El Santo Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta ( September 23 , 1917 - February 5 , 1984 ) , more widely known as Santo , el Enmascarado de Plata ( " Saint , the Silver Masked Man " ) , was a Mexican professional wrestler , film actor , and folk hero . Santo , along with Blue Demon & Mil Máscaras , is one of the most famous and iconic of all Mexican luchadores , or free wrestlers , 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 Rikidōzan did in Japan and Hulk Hogan did in the United States . Pro wrestling career . Accounts vary as to exactly when and where he first wrestled competitively , either in Arena Peralvillo Cozumel on 28 June 1934 , or Deportivo Islas in the Guerrero colony of Mexico City in 1935 , but by the second half of the 1930s , he was established as a wrestler , using the names " Rudy Guzmán " , " El Hombre Rojo " ( " the Red Man " ) , " El Demonio Negro " ( The Black Demon ) and " El Murcielago II " ( " The Bat II " ) . The last name was a rip - off of the name of a famous wrestler Jesus Velazquez named " El Murcielago " ( The Bat ) , and after an appeal by the Bat to the Mexican boxing and wrestling commission , the regulatory body ruled that Guzmán could not use the name . El Santo . In the early 1940s , Guzmán married María de los Ángeles Rodríguez Montaño ( Maruca ) , a union that would produce 10 children ; their names were Alejandro , María de los Ángeles , Héctor Rodolfo , Blanca Lilia , Víctor Manuel , Miguel Ángel , Silvia Yolanda , María de Lourdes , Mercedes , and the youngest child Jorge , who also became a famous wrestler in his own right , " El Hijo del Santo " ( Son of Santo ) . In 1942 , Rodolfo ' s manager , Don Jesús Lomelí , was putting together a new team of wrestlers , all dressed in silver , and wanted Rodolfo to be a part of it . He suggested three names , " El Santo " ( " The Saint " ) , " El Diablo " ( " The Devil " ) , or " El Angel " ( " The Angel " ) , and Rodolfo chose the first one . On 26 June , aged 24 , he wrestled at the Arena Mexico for the first time as El Santo , although he later was known simply as " Santo " . Under this new name he quickly found his style . One of Santo ' s greatest matches was in 1952 , when he fought a tag - team known as Los Hermanos Shadow ( which consisted of famed luchadors Blue Demon and the Black Shadow ) . Santo beat and unmasked Black Shadow in the ring , which triggered Blue Demon ' s decision to become a técnico , as well as a legendary feud between Blue Demon and Santo that culminated in Santo ' s defeat in a well - publicized series of matches in 1952 and again in 1953 . Although they appeared together in a number of action / adventure films , their rivalry never really ended in later years since Santo always remembered his defeat at Blue Demon ' s hands . Retirement . By the early 1980s El Santo slowed down his in ring activities leading up to his inevitable retirement . His farewell tour was announced for August and September 1982 . the first of three events took place on August 22 , 1982 at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City . On that night El Santo teamed up with El Solitario to take on Villano III and Rokambole in a match that naturally saw the legends win . After the match Villano and Rokamble lifted El Santo up on their shoulders as he received the adulation of the sold out arena . The following Sunday El Santo appeared at Arena México where he teamed up with Gran Hamada to defeat Villano I and Scorpio , Jr . Santo ' s last match took place on September 12 , 1982 , a week before his 65th birthday . In his last match ever El Santo teamed up with Gory Guerrero who came out of retirement to reform " La Pareja Átomica " as they teamed up with Huracán Ramirez and El Solitario . Their opponents included one of El Santo ' s biggest rivals in Perro Aguayo as well as El Signo , Negro Navarro and El Texano . True to the legend of El Santo he won his last match and retired as the hero he always portrayed in the ring and on the screen . His retirement tour was also used to introduce Santo ' s son Jorge as the next generation El Santo as he was ringside at each show wearing the silver mask and being introduced as El Hijo del Santo . Death . Just over a year after his retirement El Santo was a guest on " Contrapunto " , a Mexican television program and , completely without warning , removed his mask just enough to expose his face , in effect bidding his fans goodbye . It is the only documented case of Santo ever removing his mask in public . Santo died from a heart attack on February 5 , 1984 , at 9 : 40 p . m . , a week after his Contrapunto TV appearance . As per his wishes , he was buried wearing his famous silver mask . His funeral is considered one of the biggest in Mexican history as fans and friends flocked to see " el Enmascarado de Plata " ( " the Silver - Masked Man " ) one last time . After his death a statue of El Santo was erected in his home town of Tulancingo and other statues have been created since then .