Ricky Banderas

Infobox Wrestler


name=Ricky Banderas
names=Asesor Cibernetica
El Mesias
Judas Mesias
Muerte Cibernetica
Ricky Banderas
height=6 ft. 1 in. (185 cm)
weight=245 lb. (111 kg)
birth_date=birth date and age|mf=yes|1976|5|25
death_date=
birth_place=Bayamón, Puerto Rico
death_place=
resides=
billed= Bayamón, Puerto Rico (as Ricky Banderas and El Mesias)
The Depths of Hell (as Judas Mesias)
trainer=
debut=1997
retired=|

Gilbert Cosme (born May 25, 1976) better known by his ring name Ricky Banderas, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He began his career in the International Wrestling Association based on Puerto Rico. While performing in the company, he won the IWA World Heavyweight Championship on five instances and held minor championships on fifteen separate occasions, before leaving the company in 2006.

On March 12, 2006 he debuted in Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, a promotion based in Mexico as a character named Muerte Cibernetica and was involved in an angle where this character was "killed". In November 2006, Cosme was involved in the tapings of the Wrestling Society X television series, where he was the second and last wrestler to win the WSX Championship. Following a month of performing in the International Wrestling Association, Cosme returned to Asistencia Asesoría y Administración in a special event presented by the company, this time under the ring name of Mesias. In September 2007, the company organized a unification tournament where all of the champions and first contenders participated. Over the course of the tournament, he won the GPCW Super-X Monster Championship and IWC World Heavyweight Championship, and on the tournament's finale, he became the first wrestler to win the AAA World Heavyweight Championship. While working in Mexico, Cosme signed a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling where he debuted as Judas Mesias on September 13, 2007.

Career

International Wrestling Association (1999–2006)

Cosme began wrestling training in 1996, when he was instructed by a former wrestler. During this time he was enrolled in the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico located in Bayamón, his major concentration was in computer technology, after completing two years of study, he decided to begin wrestling as a profession after meeting Victor Quiñones in the gym. In 1997, after working in the independent circuit he moved to Mexico and performed there, and became involved in a project to develop Hispanic talent organized by the World Wrestling Federation.

Cosme subsequently debuted in the International Wrestling Association (IWA) in 1999. He was given the gimmick of "El Patriota" Ricky Banderas, a name that, according to Cosme, was created by fusing the artistic names of Latin musician Ricky Martín and actor Antonio Banderas. [cite web|title=IWA: Entrevista a Ricky Banderas|url= http://www.prwrestling.com/entrevistas/banderas.html|language=Spanish|accessdate=2007-05-06] He debuted in Extreme Championship Wrestling on that year, where he worked in a televised match. Following a period of teaming with Los Boricuas, his character was teamed with Germán Figueroa who wrestled as Gran Apolo, and formed a tag team dubbed "La Nueva Generacion", which won the IWA Tag Team Championship three times. On August 21, 2000, in a show in Levittown, Puerto Rico, Cosme's character turned on Gran Apolo. Following this, he joined the company's dominant heel stable, Los Intocables, along with Miguel Pérez and Jesús Castillo. After the stable's dissolution, he was involved in another stable named "Starr Corporation", where after Cosme's insistence his character became darker and was renamed "El Mesias" Ricky Banderas.cite web|url=http://www.luchalibreonline.tv/video/216909-llo-news-judas-mesias.html?playlist=17128&position=8|title=Se Confiesa Judas Mesias|author= Javier Gonzalez|publisher=Lucha Libre Online|language=Spanish|date=2008-01-08|accessdate=2008-07-14] Following this, he was teamed up with Shane Sewell in a stable known as "Los Hermanos en Dolor". In 2001, Cosme performed in a tryout match for the World Wrestling Federation and in a pay per view event on Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling. He won the IWA heavyweight title for a third time on June 15, 2002 and remained champion until Ramón Gonzalez debuted with the company as "Rey Fenix", in a match that he describes as the best match he had wrestled at the moment. [cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20020917114045/iwapr.net/nm/publish/news_39.html|title=Resultados Golpe De Estado - Carolina|publisher=International Wrestling Association|language=Spanish|date=2002-09-15|accessdate=2008-01-09] [cite web|title=IWA:Ricky Banderas contesta sus preguntas|url=http://www.prwrestling.com/entrevistas/banderas2.html| language=Spanish|accessdate=2007-06-07]

Cosme's gimmick underwent another change when it joined then-dominant heel stable "La Compania" lead by Savio Vega. This was followed by his fourth title run after he defeated Gran Apolo on January 6, 2003. He was booked as a heel until October 9, 2003 when Vega's group turned on him. Following this, he feuded with Chris Kindred under his "Slash Venom" gimmick, which peaked when Ian Richard Hodgkinson was brought by the company to form a stable which feuded with Gran Apolo and Venom. In 2004, he feuded with Hangman Hughes, Kasey James, El Diamante, and Bison Smith. In 2005, he turned heel again, this time leading a stable known as "La Cruz del Diablo" which feuded with other groups led by Savio Vega and Ray Gonzales. Following an angle where he feuded over a number-one contender spot, Cosme departed from the company and signed a contract to wrestle in Mexico.

Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (2006–present)

Following the culmination of his contract with the International Wrestling Association, Cosme signed a contract with
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA). He debuted on March 12, 2006 as “Muerte Cibernetica” a heel enforcer supposedly brought to the company by Octavio López Arriola under his “Cibernetico” gimmick to feud with “La Parka”. This gimmick consisted of Cosme wearing a traditional Mexican wrestling mask, often a modified version of the one used by “La Parka”. This character was placed in a feud with “La Parka”, which lasted several months. This angle came to a conclusion at Triplemania XIV, where Cosme’s character was booked to lose a Mask vs. Mask match. [cite web|url= http://www.prwrestling.com/noticias/4754.php| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070704065523/http://www.prwrestling.com/noticias/4754.php| title=MEXICO: La Parka vence a Banderas en TripleManía| publisher=Puerto Rico Wrestling| date=2006-06-19| archivedate=2007-07-07| accessdate=2007-05-15]

Following a legitimate injury suffered by López, Cosme’s gimmick was slightly changed, and entered into an angle where he pursued the leadership of Cibernetico’s stable, which then went by the name of "La Secta Cibernetica". The character was booked to be the leader of the stable after supposedly convincing several members of the group. The events of the angle were used to hype an eventual feud between López and Cosme’s characters that took place in January 2007. In the angle, won the first encounter between the two with help of his stable. The angle culminated in a Casket match between the two characters. Cibernetico was booked to win the match and subsequently “kill” his opponent by throwing him into the ocean. [cite web|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=18320| title=AAA Guerra de Titanes report| publisher=| date=| accessdate=2007-06-07] This was used to explain Cosme’s absence when he departed from the company to wrestle in the International Wrestling Association. During this time he also wrestled for Panama Wrestling Crew in Panama and in Ecuador.

Following a month of performing in Puerto Rico, Cosme returned to Asistencia Asesoría y Administración in an annual event entitled "Rey de Reyes" under a new gimmick by the name of Mesias. [cite web| url=http://www.luchalibreonline.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5078| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070322171028/http://www.luchalibreonline.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5078| archivedate=2007-03-22| title=AAA : Resultados Rey de Reyes| author=Javier Gonzalez| publisher=Lucha Libre Online| language=Spanish| date=2007-03-19| accessdate=2008-01-25] From then on, he started to get a bigger push as a main event heel, feuding with Cibernetico and his stable "Hell brothers". During the feud, Cosme was both leader of "La secta" and member of "La legion extranjera". Later, Cosme took both the IWC heavyweight championship from Cibernetico and the GPCW SUPER-X Monster Title from "La Parka". [cite web|url=http://www.mediotiempo.com/mas_deportes/noticia_v1.php?id_noticia=5729|title=El Mesías, nuevo Campeón Completo IWC| publisher=Medio Tiempo|language=Spanish|date=2007-08-20|accessdate=2007-09-30] As Mesias, he became the first wrestler to win the AAA World Heavyweight Championship in AAA's pay-per-view event "Verano de Escandalo" after defeating Chessman by disqualification.cite web|url=http://www.triplea.com.mx/ESP/verano.htm|title=Verano de Escandalo| publisher=Asistencia Asesoría y Administración|language=Spanish|accessdate=2007-09-30] On November 29, 2007, he successfully defended the company's championship in a triple threat match at a pay-per-view titled "Guerra de Titanes". [cite web| url=http://www.oem.com.mx/estO/notas/n516250.htm| title=Brutal "Guerra de Titanes IX"| author=Alfredo Ascencio| publisher=Organización Editorial Mexicana | language=Spanish| date=2007-12-07| accessdate=2008-07-14] In March 2008, he returned to AAA after several months of inactivity. [cite web| url=http://www.oem.com.mx/esto/notas/n619329.htm| title=Reaparece el Mesías| publisher=Organización Editorial Mexicana | language=Spanish| date=2008-03-07| accessdate=2008-07-14] On March 16, 2008, Banderas dropped the championship to Cibernetico. [cite web| url=http://www.oem.com.mx/esto/notas/n631858.htm| title=Cibernético aplaca a El Mesías| publisher=Organización Editorial Mexicana| language=Spanish| date=2008-03-17| accessdate=2008-07-14] He was subsecuently involved in an angle with Vampiro, leding to a match at Triplemania XVI, which concluded as a time-limit draw. [cite web| url=http://www.todosports.com/inicio/articulos/extremo/14484.aspx| title=AAA: Llegó el día de Triplemanía XVI| author=Carlos Martínez| publisher=todosports.com| language=Spanish| date=2008-06-13| accessdate=2008-07-14]

Wrestling Society X (2006)

Cosme participated as Banderas in the Wrestling Society X television series (taped in Los Angeles, California), with the gimmick of a disgruntled and kayfabe disfigured man pursuing a feud with Vampiro.cite web| url=http://www.luchalibreonline.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4989| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070310024346/http://www.luchalibreonline.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4989| archivedate=2007-03-10| title=WSX: Resultados Programa #4| author=David Rivera| publisher=Lucha Libre Online| date=2007-02-28| accessdate=2008-01-25] The feud commenced after Banderas threw a fireball at Vampiro's face, which resulted in MTV pulling the episode from its original airdate, with concerns that viewers would try it at home. The episode later aired in edited form on February 27, 2007. [cite web| title=WSX pulled from MTV, future in question|url= http://www.prowrestlingscoops.com/article/173665882.php|accessdate=2007-06-07]

The pursuit of Vampiro was explained in the following episode in a promo where Banderas claimed that Vampiro rigged a casket with explosives during a match, with the explosion resulting in the damage done to his face. On the eighth episode (which was taped on November 15, 2006) of the series, Banderas won the WSX Championship in his debut match for the promotion. Beforehand, he was involved in a series of brawls with Youth Suicide, as well as an allusion to a partnership with 6-Pac.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2007–2008)

As noted on the "TNA Mobile" service, Cosme signed a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Cosme was billed as James Mitchell's kayfabe son. Beginning on July 1, 2007, vignettes began to air for this "monster-like" character. His name was eventually billed as Judas Mesias. [cite web|url= http://www.prwrestling.com/noticiasprw/4291.php| title=TNA: Nueva promo de la llegada de Banderas|accessdate=2007-07-23] At No Surrender, he pulled Abyss under the ring by cutting a hole through it with a knife and pulling him underneath.cite web| url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/banderas.html| title=Wrestling - Judas Mesias| author=Rob McCormick| publisher=Slam! Sports| date=2007-10-03| accessdate=2008-07-14] On the September 13, 2007 edition of "iMPACT", during a submission match between Abyss and Kurt Angle in the Six Sides of Steel, Cosme made his official debut, climbing up from underneath the ring and subsequently attacking Abyss. On the September 20 edition of "iMPACT", Cosme defeated Eric Young in his debut match in TNA. [cite web|author=Mike Kerrigan|url=http://www.tnawrestling.com/content/blogcategory/1/84/|title= Official "iMPACT!" results from Thurdsay, September 20, 2007|publisher=Total Nonstop Action Wrestling|date=2007-09-20| accessdate=2007-09-30]

On September 21, 2007 it was reported that Cosme was suffering from sciatica and that the condition's treatment required several weeks of rest, followed by physical therapy to recover. This injury was the result of a fall from a ladder at a titular match at AAA's "Verano de Escandalo" pay-per-view, which also knocked him out.

He returned on the December 13, 2007 episode of "iMPACT!" where he attacked Abyss by strangling him with a piece of barbed wire, which he also used to cut his forehead open. He then repeatedly hit Abyss in the head with a chair.cite web|url=http://www.tnawrestling.com/content/view/417/84/|title=News from Thursday's "iMPACT!" broadcast on Spike TV| author=Bill Banks|publisher=TNA Wrestling|date=2007-12-13|accessdate=2007-12-20] He finished his assault by delivering his finisher, Straight to Hell to Abyss on the same chair. In his TNA pay-per-view debut, he defeated Abyss at Final Resolution after hitting Abyss with his finisher onto a barbed wire steel chair.cite website|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2006/1199678261.shtml|title=Final Resolution PPV Results - 1/6 - Orlando, FL (Angle vs Cage, more)|last=Martin|first=Adam|date=2008-01-06|accessdate=2008-07-14|publisher=WrestleView.com] This feud continued at Against All Odds, organized on February 10, 2008. In this event he competed in a stipulation match called Barbed Wire Massacre, where the ring was surrounded by barbed wire, which Abyss won by using his finisher, the Black Hole Slam. In March, Cosme was released from his contract with the company.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves
**Frog splash
**"La Patriota" (Sharpshooter) - IWA
**"Straight to Hell" (Leaping reverse STO) - TNA
**Cradle piledriver
**Dragon suplex
**Electric chair drop
**Reverse figure four leglock
**Samoan drop
**Shoulderbreaker
**Sitout facebuster
**Spear
**Spinebuster
**Superkick

*Managers
**James Mitchell

Championships and accomplishments

*Asistencia Asesoría y Administración
**AAA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) (First)cite web|title=AAA World Heavyweight Title|publisher=Wrestling Titles|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/mexico/aaa/aaa-h.html|accessdate=2008-01-19]
**GPCW Super-X Monster Championship (1 time, current)
**IWC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current)
*International Wrestling Association
**IWA Hardcore Championship (9 times)cite web|title=IWA World Hardcore Title (Puerto Rico)|publisher=Wrestling Titles|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/iwa-pr/iwapr-hc.html|accessdate=2008-01-19]
**IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship (2 times)cite web|title=IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Title (Puerto Rico)|publisher=Wrestling Titles|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/iwa-pr/iwapr-ic.html|accessdate=2008-01-19]
**IWA World Heavyweight Championship (5 times)cite web|title=IWA World Heavyweight Title (Puerto Rico)|publisher=Wrestling Titles|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/iwa-pr/iwapr-h.html|accessdate=2008-01-19]
**IWA World Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Gran Apolo (3), Glamour Boy Shane (1) and Cruzz (1)cite web|title=IWA World Tag Team Title (Puerto Rico)|publisher=Wrestling Titles|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/iwa-pr/iwapr-t.html|accessdate=2008-01-19]
*Wrestling Society X
**WSX Championship (1 time) (Last)cite web|title=Wrestler Profiles: Judas Mesias|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/j/judas-mesias.html|accessdate=2008-01-19]
*Pro Wrestling IllustratedPWI ranked him #26 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008.

References

External links

* [http://www.triplea.com.mx/INGLES/prueba2.htm Asistencia Asesoría y Administración Profile]
* [http://www.tnawrestling.com/content/view/253/37/ Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Profile]