Black Man

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Black Man
Black Man
Name Black Man
Real name Álvaro Meléndez Tibanez
Nicknames none
Name history La Gacela (debut - 73), Spiderman (1973-74), Black Man (77 - ), Celestial (04/91 - 96)
Family none
Maestro(s) Diablo Velazco
Birth date, location February 19, 1949 - Guadalajara, Jalisco
Obituary date February 28, 2022 (aged 73)
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, Salto Mortal
Titles: UWA World Lightweight Title, UWA World Trios Championship (w/ Kung Fu & Kato Kung Lee), UWA World Welterweight Title (2), Occidente Lightweight Championship, 1984 UWA World Trios Tournament (with Kato Kung Lee and Kung Fu)

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 and was an lucha olimpica champion at 57 kg before switching to pro. Debuted in 1965 as La Gacela; magazines showcased him as doing pro-springboard moves and he had a small feud with lightweight champion Tauro. Also worked as Spider Man (sometimes shortened to Spider), 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 success. 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 him 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 a few luchas de apuestas and 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 a guest stint as Celestial in IWRG on its first days in 1996 -he mentored a Blackmancito and a Whitemancito in the minis division of Naucalpan's promotion- 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!

Luchas de apuestas record

Date Apuesta Winner(s) Loser(s) Arena and/or Place
66/??/?? mask Dr. O'Borman Spiderman Tijuana, Baja California
77/03/13[1] hair Flama Roja La Gacela Ciudad Juárez
77/04/07 mask Black Man Demonio Azul Monterrey, Nuevo León
78/01/29 hair Black Man & El Matemático El Signo & Lobo Rubio El Toreo - Naucalpan, Mexico State
1980/02/24 hair Black Man Escorpión I Arena Naucalpan
83/10/02 hair Black Man Pantera Negra Arena Afición - Pachuca, Hidalgo
84/11/20 masks Blue Panther & Black Man Las Sombras de Plata El Toreo - Naucalpan, Mexico State
86/02/16 mask Blue Panther Black Man El Toreo - Naucalpan, Mexico State
90/02/07 hair El Brazo Black Man Arena Naucalpan - Naucalpan, Mexico State
90/10/30 hair Black Man Black Terry Arena Querétaro - Querétaro, Querétaro
91/02/05 hair Negro Casas Black Man Arena Neza - Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico State
91/07/13 hair Black Man Bestia Negra I (1991) Arena Xochimilco
92/06/04 hair Celestial Demonio Arrieta Pista Arena Revolución - Mexico City
92/08/11 mask Celestial Pólvora (not current) Arena Querétaro - Querétaro, Querétaro
93/03/13 mask (1) Super Delfin Black Man Korakuen Hall - Tokyo, Japan
(1) He remasked to lose it in Japan again

Gallery

Los Nuevos Fantasticos
Los Fantásticos
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Headstand
Salto Mortal
Flying Armdrag
Tope con Giro
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as Celestial
Los Fantasticos
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As La Gacela
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December 1977
December 1977 Part 2
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