Rafael Nunez Juan, also known as Scorpio Jr. and a long-standing wrestler in both CMLL and the independents, died on Thursday, November 7th. He was 58.
Apart from CMLL, he also spent considerable time in AAA and IWRG.
He trained in Mexico City under Rafael Salamanca. Juan made his professional wrestling debut in August of 1985 with Pioloto Suicida against Los Bándalos (Memo Arenas and Ray Torres). He originally went by the name “Imagen”.
He wrestled for CMLL from 1990-2004 and was a common sight at indie shows, having been involved with those from 2005 up until this year.
He wrestled two matches in 1999 in WWE (previously WWF) under the name El Bandido and left an impression upon the locker room, even in such a short time.
I'm sad to learn of Scorpio Jr.'s passing. We shared a ring & locker room together in Japan & Mexico over the years, since 1992. Una verdadera leyenda y bueno gente. 🙏 https://t.co/pUO6cKpIpa
— Sean Waltman (@TheRealXPac) November 8, 2024
His brief time in the then-WWF was part of a show exclusive to Latin America called WWF Super Astros, which was meant to promote the company in a different market by showcasing local talent.
He trained in Olympic wrestling from the ages of 14-16 before pursuing professional wrestling, opposing his father’s wishes for him. Scorpio Jr. was the son of Rafael Nunez Contreras (aka Scorpio) who wrestled from the 1960s-1990s. His two sons are Olympic wrestlers.
TOP PHOTO: CMLL and indie veteran Scorpio Jr. Photo credit: excelsior.com.mx