Oro (wrestler)

Personal life

Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, he and his brother Esteban Hernández Silva wanted to become professional luchadores like their father, Esteban Hernandez, who wrestled as Calavera II (The Skull II), forming a tag team known as Los Hermanos Calavera ("The Skull Brothers") with his brother Calavera I. His father was initially reluctant to the idea of his sons becoming professional wrestlers, but finally agreed to teach them some basic moves before sending them to the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL)-run gym at Arena Mexico. There they received further training from Diablo Velasco before they were allowed to make their in-ring debut.

Professional wrestling career

The two brothers made the professional wrestling debut on November 23, 1990. Jesús Javier, at the age of 18, worked under the ring name Oro and his brother used the name Plata (Silver). The duo wore near-identical masks, the only difference being one had a gold pattern and the other had a silver pattern. The two were soon joined by a wrestler known as Platino (Platinum) to form a trio tag team known as Los Metalicos (The Metals). The team was quickly matched up against another trios team, a rudo ("Bad guy") trio known as Los Destructores ("The Destroyers"), with whom they had a series of matches. The fans quickly responded to the young team, supporting them and showing appreciation for the fact that Oro had an aerial wrestling style that was unusual for the time and Plata and Platino were skilled high flying wrestlers. Oro's frequent and skilled execution of moves off the top rope helped usher in a style change in Lucha Libre as wrestlers started to incorporate more moves like planchas and topes, inspired by Oro's performances. Los Metalicos (Oro and Plata) was given their first professional wrestling championship just over a year after their debut, defeating Los Destructores to win the Mexican National Tag Team Championship on December 4, 1991. The following week a match between the two teams ended controversially and the championship was vacated. The following week Los Destructores regained the vacant title. Los Metalicos also captured the Distrito Federal Trios Championship at some point in 1991, but later lost the it to Los Guerreros del Futuro ("The Warriors of the Future"; Damian el Guerrero, Guerrero del Futuro, and Guerrero Maya). Oro's popularity earned him an invitation to travel to Japan in 1992, to work for Gran Hamada's Universal Lucha Libre promotion, which showcases the Lucha Libre wrestling style in Japan. His skill and charisma made him an instant hit in Japan and upon his return Oro started to break away from the rest of Los Metalicos, being groomed for a top role in EMLL. He even teamed with two of the biggest names in Lucha Libre, working with Mil Máscaras and Último Dragón.

As Oro moved away from Los Metalicos EMLL replaced him with Bronce (Bronze), a wrestling character patterned on Oro's image, but using bronze instead of gold. EMLL put Oro in a storyline feud with veteran wrestler Mano Negra (The Black Hand). On May 23, 1993, Oro defeated Mano Negra to win the NWA World Middleweight Championship. This was the only singles title Oro won during his career. Mano Negra regained the title three weeks later, on July 3. Originally, EMLL planned was to escalate the storyline, ending with the two wrestlers meeting in a Luchas de Apuestas ("Bet Match") where both wrestlers would wager their mask on the outcome. At the time however, Oro expressed a desire to spend more time with his family and travel less, wanting to retire no later than 1994; as a result, EMLL replaced Oro with Atlantis in the storyline.

Death and memorial

On October 26, 1993, Oro teamed up with La Fiera and Brazo de Plata to face the team of Kahoz, Dr. Wagner, Jr., and Jaque Mate at Arena Coliseo in Mexico City. Before the match, while going over the plans for the match Oro said he wanted to take a "Kobashi bump" during the match, a reference to a head first backdrop driver which Kenta Kobashi took in a match in All Japan Pro Wrestling. That particular bump had a dramatic effect, as it looked like Kobashi had broken his neck and Oro wanted to use the shock effect to help build the drama for their match. During the match, Kahoz clotheslined Oro, who spun and landed on his head as he had planned. His opponent tried to pick him up, but soon thereafter he collapsed and his pulse became weak. Oro was put on a stretcher at the start of the second fall while his brother screamed, "Don't fall asleep!", warning him to remain alert so that he would not lose consciousness. Oro died before being placed in a waiting ambulance. He was two months short of his 22nd birthday at the time of his death. Oro's family requested that an autopsy not be performed; however, it was believed that he died of a brain aneurysm. The following day the news of Oro's death headlined every Lucha Libre publication in Mexico and even the rival promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración paid a tribute to Oro during their show, something they had rarely done for a worker of their rival promotion. In 1994 and 1995, close to the date of Oro's death, EMLL held a Copa de Oro tournament, a tag team tournament where the winners were presented a trophy by Oro II. The 1994 tournament winners were Apolo Dantés and El Dandy and the 1995 tournament was won by Chicago Express and Pierroth, Jr..

Each year, around the anniversary of Jesús Javier Hernández Silva's death the Lucha Libre community organizes a religious mass in memory of Jesús Hernández as well as other major names in Lucha Libre that has died in the previous year. The mass takes place in Arena Coliseo, the arena where Oro died. A number of wrestlers have cited Oro as their inspiration for becoming a wrestler or an inspiration for them adopting a faster, more high flying, high risk style by the work he did in the ring.

Oro in Lucha Libre

Jesús Javier Hernández was such a popular wrestler and in ring character that the name has been used by a number of other wrestlers over the years.

The Hernández wrestling family

The Hernández family has been in the professional wrestling business for three generations, starting with the brothers collectively known as Los Hermanos Calavera ("The Skull Brothers"), their six sons and one grandson who either are or has been professional wrestlers.

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments