 Aguayo in 2012 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Pedro Aguayo Ramírez[4] (1979-07-23)July 23, 1979[4] Mexico City, Mexico[4] |
| Died | March 21, 2015(2015-03-21) (aged 35) Tijuana,Baja California, Mexico |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest and cervical spine trauma |
| Family | Perro Aguayo (father) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Cachorro Aguayo[1] El Hijo del Perro Aguayo[1] Perrito Aguayo[1] Perro Aguayo Jr.[1] |
| Billed height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 75 kg (165 lb)[1] |
| Billed from | Zacatecas, Mexico[1] |
| Trained by | Perro Aguayo[2] Gran Cochisse[3] |
| Debut | June 18, 1995[2] |
Pedro Aguayo Ramírez (July 23, 1979 – March 21, 2015) was a Mexicanprofessional wrestler and promoter who achieved fame inwrestling asPerro Aguayo Jr. orEl Hijo del Perro Aguayo ("The Son ofPerro Aguayo"). He was the real-life son of lucha libre legend Perro Aguayo and not astoryline "Junior".[2] Aguayo was best known as the leader of theLos Perros del Malstable, which he started inConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in mid-2004. The stable became a significant draw in Mexican professional wrestling, peaking during Aguayo'sstoryline rivalries withMístico andHéctor Garza. In October 2008, Aguayo left CMLL to start his ownindependentprofessional wrestling promotionPerros del Mal Producciones, built around members of hisLos Perros del Mal stable. In June 2010, Aguayo returned toAAA after a seven-year absence to start an invasion storyline involving his stable.
While performing in a wrestling match on March 20, 2015, Aguayo died almost instantly fromcardiac arrest after fracturing three vertebrae. Following his death, Aguayo was inducted into theAAA Hall of Fame and theWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.
Pedro Aguayo Ramírez was born on July 23, 1979, inMexico City,Mexico,[1][2] the son of Luz Ramírez and Pedro Aguayo Damián, aluchador, orprofessional wrestler known under thering name Perro Aguayo.[4][2] His uncle, Jesús Ramírez Ángel, was better known under the name Ídolo and his cousins competed as Ídolo I and Ídolo II. Aguayo's cousin works as "Pepe Aguayo", inspired by Perro Sr.
Debuting professionally at the age of 15, Aguayo Jr. started out wrestling established veterans inAAA. He often teamed with his father, and the pair won theMexican National Tag Team Championship on two occasions, defeating the teams ofFuerza Guerrera/Mosco de la Merced and El Cobarde II/El Cobarde Jr., respectively.[5] Aguayo Jr. worked his first major show on June 18, 1995, when he faced and lost toJuventud Guerrera as part ofTriplemanía III-B.[6] Aguayo Jr. formed a team of all "juniors",Los Junior Atómicos, includingBlue Demon Jr.,La Parka Jr. and Máscara Sagrada Jr. The four defeatedCharly Manson, May Flowers, Nygma and El Picudo to win theMexican National Atómicos Championship during a show inJalisco.[7] Five months later they lost the championship toLos Vipers (Histeria,Maniaco, Mosco de la Merced andPsicosis) at the1999Verano de Escándalo show.[7][8] AfterLos Junior Atómicos disbanded, Aguayo began teaming regularly withHéctor Garza, engaging in a four-way storyline feud withHeavy Metal andLatin Lover. These four competed in various tag and four-way matches throughout the lengthy feud. One of the highlights of the storyline was Heavy Metal being shaved bald after losing a combination four-waysteel cage match andlucha de apuesta on the2001Guerra de Titanes show, when Garza pinned Heavy Metal.[9] Later on Latin Lover would defeat Garza in anotherlucha de apuesta.[10] Aguayo Jr. and Garza defeatedLos Vipers (Abismo Negro andElectroshock) to win the Mexican National Tag Team Championship.[11] The duo held the title for 61 days before losing it toPirata Morgan andEl Texano.[11]
In May 2003, Aguayo Jr. moved toConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He was initially brought in as atécnico to team withNegro Casas againstLos Guerreros del Infierno, but did not receive the expected positive reactions from the crowd, and CMLL decided to turn himheel by having him win a tournament for a shot atAtlantis'Michinoku Pro WrestlingTohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship. He won the tournament over established popular heels likeDr. Wagner Jr. andRey Bucanero, so by the time he met thebabyface Atlantis for the title, he was seen as a heel by the fans. The title challenge was unsuccessful, but Aguayo was quickly put into a program withLos Capos with the story being he was getting revenge onUniverso 2000 for ending his father's career. During this feud,Shocker's popularLos Guapos group backed Aguayo Jr. and he became a face again. The feud continued through the winter and into 2004 and was ended when Aguayo andEl Terrible (a member of Los Guapos) defeatedCien Caras andMáscara Año 2000 in a double hair vs. hair match at the2004Homenaje a Dos Leyendas: El Santo y Salvador Lutteroth show. In the spring, Aguayo Jr. once again backed up Negro Casas and Shocker in their feud withPierroth Jr.,Vampiro Canadiense andTarzan Boy. The two groups went at it intrios, singles, and tag matches before they were put in the annual "Cage of Death" match, in which the last two men in the cage, regardless of which team they are on, would face each other in a hair vs. hair match. The heel trio escaped early and Shocker made a quick exit as well. Aguayo Jr. and Casas then faced each other, and Aguayo Jr. pinned Casas, winning his hair. Tensions began to rise between Casas and Aguayo Jr. after that point, and when Héctor Garza jumped to CMLL in July, Aguayo Jr. ditched Casas and joined him. After turning heel again, he took part in theLeyenda de Plata tournament, held in honor ofEl Santo. After securing his place in the semifinals, Aguayo Jr. interfered in Negro Casas' match with Atlantis, costing Casas the bout and allowing Atlantis to advance. After defeating Atlantis in the semifinals, Aguayo Jr. faced the previous year's winner,Felino, for the trophy. After Aguayo Jr. won the match,El Hijo del Santo came to the ring to award him the trophy, but Aguayo Jr. smashed it, claiming that Santo wasn't nearly the legend that Perro Aguayo Sr. was. Theangle was hot and played off the feud the original Santo and Perro Aguayo had during the 1970s. Due to El Hijo del Santo's short tour with CMLL, the feud was rushed towards an indecisive singles match. The closest thing to closure for the feud was atrios match at theCMLL 71st Anniversary Show, during which the team of Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Hèctor Garza and El Terrible (soon to be namedLa Furia del Norte) defeated Hijo del Santo, Negro Casas and Shocker. After that match, Santo focused more on his program withAverno andLos Guerreros del Infierno and Aguayo Jr. set his sights on Casas (to whom he lost), and the feud cooled down from there.
Starting in November 2004, Aguayo Jr. restarted his feud withLos Capos by teaming frequently with Vampiro and Pierroth Jr., who were also feuding with Los Capos at the time. At the year-end show, he had another singles match with Universo 2000 which led to Aguayo's father running in and making the save. In February 2005, Perro Aguayo Sr. returned to wrestling for one match, teaming with his son against Cien Caras and Máscara Año 2000 in a double hair vs. hair match. The Aguayos won the match (which was also billed as Cien Caras' retirement match), in the main event of the2005Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show. After the match,La Familia de Tijuana (Halloween,Damián 666), and Aguayo Jr. decided to start a new faction,Los Perros del Mal ("The Bad Dogs"). Soon, the group would consist of Aguayo Jr.,La Familia,La Furia del Norte, Blue Demon Jr., Pierroth Jr. and Pierroth's storyline sons. The group took on many rivals, including Negro Casas, Felino, Heavy Metal (who had just jumped from AAA),Máscara Mágica, Universo 2000 and Aguayo's new focus, the rising starMístico, who had defeated him in a main event singles match. The two agreed to a hair vs. mask match, but no date was specified.Los Perros del Mal faced off against their rivals in the 2005 "Cage of Death" match, in which Damián 666 took the hair of Máscara Mágica. On May 5, 2006, Aguayo Jr. was defeated byRayo de Jalisco Jr. andEl Canek in a three-way match for theIWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship inNezahualcoyotl.[12] Aguayo Jr.'s final major feud in CMLL was with Héctor Garza, which culminated in a Hair vs. Hair match on March 21, 2008, atHomenaje a Dos Leyendas, which Aguayo Jr. won via a low blow.[13]
Aguayo Jr. left CMLL in October 2008, along with fellowLos Perros Del Mal members Damián 666 andMr. Águila, to start his own promotion calledPerros del Mal Producciones. The new promotion's debut show took place on December 7, 2008, in Mexico City. On that show, Aguayo Jr. tag-teamed withCibernético and Dr. Wagner Jr. to faceL.A. Park,Olímpico andHeadhunter A, and was victorious.
On June 6, 2010, atTriplemanía XVIII, Aguayo returned to AAA to leadPerros del Mal in an invasion of the promotion.[14] The group quickly aligned themselves withKonnan and Dorian Roldan'sLa Legión Extranjera,La Milicia andLos Maniacos to formLa Sociedad.[15][16] On August 14 atVerano de Escandalo El Hijo del Perro Aguayo wrestled his first major match for AAA since his return, when he, L.A. Park and Damián 666 defeatedEl Mesías, Cibernético andLa Parka in a six-man tag team match, when Perro pinned Mesías.[17] On October 1 atHéroes Inmortales IV El Mesías defeated Perro in a singles match.[18] Afterwards, Aguayo injured his knee, sidelining him for the rest of the year.[19] However, he made a surprise appearance on December 5, 2010 during the main event ofGuerra de Titanes, helping Damián 666, Halloween andX-Fly handLos Psycho Circus their first-ever loss in a steel cage weapons match.[20] On March 18, 2011, atRey de Reyes, Aguayo Jr. joined Damián 666, Halloween andSuper Crazy in a winning effort againstPotencia Mundial (Dr. Wagner Jr. and Los Psycho Circus); Aguayo Jr. pinned Wagner withLa Lanza, following a chair shot.[21]
On April 8, 2011. Aguayo Jr. underwent emergency surgery to remove a golf ball-sized tumor from his stomach.[22] During the surgery, apeptic ulcer burst, and he was placed in anintensive care unit at the hospital inGuadalajara, Jalisco.[23] Aguayo Jr. was released from the hospital on April 19 and was scheduled to receive treatment for his condition for a full year.[24] Aguayo's tumor was found to be benign;[25] Aguayo made his return to AAA, in a non–wrestling role, on May 1[26] and returned to the ring on May 8 in a six-man tag team match pittingLos Perros del Mal againstLos Psycho Circus; Aguayo pinned Psycho Clown after a low blow.[27] The feud continued on May 29 atPerros del Mal Producciones' third anniversary show, whenLos Psycho Circus defeatedLos Perros del Mal in a six-man tag team steel cage mask vs. hair match. As a result, Super Crazy, the last man left in the cage, was shaved bald.[28] Aguayo Jr. was set to wrestle as part ofLos Perros del Mal atTriplemanía XIX, facingLos Psycho Circus to determine the first-everAAA World Trios Champions, but was forced to pull out of the event due to anadverse reaction to the medication given to him as part of his tumor treatment.[29] Aguayo returned on July 24 at aPerros del Mal event, teaming with Damián 666 and Halloween against Blue Demon Jr.,Cassandro and L.A. Park; the match ended in a no contest when Park turned on his partners.[30] Aguayo Jr. next returned to AAA on August 19, replacing L.A. Park and teaming with Damián 666 and Halloween against El Mesías,Joe Líder andEl Zorro in a six-man tag team match, which they lost via disqualification when Líder was attacked by his former tag team partnerNicho el Millonario. After the match, Aguayo officially named Nicho the newest member ofLos Perros del Mal.[31] Aguayo Jr. returned topay-per-view on October 9, 2011 atHéroes Inmortales, unsuccessfully challenging Dr. Wagner Jr. for theAAA Latin American Championship in abullterrier match.[32] Afterward, Aguayo Jr. began a feud withJack Evans.[33][34] On December 16, 2011 atGuerra de Titanes, Aguayo and Evans continued their rivalry in a six-man tag team match, during which they busted each other open. The match was won when Aguayo Jr.'s teammate Héctor Garza pinnedFénix.[35] The feud between Aguayo Jr. and Evans continued through toRey de Reyes on March 18, 2012, when Aguayo Jr. pinned Evans to win theRey de Reyes tournament and earn a chance to contend for theAAA Mega Championship.[36] On August 5 atTriplemanía XX, Aguayo Jr. unsuccessfully challenged El Mesías for the AAA Mega Championship.[37] Afterwards, Aguayo Jr. started a year-long rivalry with Cibernético, which culminated in alucha de apuesta in the main event ofTriplemanía XXI on June 16, 2013. Aguayo Jr. was victorious, forcing Cibernético to have his head shaved bald.[38]
In August 2013, Aguayo teamed with Cibernético against his former stable,La Secta.[39][40] On October 18 atHéroes Inmortales VII,La Secta eliminated Aguayo Jr., Cibernético, and El Mesías from theCopa Antonio Peña, which led to the three retaliating by costingSecta membersDark Escoria andDark Espiritu their match for theAAA World Tag Team Championship.[41] Aguayo Jr.'stecnico turn was completed on November 22, whenLos Perros del Mal members Daga andPsicosis turned on him,[42] labeling him a traitor for teaming with Cibernético.[43] However, on December 8 atGuerra de Titanes, Aguayo Jr. turned on Cibernético, rejoined Daga and Psicosis and broughtLos Perros del Mal back under the umbrella of the reformedLa Sociedad.[44] On August 17, 2014, atTriplemanía XXII, Aguayo Jr. started a new feud with the debutingEl Patrón by attacking him and his fatherDos Caras at the start of the show.[45] Later that night in the main event, Aguayo Jr. defeated Cibernético, Dr. Wagner Jr. and Myzteziz, in a four-way elimination match to win Copa Triplemanía XXII. After the match, Aguayo Jr. was immediately attacked by El Patrón.[46] Subsequently, Aguayo Jr. andEl Texano Jr. defeated El Patrón and El Mesías atHéroes Inmortales VIII.[47] In subsequent months, Aguayo Jr. focused on Myzteziz, and resuming the storyline that started in CMLL when Myzteziz was known as Místico, by issuing a challenge for a mask vs. hair match atTriplemanía XXIII.[48] The story led to the main event of the 2015Rey de Reyes, in which Aguayo Jr. teamed up withPentagón Jr., only to lose to Myzteziz and the returningRey Mysterio Jr.[49][50][51]
On March 20, 2015, Aguayo wrestled a tag team match, teaming withManik againstRey Mysterio Jr. andXtreme Tiger at a show for The Crash promotion in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. During the match, Mysterio used aheadscissors takedown which according to him[52] was supposed to propel Aguayo into the619 position on the ropes, but for some reason he bumped and went out to the floor. Aguayo returned to the ring, upon which Mysterio dropkicked him in the shoulder to again set up for the 619 as he landed on the middle rope (the proper position for the619). Aguayo appeared to attempt to stand up with his left leg.[53] Manik then fell onto the middle rope beside Aguayo; when he appeared to be limp and unconscious, Manik shook him slightly to revive him. Mysterio bounced off the middle rope to perform the 619, but did not hit either opponent as Aguayo was already slumped over the middle rope and Manik ducked. While the match continued, Konnan, who was at ringside, then attempted to revive the seemingly unconscious Aguayo by shaking him. The match continued, with Mysterio next checking on the unmoving Aguayo, bringing it to the referee's attention. Mysterio then pinned Manik to end the match while Konnan again attempted to revive Aguayo.
With the match over, various personnel went to Aguayo, believing he was just unconscious and in need of medical help. Officials later brought him out of the ring. When paramedics arrived, Aguayo was brought to the local Del Prado hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 1:00 am on March 21. He was 35 years old.[54][55][56]
According to the initial statement by the hospital, Aguayo died from a cervical spine trauma, reportedly as a result of the dropkick by Mysterio Jr. that propelled him forward to the ring ropes, causing severewhiplash trauma that snapped his neck.[55][57][58] The cause of death was later determined as cardiac arrest, due to a cervicalstroke caused by three fractured vertebrae.[59][60] Autopsy results showed that Aguayo Jr. broke his C-1, C-2, and C-3 vertebrae. The coroner stated that the fractures took place at two different moments of impact and that Aguayo died almost instantly.[61] An alternative angle uploaded by an audience member appears to show Aguayo moving his left leg after the initial impact.[62] Aguayo Jr. was not immediately attended to by a physician and was actually taken from the ring on a piece of plywood instead of a stretcher, which led to some criticism of the event organizers. However, the coroner stated that it made no difference. The Tijuana wrestling commission later explained that the doctor was backstage, attending to two other injuries that happened during the show. One of those injuries was a spinal injury and they did not want to remove that wrestler from the stretcher he was on, which was why they used the plywood to move Aguayo from the ring. The doctors worked on resuscitating Aguayo for over an hour before declaring him dead.[59] On March 21, theattorney general for Baja California conducted an investigation into Aguayo's death but no criminal charges were filed.[63]
Aguayo Jr. was buried in Guadalajara on March 23 with Konnan and Rey Mysterio Jr. serving as pallbearers. Out of respect for Aguayo Jr, Rey attended the funeral without his mask. Mysterio's wife stated he went to the funeral as a human being, not a wrestler. Mysterio was devastated and faced Perro's family to give them his condolences. Perro's family told Rey Mysterio to "Not feel guilt, this was in God's hands, they understood completely."[64][65] After his death, theComisión de Deporte del Senado del México (The Commission of Sport of the Mexican Senate) presented the initiative "Ley para la Seguridad del Deporte en el País" (Law for the Safety of Sport in the Country").[66]
Many promotions, including AAA, CMLL,The Crash,Lucha Underground andWorld Wrestling League (WWL), paid tribute to Aguayo Jr. following his death.[67][68][69] On August 9 at Triplemanía XXIII, Aguayo Jr. was inducted into theAAA Hall of Fame.[70]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | El Picudo (mask) | Naucalpan, Mexico State | Live event | December 3, 1995 | [a] |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | Cobarde II (hair) | Tonalá, Jalisco | Verano de Escándalo | September 14, 1997 | [b] |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | El Picudo (hair) | Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas | Guerra de Titanes | November 19, 1997 | [c][80][81] |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | El Cobarde II (hair) | Tijuana, Baja California | Live event | November 19, 1999 | |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | El Texano (hair) | Tijuana, Baja California | Live event | May 19, 2000 | [82][83] |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | The Panther[d] (mask) | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Live event | August 19, 2001 | |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | El Dandy (hair) | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Verano de Escándalo | September 16, 2002 | [e] |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. andEl Terrible (hair) | Cien Caras andMáscara Año 2000 (hair) | Mexico City | Homenaje a Dos Leyendas | March 19, 2004 | [84] |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | Negro Casas (hair) | Mexico City | Infierno en el Ring | June 18, 2004 | [f][82] |
| Perro Aguayo and Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | Cien Caras andMáscara Año 2000 (hair) | Mexico City | Homenaje a Dos Leyendas | March 18, 2005 | [85][86] |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | Universo 2000 (hair) | Mexico City | Homenaje a Dos Leyendas | March 17, 2006 | [87] |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | Héctor Garza (hair) | Mexico City | Homenaje a Dos Leyendas | March 21, 2008 | [13] |
| Perro Aguayo Jr. (hair) | Cibernético (hair) | Mexico City | Triplemanía XXI | June 16, 2013 | [38] |