Ángel Azteca

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Ángel Azteca (Aztec Angel)

Name Ángel Azteca (Aztec Angel) Real name Juan Manuel Zúñiga Nicknames none Name history Charro? (debut - 01/88), Ángel Azteca (01/88 - ), El Charro/Charro de Jalisco (AAA, 94 - 95) Family none - Ángel Azteca Jr. and Ángel Azteca II are not actually related Maestro(s) Héctor López, Asterión, Dr. Wagner Birth date, location June 24, 1963 - Lerdo, Durango Obituary date March 18, 2007 Debut, location June 1980 - Torreón, Coahuila Lost mask to Arkangel - December 5, 2003 - Arena México - Mexico City Height 5'8"/72 cms Weight 194 lbs/98 kg Signature moves La Suástica (Swastika), Huracarrana, all kinds of elaborate armdrag variations Titles: - Laguna Lightweight Title (2) Arena Victoria Tag Team Titles National Tag Team Titles (2 - w/ Atlantis, w/ Super Parka) National Welterweight Title NWA World Middleweight Title National Trios Titles (w/ El Hijo del Santo & Super Muñeco) UWA World Light Heavyweight Title

Well regarded CMLL tecnico of the late 80s and the 90s, with short stints in AAA and CMLL. Never an absolutely top luchador, but a successful middle level luchador for a number of years.

The opponent in an infamous mask match with Principe Maya. Maya lost, appeared to be inebriated, and refused to unmask.

Originally was going to get a new mask and look in the late 90s. He stayed with his original design, and the mask design instead became Ultimo Guerrero's look. He was part of Los Folkloricos in 1994 in AAA, but the group was gone by 1995.

Briefly became a CMLL referee after his lucha libre career ended, but didn't stick. Returned to wrestling occasionally on indie shows, and tragically passed away from a heart attack after a rios team match against his former partner Atlantis.

LuchaBlog Obituary:

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 del Santo and Super Muneco. Azteca was a number of wrestlers who left CMLL to join AAA, and was briefly re-gimmicked 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

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.

Notable Matches

Date	Location	Match
12/06/03	Arena Mexico	Arkangel de la Muerte beat Angel Azteca to take his mask.

Luchas de apuestas record

Date	Apuesta	Winner(s)	Loser(s)	Arena and/or Place
07/12/98	mask (1)	Ángel Azteca	Kraken	Carpa Astros - Mexico City
07/??/02	mask	Ángel Azteca	Dr. Muerte	unknown
09/16/02	hair (2)	Príncipe Maya	Ángel Azteca	Arena López Mateos - Tlalnepantla, Mexico State
12/15/02	mask	Ángel Azteca	Príncipe Maya	Arena López Mateos - Tlalnepantla, Mexico State
12/05/03	mask	Arkangel de la Muerte	Ángel Azteca	Arena México - Mexico City
(1) Kraken is the former Antifaz; (2) Hair vs. Hair between masked wrestlers

Gallery

Mexican Tag Champion, with Atlantis

on left as El Charro

Unmasked

In 1989

Entrance Outfit

Angel Azteca & Justiciero, Coacalco 2006

as Charro de Jalisco

Final NWA Middleweight Title defense

with Kato Kung Lee and Volador Sr.

Lucha Libre #1219