Marcelo Andreani (February 18, 1910 â€" September 24, 1982) was a
Mexican professional wrestler best known under the ring name
"Roughouse" Jack O'Brien and worked mainly in Mexico for Empresa
Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL) where he held the Mexican National
Lightweight Championship, Mexican National Welterweight Championship
and NWA World Welterweight Championship twice during his career that
spanned from 1934 until 1956. O'Brien is credited with inventing the
Abdominal Stretch, or Tirabuzón (Spanish for "Corkscrew").Marcelo
Andreani was born on February 18, 1910 in Fossola, Carrara, Italy.
Andreani moved to Mexico with his family to study dental surgery and
played baseball in his free time. Andreani was also a talented pole
vaulter and swimmer.By 1934 Andreani had obtained Mexican citizenship
and made his professional wrestling debut in 1934, taking the ring
name "Jack O'Brien". O'Brien's athletic background and charisma
quickly made him a very popular and successful wrestler, so successful
that he became the first ever Mexican National Lightweight Champion by
defeating Dientes Hernández in the final of a tournament. O'Brien
used a move called Tirabuzón, the Mexican version of the "Abdominal
Stretch" which O'Brien is credited with introducing to Lucha libre.
O'Brien held the Lightweight title from 1934 until June 28, 1937 when
Dientes Hernández defeated him to win the championship. The following
May O'Brian regained the Lightweight title and held it for two years
before Bobby Bonales defeated him for the championship on May 5, 1940.
After losing the lightweight championship O'Brien moved into the
Welterweight division, probably the most prestigious weight class in
Mexico at the time. On November 23, 1941 Jack O'Brien defeated Lobo
Negro to win the Mexican National Welterweight Championship. O'Brien
held the title for just over four months before losing it to Ciclón
Veloz. After the loss of the Welterweight title O'Brien began a long
running, very successful storyline feud with El Santo and Gory
Guerrero, the team known as La Pareja Atómica ("The Atomic Pair"). On
February 18, 1944, O'Brien defeated El Santo to win the Mexican
National Welterweight Championship, a rare loss for El Santo at the
time. El Santo gained a measure of revenge that same year when he
defeated O'Brien in a Luchas de Apuesta, hair vs. mask match on April
8, forcing O'Brien to have his head shaved bald per Lucha Libre
traditions. On April 20, 1945, Santo's partner Guerrero defeated
O'Brien to win the Mexican Welterweight Championship. O'Brien
participated in the tournament to crown the first ever World
Welterweight Championship (a title that was later renamed the "NWA
World Welterweight Championship" when EMLL joined the National
Wrestling Alliance). O'Brien lost to El Santo in the final, but
managed to win the title from El Santo on February 14, 1947. O'Brien
held the World Welterweight title for over two years until losing it
to Gory Guerrero on April 29, 1949.After losing the Welterweight title
O'Brien began teaming with Rito Romero, forming a team called La
Pareja Perfecta ("The perfect team") by the fans and promoters alike
for their smooth teamwork and timing. O'Brien also began wrestling in
Texas around the same time, working for various Texas promotions under
the name "Roughhouse" Jack O'Brien. In 1952 O'Brien appeared in his
first Lucha film as he both acted and wrestled in the movie Huracán
RamÃrez, he was also one of the men that found Daniel Garzia to fill
the role of the title star. He also appeared in two more movies El
Enmascarado de Plata and La Bestia Maginfica. Along with acting
O'Brian also tried his hand at promoting wrestling events in 1952,
funded by the Televicentro network O'Brien and promoters Jesús Garza
and ElÃas Krui were the first promoters to oppose Salvador
Lutteroth's EMLL wrestling empire in Mexico. When funding for the
promotion ran out O'Brien made peace with the Lutteroth family,
retired from active wrestling and started working as a local promoter
for EMLL in Acapulco, Guerrero and Mexico City. He later retired from
promotion when he was offered a government job in Cuernavaca, Morelos
by the newly elected governor, who was a college friend. O'Brien
briefly returned to wrestling in the mid-1960s working as the
enmascarado (masked) character "Doctor O'Brian", teaming with Doctor
O'Borman. After his brief foray into wrestling he became the official
doctor of the Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua wrestling commission. O'Brien
died on September 14, 1982.
Mexican professional wrestler best known under the ring name
"Roughouse" Jack O'Brien and worked mainly in Mexico for Empresa
Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL) where he held the Mexican National
Lightweight Championship, Mexican National Welterweight Championship
and NWA World Welterweight Championship twice during his career that
spanned from 1934 until 1956. O'Brien is credited with inventing the
Abdominal Stretch, or Tirabuzón (Spanish for "Corkscrew").Marcelo
Andreani was born on February 18, 1910 in Fossola, Carrara, Italy.
Andreani moved to Mexico with his family to study dental surgery and
played baseball in his free time. Andreani was also a talented pole
vaulter and swimmer.By 1934 Andreani had obtained Mexican citizenship
and made his professional wrestling debut in 1934, taking the ring
name "Jack O'Brien". O'Brien's athletic background and charisma
quickly made him a very popular and successful wrestler, so successful
that he became the first ever Mexican National Lightweight Champion by
defeating Dientes Hernández in the final of a tournament. O'Brien
used a move called Tirabuzón, the Mexican version of the "Abdominal
Stretch" which O'Brien is credited with introducing to Lucha libre.
O'Brien held the Lightweight title from 1934 until June 28, 1937 when
Dientes Hernández defeated him to win the championship. The following
May O'Brian regained the Lightweight title and held it for two years
before Bobby Bonales defeated him for the championship on May 5, 1940.
After losing the lightweight championship O'Brien moved into the
Welterweight division, probably the most prestigious weight class in
Mexico at the time. On November 23, 1941 Jack O'Brien defeated Lobo
Negro to win the Mexican National Welterweight Championship. O'Brien
held the title for just over four months before losing it to Ciclón
Veloz. After the loss of the Welterweight title O'Brien began a long
running, very successful storyline feud with El Santo and Gory
Guerrero, the team known as La Pareja Atómica ("The Atomic Pair"). On
February 18, 1944, O'Brien defeated El Santo to win the Mexican
National Welterweight Championship, a rare loss for El Santo at the
time. El Santo gained a measure of revenge that same year when he
defeated O'Brien in a Luchas de Apuesta, hair vs. mask match on April
8, forcing O'Brien to have his head shaved bald per Lucha Libre
traditions. On April 20, 1945, Santo's partner Guerrero defeated
O'Brien to win the Mexican Welterweight Championship. O'Brien
participated in the tournament to crown the first ever World
Welterweight Championship (a title that was later renamed the "NWA
World Welterweight Championship" when EMLL joined the National
Wrestling Alliance). O'Brien lost to El Santo in the final, but
managed to win the title from El Santo on February 14, 1947. O'Brien
held the World Welterweight title for over two years until losing it
to Gory Guerrero on April 29, 1949.After losing the Welterweight title
O'Brien began teaming with Rito Romero, forming a team called La
Pareja Perfecta ("The perfect team") by the fans and promoters alike
for their smooth teamwork and timing. O'Brien also began wrestling in
Texas around the same time, working for various Texas promotions under
the name "Roughhouse" Jack O'Brien. In 1952 O'Brien appeared in his
first Lucha film as he both acted and wrestled in the movie Huracán
RamÃrez, he was also one of the men that found Daniel Garzia to fill
the role of the title star. He also appeared in two more movies El
Enmascarado de Plata and La Bestia Maginfica. Along with acting
O'Brian also tried his hand at promoting wrestling events in 1952,
funded by the Televicentro network O'Brien and promoters Jesús Garza
and ElÃas Krui were the first promoters to oppose Salvador
Lutteroth's EMLL wrestling empire in Mexico. When funding for the
promotion ran out O'Brien made peace with the Lutteroth family,
retired from active wrestling and started working as a local promoter
for EMLL in Acapulco, Guerrero and Mexico City. He later retired from
promotion when he was offered a government job in Cuernavaca, Morelos
by the newly elected governor, who was a college friend. O'Brien
briefly returned to wrestling in the mid-1960s working as the
enmascarado (masked) character "Doctor O'Brian", teaming with Doctor
O'Borman. After his brief foray into wrestling he became the official
doctor of the Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua wrestling commission. O'Brien
died on September 14, 1982.
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