El Halcón Explained

El Halcón
Birth Name:José Luis Melchor Ortiz
Names:El Halcón
Argos
Bengala
Danny Ortiz
Halcón Dorado
Halcón Ortiz
Horus El Super Halcon
Super Halcón[1]
Weight:231lb
Birth Date:23 July 1947[2]
Birth Place:Federal District, Mexico
Debut:1968

José Luis Melchor Ortiz (born July 23, 1947 in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican retired Luchador (Professional Wrestler) best known by his ring name El Halcón. During his career, which spanned over five decades,[3] he competed throughout the United States and Mexico. In America, he is perhaps best known for his tenure with Fritz Von Erich's Big Time Wrestling (World Class Championship Wrestling), where he is a former four time NWA Americas Tag Team Champion and two time NWA American Heavyweight Champion.

In Mexico, Melchor is perhaps best known for his tenure with CMLL, where he is a former five time Mexican National Heavyweight Champion. A popular competitor throughout the 1970s and 80s as both a técnico and rudo, his real name was not a matter of public record (as is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico) until the 29th of July 1977, when he lost his mask in a match against Mil Mascaras at Arena Mexico.[4] [1]

Melchor is also known as Super Halcón and (after unmasking) Danny Ortiz and Halcón Ortiz. His son, Super Halcón Jr. is also a professional wrestler who currently competes in CMLL.

Professional wrestling career

Throughout his career, El Halcón wrestled throughout Mexico and the United States, primarily in Los Angeles and Houston for Fritz Von Erich's Big Time Wrestling (later renamed World Class Championship Wrestling). He debuted in 1968 and soon become a mainstay for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). By the late 1970s, he was also wrestling for various promotions throughout the United States, including NWA Hollywood, Southwest Championship Wrestling, Big Time Wrestling where he competed against the likes of Roddy Piper[5] and teamed regularly with Chavo Guerrero in a rivalry with Ron Bass and Ron Starr.[6] He and Chavo won the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship on February 24, 1978. He also had a stint with All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he took his rivalry with Mil Máscaras, competing against him at AJPW Summer Action Series II 1978.[7]

On July 29, 1977, he lost his mask in a bout against Mil Mascaras at Arena Mexico, after which he revealed his real name and soon was to be known as "Danny" Ortiz within the promotion. As a técnico (fan favourite) he competed unmasked under the ring name "Halcon Ortiz". He had a memorable feud with Herodes, winning the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship form him in a hair vs. hair match. Halcón went on to lose a hair vs. hair match against Cien Caras, which lead him to putting his mask back on and computing under a new ring name - Super Halcón. Later, he held both the National Championship and WWA World Heavyweight Championship together, he also competed in AAA. On April 23, 1989, he lost his mask again in a mask vs. mask match against Rayo de Jalisco Jr. A legend within CMLL, he has appeared sporadically on CMLL television with his son Super Halcón Jr.[8] who captured La Copa Junior in 2014.[9]

Championships and accomplishments

Luchas de Apuestas record

width=20% scope="col"Winner (wager)width=20% scope="col"Loser (wager)width=20% scope="col"Locationwidth=20% scope="col"Eventwidth=15% scope="col"DateNotes
Dr Wagner and HalcónGemelo Diablo 1 & 2 (Masks)Mexico CityLive EventMay 01, 1975
Mil Máscaras (mask) El Halcón (mask) Mexico City Live Event [14]
Cien Caras (mask) Halcón Ortiz (hair) Mexico City Live Event [15]
Rayo de Jalisco Jr. (mask) Super Halcón (mask) Mexico City Live Event

Notes and References

  1. Web site: El Halcon.
  2. Web site: Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database. Axel. Saalbach. www.wrestlingdata.com.
  3. Web site: Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database. Axel. Saalbach. www.wrestlingdata.com.
  4. Book: III, Harris M. Lentz. Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2d ed.. 21 October 2003. McFarland. 9781476605050. Google Books.
  5. Web site: Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database. Axel. Saalbach. www.wrestlingdata.com.
  6. Web site: Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database. www.wrestlingdata.com.
  7. Web site: Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database. Axel. Saalbach. www.wrestlingdata.com.
  8. Web site: CMLL.com Exclusivo - Encuentro de Halcones. MrAlexisCMLL. 28 December 2011. YouTube.
  9. Web site: Resultados Arena México Martes 4 de Diciembre '12 . dead . https://archive.today/20121209095023/http://www.cmll.com/02_resultados/martes_arena_mex/martes_arenamex.htm . December 9, 2012 . . December 4, 2012 . 16 February 2023.
  10. Book: Royal Duncan & Gary Will . Wrestling Title Histories . (Dallas) Texas: NWA American Tag Team Title [Fritz Von Erich] . Archeus Communications . 2006 . 978-0-9698161-5-7.
  11. Web site: N.W.A. American Tag Team Title . January 19, 2020 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  12. Book: Royal Duncan & Gary Will . Wrestling Title Histories . Archeus Communications . Texas: NWA / World Class American Heavyweight Title [Von Eric]. 265–266 . 2000 . 0-9698161-5-4.
  13. Web site: NWA United States Heavyweight Title (1967-1968/05) - American Heavyweight Title (1968/05-1986/02) . Wrestling-Titles . December 26, 2019.
  14. Web site: En un día como hoy... 1977: Mil Máscaras vs. El Halcón, máscara contra máscaras... 1960: Gori Guerrero destrona a Ray Mendoza - Superluchas. 29 July 2015.
  15. Web site: En un día como hoy... 1989: Rayo de Jalisco Jr. desenmascara a Súper Halcón - Superluchas. 23 April 2015.