Rayo de Jalisco Sr.
Rayo de Jalisco Sr. | |
---|---|
Birth name | Máximino Linares Moreno |
Born | November 22, 1932 Mexico City, Mexico[1] |
Died | July 19, 2018[2] Guadalajara, Mexico | (aged 85)
Family | Rayo de Jalisco Jr. (son)[3] |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Águila Negra Dr. Curtis El Rayo Mr. Misterio Rayo de Jalisco Tony Curtis |
Billed height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in)[1] |
Billed weight | 93 kg (205 lb)[1] |
Billed from | Jalisco, Mexico |
Trained by | Tony Sugar (brother) |
Debut | February 1950[1] |
Retired | 1993 |
Máximino Linares Moreno (November 22, 1932 – July 19, 2018) was a
During his career, Linares held the NWA World Middleweight Championship on three occasions as well as the Mexican National Tag Team Championship with lucha libre icon El Santo. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996 and the AAA Hall of Fame in 2014. Linares worked for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre for a large part of his career and was honored by them in 2013 as part of their annual Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show.
Early life
Máximino Linares Moreno was born on November 22, 1932,[1] in Milpa Alta, Mexico City, Mexico.[4] He was the middle of three Linares brothers, older brother Antonio and younger brother Dionisio.[1]
Professional wrestling career
By the late 1940s, both of Max Linares' brothers had become professional wrestlers, which led to Max himself training for a professional wrestling career under his older brother Antonio.
In 1960, he appeared under the name "El Rayo" and in 1962, he finally appeared as "Rayo de Jalisco", wearing his trademark black mask with a lightning bolt across the face.[4] Success soon followed for Rayo, winning the National Wrestling Alliance Middleweight Championship and Occidente Welterweight Championship.[6][7] Rayo would also win a series of matches against another famous luchador Chino Chow. He unmasked his rival La Bestia (The Beast) in a mask vs. mask match in 1964.[1] Rayo would become the tag team partner of the legendary Blue Demon and was named "The Best Wrestler" of 1963.[4] Rayo feuded with Blue Demon near the end of both their careers. Blue Demon actually came out of retirement to face Rayo in a mask vs mask match. Rayo was defeated, revealing his face to the world as Maximo Linares Moreno.[8]
Film career
Rayo also starred in
Family
Linares' son followed his father into professional wrestling and became known as Rayo de Jalisco Jr., since Junior has never lost his mask in the ring his real name is not a matter of public knowledge.[10] Rayo de Jalisco Jr. married Josefina Tapia Rosas, who wrestled under the name "Mitzuki Wong". Linares' grandson also became a luchador, for a while known as El Hijo de Rayo de Jalisco Jr. (literally "The Son of Rayo de Jalisco Jr."),[3] but took the name Rayman in 1999.[10] Max Linares' older brother worked under the name "Tony Sugar", while his younger brother was the masked wrestler "Black Sugar".[1]
Death
On July 19, 2018, Linares' family announced that he had died from natural causes at age 85.[2][11]
Legacy
Rayo is considered a regional hero in the Mexican state of
Championships and accomplishments
- Asistencia, Asesoría y Administración
- AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2014)[14]
- Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre
- NWA World Middleweight Championship (3 times)[6]
- Occidente Welterweight Championship (1 time)[7]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Luchas de Apuestas record
Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Orlando Santana Cruz (hair) | Dr. Curtis (mask) | Torreón, Coahuila | Live event | December 12, 1954 | [5] |
Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | Chino Chow (hair) | N/A | Live event | N/A | [1] |
Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | La Máscara (hair) | N/A | Live event | 1963 | [Note 1][1] |
Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | La Bestia (mask) | Mexico City | Live event | 1964 | [1] |
Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | Guerrero Negro (mask) | N/A | Live event | April 6, 1975 | [1] |
Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | Mr. Sangre (mask) | N/A | Live event | April 6, 1975 | [1] |
Rayo de Jalisco and Huracán Ramírez (masks) | Los Hermanos Muerte (masks) | N/A | Live event | September 17, 1978 | [1][8] |
Blue Demon (mask) | Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Live event | July 30, 1989 | [1][8] |
Filmography
- Superzam el Invencible (Superzam the invincible; 1971)[1]
- El Robo de las Momias de Guanajuato (The Robbery of the Mummies of Guanajuato; 1972)[1][9]
- Vuelven Los Campeones Justicieros (Becoming the Champions of Justice; 1972)[1][9]
- El Triunfo de los Campeones Justicieros (The Triump of the Champions of Justice; 1974)[1]
Footnotes
- La Máscara.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Lucha Libre: Conoce la historia de las leyendas de cuadrilátero". Rayo de Jalisco (1932) (in Spanish). Mexico. 2008. p. 44. Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre.
- ^ a b "Falleció El Rayo de Jalisco, legendario luchador mexicano". MedioTiempo (in Spanish). MSN. July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
- ^ a b c d e "Fallece el legendario luchador Rayo de Jalisco". ESPN (in Spanish). July 19, 2018. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ a b "Doc Curtis Perdio la Mascara en Lucha Libre Ayer". El Siglo del Torreron (in Spanish). December 13, 1954. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ a b c "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Rayo de Jalisco (in Spanish). Mexico. October 2007. p. 6. Tomo IV.
- ^ a b c Aguierre, Antonio (1992). "Colosos de Colosos". Mil Máscaras: Anatomia de una gran luchador (in Spanish). Nextitla, Mexico: Fanqueo Pagado Publicacion Periodica. pp. 1–66. 2.
- ^ a b "Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre". Rayo de Jalisco Jr. (in Spanish). Portales, Mexico. November 2008. p. 48. 17.
- ^ "¿Quién fue el Rayo de Jalisco?". Hoy (in Spanish). Los Angeles Times. July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- ^ a b "Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on July 14, 2008. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ "Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2013 festejará al Rayo de Jalisco". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). February 19, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (in Spanish). August 18, 2014. Archived from the originalon August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
- ^ "Arena Coliseo". Lucha Libre (in Spanish). No. 165. December 29, 1966. p. 11.
- ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.