View source for El Santo

{{Short description|Mexican professional wrestler (1917–1984)}}
{{About|the 20th-century wrestler and actor|the medieval Spanish English king|Ferdinand III of Castile|other uses|Santo (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{family name hatnote|Guzmán|Huerta|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|image       = 100 años del natalicio del Santo -i---i- (36184746106) (cropped).jpg
|caption     = El Santo, {{circa|1960s}}
|birth_name  = Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta
|birth_date  = {{birth date|1917|09|23|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Tulancingo]], Mexico
|death_date  = {{death date and age|1984|02|05|1917|09|23|df=y}}
|death_place = [[Mexico City]], Mexico
| spouse     = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|María de los Ángeles Rodríguez|1942|1975|reason=div.}}
* {{marriage|Mara Vallejo Badager|1981|1984}}}}
|children    = 11, including [[El Hijo del Santo]]
|relatives   = {{ubl|[[Black Guzmán]] (brother)|Pantera Negra (brother)|Jimmy Guzmán (brother)|Axxel (grandson)|Santo Jr. (grandson)|Rocker II (grandson)}}
|ring_names  = {{ubl|El Demonio Negro|El Enmascarado|Hombre Rojo|Murciélago Enmascarado II|Rudy Guzmán|Ruddy Guzmán|El Santo}}
|height      = {{height|m=1.75|abbr=on}}<ref name="wwe">{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/superstars/el-santo|title=El Santo|accessdate=27 December 2021|work=WWE}}</ref><!--In Mexico they measure weight in kilograms so that should be first -->
|weight      = {{convert|95|kg|lb|abbr=on}}<ref name="wwe"/><!--In Mexico they measure weight in kilograms so that should be first -->
|trainer     = Black Guzmán
|debut       = 1934 
|retired     = September 12, 1982
}}
{{Professional wrestling sidebar}}
'''Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta''' (23 September 1917 – 5 February 1984), best known by his [[ring name]] '''El Santo''' ([[English language|English]]: "The Saint"), was a Mexican ''[[Lucha libre|luchador]] [[Wrestling mask|enmascarado]]'' (or masked [[professional wrestling|professional wrestler]]), actor and [[folk hero]]. He is the most famous and iconic of the Mexican ''luchadores'', and has been referred to as one of "the greatest legends in Mexican sports". His wrestling career spanned nearly five decades, during which he became a folk hero and a symbol of justice for the common man through his appearances in [[luchador films]] and comic books telling fictionalized stories of El Santo fighting for justice.<ref name="SantoStart">{{cite book | author= Various | title= Lucha Libre> Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling | publisher= Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. | year= 2005 | chapter = The Silver Masked-Man | pages = 280–285| isbn=968-6842-48-9}}</ref><ref name="MondoSanto">{{cite book | author= Madigan, Dan |author-link= Dan Madigan | title= Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre& honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling | publisher= HarperCollins Publishers | year= 2007 | chapter = El Santo | pages = 71–78 | isbn=978-0-06-085583-3}}</ref> He starred or co-starred in at least 53 movies between 1958 and 1982.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=F. Molinaro |first=John |date=11 February 2000 |title=The legend of El Santo |url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2000/02/11/the-legend-of-el-santo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628044903/http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingFeatures/santo.html |archive-date=28 June 2013 |access-date=27 October 2022 |website=Slam! Sports |publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref>

During his career, he mainly wrestled for Mexican promotion [[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre|Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre]], where he won the [[Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship]],<ref name="BokNationalLHwy">{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan and Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year= 2000 | chapter = Mexico: National Light Heavyweight Title | page = [https://archive.org/details/wrestling-title-histories-4th/page/390 391]| isbn=0-9698161-5-4}}</ref> [[Mexican National Middleweight Championship]],<ref name="BokNationalMidl">{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan and Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year= 2000 | chapter = Mexico: National Middleweight Title | page = [https://archive.org/details/wrestling-title-histories-4th/page/292 293] | isbn=0-9698161-5-4}}</ref> [[Mexican National Tag Team Championship]]<ref name="BokNationalTag">{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan and Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year= 2000 | chapter = Mexico: National Tag Team Title | pages = [https://archive.org/details/wrestling-title-histories-4th/page/392 393]–394 | isbn=0-9698161-5-4}}</ref> with [[Rayo de Jalisco Sr.|Rayo de Jalisco]], [[Mexican National Welterweight Championship]],<ref name="Bo'skNationalWelter">{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan and Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year= 2000 | chapter = Mexico: National Welterweight Title | page = [https://archive.org/details/wrestling-title-histories-4th/page/392 392]| isbn=0-9698161-5-4}}</ref> [[NWA World Middleweight Championship]] and the [[NWA World Welterweight Championship]].<ref name="BokNationalNWAWelter">{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan and Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year= 2000 | chapter = Mexico: EMLL NWA World Welterweight Title | page = [https://archive.org/details/wrestling-title-histories-4th/page/390 390]| isbn=0-9698161-5-4}}</ref> Early in his career, he worked under a variety of ring names and [[Gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmicks]] both masked and unmasked, before becoming El Santo, ''El Enmascarado de Plata'' ("The Man in the Silver Mask"), in 1942.

Santo's brothers were also ''luchadores'', with [[Black Guzmán]] being the first to make his debut and later Pantera Negra and Jimmy Guzmán joining them in wrestling as well. Only one of his eleven children followed him into professional wrestling, [[El Hijo del Santo]] ("The Son of the Saint") making his debut in 1982. El Hijo del Santo's son made his debut as "Santo Jr." in 2016. Another grandson (not a son of El Hijo del Santo) originally wrestled as "El Nieto del Santo" ("The Grandson of Santo"), but now works under the name Axxel.

Santo is said to have popularized professional wrestling in Mexico just as [[Rikidōzan]] did in Japan.<ref name="MondoSanto"/> He was buried in his silver mask, in one of the biggest funerals in Mexico. [[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre]] honors him with the annual ''[[Leyenda de Plata]]'' ("The Silver Legend") tournament. In 2018, [[WWE]] inducted Santo into their [[WWE Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]]'s Legacy wing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=116599|title=2018 WWE Hall of Fame legacy wing inductees are ... |website=www.pwinsider.com|access-date=6 April 2018}}</ref>

==Childhood==
The fifth of seven children, Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta<ref name=":0" /> was born on 23 September 1917, in [[Tulancingo]], [[Hidalgo (Mexico)|Hidalgo]], son of Jesús Guzmán Campuzano and Josefina Huerta (Márquez) de Guzmán. Rodolfo's family came to Mexico City in the 1920s, where they settled in the [[Tepito]] neighborhood.<ref name="SantoStart"/><ref name="MondoSanto"/> He practiced baseball and American football, and then became interested in various styles of wrestling and [[grappling]]. He first studied [[Ju-Jitsu]] and then later competed in [[amateur wrestling]].<ref name="SantoStart"/><ref name="MondoSanto"/> Rodolfo has a brother who entered the wrestling business as well, Miguel, who is known as [[Black Guzmán]] (due to his dark skin).

==Professional wrestling career==
===Early career===
Accounts vary as to exactly when and where he first wrestled professionally, either in Arena Peralvillo [[Cozumel]] on 28 June 1934 or at Deportivo Islas in the Guerrero colony of Mexico City in 1935,<ref name=":0" /> but by the second half of the 1930s, he was established as a wrestler, using the names "Rudy Guzmán", "Hombre Rojo" ("the Red Man"), "El Demonio Negro" ("The Black Demon") and "Murciélago Enmascarado II" ("The Masked Bat II").<ref name=":0" /> The last name was the same as that of [[Murciélago Velázquez|El Murciélago Enmascarado]] ("The Masked Bat"), and after an appeal by Murciélago to the Mexican boxing and wrestling commission, the regulatory body ruled that Guzmán could not use the name.<ref name="MondoSanto"/> Ironically, given his enduring status as a cult hero, he exclusively wrestled as a ''[[Heel (professional wrestling)|rudo]]'' for the first formative decades of his career.

===El Santo===
[[File:Máscara original de El Santo.jpg|thumb|Santo's original mask exhibited during an event at Mexico City, 2016]]
[[File:Mural de EL SANTO.jpg|alt=El Santo hand Painted Mural, it represents the deep love Mexican people hold to the character that for many years entertained hundreds of thousands of people leading the Luchador to become a part of the Mexican Folclore.|thumb|A hand-painted mural of El Santo with [[Frida Kahlo]]]]
In the early 1940s, Guzmán married María de los Ángeles Rodríguez Montaño (Maruca), a union that produced eleven children; including his youngest child Jorge, who also became a famous wrestler in his own right, [[El Hijo del Santo]] ("The Son of Santo").<ref name="MondoSanto"/> In 1942, Guzmán's manager, Don Jesús Lomelí, was putting together a new team of wrestlers, all dressed in silver, and wanted him to be a part of it. Lomelí suggested three names, "El Santo" ("The Saint"), "El Diablo" ("The Devil") or "El Angel" ("The Angel"), and Guzmán chose the first one due to the contrast with his ''rudo'' personality. On 26 July,<ref name=":0" /> aged 24, he wrestled at the [[Arena México]] for the first time as El Santo, although he later was known simply as "Santo". Under this new name he quickly found his style.<ref name="SantoStart"/><ref name="MondoSanto"/>

On April 2, 1943, Santo headlined the debut show at the newly built [[Arena Coliseo]] in a [[Mexican National Middleweight Championship]] match against [[Tarzán Lopez]].<ref name=ArenaFirst>{{cite web|url=http://cmllgaceta.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/arena-coliseo-el-primero-de-sus-25550-dias/|title=Arena Coliseo, El primero de sus 25,550 días|date=March 28, 2013|access-date=December 13, 2025|publisher=[[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre]] Gateca|language=es}}</ref> He lost the bout, but avenged himself by defeating Lopez in a ''[[Lucha libre#Luchas de Apuestas|Luchas de Apuestas]]'' at the [[EMLL 10th Anniversary Show]] and claiming his hair.<ref name=EMLL10>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/mexico/emll/anniversary25.html#10|title=10th Anniversary Show|date=September 24, 1943|access-date=December 13, 2025|publisher=Pro Wrestling History}}</ref>

On November 19, 1944,<ref name="SantoInf">{{cite web |title=El Santo - The Most Influential Wrestler You Probably Haven’t Heard Of |url=https://prowrestlingpost.com/el-santo/ |access-date=13 December 2025}}</ref> Santo teamed for the first time with [[Gory Guerrero]] to form "''La Pareja Atómica''" ("the Atomic Pair"),<ref name=MondoGory>{{cite book | author= Madigan, Dan | title= Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling | publisher= HarperCollins Publisher | year= 2007 | chapter = Dorada de lucha libre: Gory Guerrero | pages = 189–193 | isbn=978-0-06-085583-3}}</ref> a tandem that would go on to achieve legendary status & remain undefeated throughout their tenure together.<ref name="wwe"/> On May 15, 1946, Santo won the [[NWA World Welterweight Championship]] in the final of an internationally-themed tournament, triggering a groundswell of fan support behind him as a symbol of national pride (despite his ''rudo'' nature).<ref name="SantoInf"/>

One of Santo's greatest matches was in 1952, when he fought a tag-team known as Los Hermanos Shadow (which consisted of famed luchadors [[Blue Demon]] and the [[Black Shadow (wrestler)|Black Shadow]]). Santo beat and unmasked Black Shadow in the ring on November 7, 1952, which triggered Blue Demon's decision to become a ''[[Face (professional wrestling)|técnico]]'', as well as a legendary feud between Santo and Blue Demon that culminated in his defeat in a well-publicized series of matches in 1952 and again in 1953. Although they appeared together in a number of action/adventure films, and teamed together semi-regularly in matches from 1963 onwards,<ref>{{cite web |title=90 Years of CMLL: 1960's |url=https://cero1max.substack.com/p/cmll-1960s |access-date=13 December 2025}}</ref> their rivalry never really ended in later years since Santo always remembered his defeat at Blue Demon's hands.<ref name="SantoStart"/><ref name="MondoSanto"/>

In 1957, a pay dispute with EMLL management lead to Santo leaving the company. His debut movie premiered the following year, with the notoriety Santo garnered from it allowing him great autonomy in his wrestling bookings.<ref>{{cite web |title=El Hijo del Santo’s Dismal Finale |url=https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2025/12/11/el-hijo-del-santos-dismal-finale/ |access-date=13 December 2025}}</ref> He returned to EMLL by 1961,<ref>{{cite web |title=El Santo |url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=634&page=20 |access-date=13 December 2025}}</ref> and officially became a ''[[Face (professional wrestling)|técnico]]'' himself in 1962 as part of an angle where his ''rudo'' teammates [[Los Espantos]] turned on him.<ref name="SantoInf"/>

El Santo was known to never remove his mask, even in private company. When traveling on flights, he made sure to take a different flight than his crew to avoid having them see his face when he was required to remove his mask to get through customs.<ref name=":0" />

===Retirement===
By the early 1980s, El Santo slowed down his in-ring activities leading up to his inevitable retirement. His farewell tour was announced for August and September 1982.<ref name=":0" /> The first of three events took place on 22 August 1982 at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City. On that night, Santo teamed up with [[El Solitario]] to take on [[Villano III]] and [[Villano V|Rokambole]], in a match that naturally saw the legends win. After the match, Villano and Rokambole lifted Santo up on their shoulders as he received the adulation of the sold-out arena. The following Sunday, Santo appeared at [[Arena México]], where he teamed up with Gran Hamada to defeat [[Villano I]] and Scorpio.<ref name="SantoRet">{{cite book | author= Various | title= Lucha Libre> Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling | publisher= Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. | year= 2005 | chapter = The Silver Masked-Man | pages = 286| isbn=968-6842-48-9}}</ref> 

Santo's last match took place on 12 September 1982, a week before his 65th birthday.<ref name="MondoSanto"/> In his last ever match, Santo teamed up with [[Gory Guerrero]] who came out of retirement to reform "La Pareja Atómica" as they teamed up with [[Huracán Ramírez]] and El Solitario. Their opponents included one of Santo's biggest rivals in [[Perro Aguayo]], as well as [[El Signo]], [[Negro Navarro]] and [[El Texano]]. True to the legend of Santo, he won his last match and retired as the hero he always portrayed in the ring and on the screen. His retirement tour was also used to introduce Santo's son Jorge as the next generation El Santo, as he was ringside at each show wearing the silver mask and being introduced as [[El Hijo del Santo]].<ref name="SantoRet"/>

==Film career==
{{main|El Santo filmography}}
[[File:100 años del natalicio del Santo -i---i- (36060535872).jpg|thumb|upright|Photographs of El Santo since his beginnings until becoming the "silver masked man"]]
In 1952, a superhero motion picture serial was made entitled ''The Man in the Silver Mask'', which was supposed to star Santo, but he declined to appear in it, because he thought it would fail commercially. The film was made instead with well-known luchador [[El Médico Asesino]] in the lead role, wearing a white mask similar to Santo's silver one. A villain named "The Silver-Masked Man" was introduced into the plot at the last minute, thus the title of the film strangely became a reference to the villain, not the hero.<ref name="SantoMovie">{{cite book | author= Various | title= Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling | publisher= Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. | year= 2005 | chapter = the villain of the small screen | pages = 150–183| isbn=968-6842-48-9}}</ref>

In 1958, Fernando Osés, a wrestler and actor, invited Santo to work in movies, and although Santo was unwilling to give up his wrestling career, he accepted, planning to do both at the same time.<ref name="SantoMovie"/> Osés was planning on playing the hero (a masked cop named "El Incognito") in these two films, with Santo appearing as his costumed sidekick, "El Enmascarado". Osés and Enrique Zambrano wrote the scripts for the first two movies, ''[[Santo contra el cerebro del mal]]'' ("Santo vs. the Evil Brain") and ''Santo contra hombres infernales'' ("Santo vs. the Infernal Men"), both made in 1958, and directed by Joselito Rodríguez.<ref name="SantoMovie"/> 

Filming was done in [[Cuba]], and ended just the day before [[Fidel Castro]] entered Havana and declared the victory of the revolution. The films apparently could not find a distributor for several years. Santo's film career really took off in 1961 with his third movie ''[[Santo Contra los Zombies]]'' ("Santo vs. the Zombies"). Santo was given the starring role with this film, and was shown for the first time as a professional wrestler moonlighting as a superhero.<ref name="SantoMovie"/> When Santo's film career took off in 1961, the producers of the first two films slyly entered Santo's name into the titles and finally got them released.

[[File:100 años del natalicio del Santo -i---i- (36060540282).jpg|thumb|El Santo, {{circa|1960s}}]]
Santo eventually wound up appearing in 53 [[luchador films]] in all (two of which were just cameo appearances). Because the films were produced quickly and cheaply, they relied on recycled plot structures and stereotypical characterization.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hegarty |first=Kerry T. |date=June 2013 |title=From Superhero to National Hero: The Populist Myth of El Santo |url=https://www.utexaspressjournals.org/doi/10.7560/SLAPC3102 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103182525/https://www.utexaspressjournals.org/doi/10.7560/SLAPC3102 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=3 January 2020 |journal=Studies in Latin American Popular Culture |language=en |volume=31 |pages=3–27 |doi=10.7560/SLAPC3102 |issn=0730-9139}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Rauber Rodriguez |first=Emily |date=March 2020 |title=El Santo vs. Mystery Science Theater 3000 : Lucha Libre's Transnational Journey into American Popular Culture |url=https://www.utexaspressjournals.org/doi/10.7560/VLT8505 |journal=The Velvet Light Trap |language=en |volume=85 |pages=43–52 |doi=10.7560/VLT8505 |issn=0149-1830}}{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The style of the movies was essentially the same throughout the series, with Santo as a superhero fighting supernatural creatures, evil scientists, various criminals, secret agents and so on. The tones were reminiscent of U.S. B-movies and TV shows, perhaps most similar to the old [[Republic Pictures]] serials of the 1940s.<ref name="SantoMovie"/><ref name="FilmsOfSanto">{{cite web | url = http://www.wam.umd.edu/~dwilt/santo.html | title = the Films of El Santo | access-date = 24 February 2009 | publisher = D. Wilt}}</ref> In Mexican cinemas, audience participation with the films was common.<ref name=":1" />

His best-known movie outside of Mexico is also considered one of his best, 1962's ''[[Santo vs. las Mujeres Vampiro|Santo contra las mujeres vampiro]]'' ("Santo vs. The Vampire Women"), which was also featured in an episode of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''.<ref name="SantoMovie"/><ref name="FilmsOfSanto"/> In this movie, the production values were better, and there was an attempt at creating more of a mythos and background for Santo, as the last of a long line of superheroes. It was an enormous success at the box office. Only four of the 53 Santo films were ever dubbed into English, the other 48 being only available in Spanish. The English-dubbed Mexican films of that time period were imported to the United States through the efforts of [[K. Gordon Murray]] who changed the name of Santo to "Samson" for some of his releases. Most of Murray's imported Mexi-films went directly to late-night American TV. Santo's most financially successful film was ''The Mummies of Guanajuato'' (1970), which co-starred [[Blue Demon]] and [[Mil Máscaras]].<ref name="SantoMovie"/><ref name="FilmsOfSanto"/>

The Santo film series inspired the production of similar series of movies starring other well-known luchadores such as Blue Demon, Mil Mascaras, Superzan, and the Wrestling Women (a.k.a. ''Las Luchadoras''), among others. Santo even co-starred with Blue Demon and Máscaras in several of his movies. Blue Demon invited Santo to co-star with him and Máscaras in ''Los Campeones Justicieros'' ("The Champions of Justice"), however, Santo was too busy making other films to participate.<ref name=MaskedDemonFilm>{{cite book | author= Various | title= Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling | publisher= Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. | year= 2005 | chapter = Furia Azul contra Capucha Dorada / the Blue Fury versus the golden hood | pages = 38–51|isbn=968-6842-48-9}}</ref>

By 1977, the masked wrestler film craze had practically died off, but Santo continued to appear in more films over the next few years. His last film was ''Fury of the Karate Experts'', shot in Florida in 1982, the same year he retired from the ring.<ref name="SantoMovie"/><ref name="FilmsOfSanto"/>

Seventeen years after Santo's death, his real-life son played the lead role in a brand new Santo movie called ''Infraterrestre'' ("Inner Earth"), which co-starred Mexican wrestler [[Blue Panther]].<ref name=Infraterrestre>{{cite book |last= Cotter|first=Robert Michael |date=  14 June 2015|title= The Mexican Masked Wrestler and Monster Filmography |publisher=McFarland |page=202 |isbn= 978-1476604190}}</ref>

==Other media==
{{more citations needed|section|date=September 2019}}
In 1952, the artist and editor [[José Guadalupe Cruz (writer)|José G. Cruz]] started a Santo comic book, turning Santo into the first and foremost character in Mexican popular literature, his popularity only rivalled in the 1960s by the legendary [[Kalimán]] character.<ref name=":0" /> The Santo comic book series (four different volumes) ran continuously for 35 years, ending in 1987.<ref name="MondoSanto"/>

Santo also became an animated mini-series on [[Cartoon Network]] in [[Latin America]], and was called ''[[Santo vs The Clones|Santo Contra Los Clones]]''. On 27 October 2004, Cartoon Network released an only season of 5 short episodes. Each episode is about 2 minutes long, and they were shown weekly on Wednesday nights at 8:00 PM.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

El Santo also inspired the Flash animated series ''[[¡Mucha Lucha!]]'' and ''[[El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera]]''. In ''¡Mucha Lucha!'' he's called "El Rey", and is represented as an icon of all positive things.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

Santo is immortalized in the [[rockabilly]] band [[Southern Culture on the Skids]]' 1996 album ''[[Southern Culture on the Skids#EPs/singles/demos|Santo Swings!/Viva el Santo]]''. Santo is often resurrected in Southern Culture's live performances when an audience member jumps onstage donning Santo's mask. The [[Latin]] [[ska]] band [[King Changó]] released an album titled ''[[The Return of El Santo]]''.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

Turkish actor [[Yavuz Selekman]] portrayed an unlicensed version of Santo in the bootleg [[Cinema of Turkey|Turkish film]] ''[[3 Dev Adam]]''. This movie is also known in the United States as ''Captain America and Santo vs. Spider-Man.'' An unauthorized Santo appeared in three films directed by [[Lee Demarbre]] – ''[[Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter]]'', ''Harry Knuckles and the Treasure of the Aztec Mummy'', and ''Harry Knuckles and the Pearl Necklace'' – in the films, Santo is portrayed by Jeff Moffet.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

He also is referred to by Mexican rock band [[Botellita de Jerez]] in their song El Guacarrock Del Santo, in which they speak of Santo's victories in the ring and in the movies as well as the great respect he was given as a Mexican movie hero.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EL GUACARROCK DEL SANTO - Botellita de Jerez |url=https://www.letras.com/botellita-de-jerez/895199/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Letras.com |language=en}}</ref>

[[Jeffrey Bell]], writer/director of the American television series ''[[Angel (1999 TV series)|Angel]]'', has stated that El Santo and his luchador brothers were an inspiration for the show's ''The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco'' episode.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jeff Bell - Cult Times Magazine Interview |url=http://www.whedon.info/Jeff-Bell-Cult-Times-Magazine.html |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.whedon.info}}</ref>

El Santo and several other masked wrestlers make a brief cameo in the ''[[Batman '66]]'' comic series, based on the [[Batman (TV series)|''Batman'' TV series]] that originally aired in the 1960s. They aid Batman in defeating the evil luchador Bane after Batman cuts Bane off from using Venom to boost his strength.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cheappopculture.com/2017/06/16/batman-66/|title=Batman '66|date=16 June 2017|access-date=6 April 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Death==
[[File:El Santo face.png|thumb|El Santo removes his mask publicly for the only time in his career, effectively bidding goodbye to his fans. He died a week after the airing of this program.]]
Just over a year after his retirement (in late January 1984), El Santo was a guest on ''Contrapunto'', a Mexican television program and, without warning, removed his mask just enough to expose his face, in effect bidding his fans goodbye.<ref name="MondoSanto"/> It is the only documented case of Santo removing his mask in public.<ref name="SantoStart"/> Santo died at a hospital from a heart attack (during a stage show he was putting on) on 5 February 1984, at 9:40&nbsp;p.m., a week after his ''Contrapunto'' television appearance. He had been complaining of pain in his arm prior to his death.<ref name=":0" /> 

In accordance with his wishes, he was buried wearing his famous silver mask. Around 10 thousand people, including Blue Demon and Mil Máscaras, attended his funeral, which was among the largest in the history of Mexico.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/deportes/el-santo-el-heroe-de-la-lucha-libre-mexicana/|title='El Santo': el héroe de la lucha libre mexicana, a 101 años de su nacimiento|accessdate=6 July 2021|date=23 September 2018|work=El Financiero|language=es}}</ref> He was entombed at a crypt on the Mausoleos del Ángel cemetery in [[Mexico City]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.debate.com.mx/deportes/El-Santo-ha-35-anos-de-su-muerte-20190205-0097.html|title=El Santo, a 35 años de su muerte|accessdate=6 July 2021|first=Cornelio|last=Figueroa|date=5 February 2019|work=debate|language=es}}</ref>  It reportedly took hours for Santo's coffin to make it from the funeral parlour into the hearse.<ref name=":0" />

==Legacy==
[[File:Hijo del Santo.jpg|thumb|upright|Santo's son, [[El Hijo del Santo]]]]
After his death, a statue of El Santo was erected in his home town of [[Tulancingo]] and other statues have been created since then.<ref name="MondoSanto"/>

Santo's youngest son with his first wife, Jorge carries on the legend of the Silver Mask, wrestling as [[El Hijo del Santo]] wearing the silver mask, cape and outfit that is very close to what his father used to wear. While El Hijo del Santo is not as big an icon as his father, he is considered a more technically proficient wrestler.<ref name="MondoHijoSanto">{{cite book | author= Madigan, Dan |author-link= Dan Madigan | title= Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling | publisher= HarperCollins Publishers | year= 2007 | chapter = El Hijo del Santo | pages = 125–130 | isbn=978-0-06-085583-3}}</ref><ref name="HijoDelSanto">{{cite book | author= Various | title= Lucha Libre> Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling | publisher= Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. | year= 2005 | chapter = The Idol's Son | pages = 287–296 | isbn=968-6842-48-9}}</ref>

In the early 1960s, a female wrestler called "La Novia del Santo" (Spanish for "the Bride of El Santo") worked the Mexican circuit. Under the silver mask was [[Irma González (wrestler)|Irma González]], a well-known wrestler who had promised her fiancé that she would stop wrestling, but went back in the ring under a mask when she could not resist the draw of competition. La Novia got El Santo's blessing to use the name and is the only non-family member ever given the right to use the Santo name. Gonzáles only wrestled as "La Novia del Santo" for 7 months until she got married. Later on, another wrestler adopted the "La Novia del Santo" name, but El Santo took action and put an end to the unauthorized use of the name.<ref name="NoviaDelSanto">{{cite book | author= Various | title= Lucha Libre> Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling | publisher= Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. | year= 2005 | chapter = La Novia del Santo / the Bride of El Santo | pages = 208–210 | isbn=968-6842-48-9}}</ref>

In the 1990s, one of El Santo's 25 grandchildren made his professional debut. After gaining some seasoning under different identities, he began working as "El Nieto del Santo" (Spanish for "the Grandson of Santo") during the 2000s. El Hijo del Santo took legal actions to prevent this as he owns all "El Santo" rights when it comes to wrestling, presumably because he himself is planning on letting one of his own sons use the "El Nieto del Santo" name. These days, the grandson of El Santo works as "Axxel" and only uses "El Nieto del Santo" as an unofficial nickname to avoid any legal issues. Axxel uses the same trademark mask, cape and trunk design as El Santo but has incorporated black trim and knee pads, presumably not to infringe on the legal rights of El Hijo del Santo. In August 2012, a court ruled in favor of Axxel, allowing him to again begin working as El Nieto del Santo.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/3-news/27078-fri-update-big-time-weekend-schedule-tons-of-shows-summerslam-update-brock-and-paul-rousey-threatens-death-or-dismemberment-santos-vs-cain-odds-tiffany-wwe-cut-tons-more | title= Fri update: Big-time weekend schedule, tons of shows, SummerSlam update, Brock and Paul, Rousey threatens death or dismemberment, Santos vs. Cain odds, Tiffany~!, WWE cut, tons more | last=Alvarez | first=Bryan | author-link=Bryan Alvarez | date=17 August 2012 | access-date=31 August 2012 | work=[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]}}</ref> In July 2016, another one of El Santo's grandchildren and the son of El Hijo del Santo began working under the name "El Santo Jr."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mediotiempo.com/lucha-libre/2016/07/02/debuto-el-santo-jr-en-londres|title=Debutó el Santo Jr. en Londres|date=2 July 2016|access-date=4 July 2016|work=MedioTiempo|language=es}}</ref>

On 23 September 2016, to honor the 99th birthday of El Santo, [[Google Doodle]] ran a special El Santo Google doodle for that day.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://doodles.google/doodle/rodolfo-guzman-huerta-el-santos-99th-birthday/ | title=Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (El Santo)'s 99th Birthday | date=23 September 2016 | access-date=23 September 2016 }}</ref>

He was inducted into the [[WWE Hall of Fame]] in [[WWE Hall of Fame (2018)|2018]] as part of the Legacy Inductees of that year.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy4Z8boiL6w | title=Meet the WWE Hall of Fame 2018 Legacy inductees | date=6 April 2018| access-date=6 July 2021| work= WWE|publisher= YouTube}}</ref>

A skeletal version of El Santo, complete with silver mask and cape, appears briefly in the 2017 [[Pixar]] film ''[[Coco (2017 film)|Coco]]'' as a guest at a party in the Land of the Dead, with actress [[María Félix]] as his date.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aguilar |first=Carlos |date=2017-11-29 |title=A Gringo's Guide to the Cultural References in Coco |url=https://slate.com/culture/2017/11/alebrijes-ofrendas-and-more-mexican-cultural-traditions-in-coco-explained.html |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=Slate Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

== Championships and accomplishments ==
[[File:Mascara_El_Santo.jpg|right|100px]]
*'''[[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre|Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre]]'''
:*[[EMLL Arena México Tag Team Championship]] (2 times) {{ndash}} with [[Rayo de Jalisco Sr.|Rayo de Jalisco]] (1),<ref name=LL165>{{cite news |work=Lucha Libre | issue=165 | date=29 December 1966 | title=Arena Coliseo | page=11 |language=es}}</ref> and [[Ray Mendoza]] (1)<ref name=LL259>{{cite news |work=Lucha Libre | issue=259 | date=27 September 1968| title=Arena Mexico | page=12 |language=es}}</ref>
:*[[Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship]] ([[Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref name="BokNationalLHwy"/>
:*[[Mexican National Middleweight Championship]] ([[Mexican National Middleweight Championship#Title history|5 times]])<ref name="BokNationalMidl"/>
:*[[Mexican National Tag Team Championship]] ([[Mexican National Tag Team Championship#Title history|2 times]]) - with [[Rayo de Jalisco Sr.|Rayo de Jalisco]]<ref name="BokNationalTag"/>
:*[[Mexican National Welterweight Championship]] ([[Mexican National Welterweight Championship#Title history|2 times]])<ref name="Bo'skNationalWelter"/>
:*[[NWA World Middleweight Championship]] ([[NWA World Middleweight Championship#Title history|2 time]])
:*[[NWA World Welterweight Championship]] ([[NWA World Welterweight Championship#Title history|2 time]])<ref name="BokNationalNWAWelter"/>
*'''[[International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame]]'''
:*Class of 2024
*'''[[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame]]'''
:*[[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame#2013|Class of 2013]]
*'''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards]]'''
:*[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame]] ([[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame#Inductees|Class of 1996]])
*'''[[WWE]]'''
**[[WWE Hall of Fame]] ([[WWE Hall of Fame (2018)|Class of 2018]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=116599|title=2018 WWE Hall of Fame Legacy Wing Inductees Are ...|website=www.pwinsider.com|access-date=6 April 2018}}</ref>

== ''Luchas de Apuestas'' record ==
{{See also|Lucha libre#Luchas de Apuestas|l1=Luchas de Apuestas}}
{|class="wikitable sortable" width=100%  style="text-align: center"
!width=20% scope="col"|Winner (wager)
!width=20% scope="col"|Loser (wager)
!width=20% scope="col"|Location
!width=20% scope="col"|Event
!width=15% scope="col"|Date
!class="unsortable" width=5% scope="col"|Notes
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[Cavernario Galindo]] (hair) || Mexico City || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas>{{cite news|title=Luchas 2000|work=El Santo y sus Victimas|publisher=Publicaciones citem, S.A. de C.V.|location=[[Ciudad Juárez|Juárez]], [[Mexico]]|id=Especial 30|pages=26–30|language=es | trans-title= The Saint and his victims}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Raúl Torres (hair) || N/A || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Gorilita Flores (hair) || N/A || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Judas Colombiano (hair) || N/A || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Gory Casanova (hair) || N/A || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Arturo Chávez (hair) || N/A || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Golden Terror (mask) || Guadalajara, Jalisco || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || La Cebra (mask) || Colombia || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || La Araña (mask) || Torreón, Coahuila || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || La Momia (mask) || San Salvador || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Cara Cortada (mask) || N/A || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Dragón Rojo (mask) || N/A || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Dr. X (original) (mask) || N/A || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo and Dr. X (original) (mask) || Los Infernales (I and II) (mask) || N/A || Live event || N/A || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[Murciélago Velázquez]] (hair) || N/A || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1943|1}} || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[Bobby Bonales]] (hair) || Mexico City || [[EMLL 10th Anniversary Show]] || {{dts|format=dmy|1943|9|24}} || <ref name=76Anniversaries>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegladiatores.com/?p=3072|title=Historia de Los Aniversarios del CMLL|date=2 September 2010|access-date=28 September 2012|work=The Gladiatores Magazine|language=es}}</ref><ref name=CMLLHistory>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmll.com/aniversario_cmll.htm|title=Historia de Los Aniversarios|access-date=28 September 2012|publisher=[[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre]]|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101031211911/http://cmll.com/aniversario_cmll.htm|archive-date=31 October 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[Bobby Bonales]] (hair) || N/A || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1944|2|9}} || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[Jack O'Brien (wrestler)|Jack O'Brien]] (hair) || Mexico City || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1944|4|8}} || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[Enrique Llanes]] (hair) || Mexico City || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1949|7|3}} || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Chico Casaola (hair) || Mexico City || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1951|2|11}} || <ref name=DiaFeb11>{{cite web | url=http://superluchas.com/en-un-dia-como-hoy-1951-santo-rapa-chico-casasola-1983-vulcano-y-tony-arce-destruyen-negro-casas-y-fuerza-guerrera/ | title=En un día como hoy… 1951: Santo rapa a Chico Casasola… 1983: Vulcano y Tony Arce destruyen a Negro Casas y Fuerza Guerrera | first=Teddy | last=Centinela | date=11 February 2015 | access-date=1 July 2015 | work=[[Súper Luchas]] | language=es}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[Black Shadow (wrestler)|Black Shadow]] (mask) || Mexico City || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1952|11|7}} ||<ref>{{cite news | author = Encyclopedia staff | title = Enciclopedia de las Mascaras | work = Black Shadow | location = [[Mexico]] | id = Tomo I | page = 32 | date = July 2007 | language = es}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Monje Loco (mask) || N/A || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1955|5|15}} || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Halcón Negro (mask) || Mexico City || ''[[Juicio Final (1955)|Juicio Final]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|1955|12|3}} || <ref name="EncySanto"/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || El Gladiador (mask) || Mexico City || [[EMLL 23rd Anniversary Show]] || {{dts|format=dmy|1956|9|21}} || <ref name=76Anniversaries/><ref name=CMLLHistory/><ref name="EncySanto">{{cite news | author = Encyclopedia staff | title = Enciclopedia de las Mascaras | work = Santo | location = [[Mexico]] | id = Tomo IV | pages = 29–30 | date = October 2007 | language = es}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || El Tercer Hombre (mask) || Guadalajara, Jalisco || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1959|2|22}} || <ref name=DiaFeb22>{{cite web | url=https://superluchas.com/en-un-dia-como-hoy-1959-el-regreso-de-henry-pilusso-el-tercer-hombre-vuelve-a-perder-la-mascara-ahora-ante-el-santo/ | title=En un día como hoy… 1959: El regreso de Henry Pilusso… El Tercer Hombre vuelve a perder la máscara, ahora ante El Santo | first=Teddy | last=Centinela | date=22 February 2015 | access-date=1 July 2015 | work=[[Súper Luchas]] | language=es}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Rubén Juárez (hair) || Mexico City || Live event || {{dts|1963}} || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[Espanto II]] (hair) || Mexico City || Live event || {{dts|1963}} || <ref name="EncySanto"/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Benny Galant (hair) || Mexico City || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1963|4|26}} || <ref name=DiaApril26>{{cite web | url=https://superluchas.com/en-un-dia-como-hoy-1963-santo-vs-benny-galant-mascara-contra-cabellera-karloff-lagarde-vs-el-espanol-antonio-montoro/ | title=En un día como hoy… 1963: Santo vs. Benny Galant, máscara contra cabellera — Karloff Lagarde vs. el español Antonio Montoro | first=Teddy | last=Centinela | date=26 April 2015 | access-date=1 July 2015 | work=[[Súper Luchas]] | language=es}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[Espanto I]] (mask) || Mexico City || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1963|10|25}} || <ref name="EncySanto"/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Chino Chou (hair) || Tijuana, Baja California || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1967|12|17}} || <ref name=DiaDec17>{{cite web | url=http://superluchas.com/en-un-dia-como-hoy-el-santo-rapo-chino-chow/ | title=en un dia como hoy El Santo rapo Chino Chow | date=17 December 2014 | access-date=29 June 2015 | first=Teddy | last=Centinela | work=[[Súper Luchas]] | language=es}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Dick Angelo (mask) || N/A || Live event || {{dts|1968}} || <ref name="EncySanto"/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[René Guajardo]] (hair) || N/A || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1968|8|10}} || <ref>{{cite news | author = L.L. Staff | title = Lucha Libre: Conoce la historia de las leyendas de cuadrilátero | work = Rene Guajardo (1933 - 1992) | location = [[Mexico]] | id = Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre | page = 49 | year = 2008 | language = es}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Jorge Allende (hair) || N/A || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1968|8|11}} || <ref name=DiaAugust11>{{cite web | url=http://superluchas.com/en-un-dia-como-hoy-1968-santo-gana-la-cabellera-del-espanol-jorge-allende-gemelo-diablo-i-rapa-a-manuel-robles/| title=En un día como hoy… 1968: Santo gana la cabellera del español Jorge Allende… Gemelo Diablo I rapa a Manuel Robles| first=Teddy | last=Centinela | date=11 August 2015 | access-date=11 August 2015 | work=[[Súper Luchas]] | language=es}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || [[Perro Aguayo]] (hair) || Mexico City || [[EMLL 42nd Anniversary Show (3)]] || {{dts|format=dmy|1975|10|3}} || <ref name=79Anniversaries>{{cite web|url=http://superluchas.com/cmll-77-historias-77-aniversario-las-77-luchas-estelares/|title=CMLL: 79 historias, 79 Aniversario, las 79 luchas estelares|first=Alex|last=Ruiz Glez|date=7 September 2010|access-date=20 October 2012|work=[[Súper Luchas]]|language=es}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Bobby Lee (mask) || Mexico City || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1978|9|3}} || <ref>{{cite news | author = Encyclopedia staff | title = Enciclopedia de las Mascaras | work = Bobby Lee | location = [[Mexico]] | id = Tomo I | page = 39 | date = July 2007 | language = es}}</ref>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || Bobby Lee (hair) || Mexico City || Live event || {{dts|format=dmy|1978|9|24}} || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|-
|El Santo (mask) || El Remolino (mask) || Ciudad Obregón, Sonora || Live event || {{dts|1980}} || <ref name=SantoVictimas/>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}Coco (movie) 2017

==Further reading==
*{{Cite news | author = L.L. Staff | title = Lucha Libre: Conoce la historia de las leyendas de cuadrilátero | work = Santo (1917-1984) | location = [[Mexico]] | id = Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre | page = 54 | year = 2008 | language = es}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0763803|name=Santo}}
* [http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~dwilt/santo.html The Films of El Santo, El Enmascarado De Plata]
* [http://www.santoandfriends.com Santo and friends]
* [http://www.searchmytrash.com/articles/santo(8-07).shtml Santo-biography with emphasis on his film work] on (re)Search my Trash
* {{Professional wrestling profiles}}

{{Navboxes|
|list1=
{{EMLL Arena México Tag Team Champions}}
{{Homenaje a Dos Leyendas}}
{{Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship}}
{{Mexican National Middleweight Champions}}
{{Mexican National Tag Team Champions}}
{{Mexican National Welterweight Championship}}
{{NWA World Middleweight Championship}}
{{NWA World Welterweight Championship}}
{{WWE Hall of Fame Legacy Wing}}
}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Film|Mexico}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santo, El}}
[[Category:1917 births]]
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[[Category:20th-century Mexican male actors]]
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[[Category:People from Tulancingo]]
[[Category:Professional wrestlers from Hidalgo (state)]]
[[Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum]]
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[[Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers]]
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[[Category:NWA World Welterweight Champions]]
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