Fernando or epico

**Orlando Colón** (born March 24, 1982) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler Currently signed to WWE.

```
He began his training at Dan "The Beast" Severn's, Michigan Sports

```

Camps and competing in Price of Glory Wrestling (Coldwater, MI) in 2004.

```
He was also working with Hybrid Pro Wrestling, an independent circuit

```

in Schoolcraft, Michigan. In 2006, Colón debuted in the World Wrestling Council, a promotion owned by his uncle, Carlos Colón. His cousins are Primo and former WWE wrestler, Carlito. While working with WWC, he had a brief participation in Pro Wrestling Zero1. In January 2010, Colón left the WWC after signing a development contract with WWE where he appears as **Fernando** (formerly as Epico), where he was one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with his real-life cousin Primo. He also works for World Wrestling Council.

## Professional wrestling career

### Hybrid Pro Wrestling (2005)

Colón began wrestling in the independent circuit of the United States, performing in Hybrid Pro Wrestling, a promotion based in Schoolcraft, Michigan.
 He was given a villainous persona, which noted his lineage as a member
of the Colón family, as well as a gimmick of "winning by any means
necessary", emphasizing his heel character. It was in this promotion
that he first used his finisher move, a swinging half nelson with leg
capture dubbed "Orlando's Magic". Concurrently, he worked three dates
for Price Of Glory Wrestling and eight for Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South.
 Colón participated in the tournament to crown the first Hybrid Pro
Wrestling Champion. In the first round, he was booked against CJ Otis,
being eliminated after losing the contest by pinfall due to
interference.[2]
 Subsequently, Colón created a tag team with independent wrestler Jack
Thriller, from Honolulu, Hawaii. The team began a feud with Jayson Quick
 and Josh Abercrombie, which was scheduled to conclude at a special
event titled *Phase: One*.[3]
 However, Colón was included in an angle where he provoked Quick,
engaging in a public fight. As part of the storyline, Colón and Quick
were banned from participating at *Phase: One* by the HPW Championship Committee.[3]
 He was said to be cleared to return, but as part of the angle Colón
refused to wrestle in the promotion until the company compensated him.[3] This storyline was used to explain Colón's departure from the company due to moving back to Puerto Rico.

### World Wrestling Council (2006–2010; 2012)

Colón debuted as the mystery opponent in a stipulation match that
promoted the debut of "another member of the Colón family". Shortly
afterwards, he made his return to the company under a masked gimmick
named "Fireblaze". Under this ring name he won his first title in the
promotion, the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship, being booked to defeat "El Bronco" Ramón Álvarez.
 During the following six months, Colón dropped and recovered the title
twice, before dropping it a final time on March 24, 2007. He continued
using the pseudonism and was included in a feud with Bronco. The
storyline concluded at Aniversario 2007, where he dropped a retirement
& mask vs. retirement match between them, revealing his identity.
During the first half of 2008, WWC organized a tournament for the vacant
 WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship. The event presented a purported
 points system, in which Colón gained an early and decisive lead.
Concurrent to this tournament, he entered in a feud with El Condor, a
masked character played by Ray González.
 After defeating El Condor one week before Honor vs. Traicion, a
stipulation match was scheduled for that event, in which El Condor would
 receive the same amount of points held by Colón. At the event, Colón
was booked to lose the match. The angle between both wrestlers
continued, before serving as a transition to a feud between an unmasked
Gonzalez and the other members of the Colón family. Subsequently, Colón
continued his involvement in the tournament, entering a feud with the
second seed, Noriega. The finals were held at Aniversario 2008, with
Noriega defeating Colón to win the Universal Heavyweight Championship.
He continued performing in contests against both González and Noriega,
who assaulted him in a backstage segment.[4][5]
 After Noriega abandoned the company, Colón moved on to feud with
Gonzalez, exchanging victories with him. On September 6, 2008, Colón
defeated Steve Corino.[6]
 Following this, Colón suffered an injury that kept him out of being
booked in matches, while participating in backstage segments.[7]

In December 2009, Colón appeared in a spot where he signed a legal
documment that allowed El Bronco to return to the promotion, in order to
 fight against González, who had now received a face persona. At
Euphoria 2009, Colón returned as a masked heel wrestler, subsequently
introduced as La Pesadilla, attacking González.[8]
 Meanwhile, he also continued performing backstage as a face under his
former character. The angle continued, with La Pesadilla performing
multiple attacks and interventions against Gonzalez, who offered a
ransom of $5,000 for the wrestler’s identity and contracted a private
investigator.[9][10] As a result of this, two more masked wrestlers began serving as bodyguards.[11] La Pesadilla’s in-ring debut took place at *Camino a la Gloria 2009*,

```
where he defeated Shane Sewell. On that same night, Colón wrestled

```

under his face character, performing against Bronco. The match was won
by Bronco, after González entered dressed as La Pesadilla and
interrupted the action. After the contest, González gave Colón the mask,

```
revealing him as the wrestler responsible for the attacks against him.

```

The feud peaked at the promotion’s top annual event, Aniversario 2009.
Here Colón was booked to lose against González in a contest that
featured Félix Trinidad

```
as the guest referee, dropping the mask and adopting the pseudonym

```

Orlando "La Pesadilla" Colón. After this event, Colón formed a heel
stable with Hiram Tua Mulero, subsequently including Eric Pérez.

```
As the leader, he continued feuds with González and the company’s face

```

faction. While leading the group, Colón won his fifth Puerto Rico
Heavyweight Championship, being placed over Shane Sewell on September
26, 2009. After WWC closed its 2009 season, he participated in a tryout
for World Wrestling Entertainment

```
(WWE) held in December, signing a developmental contract immediately

```

after concluding his performance. In the first event of 2010, Euphoria,
Colón was placed over his cousin and WWE wrestler, Eddie Colón. During
the following months, the stable was systematically dismantled, Mulero
received a gimmick change and returned as an unrelated masked wrestler,
while Pérez left WWC to work for Combat Championship Wrestling and
American Combat Wrestling. Ultimately, Colón dropped the Puerto Rico
Heavyweight Championship and left the promotion to join Florida Championship Wrestling.

```
At Aniversario 2010, he was booked to win his sixth WWC Puerto Rico

```

Heavyweight Championship, which he went on to lose to Carlitos on
September 25, 2010. At Septiembre Negro 2011, he won his first WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship over Chavo Guerrero. In his last days with the company, Colón had a minor role as a booker.

### Pro Wrestling Zero1 (2009)

On March 4, 2009, Pro Wrestling Zero1 based in Japan, announced that Colón would debut in the company.[12]
 His inclusion was as part of a heel faction named "Premium Wrestling
Federation" or P.W.F., led by Steve Corino, which was "invading" the
company. In his debut, he was teamed with Sonjay Dutt to perform against Shinjiro Otani and Ikuto Hidaka.
 The P.W.F. won this match-up at the 15:09 mark, when Colón utilized his
 finisher move, Orlando's Magic, on Hidaka to score a pinfall.[13]
 Subsequently, all members of the P.W.F. participated in a sketch that
involved invading the residence of several young Pro Wrestling Zero1
performers.[13] In only his second appearance within the promotion, Colón was booked in a championship contest against Shinjiro Otani, for the World Heavyweight Championship. The match-up was won by Otani, who utilized his finisher, the Spiral Bomb, to score a pinfall.[13]
 Meanwhile, the WWC promoted his participation in Japan as a "test
tryout". The company avoided mentioning Colón's heel character in Pro
Wrestling Zero1, and continued booking him as a face until *Camino a la Gloria 2009*.

### World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE

#### Florida Championship Wrestling (2010–2011)

Colón debuted on March 11, 2010, teaming with Johnny Prime and Incognito and being booked to defeat Tyler Reks, Derrick Bateman and Vance Archer.The promotion's creative team gave him a new ring name
 "Tito Nieves", which was quickly changed to "Tito Colon". Subsequently,
 his character was revamped as a masked wrestler called "Dos Equis"
(After the Dos Equis beer), while Incognito was renamed Hunico and their team was named *Los Aviadores* (Spanish for "The Aviators") On June 3, 2010 *Los Aviadores* defeated the Uso Brothers to win the Florida Tag Team Championship.[14] Shortly after, his character was renamed again, now being known as "Dynamico" and then "Epico". On July 15 *Los Aviadores* lost the tag team titles to Kaval and Michael McGillicutty,[15] but regained the titles the following day in a rematch.[16] On August 12, 2010, Epico and Hunico lost the tag team championship to Johnny Curtis and Derrick Bateman in a three-way match, also involving the team of Donny Marlow and Brodus Clay.[17] Following this, his gimmick was changed back to Tito Colon. In mid-2011, he joined a stable known as The Ascension or *La Ascención* led by Ricardo Rodriguez, which also consists of Conor O'Brian, Kenneth Cameron, and Raquel Diaz.

#### Teaming with Primo (2011–2013)

Main article: Primo & Epico

Epico (back) as the WWE Tag Team Champion with Primo and Rosa Mendes at WrestleMania XXVIII.

On the November 4 episode of *SmackDown*, Colón made his debut on the main roster as a heel, under the **Epico** name but without the mask, losing to Sin Cara by disqualification after interference by his Los Aviadores tag team partner Hunico, who Sin Cara had recently unmasked.[18] The following week, Epico and Hunico teamed up in a winning effort against the Usos, with Epico's cousin Primo in Los Aviadores' corner.[19] Epico then began teaming with Primo, with Rosa Mendes as their manager, where they defeated The Usos on the November 17 episode of *WWE Superstars*.[20] They then began a feud with WWE Tag Team Champions Air Boom (Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston), defeating them in tag team and singles matches.[21]<[22][23] On December 18 at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Epico and Primo failed to capture the WWE Tag Team Championships from Air Boom.[24] Their feud with Air Boom continued in singles and non-title matches, with both teams trading off victories.[25][26][27]

At a *Raw* live event on January 15, 2012, in Oakland, California, Epico and Primo defeated Air Boom to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.[28] The following night on *Raw*, Primo and Epico successfully defended their titles against Air Boom in a rematch.[29] On the February 27 edition of *Raw*, Primo and Epico successfully defended their titles in a Triple Threat tag team match against the teams of Kofi Kingston & R-Truth and Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger.[30] In the pre-show of WrestleMania XXVIII, Epico and Primo successfully defended their titles against the Usos and Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd in a triple threat tag team match.[31] On the April 30 episode of *Raw*, Epico and Primo lost the tag team titles to Kofi Kingston and R-Truth.[32] In May, Primo, Epico and Mendes joined A. W.'s talent agency.[33] However, at the No Way Out pay-per-view in June, A.W. turned on them during their number one contender Fatal Four-Way tag team match and aligned with the Prime Time Players (Titus O'Neil and Darren Young).[34] The following night on *Raw*, Primo and Epico defeated the Prime Time Players by count-out after O'Neil and Young walked out of the match.[35] The teams continued their feud on *Superstars*, where Epico lost to Young and Primo beat O'Neil in singles matches.[36][37] At Money in the Bank, Primo and Epico defeated Young and O'Neil in a tag team match.[38] The feud ended in August when A.W. was released from WWE.[39] At the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Epico took part in a 10 man elimination tag team match, but was eliminated by Tyson Kidd.[40] Primo & Epico could not find any wins after August 2012, and by the first *SmackDown* of 2013, Primo was on a 20 match losing streak, and Epico was at 17.[41] On the January 9, 2013 episode of *NXT*, Primo & Epico broke their losing streaks with a win over Bo Dallas & Michael McGillicutty.[42] However, Dallas & McGillicutty gained revenge by defeating Primo & Epico in the first round of the NXT Tag Team Championship tournament to crown the inaugural champions.[43]

#### Los Matadores (2013-Present)

In 2013, Primo & Epico changed their gimmick to Los Matadores.

On the August 19, 2013 episode of *Raw*, a vignette was aired introducing a new tag team that will be known as **Los Matadores**, which will be Primo and Epico wrestling as masked matadors.[44] Later, on the September 30 edition of *Raw*, Primo and Epico debuted as **Los Matadores**, as a face of a team of two masked Spanish bullfighters with El Torito as mascot and faced 3MB in a winning effort.[45][46] On April 6, 2014 Los Matadores would face off against; The Usos, Rybaxel, and The Real Americans on the WrestleMania XXX Pre-show in a Fatal four-way Elimination match for the WWE Tag Team Championship.

```
Los Matadores would be unsuccessful in their bid to become champions

```

however, when they were eliminated first. On June 23 WWE.com reported
that Fernando was injured at a live event that past weekend. He returned

```
to action on the August 19 episode of *Main Event*, teaming with Diego but losing to Slater-Gator (Heath Slater and Titus O'Neil). on the September 9 edition of Main Event. Los Matadores faced the NXT Tag Team Champions The Ascension in a losing effort.

```

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ As **Fernando**
		- Double knee facebreaker
		- *Backstabber* (Double knee backbreaker)[47]
	+ As **Epico**
		- *Backstabber* (Double knee backbreaker)[47] — WWE; adopted from his cousin Primo

* **Signature moves**
	+ As **Fernando**
		- Diving double finger thrusts[48][49]
		- Multiple flying forearm smashes[48][49]
		- Standing hurricanrana[49]
		- Swinging neckbreaker[48]
	+ **As Epico**
		- Belly-to-back suplex [50] - usually executes 3 times in a row
		- Butterfly suplex[51]
		- Dropkick[51][52]
		- Flying clothesline[52]
		- German suplex, sometimes preceded by two belly-to-back suplexes[47]
		- Gory special[51]
		- Monkey flip[53]
		- Slingshot elbow drop[54]
		- Slingshot somersault senton[55]
		- Springboard tornado DDT[56]

* **Managers**
	+ A.W[33]
	+ Rosa Mendes
	+ **El Torito**

* **Entrance themes**
	+ "Let Battle Commence" by Daniel Nielsen (FCW; 2011; Used while a part of The Ascension)
	+ "Wrong Time (A)" (November 4, 2011)
	+ "Barcode" by Jack Elliot (November 17, 2011 – June 28, 2012; Used while teaming with Primo)
	+ "Enchanted Isle" by Jim Johnston (July 13, 2012 - January 9, 2013)
	+ **"Olé Olé"** by Jim Johnston (September 30, 2013 – present)

## Championships and accomplishments

* **Florida Championship Wrestling**
	+ FCW Florida Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Hunico[14][16]
* **Pro Wrestling Illustrated**
	+ PWI ranked him #**76** of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2012[57]
* **World Wrestling Council**
	+ WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
* **WWE**
	+ WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Primo[58]