José Lothario

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José Lothario
Lothario in 1975
Birth nameGuadalupe Robledo
Born(1933-12-12)December 12, 1933
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
DiedNovember 6, 2018(2018-11-06) (aged 84)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Spouse(s)Jean Robledo
Children3
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)José Lothario
El Gran Lothario[1]
Great Lothario
Supersock[2]
Billed height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1]
Billed weight227 lb (103 kg)[1]
Billed fromSan Antonio, Texas[1]
Debut1956
Retired1999

Guadalupe Robledo (December 12, 1933 – November 6, 2018) was a Mexican professional wrestler, best known by the ring name of José Lothario.[1][3][4][5] He performed for such promotions as the NWA and the WWF.

Professional wrestling career[edit]

Lothario started his career in the early ’50s in Mexico where he was an accomplished boxer and wrestler. Having already earned success there as a luchador, Lothario was an established commodity when he moved to the US in 1957, working in the Carolinas under the name Joe Garcia. He later made his way into the Gulf Coast territory as “El Gran” Lothario, a nickname that stuck throughout his career. Playing off his strong background in boxing, Lothario would hold a number of brass knucks titles in various territories, with rugged taped fists bouts becoming one of his specialties. Dusty Rhodes, who began his career in Texas while Lothario was a headliner, called him the greatest Latin American wrestler and babyface in the world and one of his top five performers of all time.[6]

Lothario competed in the National Wrestling Alliance for most of his career.[1] He once had a winning streak of over 50 matches.[7] On Christmas Day 1970, Lothario teamed up with Danny Miller to defeat The Infernos and win the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship. In storyline, the previous champions, Dusty Rhodes and Dick Murdoch, had been stripped of the title.[8] Lothario's biggest feuds were with Gino Hernandez, whom he defeated in a hair match in November 1978, and El Gran Marcus. Teaming with the legendary Mil Mascaras, Lothario drew massive crowds in Houston and San Antonio against the heel duo of Black Gordman and Great Goliath. He was also a mainstay in Florida and Texas.

In Florida Lothario shared the Southern tag-team title with Don Curtis, Dory Funk Jr. and Joe Scarpa (aka Chief Jay Strongbow) on three occasions. He held the Florida tag-team belts with Argentina Apollo and Danny Miller. He held the Florida version of the NWA world tag-team title four times — twice with Wahoo McDaniel and once with Eddie Graham and Sam Steamboat. Lothario enjoyed greater success in Texas where he held several major tag titles. He shared the American tag-team belts on three occasions with El Halcon, and also had runs with Mil Mascaras, Tiger Conway Jr. and Ivan Putski. He held the Texas tag-team title six times, with Mil Mascaras, Rocky Johnson, Ivan Putski, Cien Caras and twice with Alberto Madril. Lothario also was a top singles performer in the Lone Star State, holding the Texas heavyweight crown on seven occasions, the Texas brass knucks crown five times, and the World Class Championship Wrestling TV title twice.

Lothario trained Shawn Michaels in the 1980s,[1] with Lothario later becoming Michaels' manager in the WWF in 1996, managing Michaels to winning his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XII. At the In Your House 10: Mind Games pay per view in September 1996, Lothario squashed Jim Cornette. He continued to manage Michaels until Royal Rumble in January 1997. He briefly returned to WWF in January 1999 as part of a storyline involving Michaels. Lothario's son Pete was also a professional wrestler in the Texas area. His wife, Jean Lothario, also wrestled with Joe Blanchard's Southwest Wrestling Alliance. They have a daughter, Gina.[citation needed]

Death[edit]

Lothario died on November 6, 2018, from natural causes at the age of 84.[9]

Championships and accomplishments[edit]

  • L&G Promotions

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "WRESTLER PROFILES". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  2. ^ "bodyslamming.com". ww38.bodyslamming.com.
  3. ^ Texas Monthly May 1976
  4. ^ Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore By Terry Funk, Scott Williams, Mick Foley
  5. ^ Gordon Solie ... Something Left Behind By Florida Media, Incorporated
  6. ^ Courier, Mike Mooneyham Special to The Post and (10 November 2018). "Jose 'El Gran' Lothario left his mark on professional wrestling". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  7. ^ "Jose Lothario Tops Full Card on mat Tonight". Palm Beach Post. January 9, 1966. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  8. ^ Woodward, Buck (2009-12-25). "THIS DAY IN HISTORY". PWInsider. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  9. ^ Satin, Ryan (November 6, 2018). "José Lothario Dead At 83-Years-Old". Pro Wrestling Sheet. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Marshall, Lothario inducted into NWA Hall of Fame – NWA Ringside". Archived from the original on 2017-09-10. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
  11. ^ "National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Titles [W. Texas]". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  12. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "(Dallas) Texas: NWA American Tag Team Title [Fritz Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 978-0-9698161-5-7.
  13. ^ "N.W.A. American Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  14. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "(Texas) Dallas: NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 271. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  15. ^ "Texas Brass Knucks Title [East Texas]". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  16. ^ *Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas Heavyweight Title [Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 268–269. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  17. ^ "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  18. ^ Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas Tag Team Title [Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 275–276. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  19. ^ "NWA Texas Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  20. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Texas: WCWA Television Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 396. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  21. ^ "World Class Television Title". Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
(see additional references at the French Wikipedia page)

External links[edit]