Franco Colombo, CMLL wrestling legend and programmer, dies at 73

Javier Esparza Coronado, the professional wrestler and programmer known as Franco Colombo, has died at the age of 73. His passing was confirmed by his niece via social media.

Colombo had a significant career in Mexican professional wrestling, specifically within the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), formerly known as EMLL. After training under Cuauhtémoc ‘Diablo’ Velasco and spending five years practicing Olympic and Greco-Roman wrestling, he debuted in Mexico City in 1977. During his career, he held the Mexican Welterweight Championship for 92 days between 1980 and 1981.

Beyond his time in the ring, Colombo was a vital figure in the administrative and developmental side of CMLL. He served in the programming department and is credited with overhauling the promotion's developmental system, helping to hire or train many of the company's current instructors. He worked with the promotion until 2021.