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Since the arrival of Lucha Libre wrestling in Mexico at the beginning of the 20th century, many luchadores have entered the ring to prove they are among the greats. But who are the best of all? Here is our selection of the five greatest wrestlers in the history of Lucha Libre wrestling.
Ray Mendoza
Although many Lucha Libre wrestlers follow the tradition of never unmasking, Ray Mendoza is notable for not wearing a mask during most of his career. But he is more famous for being a five-time World Heavyweight Champion in the National Wrestling Alliance, and the first Mexican to gain the title.
Mendoza had plenty of other wins throughout his career, and he faced many notorious names like Gran Hamada, El Santo, and Killer Kowalski. In the latter half of his career, Ray Mendoza formed a partnership with legendary wrestlers René Guajardo and Karloff Lagarde. The trio became the greatest heel wrestling team in the history of Lucha Libre.
Karloff Lagarde
Known as “King of the Welterweight” due to holding the NWA World Welterweight Championship title three times and the Mexican National Welterweight Championship title four times, Karloff Lagarde was undoubtedly one of the greatest Lucha Libre wrestlers of his generation. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Lagarde faced some of Mexico’s star wrestlers, including legends like Ray Mendoza, El Solitario, and Mil Máscaras.
If you cannot get enough of Lucha Libre wrestling, you will love playing the Mexican-wrestling-themed lucha maniacs video slot game, which offers great variety in its gameplay. You could even get into the spirit of things by wearing your very own Lucha Libre mask.
Mil Máscaras
Mil Máscaras, whose name means “Thousand Masks” in English, is often described as the first international star of Lucha Libre wrestling. Quite simply, without Mil Máscaras, the Lucha Libre style may never have left Mexico and found a world stage. Not only did Mil Máscaras help to popularize Lucha Libre around the world. He also starred in 20 movies.
His accomplishments in the ring include winning the ALLL World Heavyweight Championship and the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship twice. In 2010, Mil Máscaras was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, and in 2012, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Like most luchadores, Mil Máscaras has never been unmasked in the ring, and even at the age of 78, he still goes to great lengths to conceal his true appearance.
Demonio Azul
Better known by the English-speaking world as Blue Demon, Demonio Azul was a true legend of Lucha Libre. His career lasted from 1948 until 1989, and throughout his career, Demonio Azul never lost a Lucha de Apuestas match. He also never showed his face in public over his 41-years of professional wrestling and was even buried in his signature blue and silver mask after dying in 2000.
Over the years, Blue Demon won numerous prestigious titles, including the NWA World Welterweight Championship, which he won twice, and the Mexican National Welterweight Championship, which he won three times. Demonio Azul also won the Mexican National Tag Team Championship with his long-term tag team partner Black Shadow. As well as being one of the most celebrated Lucha Libre wrestlers of all time, Blue Demon starred in a series of movies in the 1960s and 1970s, alongside his main rival, El Santo.
El Santo
Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta is one of the most famous and iconic luchadores there has ever been. You will know him better by his wrestling name of El Santo, which means The Saint in English. El Santo’s wrestling career spanned almost five decades, debuting in 1934 and retiring in 1982. Over those years, El Santo gained the kind of notoriety that is unparalleled in Mexican sporting history. Indeed, his popularity extended far beyond sports. He became a symbol of justice for the ordinary person, and many Mexicans considered him to be as much of a superhero as the likes of Batman and Spider-Man.
The silver mask-wearer won many titles over the decades, including the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Champion, the Mexican National Middleweight Champion, and the NWA World Welterweight Champion. Quite simply, El Santo popularized professional wrestling in Mexico in the same way that Hulk Hogan did in the States, or Rikidōzan did in Japan. Without a doubt, El Santo is the greatest Lucha Libre wrestler Mexico has ever produced.