When I was creating the Latin Thunder Luchador character I studied a lot of classic masked Mexican stars. I went all the way back to El Santo, who was my fathers favorite wrestler in the 50's when he was a child. I WATCHED VIDEOS OF Blue Demon, El Canek & others. I studied modern day stars from the W.W.E. such as Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara. But the wrestler who I researched far more than any other was Aaron Rodriguez, aka Mil Mascaras.
Mascaras has received a lot of criticism since Mick Foley wrote about him in his first book. A lot of that criticism has merit. His reputation for no selling, his large ego & his selfishness in the ring has been well documented.
But I think Mascaras's legacy from his greatest era, the 70's, has been forgotten. He was a huge star internationally. His first tour of Japan created a sensation and he became a fixture in the Orient, where he even met his second wife. He was the FIRST masked wrestler to ever compete in Madison Square Garden and he was a main event star in multiple U.S. territories. All the while he remained a big star in Mexico and even drew money in other parts of the world such as Europe and Latin America.
So what made Aaron Rodriguez such a star? Truthfully a bigger star internationally than even the mythic El Santo. What allowed him to blaze a trail for Mexican wrestlers in the 70's that TO THIS DAY is paying dividends for countless Mexican Luchadores? Here are the top six reasons I feel Mascaras was such a big success and let him go places no other Latino had ever been:
1. His physique. Mascaras was a top bodybuilder in Mexico in the 1960's. He understood how to maintain an impressive body, and in his prime, had a muscularity that was hard to beat in ANY era. He was a large framed man for a Mexican, weighing around 230lbs and six foot tall. This allowed him to be programmed against all the top stars of the era who were, by and large, big men. Mil did not look small compared to Harley Race, Superstar Billy Graham and other big stars of that era.
2. He could speak English. Most of the Mexican stars of that time, AS WELL AS today, could not speak English. That limited them in building relationships with promoters, as well as do interviews on T.V. Mil talks of having dinner with Vince McMahon Sr during his stops in New York. That lesson is still prevalent today as Sin Cara did not have the success many expected from him, partly due to his lack of English.
3. His gear. Mil Mascaras was one of the most colorful stars of the 70's, along with Superstar Billy Graham. Mascaras was constantly updating & adding to his gear with new boots,tights, and his collection of masks. He knew showmanship. His beautiful capes, vests and ring jackets made him different & stand out.
The TWO most influential photographers in the history of wrestling, Bill Apter and George Napolitano, have both told me Mil was one of their favorite wrestlers. In the 70's, many wrestlers wore dull dark plain trunks, which to a photographer was boring. Here was a guy who was fun to photograph, tailor made for your cover with his showmanship and physique. Color photos were still a novelty, yet most wrestlers dressed like the world was still black & white.
Do you think having these TWO influential guys as your biggest fans would help your career?
4. He was a citizen of the world. Mascaras looked at the business with a global view, the world was his marketplace. He was a Main Event star in Houston, Los Angeles (where comedian George Lopez loved to see him), New York, Minneapolis, Japan, and Germany.
Many other Mexican & Latino wrestlers were big stars in certain territories. The Guerreros, Jose Lothario, and Ricky Romero were big stars in Los Angeles, El Paso and Houston. But Mascaras was the first truly big star of Mexican descent in Japan and many of the northern territories. Why? See above.
5. His toughness and athleticism. Mascaras was MEXICAN OLYMPIC LEVEL amateur wrestler who knew Judo as well. HE could take care of himself if needed, in the ring, as well as out. In the era of shooters and legit tough guys, Mascaras could defend himself. He was not intimidated by the bullies and shooters of his era. they could not muscle him out of his top spots.
6. He was a movie star. Mascaras showed up in Lucha Libre during the golden age of Mexican cinema. During this time Mexico was producing their campy, but very popular, Masked Lucha Libre movies. In these movies the stars of the day, such as, Santo, Blue Demon and Mascaras fought vampires, mummies and criminal masterminds. They were portrayed as superheroes. Many modern day Mexican directors point to the fact these stars portrayed wrestlers in the movies, and actually wrestled in real life, as a powerful combination to young fans' imaginations.
These movies went all over the world and created a fan base and excitement for Mascaras before he even set foot in many countries. He often sold out arenas just through his fame from the movies before even being featured in the local T.V.
So there are my top six reasons Mascaras became one of the biggest stars of the 1970's. He has been honored in Mexico by his peers and the Mexican media as being the greatest ambassador of Lucha Libre in history.
I hope people will be more balanced on his legacy as time goes on. I also hope Mascaras will be at the Cauliflower Alley Reunion in Vegas this June which I will be attending so I can finally meet him in person. Is there anything else you feel made Mascaras star I left out?
