Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, best known by his ring name El Santo, was a Mexican luchador enmascarado, actor and folk hero. He is one of the most famous and iconic Mexican luchadores, and has been referred to as one of "the greatest legends in Mexican 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.
El Santo, c. 1960s
Santo's original mask exhibited during an event at Mexico City in 2016
Photographs of El Santo since his beginnings until becoming the "silver masked man"
El Santo, c. 1960s
Lucha libre is the term for the style of professional wrestling originating in Mexico. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form of the genre, characterized by colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, and "high-flying" maneuvers, some of which have been adopted in the United States, Japan, and elsewhere. The wearing of masks has developed special significance, and matches are sometimes contested in which the loser must permanently remove his mask, which is a wager with a high degree of weight attached. Tag team wrestling is especially prevalent in lucha libre, particularly matches with three-member teams, called trios.
Plaque commemorating lucha libre as an intangible cultural heritage in Mexico City
El Santo
Mil Máscaras accompanied by the Bella Twins at the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame
Rey Mysterio Jr. hitting the "619" on Eddie Guerrero