
INFO | |
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Height, Weight | 5'9", 209 lbs |
Signature Move | La de a caballo |
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS |
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2018 WWE Hall of Fame Legacy Inductee |
BIOGRAPHY |
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El Santo is, perhaps, the most famous grappler in the history of lucha libre. WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero once wrote that âCalling him a legend doesnât even do justice to how big he was. In his heyday, Santo was bigger than Hulk Hogan and âStone Coldâ Steve Austin combined.â
Itâs hard to argue with Guerrero, as Santo transcended sports-entertainment and became a movie star, one of Mexicoâs biggest celebrities and a revered pop culture icon.
In the early 1940s, Santo first entered the squared circle donning the silver mask and cape that turned him into a real-life superhero and became his trademark across a four-decade career. The grappler known as âEl Enmascarado de Plataâ (The Man in The Silver Mask) engaged in legendary rivalries with luchadors like Blue Demon, thrilling fans around Mexico with his larger than life presence. Santo was no stranger to the tag team ranks, either. He joined forces with Gory Guerrero, Eddieâs father, to form La Pareja Atomica, a team that never lost a match.
Santoâs popularity could not be contained inside the squared circle. At the height of his superstardom, El Santo was featured in his own comic books and starred in more than 50 movies. The films often featured Santo as a wrestler who took on frightening monsters in his spare time. The flicks, with titles like âSanto vs. The Zombiesâ and âSanto vs. The Martian Invasion,â found a second life with lovers of campy movies in America and beyond. One of his most famous films, âSanto vs. The Vampire Women,â was even sent up in an episode of âMystery Science Theater 3000.â Â
El Santo passed away in 1984, just a year-and-a-half after his retirement from the ring. Thousands gathered at his funeral to pay tribute to one of Mexicoâs greatest heroes. His legacy continued in his son, El Hijo Del Santo, who competed for WWE in the mid-1990s, and the countless luchadors he inspired.
For his incredible contributions to lucha libre, El Santo was named a 2018 Legacy Inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame.
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