Héctor Garza, real name Héctor Solano Segura, has passed away today due to lung cancer. He was 43.
Garza was a regional star in Monterrey early in his career, following in the footsteps of his father. Garza came CMLL in 1994 as their new young star, trying to fill the large void still left after the exodus of luchadors to AAA. Hector would go on to be a major star in every significant promotion in Mexico: traveling to AAA in 1997, then Promo Azteca later that year, and briefly returning to CMLL before a longer and successful run in AAA. Garza made a surprise return to CMLL 2004, and partnered with old friend Perro Aguayo Jr. to form the Perros del Mal faction for perhaps the biggest run of his career. Garza eventually split from Aguayo but remained an influential figure in CMLL. Garza returned to AAA one more time in 2011, and was working with them until the cancer was discovered.
Outside of Mexico, Garza was part of the crew of luchadors who worked for WCW, was back with AAA went they worked with WWE on a Royal Rumble, and worked a stint for TNA. Garza worked everywhere. He was also clearly influential with younger luchadors, with many of them in CMLL particularly clearly taking after him.
Hector leaves behind a wife and two kids.
One of my favorite luchadores and high flyers, Hector you will be missed
I was a big fan of Garza. Not so much his “workrate” or whatever you want to call it, but rather his mannerisms, the way he worked a crowd, his facial expressions, the way he sold. He was great at playing the chickenshit heel, and no one was really doing it the way he was doing it. What is kinda crazy is that I couldn’t really give you a match of his that I would say was my “favorite” or anything like that.
The first show I went to in Mexico was Garza and Perro’s hair match at Dos Leyendas. It is still my favorite show that I’ve been to live with a great crowd and a solid match between two guys who clearly loved working together. I saw him work many more matches over the next two years and can’t believe he’s gone so soon.
Just the worst news imaginable. Way too young to go.
RIP Hector…
Terrible news, RIP. Always thought he was good but really liked him in CMLL around 2005 on with his praying innocence gimmick. So sad, from diagnosis to death so quick…
So sad to hear Hector’s gone. One of the best. RIP Hector. You will be dearly missed
RIP Hector…
So very, very sorry to see that he passed.
A real shock.
It was back in 1995-I think-that I first saw Garza, and his vicious, bloody feud with Brazo Hermoso. Couldn’t believe a face could get as brutal as the heel, especially with the whole “lick the other’s guy’s blood off your hands” bit, but Garza pulled it off.
RIP Hector, you’ll be missed and remembered.
Hector was an awesome entertainer and will be sorely missed. R.I.P.
Hector Garza was awesome as heel and he will surely be missed.
Very sad to hear of Hector’s passing. I kinda knew something was wrong when he didn’t appear at his benefit show a few weeks back, but I didn’t think he was this seriously ill. He will be missed… a great luchador and a future legend. Descanse en paz,Hector Garza.
So sad. He was on the first Arena Mexico show I attended live in 1995.
He really was the first new CMLL star created from nothing after the mass exodus of stars jumping to AAA.
I thought he would survive because of the survival rate for this kind of cancer. Sad.
R.I.P.
This is horrible. People who have read my posts on this site know that I am a huge fan of Hector Garza. In my opinion he is not only the best wrestler in Mexico but in the entire world. He had it all: The right look, superior athletiisim, superior skills. He was reletively big for a high flyer, but he pulled off moves that nobody else could. His Corkscrew Planch (Tornilla) was a move that nobody else could perfect.
I could go on and on but I’ll wrap this up by saying that I saw him on TV for the first time in 1997 when he and other AAA guys come to the WWF, and later to WCW. I was a fan of his instantly. I was looking forward to the day he would recover from his cancer and come back to wrestling bus sadly that won’t happen.
I’ve had the opportunity to watch CMLL with English commentary produced by Fighting Spirit, and I was happy to notice that one of the commentators Dave Bradshaw was as big a fan of his as I am. He once reffered to Hector Garza as “the man who is everything I want to be.” I’ll conclude by saying that I completely agree with Dave Bradshaw.
R.I.P. Hector
Will be missed and remembered.