They almost immediately erupt into a chant of “PANTERA”, at deafening volume for the tiny Shinkiba 1rst Ring. Watching the match, it immediately becomes evident that El Hijo del Pantera has a strong connection with the Japanese fans. The story begins in the 2019 edition of Cruiser Fes, Wrestle-1’s annual single-elimination tournament for its lighter wrestlers (with only the one monthly TV slot, round-robin tournaments are tough to pull off.) Pantera defeated MAZADA in the first round and then took on El Lindaman, internationally-famous wrestling gremlin and part of the invading Stronghearts army. And then came 2019, a year in which Pantera soared to heights no one expected in a promotion desperately trying to stay above water. And this seemed to be largely the role he would play: the occasional bit of international flavor in a promotion that mostly didn’t have the money to bring in foreigners. In 2018 (check), he challenged W-1 Cruiserweight Champion Yusuke Kodama for the title but came up short. In 2013 he had his only apuestas match in Korakuen Hall, defending his mask and taking the hair of MAZADA. Most of those matches were for Wrestle-1, with a few spots in smaller promotions and one-off shows. Since then, Japan has been the focus of his career, save for a two-year break in 20. This is a man who seems willing to kill his opponents, or himself, in pursuit of victory – but, you know, in an endearing way.Įl Hijo del Pantera first appeared in a Japanese ring in 2012, as part of the Wrestling New Classic promotion. El Hijo del Pantera’s matches are a gradual escalation of tension and danger. But what he does have is power and intensity. He doesn’t have the obvious athletic grace of Ryu Lee or other luchadors who have become stars in Japan. He wears a shirt during his matches and is notably heavyset. Visually, El Hijo del Pantera is an unassuming wrestler. But I can tell you that, at some point, El Hijo del Pantera ended up in Japan, and began to leave his own mark as part of another ill-fated endeavor, Keiji Muto’s Wrestle-1 promotion. I can’t tell you the weight that kind of mask has on a young man just starting his wrestling journey. I can tell you about the name he bears, that of veteran luchador Pantera, who in addition to his prominent runs in CMLL and IWRG was also a part of the WWF’s ill-begotten light heavyweight division and a King of Trios winner. Such things are still kept secret for masked wrestlers in Mexico. ![]() I can’t tell you where precisely El Hijo del Pantera was born, or how he grew up, or even what his true name is.
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