Villano III

Arturo Díaz Mendoza (March 23, 1952 - August 21, 2018) was a Mexican professional wrestler best known for performing under the ring name Villano III (in Spanish Villano Tercero). Díaz is a second generation wrestler, son of luchador Ray Mendoza and the father of professional wrestlers Villano III Jr. and El Hijo del Villano III himself.
For years Arturo Díaz was one of the featured performers for the Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) and during his career that spanned from 1970 until 2015 he worked for all major Mexican wrestling promotions such as Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) as well as a large number of notable smaller Mexican promotions like International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG). Díaz was an enmascarado, or masked wrestler, up until 2000 where he lost to Atlantis and was forced to unmask. The match against Atlantis was later named "Match of the Year" by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards.
== Career ==
==Wrestling facts==
*Finishing and signature moves
:*DDT
:*Leg drop
:*Media Cerrajera
:*Senton
*Nicknames
:*"La Pantera Rosa"
*Tag teams and stables
:*Los Villanos
*Wrestlers trained
:*Cibernetico
==Championships and accomplishments==
*Consejo Mundial De Lucha Libre
**CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F.
**Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) - with Dos Caras & Villano V
**Mexican National Atómicos Championship (1 time) - with Villano IV, Villano V & Pierroth Jr.
*International Wrestling Revolution Group
**IWRG Intercontinental Trios Championship (1 time) - with Villano IV & Villano V
*Universal Wrestling Association
**UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
**UWA World Welterweight Championship (1 time)
**WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (7 times)
*World Wrestling Council
**WWC Puerto Rican Championship (2 times)
*Wrestling Observer Newsletter
**Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class 2019)
==External links==
* Profile
* Profile
* Profile
Category:Mexican wrestlers
Category:1952 births
Category:1970 debuts
Category:Alianza Universal De Lucha Libre alumni
Category:Asistencia Asesoría y Administración alumni
Category:Baja Star's Wrestling alumni
Category:Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre alumni
Category:Desastre Total Ultraviolento alumni
Category:Dragondoor Project alumni
Category:Extreme Air Wrestling alumni
Category:Fuerza Imperial alumni
Category:Fuerza Mexicana de Lucha Libre alumni
Category:Full Contact Wrestling alumni
Category:International Wrestling League alumni
Category:International Wrestling Revolution Group alumni
Category:LEGEND Promociones alumni
Category:Los Perros Del Mal alumni
Category:Lucha VaVoom alumni
Category:New Japan Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:Promo Azteca alumni
Category:Promociones Pantera alumni
Category:Reyes del Ring alumni
Category:Super X Grand Prix Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:Todo X El Todo alumni
Category:Toryumon Mexico alumni
Category:Universal Wrestling Association alumni
Category:Universal Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:World Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:World Wrestling Council alumni
Category:World Wrestling League alumni
Category:2015 retirements
Category:Federacion Universal De Lucha Libre alumni
Category:Leyendas Inmortales de la Lucha Libre alumni
Category:Caution Wrestling Federation alumni
Category:Promociones Gutierrez alumni
Category:Promociones HUMO alumni
Category:Promociones Juniors alumni
Category:Second Generation Wrestlers
Category:Male wrestlers
Category:2018 deaths
Category:Wrestlers who have died
Category:WWF Light Heavyweight Champions