Title History
- NWA (Mid America) Southern Tag Team titles (as Blue Infernos) w/Blue Inferno beat Mario Milano & Len Rossi (October 29, 1966);
- NWA (Mid America) World Tag Team titles (as Blue Infernos) w/Blue Inferno defeating Jimmy & Billy Hines (May 11, 1967);
- NWA (Mid America) World Tag Team titles (as Blue Infernos) w/Blue Inferno defeating Gene Dundee & Jackie Fargo (March 23, 1967);
- West Virginia Heavyweight title (as Gene Madrid) defeating Jimmy Jones (January 24, 1972);
- West Virginia Heavyweight title (as Gene Madrid) defeating Cuban Assassin (April 24, 1972);
- West Virginia Heavyweight title (as Gene Madrid) defeating Frank Rodriguez (August 5, 1972);
- NWA Mid America Tag Team titles w/Leroy Rochester won a Tournament (December 25, 1977);
- NWA Mid America Tag Team titles w/Dutch Mantell defeating Bobby Eaton & Lanny Poffo (????, 1978);
- NWA Mid America Tag Team titles w/Tojo Yamamoto defeating Dutch Mantell & Ken Lucas (September 30, 1978);
- NWA (Tennessee) World Brass Knuckles title defeating Mexican Angel [Tournament] (November 15, 1978);
- NWA (Mid America) World Six Man Tag Team titles w/The Beast & Tojo Yamamoto beat Bobby Eaton & Arvil Hutto & George Gulas (January 1979);
- NWA Mid America Tag Team titles w/Tom Renesto Jr. defeating Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy (July 4, 1979);
- NWA Mid America Tag Team titles w/Tojo Yamamoto defeating Pat Rose & Rocky Brewer (March 19, 1980);
- NWA Mid America Tag Team titles w/Tojo Yamamoto defeating George Gulas & Rocky Brewer (May ??, 1980);
- AWA Southern Tag Team titles w/Skull Murphy Jr. defeating Jimmy Valiant & Rocky Johnson (May 25, 1980);
- NWA Central States Television title defeating Art Crews (September 2, 1984);
- NWA Central States Tag Team titles w/Mr. Pogo defeating Tommy Rogers & Marty Jannetty (October 11, 1984);
- USWA Junior Heavyweight title (as El Gran Pistolero) defeating Danny Davis (March 8, 1991);
Career Highlights
- Gilberto “Pepe” Melendez trained with Pedro Morales and Carlos Colon, and he wrestled in Puerto Rico before coming to the USA..
- Gilberto Melendez wrestled as as Gypsy Joe, Aztec Joe (an Indian gimmick in Mexico), & Gene Madrid (Virginia & West Virginia)..
- ~~~He also wrestled under a mask as one of the Blue Infernos (in Tennessee) and El Grande Pistolero (in USWA & WCCW)..
- 1963: Gypsy Joe debuted in the United States against Lou Albano at Sunnyside Garden in Long Island, New York..
- Gypsy Joe formed a heel tag team with Tojo Yamamoto known as the “No Pain Train” in Tennessee..
- Gypsy Joe formed a masked tag team with “Pretty Boy” Frank Martinez known as the Blue Infernos in Tennessee..
- Gypsy Joe was possibly the first wrestler to do a leap off the top of a cage, long before Jimmy Snuka did it in the WWF..
- January 15, 2005–Southern Championship Wrestling: Gypsy Joe (70+ years old) & Dan the Man beat Tim Renesto & Bobby Lowe..
- July 20, 2005–Mountain State Wrestling: Gene Madrid (Gypsy Joe) & Big Bad John beat Cuban Assassin & Dave Scott..
- July 23, 2005–Columbia Wrestling Alliance: Tommy Capone beat Gypsy Joe (sub for Arrick Andrews due to a family emergency);
- September 17, 2005–Columbia Wrestling Alliance: Gypsy Joe & Shane Morton defeated Brawler Rex & Tim Renesto by DQ..
- October 22, 2005–Columbia Wrestling Alliance: Gypsy Joe defeated Brawler Rex..
- November 23, 2005–A-1 Wrestling: Shane Eden & Hammerjack vs Gypsy Joe & Kubla Khan ended in a No Contest….
- December 1, 2005–ASW: Beau James defeated Gypsy Joe in a taped fist match..
- January 20, 2006–SWF: Anthony Ingram & Gypsy Joe vs The K.I.D. ended in a Double DQ when Yukon Jack interfered..
- January 27, 2006–Southern Wrestling Federation: Gypsy Joe (72 years old) vs Bobby Lowe ended in a draw..
- February 3, 2006–Southern Wrestling Federation: Bobby Lowe defeated Tracy Smothers and Gypsy Joe in a 3-WAY..
- April 27, 2006–Outlaw Championship Wrestling: Gene Madrid (Gypsy Joe) defeated Dan Richards…
- June 17, 2006–Championship Wrestling: Gypsy Joe defated Matt Scott….
- January 4, 2007–NWA Mid-South Wrestling: Koko B. Ware & Gypsy Joe beat Tracy Smothers & Scotty McKeever
- January 14, 2007–CAPW: Tracy Smothers (w/Gypsy Joe & J.T. Lightning) defeated Jason Bane to retain the CAPW Title..
- November 17, 2007–Ultimate Championship Wrestling: The Arabian Assassins defeated Gypsy Joe & Stevie King by DQ..
- December 28, 2007–New Focus Wrestling: Gypsy Joe defeated Just John in a Steel Cage match in Evansville, Indiana..
- July 11, 2008–NWA MSW: “Gypsy Joe” Gene Madrid & Buddy Love beat “The Cuban Assassin” Richie Acevedo & RYUGIN..
- July 19, 2008–NWA MSW: Gene Madrid defeated “Cuban Assassin” Richie Acevedo in Hinton, West Virginia..
- July 25, 2008–NWA MSW: TV Champion The Spoiler vs. Gene Madrid wrestled to a no contest in Williamsburg, WV..
- July 26, 2008–NWA MSW: Gene Madrid defeated “Cuban Assassin” Richie Acevedo in Bud, West Virginia..
- July 27, 2008–NWA MSW: The Spoiler defeated Gene Madrid to retain the MSW TV title in Alderson, WV..
- August 3, 2008–NWA MSW: Gene Madrid defeated The Masked Executioner in Matoaka, West Virginia..
- August 7, 2008–NWA MSW: Gene Madrid defeated (TV Champion) The Spoiler in a Non-title match in Hinton, WV..
- August 24, 2008–NWA MSW: Gene Madrid defeated (TV Champion) The Spoiler via DQ in Beaver, West Virginia..
- August 31, 2008–NWA MSW: Gene Madrid wrestled (TV Champion) The Spoiler ended in a draw in Princeton, West Virginia..
- September 7, 2008–NWA MSW: Gene Madrid defeated T.R. Superstar in Princeton, West Virginia..
- September 13, 2008–NWA MSW: Gene Madrid & Billy Lit defeated Johnny Blast & Scotty McKeever in Matoaka, West Virginia..
- September 27, 2008–NWA MSW: Gene Madrid vs. Scotty McKeever ended in a No Contest in Mt. Hope, West Virginia..
- January 11, 2009–NWA MSW: T.R. Superstar (T.V. Champion) defeated Gypse Joe Gene Madrid in a Non-title match..
- ~~~After being out of commission for three months due to a foot injury, Gypse Joe made his comeback to NWA MSW..
- ~In an unbelievable match against T.R. Superstar, Joe had been distracted by manager Miss Kimble costing him the match..
- ~Although he is the oldest active wrestler in the world, Gypse Joe still has attitude and the ability to put on an amazing show.
- Gypsy Joe is now taking personal appearance and autograph session bookings through Bill Behrens at www.sbibookings.com
Mike Aldren wrote (January 2011): Gyspy Joe (Gilberto Melendez, 77) often debated as the oldest active wrestler in the world is planning to retire following a match for the SWF group in Tullahoma, TN. Joe made his debut in the United States in 1963 after a brief career in Puerto Rico where he trained with the likes of Pedro Morales and Carlos Colon. He has continued to wrestle ever since. In April 2003 he was involved in a memorable hardcore match with New Jack in which, due to Joe no-selling throughout the match, Jack legitimately attacked Joe with a chain, a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, and chairs. In 2007, WWE Magazine named Joe the world’s oldest wrestler at the age of 73. In recent years, Joe has continued to wrestle regularly in the Tennessee area.
Bill Behrens wrote (November 2010): Gypsy Joe (real name Gilberto “Pepe” Melendez) is considered by many to be one of the legitimately toughest men in pro wrestling history, one of the sports great all time brawlers, and along with men like The Shiek, Terry Funk, Bruiser Brody and Abdullah The Butcher, one of the founding fathers of “hardcore” wrestling and was the first known wrestler to ever jump off a steel cage. A Puerto Rican native, Joe trained with men like Pedro Morales and Carlos Colon on the island where he briefly wrestled before moving stateside. He debuted in the United States at Sunnyside Garden in Long Island, New York in 1963. That started a career that has spanned almost 50 years in which Joe experienced success in numerous regional territories, (Tennessee, Montreal, Kansas City, West Virginia, Kentucky, Dallas), made brief stops in others (Florida, Mid Atlantic, Puerto Rico, Mid South), and became a legendary figure in Japan (IWE, AJPW, W*ING, IWA). Joe who’ll be 77 this December still wrestles occasionally,and is listed in the Guiness Book Of World Records, and was also featured in WWE magazine as the oldest active professional wrestler in the world. Joe’s most recent high profile appearance was in the corner of Necro Butcher and Eddie Kingston at the Ring Of Honor 8th Anniversary Show and he was also mentioned as one of the all time toughest wrestlers on WWE 24/7’s Legend’s Roundtable Series. .
Skott Hensley wrote (January 2006): The Man, The Myth, The Hardcore Legend, Gypsy Joe wrestles very regularly for SWF(southern wrestling federation) in Tullahoma, TN. I believe he has a home in Tullahoma as well. Our local newspaper has had a lot of articles about him, as he currently is the oldest weekly active professional wrestler. He splits his time between Tullahoma and somewhere in West Virginia I believe. At 72, he doesn’t move like he used to but he’s a legend and I think he’ll go until the day he dies.