Travis Lopes Jr. is a former U.S. Army National Guard reservist and a father of two, but when he enters a Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) ring, a switch flips – almost literally.Inside the squared circle, Lopes is known as Flip Gordon. He is CMLL’s current world historic middleweight champion, and in Las Vegas this week, he will help the company make history. CMLL will host its first solo U.S. show ever. It will come in the midst of WrestleMania week as pro wrestling fans hit Las Vegas for a few days of high-flying and hard-hitting action.Lopes detailed his journey from the National Guard to a pro wrestling ring.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM”I got my start in 2015. I was in the Army National Guard at the time, and I moved from the state of Idaho to the state of Massachusetts to begin this amazing journey of becoming a professional wrestler,” he said. “And now, almost 11 years later, it’s taken me all over the world. I’ve gotten to see more than 15 countries, and now I have a beautiful life down here in Mexico.”He said pro wrestling was always his dream – it just took him a different route than most.But it was his time in the Army that helped him get the discipline he needed to stay the course and keep focus on his ultimate goal. He said he joined the Army when he was just 20 years old and serving helped him become a “grownup.””For me, I always wanted to be a professional wrestler. So this is something I always knew I wanted to do. Obviously, life takes you on different journeys, but ultimately, I ended up where I wanted it to be. But if it wasn’t for the Army, I don’t think I ever would have made it as a professional wrestler. The Army taught me a lot of things about being a grownup.”I joined at 20, but it taught me discipline. It taught me work ethic. It taught how to be away from my family because being in the Army was the first time I was away from family for a long period of time,” he told Fox News Digital. “But I think the work ethic and the discipline really helped me the most because wrestling takes a lot of discipline. Not just with the in-ring aspect, but the traveling, being away from home, the discipline of, if you’re on a strict diet, not eating junk food or fast-food.RISING PRO WRESTLING STAR PERSEPHONE TO BE PART OF HISTORIC CMLL SHOW AT SLAM FEST, REACTS TO TONY KHAN PRAISE”So, discipline really is an important part of it. And another thing that helped me, I believe, was my time in college before the National Guard. I was a mascot. But I got to work out with the cheerleaders and the gymnastics, and that’s where I learned my body control. I think if it wasn’t for these things, especially in the military, I don’t think I ever would have been a successful professional wrestler.”Being at CMLL was also a part of his dream as he watched legendary pro wrestlers like the late Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho compete for the company and ultimately become major stars around the world.Lopes said he first recei
CMLL champion Flip Gordon talks going from US Army National Guard reservist to pro wrestling ring
