Mexico honors its greatest wrestler, El Santo, at centennial

TULANCINGO, Mexico (AP) - You may have never heard the name Rodolfo Guzman.

But his silver-masked alter ego, El Santo, was a larger-than-life presence in professional wrestling rings, in comics and on the silver screen, helping popularize Mexico's "lucha libre" around the world and entering the pantheon of pop culture icons.

"Lucha libre wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for El Santo," said Roberto Shimizu, art director for the Old Toy Museum in Mexico City. "And for us Mexicans, El Santo is a figure of rectitude, of integrity, of dedication. He represents every virtue."

In this Sept. 12, 2017 photo, Roberto Shimizu leafs through pages of an El Santo comic book at the Old Toy Museum in Mexico City. The comic books fed from the stories sent from fans that wanted El Santo to fight characters like mummies, lady vampires or nazis. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 12, 2017 photo, Roberto Shimizu leafs through pages of an El Santo comic book at the Old Toy Museum in Mexico City. The comic books fed from the stories sent from fans that wanted El Santo to fight characters like mummies, lady vampires or nazis. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

Even as Mexico remains in shock from this week's devastating earthquake, the country has been quietly marking Saturday's centennial of the birth of El Santo, or the Saint. On Friday his son - also a pro wrestler who wears a silver mask and goes by El Hijo del Santo, or El Santo's Son - hosted a Mass in memory of both his father and the victims of the quake.

Born Sept. 23, 1917, in Tulancingo, a small city about two hours northeast of Mexico City, Guzman's family moved to the capital's notoriously gritty Tepito neighborhood with his family as a boy. Today a statue of El Santo stands in Tepito, where he began his career.

He became a superstar after a legendary match in 1953, around the dawn of the television era in Mexico, in which he wagered his mask against nemesis Black Shadow.

Soon afterward a comic book series featuring El Santo was a smash hit, and the next step was obvious: movies. El Santo shot his first, "Santo vs. the Evil Brain," in 1958, and went on to star in nearly 50 films including the most celebrated, 1962's "Santo vs. the Vampire Women."

"While Americans had Superman, Batman or Spider-Man, we had Rodolfo Guzman, El Santo, fighting everybody from the mummies to the Nazis," said Felipe Carrillo Montiel, an El Santo expert. "But unlike those American superheroes, he was a real man - you could read his comics during the week and then go see him wrestle on the weekend at your local arena."

The silver screen cemented El Santo's international celebrity and laid the foundations for what remains a profitable brand. El Hijo del Santo, his youngest son and the only one who followed him into wrestling, has similarly crossed over into films and comics and even environmental activism. The younger Santo runs three stores where you can buy all manner of merchandise, from T-shirts to posters to El Santo-brand tequila.

Tuesday's earthquake led to an El Santo event in Tulancingo being partly rescheduled, and a lucha libre show planned for Saturday was also postponed.

Yet despite the muted celebrations, observers say Guzman's legacy at 100 is palpable. This summer an exhibit in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park showcased 100 photographs to mark the centennial, and El Hijo was the guest of honor at a celebration at city hall honoring his father.

"He was the original action figure," Shimizu said. "His image was reproduced millions of times, and every single kid in Mexico had one."

Guzman died of a heart attack in 1984. He was buried wearing his silver mask.

In this July 27, 2017 photo, a woman kisses El Hijo del Santo as other fans try to get a photo with him in downtown Mexico City. The El Santo family probably is the most famous in the lucha libre world. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 27, 2017 photo, a woman kisses El Hijo del Santo as other fans try to get a photo with him in downtown Mexico City. The El Santo family probably is the most famous in the lucha libre world. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 6, 2017 photo, passengers on board a public bus look out the window at the open-air exhibit celebrating El Santo's centennial in Chapultepec park in Mexico City. The retrospective included 100 photos that took people through El Santo's career on and off the ring. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 6, 2017 photo, passengers on board a public bus look out the window at the open-air exhibit celebrating El Santo's centennial in Chapultepec park in Mexico City. The retrospective included 100 photos that took people through El Santo's career on and off the ring. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 28, 2017 photo, the statue of El Santo , a lucha libre legend, stands in the neighborhood of Tepito in Mexico City. El Santo's legacy stands in many places throughout Mexico thanks to his popularity on and off the lucha libre ring. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 28, 2017 photo, the statue of El Santo , a lucha libre legend, stands in the neighborhood of Tepito in Mexico City. El Santo's legacy stands in many places throughout Mexico thanks to his popularity on and off the lucha libre ring. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 27, 2017 photo, women hold photos of El Santo during an event celebrating his centennial in Mexico City. The government of Mexico City hosted El Hijo del Santo_El Santo's Son_for a night in which the heir gave away photos to distinguished guests. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 27, 2017 photo, women hold photos of El Santo during an event celebrating his centennial in Mexico City. The government of Mexico City hosted El Hijo del Santo_El Santo's Son_for a night in which the heir gave away photos to distinguished guests. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 28, 2017 photo, passengers walk by an El Santo mural at the Guerrero subway station in Mexico City. The Mexico City subway system unveiled a lucha libre exhibit earlier this summer, highlighting the contributions of El Santo to the sport and culture. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 28, 2017 photo, passengers walk by an El Santo mural at the Guerrero subway station in Mexico City. The Mexico City subway system unveiled a lucha libre exhibit earlier this summer, highlighting the contributions of El Santo to the sport and culture. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 12, 2017 photo, lucha libre dolls are showcased in an art installation on display at the Old Toy Museum in Mexico City. The museum owns the largest collection of El Santo-related items, many of them permanently showcased in its lucha libre room. The legend's centennial was quietly celebrated in Mexico on Sept. 23 after a 7.1 earthquake hit the country four days earlier.  (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 12, 2017 photo, lucha libre dolls are showcased in an art installation on display at the Old Toy Museum in Mexico City. The museum owns the largest collection of El Santo-related items, many of them permanently showcased in its lucha libre room. The legend's centennial was quietly celebrated in Mexico on Sept. 23 after a 7.1 earthquake hit the country four days earlier. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 3, 2017 photo, a family wearing lucha libre masks pose at the El Santo photo exhibit in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. Although he was not the first luchador to wear a mask, El Santo set the standard for many luchadores who hid their identity behind a mask. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 3, 2017 photo, a family wearing lucha libre masks pose at the El Santo photo exhibit in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. Although he was not the first luchador to wear a mask, El Santo set the standard for many luchadores who hid their identity behind a mask. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 17, 2017 photo, wrestler Aramis gets medical attention after jumping over the ropes to hit rival Pantera I during a lucha libre show in Naucalpan, Mexico. Lucha libre owes much of its popularity to El Santo, whose centennial was quietly celebrated in Mexico after a 7.1 earthquake hit the country. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 17, 2017 photo, wrestler Aramis gets medical attention after jumping over the ropes to hit rival Pantera I during a lucha libre show in Naucalpan, Mexico. Lucha libre owes much of its popularity to El Santo, whose centennial was quietly celebrated in Mexico after a 7.1 earthquake hit the country. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 12, 2017 photo, images of El Santo exercising and several of his comic books are displayed at the Old Toy Museum in Mexico City. The museum holds the biggest collection of El Santo items, many of them are on permanent display in the room dedicated to lucha libre. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 12, 2017 photo, images of El Santo exercising and several of his comic books are displayed at the Old Toy Museum in Mexico City. The museum holds the biggest collection of El Santo items, many of them are on permanent display in the room dedicated to lucha libre. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 6, 2017 photo, professional wrestlers practice at Hercules Moderno Gym in Mexico City. Many athletes follow the steps of El Santo and join gyms in low-income neighborhoods to practice the sport the Man in the Silver Mask helped popularize more than 60 years ago. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this Sept. 6, 2017 photo, professional wrestlers practice at Hercules Moderno Gym in Mexico City. Many athletes follow the steps of El Santo and join gyms in low-income neighborhoods to practice the sport the Man in the Silver Mask helped popularize more than 60 years ago. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 27, 2017 photo, a woman takes a selfie with an original El Santo mask during an event celebrating the lucha libre fighter's centennial in Mexico City. The government of Mexico City hosted El Hijo del Santo_El Santo's Son_for a night in which the heir gave away photos for distinguished guests. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 27, 2017 photo, a woman takes a selfie with an original El Santo mask during an event celebrating the lucha libre fighter's centennial in Mexico City. The government of Mexico City hosted El Hijo del Santo_El Santo's Son_for a night in which the heir gave away photos for distinguished guests. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 28, 2017 photo, bottles of El Santo mezcal are displayed at one of the three stores selling everything related to the famous luchador in Mexico City. El Santo has become a popular brand among Mexicans and tourists alike. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 28, 2017 photo, bottles of El Santo mezcal are displayed at one of the three stores selling everything related to the famous luchador in Mexico City. El Santo has become a popular brand among Mexicans and tourists alike. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 28, 2017 photo, a boy flexes his muscles at an El Santo art installation in Mexico City. A subway station unveiled this summer murals and art pieces dedicated to lucha libre and highlighting the contributions of El Santo to the sport and culture. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 28, 2017 photo, a boy flexes his muscles at an El Santo art installation in Mexico City. A subway station unveiled this summer murals and art pieces dedicated to lucha libre and highlighting the contributions of El Santo to the sport and culture. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 28, 2017 photo, a man poses in front of an El Santo mural inside the Guerrero subway station in Mexico City. The Mexico City subway system unveiled a lucha libre exhibit earlier this summer, highlighting the contributions of El Santo to the sport and culture. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

In this July 28, 2017 photo, a man poses in front of an El Santo mural inside the Guerrero subway station in Mexico City. The Mexico City subway system unveiled a lucha libre exhibit earlier this summer, highlighting the contributions of El Santo to the sport and culture. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contreras)

Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.