Raúl Mata
| Raúl Mata | |
|---|---|
 Mata, c. 1973 | |
| Birth name | Raúl Mata |
| Born | January 26, 1947 Guadalajara, Mexico[1] |
| Died | December 19, 2018 (aged 71)[1][2] |
| Spouse(s) | Beverly A. Mata[3] |
| Children | 5[3] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Raúl Mata[1] El Rayo[1] Texan[1] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 224 lb (102 kg)[1] |
| Trained by | Cuhatemoc "Diablo" Velasco[4] |
| Debut | 1960s |
| Retired | 1980s |
Raúl Mata (January 26, 1947 – December 19, 2018) was a Mexican luchador, or professional wrestler, who was mostly active from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Mata was the
Chavo Guerrero
(twice).
Early life
Mata was born in Guadalajara, Mexico on January 26, 1947, the third of twelve children of Jose Mata Espinoza and Angelina Martinez Aguirre.[1][3]
Professional wrestling career
Mata trained as a professional wrestler under Cuhatemoc "Diablo" Velasco.[4]
The exact year Mata began wrestling is uncertain, only that he was wrestling for
Chavo Guerrero twice and finally with his brother Carlos Mata.[6] In 1977 Mata won the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship when he defeated El Halcón on December 18, 1977, to win the title.[7] Mata held the title until July 1, 1978, where he lost the title to El Nazi.[7] In 1970 Mata won the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship again, this time teaming with Mando Guerrero to defeat Leroy Brown and Allen Coage for the titles, holding them for a month before losing the belts to the Twin Devils.[6] Raul Mata also held the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship for 11 months, winning it on January 20, 1980, from Alfonso Dantés, losing it back to Dantés on December 15, 1980.[8]
Personal life and death
Mata was married to Beverly A. Mata, who predeceased him. He had five children. He died on December 19, 2018 at the age of 71.[3]
Professional wrestling style and persona
Mata was nicknamed the "Hawk of Mexico".
Championships and accomplishments
- Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre
- NWA Hollywood
- Victor Rivera (1 time), Chavo Guerrero (2 times), and Carlos Mata (1 time),[6]
- NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (2 times)
Luchas de Apuestas record
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Nazi (hair) | Raul Mata (hair) | N/A | Live event | N/A | |
| Raúl Mata (hair) | Shibata (hair) | Mexico City | EMLL 37th Anniversary Show | September 1970 | [9] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Raul Mata". Cagematch.net. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Meltzer, Dave (December 20, 2018). "Raul Mata passes away at 71 years old". F4WOnline.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Raul Mata". DignityMemorial.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Oliver, Greg (December 20, 2018). "Raul Mata passes away". SlamWrestling.net. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Ruiz Glez, Alex (September 7, 2010). "CMLL: 79 historias, 79 Aniversario, las 79 luchas estelares". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved October 20, 2012.
External links
- Raúl Mata's profile at Cagematch.net, Wrestlingdata.com, Internet Wrestling Database
- Raúl Mata at IMDb
