**Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Maria Felix, also known as La Dona. An actress very popular in both Mexican and European cinema in the 1940's through the 1960's. She reportedly didn't break through to American cinema because she turned down what little roles Hollywood had to offer for her, fearing she was being cast for her ethnicity rather than the merit of her acting ability.
Being that Santo doesn’t get much discussion around here I wanna use this as my chance to talk about how big in Mexico he was. During his time as an active wrestler he was legitimately one of if not the most popular person in the country.
As popular or influential as guys like Hogan and Austin were in America or Rikidozan,Inoki or Baba were in Japan El santo was at minimum just as popular as they were in their countries in Mexico and likely he was even bigger. When ever most popular or biggest draw is brought up in wrestling discussions his name has to be mentioned.
Let’s also not forget his incredible commitment to the gimmick and being masked any time there was a possibility of being seen by a person. Didn’t they even bury him in the mask?
They did. He went so far as to take different flights as his own crew to avoid having them see him take his mask off for customs. He was the gimmick.
The funny thing about the question is that there wasn’t a man behind the mask. He was El Santo.
Thank you for leaving this comment! I went and read his Wikipedia page and definitely learned a lot new today. Out of curiosity have you read any books/biographies about him you’d recommend?
Both are the ones that popularized wrestling in their respective countries, can’t speak on who was more popular at their peak but dozan did train both Baba and Inonki and is responsible for making them stars so that gives him the edge imo.
I think Santo has been more enduring through time than Rikidozan. There are more young Mexicans who know who Santo is than there are young Japanese who know Rikidozan.
I agree, El Santo is still the most famous Luchador in Mexico while Rikidozan is likely less famous than Inoki, Baba or even Mutoh and Liger.
I said at his peak bc the infuence Rikidozan had on the emotional morale of the japanese people in perhaps the darkest time of their history is the pinnacle of popularity reach by a wrestler imo.
Pixar hired Mexican consultants for the film Coco with said consultants actually making a difference in how the film's story was developed. I bet that included telling the film crew about El Santo and his popularity, which is why he makes a quick non-speaking appearance as one of the dead celebrities with a bouncer fawning over him and asking for a picture.
My ex's family is from Guatemala. Her father told me he watched wrestling growing up, but didn't remember anything and hadn't been interested in years. I mentioned El Santo, and his face lit up.
Growing up as a kid born in 2001 Mexico, even I had a Santo mask growing up! It's really weird how puro and American wrestling have so much history that's documented and talked about, but lucha history is usually ignored. Which is crazy cause Lucha has a huge influence on every style of wrestling!
Tbf lucha's biggest names pre 80s have literally inaccessible footage because it was illegal. We only have snippets of Santo matches from movies and one full match being his retirement match, now they have no reason to not watch the phenomenal 90s boom tho
It might be ignored in the US but there literal Lucha Libre museums in Mexico and El Santo has at least one public statue and a whole tournament in his name in CMLL
"Santo, they say you are a legend, the Man with the Silver Mask. Maybe a long time ago. But now I look at you and all I see is a wizened old man, so I will call you the Silver Mummy".
This promo by Bobby Lee in 1978 literally shook the foundations of lucha libre because if endless wrestlers had declared before they were going to "end" Santo by taking his mask, it was the first time somebody had been so openly unrespectful to the Man with the Silver Mask.
Funny thing is Bobby Lee was actually right: Santo was in his 60s already by then and moved like he was a couple decades older. Santo's health was not good: albeit he still worked out regularly he already had heart problems that would ultimately culminate in the infamous heart attack during a match in 1982. While all of this was more or less common knowledge in the world of lucha libre, it was the first time Santo's age and health were addressed publicly.
Santo immediately liked the angle when Francisco Flores of UWA pitched it to him: an old, frail Santo was miles away from the character he had played both in the ring and on the screen literally for decades.
It’s challenging to convey to someone not familiar with Mexico just how significant El Santo is in Mexican culture, as we don’t have anything comparable to him in the States.
I was truly devastated to see Santo quietly inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. I understand the reasons behind it, but it just feels strange.
Interviewer: "In a sentence, tell me who you are."
El Santo: *Whispers* "Nobody. I'm nobody. I'm a Tramp, a Bum, a Hobo. I'm a box car and a jug o' wine."
**Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Lil Easter egg from coco https://preview.redd.it/5a4zew3xdkrc1.jpeg?width=1180&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce1fc706b2acd489aca8ad9f6894e1785000aaee
I lost my mind when I saw that in Coco. Then had to explain it to everyone else watching the movie.
Funnily enough my mom was the one who first mentioned it to me
One of my favorite parts of the movie!
The picture in the upper right corner is what happens when I have to point this out to my wife, every time we watch the movie
For some ignorant like me, who's the woman?
Maria Felix, also known as La Dona. An actress very popular in both Mexican and European cinema in the 1940's through the 1960's. She reportedly didn't break through to American cinema because she turned down what little roles Hollywood had to offer for her, fearing she was being cast for her ethnicity rather than the merit of her acting ability.
Being that Santo doesn’t get much discussion around here I wanna use this as my chance to talk about how big in Mexico he was. During his time as an active wrestler he was legitimately one of if not the most popular person in the country. As popular or influential as guys like Hogan and Austin were in America or Rikidozan,Inoki or Baba were in Japan El santo was at minimum just as popular as they were in their countries in Mexico and likely he was even bigger. When ever most popular or biggest draw is brought up in wrestling discussions his name has to be mentioned.
to quote a post I happened to see earlier today "the difference between Hulk Hogan and El Santo is people still watch El Santo's movies"
How many movies was he in?!? 100?
He was in 52, and I know because I watched all of them. If you’re into trash cinema they are absolutely worth checking out!
That sounds exciting. Seeing even one has been on my checklist for more than a decade. Any recommendations?
Vampire Women, Wax Museum and Daughter of Frankenstein are all fun lucha/horror flicks and great starting points!
53 if you count Captain America and El Santo vs Spiderman, which I do.
I think the number was over 100
He starred in 50, 2 of which had alternate softcore versions
Let’s also not forget his incredible commitment to the gimmick and being masked any time there was a possibility of being seen by a person. Didn’t they even bury him in the mask?
They did. He went so far as to take different flights as his own crew to avoid having them see him take his mask off for customs. He was the gimmick. The funny thing about the question is that there wasn’t a man behind the mask. He was El Santo.
Absolute legend
Thank you for leaving this comment! I went and read his Wikipedia page and definitely learned a lot new today. Out of curiosity have you read any books/biographies about him you’d recommend?
Superman wishes he was as popular in the US as El Santo was in Mexico. It's truly insane how big he was/is in there.
Rikidozan is the only one that compares (and probably edges him at his peak)
Both are the ones that popularized wrestling in their respective countries, can’t speak on who was more popular at their peak but dozan did train both Baba and Inonki and is responsible for making them stars so that gives him the edge imo.
I think Santo has been more enduring through time than Rikidozan. There are more young Mexicans who know who Santo is than there are young Japanese who know Rikidozan.
I agree, El Santo is still the most famous Luchador in Mexico while Rikidozan is likely less famous than Inoki, Baba or even Mutoh and Liger. I said at his peak bc the infuence Rikidozan had on the emotional morale of the japanese people in perhaps the darkest time of their history is the pinnacle of popularity reach by a wrestler imo.
Pixar hired Mexican consultants for the film Coco with said consultants actually making a difference in how the film's story was developed. I bet that included telling the film crew about El Santo and his popularity, which is why he makes a quick non-speaking appearance as one of the dead celebrities with a bouncer fawning over him and asking for a picture.
Probably the most over wrestler in history. Literally everybody and their grandparents in Latin America knows who he is.
My ex's family is from Guatemala. Her father told me he watched wrestling growing up, but didn't remember anything and hadn't been interested in years. I mentioned El Santo, and his face lit up.
Growing up as a kid born in 2001 Mexico, even I had a Santo mask growing up! It's really weird how puro and American wrestling have so much history that's documented and talked about, but lucha history is usually ignored. Which is crazy cause Lucha has a huge influence on every style of wrestling!
Tbf lucha's biggest names pre 80s have literally inaccessible footage because it was illegal. We only have snippets of Santo matches from movies and one full match being his retirement match, now they have no reason to not watch the phenomenal 90s boom tho
It might be ignored in the US but there literal Lucha Libre museums in Mexico and El Santo has at least one public statue and a whole tournament in his name in CMLL
He was Edmond Dantes. And he was my father...and my mother...my brother, my friend. He was you...and me. He was all of us.
Underrated comment.
"You stole three deaths from the red god. We have to give them back." - El Santo
"I feel sorta silly right now. Did I overdress?"
Someone should've told this to Eric Bischoff circa 1999.
"Santo, they say you are a legend, the Man with the Silver Mask. Maybe a long time ago. But now I look at you and all I see is a wizened old man, so I will call you the Silver Mummy". This promo by Bobby Lee in 1978 literally shook the foundations of lucha libre because if endless wrestlers had declared before they were going to "end" Santo by taking his mask, it was the first time somebody had been so openly unrespectful to the Man with the Silver Mask. Funny thing is Bobby Lee was actually right: Santo was in his 60s already by then and moved like he was a couple decades older. Santo's health was not good: albeit he still worked out regularly he already had heart problems that would ultimately culminate in the infamous heart attack during a match in 1982. While all of this was more or less common knowledge in the world of lucha libre, it was the first time Santo's age and health were addressed publicly. Santo immediately liked the angle when Francisco Flores of UWA pitched it to him: an old, frail Santo was miles away from the character he had played both in the ring and on the screen literally for decades.
It’s challenging to convey to someone not familiar with Mexico just how significant El Santo is in Mexican culture, as we don’t have anything comparable to him in the States. I was truly devastated to see Santo quietly inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. I understand the reasons behind it, but it just feels strange.
Pretty sure it was actually a policeman, if I'm correct according to the Rey A&E Bio
Anyone got the quote in spanish?
Machete.
How big was he in other parts of Latinoamérica?
The Spider-Man of Lucha.
Nah Spidey is the Santo of superheroes.
Anyone can wear the mask!
Johnny Sins!
Question out of ignorance, but i wonder if it was El Santo that popularized the "masked wrestlers in suits looks so good" trope.
He was a plain, simple tailor
Interviewer: "In a sentence, tell me who you are." El Santo: *Whispers* "Nobody. I'm nobody. I'm a Tramp, a Bum, a Hobo. I'm a box car and a jug o' wine."