Angel Azteca (1963-2007)

SuperLuchas is reporting (at least partially based on this box y lucha post): Angel Azteca passed away Sunday. He was 43.

Angel Azteca was wrestling in Campeche in 2007 in a trios match opposite former tag partner Atlantis. It sounds like he had a heart issue after the match, but I’m not clear on this at all.

Azteca started wrestling in 1980, though his original name(s) are unknown. He got the Azteca gimmick in 1988 and took off from there, with his biggest years in the early 90s. Azteca won the NWA Middleweight and Mexican Welterweight titles, won the Mexican Tag Team titles with Atlantis and Volador, and won the trios titles as part of an all star team up with Hijo de Santo and Super Muneco. Azteca was a number of wrestlers who left CMLL to join AAA, and was briefly regimmicked as Charro de Jalisco.

Azteca ended the high profile part of his career back in CMLL, feuding with Arkangel in lower card matches in 2003. Towards the end of the year, CMLL pushed the feud as more important, and Arkangel took Angel Azteca’s mask on the last major show of the year. Even though Angel Azteca was only 40 at the time and Arkangel isn’t much younger, it seemed like this was planned to be Azteca’s final big moment, and he was dropping his mask to a younger guy to put them over on his way out. Azteca wrestled only occasionally in 2004, and was switched to being a referee for the promotion, but the new occupation didn’t stick.

Azteca resurfaced in 2006, teaming with two sons (II and Jr.) – it’s not clear if these are authentic sons. The trios of Aztecas wrestled around the greater Mexico City area, including some work for AULL. Angel Azteca also worked at least one maestro match, teaming with Solar I against Negro Navarro and old rival Arkangel. I don’t have any records of Angel Azteca wrestling in 2007 before Sunday’s match.

indy (SUN) 03/18 Arena Pinkusky [Sharkane @ box y lucha]
1) Apolo Sureno b Espiritu Maya
2) Angel Celestial & Captian America b Eslabon & Sangre Latina
3) Cobraman & Gavilan b Halcon Rojo & Mecanico Infernal
4) Atlantis, Imperio Dorado, Rebelde Punk b Angel Azteca, Demonio Rojo, Pinkusky

The report didn’t notice anything about Angel Azteca. He signed autographs after the match.

Update: CMLL.com confirms Azteca has passed away.

2 thoughts to “Angel Azteca (1963-2007)”

  1. Sad to hear that kind of news… Angel Azteca was one of the few tecnicos from La Laguna, he was born in Lerdo, Durango, and trained with Halcon Suriano, like so many other great guys.

    For what I’ve heard, Hijo del and Jr are not AA’s sons, and it looks as if they’re working with a different gimmick before, but I have not confirmed that.

    Adios Angel Azteca!!

  2. I’ve never seen Angel Azteca before but he had a really cool name. Sounds like a great guy and the world will miss him. RIP Angel Azteca.

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