Blue Panther
Nombre de Combate Blue Panther
Place of Birth Gomez Palacio Durango
Date of Birth September 18 1960
Height/Weight 1.70 mts/ 90 kgs
Titles World/Mexico's: Welter,
Medio,
Semicompleto,
Semicompleto jr.
Mexico's Tag and Trios
Masks won Love Machine, Bull Power,
Luzbel (other 3 --- I have a list that includes 9 masks)
Hair Love Machine (20 more)
'Rudisimo por exelencia', Blue Panther is one of Mexico's most respected and important workers. Blue
Panther started training lucha with his brother, Hector 'el Carnicerito' Lopez, a worker who could never
become a star.Later, he trained with Halcon Suriano. Panther first match was on October 8 1978 in
Gomez Palacio. He liked the panthers and inspired by his greates hero, Anibal, designed his mask.
This mask was laughed at and most of the press joked about it, Panther started working and achieving
a level of respect for his character by defeating several luchadors in 1984, when he unmasked Gorila
Infernal, and Bull Power and Luzbel, besides winning UWA welter belt from 'El Matematico' (December
16 1984).
'Match of the Year Award' participant at least 5 times (in Mexico), one of those in his match against
Atlantis for the tecnico's NWA belt in 1991, Blue Panther could not win the title that time, but the story
say that Atlantis respected 'el Maestro Lagunero' so much that trained extra hours for 3 months to
prepare to such match. This led to a Panther vs Atlantis feud, 'el Blue' also fueded with Solar I early in
the 90's, but in 1992's October, a young star from the US arrived... and changed the lucha world for ever.
During a match ( I guess it was an australianos), Blue Panther ended sending Love Machine to the
hospital with a broken leg, this not only slowed Machine's rising career, but created one of the biggest
feuds in the history of wrestling (lucha american or japanese). Love Machine soon returned and battled
with Panther, in one night, they even brawled in the Arena Mexico's parking lot (not an angle).
April 3, 1993, Panther and Machine put the masks in the line... it should have been a great match, but
(imo) it wasn't, but it was as dramatic as they get: Blue Panther dominated the first fall and forced Love
Machine to submit with a 'Quebradora Lagunera'. Early in the second fall, Love Machine piledrived his
archenemy, piledrivers are illegal in Mexico, so Love Machine had to be DQ, but el rudo ended in the
hospital this time, and was out of activity for a while. During this match, the crowd went over supporting
Panther, something Machine could not understand, Blue Panther started to be compared to the
legendary Santo and Solitario, two rudos who were huge with the crowd. Love Machine's mask had
fallen, but a legend was born as Art Barr, the feud did not ended there, in fact, it became 10 times
bigger. From then on, Art and Panther teased piledrivers in most of their meetings, until there,
piledrivers were almost never seen, and in that night, they gained a 'killer' status in Mexico.
Blue Panther kept being rudo, and Machine tecnico, eventually, Love Machine had another shot at his
enemy's mask, in Los Angeles, but again, Panther prevailed... but this time, Machine really 'went mad'
and became 'el Gringo Loco', turning rudo, well, something beyond rudo. Because Panther was very
popular, (I guess it was because the promoters wanted) Panther turned tecnico, I think this was a bad
move for him, but who knows. Love Machine joined forces with Eddie Guerrero, Konnan, Misterioso and
others and became 'Los Gringos Locos', this eneded with 'La Pareja del Terror' losing their hair against
Hijo del Santo and Octagon in WWC PPV, in that match, Panther interfered piledriving Barr... it was the
last time Love Machine was in a card, he died some days later under unknow circumstances... and the
feud ended.
Since that time, Panther had being turning rudo then tecnico, and worse yet, some years ago, he left
AAA and with Fuerza Guerrera founded Promell, which later became Promo Azteca. Then went back to
AAA and eventually returned to EMLL, he had been successfull in any of those promotions, always
being a top contender or a champion, but his feuds with Solar I and Atlantis were forgotten.
Blue Panther's Moves:
1.- Nudo Lagunero : (Knot Lagunero) --- I guess this could be defined as 'Black Warrior's weird
submission hold'. Blue Panther is credited as the iventor of this move, and in fact, Warrior is Panther's
nephew, also from Gomez Palacio, so he is Lagunero as well, I have never seen anyone else doing this
move (doesn't mean no one else has done it). I'll try to describe it: it has leglocks and also hold
opponet's hands, to pull him/her and make him hang in a parallel plane to the mat.
2.- Quebradora Lagunera : It is a Powerbomb-twist opponetn lands on performer's knee, next, he/she
pushes victim's head and legs down (quebradora) to make him/her submit, sometimes followed by a pin
instead of submision, this is the move used by Blue Panther to win the first fall in his maks duel with
Love Machine.
3.- Tapatia Paseada ('La Lagunera' ?) : Tapatia = Romero's Special, this move starts with a Romero
Special, then, Panther's opponent falls to one side--it looks as if the move was missed-- but Blue keeps
holding, eventually, he goes back on top of his opponent and performs another Romero's Special!!!!
Next, fall to a side... etc, so instead of ONE Romero's Special, it is THREE or FOUR!! This move is
amazing and I never seen anyone but Blue Panther doing it, and then, only two, maybe three times, I
guess maybe it was banned because it really could hurt one of the wrestlers or it is really too hard to do.
4.- Tirabuzon Lagunero.- I'm not sure about this move, I think it is a variation of an abdominal-stretch
with spins.
5.- Other Moves.- Lately Panther is using a wrist lock submision hold a lot, a Press slam and
sometimes he goes airbone with tope suicidas and saults, not to mention the infinite number of holds
and counter holds he knows.
