Rocky Romero

Profile

Rocky Romero

Name	Rocky Romero
Real name	John Rivera
Nicknames	Azúcar, Darkness' Trickster, Mr. Forever
Name history	El Mono Negro (debut - ???) Rocky Romero (??? - ), Havana Brother I (2003 - Mexico), Havana Pitbull I, Black Tiger IV (2005 - 2009), Grey Shadow (CMLL 2008), Tornado Azteko/Azteko (Lucha Libre USA, 2010)
Family
Maestro(s)	Kevin Quinn, Jesse Hernandez, Bill Anderson, Antonio Inoki, Shinya Makabe, Negro Casas
Birth date, location	October 28, 1982 - Havana, Cuba
Obituary date
Debut, location	September 13, 1997
Lost mask to
Height	5'7" (1.70m)
Weight	175 lb (80kg)
Signature moves	Cradle Tombstone Piledriver, Flying Armbar, Cuban Cutter, Roundhouse Kick, Black Tiger Bomb, Black Tiger Suple
Titles:	2004 Young Dragons Cup winner, CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship (3), EWF Tag Team Championship (5) (w/Ricky Reyes), MPW Tag Team Championship (w/Ricky Reyes), NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (6) (2 w/Davey Richards, 2 w/ Alex Koslov & 2 w/ Trent Beretta), ROH Tag Team Championship (3) (1 w/Ricky Reyes, 1 w/Davey Richards, & 1 w/ Alex Koslov), UPW Tag Team Championship (w/Ricky Reyes), IWC Tag Team Championship

Notes

Has had a couple different runs in Mexico. Originally worked with CMLL in 2003 as part of the Havana Pitbulls, and got over strong enough that CMLL created a title for himself and the rest of the Pitbulls to fight for, the CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship. Had a back and forth title feud with Virus which left Romero with the title to close the 2004 season. CMLL didn't bring him back in 2005, and didn't bring him back for a few years after that. The title was seemingly forgotten by CMLL, and only turning up on occasional Southern California shows (including a back and forth title switch.)

CMLL brought Romero back four years later as the masked tecnico Grey Shadow, though many were quick to realize who was under the mask. CMLL appeared to have big plans for him at first, teaming him with Mistico and having him work against top rudos, but also seemed to give up on him rather quickly, after a couple months in, after poor response to his performance. Shadow continued to work around the semimain level, but not on the major shows. He feuded with Sangre Azteca, but no resolution seemed on the horizon.

Stuck in limbo, Romero became the first in a series of jumps from CMLL to AAA. Shadow allied with X-Pac to start the D-Generation-MEX group, and unmasked himself in his debut to reveal himself as Rocky Romero. Romero's established himself at about the same level he was in CMLL while teaming with X-Pac and Alex Koslov. He's also been working on NJPW tours early during his AAA stint, which has caused him to disappear for long stretches in Mexico.

He worked the third Lucha Libre USA tapping as Tornado Azteko before being renamed Azteko in post production. After a few appearances as Azteko on Lucha Libre USA house shows, he reverted to the Rocky Romero name.