El Santo

About

Professional wrestler, actor, and folk hero often regarded as the most iconic Mexican luchador and one of "the greatest legends in Mexican sports." His wrestling career spanned almost 50 years, during which he became a symbol of justice through his comic books and the over 54 lucha films in which he starred or co-starred. The Leyenda de Plata, an annual lucha libre tournament held by the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, was established in his honor. 

Before Fame

He played baseball and American football as a child before becoming interested in wrestling. He studied Ju-Jitsu and later competed in amateur wrestling. He made his competitive wrestling debut in the early 1930s. By the second half of the 1930s, he'd become an established wrestler. 

Trivia

After his retirement in 1984, he was a guest on the Contrapunto television program, where he removed his mask as a way of bidding his fans goodbye. It was the 1st and only time he had ever shown his face to the public. He passed away a week later. By his wishes, he was buried wearing his silver mask. Over 10,000 people attended his funeral, among the largest in Mexico's history. 

Family Life

He was the son of Jesús Guzmán Campuzano and Josefina Huerta de Guzmán. He was the 5th of 7 children, including his 3 brothers who were also wrestlers. They were Pantera Negra, Black Guzmán, and Jimmy Guzmán. He had 11 children including wrestler "El Hijo del Santo." Of his 25 grandchildren, 3 also became wrestlers. 

Associated With

His most financially successful movie was the 1970 film The Mummies of Guanajuato, in which Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras also co-starred.