Rocky Romero

Rocky Romero
Romero in April 2025
Birth name	John Raymond Rivera
Born	(1982-10-28) October 28, 1982 (age 42)[1] Havana, Cuba
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Azteko Black Emperor Black Tiger (IV) Chico El Luchador Grey Shadow Havana Brother I El Mono Negro Rocky Romero
Billed height	173 cm (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Billed weight	80 kg (176 lb)[1]
Billed from	Havana, Cuba Roppongi, Japan Los Angeles, California[1]
Trained by	Kevin Quinn Jesse Hernandez Bill Anderson Antonio Inoki Shinya Makabe Negro Casas
Debut	September 13, 1997

John Raymond Rivera (born October 28, 1982), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッキー・ロメロ, Rokkī Romero), is a Cuban-American professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Don Callis Family and one-half of Roppongi Vice with Trent Beretta. He also makes appearances for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), as well as Major League Wrestling (MLW). Also known by his nickname "Azúcar (sugar in Spanish)", he is best known for his accomplishments as a tag team wrestler. He was a member of the Chaos stable until their disbandment in 2025. He was member of tag teams like The Havana Pitbulls/Los Cubanitos, Forever Hooligans, and Roppongi Vice. His tenure as the fourth incarnation of Black Tiger was also met with praise and recognition.

Rivera made his in-ring debut on September 13, 1997, and, over the years, he portrayed several different characters including masked luchadores and has wrestled extensively in Mexico for both Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and Lucha Libre AAA World Wide. In the United States, he is known for his work with Ring of Honor as a member of No Remorse Corps, and was one of the featured wrestlers for Lucha Libre USA.

As a singles wrestler, Romero won the CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship on three occasions, the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship, the MLW World Middleweight Championship, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (as Black Tiger) and the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. In the tag team division, he is a former three-time ROH World Tag Team Champion and a record eight-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. Romero's wrestling style incorporates stiff shoot-style kicks and multiple arm-lock variations resembling mixed martial arts, competing in lucha libre style events in Mexico early in his career.

In addition to his work in the ring, behind the scenes Romero is considered one of the most influential figures in professional wrestling, working as a liaison between AEW, CMLL, and NJPW, amongst many other behind-the-scenes duties. Through his work, Romero has helped forge strong ties between the three international promotions.