Another legendary luchador passed away in 2015. Lizmark, real name Juan Banos, passed away of a heart attack on December 16th at the age of 66. His real name wasn't revealed until his death, as he had never lost his mask and was determined to adhere to kayfabe. What a worker... Lizmark, whose name was inspired by the German battleship Bismarck, was a huge star in Mexico in the seventies and eighties. Nicknamed El Geniecillo Azul ('The Blue Genie'), Lizmark was a revolutionary high-flyer for the time and had unmatched grace and technique. He was well-decorated, too, winning all of CMLL's major titles. Although he officially retired in 1999 due to heart problems, Lizmark continued wrestling in the 2000s, competing all the way up until 2009 when he quietly stopped wrestling. He never received a huge sendoff and no farewell show was held in his honour, but he was absolutely respected and helped to inspire many of the current crop of lucha stars. He is survived by his sons Lizmark Jr. and El Hijo del Lizmark, both of whom are also luchadors.
