On July 3, 2019, Aguayo’s family announced on Twitter that Mexican legend Pedro Aguayo Damián, also known as Perro Aguayo Sr, had passed away. He was 73 years old.
This news is deeply saddening for the Luchistica family and the fans who love this sport. But now he leaves us on this path called life and joins his son, Perro Aguayo Jr.
We’ll remember the best moments that he gave us. His great career began as a dream and transformed him into an idol, a legend, and a master.
Pedro helped support his family by working various jobs, including being a baker, a shoemaker, and a boxer. His destiny was sealed when he met Ray Mendoza during his training. On May 10th, 1970, he had his first pro wrestling match.
So let’s remember some of the most important moments in his career. He was called Perro Aguayo because his style was so raw, tough, strong, and unparalleled that he was called a dog.
The most important takeaway of his career was his sacrifice and shedding of blood and sweat for what he loved most, lucha libre.
Perro Aguayo Sr – The 1970s
In the 1970s, he was part of the best companies in Mexico, EMLL (now CMLL) and UWA (House of Independents, Toreo de Cuatro Caminos).
In this decade, he had around his waist different belts, including the NWA World Middleweight Champion, Mexican National Middleweight Champion, UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Champion, and UWA World Light Heavyweight Champion.
During this time, he sought to win a place in this sport, so he had numerous rivalries with individuals like Karloff Lagarde, Ringo Mendoza, El Faraon, El Solitario, and the legend himself, El Santo.
He and El Santo always had a great rivalry to show who is better. He won around nine hair matches, and he lost his hair five times. In 1979, he traveled to Japan, and he had great matches for NJPW.
The 1980s
In the 1980s, he had a successful career in this business, with notable matches in Mexico and Japan. As I mentioned, he had a huge rivalry with El Santo.
He was part of the retirement match in Toreo Cuatro Caminos for this legend. El Santo knew Perro, and this is how he would say goodbye to the most important luchador, without mercy.
He was known for giving his all in every match. Perro’s forehead bore the marks of the bloody matches. During this decade, he worked for EMLL, UWA, NWA, NJPW, All Japan, UWE, and WCCW.
He had rivalries in this era with Gran Hamada, Kato Kung Lee, Sangre Chicana, Scorpio, Lobo Rubio, Babe Face, Gran Markus, and others.
He won the masks of Black Power and Diablo Rojo. In this era, he won fifteen hair matches and lost his hair four times.
Also in this decade, he won the tournaments WWF Light Heavyweight Title League and Copa Ovaciones y Costalazos.
The belts that he held were the UWA World Light Heavyweight Champion, WWF Light Heavyweight Champion, WWC Junior Heavyweight Champion, and UWA World Heavyweight Champion.
This decade was pivotal, and he was a key participant in the main events. The crowd saw him as an idol or sometimes as a great rudo that you hate so much. But when it came to his work, the crowds respected him.
The 1990s
The 1990s came and this decade was so important to him. In the 90s, he was listed in Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500. He was ranked 223rd in 1994, 187th in 1995, 58th in 1996 and 67th in1997.
In 1996, he was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame and in 1997 he was awarded the Best Babyface by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
He worked for UWA, CMLL, NJPW, and he was part of the beginning of AAA. Due to AAA’s relationship with WWF, he was part of the 1997 Royal Rumble as part of a trios match.
Perro held the UWA World Tag Team Championship (with Hamada), UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship, IWC World Heavyweight Championship, WWA World Heavyweight Championship, AAA Campeon de Campeones Championship, and Mexican National Heavyweight Championship.
One of the most important things to him was holding the Mexican National Tag Team Championships with his son, Perro Aguayo Jr.
The most important rivalries for Perro were with Konnan, Los Hermanos Dinamitas (Cien Caras, Mascara Año 2000, and Universo 2000), Sangre Chicana, Stuka, Coloso Colosetti, El Cobarde II, and Bestia Salvaje.
In AAA, he was part of the first Triplemania and won Mascara Año 2000’s mask. He was also featured in the main event of When Worlds Collide in LA, where he faced Konnan in a cage match. He won five hair matches and five masks; the most important were those of Konnan and Mascara Año 2000.
The 2000s
The beginning of this decade marks the end of an era for this great legend. In 2000, he only had a match with AAA, and the rest of the year was with CMLL.
There, he won the hair of Bestia Salvaje and Cien Caras. The same year, he had a retirement tour in Japan with NJPW. Perro had four matches with Japanese legends El Samurai, Jushin Thunder Liger, Kendo Kashin, and his great rival Gran Hamada.
The next year he still worked with CMLL and won the Mascara Año 2000s hair. With the indie promotion XPW, he had a great match against Hijo del Santo.
At the CMLL event Homenaje a Dos Legendas, he lost his hair against Universo 2000. The finish came when he received a martinet, and he was injured and couldn’t continue to wrestle.
In 2005, with the support of his son, Perro Aguayo Jr, he came back to the ring. They competed at Homenaje a Dos Legendas in 2005 and won the hair of Cien Caras and Mascara Año 2000.
In 2007, he participated in a match in LA with other legends. That was the last time that he was in the ring. In 2012 was inducted into the AAA Hall of Fame, a great award for a great legend.
Thanks, Idol, Legend, and Master
Perro Aguayo was a great person, a legendary figure, an idol, a great wrestler, and a true master. He gave us great moments and emotions, but the most important thing is his teachings on how we must fight for our dreams and achieve our goals.
Perro Aguayo Sr completed his dream like a dog; he bit all his obstacles and reached all that he wanted. Still, we can hear his song in our ears, “La Marcha de Zacatecas.”
This was a symbol for him and now for us. We can only give our thanks for all that he gave us. Gracias, Perro Aguayo, gracias, El Can de Nochistlán.
