Wrestler Arrested After Referee Dies From Piledriver, Charged With Manslaughter

A wrestler in Mexico was arrested and hit with criminal charges after he slammed a referee to the canvas during a match and apparently killed him ... and it's all on video.

Shocking footage shows Hijo de Fishman -- a wrestler clad in a facemask and green pants -- picking up legendary ref Gerardo Germán Pineda and slamming him to the ground. The ref rolls around on the canvas, seemingly in pain.

According to reports ... Hijo de Fishman later performed a piledriver on Pineda, who fell unconscious after the move and was ultimately pronounced dead at the venue.

Hijo de Fishman was detained and later handed over to prosecutors on a culpable homicide charge ... akin to manslaughter.

Steph Heredia, an onlooker quoted in The Daily Star, claimed the wrestler argued with the official before executing the move. She says she and other members of the crowd thought the piledriver was just part of the show.

Pineda -- a former wrestler-turned-referee known as El Búho -- worked in wrestling for decades. He was 75 years old.