Esparza was trained for his professional wrestling career by legendary Mexican wrestling trainer Diablo Velazco before making his debut in 1975 as "Franco Columbo". Due to Velazco's connections to Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL), Mexico's largest and the world's oldest professional wrestling promotion, Columbo landed job with EMLL only a few years after making his debut. On November 1, 1980 Columbo defeated Américo Rocca to win the Mexican National Welterweight Championship, holding it for 92 days before El Supremo won it on February 1, 1981.[1] Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s Columbo began working as a trainer for EMLL (later renamed Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre; CMLL) helping improve young wrestlers under EMLL/CMLL contract. After retiring from active competition in the late 1990s, Columbo began being more involved in the booking aspects of CMLL, moving up the ranks to being second in charge along with Juan Manuel Mar. The two are currently responsible for planning CMLL's weekly shows in Arena Mexico and Arena Coliseo, CMLL's two most popular venues.
^ abRoyal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Welterweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 392. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^Lucha 2000 Staff (December 20, 2004). "Los Reyes de Mexico: La Historia de Los Campeonatos Nacionales". Lucha 2000 (in Spanish). Especial 21.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
