.jpg) Blue Panther in 2018 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Genaro Vázquez Nevarez[3][4] (1960-09-18)September 18, 1960 (age 65)[5] Gómez Palacio, Durango, Mexico[2] |
| Children |
|
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Blue Panther[1] |
| Billed height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[2] |
| Billed weight | 98 kg (216 lb)[2] |
| Billed from | Gómez Palacio, Durango[2] |
| Trained by | |
| Debut | October 8, 1978[1] |
Genaro Vázquez Nevarez (born September 18, 1960) is a Mexicanprofessional wrestler and trainer, best known under hisring nameBlue Panther. He made his in-ring debut in 1978. Since then, he has worked for most major Mexicanprofessional wrestling promotions, including theUniversal Wrestling Association (UWA),Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) andAsistencia, Asesoría y Administración (AAA). He was one of the first wrestlers to leave CMLL for AAA when it was created in 1992, but returned to CMLL in 1997 where he has competed ever since.
Vázquez's two oldest sons, known asBlue Panther Jr. andBlack Panther, are also professional wrestlers, working for CMLL since 2013. A third son referred to as El Hijo de Blue Panther has been introduced to the audience but has not made his in-ring debut. He was the firstCMLL World Middleweight Champion and has won theMexican National Middleweight Championship twice, theCMLL World Trios Championship twice and theMexican National Trios Championship. He also won the 1999Torneo Gran Alternativa and the 2000Leyenda de Plata tournaments.
In his career, he has won themask of such notable wrestlers asBlack Man,Lizmark Jr. andLove Machine. In 2008, he lost his own mask toVillano V and has since had his hair shaved off as a result of losses toAverno andSam Adonis. Vázquez opened his own gym in the early 1990s, where he was one of the first Mexican professional wrestling trainers to train both men and women.
Blue Panther began wrestling in northernMexico in the late 1970s before getting noticed by wrestler and promoterRené Guajardo inMonterrey.[5] During his initial years in Monterrey, Blue Panther was given several opportunities to show off his in-ring skills and work higher profile matches, in particular withLucha de Apuestas ("Bet match") wins where he defeated and unmasked La Bestia, Simio Blanco and Oro.[a][b]
Guarjardo got Blue Panther booked inUniversal Wrestling Association (UWA) and Panther made his debut in their main building,El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos inNaucalpan, in 1981. He wrestled on the undercard as arudo (also referred to as a "heel", those that portray the "bad guys" in wrestling), before getting his firstpush in 1984 by winning theUWA World Welterweight Championship from veteran worker Matemático.[7][8]
Panther also began teaming withBlack Man on a regular basis around that time, including a November 20, 1984Lucha de Apuestas win over Los Sombras de Plata, forcing both members of the team to unmask.[9] The team later broke up, leading to a prolonged storyline feud between the two, which included Black Man winning the UWA World Welterweight Championship from Blue Panther on February 9, 1986.[7] The storyline built to a high-profileLucha de Apuestas match between the two at UWA's main venue, theEl Toreon Cuatro Caminos bullfighting arena. After three long falls Blue Panther defeated Black Man, forcing Black Man to unmask and state his real name perlucha libre traditions.[9]
He later defeatedGran Hamada to win his firstUWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship on November 16, 1986.[10] His first reign lasted 190 days and was ended byEl Solar on May 25, 1987. He later regained the championship on February 8, 1988.[10] In May 1988, Blue Panther won another significant match as he defeatedKendo on a UWA show in Tijuana, Baja California to unmask Kendo.[11] On September 18, 1988, Blue Panther's second and final reign as the UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Champion ended as the UWA bookers decided to haveGran Cochisse win the championship from Blue Panther.[10]
In 1991, Panther began working full-time forEmpresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL), where he began a feud withAtlantis over theNWA World Middleweight Championship. Although Blue Panther was unsuccessful in his August title challenge, the feud established him as a toprudo in EMLL.[c] Later that same year EMLL changed their name to Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL; "World Wrestling Council") and began holding tournaments for CMLL-branded championships. Blue Panther was one of sixteen competitors entered in the tournament for theCMLL World Middleweight Championship. He defeatedRingo Mendoza in the opening round,El Dandy in the semi-finals andEl Satánico in the finals to become the inaugural champion, a sign of CMLL's support of Blue Panther.[13]
Following his championship victory, Blue Panther was programmed in a feud withAmerican Love Machine, a feud that would help establish Panther as one of the top stars of Lucha Libre at the time. The storyline built to the main event of the36. Aniversario de Arena México show on April 3, 1992. The feud between the two had been so popular thatArena México was sold out, with 18,000 spectators in attendance. To cope with the anticipated fan turn out, CMLL had set up closed-circuit screens to accommodate 8,000 additional spectators. In the third and deciding fall, Love Machine used a move calledEl Martinete' (a "piledriver"), which under Lucha Libre rules caused him to be disqualified and thus lose the match. The storyline was that Love Machine was not aware of the specific rule, unique to Mexico, and thus was "robbed" of the victory and his mask. After the loss, Love Machine reluctantly unmasked and revealed his real name, Art Barr.[d][15]
In mid-1992 then-CMLL-bookerAntonio Peña left CMLL over creative differences with the owner and formed his own company,Asistencia, Asesoría y Administración (AAA).[e] Panther left CMLL and followed Peña to AAA as he was close to Peña. As a result, CMLL declared the CMLL World Middleweight Championship vacant.[13] When Love Machine joined AAA months later the Blue Panther/Love Machine feud resumed. The two met in a mask vs. hair match in July 1993, during which both wrestlers changed sides as Love Machine was helped byEddy Guerrero turningrudo, while Blue Panther "valiantly" fought back, making Blue Panther atecnico (a "Face", those that portray the "good guys" in wrestling), as he overcame the odds and defeated Love Machine.[f] Following the turn Barr and Guerrero formed 'Los Gringos Locos,'which soon became the mainrudo group of AAA.[f]
On July 23, 1992, Blue Panther won theMexican National Middleweight Championship fromOctagón and held the title for 665 days until Octagón regained the championship April 30, 1994.[17][18] His second reign lasted a total of 609 days, from May 27, 1994, to January 26, 1996, whenEl Hijo del Santo won the championship Mexican National Middleweight Championship.[17][18] Panther teamed up withFuerza Guerrera andPsicosis to defeat Octagón,Rey Misterio Jr. andSuper Muñeco to win theMexican National Trios Championship.[19]
After thedownturn of the Mexican economy, Blue Panther and Fuerza Guerra started their own promotion calledPromotora Mexicana de Lucha Libre (PROMELL; later known asPromo Azteca). The Mexico City Boxing and Professional wrestling commission took control of the Mexican National Trios Championship away from AAA and awarded it to PROMELL instead. This led to the championship being vacated in 1996, before Panther, Fuerza Guerra andEl Signo won it by defeatingEl Brazo,Super Brazo and Super Elektra to win the vacant championship.[19] The original PROMELL struggled to be profitable, which led to Blue Panther briefly returning to AAA in 1997.[20]
In 1998, Panther teamed withDr. Wagner Jr. and his real-life nephewBlack Warrior to form "Los Laguneros" The team won a tournament to win the vacantCMLL World Trios Championship. In 1999, Panther and Wagner teamed to feud withNegro Casas and El Hijo del Santo over theCMLL World Tag Team Championship with an unsuccessful title challenge in September of that year. In 2000 and 2001,Los Laguneros successfully defended their titles againstLos Villanos (Villano III,IV, andV) and the team of Negro Casas,Emilio Charles Jr., andTarzan Boy while Blue Panther had a singles feud withOlímpico.
In 2002, Black Warrior leftLos Laguneros and the trios championship was vacated. Fuerza Guerrera replaced Black Warrior on the team, and they won another tournament for the CMLL World Trios title but they reigned for only three months before dropping the titles to Black Warrior, Atlantis, andMr. Niebla. Over time, Blue Panther was getting booked more as a técnico (face) and began to team with former rivals, Atlantis,Lizmark Jr., and Mr. Niebla asLa Ola Azul ("The Blue Wave") in a feud withLos Guerreros del Infierno. In 2004, Atlantis and Blue Panther defeatedÚltimo Guerrero andRey Bucanero to win the CMLL World Tag Team Championship. Three months after successfully defending the title against Olímpico and Rey Bucanero, Atlantis and Panther lost the championship to the team ofAverno andMephisto in April 2005. When Atlantis turned rudo, Panther feuded with him intermittently and the two often ripped at each other'smasks, hinting at a possible mask vs. mask match. On September 19, 2008, he lost his mask to Villano V. He was unmasked as Genaro Vázquez Nevarez.[3][4]
In late 2011, Blue Panther began feuding withLa Peste Negra ("The Black Plague"; Negro Casas and El Felino), which led to the main event ofSin Piedad on December 16, where Panther faced El Felino in a Hair vs. Hair match. A week prior to the match, Panther was disqualified in a tag team match, after giving El Felino a pile driver. This led to the Distrito Federal Box y Lucha Commission announcing that Panther was suspended for two weeks, starting after December 16 event.[21] AtSin Piedad, El Felino tried to exact revenge on Panther, but was disqualified after the referee caught him going for a pile driver. As a result, El Felino was shaved bald.[22] On March 2, 2012, atHomenaje a Dos Leyendas, Panther and Negro Casas wrestled to a draw in aLucha de Apuesta and were, as a result, both shaved bald.[23]
In March 2013, Blue Panther was forced to team up with therudoRey Escorpión to participate in the 2013Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles ("National Incredible Pairs Tournament"), a tournament where arudo and atecnico teams up. The two defeatedDelta andTiger in the first round, but lost to the team ofDragón Rojo Jr. andNiebla Roja in the quarter-finals.[24][25] On September 13, atCMLL's 80th Anniversary Show, Blue Panther lost his hair to Averno in a submissions-onlyLucha de Apuestas.[26][27]
In late 2013, Blue Panther's two oldest sons made their debut for CMLL using the ring namesBlack Panther andCachorro (Spanish for "Cub"). Both wore a variation of the mask that their father had worn until 2008.[28] The sons would later be renamed "Blue Panther Jr." and "The Panther" respectively.[29] Blue Panthers and his sons, collectively referred to asLos Divinos Laguneros ("The Divine Laguneros"), would become a regular trio in CMLL with the senior Panther leading the team, helping his sons improve their in-ring skills.[30] Blue Panther and The Panther teamed up for the 2014Torneo Gran Alternativa ("Great Alternative") tournament, defeating Averno and EL Rebelde in the opening round, before losing toLa Sombra andOro Jr. in the second round.[31]Los Divinos were unsuccessful in their first championship challenge as they lost to Mexican National Trios ChampionsLos Hijos del Infierno (Ephesto,Luciferno and Mephisto on March 1, 2016.[32] In mid-2017, Blue Panther became involved in a long-running storyline with American wrestlerSam Adonis, who portrayed a pro-Donald Trump and anti-Mexican ring character.[33][34] Panther stood up to Adonis and defended Mexico as the storyline escalated into the two facing off in a high-profileLucha de Apuestas match on August 4, 2017. Adonis won the match, forcing Blue Panther to have his hair shaved off.[35][36]
Blue Panther and Blue Panther Jr. teamed up for a 2018 tournament for the vacant CMLL World Tag Team Championship, but lost in the first round toDiamante Azul andStuka Jr.[37][38] In mid-2018, Vázquez announced that a third son was training for an in-ring career, introducing him as "El Hijo de Blue Panther" ("The Son of Blue Panther").[39] In subsequent months, the Panther changed his name to be known as "Black Panther", taking the name his older brother used previously.[40] In October 2018 CMLL celebrated Vázquez's career as they held theBlue Panther 40th Anniversary Show, with Panther teaming up with fellow Lagunero wrestlersEuforia, Black Warrior and Panterita del Ring defeatingLos Tapatía (Máscara Año 2000,El Cuatrero,Forastero andSansón).[41][42]
On January 31, 2019, Blue Panther and Black Panther participated inInternational Wrestling Revolution Group'sGuerra de Dinastías ("War of the Dynasties") show where they lost to the father/son team of El Solar andEl Hijo del Solar.[43] In April 2020 Panther's third son was introduced to the wrestling world, known under the ring name "Chachorro Lagunero", Spanish for "The Lagunero Puppy".[6]
Vazquez opened his own gym in the early 1990s and began training prospective professional wrestlers, being one of the firstmaestros to train both men and women at his gym. Over the years he has played a part in training hundreds of wrestlers for their in-ring career.[g][5]
Over the years Vázquez has become known for his "Ras de Lona" ("On the mat") wrestling style, focusing more on holds, takedowns and submission moves than high flying wrestling. The style is personified by hisNudo Lagunero ("The Lagunero Knot") submission move that he created. The "Nudo Lagunero" is astanding figure-four leglock, where Vázquez first wraps a prone opponent's legs across each other, then stretches the opponent's arms through the "knot" of the legs and pulls them up in the air so that all pressure is on the arms to force a submission.[46] In addition to the more complicatedNudo he also uses theFujiwara armbar submission hold, where Vázquez takes a face down opponent's arm and pulls it back while laying on their back to put the pressure on the shoulder and elbow joints.[46] While he is mostly known for his mat style, he will on occasion execute a dive out of the ring, such as aTopé Suicida where he dives head first through the ropes to hit an opponent.[46]
Genaro Vázquez Nevarez was born on September 18, 1960,[5] in the "Lagunero" town in Gómez Palacio, Durango, Mexico.[2] His oldest son was born in the mid-to-late 1980s, known professionally as "Blue Panther Jr.". His second son, known under the ring name "Black Panther", was born in either 1988 or 1989. A third son was introduced in mid-2018 under the ring name "El Hijo de Blue Panther". Vázquez is the uncle of Jesus Toral Lopez, better known as the professional wrestler Black Warrior,[47] and the great-uncle of Toral's sonWarrior Jr.[48] Vázquez owns and operates his ownchiropractic clinic, where he has treated several of his fellow wrestlers as well as patients in general.[49]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Panther and Matemático (masks) | La Bestia and Simio Blanco (masks) | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Live event | February 28, 1979 | [a][i] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Oro[j] (mask) | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Live event | 1980 | [b] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Gorila Infernal (mask) | Xalapa, Veracruz | UWA show | February 23, 1984 | [k] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | El Brillante (hair) | Querétaro, Querétaro | UWA show | June 24, 1984 | [l] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Bull Power (mask) | Puebla, Puebla | UWA show | September 7, 1984 | [m] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Luzbel (mask) | Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas | UWA show | October 18, 1984 | [n] |
| Blue Panther andBlack Man (masks) | Los Sombras de Plata (masks) (Sombra de Plata I and II) | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | UWA show | November 20, 1984 | [o][9] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Black Man (mask) | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | UWA show | February 16, 1986 | [p] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | El Avispón Negro (mask) | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | UWA show | March 16, 1986 | [q][61] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Kendo (mask) | Tijuana, Baja California | UWA show | May 1988 | [r][11] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Love Machine (mask) | Mexico City | 36. Aniversario de Arena México | April 3, 1992 | [f][63] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Vulcano (hair) | Mexico City | AAASin Limite | April 9, 1993 | [s] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Love Machine (hair) | Tonalá, Jalisco | AAASin Limite | July 7, 1993 | [t] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | El Nuevo Huracán Ramírez Jr. (mask) | Cuernavaca, Morelos | CMLL show | February 3, 2000 | [u][v] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Lizmark Jr. (mask) | Mexico City | CMLL 74th Anniversary Show | September 28, 2007 | [w][x] |
| Blue Panther (mask) | Tigre Universitario (mask) | Monterrey, Nuevo León | CMLL show | July 5, 2008 | [65] |
| Villano V (mask) | Blue Panther (mask) | Mexico City | CMLL 75th Anniversary Show | September 19, 2008 | [3][4] |
| Blue Panther (hair) | Diluvio Negro II (hair) | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Live event | December 18, 2008 | [y][66] |
| Blue Panther(hair) | El Felino (hair) | Mexico City | Sin Piedad | December 16, 2011 | [67] |
| Draw | Blue Panther (hair) Negro Casas (hair) | Mexico City | Homenaje a Dos Leyendas | March 2, 2012 | [z][23][68] |
| Averno (hair) | Blue Panther (hair) | Mexico City | CMLL 80th Anniversary Show | September 13, 2013 | [26] |
| Sam Adonis (hair) | Blue Panther (hair) | Mexico City | CMLL Super Viernes | August 4, 2017 | [35][36] |
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