Villano III

Universal Wrestling Association (1973–1994)

In 1973 Arturo's father and older brothers finally deemed him experienced enough to use the Villano name, becoming Villano III (Villano Tercero).^[5] In 1975 Arturo's father joined with wrestling promoter Francisco Flores and investor Benjamín Mora Jr. to form a new wrestling promotion called Universal Wrestling Association in direct competition with the company Ray Mendoza and Flores worked for, Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL). One of the reasons behind the split was that Mendoza felt EMLL were not giving his sons enough opportunities in the ring.^[4] All three of the Villanos followed their father to the newly formed UWA. While his brothers worked as a tag team Arturo, as Villano III, became a singles competitor and pushed as one of the top stars, in no small part thanks to his father, but also because Villano III was the most talented of the Villanos.^[4] On December 14, 1975, Villano III became the first ever UWA World Welterweight Champion by winning a tournament for the title.^[6] Over the next couple of years Villano III defended the title in several main event matches, earning favorable reviews from the fans. His run with the Welterweight title lasted until May 29, 1977, when he was defeated by El Solar.^[6] Following the title loss Villano III moved from the Welterweight division (with a maximum weight of 78 kg (172 lb)) to the light heavyweight division (with a maximum of 97 kg (214 lb)). On March 1, 1981, he defeated Fishman to win the UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship, a title his father had won as well.^[7] Villano III lost the title back to Fishman 140 days later, ending the first of his two reigns with that championship.^[7]

In the early 1980s Villano III became involved in a long, intense feud with Perro Aguayo, centering on the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship that the UWA promoted at the time. On March 20, 1983, Villano III defeated Aguayo to win the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship, beginning the first of seven reigns for Villano III, tied with Aguayo for most reigns with that title.^[8] His first reign lasted 140 days before Aguayo regained the title.^[8] The feud between the two also saw Villano III defeated Aguayo in a Lucha de Apuesta, hair vs. mask match, on August 21, 1983.^[9] In 1985 Villano III defeated Gran Hamada to win the WWF Light Heavyweight Title for a second time.^[8] Villano III's second title reign lasted 826 days, which is the longest of any WWF Light Heavyweight Champion in its history.^[8] During the mid-1980s Villano III's brothers, Villano I and his two younger brothers Villano IV and Villano V who had taken the name in 1983, were involved in a heated feud with Los Brazos (El Brazo, Brazo de Oro, and Brazo de Plata); during this time Villano III and Villano IV teamed up with UWA mainstay Dos Caras to win the Mexican National Trios Championship from Los Brazos, but lost it back to them 26 days later.^[10] Villano III's brothers would go on to unmask Los Brazos in a Lucha de Apuesta match in 1988.^[11] Over the next few years Villano III traded the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship back and forth with Perro Aguayo, Rambo, and Sangre Chicana.^[8] In 1991 Villano III began working against a young Canadian known as Pegasus Kid, sent to Mexico by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) to train and gain experience. Villano III and Pegasus Kid had a series of matches throughout 1991, including Pegasus Kid winning the WWF Light Heavyweight Title on March 3, 1991.^[8] By late 1991. Pegasus Kid's learning excursion to Mexico came to an end, but not before Villano III defeated him in a Lucha de Apuesta match, forcing him to unmask and reveal his real name: Chris Benoit.^[9] Villano III's seventh and last reign with the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship began on July 18, 1994, when he defeated El Signo. He held the title until January 1995 when the UWA closed and Villano III vacated the title with which he had been closely associated for more than ten years.^[8]

AAA (1995–1998)

In 1995 the UWA was forced to close down, leaving Los Villanos without a home base for the first time in their careers. The three brothers soon signed with Antonio Peña's AAA and began working for AAA as a trios group, marking Villano III's change from being primarily a singles wrestler to working more trios matches. In March 1996 Los Villanos defeated Cien Caras, Heavy Metal, and Latin Lover to become the inaugural holders of the AAA Americas Trios Championship, a championship created by Peña specifically for Los Villanos as AAA did not have an active Trios title at the time.^[12] The team held the title until November 19, 1996, when they lost to Los Oficiales (Guadia, Oficial, and Vigilante), but regained the title less than two months later.^[12] Los Villanos also became the first ever Mexican National Atómicos Champions, teaming with Pierroth Jr. to win the four-man team exclusive championship.^[13] By mid-1996 Villano IV and Villano V had begun working for the US based World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1997 most of the wrestlers that worked for WCW split off from AAA to form Promo Azteca, which included Villano IV and V as well as their brother. By leaving AAA Los Villanos vacated both the Americas Trios title and the Mexican Atómicos title.^[12][13]

World Wrestling Council (1998–1999)

During this time Villano III toured Puerto Rico several times, working for the World Wrestling Council (WWC) in Puerto Rico. He held the WWC Puerto Rican Championship twice.^[14]

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

In late 1998 or early 1999 Villano III began working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). On December 25, 1999, Villano III and Super Astro teamed up to wrestle against Lizmark and Fishman in a Relevos Suicidas. When Villano III and Super Astro lost they were forced to wrestle against each other in a Lucha de Apuesta match. In the end Villano III won yet another Apuesta match, forcing Super Astro to unmask.^[15]

Unmasked

On November 22, 1999, Villano III defeated Atlantis to win the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship. The title change was just one of the highlights of a long running feud between Atlantis and Villano III, a feud that also included III's younger brothers Villano IV and Villano V who no longer worked for WCW. On March 17, 2000, at CMLL's 2000 Juicio Final event, Atlantis won his biggest Apuesta victory to date as he defeated and then unmasked Villano III in a match that was voted the Wrestling Observer 2000 Match of the Year.^[16] In 2010 SuperLuchas Magazine suggested that this may have been the lucha libre match of the decade for the 2000s (decade) A few months later Villano III, IV and V defeated Escuadron de la Muerte ("The Death Squadron"; Cyborg Cop, Maniac Cop, and Vader Cop) to win the IWRG Intercontinental Trios Championship. Los Villano still worked for CMLL but they had a talent sharing arrangement with International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG) that allowed them to work for IWRG as well.^[17] Villano III's CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship reign came to an end on September 7, 2001, when he was pinned by Shocker. Following the title loss Los Villanos worked more infrequently for CMLL, taking bookings both in IWRG and on the Mexican independent circuit as well. On March 21, 2002, Villano III's last title reign ended when Los Villanos were stripped of the IWRG Trios title as Villano V was injured and unable to defend the title.^[18] In the latter half of the 2000s Villano IV and V have worked for CMLL while Villano III's CMLL appearances have been more sporadic, wrestling on the independent circuit. Villano III frequently appears in Lucha de Apuesta matches, having won the hair of Scorpio Jr. (twice), Brazo de Oro, Brazo de Platino and El Cobarde II in recent years, only losing one Apuesta match, losing his hair against L.A. Park in a multi-man match on May 5, 2007.^[9] In May, 2015 Mendoza announced that he would retire from active competition due to several knee injuries and diminishing eyesight leaving him unable to compete like he used to in the past.^[19]