Máscaras could have been a bad guy, but instead, he chose to break the mold. Although his name conjures images of trickery and deceit, he spent his entire career as a “face” or good guy rather than a “heel” which can be seen each time he graciously shakes an opponents’ hand. In fact his moniker refers to the many hoods that he wore while performing because he rarely wore the same mask twice.
Máscara’s greatest legacy is a family wrestling dynasty. Brother Jose went on to wrestle as Dos Caras while his other brother Pablo was known as Sicodélico. His nephews, Alberto del Rio a current WWE superstar and Sicodelico, Jr. a Mexican luchador followed in their tio’s footsteps. Although semi-retired, Máscaras still occasionally gets on the mat and has even returned to the screen resurrecting the thriller-horror genre of film.
History has given him his proper place with inductions into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2010 and his most recent induction into the WWE Hall of Fame on Sunday April 1, 2012 (see clip below as current WWE star Triple H, gives him his props).
For introducing the world to lucha libre and paving the way for Latino wrestlers in the United States, Mil Máscaras is a true don.
Image credit- Yukio Hiraku/AFLO/Nippon News/Corbis