Villaño I
Encyclopedia
Villano I was the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...

 of José de Jesús Díaz Mendoza (June 28, 1950 - January 4, 2001) a Mexican Luchador
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...

enmascarado
Wrestling mask
A Wrestling mask is a fabric based mask that some professional wrestlers wear as part of their in-ring persona or gimmick. Professional wrestlers have been using masks as far back as 1915 and they are still widely used today, especially in Lucha Libre in Mexico.-History:In 1915 a North American...

, or masked 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...

. He was the oldest son of luchador Ray Mendoza
Ray Mendoza
José Díaz Velazquez was a Mexican Luchador, or professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Ray Mendoza. Diaz had great success in the National Wrestling Alliance, where he was a five time World Light Heavyweight Champion, as well as the first Mexican to hold the championship...

, and the first of the five Díaz Mendoza brothers to become a professional wrestler, although not the oldest. His older Alfredo brother wrestled as Villano II
Villaño II
José Alfredo Díaz Mendoza was a Mexican Luchador enmascarado known under the Ring name Villano II . Despite being numbered "II" he was the oldest of the Díaz Mendoza boys. His younger brothers wrestled or wrestle as Villano I , Villano III , Villano V and Villano IV...

 until his death in 1989, while his younger brothers wrestle under the names Villano III
Villano III
Arturo Díaz Mendoza is a Mexican professional wrestler best known for performing under the stage name Villano III and unmasking a very large number of wrestlers , he is most famous for teaming with one or more of his brothers: Villano I, Villano II, Villano IV, Villano V, Villano VI and Villano VII...

 (Arturo), Villano V
Villano V
Raymundo Díaz Mendoza Jr. is a Mexican professional wrestler who has performed under the name Villano V until he was unmasked on March 20, 2009, after which he became known as "Ray Mendoza, Jr.". Mendoza and is part of the Mendoza family, a well known Mexican wrestling family that includes all...

 (Raymundo) and Villano IV
Villano IV
Thomas Díaz Mendoza is a Mexican professional wrestler. Within the stable Los Villanos, he has wrestled for Universal Wrestling Association , Asistencia Asesoría y Administración , and World Championship Wrestling . While popular and successful in Mexico, he frequently performed as a jobber in WCW...

 (Thomas).

Professional wrestling career

José de Jesús Díaz Mendoza, was the second son of luchador Ray Mendoza
Ray Mendoza
José Díaz Velazquez was a Mexican Luchador, or professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Ray Mendoza. Diaz had great success in the National Wrestling Alliance, where he was a five time World Light Heavyweight Champion, as well as the first Mexican to hold the championship...

 and grew up watching his father compete as a very successful Light Heavyweight. When he and his older brother Alfredo were old enough they began training to be wrestlers themselves, Mendoza insisted that both brothers should get a college education to fall back on in case wrestling failed. As Rey Mendoza was still very much in demand all over Mexico and thus travelled a lot Bobby Bonales stood for most of the Díaz's training. Both José de Jesús and Alfredo made their professional wrestling debut in 1969, reportedly without their father knowing about it initially, and began working as a 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...

 known as "Los Bestia Negras" ("The Black Beasts"), with José de Jesús working as Bestia Negra I and Alfredo as Bestia Negra II, even though Alfredo was older. Later on the team worked as Los Búfalo Salvaje ("The Wild Buffalos") again with José de Jesús as "I" and Alfredo as "II". in 1970 José de Jesús worked as "El Villano", soon renamed "Villano I" as the brothers became "Los Villanos" ("The Villains"), the name, along with a very distinctive "X" designed mask stuck with them for the rest of their careers. Villano I and II held the Districto Federal Tag Team Championship at one point, although records are unclear on who they defeated for the belts. The brothers began working for Empresa Mexicana 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...

 (EMLL), the same promotion that their father worked for. Soon they would be joined by their younger brother Arturo, who would become Villano III
Villano III
Arturo Díaz Mendoza is a Mexican professional wrestler best known for performing under the stage name Villano III and unmasking a very large number of wrestlers , he is most famous for teaming with one or more of his brothers: Villano I, Villano II, Villano IV, Villano V, Villano VI and Villano VII...

. Villano I and II won the Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship
CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship
The CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling Tag team championship promoted by the Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling based promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre since 2000...

 in the early 1970s, but did not achieve much else while working for EMLL.

In 1975 José de Jesús's father joined with wrestling promoter Francisco Flores
Francisco Flores (wrestling promoter)
Francisco Flores is a former Mexican professional wrestling promoter who is most known for his part in creating and running the Universal Wrestling Association from the mid-1970s until the 1990s when it closed down...

 and investor Benjamín Mora, Jr. to form a new wrestling promotion called Universal Wrestling Association
Universal Wrestling Association
The Universal Wrestling Association was a Mexican Lucha Libre or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995...

 in direct competition with EMLL. One of the reasons behind the split was that Mendoza felt EMLL were not giving his sons enough opportunities in the ring. All three of the Villanos followed their father to the newly formed UWA. While Villano III became a singles competitor and pushed as one of the top stars of the promotion, Villano I and Villano II continued to work as a tag team or as an occasional trio with their younger brother. Villano II began appearing less and less in the wrestling ring as the 1970s wore on, usually explained by the promoters that he was injured. By 1983 José de Jesús' younger brothers had taken the names Villano IV
Villano IV
Thomas Díaz Mendoza is a Mexican professional wrestler. Within the stable Los Villanos, he has wrestled for Universal Wrestling Association , Asistencia Asesoría y Administración , and World Championship Wrestling . While popular and successful in Mexico, he frequently performed as a jobber in WCW...

 and Villano V
Villano V
Raymundo Díaz Mendoza Jr. is a Mexican professional wrestler who has performed under the name Villano V until he was unmasked on March 20, 2009, after which he became known as "Ray Mendoza, Jr.". Mendoza and is part of the Mendoza family, a well known Mexican wrestling family that includes all...

 and became the regular partners of Villano I On August 10, 1986 Villano I won his first ever singles championship as he defeated Fishman
Fishman (wrestler)
José Ángel Nájera Sánchez, best known under the ring name of Fishman, is a retired Mexican professional wrestler who became one of Lucha Libre's biggest stars during the 1980s with the Universal Wrestling Association. Fishman retired in 2000....

 to win the UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
The UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship was a singles professional wrestling championship promoted by the Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling based promotion Universal Wrestling Association from 1975 until the UWA closed in 1995 and since then been defended on the Mexican independent circuit...

, a title both his father and his younger brother Villano III had previously held. He reigned as champion for 160 days before being defeated by Zandokan. Villano I along with Villano IV and V won the UWA World Trios Championship
UWA World Trios Championship
The UWA World Trios Championship is a tag team professional wrestling championship created by the Mexican Universal Wrestling Association and defended there until the UWA closed in 1995....

 in 1988, although it's not confirmed who they defeated for the title. Los Villanos also became embroiled in a storyline feud with another wrestling family known as Los Brazos ("The Arms"), in this case the three oldest brothers Brazo de Oro
Brazo de Oro (wrestler)
Jesús Alvarado Nieves is a Mexican Luchador who works under the name Brazo de Oro . Alvarado currently works as a booker for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and as head of the wrestlers' union...

, Brazo de Plata and El Brazo
El Brazo
Juan Alvarado Nieves is a Mexican Luchador currently working for the Mexican based Asistencia, Asesoría y Administración wrestling promotion. He is best known under the ring name El Brazo that he has been using since his debut in 1980...

. The feud saw the trios clash several times, usually with at least one or more of the participants bleeding when the match was over. The feud between the two families led to a Lucha de Apuesta, mask vs. mask match, between the two sets of siblings. On October 21, 1988 in Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...

, Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...

 Los Villanos defeated Los Brazos and forced them to unmask after the match. This was the biggest Apuesta win of Villano I's career and one of the biggest Apuetas matches in Lucha Libre. Los Villanos regained the UWA Trios Championship in 1990 but lost the belts to Los Brazos a few months later. The protracted feud between Los Villanos and Los Brazos saw Villano I defeat El Brazo in an Apuesta match where El Brazo's hair was on the line. Following the match Villano I watched as El Brazo was shaved bald. Later on Los Villanos regained the Trios title from Los Brazos. In the spring of 1991 Los Villanos became involved in a feud with The Hawaiian Beasts
The Headshrinkers
The Headshrinkers were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation that consisted of Fatu and Samu. They previously competed under the name The New Wild Samoans in the National Wrestling Alliance , and as The Samoan Swat Team in World Championship Wrestling , World Class...

 (Fatu
Solofa Fatu
Solofa F. Fatu, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Rikishi.-The Samoan Swat Team:...

, Great Kokina
Rodney Anoa'i
Rodney Agatupu Anoa'i was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation where he wrestled under the ring name Yokozuna. The term yokozuna refers to the highest rank in professional sumo wrestling in Japan...

 and The Samoan Savage
Sam Fatu
Samuel Larry Anoa'i Fatu is a professional wrestler best known under the name of The Tonga Kid, or Tama.-Professional wrestling career:...

) who were better known as the Samoan Swat Team and later on the Headshrinkers. The Trios traded the title on April 7, 1991 and then back again on May 31, 1991. Los Villanos' fourth and final reign as UWA World Trios Champions lasted 275 days and ended when they were defeated by Black Power II, Negro Navarro and El Signo. on July 19, 1991 Los Villanos defeated Los Mercenarios Americanos (Tim Patterson, Bill Anderson and Louie Spicolli
Louie Spicolli
Louis Mucciolo, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He performed in Mexico under the ring name Madonna's Boyfriend, for the World Wrestling Federation as Rad Radford, and in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s as Louie Spicolli...

) in an Apuesta match to unmask them. This ended up being Villano I's last major in ring success as he began focusing more on training wrestlers at UWA's school than wrestling. When the UWA closed in January, 1995 Villano quietly retired from wrestling.

Personal life

José de Jesús Díaz Mendoza was the second son of José Díaz Velazquez and Lupita Mendoza. His brothers, like himself all became wrestlers: luchadors; Alfredo (Villano II), Arturo (Villano III), Raymundo (Villano V) and Thomas (Villano IV). Lupita Mendoza died in 1986, his older brother Alfredo died in 1989 and his father José Diaz died on April 16, 2003. Díaz was adamant that his sons get a good education instead of becoming wrestlers, wishing that they become lawyers or doctors as he wanted to spare them the physical suffering he experienced himself. Once he realized that his two oldest sons had begun wrestling under masks he agreed to train them and help their wrestling careers. He was also instrumental in training the rest of his son, although he insisted they both get college degrees before they were allowed to begin wrestling. Since his youngest son Thomas finished his education first he became known as "Villano IV" while Raymundo, the second youngest son, became Villano V". José de Jesús was married to Delia Valero, daughter of an influential lucha magazine writer/owner, and together the coule had two daughters Alma Delia and Blanca Olivia.

Death

In late 2000 José de Jesús Díaz had undergone brain surgery to correct a coagulum caused by the hard bumps taken during his wrestling career. In the days leading up to January 4, 2001 he had been talking about getting back in shape for a retirement match but his health took a turn for the worse on January 4. The official cause of the death was a **heart attack caused** by a **cerebral haemorrhage**. He was buried the very next day, wearing the Villano mask and a cape with the UWA logo on it. The funeral was attended by a number of luchadors, including the Brazos family, Perro Aguayo, Cien Caras
Cien Caras
Carmelo Reyes González is a Mexican professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Cien Caras...

, Universo 2000
Universo 2000
Andrés Reyes González is a Mexican professional wrestler, or luchador, who is best known under the ring name Universo 2000...

, El Felino
El Felino
El Felino , is the ring name of Jorge Luis Casas Ruiz, who is a Mexican professional wrestler or Luchador currently wrestling for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre . He is the son of wrestler and referee Pepe Casas, the brother of Negro Casas and Heavy Metal and the cousin of Black Star...

, Ringo Mendoza
Ringo Mendoza
Genaro Jacobo Contreras is a semi-retired Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador in Spanish and currently a professional wrestling trainer for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre . Contreras is best known under the ring name Ringo Mendoza, which he has used since his debut in 1968...

 and others.

Championships and accomplishments

  • Empresa Mexicana 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...

  • Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship
    CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship
    The CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling Tag team championship promoted by the Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling based promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre since 2000...

     (1 time) – with Villano II
    Villaño II
    José Alfredo Díaz Mendoza was a Mexican Luchador enmascarado known under the Ring name Villano II . Despite being numbered "II" he was the oldest of the Díaz Mendoza boys. His younger brothers wrestled or wrestle as Villano I , Villano III , Villano V and Villano IV...

  • Districto Federal Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Districto Federal Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Villano IIis sometimes listed as "Estadio de Mexico"/"Mexico State".

  • Universal Wrestling Association
    Universal Wrestling Association
    The Universal Wrestling Association was a Mexican Lucha Libre or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995...

  • Toreo de Cuatro Caminos Trios Championship (1 time) – Unknown partners
  • UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
    UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
    The UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship was a singles professional wrestling championship promoted by the Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling based promotion Universal Wrestling Association from 1975 until the UWA closed in 1995 and since then been defended on the Mexican independent circuit...

     (1 time)
  • UWA World Trios Championship
    UWA World Trios Championship
    The UWA World Trios Championship is a tag team professional wrestling championship created by the Mexican Universal Wrestling Association and defended there until the UWA closed in 1995....

     (3 times) – with Villano IV
    Villano IV
    Thomas Díaz Mendoza is a Mexican professional wrestler. Within the stable Los Villanos, he has wrestled for Universal Wrestling Association , Asistencia Asesoría y Administración , and World Championship Wrestling . While popular and successful in Mexico, he frequently performed as a jobber in WCW...

     and Villano V
    Villano V
    Raymundo Díaz Mendoza Jr. is a Mexican professional wrestler who has performed under the name Villano V until he was unmasked on March 20, 2009, after which he became known as "Ray Mendoza, Jr.". Mendoza and is part of the Mendoza family, a well known Mexican wrestling family that includes all...


  • Mexican local promotions
  • Plaza de Toros La Aurora Middleweight Championship (1 time)

Lucha de Apuesta record

Wager Winner Loser Location Date Notes
Hair Villano I Toño De La Cruz Aurora, Mexico Unknown
Hair Villano I Babe Sharon Unknown Unknown
Hair Villano I Javier Meza Aurora, Mexico Unknown
Hair Villano I Joe Franco Aurora, Mexico Unknown
Hair Villano I Pedro Nieves Unknown Unknown
Hair Villano I Luis Mariscal Unknown Unknown
Mask Villano I El Infernal I Naucalpan
Naucalpan
Naucalpan, officially Naucalpan de Juárez, is a city and municipality located just northwest of Mexico City in adjoining Mexico State. The name Naucalpan comes from Nahuatl and means “place of the four neighborhoods or four houses. “de Juárez was added to the official name in 1874 in honor of...

, Mexico State 
Masks Los Villanos
(Villano I and Villano II
Villaño II
José Alfredo Díaz Mendoza was a Mexican Luchador enmascarado known under the Ring name Villano II . Despite being numbered "II" he was the oldest of the Díaz Mendoza boys. His younger brothers wrestled or wrestle as Villano I , Villano III , Villano V and Villano IV...

)
Scorpio and El Cóndor Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

 
This was the finals of a Ruleta Rusa, losers advance, Tag Team tournament.
Hair Villano I Johnny Lezcano  Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...

 
Mask Villano I Zorro Plateado Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

 
Mask Villano I El Cachorro Tehuacán, Puebla 
Mask Villano I Azteca de Oro Naucalpan
Naucalpan
Naucalpan, officially Naucalpan de Juárez, is a city and municipality located just northwest of Mexico City in adjoining Mexico State. The name Naucalpan comes from Nahuatl and means “place of the four neighborhoods or four houses. “de Juárez was added to the official name in 1874 in honor of...

, Mexico State 
Hair Villano I Gorila Infernal Jalapa, Veracruz 
Mask Villano I El Broncas Naucalpan
Naucalpan
Naucalpan, officially Naucalpan de Juárez, is a city and municipality located just northwest of Mexico City in adjoining Mexico State. The name Naucalpan comes from Nahuatl and means “place of the four neighborhoods or four houses. “de Juárez was added to the official name in 1874 in honor of...

, Mexico State 
Masks Los Villanos
(Villano I, Villano IV
Villano IV
Thomas Díaz Mendoza is a Mexican professional wrestler. Within the stable Los Villanos, he has wrestled for Universal Wrestling Association , Asistencia Asesoría y Administración , and World Championship Wrestling . While popular and successful in Mexico, he frequently performed as a jobber in WCW...

 and Villano V
Villano V
Raymundo Díaz Mendoza Jr. is a Mexican professional wrestler who has performed under the name Villano V until he was unmasked on March 20, 2009, after which he became known as "Ray Mendoza, Jr.". Mendoza and is part of the Mendoza family, a well known Mexican wrestling family that includes all...

)
Los Brazos
(Brazo de Oro
Brazo de Oro (wrestler)
Jesús Alvarado Nieves is a Mexican Luchador who works under the name Brazo de Oro . Alvarado currently works as a booker for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and as head of the wrestlers' union...

, Brazo de Plata and El Brazo
El Brazo
Juan Alvarado Nieves is a Mexican Luchador currently working for the Mexican based Asistencia, Asesoría y Administración wrestling promotion. He is best known under the ring name El Brazo that he has been using since his debut in 1980...

)
Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...

, Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...

 
Hair Villano I El Brazo
El Brazo
Juan Alvarado Nieves is a Mexican Luchador currently working for the Mexican based Asistencia, Asesoría y Administración wrestling promotion. He is best known under the ring name El Brazo that he has been using since his debut in 1980...

 
Naucalpan
Naucalpan
Naucalpan, officially Naucalpan de Juárez, is a city and municipality located just northwest of Mexico City in adjoining Mexico State. The name Naucalpan comes from Nahuatl and means “place of the four neighborhoods or four houses. “de Juárez was added to the official name in 1874 in honor of...

, Mexico State 
Masks Los Villanos
(Villano I, Villano IV
Villano IV
Thomas Díaz Mendoza is a Mexican professional wrestler. Within the stable Los Villanos, he has wrestled for Universal Wrestling Association , Asistencia Asesoría y Administración , and World Championship Wrestling . While popular and successful in Mexico, he frequently performed as a jobber in WCW...

 and Villano V
Villano V
Raymundo Díaz Mendoza Jr. is a Mexican professional wrestler who has performed under the name Villano V until he was unmasked on March 20, 2009, after which he became known as "Ray Mendoza, Jr.". Mendoza and is part of the Mendoza family, a well known Mexican wrestling family that includes all...

)
Los Mercenarios Americanos
(Tim Patterson, Bill Anderson and Louie Spicolli
Louie Spicolli
Louis Mucciolo, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He performed in Mexico under the ring name Madonna's Boyfriend, for the World Wrestling Federation as Rad Radford, and in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s as Louie Spicolli...

)
Tijuana, Baja California
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