Gypsy Joe
| Gypsy Joe | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) |
Aztec Joe Blue Inferno El Grande Pistolero Gene Madrid Gypsy Joe Jan Madrid Inferno I |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Billed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Born |
December 2, 1933 Puerto Rico |
| Resides | Tullahoma, Tennessee |
| Billed from | Villalba, Puerto Rico |
| Trained by |
Carlos Colon Pampero Firpo Pedro Morales |
| Debut | c. 1951 |
| Retired | January 7, 2011 |
Gilberto Melendez (born December 2, 1933) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known under the ring name Gypsy Joe.
Professional wrestling career
Gypsy Joe is known for his longevity in the wrestling business. He was the first wrestler ever to jump successfully off a steel cage onto an opponent. He made his debut in the United States in 1963 after a lengthy career in Puerto Rico. He mainly worked for Nick Gulas, and later Jerry Jarrett. During his Gulas run he was often teamed with heels like Tojo Yammamoto and The Cuban Assassin. His career has continued well into the 2000s.[1]
In April 2003 Joe was involved in a memorable hardcore match with New Jack in which, due to Joe no-selling throughout the match and when Joe hit New Jack on the nose, Jack legitimately attacked Joe with a chain, a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, and several other weapons.[2]
In 2007, WWE Magazine named Gypsy Joe the world's oldest wrestler at the age of 73. On January 7, 2011 Joe wrestled his last match at the Gypsy Joe retirement show in Tullahoma, Tennessee.[3]
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Diving splash
- Diving knee drop
- Signature moves
- Chop
Championships and accomplishments
- NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mr. Pogo
- NWA Central States Television Championship (1 time)
- NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- ICW United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tojo Yamamoto
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (1 time) - with Louis Tillet
- AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Skull Murphy
- NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (7 times) – with Leroy Rochester (1), Dutch Mantel (1), Buzz Tyler (1), Tojo Yamamoto (3), and Tom Renesto, Jr. (1)
- NWA Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tojo Yamamoto & The Beast
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (1 time) – with Frank Martinez
- NWA World Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (2 times) – with Frank Martinez
- Southern Wrestling Federation
- SWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (1 time) - with Jim Wright
- USWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- West Virginia Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- Tennessee Wrestling Alliance
- TWA Hardcore Champion (2 times)
See also
References
- ↑ Online World of Wrestling
- ↑ "New Jack attacks Gypsy Joe". Wrestling Gone Wrong. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
- ↑ http://www.swfwrestlingtn.com/cgi-bin/blog/view_post/691028