Silver Cat Explained

Silver Cat
Birthname:Antonio Hernández Herrada
Ring Names:
    • El Enjambre
    • Reptil
    • El Hijo del Espectro
    • Silver Cat
    Height:1.78m (05.84feet)
    Weight:90kg (200lb)
    Birth Date:8 April 1970
    Birth Place:Mexico City, Mexico
    Death Place:Mexico City, Mexico
    Trainer:
      • Espectro I
      • Rafael Salamanca[1]
      Debut:1989
      Retired:2021
      Parents:
        Relatives:

          Antonio Hernández Herrada (April 8, 1970 – March 29, 2024), best known under the ring name Silver Cat, was a Mexican professional wrestler. He was mostly known for his appearances in the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA). As Silver Cat, Hernández was a member of Los Vatos Locos, a Kiss look-alike group of wrestlers, with whom he held the Mexican National Atómicos Championship. Prior to 2001, he had previously worked as El Enjambre, Reptil and El Hijo del Espectro.

          Professional wrestling career

          Early career

          Silver Cat began wrestling under the name El Enjambre in 1991 in Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL) which the following year would change its name to Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). El Enjambre's last match in CMLL was on May 22, 1992, where he teamed with Arkángel de la Muerte and Marabunta to defeat Eclipse, Guerrero Samurai #2 and Pegaso.[2] When Antonio Peña left CMLL in 1992 to start his own rival promotion called AAA, El Enjambre was one of the wrestlers who followed.[3] Probably due to trademark registration from the previous promotion, he changed his name to Reptil. However, the new gimmick was short-lived when, starting in 1993, he began using the ring name El Hijo del Espectro (the son of Espectro).

          Los Vatos Locos

          In mid-1998 Peña put together a new group of wrestlers, a stable called Los Vatos Locos (Spanish for "the crazy guys"), which included Silver Cat's brother Picudo. This stable became very popular at the turn of the century and until its breakup in 2007, where they often went to matches against Los Vipers and The Black Family.[4] [5]

          On April 20, 2001, El Hijo del Espectro lost his wrestling mask after losing in a lucha de apuestas match in Tijuana.[6] After losing the mask, he adopted the Silver Cat gimmick. Los Vatos replaced May Flowers with Silver Cat, a ring persona patterned after Kiss drummer Peter Criss "the Catman" character,[7] [8] making Los Vatos Locos; the group even began carrying instruments to the ring and "perform". On November 23, 2001, the new incarnation of Los Vatos Locos defeated longtime rivals Los Vipers to win the Mexican National Atómicos Championship once more. Los Vatos third title reign lasted for over a year, 374 days, before they lost the titles back to Los Vipers. After losing the Atómicos title Los Vatos Locos featured less prominently on AAA shows, not making a single major show appearance after September 16, 2002, when they appeared at Verano de Escándalo.[9]

          Later career

          On March 1, 2020, Silver Cat wrestled for AAA for the first time in 13 years, in a match where he, along with Venus and Mamba, lost a match to Pimpinela Escarlata, Lady Shani and Centinela.[10] His last documented match took place on April 3, 2021 where he along with his nephew Picudo Jr., May Flowers and Nygma defeated the group Infierno Rockers at the Arena Azteca Budokan in Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl.

          Personal life and death

          Antonio Hernández Herrada was the son of Espectro I and the younger brother of Picudo.[11] He was also the cousin of Antonio Peña, the founder of AAA.[12]

          On March 29, 2024, Silver Cat passed away, which was first reported by his former teammate May Flowers via social media. The cause of death has not been made public, but it is already known that he suffered from health problems, including alcoholism.[13]

          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
          La Parka Jr. (mask) El Hijo del Espectro (mask) Tijuana, Baja California Live event [16]

          See also

          Notes and References

          1. Web site: Silver Cat . cagematch.net – The Internet Wrestling Database . 1 April 2024.
          2. Web site: Silver Cat - Facts @ Wrestlingdata.com. wrestlingdata.com. 2024-04-01. Axel Saalbach.
          3. Web site: Muere Silver Cat, figura de la lucha libre mexicana. 1 April 2024. 29 March 2024. Telediario. es. Iván. Navarro.
          4. Web site: Fallece el Picudo, integrante de los Vatos Locos en los 90's. Record.com.mx. 3 August 2018. 1 April 2024. es. j.ortiz.
          5. Web site: Fallece a los 53 años el luchador de la AAA Silver Cat de los Vatos Locos. 24 Morelos - últimas noticias de Morelos. 2024-03-31. 2024-04-01. es.
          6. Web site: Rinden tributo a La Parka en Tijuana. TJ Sports. 2020-02-01. 2024-04-01. es-MX.
          7. Web site: ¿Quién fue y de qué murió Silver Cat, figura de la lucha libre mexicana?. La Razón. 2024-03-30. 2024-04-01. es.
          8. Web site: Muere el luchador Silver Cat, exestrella de la AAA. El Heraldo de México. 2024-03-30. 2024-04-01. es.
          9. Web site: Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion Verano de Escandalo. 2009-02-19. Pro Wrestling History.
          10. Web site: AAA: 2020-03. www.luchadb.com. 2024-04-01.
          11. Book: Lewis III, Harris M. . Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling. 2nd. McFarlane . 2003 . 9781476605050. 101.
          12. News: Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre. Espectro I. Portales, Mexico. 17. 21. November 2008. es.
          13. Web site: Falleció Silver Cat, integrante de los Vatos Locos. Superluchas. 2024-03-30. 2024-04-01. es. Apolo Valdés.
          14. Book: Royal Duncan and Gary Will. Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. 2000. Mexico: National Atómicos Title. 402. 0-9698161-5-4.
          15. News: Los Reyes de Mexico: La Historia de Los Campeonatos Nacionales. Lucha 2000. Especial 21. December 20, 2004. es.
          16. News: Enciclopedia de las Mascaras. La Parka Jr.. Mexico City, Mexico. Tomo III. 48. October 2007. es.