It was a fight to the accidental death.
A Mexican pro wrestler was mortally injured mid-match after a scripted stunt went horribly wrong — and the tag-team match continued with his limp body hanging from the ring ropes.
Pro grappler Perro Aguayo Jr., 35, went down hard and never got up Friday night during a four-man Tijuana match involving former WWE star Rey Mysterio, officials confirmed Saturday.
A video showed Aguayo lying unresponsively on the ropes after taking a kick from the masked Mysterio, with the other three wrestlers continuing the bout for several minutes around him.
At one point, Mysterio delivers a two-footed shot to the head of another wrestler as Aguayo lies lifelessly beneath them.
The whole match was captured on video, including attempts by ringside officials to rouse the unconscious Aguayo before he was carried from the ring.
The Baja California state prosecutor’s officer said it was launching a manslaughter investigation, although the cause of death remained unknown and it appeared to be a freak accident.
Perro Aguayo Jr. had been wrestling since he was a teenager, and is the son of legendary Mexican wrestler Pedro Sr.
Perro Aguayo Jr. had been wrestling since he was a teenager, and is the son of legendary Mexican wrestler Pedro Sr.
Aguayo died at 1 a.m. at Hospital del Prado in Tijuana, according to a press release.
“My heart goes out to Perro Aguayo Jr. and his loved ones!” tweeted former WWE star Rowdy Roddy Piper. “May God Bless!”
Aguayo, who began wrestling at age 15, was the son of retired Mexican wrestling legend Pedro Sr. He was a former holder of tag team and individual championships in the Mexican wrestling universe.
Promoter AAA Wrestling mourned the loss of one of its top stars in a tweet: “The grief overwhelms our hearts. Rest in peace, El Hijo del Perro Aguayo.”
