The match continued for almost two minutes before other participants and the referee realized Aguayo was seriously injured and tended to him.
AP Photo/Enrique Ordonez/CUARTOSCURO.COMWrestler
Pedro Aguayo Ramirez, known as Hijo del Perro Aguayo, died early
Saturday, just hours after a hit in the ring during a match in Tijuana,
Mexico.
"I have no words for this terrible news," Joaquin Roldan, director of the AAA wrestling federation, said through his Twitter account. "My sincerest condolences for the Aguayo Ramirez family."
The state prosecutor's office said the cause of death, based on the autopsy, was trauma to the neck and a cervical fracture. It has opened an investigation into possible manslaughter.
The company that reportedly organized the event, The Crash, couldn't be reached for comment. The Tijuana Boxing and Wrestling Commission called the death an unfortunate accident like those that occur in other high-risk sports.
Even though the match continued as Aguayo hung listless on the ropes, commission President Juan Carlos Pelayo said people moved immediately to check his condition. He said the doctor in charge was not at ringside because he was treating another injured wrestler, but paramedics and a doctor who was a spectator attended to Aguayo.
"The reaction for medical attention was quick, in my opinion," Pelayo said at a news conference Saturday.
Mexico is famous for its colorful characters and costumes in professional wrestling, popularly known as lucha libre, where fighters perform daring aerial maneuvers inside and outside the ring.
Aguayo, 35, had wrestled for 20 years and was the son of the legendary Pedro "Perro" Aguayo, now retired and a member of the Aztec lucha Hall of Fame.
The younger Aguayo was also popular and led a group called "Los Perros de Mal," or the bad dogs. He won numerous titles, including national pairs with his father, a national heavyweight championship and the Consejo Mundial Lucha Libre world trios championship.
"It makes me very sad because he was a professional colleague and I have great affection for his father," wrestler Hijo del Santo said in a telephone interview. "I think the fans in Japan, the U.S. and Mexico, of course, where he was very popular, must be in mourning, especially because of his youth. He had much ahead of him."
Pedro Aguayo
Ramirez, known as Hijo del Perro Aguayo, went limp on the ropes after a
flying kick from one of his opponents, Oscar Gutierrez, known as Rey
Misterio, Jr., hit his neck.
The
team match continued for almost two minutes before the other
participants and the referee realized Aguayo was seriously injured and
tended to him, according to video shot in a municipal auditorium in
Tijuana, Mexico.
Dealt death
blow on stage: El Hijo Del Perro Aguayo (pictured) was taking on former
WWE star Rey Mysterio Jr. when he was kicked and then went completely
limp (right) as the show continued
Aguayo went limp on the ropes of the ring after a kick from Mysterio Jr. appeared to hit his neck
The match continued before the other wrestlers and the referee realized that Aguayo was gravely injured
The wrestler lost consciousness and never recovered, reports San Diego Red.
The
Baja, California, state prosecutor's office said he was taken to a
hospital a block away and died about 1:30am on Saturday morning.
The prosecutor's office said it has opened an investigation into possible manslaughter.
He had much ahead of him
Wrestler Hijo del Santo
Aguayo,
35, had wrestled for 20 years and was the son of the legendary Pedro
'Perro' Aguayo, now retired and a member of the Aztec lucha hall of
fame.
Joaquin Roldan, the director of the AAA wrestling federation, said on Twitter: 'I have no words for this terrible news.
'My sincerest condolences for the Aguayo Ramirez family.'
Aguayo was one of the most decorated and popular stars in the AAA.
He
was a three-time Mexican National Tag Team champion, a former Mexican
National Light Heavyweight champion, and a Mexican National Atomicos
champion.
Didn't go without a fight: Before his untimely death El Hijo Del Perro Aguayo gave a spectacular performance
Crowd favorite: Fans cheered as El Hijo Del Perro Aguayo took his opponent to the ground
Celebration
turned tragedy: Friday's match (not pictured) was supposed to be a
celebration and it was Mysterio's first time fighting for the AAA since
1997 after leaving the WWE
Decorated wrestler: El Hijo del Perro
Aguayo was a three-time Mexican National Tag Team champion, a former
Mexican National Light Heavyweight champion, and a Mexican National
Atomicos champion
Mexico is famous for its colorful characters and costumes in professional wrestling, popularly known as lucha libre.
The elder Aguayo was a lucha libre sensation from the 1970s to 1990s.
The
younger Aguayo began wrestling in his teens and also was very popular,
leading a group called 'Los Perros de Mal,' or the bad dogs.
Bleacher Report
writes that Friday's match was supposed to be a celebration and it was
Mysterio's first time fighting for the AAA since 1997 after leaving the
WWE.
Wrestler
Hijo del Santo said: 'It makes me very sad because he was a
professional colleague and I have great affection for his father.
'I
think the fans in Japan, the US and Mexico, of course, where he was
very popular, must be in mourning, especially because of his youth.
'He had much ahead of him.'
A star: El Hijo del Perro Aguayo was
the son of retired wrestler Pedro 'Perro' Aguayo, a lucha libre
sensation from the 1970s to 1990s and was one of the most popular
wrestlers in Mexico