9 Wrestlers That Refused To Break Kayfabe
1. The Greatest Superhero In Mexican History
The late Rodolfo Guzman Huerta was Mexican wrestlings most famous exponent, a multi-media sensation in his country long before the USA managed to parlay their version of pro wrestling into real crossover fame.
This is no exaggeration: El Santo was a household name in Mexico far in excess of Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Cena in America and Europe. Only Hulk Hogan rivals Santos' genuine mainstream celebrity.
He starred - as himself - in his own movie franchise, in comic books where he was the superhero. The silver mask and cape became more than just a wrestling costume. They became a symbol, just as Superman's red-white-and-blue and stylised S are a symbol.
Huerta's realisation left him with very little choice if he wanted to preserve the character's mystique. He resolved to never take the mask off and, with one exception, he never did. For the entirety of his forty year career under the name El Santo, Huerta never once took off his mask in public. El Santo didn't show his face in the ring, on television, in films, backstage or when walking down the street.
Huerta would be forced to go to ridiculous extremes while doing so, as anyone with more than a little imagination can guess. He'd even take separate transport to travel so that no one who knew him would see him remove the mask to get through customs.
Santo retired from active appearances in lucha libre in 1982 and, incredibly, continued to wear the mask even into retirement. Winning his final match, as befitted Mexico's own favourite superhero, Huerta passed on the legacy of El Santo to his son, who would wear a version of the mask as El Hijo Del Santo.
A year or so after his retirement, Santo would appear as a guest on Mexicos Contrapunto television show and, just for a moment, would remove his mask for the first time in public in front of the studio audience and cameras.
A week later, Santo would pass away from heart failure, and was buried in the mask he'd made famous. Its almost as if he was saying goodbye.