Rafael Núñez Juan (born October 11, 1966) is a Mexican Luchador or professional wrestler who is best known under his Ring name Scorpio Jr. Núñez is the son of professional wrestler "Scorpio", and was trained by his father and Rafael Salamanca before making his debut on August 30, 1985. Núñez was originally an Enmascarado, masked wrestler, but lost his mask as a result of a loss to the team of Negro Casas and El Hijo del Santo on March 19, 1999, after which his real identity was revealed.
Over the years Scopio Jr. has worked for virtually all major Mexican professional wrestling promotions including Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) and International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG). He is also one of the founding members of the wrestling group called Los Guapos (the Hansomes) as well as a group called Los Talibanes (the Taliban), both with longtime wrestling partners and friends Emilio Charles Jr. and Bestia Salvaje. During his time in CMLL, he won the CMLL World Tag Team Championship with Bestia Salvaje as well as the 1998 Leyenda de Plata tournament. While working for IWRG he won the IWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship on four occasions, the IWRG Intercontinental Tag Team Championship with Ricky Cruz, the IWRG Intercontinental Trios Championship with Cerebro Negro and Veneno and the 2008 Rey del Ring tournament.
Early life
Rafael Núñez Juan was born on October 11, 1966, in Mexico City, Mexico. He was the son of Rafael Núñez Contreras, who wrestled under the ring name Scorpio from the 1960s until the 1990. Originally Núñez father did not want his son to become a professional wrestler, instead encouraging him to participate in other sports instead. At the age of 14, Núñez joined the National Institute of Sport (Instituto Nacional del Deporte) where he took up Olympic wrestling, a sport he participated in for two years.
Professional wrestling career
At the age of 16 Núñez attended a professional wrestling school in Mexico City, Mexico under the tutelage of Rafale Salamanca. During his first lesson, Núñez was put through such a rigorous regime that it made him vomit. When Núñez returned for lessons the following day Salamanca agreed to train him full-time as well as getting his father to take part in his training. On August 30, 1984, Núñez made his professional wrestling debut, teaming with Pioloto Suicida against Los Bándalos (Memo Arenas and Ray Torres). Núñez initially worked as an enmascarado called Imágen but later changed his name to Scorpio Jr. - a name his godfather had used when teaming with Núñez father and a name he now used to openly acknowledge his family connections.
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (1990–2004) When Scorpio Jr. began working in Guadalajara he became a friend of Emilio Charles Jr. and Bestia Salvaje, forming a group that would team together off and on for years.