Francisco Javier Pozas (born February 3, 1964) 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 ...
, or
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 ...
, who is best known 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 ...
El Pantera, but has also worked as Pantera II, El Manaya, América, Tritón and TANAKA over the years. Pozas made his wrestling debut in 1985, working as an ''
enmascarado'' (masked wrestler) with a
panther
Panther may refer to:
Large cats
*Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis''
**'' Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards.
*** Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in So ...
-inspired mask to go with his
ring character of "El Pantera". Over the years Pozas has worked in Mexico, Japan and the United States; In Mexico he has worked 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),
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración
Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply AAA (pronounced "triple A"; an abbreviation of its o ...
(AAA),
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 Japan he's worked for
Universal Lucha Libre
Universal Lucha Libre (Universal Pro-Wrestling until 1991; Federación Universal de Lucha Libre afterward; UWF and FULL used as acronyms) was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1990 to 1995. The name Universal Lucha Libre is used to ...
(ULL) and
All-Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and in the United States he's most known for his work in 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) from 1997 to 1999 and
Chikara where he has worked shows since 2007. In 2006 Pantera lost his mask as a result of a match. He, however, continued wearing the mask when working for Chikara and in 2011 also began wearing it again in Mexico.
Professional wrestling career
Francisco Pozas made his professional wrestling debut in 1985, adopting the ring name ''El Pantera'' (
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 ...
for "the Panther"), an ''
enmascarado'' who wore a
panther
Panther may refer to:
Large cats
*Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis''
**'' Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards.
*** Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in So ...
-inspired mask and outfit.
On August 9, 1987 El Pantera defeated Guerrero Samurai to win the
Mexican National Lightweight Championship
The Mexican National Lightweight Championship (''Campeonato Nacional de Peso Ligero'' in Spanish) is a Mexican professional wrestling singles championship created and sanctioned by ''Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F.'' ("the Mexico City B ...
, a title he would hold and defend for the next 298 days before losing it back to Guerrero Samurai on June 2, 1988.
[ After the title loss Pantera began teaming with ]Águila Solitaria
Águila Solitaria (born August 31, 1954) is a Mexican ''Lucha libre, Luchador wrestling mask, enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Águila Solitaria's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often the c ...
and Ciclón Ramírez
Bacardi Limited (; ) is one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world. Originally known for its Bacardi brand of white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels. Founded in Cuba in 1862 an ...
to form a group known as ''Las Saetas del Ring'' (Spanish for "The Arrows of the Ring"). Together ''Las Saetas'' won the Nuevo León State Trios Championship and the Veracruz State Trios Championship, before winning the 'Distrito Federal Trios Championship
The Distrito Federal Trios Championship is a ''Trios'' (six-man) tag team Championship primarily promoted by the Mexican Lucha libre professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG). The title was created in 1986 ...
from ''Los Tarascos'' in April, 1991.[ ''La Saetas'' later lost the ''Distrito Federal'' Trios title to ''Los Metalicos'' (]Oro
Oro or ORO, meaning gold in Spanish and Italian, may refer to:
Music and dance
* Oro (dance), a Balkan circle dance
* Oro (eagle dance), an eagle dance from Montenegro and Herzegovina
* "Oro" (song), the Serbian entry in the 2008 Eurovision S ...
, Plata and Bronce).[ In 1992 Pozas changed his ring character, adopting a colorful yellow, red and blue outfit and mask and the name ''América'' as he began working full-time 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). On March 8, 1992 América defeated 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 ...
to win 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 official ...
, officially moving from the lightweight division (with a weight limit of ) to the Middleweight division (with a weight limit of ). América held the title for 131 days before losing the title to 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 started ...
.[ In 1993 Pozas abandoned the América ring persona and became El Pantera once more.] CMLL even acknowledge the change in characters as he was billed as a two time CMLL World Welterweight Champion when he defeated El Felino on June 21, 1994. Pantera held the title for over 600 days, with several successful defenses in the period. By March 1996 Pantera had decided to leave CMLL and lost the Welterweight title to Super Delfin
is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently runs Kaisen Puroresu and is also working as a wrestler there. He is better known by his stage name .
Professional wrestling career
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1989, 1994)
Hiroto Wakita joined N ...
while on tour in Japan. The title change was not sanctioned by CMLL, who stripped Pantera of the title and vacated it.[ Pantera ended up working for ]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) where he became the first ever IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Champion when he defeated Tony Rivera in the finals of a tournament.[ Pantera held the title for 157 days in total before being defeated by El Hijo del Gladiador in early 1998.][ in 1997 Pantera began working 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), working a limited number of matches between 1997 and 1999, his highest profile match while in the WWF was a title match with then WWF World Light Heavyweight Champion 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 the ...
at No Way Out of Texas: In Your House. He worked for WWF's Super Astros programming until the program ended in August 1999. By 2001 Pantera had mended fences with CMLL and began working for the promotion due to a working agreement between CMLL and IWRG. On March 2, 2001 Pantera defeated 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 ...
to win his third CMLL World Welterweight Championship, holding it for just 31 days before Nosawa won the title back.[ After his brief run with the CMLL title Pantera focused more on IWRG winning their Middleweight title once more, defeating Ultimo Vampiro on January 24, 2002. 90 days later he lost the championship to Bombero Infernal.][ In 2005 Pantera joined a group called ''La Corporacion'', a group that also included ]Black Tiger
A black tiger is a rare colour variant of the tiger, and is not a distinct species or geographic subspecies.
Description
There are reports and one painting (now lost) of pure black non-striped tigers (true melanistic tigers). Most black mammal ...
and Pentagon Black among others, together the three defeated ''Los Villaños'' in a tournament to become the new IWRG Intercontinental Trios Champions on June 2, 2005.[ The trio held the title for 88 days until they lost to the Casas brothers (]Negro Casas
José Casas Ruiz (born January 10, 1960) is a Mexican professional wrestler (called a ''Luchador'' in Spanish) and trainer working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) under the ring name Negro Casas. He is the son of former wrestler turn ...
, El Felino and Heavy Metal).[ At some point during the early part of 2006 Pantera left ''La corporacion'' and began teaming with El Felino, who defeated ]Dr. Cerebro
Alejandro Jiménez Cruz (born April 21, 1972) is a Mexican ''luchador'', or professional wrestler best known under the ring name Dr. Cerebro (Spanish for "Doctor Brain"). He has been associated with the Mexican professional wrestling promotion In ...
and 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 ...
to win the IWRG Intercontinental Tag Team Championship
The IWRG Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (''Campeonato Intercontinental de Parejas IWRG'' in Spanish) is a professional wrestling tag team championship promoted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolut ...
on June 29, 2006. On July 14, 2006 Pantera lost a '' Lucha libre#Luchas de Apuestas'' (bet match) to Misterioso, Jr.
Misterioso Jr. (Birthdate unknown) is a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler, who is also referred to as Misterioso II. Misterioso Jr. is the nephew of Misterioso who wore a similar mask until losing it in 1997. Mist ...
, and as a result he was forced to unmask and reveal his real name per. Lucha Libre traditions. Only 16 days later Pantera became a double champion as he pinned El Venero to win the IWRG Middleweight title for the third time. His reign was ended by Nitro
Nitro may refer to:
Chemistry
*Nitrogen, a chemical element and a gas except at very low temperatures, with which many compounds are formed:
**Nitro compound, an organic compound containing one or more nitro functional groups, -NO2
**Nitroalkene, ...
on October 9, 2006.[ The team of Pantera and Felino defended the title on several occasions until the CMLL/IWRG working agreement ended in 2007 and the team lost the titles to Los Junior Capos (]Hijo de Cien Caras
Eustacio Jiménez Ibarra (March 21, 1976 – November 29, 2010) was a Mexican '' Luchador'' '' enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler better known by the ring name of El Hijo de Cien Caras. The name is Spanish for "the Son of Cien Caras." ...
and Hijo de Mascara Año 2000) on May 31, 2007. Pantera began making appearances for the U.S. based Chikara, wearing his mask when working in the U.S. In 2008 Pantera teamed up with Lince Dorado
José Cordero (born May 11, 1987) is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent currently signed to Major League Wrestling, where he competes under the ring name Lince Dorado (Spanish for Golden Lynx), and is the current MLW Midd ...
and Incognito
Incognito is an English adjective meaning "in disguise", "having taken steps to conceal one's identity".
Incognito may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Incognito'' (1937 film), a Danish film
* ''Incognito'' (1997 film), an American crime ...
to win the 2008 King of Trios tournament.[ On September 16, 2015 ''Los Panteras'' lost the IWRG tag team titles to ''Los Gringos VIP'' ( Apolo Estrada Jr. and ]El Hijo del Diablo
Juan Carlos Gonzales (born November 4, 1962 in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico), better known under the ring name ''El Hijo del Diablo'' (Spanish for "The Son of the Devil"), is a Mexican ''luchador'', or professional wrestler currently working on ...
) in a Steel cage match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
that also included ''Los Traumas
''Los Traumas'' or ''Los Hermanos Trauma'' (Spanish for "The Trauma Brothers") is the name of a Mexican professional wrestling tag team consisting of the '' enmascarado'' (masked) brothers Trauma I and Trauma II. Los Traumas' real names are not ...
''.
Private life
Pozas is the uncle of ''luchador'' Último Gladiador
Gerardo Campos Poza (born March 28, 1978), better known under his ring name Último Gladiador (Spanish for "Last Gladiator") is a Mexican ''Luchador'' '' enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler. Campos currently works for the Mexican prof ...
, and the father of El Hijo del Pantera
El Hijo del Pantera[El Hijo del Pantera](_blank)
CAGEMATCH 2014年7月12日閲覧 (born 18 December 1991) is a ...
.
Championships and accomplishments
* Chikara
**King of Trios
King of Trios was a three-night tournament promoted by the Chikara professional wrestling promotion. The tournament was a different take on the Tag World Grand Prix event that the promotion was known for annually promoting; in King of Trios, ins ...
(2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
) – with Incognito
Incognito is an English adjective meaning "in disguise", "having taken steps to conceal one's identity".
Incognito may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Incognito'' (1937 film), a Danish film
* ''Incognito'' (1997 film), an American crime ...
and Lince Dorado
José Cordero (born May 11, 1987) is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent currently signed to Major League Wrestling, where he competes under the ring name Lince Dorado (Spanish for Golden Lynx), and is the current MLW Midd ...
[
*]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 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 official ...
( 3 times)
**Mexican National Lightweight Championship
The Mexican National Lightweight Championship (''Campeonato Nacional de Peso Ligero'' in Spanish) is a Mexican professional wrestling singles championship created and sanctioned by ''Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F.'' ("the Mexico City B ...
( 1 time)
*Comision de Box y Lucha Distrito Federal
**Distrito Federal Lightweight Championship (1 time)
**Distrito Federal Trios Championship
The Distrito Federal Trios Championship is a ''Trios'' (six-man) tag team Championship primarily promoted by the Mexican Lucha libre professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG). The title was created in 1986 ...
( 1 time) – with Águila Solitaria
Águila Solitaria (born August 31, 1954) is a Mexican ''Lucha libre, Luchador wrestling mask, enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Águila Solitaria's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often the c ...
and Ciclón Ramírez
Bacardi Limited (; ) is one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world. Originally known for its Bacardi brand of white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels. Founded in Cuba in 1862 an ...
*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 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 ...
( 3 times)
**IWRG Intercontinental Tag Team Championship
The IWRG Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (''Campeonato Intercontinental de Parejas IWRG'' in Spanish) is a professional wrestling tag team championship promoted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolut ...
( 3 times) – with 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 started ...
(1), and El Hijo del Pantera
El Hijo del Pantera[El Hijo del Pantera](_blank)
CAGEMATCH 2014年7月12日閲覧 (born 18 December 1991) is a ...
(2)
**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 ...
( 1 time) – with Black Tiger III and Pentagon Black
**Copa Higher Power
The ''Copa Higher Power'' (Spanish for "Cup of Higher Power") is an annual tournament promoted by the Mexican ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group
International Wrestling Revolution Group (Gru ...
(1998) – 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 ...
, Shocker, El Solar
El Solar (born May 26, 1956 in Zacoalco de Torres, Jalisco, Mexico) is the ring name of a Mexican '' Luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler who has been working in Mexico since 1975. El Solar's real name is not a matter of publi ...
, Star Boy and Mike Segura
Miguel Angel Nava (born July 29, 1969) is a Mexican Luchador, or professional wrestler best known under the ring name, Mike Segura. North American fans knows Nava under the name Super Nova from his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (W ...
**IWRG Rey del Ring
The IWRG Rey del Ring (Spanish for "King of the Ring") refers both to an annual tournament and a professional wrestling championship promoted by the Mexican Lucha libre professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWR ...
(2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
)
*Mexican Regional championships
**Nuevo León Trios Championship (1 time) – with Águila Solitaria and Ciclón Ramírez
**Veracruz Trios Championship (1 time) – with Águila Solitaria and Ciclón Ramírez
* Universal Lucha Libre / Universal Wrestling Federation
**UWF Super Welterweight Championship The UWF Super Welterweight Championship was a title in the Japanese professional wrestling, created by Universal Pro/FULL, then later on defended in Michinoku Pro and Osaka Pro before becoming inactive.
Inaugural tournament
The inaugural tourname ...
( 3 times)
*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 Middleweight Championship
The WWA Middleweight Championship (''Campeonato de peso Medio WWA'' in Spanish) is a secondary professional wrestling championship promoted by the Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling-based promotion World Wrestling Association (WWA) since 1987. The off ...
( 1 time)
''Luchas de Apuestas'' record
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pantera
1964 births
Mexican male professional wrestlers
Living people
Masked wrestlers
Sportspeople from Querétaro City
Professional wrestlers from Querétaro
20th-century professional wrestlers
21st-century professional wrestlers
CMLL World Welterweight Champions