Tragedy struck Mexico this week when professional wrestler El Hijo de Fishman, 36, allegedly killed veteran referee Gerardo German Pineda, 75, while performing a piledriver on him.
Police have since arrested Fishman on manslaughter charges following the referee’s death, which occurred during his matchup against Mascara Sagrada in Hidalgo for the El Patrón Espectáculos Lucha Libre promotion.
After Fishman performed the signature wrestling move on Pineda, he reportedly became immobile and was later pronounced dead. The move involves the wrestler appearing to drop the target vertically onto their head, creating the illusion of a slam while the wrestler’s body absorbs the shock to keep the head from hitting the mat. Professional wrestlers have often discussed how to perform the move safely in tutorials:
As the California Post noted, several wrestlers have come forward in recent years, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, to say the WWE banned the move for years because of potential injuries.
Luchablog wrote on X that the referee was lying on the mat “for minutes before anyone checked on him.”
“The local reports are that Buho lay on the mat unmoving for minutes before anyone checked on him, thinking he was selling. There was reportedly no ambulance or medical personnel on hand; those are required for Hidalgo shows, and this card was running a bit under the radar,” Luchablog wrote.
“When paramedics arrived, they could only confirm that Buho had passed away. Police are holding Hijo de Fishman in custody as they investigate. A photo of the piledriver is circulating. Can’t circulate a photo of a medic who isn’t there, but that’s going to be as big a deal,” it added.
El Patrón Espectáculos Lucha Libre called the incident “regrettable.”
“Our company is attentive to the development of the situation and has arranged accompaniment and legal assistance for Hijo de Fishman, so that the corresponding process is carried out in accordance with the law and before the competent authorities,” the company said in Spanish.