Bestia Salvaje

Bestia Salvaje
Birth name	Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Born	February 11, 1962[1] Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Died	000000002008-03-20-0000March 20, 2008
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Freddy Rodriguez Bestia Salvaje
Billed height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Billed weight	90 kg (200 lb)[1]
Trained by	Diablo Velasco[1] Alfredo Carrillo[1]
Debut	000000001983-06-12-0000June 12, 1983[1]

Juan Manuel Rodriguez (February 11, 1962 – March 20, 2008) was a Mexican luchador, best known by his ringname Bestia Salvaje, who competed in Mexican and international promotions during the 1980s and 1990s, most notably with Emilio Charles, Jr. and Scorpio, Jr. as part of the stable Los Talibanes. A second generation wrestler, he was the son of Espectro II and the brother of Corazón Salvaje as well as the brother-in-law of Charrito de Oro.

During his career he wrestled mainly for Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL), later known as Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He had several feuds during his career including ones against Ringo Mendoza, Mano Negra, and Héctor Garza. He won the CMLL World Tag Team Championship twice with Scorpio Jr., and the CMLL World Trios Championship with Emilio Charles Jr. and Sangre Chicana. He wrestled the last match of his career two months before his death in January 2008 in Guadalajara, Mexico.^[2]

Professional wrestling career

Rodriguez made his professional debut on June 12, 1983, wrestling under the name Freddy Rodriguez at the Arena Jalisco in his hometown of Guadalajara. He continued in that role until 1986 when he transformed to Bestia Salvaje.^[2] By the late 1980s, he had become a leading rudo. In October 1988, he lost a hair vs. hair match to El Dandy and later feuded with him over the CMLL World Middleweight Championship during the early 1990s. Rodriguez defeated him for the title on September 4, 1992, but lost it to El Dandy three months later. Teaming with Mano Negra in the CMLL World Tag Team Championship Tournament, he and Mano Negro were eliminated in the opening rounds by Apolo Dantes and Rayo de Jalisco, Jr. on February 26, 1993. He would also team with Scorpio, Jr. and Sangre Chicana defeating La Ola Blanca (Dr. Wagner, Jr., Gran Markus, Jr. and El Hijo del Gladiador) for the CMLL World Trios Championship on March 31, 1995, and would hold the titles for over a year before losing them to Dos Caras, Héctor Garza and La Fiera on March 22, 1996. During the CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa, he would team with Chicago Express defeating Dos Caras and Bronco, El Hijo del Santo and Olímpico and Atlantis and Atlantico in the tournament finals on June 7, 1996. The following month, he competed in the 3rd Annual Grand Prix Tournament defeating Yone Genjin in the opening rounds before being eliminated by the Great Sasuke in the semi-finals.

Los Guapos

During the late 1990s, he formed the rudo stable Los Guapos with Scorpio, Jr. and Emilio Charles, Jr. who were later involved in one of the biggest controversies in Mexican professional wrestling when, during a 6-man tag team match with Scorpio, Jr. and El Felino against Negro Casas, El Dandy and Héctor Garza, El Felino apparently turned on his brother Negro Casas allowing him to be attacked by Carrillo and Scorpio, Jr. However, El Felino unmasked revealing himself to be longtime tecnico El Hijo del Santo in his first appearance since his loss to rival Negro Casas at the 63rd CMLL Anniversary Show in September 1996. Attacking Casas, this would result in minor rioting in the arena. Teaming with El Hijo del Santo for almost two years, Carrillo and Scorpio turned on El Hijo del Santo during a 6-man tag team match with Santos' partners Villano III and Fuerza Guerrera. He and Scorpio, Jr. later won the CMLL World Tag Team Championship Tournament defeating The Headhunters, Atlantis and Lizmark and El Satánico and Dr. Wagner, Jr. on November 13, 1998, in the finals to win the CMLL World Tag Team Championship. Later that year, he and Scorpio, Jr. would team with Zumbido in the CMLL Trios Championship Tournament defeating Shocker, Mr. Niebla and Rayo de Jalisco, Jr. in the opening rounds, Vampiro, El Dandy and Héctor Garza in the semi-finals before being eliminated by Blue Panther, Black Warrior and Dr. Wagner, Jr. in the finals on December 18, 1998. Feuding with El Hijo del Santo and Negro Casas over the CMLL Tag Team titles, they lost to El Hijo del Santo and Negro Casas by disqualification on February 5, 1999, although El Hijo del Santo and Negro Casas refused to accept the titles. They would later lose the titles in a hair vs. mask match to El Hijo del Santo and Negro Casas on March 19 at the 1999 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show.^[3] In December 1999, he and Moto Cross would be eliminated in the opening rounds if the CMLL Toreno Gran Alternativa by Negro Casas and Flecha. In 2000, he and Blue Panther would enter the CMLL World Tag Team Championship Tournament defeating Olímpico and Brazo de Plata in the opening rounds before being eliminated in the semi-finals by Lizmark and Lizmark, Jr.. In early 2001, he lost to La Parka in a three way hair vs. hair match that also included El Dandy. Teaming occasionally with Los Capos, Carrillo and the other members of Los Guapos, now known as Los Talibanes, he feuded with Shocker and his breakaway rudos faction of Mascara Magica and El Terrible eventually concluding in a 6-man cage match with El Terrible defeating Carrillo in a hair vs. hair match in August 2003.

Death

He wrestled the last match of his career two months before his death in January 2008 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Rodriguez died on March 20, 2008 of liver disease.^[4]

Championships and accomplishments

• Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
  • CMLL World Middleweight Championship (1 time)^[1]
  • CMLL World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Scorpio, Jr.^[1]
  • CMLL World Trios Championship (1 time) – with Emilio Charles, Jr. and Sangre Chicana^[1]
  • Torneo Gran Alternativa (1996 (I)) – with Chicago Express^[5]
  • Copa Arena Coliseo (1994) – with Cachorro Mendoza
  • Mexican National Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Pierroth, Jr.^[1]
  • Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)^[1]
  • Salvador Lutteroth Trios Tournament – with Emilio Charles, Jr. and Sangre Chicana^[6]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #326 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003
• Wrestle Association "R"
  • WAR Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[1]

Luchas de Apuestas record

Footnotes

References