José Casas Ruiz (born January 10, 1960) is a Mexican

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 ...

(called a ''

Luchador Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...

'' in

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, Can ...

) and trainer working for

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...

(CMLL) 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 ...

Negro Casas. He is the son of former wrestler turned referee Pepe Casas, and part of the large Casas wrestling family; brother of professional wrestlers

El Felino Jorge Luis Casas Ruiz (born March 22, 1964), better known by his ring name El Felino ("The Feline"), is a Mexican '' luchador'' (or professional wrestler) working for Mexican wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). Casas starte ...

and Heavy Metal and uncle of Puma,

Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

Canelo Casas Canelo Casas (born 1982 in Mexico City, Mexico, currently residing in Cuernavaca, Morelos) is the ring name of a Mexican '' luchador'', or professional wrestler currently working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial ...

, Rocky Casas, Danny Casas and many more. Casas has trained several wrestlers, including

Mephisto Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition. Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Méphisto'', a 1931 French film * Mephisto (1981 film), ''Mephisto'' (1981 film), a German- ...

Kazushige Nosawa , better known by his ring names Nosawa and , (born December 17, 1976) is a Japanese freelance professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in All Japan Pro Wrestling and various independent promotions. Career Early career (19952004) Nos ...

T. J. Perkins Theodore James Perkins (born September 3, 1984) is an American professional wrestler of Filipino descent, better known by the ring name T. J. Perkins (or simply TJP) currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling where he is a member of the Unite ...

Rocky Romero John R. Rivera (born October 28, 1982) is a Puerto Rican-American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently signed non-exclusively to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッ ...

, and

Ricky Marvin Ricardo Fuentes Romero (born January 8, 1980) is a second-generation Mexican professional wrestler, known by his ring name Ricky Marvin, and is most known for his work in the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah. Between 2005 and 2007, he also ...

. Casas has worked all over the world, making appearances for the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

(WWF) in the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

as well as touring with

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...

(NJPW) in Japan for over a decade. In Mexico Casas has worked for CMLL since the 1990s but has also wrestled for the

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 Wrestling Association The World Wrestling Association (WWA) (Asociación Mundial de Lucha Libre in Spanish) is a lucha libre promotion based in the Tijuana-area of Mexico. It was founded in 1986 by Benjamin Mora Jr.. It featured some of Mexico's best ''luchadores'' a ...

(WWA) and

International Wrestling Revolution Group International Wrestling Revolution Group (Grupo Internacional Revolución in Spanish; the Spanish name is used for the promotion while the English initials are used for the title governing body) is a Lucha Libre promotion based in Naucalpan, Sta ...

(IWRG). In 2008 Negro Casas joined with

Mr. Niebla Efrén Tiburcio Márquez (February 22, 1973 – December 23, 2019), known under the ring name Mr. Niebla, was a Mexican luchador enmascarado ( Spanish for masked professional wrestler) who worked for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). "Ni ...

and Heavy Metal to form the group ''

La Peste Negra ''La Peste Negra'' (Spanish for "The Black Plague") was a Mexican ''lucha libre'' (professional wrestling) ''rudo'', or villainous, group also known as a stable that works for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). The core of the group is the Ca ...

'' (Spanish for "the Black Plague"), a group that would later be joined by El Felino.

Early life

Casas was born in 1960, the son of professional wrestler Pepe "Tropi" Casas, and grew up around Tlalpan. Casas described his childhood as a happy and normal one, even though his father would be away from home for long stretches as he wrestled all over Mexico and the United States. Casas' father first took him to a wrestling show when Casas was five years old, bringing him to an event across the border in the United States. Casas became hooked on wrestling from the moment he saw the first match, with his first idols being his father,

Aníbal Aníbal is the Spanish and Portuguese masculine given name equivalent of Hannibal (q.v.), itself a latinization of the Greek name Hanníbas (Ἀννίβας), derived from “ḥnbʿl” in the Carthaginian language (Carthaginian Punic script, 𐤇 ...

and

El Solitario Roberto González Cruz (May 22, 1946 – April 6, 1986) was a Mexican professional wrestler who wrestled under the name El Solitario. During his career he held both the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Middleweight Cham ...

. Casas played football, soccer, volleyball and baseball while still in school and even started training in professional wrestling classes taught by his father and Raúl Reyes. José and his brothers, Heavy Metal and

, often sat at ringside during their father's matches, pretending to be upset or cry whenever their father looked like he was getting beat up in the ring, a ploy that their father had taught them to help gain crowd sympathy.

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Casas debut came in 1979 as a bit of a strange turn of events. José Casas was in an arena where his father was supposed to compete when the promoter told Casas that his father had not shown and that he needed the young Casas to fill in for him or he would have Pepe Casas banned from wrestling. Casas wrestled and won his first match using the ring name "Pepe Casas Jr.", wearing street clothes only to discover Pepe Casas and Raúl Reyes waiting in the dressing room. The two had played a joke on Casas to see how he handled himself in the ring. Casas chose the name "Negro Casas" ("Black Casas") as his

and decided not to wear a mask. By 1984 Casas had begun working for

, winning the

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 ...

from

Black Terry Esteban Mares Castañeda (born September 3, 1952) is a Mexican '' luchador'', or professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Black Terry. Wrestling since 1973, he was once part of a group called ''Los Temerarios'' alongside Jose Luis Fel ...

on January 1, 1984. Casas held the championship for 301 days before losing it to

El Hijo del Santo Jorge Ernesto Guzmán Rodríguez (born August 2, 1963) is a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler and political activist, best known under the ring name, El Hijo del Santo ("The Son of the Saint"). Guzmán is the yo ...

. The loss to El Hijo del Santo was part of a long running, very intense storyline between Casas and Hijo del Santo that drew favorable reviews and helped establish both wrestlers as future main eventers. The storyline included Hijo del Santo forcing Negro Casas to be shaved bald after losing a ''

Luchas de Apuestas Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...

'', or bet match. In the late 1980s Negro Casas began working for the Mexican-based

(WWA) where he became the first man to hold the WWA Welterweight Championship, holding it from sometime in 1987 until he was defeated by Tornado Negro on April 14, 1989. Casas regained the title, but only held it briefly before losing again as he was leaving the WWA. Casas returned to the UWA in 1990 and on January 29, 1991, he won the

UWA World Middleweight Championship The UWA World Middleweight Championship (''Campeonato Mundial de Peso Medio UWA'' in Spanish) is a professional wrestling championship originally created and sanctioned by the Mexican lucha libre promotion Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) fro ...

from Super Astro. Casas held the title for 787 days, finally losing it to

Último Dragón (born December 12, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler and actor, better known as . In addition to having trained in Japan, Asai learned to wrestle in the lucha libre style while working in Mexico. He is credited with popularizing the " A ...

Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre/Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

Various storylines (1980–2008)

In 1980 Casas worked a low card match at ''Coliseo Naucalpan'' against an equally young

Fuerza Guerrera Fuerza Guerrera (born December 13, 1953) is a Mexican ''Luchador enmascarado'' (or masked professional wrestler) who made his debut in 1978. In his career Guerrera has worked for every major wrestling organization in Mexico including Consejo Mund ...

, the match was so well liked by the audience that they threw money into the ring to show their appreciation. Promoter

Paco Alonso Francisco Alonso Lutteroth (September 19, 1952 — July 6, 2019), commonly referred to as Paco Alonso was the owner of the professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), the world's oldest wrestling promotion. Alonso wa ...

even entered the ring and asked the crowd to show their appreciation for the match they just saw, earning both Negro Casas and Fuerza Guerrera a regular job with

Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...

(EMLL). By the mid 1990s Casas worked regularly for CMLL and toured Japan several times a year, wrestling for

(NJPW). In April 1994 Casas took part in the first Super J-Cup tournament; he lost to

Ricky Fuji Ricky may refer to: Places *Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic *Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic *Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky" ...

in the first round. On December 1, 1995, Negro Casas defeated longtime rival Hijo del Santo in the finals of a tournament to crown a new

NWA World Welterweight Championship The NWA World Welterweight Championship ( es, Campeonato Mundial Welter de NWA) is an inactive professional wrestling championship governed by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and most recently promoted by NWA Mexico. The championship was ori ...

. Casas held the title for over 200 days, rarely defending until he participated in a tournament to unify 8 lightweight titles in NJPW's

J-Crown The J-Crown (also known as J-Crown Octuple Unified Championship) was formed originally by New Japan Pro-Wrestling as a way of unifying eight junior heavyweight and cruiserweight titles from several different organizations. The J-Crown tournament ...

tournament. Casas put the Welterweight title on the line but lost to

Shinjiro Otani is a semi-retired Japanese professional wrestler and the current acting president of Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1). He is currently inactive from pro-wrestling competition due to a cervical spine injury substained in April 2022. A product of the ...

in the first round. Casas and El Hijo del Santo resumed their feud in 1997, culminating in another ''Lucha de Apuestas'' between the two. Negro Casas once again ended up on the losing side, losing two falls to one in the main event of the

CMLL 63rd Anniversary Show The CMLL 63rd Anniversary Show ( es, 63. Aniversario de CMLL) was a professional wrestling major show event produced by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in 1996. Different sources identify different shows in September as the actual Anniversa ...

. Negro Casas would later state that El Hijo del Santo was one of his favorite rivals and good friends backstage. Following the ''Apuesta'' loss Negro Casas and El Hijo del Santo began teaming together in 1998 and in early 1999 the team defeated

Bestia Salvaje Juan Manuel Rodriguez Carillo (February 11, 1962 – March 20, 2008) was a Mexican luchador, best known by his ring name Bestia Salvaje, who competed in Mexican and international promotions during the 1980s and 1990s, most notably with Emili ...

and

Scorpio Jr. Rafael Núñez Juan (born October 11, 1966) is a Mexican ''Luchador'' or professional wrestler who is best known under his Ring name Scorpio Jr. Núñez is the son of professional wrestler "Scorpio", and was trained by his father and Rafael Sal ...

by disqualification, but refused to accept the

CMLL World Tag Team Championship The CMLL World Tag Team Championship (''CMLL Campeonato Mundial de Parejas'' in Spanish) is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship promoted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL; Spanish for "World Wrestling Council") in Mexico ...

as they did not win by pinfall. After the refusal the title the two teams faced a few weeks later and this time Casas and Hijo del Santo won by pinfall to claim the title. The team reigned for over 400 days, until El Hijo del Santo left CMLL; forcing Negro Casas to vacate the title. When El Hijo del Santo returned in 2001 the duo picked up where they left off by defeating

Último Guerrero José Gutiérrez Hernández (born March 1, 1972), better known by his ring name Último Guerrero (Spanish for ''Last Warrior''), is a Mexico, Mexican (or Professional wrestling, professional wrestler), who works for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Li ...

and

Rey Bucanero Arturo García Ortiz (born July 19, 1974) is a Mexican '' luchador'' or professional wrestler best known under the ring name Rey Bucanero. Ortiz, as Rey Bucanero, has worked for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) since 1996. His ring name is ...

to win the tag team championship once again. After 210 days and several title defenses Guerrero and Bucanero finally regained the titles, ending the third and final reign of the Casas/Hijo del Santo team. Following the loss of the tag team title Negro Casas began focusing on his singles career once again, winning the

CMLL World Middleweight Championship The CMLL World Middleweight Championship (Spanish: ''Campeonato Mundial de Peso Medio del CMLL'') is a professional wrestling world championship promoted by the Mexican wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). While lighter wei ...

from

Emilio Charles Jr. Sergio Emilio Charles Garduño (October 12, 1956 – December 28, 2012) was a Mexican ''luchador'' (or professional wrestler), who is best known under the ring name Emilio Charles Jr. Over the years, Charles worked for all of the major Mexican p ...

on April 26, 2004. On August 28, 2005, Negro Casas became a double champion when he won the

IWRG Intercontinental Trios Championship The IWRG Intercontinental Trios Championship (''Campeon Intercontinental Trios de IWRG'' in Spanish) is a ''Trios'' (six-man) tag team Championship promoted by the Mexican Lucha libre professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revol ...

, teaming with his brothers El Felino and Heavy Metal to defeat Black Tiger III, Pentagon Black, and

El Pantera ''El Pantera'' (English: ''The Panther'') is a Mexican television series that aired on Canal 5 from May 14, 2007 to November 26, 2009. It is based on a comic book of the same name. It narrates the life of Gervasio, a young man who fights crime ...

to win the title. The trios title reign lasted 129 days, ended by the team of

Cerebro Negro Ricardo Antonio Morales Gonzalez (born September 30, 1973 in Mexico City, Mexico), better known under the ring name Cerebro Negro ("Black Brain"), is a Mexican '' luchador'', or masked professional wrestler currently working for the Mexican profes ...

, Veneno, and Scorpio Jr. In 2006 Negro Casas was teamed up with CMLL's rising star

Místico Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde (born December 22, 1982), better known by his ring name Místico (Spanish for "Mystic"), is a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'' (or masked professional wrestler), who currently works for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Li ...

, working together in a style very similar to Casas and Hijo del Santo. The two defeated Averno and

to win the CMLL Tag Team Championship, Casas' fourth and Místico's first, on April 14, 2006. On September 17, 2006, Negro Casas' 874-day CMLL World Middleweight Championship reign ended at the hands of Averno. Casas and Místico lost the tag team titles to Último Guerrero and Dr. Wagner Jr. on July 13, 2007 but quickly regained them a week later. The team of Último Guerrero and

Atlantis Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas (mythology), Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus (dialogue), Timaeus'' and ''Critias (dialogue), Critias'' ...

finally dethroned the duo, keeping them away from the title in subsequent rematches. On November 11, 2007, Negro Casas won the

IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Championship The IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Championship (''Campeonato Intercontinental de Peso Medio IWRGL'' in Spanish) is a professional wrestling championship promoted by the Mexican wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWR ...

by defeating

Villano III Arturo Díaz Mendoza (March 23, 1952 – August 21, 2018) was a Mexican professional wrestler who performed under the ring name Villano III (in Spanish Villano Tercero). Díaz was a second-generation wrestler, son of ''luchador'' Ray Mendoza an ...

in the finals of a tournament to find a new champion. Casas has not lost the title, but since CMLL and IWRG stopped working together in 2008 he is no longer promoted as the champion with the title technically being inactive.

La Peste Negra (2008–present)

In July 2008

returned to CMLL, forming a group with Negro Casas and Heavy Metal called ''

'' (Spanish for "the Black Plague"), a Rudo group that had a more comical approach to wrestling. The trio started wearing large afro wigs, painting their faces black and dancing during their entrances and generally worked a less serious style of match than was unusual, especially for a serious wrestler like Negro Casas. On September 2, 2008, the last Casas brother, El Felinoa turned Rudo as well and joined La Peste Negra. After Felino joined the group Heavy Metal was quietly phased out as he was not comfortable working the comedic style. Felino's wife Princesa Blanca joined the group in early 2009, turning Rudo to work with La Pestre, the turn led to Princesa Blanca winning the

Mexican National Women's Championship The Mexican National Women's Championship ( es, Campeonato Nacional Femenil) is a women's professional wrestling championship for female wrestlers sanctioned by the ''Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F.'' (the Mexico City Boxing and Wrest ...

from

Marcela Marcela is a feminine given name which may refer to: Musicians *Marcela Bovio, Mexican musician * Marcela Lucatelli (born 1988), Brazilian composer * Marcela Morelo, Argentine singer-songwriter * Marcela Rodríguez, Mexican composer Politicians ...

on January 30, 2009. La Pesta Negra's biggest triumph to date is Negro Casas' title win over Místico that brought the

CMLL World Welterweight Championship The CMLL World Welterweight Championship (Spanish: ''Campeonato Mundial de Peso Welter del CMLL'') is a professional wrestling world championship in the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). The offi ...

into the group. After the title win, La Peste Negra continued their feud with Místico and his various allies. The feud led to Místico and Negro Casas facing off in a ''Lucha de Apuesta'' on the

CMLL 76th Anniversary Show The CMLL 76th Anniversary Show ( es, 76. Aniversario de CMLL) was a professional wrestling major show event produced by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) that took place on September 18, 2009, in Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico. The show ...

, where Casas lost two falls to one and had his hair shaved off. After the match, Místico challenged El Felino, Casas' cornerman, to an ''Apuesta'' sometime in the future. On January 29, 2010, Negro Casas teamed up with La Máscara to participate in CMLL's "Torneo Nacional de Pareja Increíbles" ("National Amazing Pairs tournament"), a tournament where CMLL teams up a ''Tecnico'' (La Máscara) and a ''Rudo'' (Casas) for a tournament. The two defeated El Texano Jr. and

Rouge Rouge is the French word for "red" and may refer to: Compounds * Rouge (cosmetics), a cosmetic used to color the cheeks and emphasize the cheekbones * Jeweler's rouge or iron(III) oxide * Rouging, a form of corrosion applicable to stainless ...

in the opening round,

El Sagrado El Sagrado (born June 19, 1980) is a Mexican ''Luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler currently working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). His ring name is Spanish for "The ...

and Shocker in the second round, and Héctor Garza and Toscano in the semi-final to earn a spot in the final of the tournament. On February 5, 2010, Casas and La Máscara lost to

Máscara Dorada Máscara Dorada (born August 24, 1988) is the ring name of a Mexican ''luchador'' '' enmascarado'' (masked professional wrestler) currently working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He is best known for his time in WWE where he perform ...

and Atlantis in the finals. On February 14, 2010, Casas defeated

El Hijo del Fantasma Jorge Luis Alcantar Bolly (born April 30, 1984), is a Mexican second-generation ''luchador'' (professional wrestler). He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Santos Escobar. Before his WWE ca ...

to win the CMLL World Middleweight Championship for the second time. During most of April and into May Negro Casas toured with NJPW in Japan. On May 3, 2010 Casas lost the CMLL World Middleweight title to

Jushin Thunder Liger , better known as and later , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is the longest-tenured member of the NJPW roster, having wrestled for the company since h ...

during NJPW's

Wrestling Dontaku 2010 Wrestling Dontaku 2010 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on May 3, 2010, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center. The event featured nine matches (inclu ...

show. On October 15, 2010,

Charly Manson Jesús Luna Pozos (born February 18, 1975) is a Mexican luchador (professional wrestler) who primarily works on the Mexican independent circuit as Sharlie Rockstar, where he competes as a member of ''The Kl4n''. Pozos is best known under the ri ...

defeated Negro Casas in a ''Lucha de Apuesta'' to take his hair. On February 14, 2012, Casas defeated

La Sombra La Sombra de Chicago or La Sombra de Tony Guerrero or even the Windy City Boys is a Tejano band founded by Tony Guerrero. Originally from the Chicago suburb of Aurora, Illinois, the group gained national acclaim and success after moving to Corp ...

to win the

NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship The NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship (''Campeonato Mundial Historico de Peso Welter de la NWA'' in Spanish) is a professional wrestling championship governed by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). CMLL had held the NWA World Welt ...

for the first time. On March 2 at ''

Homenaje a Dos Leyendas ''Homenaje a Dos Leyendas'' (Spanish for "Homage to Two Legends") is the collective name of a series of annual '' lucha libre'', or professional wrestling major show promoted by Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha ...

'', Casas and Blue Panther wrestled to a draw in a ''Lucha de Apuesta'' and were, as a result, both shaved bald. On October 21, Casas returned to NJPW, when he and Bushi entered the 2012 Super Jr. Tag Tournament as "Grupo Cibernetico". The team was eliminated from the tournament in the first round by Suzuki-gun (

Taichi Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. T ...

and

Taka Michinoku (born October 26, 1973), better known by his ring name (with his first name usually stylized in all capital letters), is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. Michinoku is known in North America for his work for t ...

). On December 25, 2012, Negro Casas successfully defended the NWA Historic Welterweight Championship against

Guerrero Maya Jr. Guerrero Maya Jr. (Spanish for "Maya Warrior Junior", born August 8, 1985) is a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'' (or masked professional wrestler), currently working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre ...

on a special Christmas show in

Arena Mexico An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

after Maya Jr. had defeated Casas in a series of matches leading up to the show. In early 2013 Negro Casas and Guerrero Maya Jr. were teamed up for the 2013 ''

CMLL Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...

'', a tournament where the concept was that rivals or at least wrestlers from opposite sides of the ''tecnico''/''rudo'' divide. The team lost in the first round to eventual tournament winners La Sombra and Volador Jr. On June 2, Casas lost the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship to Máscara Dorada, ending his reign at 475 days, the longest in the title's history. On January 3, 2014, Casas defeated Titán in the finals to win the 2014 Leyenda de Plata. On February 18, Casas, El Felino and Mr. Niebla defeated La Máscara, Rush and Titán to win the

Mexican National Trios Championship The Mexican National Trios Championship (''Campeonato National Trios'' in Spanish) is a three-man tag team professional wrestling championship, sanctioned by the "Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F." (''Mexico City Boxing and Wrestling ...

. On June 13, Casas and Shocker defeated La Máscara and Rush to win the CMLL World Tag Team Championship. On August 1 at '' El Juicio Final'', Casas lost his hair to Rush in a ''Lucha de Apuestas''. On April 26, 2015, ''La Peste Negra'' lost the Mexican National Trios Championship to ''Los Reyes de la Atlantida'' (Atlantis,

Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...

and Guerrero Maya Jr.). On May 22, Casas defeated Dragon Lee to win the 2015 Leyenda de Plata, his second in a row and third overall. On February 14, 2018, CMLL vacated the CMLL World Tag Team Titles due to lack of defences since 2016.

Personal life

José Casas is a member of an extensive wrestling family, founded by his father Pepe "Tropi" Casas and also consists of his brothers Erick, who wrestles as "Heavy Metal" and El Felino (Jorge Casas), and a brother who is not a professional wrestler. Casas' sister-in-law (Felino's wife) is former Mexican National Women's Champion Princessa Blanca. Casas' wife is the daughter of a

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

nian wrestling promoter that Casas once worked for, currently working for CMLL as well, using the ring name

Dalys la Caribeña Dalys la Caribeña (born February 20, 1975 in Panama) is a Panamanian '' luchadora'', or female professional wrestler currently working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). Her name appears in print a ...

. His two daughters are training in Olympic style wrestling, also hoping to turn professional one day. José Casas does not train his daughters, entrusting that task to

Ringo Mendoza Genaro Jacobo Contreras is a retired Mexican professional wrestler, or ''Luchador'' in Spanish, and is a professional wrestling trainer for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). Contreras is best known under the ring name Ringo Mendoza, which he ...

Tony Salazar Antonio Salazar Gómez, (born January 15, 1949) is a retired Mexican '' luchador'', or professional wrestler who works as the ring announcer for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's (CMLL) Sunday shows in ''Arena Coliseo''. He is best known under the ...

Arturo Beristain Arturo Beristain (born September 5, 1949) is a retired Mexican professional wrestler, or '' Luchador'' in Spanish, who works as a wrestling trainer at the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's (CMLL) gym in Mexi ...

and Franco Colombo. One of Casas' daughters is married to professional wrestler

Diamante A diamanté (also spelled diamante) is a glittering ornament, such as an artificial jewel (e.g. a rhinestone) or a sequin. Diamante may also refer to: Places Argentina * Diamante, Entre Ríos, a ''municipio'' in Diamante Department * Diamante ...

who works for CMLL. Casas also has two nephews who work as

and Puma, the sons of El Felino. Wrestler

is also credited with being a nephew of Negro Casas, but it is unclear if he is the son of Erick Casas or the son of one of their non-wrestling brothers or sisters.

Championships and accomplishments

(

2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...

) **

( 6 times) – with

(3),

(2), and Shocker (1) **

CMLL World Trios Championship The CMLL World Trios Championship (Spanish: "''Campeonato Mundial de Trios''") is a professional wrestling championship promoted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in Mexico. The title has existed since 1991 and is contested for by teams ...

( 1 time) – with último Guerrero and

( 1 time) **

( 1 time) - with

and

( 1 time) **

( 1 time) ** Torneo Gran Alternativa (

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

) – with

Héctor Garza Héctor Solano Segura (June 12, 1969 – May 26, 2013) was a Mexican professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Héctor Garza. During his career he worked for various major Mexican professional wrestling promotions such as Consejo ...

Leyenda de Plata The ''Leyenda de Plata'' (Spanish for "the Silver Legend") is an annual lucha libre tournament held by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) since 1998. The tournament honors El Santo, ''Enmáscarado de ...

(

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

) **Copa Bobby Bonales (2010) *

( 1 time) **

( 1 time) – with El Felino and Heavy Metal *Mexican Provincial Championships ** Estado de Guerrero Lightweight Championship (1 time) **

Estado de México The State of Mexico ( es, Estado de México; ), officially just Mexico ( es, México), is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Commonly known as Edomex (from ) to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is ...

heavyweight championship (42 times) *''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...

'' **Ranked No. 33 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the ''

PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

''in 1999 **Ranked No. 148 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the ''

PWI Years ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

'' in 2003 *

( 1 time) **

( 1 time) *

**WWA World Welterweight Championship (1 time) *''

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...

'' **

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling and mixed martial arts hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to their professions. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of t ...

( Class of 1996)

''Luchas de Apuestas'' record

Footnotes

References

External links

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
(

)
Online World of Wrestling profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casas, Negro 1960 births Living people Mexican male professional wrestlers Professional wrestling trainers Professional wrestlers from Mexico City 20th-century professional wrestlers 21st-century professional wrestlers Mexican National Trios Champions CMLL World Middleweight Champions CMLL World Tag Team Champions CMLL World Welterweight Champions NWA World Historic Welterweight Champions NWA World Welterweight Champions UWA World Middleweight Champions UWA World Lightweight Champions