Espectrito II

Espectrito II
Birth name Alejandro Jiminez
Born 1973
Died June 29, 2009
Mexico City, Mexico
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Guerrorito del Futuro
Espectrito II
Mini Mankind
Tarantula
Mini Black Cat
Billed height 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in)
Trained by Espectrito
Debut 1994

"Mini Mankind" redirects here, this is about the wrestler who played "Mini Mankind" in 1997 and 1998 - not 2008

Alejandro Jiminez (1973 – June 29, 2009) was a Mexican Mini-Estrella Luchador, or midget professional wrestler who worked mainly under the name Espectro II. Jiminez twin brother, Alberto, was also a midget professional wrestler who worked under the name "La Parkita", Jiminez had another brother, Mario Mejia Jiminez who works as Espectrito. Jiminez is most known for working for Mexican professional wrestling promotions Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), the Mexican independent circuit as well as working for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) where he was billed as "Mini Mankind", a miniature version of Mankind. Jiminez and his twin brother were both killed on June 29, 2009 in a double murder.

Professional wrestling career

After being trained by his older brother Mario, who wrestles as Espectrito, and twin brother Alberto, who wrestled as La Parkita, Alejandro made his professional wrestling debut in 1994. Due to his family connection Alejandro made his debut for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) and was given the ring name "Espectrito II" (Spanish for "Little Specter II") and teamed up with his older brother.[1] On June 10, 1995 Espectrito II was one of the 13 Minis who participated in the main event of Triplemanía III-A, a multi-man Luchas de Apuestas, or bet match, where each participant put their mask on the line. Espectrito II managed to save his mask while Payasito Rojo was unmasked after the match.[2] Eight days later Espectrito I was on the losing side of an eight-mini match at Triplemanía III-B; the match saw the team of Torerito, Super Muñequito, Octagóncito and Mascarita Sagrada defeat Espectrito I, II, Fuercita Guerrera and La Parkita.[3] A year later the Jiminez brothers lost to Máscarita Sagráda, Jr., Super Muñequito and Mini Frisbee at Triplemanía IV-C.[4]

In 1997 AAA started a talent exchange program with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and as a part of that arrangement AAA sent a number of their Minis to work for the WWF. Since the WWF audience did not know any of the minis it was decided to repackage almost all AAA minis, Alejandro Jiminez was no exception as he was repackaged as "Mini Mankind", a miniature version of Mankind who worked for the WWF as a Heel (bad guy) at the time. Jiminez would often team with his older brother who worked as "Mini Vader", a mini version of Vader who teamed with Mankind at the time. Jiminez made his debut as Mini Mankind on January 18, 1997 teaming with Histeria to defeat Mascarita Sagrada, Jr. and Venum on an episode of WWF Shotgun Saturday Night.[5] The repackaged minis also made an appearance on AAA's annual Rey de Reyes show where Mini Mankind, Mini Vader and Mini Goldust defeated Mini Nova, Super Muñequito and La Parkita (a new wrestler had taken over the gimmick by then). Four months later, at Triplemanía V-A, Mini Mankind, Mini Goldust and Pentagoncito lost to La Parkita (II) and Octagóncito.[6] By the fall of 1997 all of the AAA minis had been repackaged once more, replacing the miniature versions of regular-sized wrestlers with unique characters. Alejandro Jiminez was repacaged as "Tarantula". Jiminez, as Tarantula, made a Pay-Per-View appearance for the WWF, teaming with Battalion and El Torrito (his brother Mario under a new name) in a losing effort against Mini Nova, Max Mini and Mosaic at the 1998 Royal Rumble.[7] By March 1998 the working agreement between AAA and the WWF ended with all the minis returning to Mexico. Not long after the agreement ended Alejandro and Mario Jiminez left AAA, opting to work on the Mexican independent circuit under their "Espectrito" personas. While Alejandro Jiminez worked as "Mini Mankind" in 1997 and 1998, he did not play the role when the ring persona was brought back during a 2008 World Wrestling Entertainment show. The role was played by an unidentified American midget wrestler.

Death

Alejandro Jiminez, along with his twin brother Alberto, were found murdered on June 29, 2009. It was reported that the two brothers checked into a hotel after a Sunday night show. Allegedly two female prostitutes approached the wrestlers, and were invited back to their hotel room. There the two women spiked the men's drinks with what was believed to be eye drops mixed in with alcohol.[8] When the two brothers passed out the two women, allegedly part of a group named La Filtracion. The two wrestlers died from the drugs added to their drinks. Usually this procedure does not kill the victims of the La Filtracion women, but the size of the victims might have played a part in their death.[9][10] On July 22, 2009 it was reported that the Mexican police arrested one of the two women suspected in the death of the Jiminez twins. Police traced the whereabouts of the woman by tracking one of the Jiminez' twins cell phone which she used. The woman admitted to going to the hotel room with the Jiminez twins but denied being involved in their death.[9] On August 12, 2009 Mexican police arrested the second suspect, tracking her down in Hidalgo and arrested her. The second suspect admitted to being at the crime scene but maintained that it was her accomplice that administered the drugs that killed Alejandro and Alberto Jiminez.[11] The two women were later found guilty and, on July 12, 2010, sentenced to 47 years in prison.[12]

In wrestling

Lucha de Apuesta record

Wager Winner Loser Location Date Notes
Mask Octagoncito Espectrito II Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas July 28, 1997  

References

Wikinews has related news: 65-year-old woman arrested over the death of two Mexican wrestlers
  1. ↑ Madigan, Dan (2007). "You ain't seen nothing yet: the minis". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 209—212. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
  2. ↑ "Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion TripleMania". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  3. ↑ "Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion TripleMania". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  4. ↑ "Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion TripleMania". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  5. ↑ "WWF Shotgun Saturday Night #3" (in German). CageMatch.net. January 18, 1997. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion TripleMania". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  7. ↑ "Wrestling's Historical Cards". PWI Presents: 2009 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts (Kappa Publications). pp. 118—119. 2009 Edition.
  8. ↑ Aldren, Mike (July 2, 2009). "Midget wrestlers dead after hooker romp". The Sun. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 BBC News staff (July 22, 2009). "Mexican midget wrestlers arrest.". BBC News. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  10. ↑ Rodriquez, Salvador (July 1, 2009). "Hallan en hotel a La Parkita y Espectrito II muertos" (in Spanish). Récord.co.mx. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  11. ↑ Ocampo, Jorge (August 12, 2009). "Capturadas las dos presuntas responsables de la muerte de La Parkita y Espectrito II" (in Spanish). SuperLuchas magazine. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  12. ↑ Martínez, Fernando (July 12, 2010). "Sentencian a 47 años a asesinas de mini luchadores" (in Spanish). El Universal. Retrieved July 13, 2010.