Villano III

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Díaz and the second or maternal family name is Mendoza.
Villano III
Birth name Arturo Díaz Mendoza
Born March 23, 1952[1]
Mexico City, Mexico[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Búfalo Salvaje
Mancha Roja
Pulpo Blanco
Ray Rosas
Rokambole
Villano III
Billed height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Billed weight 96 kg (212 lb)[1]
Trained by Felipe Ham Lee[1]
Ray Mendoza[1]
Debut January 29, 1970[1]

Arturo Díaz Mendoza (born March 23, 1952) is a Mexican professional wrestler best known for performing under the stage name Villano III (in Spanish Villano Tercero). He is most famous for teaming with one or more of his brothers: Villano I, Villano II, Villano IV, and Villano V. His father is Mexican wrestling legend Ray Mendoza. Of the five Villano brothers Arturo is considered the most successful in terms of championship and Lucha de Apuesta (bet match) wins as well as the most talented luchador.[2]

Professional wrestling career

Arturo Díaz was born into a wrestling family; his father, Ray Mendoza, was already a successful luchador and his two older brothers José de Jesús and José Alfredo has begun wrestling in early 1969 when Arturo was just 17 years old. Arturo was trained both by his father and by Felipe Ham Lee, a family friend, before making his debut on January 29, 1970, under the name "Ray Rosas" (Ray after his father and "Rosas" after the color of his wrestling attire).[2] He later wrestled as various enmascarado (masked) characters such as Pulpo Blanco (Spanish for "White Octopus") and Mancha Roja ("Red Spot" or "Red Mark").[2] At one point he used the name Búfalo Salvaje ("Savage Buffalo"), a name also used by his older brothers for a while as they wrestled as Búfalo Salvaje I and II. In late 1970 or early 1971, his older brothers began wrestling as Villano I and Villano II and soon established that as the "family" name.[3] Arturo began wrestling as Rokambole, a name later used by his younger brother Raymundo as well, and often teamed with his older brothers.[2]

Universal Wrestling Association (1973-1994)

In 1973 Arturo's father and older brothers finally deemed him experienced enough to use the Villano name, becoming Villano III (Villano Tercero).[4] In 1975 Arturo's father joined with wrestling promoter Francisco Flores and investor Benjamín Mora, Jr. to form a new wrestling promotion called Universal Wrestling Association in direct competition with the company Ray Mendoza and Flores worked for, Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL). One of the reasons behind the split was that Mendoza felt EMLL were not giving his sons enough opportunities in the ring.[3] All three of the Villanos followed their father to the newly formed UWA. While his brothers worked as a tag team Arturo, as Villano III, became a singles competitor and pushed as one of the top stars, in no small part thanks to his father, but also because Villano III was the most talented of the Villanos.[3] On December 14, 1975, Villano III became the first ever UWA World Welterweight Champion by winning a tournament for the title.[5] Over the next couple of years Villano III defended the title in several main event matches, earning favorable reviews from the fans. His run with the Welterweight title lasted until May 29, 1977, when he was defeated by El Solar.[5] Following the title loss Villano III moved from the Welterweight division (with a maximum weight of 78 kg (172 lb)) to the light heavyweight division (with a maximum of 97 kg (214 lb)). On March 1, 1981, he defeated Fishman to win the UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship, a title his father had won as well.[6] Villano III lost the title back to Fishman 140 days later, ending the first of his two reigns with that championship.[6]

In the early 1980s Villano III became involved in a long, intense feud with Perro Aguayo, centering around the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship that the UWA promoted at the time. On March 20, 1983, Villano III defeated Aguayo to win the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship, beginning the first of seven reigns for Villano III, tied with Aguayo for most reigns with that title.[7] His first reign lasted 140 days before Aguayo regained the title.[7] The feud between the two also saw Villano III defeated Aguayo in a Lucha de Apuesta, hair vs. mask match, on August 21, 1983.[8] In 1985 Villano III defeated Gran Hamada to win the WWF Light Heavyweight Title for a second time.[7] Villano III's second title reign lasted 826 days, which is the longest of any WWF Light Heavyweight Champion in its history.[7] During the mid-1980s Villano III's brothers, Villano I and his two younger brothers Villano IV and Villano V who had taken the name in 1983, were involved in a heated feud with Los Brazos (El Brazo, Brazo de Oro, and Brazo de Plata); during this time Villano III and Villano IV teamed up with UWA mainstay Dos Caras to win the Mexican National Trios Championship from Los Brazos, but lost it back to them 26 days later.[9] Villano III's brothers would go on to unmask Los Brazos in a Lucha de Apuesta match in 1988.[10] Over the next few years Villano III traded the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship back and forth with Perro Aguayo, Rambo, and Sangre Chicana.[7] In 1991 Villano III began working against a young Canadian known as Pegasus Kid, sent to Mexico by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) to train and gain experience. Villano III and Pegasus Kid had a series of matches throughout 1991, including Pegasus Kid winning the WWF Light Heavyweight Title on March 3, 1991.[7] By late 1991. Pegasus Kid's learning excursion to Mexico came to an end, but not before Villano III defeated him in a Lucha de Apuesta match, forcing him to unmask and reveal his real name: Chris Benoit.[8] Villano III's seventh and last reign with the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship began on July 18, 1994, when he defeated El Signo. He held the title until January 1995 when the UWA closed and Villano III vacated the title with which he had been closely associated for more than ten years.[7]

Asistencia Asesoría y Administracíon (1995-1998)

In 1995 the UWA was forced to close down, leaving Los Villanos without a home base for the first time in their careers. The three brothers soon signed with Antonio Peña's Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) and began working for AAA as a trios group, marking Villano III's change from being primarily a singles wrestler to working more trios matches. In March 1996 Los Villanos defeated Cien Caras, Heavy Metal, and Latin Lover to become the inaugural holders of the AAA Americas Trios Championship, a championship created by Peña specifically for Los Villanos as AAA did not have an active Trios title at the time.[11] The team held the title until November 19, 1996, when they lost to Los Oficiales (Guadia, Oficial, and Vigilante), but regained the title less than two months later.[11] Los Villanos also became the first ever Meixcan National Atómicos Champions, teaming with Pierroth, Jr. to win the four-man team exclusive championship.[12] By mid-1996 Villano IV and Villano V had begun working for the US based World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1997 most of the wrestlers that worked for WCW split off from AAA to form Promo Azteca, which included Villano IV and V as well as their brother. By leaving AAA Los Villanos vacated both the Americas Trios title and the Mexican Atómicos title.[11][12]

World Wrestling Council (1998-1999)

During this time Villano III toured Puerto Rico several times, working for the World Wrestling Council (WWC) in Puerto Rico. He held the WWC Puerto Rican Championship twice.[13]

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

In late 1998 or early 1999 Villano III began working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). On December 25, 1999, Villano III and Super Astro teamed up to wrestle against Lizmark and Fishman in a Relevos Suicidas. When Villano III and Super Astro lost they were forced to wrestle against each other in a Lucha de Apuesta match. In the end Villano III won yet another Apuesta match, forcing Super Astro to unmask.[14]

Unmasked

on November 22, 1999, Villano III defeated Atlantis to win the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship. The title change was just one of the highlights of a long running feud between Atlantis and Villano III, a feud that also included III's younger brothers Villano IV and Villano V who no longer worked for WCW. On March 17, 2000, at CMLL's 2000 Juicio Final event, Atlantis won his biggest Apuesta victory to date as he defeated and then unmasked Villano III in a match that was voted the Wrestling Observer 2000 Match of the Year.[15] In 2010 SuperLuchas Magazine suggested that this may have been the lucha libre match of the decade for the 00s A few months later Villano III, IV and V defeated Escuadron de la Muerte ("The Death Squadron"; Cyborg Cop, Maniac Cop, and Vader Cop) to win the IWRG Intercontinental Trios Championship. Los Villano still worked for CMLL but they had a talent sharing arrangement with International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG) that allowed them to work for IWRG as well.[16] Villano III's CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship reign came to an end on September 7, 2001, when he was pinned by Shocker. Following the title loss Los Villanos worked more infrequently for CMLL, taking bookings both in IWRG and on the Mexican independent circuit as well. On March 21, 2002, Villano III's last title reign ended when Los Villanos were stripped of the IWRG Trios title as Villano V was injured and unable to defend the title.[17] In the latter half of the 2000s Villano IV and V have worked for CMLL while Villano III's CMLL appearances have been more sporadic, wrestling on the independent circuit. Villano III frequently appears in Lucha de Apuesta matches, having won the hair of Scorpio, Jr. (twice), Brazo de Oro, Brazo de Platino and El Cobarde II in recent years, only losing one Apuesta match, losing his hair against L.A. Park in a multi-man match on May 5, 2007.[18]

Personal life

Arturo Mendoza is the third son and third child overall of José Díaz Velazquez and Lupita Mendoza. His brothers, like himself all became wrestlers: José de Jesús (Villano I), José Alfredo (Villano II), Arturo, Raymundo Mendoza, Jr. (Villano V), and Thomas (Villano IV).[3] Lupita Mendoza died in 1986, his second oldest brother José Alfredo died in 1989, his oldest brother José de Jesús died in 2002, and his father José Diaz died on April 16, 2003.[3] Díaz was adamant that his sons get a good education instead of becoming wrestlers, wishing that they become lawyers or doctors as he wanted to spare them the physical suffering he experienced himself. Once he realized that his two oldest sons had begun wrestling under masks he agreed to train them and help their wrestling careers. He was also instrumental in training the rest of his son, although he insisted they both get college degrees before they were allowed to begin wrestling. Since his youngest son Thomas finished his education first he became known as "Villano IV" while Raymundo, the second youngest son, became Villano V".[3]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

Lucha de Apuesta record

Wager Winner Loser Location Date Notes
Mask Villano III Oso Polar Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III Mr. Niebla (Original) Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III Oso Polar II Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III César Valentino Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III Indio Vitela Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III Rubén Rubio Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III Toro Zúñiga Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III El Cuervo Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III El Cuervo Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III El Mariscal Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III Roy Meneses Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III Coloso Colosetti Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III Centella Nolasco Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III Carlos García Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III Orfeo Negro Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III El Fantasma de Hidalgo Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III La Momia del Convento Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III Mr. Dollar Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III El Médico I Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III Bestia Roja Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III The Tempest Unknown Unknown  
Hairs Villano III and Unknown Los Hippies
(Renato Torres and El Vikingo) 		Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III and Búfalo Salvaje II Los Ángeles Infernales Unknown Unknown  
Mask Villano III and Unknown Las Momias de Guanajuato Unknown Unknown  
Hair Villano III Rudy Espinosa Ahuizotla, Mexico State April 22, 1973  
Mask Villano III La Cobra Naucalpan, Mexico State February 17, 1974  
Hair Villano III El Jabalí Tampico, Tamaulipas May 6, 1974  
Hair Villano III Ray Acosta Naucalpan, Mexico State August 4, 1974  
Mask Villano III and El Matemático Los Hermanos Corzo I and II Monterrey, Nuevo León September 27, 1974  
Hair Villano III and El Matemático Los Hermanos Corzo I and II Monterrey, Nuevo León October 1974  
Hair Villano III Rudy Valentino Tamaulipas December 12, 1974  
Mask Villano III Zebra Kid Naucalpan, Mexico State 1975  
Mask Villano III El Infernal II Unknown February 4, 1975  
Mask Villano III Orqídea Negra Unknown February 25, 1975  
Mask Villano III La Sombra Unknown April 6, 1975  
Mask Villano III El Desalmado Unknown July 13, 1975  
Hair Villano III Lobo Rubio Mexico City, Mexico July 26, 1975  
Mask Villano III Máscara Negra Monterrey, Nuevo León August 10, 1975  
Mask Villano III Estrella del Sur Unknown November 23, 1975  
Hair Villano III Memo Ventura Naucalpan, Mexico State December 14, 1975  
Hair Villano III Babe Face Naucalpan, Mexico State June 16, 1976  
Mask Villano III and Bobby Lee Los Escorpiones I and II Palacio de los Deportes August 13, 1978  
Hair Villano III Alberto Muñoz Veracruz, Veracruz April 28, 1979  
Hair Villano III Máquina Salvaje Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico State December 7, 1979  
Hair Villano III El Signo Naucalpan, Mexico State August 1, 1982  
Hair Villano III El Texano Mexico City, Mexico August 15, 1982  
Mask Villano III and Unknown El Estudiante I and El Estudiante II Mexico City, Mexico January 20, 1983  
Mask Villano III El Fantasma del Himalaya Unknown July 22, 1983  
Hair Villano III Perro Aguayo Naucalpan, Mexico State August 21, 1983  
Mask Villano III Flama Roja Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua May 1987  
Mask Villano III Rambo Naucalpan, Mexico State September 25, 1987  
Mask Villano III and Perro Aguayo Black Power I and Black Power II Naucalpan, Mexico State May 5, 1988  
Mask Villano III Lockard Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico State October 21, 1988 [23]
Mask Villano III Pegasus Kid Naucalpan, Mexico State November 3, 1991  
Hair Villano III Rambo Mexico City, Mexico September 24, 1993  
Hair Villano III El Signo Puebla, Puebla July 25, 1994  
Mask Villano III El Mastodonte Naucalpan, Mexico State February 9, 1997 [Note 2]
Mask Villano III Super Astro Tijuana, Baja California December 25, 1999 [Note 3][14]
Mask Atlantis Villano III Mexico City, Mexico March 17, 2000 At the 2000 Juicio Final
Hair Villano III Máscara Año 2000 Mexico City, Mexico August 4, 2000 August 4, 2000[Note 4]
Hair Villano III Rambo Naucalpan, Mexico State June 21, 2001  
Hair Villano III El Signo Mexico City, Mexico July 29, 2001  
Hair Villano III Super Brazo Cuernavaca, Morelos February 28, 2002  
Hair Villano III Brazo de Oro Naucalpan, Mexico State August 8, 2002  
Hair Villano III Brazo de Plata Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico State September 16, 2002  
Hair Villano III Kraken Mexico City, Mexico March 15, 2003  
Hair Villano III Pirata Morgan Reynosa, Tamaulipas October 28, 2003 [Note 5]
Hair Villano III El Cobarde II Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua March 21, 2004  
Hair Villano III Brazo de Oro Unknown July 11, 2004 [Note 6]
Hair Villano III El Signo Querétaro, Querétaro August 13, 2004  
Hair Villano III Veneno Naucalpan, Mexico State October 17, 2004  
Hair Villano III El Signo Naucalpan, Mexico State January 16, 2005 [Note 7]
Hair Villano III Super Brazo Tampico, Tamaulipas February 14, 2005 [Note 8]
Hair Villano III Rambo Acapulco, Guerrero June 11, 2005  
Hair Villano III Scorpio, Jr. Xalapa December 1, 2005  
Hair Villano III Brazo de Oro Querétaro January 3, 2006  
Hair Villano III Brazo de Platino Cuautitlan May 16, 2006 [Note 9]
Hair Villano III El Cobarde II Pico Rivera, California March 10, 2007 [Note 10]
Hair L.A. Park Villano III Mexico City, Mexico May 5, 2007 [Note 11]
Mask Villano III Mano Negra Mexico City, Mexico November 25, 2007 [Note 12]
Hair Villano III Scorpio, Jr. Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico State February 26, 2009 [Note 13]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Though Villano III won the title seven times, none of the reigns are officially recognized by the World Wrestling Entertainment. No reign prior to December 1997 are officially is recognized by the WWE.
  2. ↑ Steel Cage match
  3. ↑ Lost a Relevos Suicidas match against Lizmark and Fishman and were forced to wrestle each other.
  4. ↑ Steel cage match that also included Perro Aguayo and Pierroth, Jr.
  5. ↑ Steel Cage match.
  6. ↑ Lost a Relevos Suicidas match against Shocker and Perro Aguayo, Jr. the previous week.
  7. ↑ Part of a Los Villanos vs. Los Misioneros de la Muerte match, the man pinned lost his hair.
  8. ↑ Four way match that also included Villano IV and Brazo de Platino
  9. ↑ Part of a Los Villanos (III/IV/V) vs. Los Brazos (Oro/Plata/Platino) Cage Match where the last man in the ring had his hair shaved off.
  10. ↑ Triangle match that also included Satánico.
  11. ↑ Cage of Death match that also included Blue Demon, Jr., Villano IV, Villano V, Silver King, Satánico and Hijo del Solitario.
  12. ↑ Exhibition match with wrestlers putting on masks they had lost in the past – and then going to a draw, with both "losing" their masks again.
  13. ↑ Finals of a "Losers advance" Ruleta de la Muerte tournament.

References

General source – Lucha de Apuesta record
  • "Luchas 2000". Villano III y sus Victimas (in Spanish) (Juárez, Mexico: Publicaciones citem, S.A. de C.V.). pp. 24–27. Especial 30.
Specific
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 – 2000 :75. Villano III". Pro Wrestling Illustrated (Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States: Sports and Entertainment publications LLC). August 2000. p. 39. October 2000.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Luchas 2000". Villano III: El Ultimo Rey (in Spanish) (Juárez, Mexico: Publicaciones citem, S.A. de C.V.). pp. 1–35. Especial 37.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Madigan, Dan (2007). "Dorada de lucha libre: Las Leyendas, las peleas, los fósforos del resentimiento (the golden age of lucha libre: the legends, the feuds, the grudge matches): Ray Mendoza and Los Villanos". Mondo Lucha a Go-Go: the bizare and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 193–197. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
  4. ↑ "Lucha Libre: Conoce la historia de las leyendas de cuadrilátero". Villano III (1952 o 1953) (in Spanish) (Mexico). 2008. p. 63. Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: Universal Wrestling Federation Welterweight Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 397. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: UWA Lightweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 400. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Mexico: UWA WWF World Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 399. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Luchas 2000". Villano III y sus Victimas (in Spanish) (Juárez, Mexico: Publicaciones citem, S.A. de C.V.). pp. 24–27. Especial 30.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Trios Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 393. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  10. ↑ "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Brazo, Brazo de Oro, Brazo de Plata (in Spanish) (Mexico). July 2007. pp. 39–41. Tomo I.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: AAA American Trios Titles". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 399. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Atómicos Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 402. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. pp. 328–329. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Super Astro (in Spanish) (Mexico). October 2007. p. 57. Tomo IV.
  15. ↑ "Luchas 2000". Atlantis y sus Victimas (in Spanish) (Juárez, Mexico: Publicaciones citem, S.A. de C.V.). pp. 32–36. Especial 30.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "2000 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 9, 2001. pp. 2–20. issue 2488.
  17. ↑ "2002: considerar detrás". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 19, 2003. issue 2593.
  18. ↑ "Luchas 2000". Villano III y sus Victimas (in Spanish) (Juárez, Mexico: Publicaciones citem, S.A. de C.V.). pp. 24–27. Especial 30.
  19. ↑ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: CMLL EMLL Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 395. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  20. ↑ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: Universal Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 397. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  21. ↑ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: Universal Wrestling Federation Junior Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 397. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  22. ↑ Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: WWA Trios Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 401. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  23. ↑ "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Lockard (in Spanish) (Mexico). October 2007. p. 18. Tomo III.