Mexican lucha libre lost one of its recognizable names with the death of Pedro Buenrostro Gómez, better known as Solar II, at 66 years old. His passing closes a career that stretched across decades, from a teenage debut in 1975 to championship glory and some of the sport’s most demanding rites of passage: mask victories, a title reign and the eventual losses that mark a veteran’s final chapter.
A career built on milestones
Born on October 10, 1959, in Zacoalco de Torres, Jalisco, Solar II entered professional wrestling at just 16 years old on December 25, 1975. That early start helped build a career that became tied to both identity and endurance in the ring. In 1983, he won the mask of Enfermero Jr., and in 1985 he added another signature victory by taking the mask of Belcebú.
Those moments mattered because mask matches are never just results in Mexican lucha libre; they are statements. They define reputation, elevate status and often tell fans exactly how a wrestler is viewed inside the tradition. Solar II kept adding to that legacy in 1988, when he defeated Américo Rocca to win the NWA World Welterweight Championship. For a wrestler whose career was already established, that title confirmed he was not only durable but also trusted in meaningful matches.
Later years and recognition
Solar II’s path also reflected the long arc that many respected veterans eventually face. On June 16, 2002, he lost his mask to Súper Kendo at Arena México. Later that year, on December 15, 2002, he lost his hair to Guerrero del Futuro at Arena Coliseo de la Ciudad de México. Those outcomes did not erase his achievements; they instead placed them in the broader context of a full and public wrestling life, where victories and losses both become part of the record.
After his death, The CMLL honored him on Sunday, August 23, at Arena México with a minute of applause. That tribute underscored the place he held in the history of the promotion and in lucha libre mexicana more broadly. Solar I, his brother, announced the death with deep sorrow, calling Pedro Buenrostro a beloved brother, family member and friend.
The tribute was fitting because Solar II’s legacy was built on more than a single match or a single belt. It was built on the long memory of a sport that remembers what wrestlers won, who they defeated and how they carried themselves through the changing stages of a career. At 66, Solar II leaves behind exactly that kind of record: one rooted in accomplishment, tradition and recognition from the people who knew what he meant to the ring.
