Alfonso Dantés

Alfonso Dantés

Dantés as NWA World Light Heavyweight Champion during the 1970s
Birth name José Luis Amezcua Díaz
Born April 13, 1943
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Died July 30, 2008(2008-07-30) (aged 65)[1]
Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Alfonso Dantés
Dantés
Edmundo Dantés
El Tanque (The Tank)
Billed height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Billed weight 210 lb (95 kg)
Trained by Diablo Velasco[2]
Debut 1960
Retired 1989

José Luis Amezcua Díaz (April 13, 1943 – July 30, 2008) was a Mexican professional wrestler who wrestled during the 1960s and 1970s under the ring name Alfonso Dantés (the name was taken from the main character of the Count of Monte Cristo novel, Edmond Dantès). He would later receive the nickname El Tanque (which means "The Tank") for his short but thick build. Dantés was the son of Al Amezcua, who wrestled in Mexico as Golden Terror. He and his brother Vick would follow their father into the sport. Vick would go on to wrestle as Septiembre Negro.

Professional wrestling career

Dantés was trained by Diablo Velasco and he made his debut in 1960 at the age of 17. Dantés won his first major title when he defeated Raúl Reyes for the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship on May 5, 1965. He would lose the title in February of the following year but eventually reclaimed the title twice before finally losing it on December 27, 1981. In the 1970s, Dantés won the NWA World Light Heavyweight title three times and defeated Chavo Guerrero on April 15, 1977, in Mexico City. In 1969, Dantés would team up with Mil Mascaras, Francisco Flores and El Medico to win three NWA America’s Tag Team titles. He was involved in several hair vs mask matches and participated in a famous triangular tournament in which El Halcon lost his mask. Dantés would later capture the hair of El Halcon and El Faraón as well. He would also lose his hair to Sangre Chicana, Pharaoh and Ringo Mendoza. On March 30, 1984, Dantés captured the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship from Cien Caras, in Mexico City. He would lose the title but win it back one last time on August 8, 1988 when he defeated Gran Markus, Jr. Dantés vacated the title when he retired in March 1989 at the age of 45. In his last few years, Dantés would team up with his sons Apolo and Cesar. He was well respected within the industry for his work ethic and innovation in the ring. He is credited with inventing the Toque Tapatio, a move which Tiger Mask would make popular outside Mexico as the Tiger Suplex. In 1996, he was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame.[1][3]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

Luchas de Apuestas record

Winner (wager) Loser (wager) Location Event Date Notes
El Faraón (hair) Alfonso Dantés (hair) Mexico City, Mexico Live event 1970s  
Cien Caras (mask) Alfonso Dantés (hair) Guadalajara, Jalisco Live event Unknown  
El Solitario (mask) Alfonso Dantés (hair) Mexico City, Mexico Live event Unknown  
Enrique Vera (hair) Alfonso Dantés (hair) Mexico City, Mexico Live event December 5, 1975 [Note 1]
Mil Máscaras (maks) Alfonso Dantés (hair) Mexico City, Mexico Live event February 22, 1977 [Note 2][8]
El Faraón and Ringo Mendoza (hair) Sangre Chicana and Alfonso Dantes (hair) Mexico City, Mexico 22. Aniversario de Arena México April 22, 1978 [9]
Alfonso Dantés (hair) El Faraón (hair) Mexico City, Mexico EMLL Live event April 20, 1979 [10]
Satoru Sayama (hair) Alfonso Dantés (hair) Mexico City, Mexico Live event June 15, 1979  
Sangre Chicana and Alfonso Dantes (hair) El Jalisco and Cobarde (hair) Mexico City, Mexico Live event December 5, 1980  
Alfonso Dantés (hair) Halcón Ortiz (hair) Mexico City, Mexico Live event 1981  
El Satánico (hair) Alfonso Dantés (hair) Guadalajara, Jalisco Live event Template:1985 [11]

Notes

  1. ↑ This was a triangle match that also included El Halcón.
  2. ↑ This was a triangle match that also included El Halcon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Schramm, Chris. "Mexican great Alfonso Dantés dies". SLAM! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  2. ↑ Madigan, Dan (2007). "Dorada de lucha libre: Las Leyendas, las peleas, los fósforos del resentimiento (the golden age of lucha libre: the legends, the feuds, the grudge matches): Diablo Velasco". Mondo Lucha A Go-Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publisher. pp. 203–205. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
  3. ↑ Other Superstars – Alfonso Dantés
  4. ↑ "N.W.A. World Light Heavyweight Title". Puroresu Dojo. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  5. ↑ "National Heavyweight Title". Puroresu Dojo. Archived from the original on 30 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  6. ↑ "National Light Heavyweight Title". Puroresu Dojo. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  7. ↑ http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/hw/ams-t.html
  8. ↑ "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Mil Mascaras (in Spanish) (Mexico). October 2007. p. 33. Tomo III.
  9. ↑ Lucha 2000 Staff (April 2006). "Arena México: 50 anos de Lucha Libre". Lucha 2000 (in Spanish). Especial 28.
  10. ↑ Centinela, Teddy (April 20, 2015). "En un día como hoy… 1979: Alfonso Dantés vs. El Faraón por las cabelleras — Ringo Mendoza expone el título ante Sangre Chicana". SuperLuchas Magazine (in Spanish). Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  11. ↑ Centinela, Teddy (August 9, 2015). "En un día como hoy… 1985: Con ayuda de Gran Davis, Satánico rapa a Alfonso Dantés… Rayo de Jalisco vs. Cien Caras por el Campeonato Mundial Semicompleto NWA". SuperLuchas Magazine (in Spanish). Retrieved August 11, 2015.

External links

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