Professional wrestler Flip Gordon has reenlisted in the Army National Guard, returning to military service after previously serving from 2012 to 2018.
Gordon, whose real name is Travis Gordon Lopes Jr., announced September 17 that he had reenlisted. He said the decision does not mean he is retiring from professional wrestling.
“I have officially reenlisted in the Army National Guard,” Gordon wrote. “Wrestling isn’t over. Flip Gordon isn’t finished.”
Gordon previously served as a combat engineer in the Army National Guard. He began his professional wrestling career while still serving and spent several years balancing wrestling bookings with his military obligations.
Gordon said his family’s move back to the United States helped lead to his decision to reenlist. His wife received her green card, requiring the family to relocate to the United States within six months.
“With this new chapter, I realized there was something that I hadn’t finished yet,” Gordon said.
Gordon said he left the National Guard the first time as his wrestling career was gaining momentum and still had goals he wanted to accomplish in the military.
He is best known in the United States for his run with Ring of Honor, where he competed from 2017 until the promotion stopped operations under its previous ownership in 2021. Gordon has also wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling and independent promotions in the United States.
More recently, Gordon has been a regular with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in Mexico, where his military background became part of his presentation. CMLL billed him as “El Super Soldado,” or “The Super Soldier.”
Gordon held the CMLL World Historic Middleweight Championship before losing the title to Volador Jr. earlier this year.
He said he plans to continue wrestling while serving in the National Guard.
“I’ll be back in the ring. I’ll be back in Mexico. And I’ll be back representing CMLL,” Gordon wrote.