El Tigre de Setos was preparing to return November of 2022

 

The Roar That Was Silenced, But Will Maybe One Day Echo Again?

November 2022. The air crackled with anticipation. My boots were laced tighter, my training sessions were pushing me harder, and the familiar thrill of the squared circle was buzzing in my veins. El Tigre de Setos was preparing to return.

The destination: El Paso, Texas. A local wrestling company had extended an invitation, a chance to reignite the passion and step back into the spotlight. And the plans they had… they were the stuff of wrestling dreams. A singles title run. Winning the gold on my birthday. A full-blown birthday bash to celebrate. The script was written, the roar of the crowd was almost audible in my mind.

But life, as it so often does, delivered an unexpected and brutal blow. The chest pains started subtly, a nagging discomfort that quickly escalated into a terrifying reality. A heart attack. Then, a stroke. In an instant, the bright lights of the ring faded, replaced by the sterile environment of a hospital room. The carefully laid plans for El Tigre’s triumphant return were derailed, thrown off the tracks by a force I couldn’t grapple with.

The disappointment was immense, a crushing weight on top of the physical trauma. The excitement, the anticipation, the sheer joy of knowing I was on the verge of something special – all of it vanished in a haze of pain and fear. The roar of the returning tiger was silenced before it could even begin.

The road to recovery has been challenging, a different kind of fight than the ones I’m used to. It’s a battle fought not under the bright lights, but in quiet moments of therapy and perseverance. It’s a test of a different kind of strength, one that requires patience and unwavering determination.

While the immediate future may look different than I envisioned back in November 2022, the spirit of El Tigre de Setos has not been extinguished. The passion for professional wrestling still burns within me. The desire to step back into that ring, to feel the energy of the crowd, to tell stories with my body – that fire remains.

This isn’t the end of the story. It’s a new chapter, one filled with challenges, yes, but also with resilience and hope. The roar may have been silenced for a time, but mark my words, it will echo again. The tiger may be wounded, but it is far from defeated. The comeback story is just waiting to be written.

But not on this birthday I was laying flat on my back ies the hospital hooked up to heart monitors and they didn't release me until December 24th, 2022.

Stay tuned. The best is yet to come.