Oro (wrestler)
Encyclopedia
Jesús Javier Hernández Silva (December 24, 1971 – October 26, 1993), better known as Oro (Gold), was an influential Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....

 professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

 who died inside the ring.

Wrestling career

Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...

, he and his brother Esteban Hernández Silva (Plata) wanted to become professional luchadores like their father, Esteban Hernandez, who wrestled as "Calavera II" (The Skull II). His father was initially reluctant, but finally agreed to teach them some basic moves before sending them to the Arena Mexico
Arena México
Arena México is an indoor arena in Mexico City, Mexico located in the Colonia Doctores neighboorhood in the Cuauhtémoc borough. The arena is primarily used for professional wrestling, or Lucha libre, shows promoted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre . The building is called the "cathedral of lucha...

 gym, where they would be trained by Diablo Velasco
Diablo Velasco
Cuahutémoc Velasco Vargas was a professional wrestler and trainer of other wrestlers under the name Diablo Velasco. Velasco trained many famous Mexican wrestlers, including Gory Guerrero, Perro Aguayo, Essa Rios, and Mil Máscaras...

.

On November 23, 1990, at the age of 18, he debuted as "Oro" (Gold) alongside his brother "Plata" (Silver) for the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is a Lucha Libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico...

 (CMLL) promotion. Oro and Plata would team up with a third wrestler named "Platino" (Platinum), forming the trio tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...

 "Los Metalicos" (The Metallics). Los Metalicos would feud with "Los Destructores" in a series of tag team matches. Los Metalicos would win their first tag team belt on December 4, 1991.

Los Metalicos quickly became a popular tag team as Plata and Platino where both talented high flyers, but it was Oro's spectacular aerial attacks
Professional wrestling aerial techniques
Aerial techniques are maneuvers, using the ring and its posts and ropes as aids, used in professional wrestling to show off the speed and agility of a wrestler. These moves are mainly done by smaller, quicker wrestlers who are unable to do most of the power moves. There is a wide variety of aerial...

 that really made them stand out. Although high flying maneuvers had long been a part of lucha libre, Oro is credited with starting the high flying craze that would come to dominate modern lucha libre. Oro would perform moonsault
Moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...

 variations from different positions both inside and outside of the ring, along with a variety of planchas and topes. Oro was also noted for his sharp execution, his skills as a mat wrestler, and his ability to set up his big moves to make them look even more impressive. His skill and technique weren't the only things that set him apart, at 6 feet and 200 pounds, he was also much larger and more powerful than the typical high flyer.

Oro made his Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese debut in April, 1992 for Gran Hamada
Gran Hamada
, better known by his ring name , is Japanese professional wrestler, the first to adopt the high-flying Mexican lucha libre style. He has wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Universal Wrestling Federation, Michinoku Pro, and All Japan Pro Wrestling, and was the founder of Universal Lucha Libre...

's Universal Lucha Libre
Universal Lucha Libre
Universal Lucha Libre was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1990 to 1995...

 promotion. His performance inside the ring was well received by Japanese fans, so he returned to Japan in mid-December when he toured for the newly formed "FULL" promotion. The reputation he gained in Japan was so impressive that when he arrived back in Mexico, he briefly teamed with Mil Máscaras
Mil Máscaras
Aaron Rodríguez , best known as Mil Máscaras , is a semi-retired Mexican professional wrestler and actor, who has starred in several films with fellow luchadores...

 and Último Dragón to form a trio that was described as a dream team of high flyers.

In 1993, CMLL started pushing him as a singles wrestler, another wrestler named "Bronce" (Bronze) replaced him on the Metálicos team, although he still teamed with them on several occasions. Starting his singles push, he was almost immediately put into a feud with Mano Negro (The Black Hand). On May 23, 1993, Oro would defeat Mano Negra to win the NWA World Middleweight Championship
NWA World Middleweight Championship
The NWA World Middleweight Championship is a currently inactive professional wrestling championship, promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance . For the majority of its existence it has been promoted by Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , where it was known as the Campeonato...

. This would be the only singles title Oro would hold during his short but memorable career. Mano Negra would regain the title on July 3.

Many wrestling magazines hinted at an upcoming mask vs. mask match between Oro and Mano Negra, however, Oro's family was pressuring him to retire from the sport and he reportedly told Canek
Canek
Canek is the name of two different historical rulers of the Itza Maya of Petén, Guatemala. The first Canek met Hernán Cortés, who passed by the Itza capital Tayasal on his journey to Honduras in 1524...

 and his brothers that he was considering quitting the business in 1994. The CMLL was aware of this, so they decided to give Negra's mask to Atlantis
Atlantis (wrestler)
Atlantis is a Mexican Luchador Enmascarado currently working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre where he performs as a Technico . Atlantis has held a large number of professional wrestling championships over the years, both in Mexico and in Japan...

, a wrestler who would benefit from the match.

Oro was very driven to improve as a wrestler and was willing to take great risks in order to entertain the audience. He would often perform dives outside of the ring while his opponent was in motion, risking crashing into the hard floor beneath. Oro would watch the undercard matches on his shows, and if a wrestler took a huge bump or performed a spectacular dive, he'd make sure that he outbumped that wrestler in his match. He would also watch tapes of Japanese and U.S. wrestlers in order to pick up new moves.

Death

On October 26, 1993, a tag team match had been scheduled between Oro, La Fiera
La Fiera
Arturo Casco Hernández was a Mexican luchador, or professional wrestler who was best known under the ring name La Fiera, which is Spanish for "The Fierce". Hernández was a second generation wrestler, following in the footsteps of his father Hércules Poblano...

 and Brazo de Plata vs. Kahoz, Dr. Wagner, Jr.
Dr. Wagner, Jr.
Juan Manuel González Barrón is a Mexican Luchador Enmascarado who is best known under the ring name Dr. Wagner, Jr.. As Dr. Wagner, Jr...

 and Jaque Mate
Jaque Mate
Jaime Álvarez Mendoza is a Mexican professional wrestler, or luchador, who is best known for working under the ring name Jaque Mate in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre . Àlvarez worked under the ring name El Enfermero, Jr. for 13 years and has also worked as Skorvikan...

 at Arena Coliseo. Before the match, Oro told the other wrestlers that he would take a "Kobashi bump", in reference to the head first backdrop driver which Kenta Kobashi
Kenta Kobashi
Not to be confused with his protégé Kenta Kobayashi is a Japanese professional wrestler currently under contract to Pro Wrestling Noah. He worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling from 1988–2000, where he became one of the promotion's top stars....

 took in a match against Steve Williams in All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...

. That particular bump had a dramatic effect, as it looked like Kobashi had broken his neck.

During the match, Kahoz clotheslined Oro, who spun and landed on his head. His opponent tried to pick him up, but soon thereafter he collapsed and his pulse became weak. Oro was put on a stretcher at the start of the second fall while his brother screamed, "Don't fall asleep!", warning him to remain alert so that he wouldn't lose consciousness. Oro died before being placed in an awaiting ambulance. He was twenty-one years old at the time of his death. Oro's family requested that an autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...

 not be performed; however, it is believed that he died of a brain aneurysm.

The following day the news of Oro's death headlined every lucha libre publication and even the rival promotion AAA
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración is a lucha libre professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico...

 had a tribute to him before a championship match.

His brother Ismael Hernandez Silva changed his name to "Oro II" as a tribute to his brother and kept wrestling in the CMLL for a while.

Although his career only spanned a little over 3 years, Oro has become regarded as one of the most influential Mexican luchadores of his generation and continues to influence new generations of luchadores.

In wrestling

  • Finishing moves
    • Quebrada Suicida
    • Diving crossbody
    • La Quebrada(Springboard Moonsault)
    • Plancha
    • Tope Suicida

Championships and accomplishments

  • Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
    Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
    Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is a Lucha Libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico...

  • NWA World Middleweight Championship
    NWA World Middleweight Championship
    The NWA World Middleweight Championship is a currently inactive professional wrestling championship, promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance . For the majority of its existence it has been promoted by Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , where it was known as the Campeonato...

     (1 time)

  • Other titles
  • Distrito Federal Trios Championship (1 time) - with Plata and Platino

  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...

  • PWI ranked him # 249 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003.
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