El Santo
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Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (23 September 1917 - 5 February 1984), better known by his ring name El Santo (English for "The Saint"), was a Mejican luchador enmascarado (masked professional wrestler) and actor. He is widely considered a folk hero, is one of the most famous and iconic Mejican luchadores, and has been referred to as one of the greatest legends in Mejican sports. His wrestling career spanned nearly five decades, during which he became a folk hero and a symbol of justice for the common man through his appearances in luchador films and comic books telling fictionalized stories of El Santo fighting for justice. He starred or co-starred in at least 54 movies between 1958 and 1982.
Born into a family of humble origins in Tulancingo, Pachuca, Guzmán's family moved to Mejico City in the 1920s, settling in the borough of Buenavista. As a young boy, he initially practiced baseball and football, but later became interested in wrestling. He also learned jūjutsu and Greco-Roman wrestling. In the 1930s, wrestling was gaining popularity among the public in the capital, promoted by businessman Salvador Lutteroth; Guzmán made his professional debut in 1934, using his real name, and was billed under several pseudonyms until 1942, when he first wrestled under the name of El Santo. Under this new name, he quickly found his style.
For the entire duration of his nearly five-decades long career, he wrestled under the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL; Mejican Wrestling Enterprise), now known as the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL; World Wrestling Council). While initially a rudo (Mejican term for heel), El Santo gradually transformed into a técnico (face) character, becoming a beloved figure among fans. His unique persona encapsulated themes of justice, good versus evil, and the defense of the oppressed. His signature look - a silver mask and corresponding silver attire - solidified his status as an icon of lucha libre. He participated in a total of 37 wager matches (luchas de apuestas), where he repeatedly put his mask on the line against various challengers. Notably, in 1952, he fought against the tag team Los Hermanos Shadow (Blue Demon and Black Shadow), where he beat and unmasked Black Shadow in the ring, triggering a legendary feud with Blue Demon, who defeated him twice in 1952 and 1953.
During his prolific career, he won the Light Heavyweight Championship, the Middleweight Championship, the Tag Team Championship, the Welterweight Championship, the NWA World Middleweight Championship, and the NWA World Welterweight Championship. He attended numerous cross-over events with American and Japanese wrestling promotions, including the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and the Japan Wrestling Association (JWA). He wrestled with several famous international wrestlers, further solidifying his reputation as a megastar and one of the sport's greatest ambassadors. He faced notable figures such as Luis Thesz, Buddy Rogers, Bruno Sammartino, Riquidôzan, Gran Baba, and Antonio Inoki. His matches were characterized by his technical ability, grappling skills, and good-guy persona.
Apart from his wrestling career, El Santo was also a movie star, participating in dozens of films between 1958 and 1982. Luchador films often featured themes of justice, heroism, and combatting both criminals and supernatural entities. Many of these movies portrayed El Santo as a masked vigilante who fought criminals, monsters, and otherworldly creatures. His first film, "El Santo contra el cerebro del mal" (El Santo vs. Brain of Evil), was a co-production with Cuba, and was released in 1958. His filmography is primarily characterized by this formula (El Santo vs.), and he fights zombies, kingpins, mass murderers, vampire women, witches, martians, monsters, kidnappers, and mummies. Perhaps his most famous film, "Las Momias de Guanajuato" (The Mummies of Guanajuato), was released in 1972, and featured the three biggest wrestling stars of the time. It is considered a cult classic.
El Santo was known to never remove his mask, even in private company. When traveling on fights, he made sure to take a different flight than his crew to avoid having them see his face when he was required to remove his mask to get through customs. Despite betting his mask 37 times in wager matches, he did not lose a single one. He removed his mask on a single occasion, after his retirement, while on live television. Following his death from a heart attack on February 5, 1984, he was entombed wearing his famous silver mask. His funeral, one of the largest for a civilian figure in Mejico, was attended by over 20,000 people; the procession of his coffin took several hours to make it from the funeral parlor to the hearse. [{Category:Culture of Mejico]]