Eduardo Miguel Perez

Eduardo Miguel Perez (born 1948) is a former professional wrestler. Known as a hybrid wrestler, one of the first competitors who combined elements of the Mexican Lucha Libre style with a strong background in the Catch Wrestling mat based style. Known by avid fans as a wrestler who was vastly underrated and relatively unknown, primarily due to taking long breaks from the business throughout his career. Born in Florida to wealthy Mexican immigrant parents, Perez's short stays in various regional territories never vaulted him to the superstar status that many felt he deserved. [Slusher, Elvin Amos, "The Art of War: Professional Wrestling's Theater in the Rough," California State University, Fresno, April 1981, p. 37] Perez wrestled intermittently throughout Texas, Florida, the Midwest, Canada, and California regions from the late 1960s to the mid 1970's. He often wrestled under different ring names and personas, the most noted and frequent of which being "Red Ranchero" - a nickname given to him by announcer John Shaybach in reference to his trademark red hair. [Peterson, Roger "The Roughneck Life of a Traveling Showman," April 22, 1965, Oakland Evening Tribune]

tu Hart and the Sugar Hold

Known as somewhat of a legitimate "tough guy" shootfighter outside of the ring, Perez was reputedly one of the few men who escaped the notorious submission "sugar hold" of Stu Hart in his famed basement training facility, "The Dungeon" during a short stay in the Calgary, Canada promotion. This was confirmed by former pro wrestling star Eldridge Wayne Coleman aka Superstar Billy Graham , who was training at the gym during the late 1960s.

Central States

Perez had a brief but successful stint with Bob Geigel's Central States promotion, which saw Perez unsuccessfully challenge Danny Littlebear for the promotion's regional title in Kansas City and feud with Black Angus Campbell.

Perez was also involved in an incident after a match with Omar Atlas in Leavenworth, Kansas. At a post match meal at Homer's Burgers, Perez was confronted, and stabbed by a fan who was upset with his tactics during the show. Perez was taken to St Mary's Hospital in Lansing, Kansas where he eventually recovered from a tension pneumothorax, resulting from a collapsed lung. He successfully returned to the ring 3 months later where he took on Roger Kirby. [Leavenworth Times, May 2, 1972]

Gagne Controversy and alleged blackballing

Perez went on to work several small venue house shows for Verne Gagne's AWA in the upper midwest. Some accounts have indicated Perez was blackballed from the AWA and NWA affiliate promotions following a controversial encounter with Verne Gagne in 1972, where, according to various sources, Perez either "stretched" Gagne's son Greg in a private training session, or refused to visit Gagne's training camp altogether due to a disagreement. The latter is more widely believed to be true, however some wrestlers, most notably Ray Stevens independently confirmed the story relating to Greg Gagne.

Retirement

Perez became disenchanted with the business after a 9 year career when he had a confrontation with Southern promoter Jim Barnett. Perez had just arrived in the area, and quit the promotion before wrestling a single match for promoter Barnett. Perez left the business for good, and returned to the Florida area.

After retiring from pro wrestling, Perez opened a nightclub in the Miami, Florida area. [WCIX-TV Eyewitness News, June 20, 1986 report, Miami, FL]

References