Konnan - Professional Wrestling Career

Professional Wrestling Career

During his residence in San Diego, Ashenoff became a bodybuilder then later a wrestler, following a meeting with wrestling promoter John Roberts. Comparing the masked and caped wrestlers he met to "superheroes", Ashenoff was impressed by the colorful Mexican wrestling culture. He subsequently traveled to Tijuana, Mexico where, alongside Psicosis, Rey Mysterio, Jr., Halloween and Damián 666, he trained under the tutelage of various veteran luchadores. Wearing a mask and billed as El Centurión ("The Centurion"), Ashenoff debuted for the Universal Wrestling Association (UWA). He competed in an eight man tag team match for the sum of $200 MXP ($19.13 USD / €16.03 EUR).

Feeling that he was being held back, Ashenoff departed the UWA for Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre (EMLL), where he was pushed into the main event. In the EMLL, Ashenoff adopted the ring name Konnan El Barbaro ("The Barbarian"). He lost his mask to Perro Aguayo in a Lucha de Apuesta, mask versus hair match. After the match, a young boy—introduced as Konnan's brother—entered the ring crying and handed Konnan his mask back, generating considerable bonhomie towards Konnan from the sympathetic crowd (in lucha libre, losing one's mask can be a major, career shaping event). Konnan went on to become the first ever CMLL World Heavyweight Champion by winning a tournament in Mexico City on June 9, 1991. He, however, lost the title to Cien Caras in his first title defense on August 18, 1991.