Black Man

Profile

Black Man

Name Black Man Real name Álvaro Meléndez Tibanez Nicknames none Name history La Gacela (debut - 77), Spiderman (66), Black Man (77 - ), Celestial (04/91 - 93) Family none Maestro(s) Diablo Velazco Birth date, location Feburary 19, 1949 - Guadalajara, Jalisco Obituary date Debut, location 1965 Lost mask to Blue Panther - February 16, 1986 - El Toreo; Super Delfin - March 13, 1993 - Tokyo Korakuen Hall Height 5'6"/168 cms Weight 189 lbs/86 kg Signature moves Tope con Giro, Corner Headstand into a Corbata, Flying Armdrag Titles: UWA World Lightweight Title, El Toreo Trios Titles (w/ Kung Fu & Kato Kung Lee), UWA World Welterweight Title (2)

Biography

The best worker (by a mile) from the legendary trio Los Fantásticos, but also the lesser star. Trained in his native Guadalajara with Diablo Velazco. Debuted in 1965 as La Gacela. Also worked as Spider Man, and lost his mask to Dr. O?Borman in 1966 in Tijuana. He was a very good lightweight, but way too small to be a star. Luckily for him, a decade later, Francisco Flores pushed talented lightweights to the moon. In 1977, he became Black Man and got a push on the Northern division and El Toreo later, winning the UWA Lightweight title on 09/10/78, defeating El Matemático in a rare ?técnico vs. técnico? tournament final that got rave reviews. He had the belt during three years and defended it 69 times. Formed a tag team with White Man (Alberto Muñoz), but later feuded with him and unmasked him. After the initial 83-86 run of Los Fantásticos, Black Man stayed at El Toreo and tried to reform the team with Kendo and Avispón Negro (El Monarca) without sucess. He had an excellent feud with Blue Panther, who he defeated on 02/09/86 for the UWA Welterweight title, but lost his mask against just a week later. After that, every Fantásticos reunion failed because only one of them had his mask. On 04/91 he got himself a new mask and outfit as El Celestial. He was chubbier than before, but still could all his spots, including his trademark headstand on the corner. Well, until he realized people would notice who he is if he kept doing it. He won the UWA Welterweight title with that name on 06/92, and lost it to Super Delfin (who he probably sold it to) on 05/93 in Japan. Also lost his Black Man mask to Super Delfin in Tokyo?s Korakuen Hall on 03/13/93. After that he retired and moved to Monterrey where he owned a lucha gym and a restaurant. As a fun fact, he once was El Santo?s high risk move double in a movie!

Gallery

1984

1989

Los Nuevos Fantasticos