A Mexican wrestler known as Hijo de Fishman has been freed after the death of veteran referee Gerardo Germán Pineda, known as El Búho (The Owl). He was released in the early hours of Friday 9 October 2026 after a reparation agreement with the referee’s family.
The referee died after being hurt during a lucha libre bout in Mineral de la Reforma, in Hidalgo state, on the night of Tuesday 6 October into Wednesday 7 October 2026. Lucha libre, which means Mexican professional wrestling, is hugely popular among Mexican American fans, and many US fans follow it and travel to Mexico to watch.
This report rests on three Mexican outlets: Milenio, Proceso and El Financiero. We found no official statement from prosecutors or a court, so several key details remain unsettled.
- Who: Hijo de Fishman, a wrestler whose real name has not been published, and referee Gerardo Germán Pineda, known as El Búho.
- What: The wrestler was freed after a reparation agreement with the referee’s family, following his detention over suspected negligent homicide.
- Where: Centro Deportivo Cultural 11 de Julio, Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo state, Mexico.
- When: The referee fell on the night of 6 October into 7 October 2026, and the release came early on Friday 9 October 2026.
- As of 9 October 2026, 19:00 GMT
What We Know
Pineda, known as El Búho, was a veteran lucha libre referee in Hidalgo state. A referee is the official who enforces the rules inside the ring, and Proceso and El Financiero say he spent nearly three decades there.
El Financiero gives more detail on his career. It says he worked about 30 years as a referee after about 15 years as a wrestler under the mask El Búho Negro II.
The same outlet says he refereed bouts featuring names such as Mil Máscaras and El Hijo del Santo. We have not independently confirmed that career detail.
He went down during the main event at the Centro Deportivo Cultural 11 de Julio, also called Deportivo 11 de Julio, in Mineral de la Reforma. Proceso says the bout was Hijo de Fishman against Máscara Sagrada NG.
Milenio reports that he fell onto the canvas and died despite the efforts of paramedics. Hijo de Fishman is a ring name, and the wrestler’s real name has not been published.
Hijo de Fishman was detained on 7 October and placed at the disposal of prosecutors of the Hidalgo state Attorney General’s office (Procuraduría General de Justicia del Estado de Hidalgo). The suspected offence was negligent homicide, known in Spanish as “homicidio culposo”, the legal term for a death attributed to carelessness rather than a planned act.
He is a suspect, and a court has not ruled on his case. He was freed in the early hours of Friday 9 October 2026 after a reparation agreement, called an “acuerdo reparatorio” in Spanish, with the referee’s family.
In plain English, the accused agrees to compensate the victim’s family, and the criminal case can end. Article 187 of Mexico’s National Code of Criminal Procedure allows such agreements in negligent offences.
His defence firm is Magallán, Reyes y Asociados. Proceso and Milenio quote the firm saying that the freedom was achieved.
What Is Not Known
Proceso and El Financiero say the referee took a “martinete”, a wrestling move that drives an opponent head first into the canvas, from Hijo de Fishman. Milenio speaks of multiple strikes before he fell.
These are the outlets’ descriptions, not an official finding. No autopsy result or official cause of death has been published in what we saw.
The terms of the reparation agreement were not officially disclosed. One outlet, ADN40, reports a payment figure, but we could not confirm it elsewhere and do not repeat it.
It is also unclear whether the criminal case is formally closed. We do not know whether the promotion or the venue faces any action, and the family’s view has not appeared in the coverage we reviewed.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
For US readers who follow Mexican wrestling, the case shows how one legal route works for negligent offences in Mexico. A reparation agreement can end such a case when the victim’s family agrees.
Travelers who attend lucha libre should know that local shows, like this one in a community sports centre, are a different setting from the largest promotions. We have no information on safety standards at this event, and we do not suggest any.
Readers can follow our Mexico coverage for further developments. Any official statement from prosecutors, the family or a court would add the missing facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Hijo de Fishman?
Hijo de Fishman is the ring name of a Mexican wrestler whose real name has not been published. He was detained over suspected negligent homicide after the referee’s death and freed on 9 October 2026.
Who was El Búho?
El Búho, which means The Owl, was Gerardo Germán Pineda, a veteran lucha libre referee in Hidalgo state. Proceso and El Financiero report that he spent nearly three decades in the ring.
Why was Hijo de Fishman released?
He was freed after a reparation agreement with the referee’s family. Under such an agreement the accused compensates the family and the criminal case can end, though the terms were not officially disclosed.
What caused the referee’s death?
No official cause or autopsy result has been published in the coverage we reviewed. Outlets describe a “martinete” and other blows, but that is not an official finding.
Sources: Milenio, Proceso and El Financiero (all 9 October 2026). Links: Milenio, Proceso, El Financiero.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief