Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (September 23, 1917 - February 5,
1984), more widely known as El Santo (the Saint), was a
Mexican Luchador enmascarado (Spanish for masked
professional wrestler), film actor, and folk icon. El Santo,
along with Blue Demon & Mil Máscaras, is one of the
most famous and iconic of all Mexican luchadores, and has
been referred to as one of "the greatest legends in
Mexican sports" His wrestling career spanned nearly
five decades, during which he became a folk hero and a
symbol of justice for the common man through his appearances
in comic books and movies. He is said to have popularized
professional wrestling in Mexico just as Rikidozan did in
Japan and Hulk Hogan did in the United States. Guzmán's son
followed him into wrestling as El Hijo del Santo, or 'Son of
Santo'.