Espectrito

Mario Pérez Jiménez[1][2] (December 18, 1966 – January 23, 2016) was a Mexican Mini-Estrella luchador, or Mini professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Espectrito. Jiménez worked for the World Wrestling Federation as "Mini Vader" and "El Torito" between 1997 and 1999. Jiménez was the first ever Mexican National Mini-Estrella Champion and IWC World Mini-Estrella Champion. Jiménez was originally an enmascarado, or masked wrestler, under the Espectrito name but lost it to Mascarita Sagrada in a Luchas de Apuestas match, a bet match where each wrestler puts his mask on the line. The Espectrito ring character is a Mini-version of wrestler Espectro, who was a well-known Luchador from the 1960s-1980s.

For the wrestler who performed in WWE as "El Torito", see Mascarita Dorada.
Espectrito
Birth nameMario Pérez Jiménez
Born(1966-12-18)December 18, 1966
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
DiedJanuary 23, 2016(2016-01-23) (aged 49)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Centellita
Espectrito
Espectrito I
Pandita Chiquita
Mini Vader
El Torito
Mongrel
Billed height1.45 m (4 ft 9 in)
Billed weight65 kg (143 lb)
Trained byDrácula III
Debut1984
Retired2014

Professional wrestling career

Mario Jiménez made his professional wrestling debut in 1984 under the ring name Centellita, working as a Mini-Estrella, or "Mini", division; working in the Mini division does not necessarily mean that Jiménez has dwarfism, as short wrestlers can also work in the "Mini" division.[3] In 1989 Jimenez became part of Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre's (EMLL) newly created Mini-Estrella division. He was given the ring persona of "Espectrito" (Spanish for "Little Ghost"), a mini version of a wrestler named Espectro I (Ghost) who had been very successful in the 1960s and 1970s. As Espectrito he began working a storyline feud against Mascarita Sagrada. In 1992 CMLL created the CMLL World Mini-Estrella Championship and held a one-day tournament to find the first champion. Espectrito defeated Octagoncito in the first round but lost to rival Mascarita Sagrada in the finals.[4]

A few months after the creation of the Mini-Estrella title Antonio Peña, the creative force behind the Mini-Estrella division and a CMLL Booker decided to leave CMLL to create his own promotion, Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA). Both Espectrito and Mascarita Sagrada decided to leave CMLL for AAA, staying loyal to the man that was responsible for creating the Minis division. The storyline between Espectrito and Mascarita Sagrada continued in AAA; AAA created their own Minis title, the Mexican National Mini-Estrella Championship and this time it was Espectrito who defeated Mascarita Sagrada to become the first champion.[5] Espectrito would only hold the Minis title for three months before Sagrada defeated him for the belt.[5] On August 6, 1994 Espectrito lost his mask as a result of losing a Luchas de Apuestas match, a "bet match" where the loser would unmask afterwards.[6] On May 5, 1995 Espectrito defeated Mascarita Sagrada to win the IWC World Mini-Estrella Championship, holding it for two months before it was merged with the Mexican National Minis title in July, 1995 when Espectrito lost to Super Muñequito.[7] Espectrito became a two time Mexican National Minis champion only days later when he defeated Super Muñequito for the title on July 26, 1996.[5] Espectro's second title reign lasted less than two months, ending when Mascarita Sagarda, Jr. defeated him for the belt.[5]

In 1997 AAA began a working agreement with the North American-based World Wrestling Federation, which meant that several AAA workers appeared on WWF television programming. Jiménez was given the ring personal "Mini Vader", a miniature version of WWF wrestler Vader as he bore a striking resemblance both physically and facially.[3] Mini Vader made a couple of appearances in early 1997, at times teaming with "Mini Mankind", Jiménez' real life brother.[8] In mid-1997 all the "Minis" that worked for the WWF were repackaged and Jiménez became "El Torito" (Little bull), a "human bull" character.[9] As Torito he would work a series of matches against Mascarita Sagrada, repackaged as "Mini Nova" (after Super Nova) and Mascarita Sagrada, Jr. who had been repackaged as "Max Mini". Jiménez made one pay-per-view appearance for the WWF, teaming with Battalion and Tarantula (his brother under a new name) losing to the team of Mini Nova, Max Mini and Mosaic at the 1998 Royal Rumble.[10] After AAA and WWF stopped working together in 1999 Jiménez still made appearances as El Torito until 2001 where he lost the mask in a Luchas de Apuestas against Pierrothito.[9]

Between 2002 and 2003 Jiménez made regular appearances for Lucha VaVOOM, worked for over a year in CMLL and made appearances for International Wrestling Revolution Group.

He wrestled his last match in 2014.

Personal life

Mario Pérez Jiménez is the brother of twins Alejandro Jiménez, who wrestled as Espectrito II, and Alberto Jiménez, who wrestled as the original La Parkita. The Jiménez twins were both murdered on June 29, 2009, in a crime that was covered worldwide.[11]

Death

Mario Pérez Jiménez died on January 23, 2016.[1][2][12]

Championships and accomplishments

Luchas de Apuestas record
See also: Luchas de Apuestas
Winner (wager) Loser (wager) Location Event Date Notes
Mascarita Sagrada (mask)Espectrito (mask)Los Angeles, CaliforniaAAA Live eventAugust 6, 1994[6]
Octagoncito (mask)Espectrito (hair)Veracruz, VeracruzAA Live eventMay 31, 1995[6]
Torerito (mask)Espectrito II (hair)JaliscoLive eventDecember 14, 1996 
Tzuki (mask)Espectrito I (hair)Tijuana, Baja CaliforniaLive eventSeptember 29, 2000 
Pierrothito (mask)El Torito (mask)Puebla, PueblaCMLL Live eventNovember 26, 2001[Note 1][9]
Asturiano (hair)Espectrito I (hair)Puebla, PueblaLive eventJuly 26, 2004 

See also

Notes
  1. This was a Relevos Suicidas: Lost to Tzuki and Ultimo Dragoncito.

References
  1. Ocampo, Ernesto (January 24, 2016). "Falleció El Espectrito, pionero de la lucha libre mini y figura de AAA, CMLL y WWE". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  2. "Falleció el luchador Espectrito I". MedioTiempo (in Spanish). January 24, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  3. Madigan, Dan (2007). "You ain't seen nothing yet: the minis". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 209–212. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
  4. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: EMLL CMLL Midget (miniestrella) Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 396. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  5. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: Mexican National Midget (Miniestrella) Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 398. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  6. Enciclopedia staff (August 2007). "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Espectrito (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico. p. 12. Tomo II.
  7. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: IWC Midget Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 400. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  8. "Raw is War #202" (in German). CageMatch.net. March 17, 1997. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  9. Enciclopedia staff (November 2007). "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". El Torito (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico. p. 22. Tomo V.
  10. "Wrestling's Historical Cards". PWI Presents: 2009 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. pp. 118–119. 2009 Edition.
  11. "Wrestling midgets killed by fake hookers". Metro Newspaper. July 2, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  12. Zellner, Kris (January 25, 2016). "Mario Meija Jimenez aka the original Espectrito & WWF's Mini Vader passes away: The Lucha Report". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
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