Javier Esparza Coronado (born August 11, 1953) is a Mexican retired '' Luchador'', or

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

, currently working as a

match maker A match is a tool for starting a fire. Typically, matches are made of small wooden sticks or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by friction generated by striking the match against a suitable surface. Wooden matc ...

for

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...

(CMLL). Esparza is best known under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projectin ...

Franco Columbo, a name he uses even after retiring from wrestling.

Professional wrestling career

Esparza was trained for his professional wrestling career by legendary Mexican wrestling trainer Diablo Velazco before making his debut in 1975 as "Franco Columbo". Due to Velazco's connections to

Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...

(EMLL), Mexico's largest and the world's oldest

professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling that has little relationship to the rules of the amateur olympic form. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails man ...

, Columbo landed job with EMLL only a few years after making his debut. On November 1, 1980 Columbo defeated Américo Rocca to win the

Mexican National Welterweight Championship The Mexican National Welterweight Championship (''Campeonato Nacional Peso Welter'' in Spanish) is a Mexican professional wrestling championship created and sanctioned by Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. (the Mexico City Boxing and Wrest ...

, holding it for 92 days before El Supremo won it on February 1, 1981. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s Columbo began working as a trainer for EMLL (later renamed Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre; CMLL) helping improve young wrestlers under EMLL/CMLL contract. After retiring from active competition in the late 1990s, Columbo began being more involved in the booking aspects of CMLL, moving up the ranks to being second in charge along with Juan Manuel Mar. The two are currently responsible for planning CMLL's weekly shows in Arena Mexico and

Arena Coliseo Arena Coliseo is an indoor arena in Mexico City, Mexico located at República del Perú 77 in the Cuauhtémoc borough. The arena is primarily used for professional wrestling, or ''lucha libre'', shows promoted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CM ...

, CMLL's two most popular venues.

Championships and accomplishments

(

2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outsid ...

) *Regional championships **Occidente Welterweight Championship (1 time)

''Luchas de Apuestas'' record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbo, Franco 1953 births Mexican male professional wrestlers Living people Professional wrestlers from Jalisco People from Guadalajara, Jalisco