About This Quiz
A luchador, as you may already know, is a masked Mexican wrestler who takes part in the Lucha Libre. The Lucha Libre is the name of Mexico's professional wrestling circuit, a form of athletic entertainment.
Now, here's where it can get tricky- not all luchadors are masked, although most are- and not all masked fighters consider themselves to be luchadors, so it can be hard to determine who really is one and who isn't. Luckily, you're a huge fan so it isn't hard for you to figure out.Â
Some luchadors have gone past the Lucha Libre level. They have brought this tradition of Mexican fighting to more mainstream competitions like the WWF, UWA and WWA. El Hijo del Santo, El Solitario and Mil Mascaras are three such examples. Not only has this style of fighting spread to the U.S., but to other countries around the world, such as Japan, where you can find Hayabusa, and Australia, where the Australian Suicide makes his home.Â
What we want to know today, is how much of a Lucha Libre fan you are. Sure you can name the Blue Demon, Abismo Negro and El Santo, but do you know who Atlantis and Dos Caras are? Let's find out!Â
El Hijo del Santo, The Son of the Saint, is the son of the renowned luchador, El Santo and the only child to carry on his legacy as a wrestler and actor. In 1984, he won the UWA World Lightweight title when he defeated Negro Casas and in 1993, starred in a film about his father, "Santo: The Legend of the Man in the Silver Mask."
Mil Mascaras became an overnight international sensation in 1966 when he starred in a film of the same name, Mil Mascaras (a thousand masks). He is one of the most famous luchador wrestlers, along with Blue Demon and El Santo.
Abismo Negro, or "Black Abyss" as it is known in English, refers to the Mexican wrestler, Andres Gonzalez. He worked for the AAA Federation until his death in 2009 and he was inducted into the AAA Hall of Fame in 2013.
Advertisement
Rami Sebei, formally known as El Generico, currently wrestles for WWE (World Wrestling Inc.) as Sami Zayn. He performed as El Generico from the early 2000's until 2013 when he signed on with WWE and was ultimately unmasked and rebranded.
In 1974, Carmelo Reyes González launched his professional wrestling career as Mil Caras (a thousand faces). However, sometime afterward, he changed it to Cien Caras, to avoid being confused with a fellow luchador, Mil Máscaras. In the ring, he is known for the inverted bearhug technique that he uses against his opponents.
Little is documented about White Venus, a female professional wrestler in the luchador games. Her real name is Peggy Patterson; she was trained for the championships by The Fabulous Moolah.
Advertisement
The Mascara Sagrada, Spanish for the Sacred Mask, has been involved in Mexican wrestling for more than two decades. He has been involved in copyright problems with various parties over his name since 1995.
Asai Yoshihiro is a Japanese wrestler and a force to be reckoned with. After his debut in the early '90s, he won the WCW Cruiserweight Champion on two occasions and won the J Crown tournament in his homeland. He is also famous for the Asai Moonsault that he practices.
This masked wrestler known as El Olympico (the Olympian) has been in the ring since the late '90's when he won his first title at the CMLL World Welterweight Championship. In 2010, at the CML's anniversary show, he revealed his true name to be Joel Bernal Galicia.
Advertisement
Ricardo Amezquita Carreño, started off his career as "Bird Boy" before he was given the infectious name, Virus. He used his small size to his advantage when he won the CMLL World Mini-Estrella Championship in April 1996- a title which he held for three years.
This masked wrestler gained fame in the 1970s and '80s and is the three-time winner of the UWA World Heavyweight Championship. His talent seems to be a family trait as well, as he is the brother of fellow luchador Mil Mascaras and Sicodélico and the father of Alberto Del Rio.
Alejandro Muñoz Moreno, known by his ring name, Blue Demon, was one of the most popular masked professional wrestlers in Mexican history. His blue mask became his signature look and he was known for his legendary defeat of El Santo in 1952, capturing the National Wrestling Alliance World Welterweight title.
Advertisement
Tinieblas (darkness) is a professional wrestler and the rival of Mil Mascaras. Manuel Leal is the man behind the faceless hood, who would, later on, embark on international tours and win the WWA World Heavyweight Championship.
José Luis Jair is known as Shocker when he's battling in the ring as a professional wrestler for CMLL (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre). He has been trained by Diablo Velasco as well as El Satánico of CMLL and has defeated Black Warrior (1997), Jerry Lynn (2003) and Damian el Terrible (2004).
El Invader #1 (Jose González) is an international wrestling champion who retired in 2014. He gained notoriety in 1988, after fatally stabbing another wrestler, Bruiser Body, at a wrestling match in Puerto Rico. Gonzalez claimed self-defense and was acquitted.
Advertisement
José Delgado Saldaña is a talented wrestler who goes by many aliases. In the United States and his home country of Mexico, where he works with AAA and CMLL, he is known as Mr. Aguila. In the World Wrestling Federation, he enjoyed a brief reign as Essa Rios.
Adolfo Ibarra is recognized by the skeleton outfit he wears to the ring as La Parka, the renowned wrestler. He has been labeled the "Chairman of WCW" due to his knack of bringing a chair into the ring. This famous wrestler also simultaneously won the IWC World Hardcore, IWC World Heavyweight and the IWL World Heavyweight championships.
Espectro 1 (Ghost) was portrayed by the Mexican national, Antonio Arriaga, in the 1950s. He was charismatic and known for his theatrical entrances into the ring, such as in a coffin carried by men dressed as ghosts. Espectro 1 was also great friends with another wrestler named Karloff Lagarde.
Advertisement
Juan Barron (Dr. Wagner Jr.) is the son of Manuel Rivera (Dr. Wagner) and a masked wrestler who only uncovered his mask in 2017 after decades of anonymity. This was after he lost the match to Psycho Clown upon which he changed his name to Rey Wagner.
Lizmark Jr. is the son of the famous wrestler, Lizmark. He adopted his father's ring name when he launched his career in the 1990s. He has not been as successful a wrestler as his father but did wrestle for the Cruiserweight division of WCW. In 2011, he joined Los Perros del Mal of the AAA.
Rayo de Jalisco Jr. is one of those masked wrestlers who has remained true to Lucha Libre traditions and never revealed his identity. He has won the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship twice and became the WWA World Heavyweight Champion in 2003.
Advertisement
Ramón Ibarra Banda, also known as Super Parka and previously known as Volador, is a wrestler who has worked with CMLL and WWA. His nephew, L.A. Park, is an award-winning wrestler and his son, Volador Jr., has also followed in his footsteps.
Atlantis is a Tecnico for CMLL and has been part of the professional wrestling business since he launched his career in 1983. Though this masked wrestler has never disclosed his real name, he is well loved by fans, particularly those of the younger generation.
Lizmark was a popular luchador who rose to fame during the '80s and '90s. He won many championships throughout his career, such as the Mexican Welterweight National Championship. He was also the first member of the Triple AAA cast to become the National Light Heavyweight Champion.
Advertisement
Manuel Ortiz Partida was portrayed as Ciclope but was mostly depicted as "Halloween' for the majority of his career. He was a tag team wrestler and a high flyer.
Rey Mysterio Jr. (King Mystery) is a WWE wrestler who debuted in the '90s after receiving training from his uncle, Rey Misterio Sr. He was thrust into the spotlight after a wrestling match resulted in the death of Pedro Ramirez, who received a fatal blow to the head during one of Mysterio's popular stunts.
Luke Forward was an Australian wrestler who became a luchador as recently as 2013, with the stage name, Thunder. His portrayal of tecnico (good guy) and then rudo (bad guy) in wrestling was brought to a sudden end when he died of stomach cancer in 2016.
Advertisement
Juventud Guerrera (Warrior Youth) was small in size but came to life in the ring, armed with a guitar and his unique mask. He was the rival of Rey Mysterio Jr. and the two alternated the AAA Welterweight title over the years. Juventud and his father, Fuerza, would often team up against Mysterio Jr. and his uncle, Rey Misterio Sr., for tag team matches.
Japanese wrestler, Osamu Matsuda, is better known by his ring name, El Samurai, which he adopted in the '90s. In 1985, he made his debut in the ring but lost to Jushin Thunder Liger. The determined El Samurai fought Jushin again in 1992 at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and won the match.
El Solitario was the winner of the NWA World Middleweight and the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championships. He launched his profession at 14 years of age and remained in the field up until his death at 39 years old from health complications.
Advertisement
Felipe Estrada has enjoyed a long and successful career since he entered the wrestling profession at 18 years of age and began to train. In 1973, he changed his name from Principe Azul (The Blue Prince) to El Canek and went on to win the UWA World Heavyweight Championship more than 10 times.
Rafael Garcia worked for the World Championship Wrestling but is mostly recognized for his work with AAA. In 2007, he and his partner, El Apache, joined forces against Super Fly and Laredo King- their rivals. However, Super Calo lost to Super Fly and was unmasked after several years of hiding.
The Destroyer/ Dr. X was a masked wrestler who started off as a footballer and teacher before becoming a professional fighter. Though he retired in 1993, he was recognized for his impressive career by Japan, where he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun in 2017.
Advertisement
El Gato has more than 30 years of experience in wrestling and numerous wins under his belt. He is a single and a tag team wrestler and has defeated the likes of Tarzan Goto and Tommy Lane. He is the son of Duke Keomuka, who trained him.
Norberto Salcedo, identified by his stage name, Pierroth Jr., is known for his wrestling tactics, such as the powerbomb move and the open hand chop. This masked wrestler debuted in 1984 and enjoyed a career spanning more than 30 years but was revealed by La Parka when he lost his mask to him.
Sin Cara is currently an acrobatic wrestler with the WWE. His current stage name means "without face," but he was previously known as Incognito. Sin Cara signed to WWE in 2011 and is highly regarded for his charisma and agility.
Advertisement
Dionicio Castellanos Torres is the real name behind the alias, Psicosis, which serves as his ring name. He is recognized by his attire, consisting of horns extending from his mask and an outfit of various colors. After joining WCW, Pscicosis became a member of the cruiserweight division and a fierce fighter.
The wrestling character by the name of El Gran Luchador was first portrayed by WWE wrestler Paul London. This character has defeated John Bradshaw and Shannon Moore but was ultimately unmasked by Eddie Guerrero during a wrestle.
Fishman was a prominent figure in lucha libre in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He worked for wrestling associations around the world, including the Universal Wrestling Association. In 2000, he retired sometime after being defeated at The Apuestas.
Advertisement
Manuel González Rivera, recognized professionally as Dr. Wagner, rose to fame in the 1960s and worked mostly for the EMLL promotion. He lost his mask to El Solitario in a match but enjoyed decades of wrestling. He was succeeded by his sons, Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr.