Former WCW And WWF Wrestler Jumbo Baretta Passes Away

The wrestling world is mourning the loss of Julio Barrera, best known to fans as Jumbo Baretta, who has passed away. News of his death was shared by the Cauliflower Alley Club on X, with the organization posting a heartfelt tribute reflecting on a friendship that spanned nearly four decades.

“This one truly hurts,” the tribute read. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Jumbo, a good friend whom I was honored and privileged to know for nearly 40 years. I send my sincerest condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace old friend.”

Baretta broke into the wrestling business in 1986, training under the legendary Boris Malenko — the father of Joe and Dean Malenko, and a man whose Florida-based training camps helped shape generations of talent. From there, Baretta carved out a career that took him through numerous NWA territories during a period when regional promotions still served as the backbone of American professional wrestling. He also worked for WCW during its run as one of the industry’s flagship companies, and picked up a handful of appearances with the WWF as well, giving him credits across all three of the major banners of his era.

Baretta continued wrestling for decades after his debut, with his final match coming in 2013 — a career arc of nearly 30 years that speaks to his durability and standing within the business, even if he never became a marquee headliner on national television.

For longtime fans and students of wrestling history, names like Jumbo Baretta represent the deep bench of talent that kept the territorial system and the undercards of larger promotions running throughout the 1980s, 90s, and 2000s. Wrestlers who worked NWA territories alongside stints in WCW and WWF were often the connective tissue of the business — journeymen who helped build stars, filled out cards night after night, and passed knowledge down to the next generation of performers, much as Boris Malenko had done for him.

Tributes from organizations like the Cauliflower Alley Club, which has long served as a fraternal and charitable organization for professional wrestlers, underscore how much Baretta meant personally to those who crossed paths with him across his career. As more remembrances surface from peers and fans who watched him compete, the full picture of his impact on the business figures to come into sharper focus.

PW Exclusive sends its condolences to Julio Barrera’s family, friends, and everyone in the wrestling community touched by his career.

Rest in Peace, My Friend Jumbo Beretta.

This one truly hurts. I am deeply saddened by the passing of Jumbo, a good friend whom I was honored and privileged to know for nearly 40 years. I send my sincerest condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace old friend. pic.twitter.com/3gJyxfZnyN

— Cauliflower Alley Club (@CACReunion) October 25, 2026