In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a lucha libre show in central Mexico took a devastating turn when a veteran referee collapsed in the ring and never got back up.
El Hijo de Fishman, the 36-year-old son of legendary masked star Fishman, was detained by police after 75-year-old referee Gerardo Germán Pineda — better known to fans as El Búho — was pronounced dead following a match in Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo. The incident unfolded during the main event of an independent card promoted by El Patrón Espectáculos, where Fishman Jr. faced off against Máscara Sagrada NG.
According to multiple accounts and video circulating from the night, the wrestler had already been physical with the referee earlier in the bout, including a body slam. Later, he delivered a double underhook piledriver — the high-risk move known in Mexico as a martinete — and Pineda stayed down. For several long minutes, people in the building assumed the veteran official was selling the spot. By the time anyone realized something was seriously wrong, it was too late. Paramedics arrived to find no vital signs.
Compounding the tragedy, reports indicate there was no ambulance or medical staff on site, a violation of local requirements for lucha libre events in Hidalgo. The venue, Centro Deportivo Cultural 11 de Julio, was later temporarily shuttered by authorities.
Police arrested El Hijo de Fishman at the scene. He was placed under investigation for homicidio culposo — essentially negligent homicide — which carries a potential sentence of five to 15 years. Within days, however, his legal team reached a reparatory agreement with Pineda’s family. By Thursday, the wrestler had been released, and the criminal case was closed without advancing to trial.
El Patrón Espectáculos issued a measured statement expressing regret and confirming it had provided legal support to the wrestler while staying in contact with the referee’s family. The promotion asked the public and media to avoid speculation while the situation was still unfolding.
El Búho was no stranger to the ring. The 75-year-old had spent roughly three decades in the business, first as a wrestler and later as a respected referee on the independent circuit, particularly in Hidalgo. El Hijo de Fishman, born in 1989, has carried his father’s green-and-yellow mask and legacy on the indie scene for nearly two decades.
The martinete has long been regarded as one of the most dangerous moves in professional wrestling because of the direct risk it poses to the head and neck. Seeing it used on a 75-year-old official has left many in the lucha libre community shaken and asking hard questions about safety protocols, especially at smaller independent shows where medical coverage can be inconsistent.
What began as a night of athletic storytelling ended in real-world tragedy — a reminder that even in a scripted sport, the physical risks are anything but.
