LONDON — A Mexican wrestler and actor who appeared in the movie “Nacho Libre” died Saturday after collapsing during a match.
Cesar Cuauhtemoc Gonzalez Barron, the lucha libre wrestling star known as Silver King, died during a performance Saturday at The Roadhouse in London. He was 51.
Gonzalez was facing Juventud Guerrera, or Youth Warrior, when he became unresponsive, The New York Times reports.
Promoter Lucha Libre World said in a statement Gonzalez "suffered what we believe was a cardiac arrest while performing in the show and sadly passed away."
Gonzalez also competed as Silver King in World Championship Wrestling from 1997 and 2000.
“A champion luchador in his native Mexico, Silver King entertained audiences across the globe,” World Wrestling Entertainment said in a release. “And was a standout in WCW’s Cruiserweight division in the late 90s.”
He appeared as a champion wrestler and comic villain in the 2006 movie "Nacho Libre," which starred Jack Black.
“Vaya con dios, hermano (Go with God, brother),” Black wrote on social media with an old photo of Gonzalez on the set during filming.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.