut in 2008 and later became known as "Rush", while his brother Carlos became a professional wrestler in 2011, initially adopting the masked character Dragon Lee. In 2012, the original Dragon Lee (Carlos) was offered the opportunity to take over the Místico character after the wrestler originally portraying Místico left Mexico, publicly acknowledging that he would leave the Dragon Lee mask and character behind.

Dragon Lee's uncles, Franco Columbo, Pit Bull I, and Pit Bull II, are also professional wrestlers and were instrumental in his training before his professional debut. At the age of 14, his father took him to Mexico City to begin training in amateur wrestling, where he participated in several events. He also engaged in boxing; however, during his first boxing match, he was disqualified after performing a suplex on his opponent. At that moment, he realized that his future lay in lucha libre.

2.2. Marriage and personal aspects

In December 2019, Dragon Lee married his fiancée, Lupita Orozco. The wedding ceremony was officiated by Fray Tormenta. The couple has two daughters together.

3. Professional Wrestling Career

Dragon Lee's professional wrestling career began in 2013 and has seen him achieve significant success across various major promotions, establishing himself as a prominent international performer.

3.1. Early career and CMLL (2013-2019)

Muñoz began training at the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's (CMLL) gym in 2013, working towards a contract to become a regular wrestler for the promotion. His first public appearance as Dragon Lee was on November 20, 2013, when he competed in CMLL's 2013 Bodybuilding Contest, where he secured victory in the beginners' category. His in-ring debut for CMLL occurred on January 1, 2014, as part of the 2014 La Copa Junior tournament. During the match, Dragon Lee eliminated Herodes Jr. before being eliminated himself by Cachorro.

Dragon Lee was recognized as part of CMLL's Generacion 2014, a group of wrestlers who debuted around January 2014 and included talents such as Black Panther, Cachorro, Espiritu Negro, Flyer, Hechicero, El Rebelde, and Star Jr.. A month after his debut, he participated in the 2014 Torneo Gran Alternativa, an annual tag team tournament where a rookie partners with an experienced wrestler. For this tournament, Dragon Lee teamed with his older brother, Rush. They defeated Negro Casas and Canelo Casas in the first round, and then Herodes Jr. and Shocker in the second, before being eliminated in the semi-finals by the eventual tournament winners, Bárbaro Cavernario and Mr. Niebla. On March 23, 2014, Dragon Lee was one of 16 wrestlers in a torneo cibernetico (elimination match) to qualify for CMLL's annual En Busca de un Ídolo ("In search of an idol") tournament. He was among the eight survivors who qualified, which also included Cachorro, Cavernario, Guerrero Negro Jr., Hechicero, Star Jr., Soberano Jr., and Super Halcón Jr.. In the first round of the tournament, a round-robin format, he finished in 4th place with 423 points after victories over Cachorro, Guerrero Negro Jr., and Soberano Jr. This qualified him for the second round, where he defeated Cachorro, ultimately placing 3rd with 198 points. On August 25, 2014, it was announced that Dragon Lee would team with Cachorro for the CMLL 81st Anniversary Show, marking his first appearance at CMLL's prestigious Anniversary Shows. They were scheduled to compete in the opening match against the brother-duo of Puma and Tiger.

In early 2015, Lee initiated a significant storyline rivalry with Japanese wrestler Kamaitachi. This extended rivalry culminated on March 20 at the Homenaje a Dos Leyendas ("Homage to Two Wrestlers") show, where the two masked competitors faced each other in a Lucha de Apuestas (bet match), with both wrestlers risking their masks. Dragon Lee defeated Kamaitachi two falls to one, forcing his rival to unmask. On April 5, 2015, Dragon Lee won his first professional wrestling championship by defeating Virus to capture the CMLL World Lightweight Championship, becoming its 13th champion. On May 15, 2015, Dragon Lee outlasted several top wrestlers, including Bárbaro Cavernario, Fuego, Kamaitachi, Luciferno, Mephisto, Místico, Niebla Roja, The Panther, Titán, Virus, and Volador Jr., to win the first round of the 2015 Leyenda de Plata ("Silver Legend") tournament, one of CMLL's most prestigious annual tournaments. He subsequently lost to Negro Casas in the tournament finals on May 22.

In January 2016, Dragon Lee made his Japanese debut by participating in the CMLL and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) co-produced Fantastica Mania 2016 tour. On January 23, during the fifth show of the tour at Korakuen Hall, he successfully defended the CMLL World Lightweight Championship against Virus. Following the match, Dragon Lee was attacked by Kamaitachi, who then demanded a title match. The following day, January 24, in a hastily arranged title match, Dragon Lee lost the CMLL World Lightweight Championship to Kamaitachi. However, Dragon Lee regained the championship from Kamaitachi on March 4, becoming the 15th champion, when the two had a rematch in Mexico City.

During the summer of 2016, Dragon Lee became involved in a significant rivalry with La Máscara. This storyline originated from La Máscara's feud with the entire Muñoz family, which had also led to the breakup of Los Ingobernables, a stable that La Máscara and Rush had been a part of for years. The feud eventually shifted its primary focus from Rush to Dragon Lee. On August 5, Dragon Lee issued a challenge for a Mask vs. Mask Lucha de Apuestas match, which La Máscara accepted. On September 2 at the 83rd Anniversary Show, Dragon Lee defeated La Máscara, securing the second mask victory of his career.

In January 2017, Dragon Lee participated in the Fantastica Mania 2017 tour, successfully defending the CMLL World Lightweight Championship against Bárbaro Cavernario on January 20. He was also a participant in the 2017 International Gran Prix, where he was eliminated from the torneo cibernetico on September 1 by Juice Robinson.

On September 27, 2019, CMLL announced that both Dragon Lee and Rush had been fired for failing to adhere to guidelines set by the programming department. According to wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, CMLL was reportedly displeased with Lee's participation in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's Battle of Los Angeles tournament, despite having been explicitly told not to.

3.2. Ring of Honor (2016-2021)

Dragon Lee made his Ring of Honor (ROH) debut on September 30, 2016, at ROH's All Star Extravaganza VIII, where he secured a victory over his long-time rival, Kamaitachi. On December 2, 2016, at Final Battle, Lee competed in a three-way dance for the ROH World Television Championship against champion Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay, but Scurll retained his title.

On December 13, 2019, at Final Battle, Dragon Lee defeated Shane Taylor to win the ROH World Television Championship. Two days later, on December 15, Dragon Lee officially joined his brother Rush, Amy Rose, and Kenny King to form the stable La Faccion Ingobernable, marking a significant heel turn in his career. Following this, Lee began to adopt a more aggressive in-ring style and wear darker attire. On February 10, 2020 (recognized as February 27 due to tape delay), Dragon Lee and Kenny King defeated The Foundation (Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham) to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship for the first time, making Lee a dual champion.

Both of these championship reigns concluded at the ROH 19th Anniversary Show in March 2021, after Lee was sidelined with an ear injury. Kenny King lost the Television Championship on Lee's behalf to Foundation member Tracy Williams, and also dropped the Tag Team Championship to Williams and his Foundation stablemate, King's former tag team partner, Rhett Titus. On November 21, 2021, Lee lost the ROH World Television Championship to Dalton Castle.

3.3. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2017-2020)

On January 5, 2017, Dragon Lee made a surprise return to NJPW, attacking Hiromu Takahashi (the former Kamaitachi) and Tetsuya Naito during their match against Kushida and Michael Elgin. Following the match, Dragon Lee notably posed with Takahashi's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship belt, signaling his intentions. This led to Lee unsuccessfully challenging Takahashi for the title on February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka.

The following May, Dragon Lee was announced as a participant in the 2017 Best of the Super Juniors tournament, realizing a long-held goal in professional wrestling. In his opening match of the tournament on May 17, Dragon Lee delivered Takahashi his first singles loss since returning to Japan at the end of 2016. Dragon Lee concluded the tournament on May 31 with a record of four wins and three losses, failing to advance to the finals.

Dragon Lee returned to NJPW in October 2017, teaming with Titán in the 2017 Super Jr. Tag Tournament, where they were eliminated in the first round by Bushi and Takahashi. On May 7, 2018, NJPW announced Lee's participation in the 2018 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. He finished the tournament with three wins and four losses, again failing to advance to the finals. At G1 Special in San Francisco, Lee once again challenged Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship but was unsuccessful.

On April 6, 2019, at the G1 Supercard, Dragon Lee achieved a significant milestone by defeating Taiji Ishimori and Bandido in a triple threat match to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time. In doing so, he became only the third Mexican wrestler to hold the title, following Juventud Guerrera and Místico (who were the first and second, respectively).

On December 8, 2019, Dragon Lee changed his ring name to Ryu Lee (リュウ・リーRyū RīJapanese). He challenged Jyushin Thunder Liger to be Liger's final opponent at Wrestle Kingdom 14. On January 5, 2020, Ryu Lee and Takahashi successfully defeated Liger and Naoki Sano in a tag match. It was subsequently announced that at the New Beginning in Osaka, Ryu Lee would once again challenge Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.

3.4. Independent Circuit (2018)

While under contract with CMLL, Dragon Lee was permitted to accept independent bookings on days when he was not scheduled for CMLL shows. This allowed him to work on various independent wrestling circuits in both Mexico and the United States, primarily facing other CMLL wrestlers. In early 2018, he challenged Shane Strickland for the PCW Light Heavyweight Championship as part of PCW's Opposites Attack pay-per-view show, but he lost the match.

On July 6, 2018, Dragon Lee competed in the All Pro Wrestling/Pro Wrestling Revolution jointly promoted "King of Indies" tournament. He had a strong showing, defeating Ryusuke Taguchi in the first round, Brody King in the semi-finals, and Flip Gordon in the finals to win the entire tournament.

3.5. Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (2019, 2021-2022)

On November 7, 2019, Lee made an appearance at a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide press conference, where he was announced as a challenger for the AAA Mega Championship against Kenny Omega at Triplemanía Regia. However, he was defeated in his debut match for the promotion.

On October 9, 2021, at Héroes Inmortales XIV, Lee returned to AAA accompanied by his brother Dralístico. They immediately challenged Los Lucha Bros (Fénix and Pentagón Jr.) for the AAA World Tag Team Championship, shortly after Los Lucha Bros had successfully retained their titles against Jinetes del Aire (Hijo del Vikingo and Laredo Kid). On December 28, 2022, Dragon Lee, teaming with his brother Dralístico, defeated FTR to win the AAA World Tag Team Championship at AAA Lucha Libre: Noche de Campeones.

3.6. All Elite Wrestling (2022)

Lee made his All Elite Wrestling (AEW) debut on the August 17, 2022, edition of Dynamite. He participated in the first round of the AEW World Trios Championship tournament, teaming with fellow La Facción Ingobernable members Andrade El Idolo and his brother Rush. They faced The Young Bucks and their mystery partner, who was revealed to be Kenny Omega. The match concluded with Omega pinning Lee, securing the victory for his team. Following the match, Andrade El Idolo and Rush unexpectedly attacked Lee and removed his mask, signaling a fracture within the stable.

3.7. WWE (2022-present)

Dragon Lee signed with WWE in December 2022, marking a significant new chapter in his career. His tenure in WWE has seen him compete on both the NXT and main roster brands, quickly ascending to championship status.

3.7.1. NXT North American Championship Reign (2022-2024)

On December 28, 2022, immediately after winning the AAA World Tag Team Championship with his brother Dralístico at AAA Lucha Libre: Noche de Campeones, Lee announced that he had officially signed a contract with WWE and was expected to begin working with the company in January 2023. On March 21, 2023, Dragon Lee was selected as one of Wes Lee's challengers for the NXT North American Championship at NXT Stand & Deliver on April 1. He competed in a fatal five-way match for the title but was unsuccessful. At NXT Battleground in May, Lee challenged Noam Dar for Dar's NXT Heritage Cup but lost due to interference from Jakara Jackson and Lash Legend.

From August to December 2023, his primary storyline in WWE revolved around a feud with Dominik Mysterio, who held the NXT North American Championship. Lee faced Mysterio several times for the title but was defeated in each encounter. During this period, Lee also began appearing on SmackDown in September, and was quietly drafted to the brand, indicating his transition to the main roster. Lee faced Santos Escobar at Survivor Series: WarGames but was defeated in the match.

At NXT Deadline on December 9, 2023, Dragon Lee finally defeated Dominik Mysterio to win the NXT North American Championship, marking his first title victory in WWE. On the December 12 episode of NXT, Lee successfully defended the North American Championship in his first title defense against Tyler Bate. On the January 9, 2024 episode of NXT, Lee successfully retained his title against Lexis King. However, immediately after the match, Oba Femi cashed in his NXT Breakout Tournament contract and defeated Lee to win the title, ending Lee's reign at 31 days. On February 4 at Vengeance Day, Lee failed to regain the title from Femi in his rematch.

3.7.2. Latino World Order and WWE Speed Champion (2024-present)

Lee had recently become an official member of the Latino World Order (LWO) stable. He was scheduled to team up with Rey Mysterio for a match against Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio on Night 1 of WrestleMania XL. However, Lee was found attacked backstage, rendering him unable to compete in the highly anticipated match. On the April 26 episode of SmackDown, Lee made his return from the attack and teamed with Rey Mysterio to defeat Angel and Berto of Los Lotharios in a tag team match. Following the match, Santos Escobar revealed that it was Carlito who had attacked Lee backstage. Carlito then proceeded to attack both Lee and Mysterio after Escobar's revelation, solidifying a new rivalry. At Night 2 of the 2024 WWE Draft, the LWO, including Dragon Lee, was officially drafted to the Raw brand.

In November 2024, Lee participated in the Speed Championship #1 Contender's Tournament. He advanced by defeating NXT's Tavion Heights in the quarterfinals and Raw's Akira Tozawa in the semifinals. He then received a bye to the championship match. During the November 15 tapings of Speed, which aired on November 20, Dragon Lee defeated Andrade to win the WWE Speed Championship, becoming the current champion in his first reign.

4. Professional Wrestling Persona and Style

Dragon Lee's professional wrestling persona is deeply rooted in the traditions of lucha libre, characterized by his high-flying agility and aggressive in-ring approach.

4.1. Ring character and fighting style

Muñoz's "Dragon Lee" ring character is that of a tecnico (good guy). In lucha libre, the traditional division between good guys and bad guys (tecnicos and rudos) is maintained much more strictly than in many other wrestling traditions in the 21st century. His wrestling style is known for its high speed, high-flying maneuvers, and willingness to take significant risks. He frequently executes daring moves from the top rope or from inside the ring to the outside, showcasing his athleticism.

His high-flying style has earned him the nickname "El Niño Maravilla" (El Niño Maravilla"The Boy Wonder"Spanish). During his long-running storyline with Hiromu Takahashi, the two developed a profound level of trust, which allowed them to perform complex and high-risk maneuvers that Dragon Lee might not have been able to execute with other wrestlers who could not safely perform their part of the move.

4.2. Signature moves

One of Dragon Lee's prominent signature and finishing maneuvers is the "Dragon Driver", also known as the "Phoenix-Plex". This move is a Bridging package fallaway powerbomb where he lifts his opponent into a "package" position by hooking their legs, then falls backward to slam the opponent to the ground, immediately maintaining the bridge for a pinfall. The Phoenix-Plex is considered one of the riskier professional wrestling moves, designed to appear impactful without inflicting excessive pain, but it carries a significant risk of injury if either wrestler makes a mistake during execution. This inherent risk was tragically highlighted in a match between Dragon Lee and Takahashi at NJPW's G1 Special in San Francisco in July 2018, where Dragon Lee inadvertently released his opponent too early, resulting in Takahashi landing on his neck and suffering a serious injury.

Another frequently used high-risk maneuver is his "Running frankensteiner" throw, where he leaps over the top rope to execute a leg scissor takedown on an opponent standing on the apron, sending them crashing to the floor outside the ring.

5. In Other Media

In addition to his professional wrestling career, Dragon Lee has ventured into other forms of media, notably reality television and video games.

In the late summer of 2018, Dragon Lee participated in the Mexican version of the Exathlon sports reality show. He was part of the "celebrity/athlete" Exathlon team, competing against a team of amateurs in a competition that aired several days a week on the Mexican Azteca Uno television station. Due to his commitment to the show, Dragon Lee did not wrestle between August 15 and December 13, 2018. He was ultimately eliminated from the show on November 20, 2018, for medical reasons, as he was suffering from a severe ear infection that threatened his hearing. He later revealed that he had been advised that he might require surgery on his ear and nose. He also shared that he had lost 42 lb (19 kg) during his time on the show, as he was not permitted to consume the same amount of food necessary to maintain his wrestling physique.

Dragon Lee made his video game debut in WWE 2K24 as downloadable content, allowing players to control his character within the game.

6. Championships and Accomplishments

Lee is a two-time CMLL World Lightweight Champion.
Lee is a two-time CMLL World Lightweight Champion.
  • All Pro Wrestling
    • King of the Indies tournament (2018, 2019)
  • Mas Lucha
    • Mas Lucha Supremo Tournament (2022)
  • Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
    • CMLL World Lightweight Championship (2 times)
    • CMLL World Welterweight Championship (1 time)
    • CMLL Bodybuilding Contest: Beginners Category (2013)
    • CMLL Bodybuilding Contest: Intermediate Category (2014, 2015)
  • ESPN
    • Ranked No. 17 of the 30 best Pro Wrestlers Under 30 in 2023
  • Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
    • AAA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Dralístico
  • The Crash Lucha Libre
    • The Crash Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Dralístico
  • Kaoz Lucha Libre
    • Kaoz Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Dralístico
  • Mucha Lucha Atlanta
    • MLA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • New Japan Pro-Wrestling
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
    • Torneo de Parejas Familiares (2019) - with Místico
  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    • Ranked No. 41 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2021
  • Pro Wrestling Revolution
    • PWR Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Dralístico
  • Ring of Honor
    • ROH World Television Championship (2 times)
    • ROH World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Kenny King
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter
    • Rookie of the Year (2014)
  • WWE
    • NXT North American Championship (1 time)
    • WWE Speed Championship (1 time, current)
    • WWE Speed Championship #1 Contender Tournament (2024)

7. Luchas de Apuestas Record

Luchas de Apuestas (bet matches) are a prominent tradition in Mexican professional wrestling, where wrestlers wager their mask or hair on the outcome of a match. Dragon Lee has participated in several such high-stakes contests throughout his career, notably winning two mask vs. mask matches.

Winner (wager)Loser (wager)LocationEventDateNotes
Dragon Lee (mask)Kamaitachi (mask)Mexico CityHomenaje a Dos LeyendasMarch 20, 2015Dragon Lee defeated Kamaitachi two falls to one, forcing him to unmask.
Dragon Lee (mask)La Máscara (mask)Mexico CityCMLL 83rd Anniversary ShowSeptember 2, 2016Dragon Lee secured the victory, leading to La Máscara being unmasked.