A veteran lucha libre wrestling referee has died after being hit with a banned piledriver move during a bout in Mexico. Gerardo Germán Pineda, widely known as “El Búho,” fell unconscious during an event in Mineral de la Reforma, Mexico, on Tuesday, 6 October. The 75-year-old was officiating when he became caught up in the match between Hijo de Fishman and Máscara Sagrada NG.
Move previously banned in many countries
Video footage from the event shows Pineda receiving a “martinete” – commonly referred to as a piledriver – before lying motionless on the mat. The move had previously been banned in many countries after it became known for causing serious injuries, though it has returned in a safer form in recent years.
The wrestlers halted the match upon realising El Búho was not rising, prompting paramedics to be summoned. He was subsequently pronounced dead at the venue.
Wrestler arrested and investigation under way
Hijo de Fishman was detained and handed over to prosecutors on charges of culpable homicide – essentially equivalent to manslaughter in England and Wales. Video evidence, witness accounts and forensic material are anticipated to comprise the investigation.
One onlooker, Steph Heredia, alleged the wrestler had quarrelled with the official following his defeat before executing the manoeuvre. She stated: “We all thought it was part of the show because it is something that happens very commonly.” She continued that El Búho showed no response following the incident and that onlookers immediately called for medical assistance.
A decades-long career in lucha libre
The martinete is regarded as among lucha libre’s most perilous manoeuvres and is prohibited in Mexican wrestling due to the potential for severe neck and spinal damage. Pineda had dedicated decades to the sport, initially competing for approximately 15 years under the name El Búho Negro II.
He subsequently transitioned into refereeing almost by accident after filling in for a missing official – a position he would hold for nearly 30 years. Throughout his tenure, he worked alongside Mexican wrestling icons such as Mil Máscaras, Canek, Dos Caras, El Hijo del Santo, Último Guerrero and Blue Panther. His offspring, performing as El Búho Jr., is also active within the independent wrestling circuit.
Hijo de Fishman, aged 35, is the offspring of celebrated Mexican grappler Fishman, dubbed the “Green Venom.” He has carried on his father’s masked wrestling tradition for roughly 15 years and has competed globally, including across the US, Japan, England, Canada and Central America. He operates as a “rudo” – among lucha libre’s antagonistic or rule-flouting personas – and was previously captured on film assaulting a referee with a chair during a 2022 bout in Mexicali.
His promoter, El Patrón Espectáculos, is reportedly offering him legal support while also maintaining contact with Pineda’s relatives. The inquiry into the veteran referee’s death continues.
