WWE: Dia De Los Muertos: The best deceased Mexican wrestlers ever
1. El Santo
El Santo is the original superhero of Lucha Libre. With his signature silver mask and cape, El Santo would become a larger than life character the likes of which Mexican wrestling fans may never see again. Santo would make his debut in 1942 at the age of 24 in Mexico City. Over the course of the next 38 years, Santo would have many memorable moments.
To start, he never lost a mask vs hair match. 37 matches in a row and El Santo’s record was unblemished. His signature style of wrestling was very well rounded. Santo displayed a technical side with an excellent submission background. On top of this, he would be one of the innovators of high flying, Lucha Libre style wrestling. The flying plancha was first used by him in the mid-40s, way ahead of his time.
El Santo was also a huge movie star and had a comic book series named after him. Santo was a box office success in Latin, Central and South America. He was equally a box office draw as well as the wrestling ring. The man had no boundaries when it came to his popularity. He starred in many action, science fiction and horror films. His comic books series was on going for 35 years and was rivaled by only one other comic book in Mexico. The Kaliman franchise in the 1960’s was rivaled El Santo’s popularity.
The wrestling career of El Santo spanned close to 40 years. He won the Mexican welterweight, middleweight and the NWA Welterweight Championship. His rivalry with The Blue Demon is considered to be the greatest feud in Lucha Libre history. They would carry the feud onto the movie screen and star in films as rivals.
El Santo was never seen without his mask. When he passed away in 1984, he was buried with his mask still on. It was one of the largest funerals in Mexican history. An estimated crowd of 10,000 showed up and literally blocked the streets to the point that it took several hours until the coffin made it to the mausoleum. Former Mexican legends Mil Mascaras, Ray Mendoza and The Blue Demon among others were an attendance.
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The legacy of El Santo and what he brought to Lucha Libre will forever be remembered by the Mexican community.