 Mari in 2013 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mariella Balbuena Torres (1979-10-19)October 19, 1979 (age 46)[1][2] |
| Children | Natsumi (daughter) |
| Parent | Gran Apache (father) |
| Relatives |
|
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | La Maestra Lady Venum Love Mari Apache Princesa Apache |
| Billed height | 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 70 kg (150 lb)[1] |
| Trained by | Gran Apache[2] |
| Debut | 1996[1][2] |
Mariella Balbuena Torres (born October 19, 1979) is a Mexicanluchadora, or femaleprofessional wrestler, best known under thering nameMari Apache (sometimes written as "Mary Apache"). She is the daughter ofluchadorGran Apache and the sister ofluchadoraFaby Apache. She has wrestled for an extended period of time in Japan but is best known for working inLucha Libre AAA Worldwide along with her father and sister. She is a former one-timeAAA Reina de Reinas Champion and a two-timeAAA World Mixed Tag Team Champion, having held the title with her father andHalloween. Torres has previously wrestled under the ring namePrincesa Apache and as theenmascarada (masked) charactersLove andLady Venum.
Mariella Balbuena trained with her father Mario Balbuena González, better known asGran Apache, who is one of Mexico's most prolific trainers of female wrestlers. She made her debut in 1996, at the age of 17, working under thering name Princesa Apache, playing off her father'sNative American ring character. Through her father's position withLucha Libre AAA Worldwide, one of Mexico's largest wrestling promotions, she began working for AAA upon making her debut.[3] In either late 1996 or early 1997 she adopted a new ring character, a masked character called "Love".[3] Although she was masked, AAA did not hide the fact that she was the daughter of Gran Apache.[3] The "Love" character only lasted about six months before Torres was given a new character. She became a part of a female version of the popular AAA stableLos Cadetes Del Espacio, wrestling as the masked "Lady Venum" a female version ofVenum. She teamed up withLady Discovery,Lady Luxor to formLas Cadetas del Espacion in later 1997.Las Cadetas teamed up withXóchitl Hamada to defeat the team of La Fugitiva, La Migala, La Practicante andMartha Villalobos in the opening match of the 1997Guerra de Titanes show.[4] Not long afterGuerra de Titanes Torres left AAA, giving the "Lady Venum" character to her younger sisterFabiola Torres, while adopting the ring name Mari Apache. Mari travelled to Japan to gain more experience, wrestling for a variety of Japanese all-female promotions such asAll Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling,Gaea Japan andArsion.[2] In Arsion Mari Apache defeatedChaparita Asari on March 15, 2000, to win theSky High of Arsion Championship.[5] Apache lost the title onAyako Hamada on August 12, 2000, during an Arsion event inNagoya, Japan.[5]
Mari Apache returned to Mexico and began working full-time for AAA in 2007. Mari sided with her father Gran Apache in a long running storyline between Gran Apache and Mari's sisterFaby Apache's "love interest" (and real-life husband)Billy Boy. On November 30, 2007, during the 2007Guerra de Titanes, Gran and Mari Apache defeated Billy Boy and Faby Apache,Espiritu andLa Diabólica, andAyako Hamada andMr. Niebla in a four-way match to win the vacantAAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship.[6] The pair would successfully defend the title against the team ofSuper Caló andRossy Moreno.[7] Over the spring of 2008 the storyline between Gran Apache and Billy Boy evolved into Faby Apache fighting with Mari Apache, splitting the family. Gran Apache and Mari Apache successfully defended the mixed tag team title against Faby Apache and Billy Boy on April 20, 2008.[7] The feud between the sisters was also the dominating storyline of the 2008Reina de Reinas tournament. Mari defeatedChikayo Nagashima, Martha Villalobos,Sexy Star andSonoko Kato to qualify for the finals. In the finals her younger sister Faby Apache defeated both Mari and Ayako Hamada to win the 2008 tournament.[8] The feud between the sisters reached its conclusion atTriplemania XVI, where Faby Apache defeated her sister in aLucha de Apuesta, hair vs. hair match. Following the match Gran Apache came to the ring and pleaded with Faby, persuading her to not shave Mary's hair off but instead shave his hair.[9] The sacrifice by Gran Apache brought the family back together again. During the fall of 2008 Gran Apache and Mari successfully defended the mixed tag team title against the brother/sister team ofEl Oriental andCinthia Moreno but was not able to defeat them a fourth time as they lost the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship at the 2008Verano de Escandalo event on September 14, 2008.[10] Over the next year Mari frequently teamed with her sister Faby, although she was not an integral part of the "family feud" that had turned into Faby Apache against Billy Boy. It was not until Faby Apache was attacked byLa Legión Extranjera membersJennifer Blade andRain, causing her to lose the Reina de Reinas championship to Sexy Sar duringHeroes Inmortales III that Mari Apache became involved in the storyline.[11] Mari, Faby and Cinthia Moreno faced off againstLa Legión members Sexy Star, Rain andChristina Von Eerie during the 2010Rey de Reyes event, a match which Moreno won for her team by pinning Sexy Star.[12] During a postRey de Reyes interview Sexy Star claimed that the Apaches and Cintia Moreno were nothing but maids, which led to AAA booking aTriplemania XVIII match between Cinthia Moreno, Faby and Mari Apache against Sexy Star, Rain and Jennifer Blade in a match where the person pinned or submitted would have to be the winning team's slave for a month.[13] At TriplemaniaLa Legión defeated Moreno and the Apaches, when Blade pinned Mari, thanks in part to the biased refereering by Hijo del Tirantes. Following the match Konnan ordered Mari Apache to begin her maid duty right away by cleaning up their dressing room. The stipulation expired on July 6, 2010.[14] On August 14 atVerano de Escandalo the Apaches andAero Star faced Reina de Reinas Champion Sexy Star and Mixed Tag Team ChampionsAlex Koslov and Christina Von Eerie in a six-person tag team match, where both titles were on the line. In the end Mari pinned Sexy Star to win the Reina de Reinas Championship for the first time.[15]
In 2011, Apache aligned with her fellow AAA technicas to battle the invading female wrestlers from American promotionTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). AtTriplemanía XIX, Sexy Star and TNA'sAngelina Love,Mickie James andVelvet Sky defeated the Apaches,Cynthia Moreno and Lolita in an eight-woman tag team match.[16] On July 9, James and Sexy Star defeated Mari and Faby in a tag team match, after which James challenged Mari to a match for her title.[17] On July 31 atVerano de Escándalo, Apache lost the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship toPimpinela Escarlata in an eight-way elimination match.[18] In August 2011, Mari and her sister worked a tour ofJapan, working withOz Academy andPro Wrestling Wave.[19][20][21] On April 6, 2012, Mari turnedruda and started a rivalry with her sister.[22] On October 7, 2012, atHéroes Inmortales, Mari andHalloween defeatedAlan Stone andJennifer Blake,Atomic Boy and Faby Apache,Fénix and Lolita in a four-way match to win the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship.[23][24] They lost the title toDrago and Faby Apache on July 19, 2013.[25] The following month, Mari continued her feud against her sister by joiningLa Secta.[26]
On September 28, 2014, Apache returned to Japan and Pro Wrestling Wave, teaming with Ayako Hamada and Yuu Yamagata in six-woman tag team match, where they defeatedHikaru Shida,Tomoka Nakagawa andYumi Ohka, with Apache pinning Shida, the reigningWave Single Champion, for the win.[27] This led to Apache unsuccessfully challenging Shida for both the Wave Single Championship and the RCW Women's Championship on October 29.[28] During her time in Japan, Apache also worked for Oz Academy andMichinoku Pro Wrestling.[29][30]
In 2017, Apache relocated to Japan, where she began working regularly forWorld Wonder Ring Stardom. It was also announced that her daughter Natsumi had started training professional wrestling and would debut in Japan.[31] On August 13, Apache defeatedShanna for theHigh Speed Championship.[31] On September 24, Apache made her first successful title defense on against Hiromi Mimura.[32] On December 24, Apache defeatedStarlight Kid for her second successful title defense.[33]
On January 21, 2018, at Stardom's seventh anniversary, Apache defeatedKay Lee Ray for her third successful title defense.[34][35] Apache teamed with her sister Faby Apache on March 31, when they unsuccessfully challengedHana Kimura andKagetsu for theirGoddesses of Stardom Championship.[36] At Mask Fiesta 2018 on October 28, Apache, under the ring nameLa Maestra, teamed up withHanita in a loss to Candy Skull andMarty Scurll.[37][38] On December 24, Apache lost the championship toHazuki.[39]
Mariella Torres comes from a wrestling family, she's the oldest daughter of Mario Balbuena González, who wrestled as Gran Apache. Her younger sister Fabiola wrestles as Faby Apache. She is the stepdaughter of Sandra González Calderón, better known asLady Apache although Torres' father and Lady Apache divorced years ago. Torres also has a younger sister Jessica, who briefly worked as Baby Apache. She is the sister-in-law of wrestler José Roberto Islas García, known as Billy Boy, who was married to Fabiola, as well as the aunt to their son Marvin.[40]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faby Apache (hair) | Mari Apache (hair) | Mexico City | Triplemania XVI | June 13, 2008 | [9] |
| Mari Apache (hair) | Súper Estrella (mask) | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Live event | March 6, 2011 | [45] |
Media related toMari Apache at Wikimedia Commons
