Gypsy Joe | |
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![]() Joe in 1975 | |
Birth name | Gilberto Meléndez |
Born | Orocovis, Puerto Rico | December 2, 1933
Died | June 15, 2016 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | (aged 82)
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Aztec Joe Blue Inferno El Grande Pistolero Gene Madrid Gypsy Joe Jan Madrid Inferno I Baby Grandpa |
Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
Billed weight | 224 lb (102 kg) |
Billed from | Villalba, Puerto Rico |
Trained by | Pampero Firpo |
Debut | 1951 |
Retired | 2011 |
Gilberto Meléndez (December 2, 1933 – June 15, 2016) was a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known under the ring name Gypsy Joe. While attaining much of his United States success in the Tennessee area, Meléndez also gained a following in Japan. His career lasted six decades, and his highly physical brawling style and tough reputation made him an early pioneer of the hardcore wrestling scene.[1]