“Lucha Libre” legend El Santo would have been 99 years old today

Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, who popularized lucha libre around the world, ‘represented justice and the fight against evil,’ Google wrote on death anniversary.

Well done, Google. The internet giant gets major props today as their daily doodle commemorates Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, commonly known as “El Santo”, the legendary Mexican wrestler, movie star and national icon who popularized the sport across five decades and gained cult status throughout the globe.

He would have been 99 years old.

lucha libre el hijo del santo — Lucha libre wrestler El Hijo del Santo, the son of late Mexican wrestler El Santo, wears the silver mask his father was known for. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

El Santo helped fuel the growth and reputation of lucha libre throughout the world and thanks to its distinctive personalities and vibrant costumes, the sport appeals to fans of both wrestling and pop culture.

Directly translated as “free wrestling”, lucha libre is a cultural institution in Mexico, making it one of the most popular sports in the country and since its origin in the early 1930s, the sport’s governing body, the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) is the longest-running active professional promotion company in the world.