Álvaro Meléndez Tibanez (February 19, 1949 – February 28, 2022) was a

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

(

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

for

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

), better known as Black Man. He was considered a very talented wrestler, and innovative when it comes to high flying moves. Tibanez died on February 28, 2022, aged 73.

Professional wrestling career

He is most known for a being part of a

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...

, first with

White Man White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view. Description of populations as ...

, Alberto Muñoz, who formed a fan favorite tag team. The two teamed for a while but never won a tag team title, despite several chances at the Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship. By 1978 Muñoz dropped the "White Man" character as he was forced to work a reduced schedule due to age and injuries. Later, Black Man would form ''Los Fantasticos'' with

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

and

Kato Kung Lee Kato or Katō may refer to: Places * Kato, Guyana, a village in Guyana *Katō, Hyōgo, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan * Katō District, Hokkaido, a district located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan * Katowice, a city in Southern Polan ...

, a very popular trios team from the early 1980s. Black Man would later try to reform ''Los Fantasticos'' with

Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...

and Avispon Negro, but the trio was never as popular as the originals. He was once

El Santo Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (23 September 1917 – 5 February 1984), known professionally as El Santo or in English The Saint, was a Mexican luchador enmascarado (Spanish for "masked professional wrestler"), actor and folk hero. He is one of the mo ...

's high risk move double in a movie. Late in his career he worked under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...

Celestial, complete with a new mask and outfit to not reveal his real identity.

Championships and accomplishments

Universal Wrestling Association The Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) was a Mexican ''Lucha Libre'' or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995. The name of the actual promotion was Lucha Libre Internacional (LLI) ...

UWA World Lightweight Championship The UWA World Lightweight Championship (''Campeonato Mundial de Peso Ligero UWA'' in Spanish) is an inactive professional wrestling championship promoted by the Mexican wrestling promotion Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) from 1975 until some ...

(1 time) **

UWA World Trios Championship The UWA World Trios Championship is a tag team professional wrestling championship created by the Mexican Universal Wrestling Association and defended there until the UWA closed in 1995. Since then, the championship has been defended in various p ...

(1 time) – with

and

UWA World Welterweight Championship The UWA World Welterweight Championship is a championship in professional wrestling that is primarily contested for in various Lucha Libre promotions in Mexico. In 1993, the championship was recognized by the Japanese professional wrestling promoti ...

(3 times)

''Luchas de Apuestas'' record

Footnotes

References

{{Authority control 1949 births 2022 deaths Mexican male professional wrestlers People from Guadalajara, Jalisco Professional wrestlers from Jalisco 20th-century professional wrestlers UWA World Trios Champions UWA World Welterweight Champions UWA World Lightweight Champions