The Life & Death Of Lucha Libre Legend Art Barr, Explained
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In the early 1990s, a new generation of smaller, fast, cruiserweight wrestlers originated outside the United States. This brought the world wrestlers like Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, and more. However, one man who looked like he was one his way to super-stardom was Art Barr. Sadly, this all ended prematurely when Barr died. By this time, he had an influence on several of his contemporaries and left his mark on the industry.
Art Barr Was A Second-Generation Star Who Struggled To Make His Mark
Art Barr was a second-generation star, but that didn't give him a real springboard into the world of professional wrestling. Art was the son of Sandy Barr, a wrestler and promoter from the Portland, Oregon area. Sandy worked in the Pacific Northwest and helped train wrestlers like Jesse Barr (Jimmy Jack Funk), Matt Borne, Velvet McIntyre, and his own son, Art Barr. However, what kept Art from following his dad's steps in the business was a troubled past. It isn't like he didn't have a good launching point though.
When Art Barr began working in the Pacific Northwest, he had his dad's name behind him to help him start, but it was thanks to another wrestler who broke out in the Pacific Northwest that Art got his chance on his first big stage. That was his close friend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and he suggested that Art take on a gimmick to help get him over. That gimmick was Beetlejuice, which was based on the character from the 1988 movie. He painted his face, added flour to his hair, and became a caratoonish and popular character in the Pacific Northwest. Soon though, his time in Oregon came to an end thanks to a real-life situation.
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Art Barr Was Banned From The Pacific Northwest
Art Barr had some personal difficulties that caused his banishment from the Pacific Northwest. First up, he had a 19-year-old woman file rape charges against him, and he ended up pleading guilty in exchange for probation, a fine, and community service. While this became a public case, his popularity waned. However, he ended up banished for a very different reason. The state of Oregon refused to renew his license to wrestle there because he had a conviction for possession of cocaine that he withheld from his application. This meant that he had to leave the Pacific Northwest, and he next popped up in WCW.
In 1990, WCW brought in Barr and wanted to keep the Beetlejuice gimmick, but since they were a national promotion by this time, they changed his name to the Juicer to avoid copyright infringement. However, when his rape conviction became more known nationally, WCW released him from his contract and he ended up going south of the border. This is where he met Eddie Guerrero and became a star. Barr worked in Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) as The Love Machine and soon joined up with Eddie in a tag team known as La Pareja del Terror. They ended up winning the AAA World Tag Team Championship. The future looked bright.
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While Finding Success With Eddie Guerrero In AAA, Art Barr Died At 28
Sadly, Art Barr died when he was 28. According to several sources, Barr began to abuse drugs and alcohol while working in Mexico, citing a homesickness and a desire to become a star in the United States. Barr finally got a huge chance to show what he could do when he and Eddie battled El Hijo del Santo and Octagon in a hair vs. mask match at the PPV When World's Collide, one of the best matches in AAA history. However, he died two weeks later. On November 23, 1994, Art Barr died from unknown circumstances, although some believe it was an aneurysm while sleeping pills were found in his system.
In a shoot interview, a very distraught Eddie Guerrero said that he was in Japan and got a call from his "soon to be ex-wife" to let him know that Art had died of what looked like an overdose. "I couldn't believe it," Eddie said. "I couldn't accept it. It took me a good hour to accept it. I just couldn't believe it." Eddie went on to say that Art's death personally affected him, and he still thought about it years later. "I knew Art didn't want to die," he said. "He wanted to live for his daughter at that time, and he was going to have another one. I know he didn't want to die." Eddie did say that Art's death made him more appreciative of his life "at that time." He also said it scared him off a lot of things "at that time." In a bit of a sad ending, Eddie then said that Art's death "lit a fire under my a**" in the business to make money just in case anything ever happened to him, so he could make sure his family had something when he was gone.
