In the English-speaking world, there are a number of famous and popular masked luchadores. Rey Mysterio Jr. is obviously the one most fans know, credited for really popularizing the lucha libre style outside of Mexico, but modern stars like Pentagon Jr. and Fenix have carried on in Mysterio’s footsteps, maintaining a high profile on the international stage. But even someone as beloved as Mysterio is nowhere near as popular as Mexico’s greatest luchador, El Santo.
Fans may know the name and the iconic silver mask, but likely don’t know much about El Santo. There’s a lot to cover, but let’s keep it at 10 things every wrestling fan should know about the legend.
10 He’s A Cultural Icon
As far as popularity, it may seem attractive to compare El Santo to Hulk Hogan, who put pro wrestling on the map in the 1980s, but even that doesn’t begin to express what a big deal he was. Transcending the squared circle and even athletics in general, El Santo was a cultural institution, an icon who had more in common with Superman -- except El Santo was REAL. When he died, he had one of the largest funerals in Mexico, as tens of thousands of people came to mourn, and statues were built in his image.
9 His Background And Training
Born Jorge Ernesto Guzman Rodriguez in 1917, the man who would become El Santo grew up with several brothers who entered pro wrestling, and received training from his brother, who wrestled as Black Guzman. Upon debuting in 1934, he wrestled as Rudy Guzman and was considered a lesser counterpart to his brother, who was more popular and is known for innovating several variations of the headscissors takeover.
8 Starred in 52 Movies
Many fans know that luchadors often star in movies about themselves. Often low-budget, these luchador movies often feature footage of wrestling matches and usually include elements of sci-fi, horror, and other genres. Famous masked wrestlers to make the jump to cinema include Mil Mascaras, Blue Demon, and, of course, El Santo.
El Santo started appearing in films in 1958, first playing a sidekick to the hero before really taking off with his third picture, the starring effort Santo vs. The Zombies. Most of these films -- there are 52 of them -- depict Santo as a pro wrestler who moonlights as an adventurer, and are credited for keeping him popular for so many years.
7 Wrestled for CMLL
Founded in 1933, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is the oldest wrestling promotion still running today, and one that can claim El Santo as one of its own. He made his debut as El Santo for the promotion in late July of 1942 and (surprisingly) as a rudo, until his growing popularity would necessitate a face turn. Santo would basically spend most of his career with CMLL, capturing numerous titles including the NWA World Welterweight Championship and a 2,400-day reign with the Mexican National Middleweight Championship.
6 Starred In His Own Comic Book
The Superman comparison made earlier is even more apt once one realizes El Santo starred in his own comic book. As evidenced by Rey Mysterio, luchadores’ colorful costumes and masks are perfect fodder for comics, where superheroes often reign supreme, and comic writer/editor/screenwriter Jose G. Cruz started publishing comics about El Santo in the 1950s. The books proved ridiculously popular, and ran uninterrupted for 35 years until the late 1980s. Like the films, they depicted Santo embarking on all kinds of action-packed adventures.
5 La Pareja Atomica
Though Santo’s singles bouts are the stuff of legend, the icon was also in a famous tag team. In the late 1940s, he found a worthy partner in the form of Gory Guerrero -- patriarch of THE Guerrero family -- teaming together as La Pareja Atomica. They teamed up periodically throughout their careers, and were considered a great combination, as Santo was more of a brawler and Guerrero was known for his technical acumen.
4 His Legendary Rivalry With Los Hermanos Shadow
Any good wrestler has rivals, and El Santo had some huge rivalries throughout his career. One of his earliest major foes was the up-and-coming Black Shadow, one half of the tag team Los Hermanos Shadow. Their rivalry culminated in a legendary mask vs. mask match on November 7, 1952, which ended with Black Shadow revealing his face and went down in history as one of the biggest lucha libre matches of all time.
From there, El Santo moved on to a feud with Shadow’s tag team partner, Blue Demon, who would go on to be an icon of the sport himself. Demon would shock the world by defeating Santo in September 25th, 1953 for the Mexican National Welterweight Championship in a 2/3 falls match.
3 His Retirement Match
By the early 1980s, El Santo was in his 60s, and ready to hang up the boots, so he wrestled a short farewell tour of sorts in autumn of 1982, the last of which was a big 2/3 falls atomicos (eight-man tag) match. El Santo would reunite with his Pareja Atomica partner Gory Guerrero as well as Huracan Ramirez and El Solitario -- both legendary performers themselves -- against a rudo group called s Misioneros de la Muerte (El Signo, El Texano & Negro Navarro) and another Santo rival, Perro Aguayo. Santo’s team would get the win, with his son standing at ringside (more on him below).
2 Only Removed His Mask Once
Luchadores, like the superheroes they’re often compared to, are protective of their identities, as real names and faces are often not publicly known. El Santo in particular was known for never removing his mask, even behind the scenes, which added to his mystique. However, in January of 1984, while appearing on the Mexican talk show Contrapunto, the legend lifted his mask to reveal his face completely unprompted. Strangely, a week later, he would die of a heart attack and be buried with his mask on.
1 El Hijo Del Santo
The legacy of El Santo has continued on, however, as one of his many sons took on the mantle of El Santo in the wake of his father’s retirement. A highly decorated champion in CMLL, AAA, and World Wrestling Association, El Hijo del Santo is known for his legendary feud with Negro Casas as well as his shocking heel turn in 1996. El Hijo del Santo proved to be a worthy successor, considered by many fans to be one of the greatest performers in the sport, with in-ring abilities that actually surpassed that of his father.