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Gypsy Joe

Nickname: The Wandering Assassin

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 225 lbs.

From: Villalba, Puerto Rico

Birthday: Dec 2nd

Pro Debut: 1952

Aliases: Jan Madrid, Gene Madrid, Aztec Joe, Blue Inferno #1, Inferno I, Chief Tuna, El Grande Pistolero

Feds Worked For: NWA-West, USWA, WCCW, NWA, All Japan Pro Wrestling (Japan), All Star Wrestling (TN), All State Wrestling (TN), Big Bear Promotions (Canada), Big Time Wrestling (MI), Central States Wrestling (IA/KS/MO), Championship Wrestling Alliance (TN), Cleveland All Pro Wrestling (OH), Continental Wrestling Association (AL/TN), Georgia Championship Wrestling (GA), Grand Prix Wrestling (Canada), Gulas Wrestling Enterprises (TN), Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling (AL/TN), International Championship Wrestling (KY/TN), International Wrestling (Canada), International Wrestling Enterprise (Japan), IWA East Coast (WV), M & M Promotions (NM/TX), Maple Leaf Wrestling (Canada), Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (NC/SC), Mid-Pacific Promotions (HI), National Wrestling Federation (NJ/NY/OH/PA), NWA Chicago (IL), NWA Main Event Wrestling (TN), NWA Mid-America (AL/TN), NWA Mountain State Wrestling (WV), NWA Polynesian (HI), SMASH (Japan), Southern States Wrestling (TN), Southern Wrestling Federation (TN), St. Louis Wrestling Club (MO), Stampede Wrestling (Canada), Tennessee Wrestling Alliance (TN), World Booking Office (NY), World Wrestling Council (Puerto Rico), Wrestling International New Generations (Japan)

Signature Moves: Knee Drop

Career Highlights: -Alabama Champion
-AWA Southern Tag Team Champion (2x; both w/ Skull Murphy)
-Grand Prix Champion
-ICW United States Tag Team Champion (w/ Tojo Yamamoto)
-NWA Gulf Coast Champion
-NWA Central States Tag Team Champion (w/ Mr. Pogo)
-NWA Central States Television Champion
-NWA (Chicago) Midwest Junior Heavyweight Champion (2x)
-NWA (Gulf Coast) Tag Team Champion (w/ Jack Curtis, Jr.)
-NWA (Mid-America) Southern Tag Team Champion (3x; 2 w/ Blue Inferno #2, 1 w/ Louis Tillet)
-NWA Mid-America Tag Team Champion (9x; 4 w/ Tojo Yamamoto, 2 w/ Tom Renesto, Jr., 1 each w/ Leroy Rochester, Dutch Mantell, and Buzz Tyler)
-NWA (Mid-America) World 6-Man Tag Team Champion (w/ The Beast & Tojo Yamamoto)
-NWA (Mid-America) World Tag Team Champion (2x; both w/ Blue Inferno #2)
-NWA Southern Tag Team Champion (2x; 1 each w/ Skull Murphy and Lenny Montana)
-NWA Western States Tag Team Champion (w/ Tim Brooks)
-NWA World Brass Knuckles Champion (3x)
-NWA World Light Heavyweight Champion
-Stampede International Tag Team Champion (w/ Jim Wright)
-SWF Hardcore Champion
-TSW Southwestern Tag Team Champion (2x; both w/ Louie Tillet)
-TSW United States Tag Team Champion (w/ Louie Tillet)
-TWA Hardcore Champion (2x)
-USWA Junior Heavyweight Champion
-West Virginia Champion (3x)
-WWC North American Tag Team Champion (3x; all w/ Blue Inferno #2)

Affiliates: The Angel, Tojo Yamamoto, Blue Inferno #2, Jack Curtis, Jr., Louie Tillet, Pepe Lopez, Tim Tall Tree

Notable Feuds: Rusher Kimura, Mighty Inoue, Ashura Hara, Tojo Yamamoto, Giant Baba, Great Kusatsu, Jumbo Tsuruta, Animal Hamaguchi, Bobby Eaton, Genichiro Tenryu, Sonny King, George Gulas, Isamu Teranishi, Bill Dundee, Lanny Poffo, Robert Gibson, Takashi Ishikawa, Dutch Mantell

Other Facts: -Real name was Gilberto Melendez
-Former husband of pro wrestler Robbie Rage, who he trained for pro wrestling
-Uncle of pro wrestler Dan Wilson
-Actually the second wrestler to use the name "Gypsy Joe". The first one wrestled primarily in the northeast part of the country from the 1940's until 1970's.
-First wrestler to ever successfully jump off a steel cage onto an opponent.
-In April 2003, Joe was involved in a memorable hardcore match with New Jack in which, due to Joe no-selling throughout the match, New Jack legitimately attacked the sexagenarian with a chain, a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, and several other weapons.
-Wrestled his last match in 2011. His first match was almost 60 years earlier at age 18. He is 1 of 11 documented wrestlers to have competed in 7 different decades. (1950s - 2010s)
-Ranked #432 in the 1991 PWI 500 (as El Grande Pistolero)
-Had a foot amputated in July 2013 as a result of gout.
-Passed away on June 16, 2016