Art Barr, Love Machine

Nombre de Batalla                                             Love Machine also: Juicer, Witcher
Real Name                                                        Arthur Barr
Place of Birth                                                    Portland, Oregon
Dates                                                                Born in 1964, Obituary November 23rd 1994
Height/weight                                                   1.85 mts/95 kgrs
Titles                                                                 Several olimpic style titles in Portland and 
                                                                          Mexico's Tag Team with Eddie Guerrero

 

In Mexico, wrestling was introduced by american wrestlers, soon, local workers started emerging and 
took over with a characteristic mexican style, and foreigners almost disapeared. Most of the 
non-mexican wrestlers were hired for their size and they were not very good, maybe to keep the myth of 
'la mejor lucha libre del mundo'. However in the late 80's and early 90's, Mexico migth really be the 
worlds best wrestling place... because of some wonderfull foreigners who held tours here -- Owen Hart 
(Blue Blazer), Chris Benoit (Pegasuss Kid), Chris Jericho (Corazon de Leon), 2 Cold Scorpio (Black 
Scorpio) and of course, Love Machine, Art Barr.

But I'm getting ahead of time... Art Barr was a member of a family who was into wrestling, his father, 
Sandy Barr was a promoter in Portland, and one of Art's brother even made it to the US Olimpic 
wrestling team (Los Angeles 84). Art also joined his school's wrestling teams, and even won some 
championships. Eventually he started pro-wrestling helped by Roddy Piper, and was hired by WCW 
(before it was purshased by Turner), but due to some extra-wrestling problems, could achieve sucess.

He went to Mexico to try his luck... and history was made, he joined EMLL and was an instant hit. 
EMLL foreigners were pretty bad workers: Nitron, a 7 foot guy who I don't think he wanted to be a 
wrestler; Salomon and Aaron Grundy, two very fat brothers that make the Head Hunters look like Mr 
Aguila; Kimala, a wrestler with an 'african witch' gimmick who you might know if you're unlucky... enter 
Love Machine, a masked american wrestler who KNEW how to wrestle. Art soon established himself as 
the greatest promise in mexican lucha... untill he got his leg broken fighting Blue Panther. 

That injured slowed his momentum... but sparked a huge feud, that injury would never be forgotten, nor 
forgiven. When asked about how he (Art) would like to win the masks match (against Panther), Art 
responded 'Breaking his legs'. Later, after joining AAA, and he was asked the reason for such change: 
'Every morning I wake up and my leg hurts and I have to go to the Doctor to check it, only one thing is 
left in my mind: Blue Panther'. Barr really hated Blue, and he had a legit reason (I guess), unlike some 
others wrestlers who just fight because of their egos.

Anyway, Love Machine lost his mask at Arena Mexico, April 3, 1993. During that match, the crowd 
supported el rudo, he used a Tombstone on his foe, and was DQed, he claimed that in every other place 
he had used it, he never was DQed, but he had to lost his mask...The crowd was 100% with el rudo, so 
he also started to lose his faith in the crowd... he would later say 'I've always tried my best to please the 
crowd, I can't understand why it turned on me in the most important match of my life...'

And so the myth started, about how losing his maks would affect him, Barr commented 'now that I've 
lost my mask and my character no longer exist, I will rely only in my skills and strength...', and that 
was he did, he was a demond in the ring, too intense, besides his battles with Panther, he also had 
some problems with 'La Fiera', including a loocker room brawl. But La Fiera was of not interest to Love 
Machine, his goal was to hunt Panther and force him to get another shot at his mask.

But 'el Blue Lagunero' was no longer in EMLL, as he had jumped into the new AAA, Love Machine soon 
joined AAA as well, he admited that the main reason was Panther. The time for the revenge came, 
Panther and Machine had a hair vs mask match in Los Angeles, this time, Art ended as rudo, as the 
crowd was supporting Blue Panther. At that time, Love Machine worked a lot in australianos tag team 
with Eddie Guerrero and Hijo del Santo... in one of lucha's most shocking moments, Eddie turned on 
Santo because of Love Machine!! (Soon I will write something to try to explain the relation of Santo and 
Guerrero, this time I'm focused on Art Barr). Love Machine and Eddie Guerrero formed 'La Pareja del 
Terror' and soon were joined by Konnan, Misterioso and some others to become 'los Gringos Locos', 
who has to be the most hated stable in the history of wrestling anywhere, you might say that lucha is 
fake, and that it is not the best in the world, but the love and (especialy) the hate the people feels for its 
Luchadors is pure and real.

Los Gringos feuded against 60 million of mexicans, la Pareja del Terror set it sights on Hijo and 
Octagon, then tag champs, after defeating them for the belts, a masks vs hair match between the two 
teams was ready. November 6, 1994, When Worlds Collide, had that match, in the last fall, Barr 
piledrived Octagon, but soon Blue Panther interfered and delivered an avenging piledriver of his own, Hijo 
del Santo pinned Barr (it would be the last time Barr was pinned) and fought Eddie, eventually defeating 
him.

That event showcased lucha to the USA, and both Eddie and Art were approached with offers to work in 
the US or Japan, even with that, I feel Barr will keep trying to get Panther, after all, the WWC event 
showcased more the Hijo vs Eddie feud than Art.

Sadly, Art Barr died a few days later, November 23 under unknow circumstances, any posible future 
feuds or titles truncated, but thats irrelevant to the loss it meant to his family, friends and fans. Art Barr, 
died, and Love Machine stoped being a myth, and the legend was born... In the words of Dr Morales, ' 
No ha muerto, solo nos dejo para luchar en otra galaxia... '-----