Tragedy: AAA Star Perro Aguayo Jr. Dies Wrestling Rey Mysterio In Mexico [Updated]

Rey Mysterio Jr. made his much anticipated return to Mexico’s AAA wrestling organization on March 15 after a much publicized split with WWE. On Friday night, Mysterio made another appearance for AAA, this time taking part in a match that was publicized as his return to Tijuana, but tragically Rey’s return to the city took a tragic turn.

Mysterio was competing in a tag team match with Xtreme Tiger taking on Perro Aguayo Jr and Manik. Towards the end of the match, Mysterio went to set-up his well-knock 619 sequence on Aguayo, a move combination that Mysterio often used during his WWE and WCW tenure. Just after hitting the ropes to get into position, something appears to happen to Aguayo. What happened exactly still is not clear.

The original belief was that Aguayo possibly suffered some kind of whiplash following a dropkick from Mysterio that sent him into the ropes, but the media is now speculating that Aguayo could have suffered some type of brain hemmorage or cervical spine trauma. Video footage shows that Aguayo appears to be unconscious when Mysterio’s 619 sequence begins.

Posted below is video footage of the sequence in the match. A warning that the video could be disturbing to some viewers, and please keep Aguayo’s family in your thought’s after witnessing what can only be described is a tragedy of epic proportions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_4-tffjVn4

It’s evident from the video that Manik is aware something is wrong almost instantly when he dodges Mysterio’s 619 attempt, but his partner, Aguayo, does not move. Mysterio quickly glances at the team and realizes something is wrong. Manik is then dropped kicked out of the ring by Mysterio’s partner, Xtreme Tiger, and Tiger follows that up by executing a twisting plancha over the top rope on to Manik on the outside. Following that sequence, Mysterio is left alone with Aguayo in the ring. Rey goes to check on his fallen adversary, and Aguayo appears to be unresponsive in the video. Mysterio looks to inform the stunned referee of something being wrong as Konnan checks on Aguayo from ringside.

While Konnan continues to check on Aguayo, who has slumped to the mat at this point, Manik enters the ring and is given a flying head scissors by Mysterio, laying him out on the middle rope directly above the still unconscious Aguayo. Mysterio quickly and carefully executes the 619 on Manik, directly above the fallen Aguayo, who is still being checked on by Konnan while awaiting EMTs.

Aguayo was later pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital, according to a report by Mike Coughlin at the Wrestling Observer. He was 35-years-old.

Both AAA and CMLL issued statement’s via Twitter. AAA, the organization Aguayo was wrestling for at the time of his death, wrote, “The grief overwhelms our hearts. Rest in peace, El Hijo del Perro Aguayo.”

Perro Aguayo Jr. is a massive wrestling star in Mexico, and he has wrestled for both major promotions (CMLL and AAA) during a 20 year career that included winning several championships in both promotions. His father, Perro Aguayo Sr., was as big of a star in Mexican wrestling as one can be. Aguayo Jr. was the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Rookie of the Year in 1995. Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him number 7 in the PWI 500 in 2007.

Update: March 21, 2015 at 12:21 pm

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that sources from the hospital have reported that Aguayo passed away from cervical spine trauma due to the ring ropes snapping his neck. A second video has surfaced showing the complete match and final sequence. At 6:18 of the video, Mysterio gives Aguayo a flying head scissors that sends Aguayo to the outside. Aguayo returns to the ring and is drop kicked into the ring ropes. It is believed that Aguayo’s neck was either snapped as he was sent to the outside via the spinning head scissors or following the drop kick that sent Aguayo into the middle rope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-waNa1lgYcI

Lastly, a video from TV Azteca Baja California has been posted on their Facebook page showing the scene from a professionally filmed perspective.

[Image via YattaRadio]