Emilio Charles, Jr.

Sergio Emilio Charles Garduño (October 12, 1956 – December 28, 2012) was a Mexican Luchador or professional wrestler who is best known under his Ring name Emilio Charles, Jr. He is the son of professional wrestler Emilio Charles. Over the years Emilio Charles, Jr. has worked for virtually all major Mexican professional wrestling promotions including Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) and International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG). He is also one of the founding members of the wrestling group called Los Destructores (“the Destroyers”) along with Vulcano and Tony Arce. He was also a key member in the group Los Guapos (“the Handsome Ones”) as well as a group called Los Talibanes (the Taliban), both with long time wrestling partners and friends Scorpio Jr. and Bestia Salvaje.

Professional wrestling career

Emilio Charles, Jr. is the son of professional wrestler Emilio Charles, but was not trained by his father; instead he was trained by Diablo Velasco and Abuelo Carrillo before making his debut in February 1980.^[2] In the mid-1980s he joined up with the brother team of Tony Arce and Vulcano to form a trio known as Los Destructores ("the Destroyers"). The group was created in the same vein as Los Infernales, a trio of Rudos (bad guys) who worked well together and could produce top quality matches with a variety of opponents.^[3] On January 31, 1988 Los Destructores defeated Hombre Bala, Jerry Estrada and Pirata Morgan to win the Mexican National Trios Championship.^[4] Los Destructores held the titles for almost two years and had a series of title defenses that drew packed houses all over Mexico.^[5] While teaming with Tony Arce and Vulcano Emilio Charles, Jr. also worked as a singles wrestler, including a long drawn out storyline against Atlantis. The storyline saw Charles, Jr. win the NWA World Middleweight Championship from Atlantis on July 17, 1988, only to lose it back to Atlantis 11 days later.^[6] Charles, Jr. became a two time NWA Middleweight champion on August 12, 1988 when he defeated his rival for the title once more.^[6] His run as a double champion ended on April 28, 1989 when Ángel Azteca won the Middleweight title.^[6] On November 20, 1989 Los Destructures' lost the trios title to Black Terry, Jose Luis Feliciano and Shu El Guerrero.^[4] Not long after the title loss Charles, Jr. left Los Destructores, who decided to replace him with Rocco Valente instead. On August 30, 1990 Emilio Charles, Jr. defeated Javier Cruz to win the Mexican National Middleweight Championship, holding it until November 20, 1990 when he lost the belt to Octagón.^[7] Charles, Jr. remained active in the Middleweight division over the next couple of years, defeating El Dandy to win the CMLL World Middleweight Championship on December 16, 1992.^[8] He held the championship for close to ten months before El Dandy regained the title on October 5, 1993.^[8]

In the mid-1990s Emilio Charles, Jr. began teaming regularly with Bestia Salvaje, forming a friendship and in-ring partnership that lasted until Bestia Salvaje's death in 2007. Together with Sangre Chicana they formed a trio called Los Chacales ("The Jackals") and managed to defeat Gran Markus, Jr., El Hijo del Gladiador and Dr. Wagner, Jr. to win the CMLL World Trios Championship on March 31, 1995.^[9] Los Chacales would go on to hold the Trios title for just under one year, from March 31, 1995 until March 22, 1996 when they were defeated by Dos Caras, La Fiera and Héctor Garza ^[9] In 1996 Charles, Jr. and Apolo Dantés won CMLL's La Copa Junior tournament, a tournament exclusively for "second generation" wrestlers, while most were real second generation wrestlers like Emilio Charles, Jr. the tournament also included some fictional family relationships such as Hijo del Gladiador.^[10] In 1997 the makeshift team of Charles, El Satánico and Rey Bucanero defeated Apolo Dantés, Black Warrior, and Dr. Wagner Jr. in the finals of a one-night eight-team tournament to win the CMLL WOrld Trios Title. The team only held onto the championship for a month before losing to La Ola Azul ("The Blue Wave"; Atlantis, Lizmark and Mr. Niebla) on April 29, 1997.^[9] A few months later Charles, Jr. and Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated Atlantis and Brazo de Plata in the final of an 8-Team tournament to win the vacant CMLL World Tag Team Championship. While not being a regular team the two managed to defend the title for five months before losing it to Mr. Niebla and Shocker on January 23, 1998.^[11]

In the latter part of the 1990s Charles, Jr, Bestia Salvaje and Scorpio, Jr. formed a regular team, initially teaming with Shocker to form the Rudo group Los Guapos ("the Handsome ones"), a group of wrestlers who believed they were "every woman's dream", while in reality Charles, Jr., Salvaje and Scorpio, Jr. were the opposite.^[3] After Shocker split from the group Los Guapos feuded with him off and on, including Shocker taking the rights to the Los Guapos name at one point. In the wake of 9/11 Emilio Charles, Jr., Bestia Salvaje and Scorpio, Jr. began competing as Los Talibanes (the Taliban), wearing Bedouin robes and headdresses to the ring pretending to be part of the terrorist group.^[3] the run as Los Tailbanes was the last group effort between the three as Scorpio, Jr. left CMLL forming his own version of Los Guapos elsewhere. Emilio Charles, Jr.'s scheduled slowed down through 2005-2007, with him only working two notable storylines in that time period. The first one saw Charles, Jr. shaved bald as a result of losing a Lucha de Apuesta, or bet match, to Máximo on October 29, 2006.^[12] In the last notable feud that Emilio Charles, Jr. worked he wrestled newcomer Máscara Purpura in a series of matches, culminating with a Lucha de Apuesta match on September 16, 2007 that Charles, Jr. and was shaved bald as a result.^[13]

Death

Charles died in 2012 of kidney failure.^[14]

In wrestling

• Finishing and signature moves
  • Flying Splash
  • Lariat
  • Flying Dropkick
  • La Silla (Diving Thez Press)
  • Huracarrana

Championships and accomplishments

• Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL)
  • CMLL World Middleweight Championship (2 times)^[8]
  • CMLL World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dr. Wagner Jr.^[11]
  • CMLL World Trios Championship (2 times) – with Sangre Chicana and Bestia Salvaje (Los Chacales), El Satánico and Rey Bucanero^[9]
  • Mexican National Middleweight Championship (1 time)^[7]
  • Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Vulcano and Tony Arce (Los Destructores)^[4]
  • NWA World Middleweight Championship (2 times)^[6]
  • Distrito Federal Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[15]
  • La Copa Junior (1996)^[16]

Luchas de apuestas record

Footnotes

References