DMT Azul (born December 20, 1982) is a Mexican professional wrestler. He works for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) and International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), where he is the current IWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion in his second reign. He is best known for his time with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) from 2009 to 2021. Azul's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico, where their private lives are kept a secret from wrestling fans.
He originally wrestled under the ring name El Romano until 2009, when he was given a new ring name and mask, Metro; the name had been used by at least three other CMLL wrestlers before 2009. The "Metro" ring character was sponsored by the Mexico City Metro newspaper, incorporating the newspaper's logo and color scheme (red and gold) in the mask and wrestling trunks. In early 2012, he was given a new image and ring name, dropping the sponsored ring name to become Diamante Azul ("Blue Diamond") instead. He is a former NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Champion, CMLL World Tag Team Champion with Atlantis and the winner of the 2012 Leyenda de Azul tournament. He has also wrestled in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Professional wrestling career
Early career (2007–2009) While the wrestler who would later become known as Diamante Azul has never revealed his birth name, he did unveil that he was born on December 20, 1982. Lucha libre has a long-held tradition of not revealing the birth name of masked wrestlers unless they are later unmasked. Due to the secretive nature of lucha libre, it is possible that he made his wrestling debut prior to 2007 under a masked or unmasked identity that has not been revealed yet.
The future Diamante Azul was trained for his professional wrestling career by Tony Salazar and Franco Columbo at Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's (CMLL) wrestling school in Mexico City. He made his official professional wrestling debut in 2007 under the ring name "El Romano" (Spanish for "The Roman"), wearing a mask fashioned after a Galea or Roman Soldier helmet. He was originally planned to team up with Calígula and Méssala, two long-time CMLL wrestlers who used similar Roman soldier ring characters. He only worked intermittently as El Romano in 2007 and 2008, disappearing for long stretches of time to receive further training from Salazar and Columbo.
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2009–2021) Metro (2009–2012) On January 7, 2009, he made his debut under a new mask and ring name, "Metro", which was sponsored by the major Mexico City newspaper of the same name, incorporating its logo and color scheme (red and gold) in both the mask and the trunks worn. The ring character was introduced in 2006 and had previously been given to young wrestlers who had yet to establish their own ring character. On January 6, 2010, Metro, Máscara Dorada and Stuka Jr. defeated Poder Mexica (Dragón Rojo Jr., Misterioso Jr. and Sangre Azteca) in a tournament final for the vacant Mexican National Trios Championship, marking Metro's first professional wrestling championship. At Sin Salida ("No Escape") on June 6, they defeated Histeria II, Maniaco and Monsther. Metro competed in "Block B" of the champion-designated Universal Championship tournament on the August 6 Super Viernes, but lost to then-reigning CMLL World Heavyweight Champion Héctor Garza in the first round. On November 18, Dorada announced that he was relinquishing his part of the Mexican National Trios Championship, due to holding three other championships at the same time. Metro and Stuka Jr.'s new partner would be determined in an online poll that was won by Delta. On January 9, 2011, they lost the championship to Ángel de Oro, Diamante and Rush, who were the three other options in the online poll.
The following month, Metro was paired with Rey Bucanero in the Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles ("National Incredible Pairs Tournament"), which saw rivals team up for a tag team tournament. They defeated El Alebrije and Sangre Azteca in the first round and Mr. Águila and Rush in the quarter-finals, before losing to Blue Panther and Dragón Rojo Jr. in the semi-finals. At Homenaje a Dos Leyendas ("Homage to Two Legends") on March 18, he, Diamante and Stuka Jr. defeated Euforia, Okumura and Raziel. On July 29, he competed in the Leyenda de Azul ("The Blue Legend") tournament, but was the first wrestler eliminated from the torneo cibernetico by Psicosis. At the CMLL 78th Anniversary Show on September 30, Metro participated in the semi-final of the Leyenda de Plata ("The Silver Legend") tournament, where he eliminated Virus before being eliminated by Mephisto. Following his elimination, he attacked fellow participant and former tag team partner Máscara Dorada, allowing eventual winner Jushin Thunder Liger to eliminate him.
Diamante Azul (2012–2021) On February 28, 2012, at a non-televised show in Arena Coliseo, Metro was repackaged under the ring name "Diamante Azul" ("Blue Diamond"), complete with a blue mask, trunks and a cape, which all closely resembled the mask and ring gear of lucha libre legend Blue Demon and his successor, Blue Demon Jr. He made his televised debut at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas on March 2, teaming with Marco Corleone and La Máscara to defeat Bucanero, Último Guerrero and Volador Jr. According to him, the design of his mask and ring gear was his own original idea. On May 1, Azul unsuccessfully challenged Dragón Rojo Jr. and Guerrero for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship with Blue Panther, but won the title with Atlantis on August 3. Later that month, he participated in the Universal Championship, defeating Pólvora in the first round before losing to Hiroshi Tanahashi in the quarter-finals. On September 10, Azul unsuccessfully challenged El Terrible for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship. Six days later, they successfully defended the title against La Peste Negra (El Felino and Mr. Niebla). On October 12, Azul won that year's Leyenda de Azul tournament, named after Blue Demon. On November 13, he and Atlantis lost the title to El Terrible and Tama Tonga. He, Rush and Shocker lost to El Terrible, Guerrero and Volador Jr. at Sin Piedad ("No Mercy") on December 14.
Diamante Azul teamed up with rudo (a heel; someone who portrays the bad guy in wrestling) Euforia for the Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles on March 8, 2013, defeating Ángel de Oro and Ephesto in the first round before losing to Atlantis and Guerrero in the quarter-finals. On June 4, Azul defeated Bucanero to win the NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Championship, his first singles championship. On February 7, 2014, he and Black Panther lost to Bárbaro Cavernario and Mr. Niebla in the first round of the Torneo Gran Alternativa ("Great Alternative Tournament"), in which a rookie teams with a veteran. He was subsequently forced to team with Bucanero for the Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increíbles on March 14, which they ultimately lost in the semi-finals to Atlantis and Euforia. In November, Azul moved to France with his family. After not returning to CMLL for three months, the promotion stripped him of the NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Championship in February 2015. He returned in June and unsuccessfully challenged Bucanero for the title. After wrestling on-and-off, Azul made his full-time return to Mexico on May 21, 2016, resuming his work with CMLL as well as the CMLL-affiliated Elite Pro promotion. He competed for the Elite Heavyweight Championship in an eight-man battle royal, but was the fourth man eliminated by eventual match and championship winner Cibernético. On June 9, Azul worked as a rudo for one night, returning to the tecnico (a face; those that portray the good guys) side three nights later. During the Leyenda de Azul on November 18, he and Euforia were simultaneously disqualified and eliminated for unmasking each other.
At the same time, Diamante Azul feuded with Los Ingobernables (La Máscara, Pierroth and Rush), specifically with Pierroth, prompting CMLL to pair them for the Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increíbles on February 10, 2017. They defeated Corleone and Kraneo in the first round before losing to Carístico and Mephisto in the quarter-finals. Both men put their masks on the line in a Lucha de Apuestas ("bet match") at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas on March 17, where Azul defeated Pierroth, forcing him to unmask and reveal his real name. On September 1, Azul last eliminated Michael Elgin to win the International Gran Prix. At the CMLL 84th Anniversary Show on September 16, he, Corleone and Valiente defeated Nueva Generación Dinamita (El Cuatrero, Forastero and Sansón). On October 22, Azul and El Terrible defeated Blue Panther Jr., El Cuatrero, Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Kraneo, Pierroth, Rush, Shocker, Stuka Jr. and Vangellys in a torneo cibernetico to face each other for the vacant Mexican National Heavyweight Championship the following week, which El Terrible won. Azul and Pierroth placed their differences aside for the Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increíbles on February 2, 2018, but lost to Último Guerrero and Volador Jr. in the quarter-finals. On October 16, after winning a torneo cibernetico the previous week, Azul and Guerrero fought for the vacant CMLL World Heavyweight Championship, which Guerrero won. On November 11, Azul and Valiente defeated El Terrible and Rush to win the CMLL World Tag Team Championship. At Homenaje a Dos Leyendas on March 15, 2019, he, Soberano Jr. and Titán defeated Ephesto, Mephisto and Templario. On May 31, at Juicio Final ("Final Judgement"), Azul and Valiente lost the title to Euforia and Gran Guerrero. At the CMLL 86th Anniversary Show on September 27, Azul, Dulce Gardenia and Titán defeated Bucanero, Hechicero and El Hijo del Villano III by disqualification.
On February 14, 2020, Diamante Azul teamed with Gilbert el Boricua in that year's Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increíbles, defeating Guerrero Maya Jr. and Universo 2000 Jr. in the first round before losing to Bandido and Último Guerrero in the quarter-finals. He defeated El Terrible to capture the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship on September 25. On November 27, Azul was the last wrestler eliminated by Ángel de Oro in the Leyenda de Azul following a low blow by El Terrible. On April 10, 2021, he unsuccessfully challenged Guerrero for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship. In May, Diamante Azul announced his departure from CMLL as he felt his career was going nowhere, ending his twelve-year tenure with the promotion.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2012) On November 11, 2012, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) announced that Diamante Azul and Rush would team up under the name CMLL Asesino ("CMLL Assassins") for the 2012 World Tag League, which took place from November 20 through December 2. Azul and Rush, in their opening match, defeated former four-time IWGP Tag Team Champions Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima). They ended the tournament on November 28, with just four points after victories over Tencozy and Masato Tanaka and Yujiro Takahashi, finishing in last place in Group B after losses to Toru Yano and Takashi Iizuka, K.E.S. (Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith, Jr.), Manabu Nakanishi and Strongman and Shelton Benjamin and MVP. Azul and Rush finished their tour on a pay-per-view, losing to Jado and Yoshi-Hashi, who pinned Azul.
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (2021–present)