Chris Romero, who was part of the Youngblood family of wrestlers, has died at the of 55, according to his brother Ricky Romero Jr.
Chris was born into the wrestling business on February 10, 1966, in Amarillo, Texas. He was the son of well-regarded figure Ricky Romero, who had six children including four that followed his path into professional wrestling.
Chris was the younger brother of Steve, who wrestled as Jay Youngblood, and Mark Youngblood.
Jay is among the underrated babyface performers of a bygone era where he was part of a legendary team with Ricky Steamboat that dominated the Mid-Atlantic tag scene from 1979 through 1983.
The two were part of a legendary program against Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle that culminated with ‘The Final Conflict’ on March 12, 1983, packed the Greensboro Coliseum and turned away thousands. The success of the event paved the way for the launch of Starrcade later that year.
Sadly, Jay, who battled alcohol abuse, died of a heart attack in September 1985 when he was only 30 years of age while on a tour in Australia. The coroner’s report listed a variety of issues including acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis, renal failure, abdominal sepsis, pneumococcal septicemia, and cardiorespiratory arrest.
Chris began wrestling professionally the same year and would form a team with brother Mark as they traveled to many promotions.
In 1987, they began wrestling in All Japan Pro Wrestling and competed in that year’s Real World Tag League where they finished with two points. Later in their careers, they returned to AJPW and worked consistently in Japan from 1992 to 1996.
The two had stops in World Class Championship Wrestling, and then a prolonged run with the World Wrestling Council (WWC). While in Puerto Rico, the brothers won the WWC Tag Team Championship six times beginning in January 1987 when they defeated Chicky & Ron Starr. They would bounce the titles around while feuding with Los Pastores (The Sheepherders, The Bushwhackers), Mr. Pogo & TNT (Savio Vega), and Bob Brown & Dale Veasey.
The brothers were present at Juan Loubriel Stadium on July 16, 1988, when Frank ‘Bruiser Brody’ Goodish was stabbed in the locker room and died. That night, the Youngbloods worked against The Ninja Express team of Mr. Pogo and Kendo Nagasaki.
Their final reign as tag champions occurred in October 1989 when they beat Rip Rogers & Abudda Dein and dropped them in February 1990 to Cuban Assassin & Ron Starr.
The Youngbloods also held the WWC Caribbean Tag Championship three times between 1987-1989.
After wrestling for the USWA as ‘Pronto’ with Devastation Inc., Chris would join WCW along with brother Mark as The Renegade Warriors in 1990. At that year’s Halloween Havoc show at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, they lost to Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin.
The Youngbloods wrestled on several Clash of the Champions cards beating The Nasty Boys by DQ on Nov. 20, 1990, right before Knobs & Saggs were finishing up to leave for the WWF.
On Jan. 30, 1991, The Renegade Warriors lost to Arn Anderson & Barry Windham at the Clash of the Champions event in Gainesville, Georgia.
After WCW, they went to the Global Wrestling Federation where they participated in the promotion’s North American Tag Team Title Tournament, which was won by Steve Simpson & Chris Walker.
Throughout the ‘90s, they wrestled primarily for All Japan Pro Wrestling. Chris would continue his career with a run in FMW and then, on the Texas independent scene before winding down his in-ring career in April 2007.
In Texas, he opened the Romero Academy of Wrestling and would operate several groups including the Professional Wrestling Federation and later, the Renegade Outlaw Wrestling promotion.
His father Ricky passed away at the age of 74 in January 2006.
The Youngbloods were honored together at the Cauliflower Alley Club banquet in 2015.
Chris’ brother Ricky Romero Jr. announced his brother’s passing on Wednesday morning.
Additional notes:
– Chris Youngblood of Famed Romero Clan Dies by Greg Oliver at SLAM Wrestling
– The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams by Oliver & Steven Johnson
– Jay Youngblood: A Daughter Remembers by Mike Mooneyham
