The Most Famous
WRESTLERS from Mexico
Top 7
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Mexican Wrestlers of all time. This list of famous Mexican Wrestlers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. El Santo (1917 - 1984)
With an HPI of 55.91, El Santo is the most famous Mexican Wrestler. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages on wikipedia.
Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (23 September 1917 – 5 February 1984), best known by his ring name El Santo (English: "The Saint"), was a Mexican luchador enmascarado (or masked professional wrestler), actor and folk hero. He is one of the most famous and iconic 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 luchador films and comic books telling fictionalized stories of El Santo fighting for justice. He starred or co-starred in at least 53 movies between 1958 and 1982. During his career, he mainly wrestled for Mexican promotion Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre, where he won the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship, Mexican National Middleweight Championship, Mexican National Tag Team Championship with Rayo de Jalisco, Mexican National Welterweight Championship, NWA World Middleweight Championship and the NWA World Welterweight Championship. Early in his career, he worked under a variety of ring names and gimmicks both masked and unmasked, before becoming El Santo, El Enmascarado de Plata ("The Man in the Silver Mask"), in 1942. Santo's brothers were also luchadores, with Black Guzmán being the first to make his debut and later Pantera Negra and Jimmy Guzmán joining them in wrestling as well. Only one of his eleven children followed him into professional wrestling, El Hijo del Santo ("The Son of the Saint") making his debut in 1982. El Hijo del Santo's son made his debut as "Santo Jr." in 2016. Another grandson (not a son of El Hijo del Santo) originally wrestled as "El Nieto del Santo" ("The Grandson of Santo"), but now works under the name Axxel. Santo is said to have popularized professional wrestling in Mexico just as Rikidōzan did in Japan. He was buried in his silver mask, in one of the biggest funerals in Mexico. Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre honors him with the annual Leyenda de Plata ("The Silver Legend") tournament. In 2018, WWE inducted Santo into their Hall of Fame's Legacy wing.
2. Alberto Del Rio (b. 1977)
With an HPI of 40.05, Alberto Del Rio is the 2nd most famous Mexican Wrestler. His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.
José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a commentator. He also makes appearances for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) as a wrestler, where he is the current AAA Mega Champion in his second reign. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his time in WWE under the ring name Alberto Del Rio, and Impact Wrestling under the ring name Alberto El Patrón. Before working for WWE, Rodríguez used the name Dos Caras Jr. as both a mixed martial artist and luchador in mostly Mexico and Japan, achieving success in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) by winning the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship once. Rodríguez signed with WWE in 2009 and made his debut on their main roster the following year as Alberto Del Rio. In WWE, he became the first Mexico-born world champion in WWE history after he won the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship twice each. He also won the 2011 Royal Rumble and the 2011 Money in the Bank ladder match, making him the only professional wrestler to win both in the same calendar year. Rodríguez departed WWE in 2014 and wrestled as Alberto El Patrón in other promotions such as Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), Ring of Honor (ROH), Lucha Underground, Japanese and Puerto Rican promotions, and various United States independent promotions. In AAA, he won the AAA Mega Championship once. He returned to WWE in 2015, winning the United States Championship twice, before departing again in 2016. He subsequently signed with Impact Wrestling and won the Impact World Championship title at Slammiversary XV.
3. Carístico (b. 1982)
With an HPI of 37.15, Carístico is the 3rd most famous Mexican Wrestler. His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.
Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde (born December 22, 1982), better known by his ring name Místico (Spanish for "Mystic"), is a Mexican luchador enmascarado (or masked professional wrestler), who currently works for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), where he is the current NWA World Historic Middleweight Champion, in his first reign. He also makes appearances for partner promotions All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he is the current MLW World Middleweight Champion, in his first reign. Initially working as Místico, he later signed with WWE, where he was known under the name Sin Cara (Spanish for "Without Face" or "Faceless"). Upon his return to Mexico, he worked under the name Myzteziz in AAA, before settling on the ring name Carístico upon returning to CMLL in 2015. In 2021, he regained the Místico name, due to his successor and tag team partner Místico II leaving CMLL. From 2006 to 2011, Urive was the top técnico (those that portray the good guys) and was the biggest box office draw in Mexico for a number of years. Despite having worked under previous ring names, he gained popularity in CMLL as Místico, a religious character who was the storyline protégé of the wrestling priest Fray Tormenta. Between 2011 and 2014, he worked for WWE under the ring name Sin Cara (after which, his ring name was given to his storyline rival Hunico). Urive then worked for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), adopting the name Myzteziz, and returned to CMLL in 2015 under the name Carístico. On two occasions in 2008, Místico held five championships simultaneously and has won most major CMLL championships over the years as well as CMLL's Torneo Gran Alternativa and Leyenda de Plata tournaments on three occasions each. Urive is the son of Miguel Urive, who wrestled under the ring name Dr. Karonte, the brother of wrestlers Astro Boy, Argos, Argenis and Dr. Karonte Jr, the cousin of wrestlers Magnus and Ulises Jr. as well as the nephew of CMLL booker Tony Salazar.
4. Perro Aguayo Jr. (1979 - 2015)
With an HPI of 35.94, Perro Aguayo Jr. is the 4th most famous Mexican Wrestler. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Pedro Aguayo Ramírez (July 23, 1979 – March 21, 2015) was a Mexican professional wrestler and promoter who achieved fame in wrestling as Perro Aguayo Jr. or El Hijo del Perro Aguayo ("The Son of Perro Aguayo"). He was the real-life son of lucha libre legend Perro Aguayo and not a storyline "Junior". Aguayo was best known as the leader of the Los Perros del Mal stable, which he started in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in mid-2004. The stable became a significant draw in Mexican professional wrestling, peaking during Aguayo's storyline rivalries with Místico and Héctor Garza. In October 2008, Aguayo left CMLL to start his own independent professional wrestling promotion Perros del Mal Producciones, built around members of his Los Perros del Mal stable. In June 2010, Aguayo returned to AAA after a seven-year absence to start an invasion storyline involving his stable. While performing in a wrestling match on March 20, 2015, Aguayo died almost instantly from cardiac arrest after fracturing three vertebrae. Following his death, Aguayo was inducted into the AAA Hall of Fame and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.
5. Andrade Cien Almas (b. 1989)
With an HPI of 30.36, Andrade Cien Almas is the 5th most famous Mexican Wrestler. Her biography has been translated into 23 different languages.
Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza (born November 3, 1989) is a Mexican professional wrestler. As of January 2024, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Andrade (formerly Andrade "Cien" Almas) and was the longest WWE Speed Champion. He is also known for his appearances in Mexico for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling under the ring name La Sombra (Spanish for "The Shadow") and for the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Andrade El Idolo (also stylized Andrade "El Ídolo"). A third-generation professional wrestler, Andrade made his debut a month before his 14th birthday and worked under the name Brillante Jr. in reference to his father, who wrestled as Brillante. He spent eight years wrestling for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) under the name La Sombra, where he won the 2007 Torneo Gran Alternativa tournament and the 2011 Universal Championship, as well as simultaneously holding the CMLL World Tag Team Championship, Mexican National Trios Championship, and NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship. He was one of the founding members of the Los Ingobernables ("the Ungovernables") stable, and won the masks of El Felino, Olímpico, and Volador Jr. by defeating them in Lucha de Apuestas matches before losing his own mask to Atlantis. While working for CMLL, Andrade also made appearances for New Japan Pro-Wrestling as part of a working agreement between CMLL and NJPW, winning the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. After close to a decade with CMLL, Andrade joined WWE in 2015. He initially wrestled for its NXT brand under the ring name Andrade "Cien" Almas, winning the NXT Championship. In April 2018, he joined WWE's main roster where his ring name was shorted to simply "Andrade". Andrade held the WWE United States Championship for several months in 2019-2020. He departed WWE in March 2021, debuting in AEW that July. Andrade departed AEW in December 2023 and returned to WWE the following month at the Royal Rumble.
6. Gran Metalik (b. 1988)
With an HPI of 25.45, Gran Metalik is the 6th most famous Mexican Wrestler. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Máscara Dorada (born November 3, 1988) is the ring name of a Mexican luchador enmascarado (masked professional wrestler) currently working for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and on the independent circuit. He also regularly performs on the weekly shows of Ring of Honor, AEW's sister promotion under the ring name Metalik. He is best known for his time in WWE where he performed under the ring name Gran Metalik, as a member of Lucha House Party. His real name has not been officially documented, a tradition in Mexican lucha libre where masked wrestlers' real names often are not a matter of public record. In Mexico and Japan, he is best known for his decade-long stint in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre under the ring name "Máscara Dorada". He made his debut in 2005, originally using the masked persona Plata II. He later used the ring name Metalik, holding the local Occidente Welterweight Championship, but abandoned the championship when he adopted the Máscara Dorada character. The "Máscara Dorada" character was the first instance of a regular-sized luchador being given a character based on a Mini-Estrella as he was introduced after CMLL introduced Mascarita Dorada in 2007. At one time, Dorada was a quadruple CMLL champion, holding the Mexican National Trios Championship, the CMLL World Trios Championship, the CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship, and the CMLL World Welterweight Championship at the same time. He has held the CMLL World Welterweight Championship four times. After a decade of working for CMLL in his native Mexico, Dorada worked full-time for the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) from January 2015 until returning to CMLL a year later in February 2016. In the summer of 2016, he competed in the American promotion WWE's Cruiserweight Classic tournament. After the tournament, he signed with WWE and was assigned to their brand 205 Live, he has since teamed with Kalisto and Lince Dorado as part of Lucha House Party. They were promoted to the Raw brand in November 2018, but was moved to the SmackDown brand in October 2019. He would depart WWE in November 2021 after requesting his release and subsequently returned to the independent circuit.
7. Giorgi Sardalashvili (b. 2003)
With an HPI of 0.00, Giorgi Sardalashvili is the 7th most famous Mexican Wrestler. His biography has been translated into different languages.
Giorgi Sardalashvili (born 26 May 2003) is a Georgian judoka. He won the gold medal in the men's 60 kg event at the 2024 World Judo Championships held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In 2020, he took first place in the 50 kg weight category at the European Cup among young people in Antalya. A year later, he managed to win the first place in the 60 kg weight category at the European Cup (youth) held in Prague. Took second place at the European Junior Championships (60 kg) held in Luxembourg. Took first place at the World Juniors Championships (60 kg) held in Olbia, Italy. In 2022, he managed to take first place at the European Cup (youth) held in Málaga, Spain. At the tournament, Sardalashvili defeated Alejandro Prieto Simancas (Spain), Ricardo Pires (Portugal), Florian Boecker (Germany) and Luis Barroso Lopez (Spain) with ippons, and in the final he managed to defeat Japan's Keiji Tsujioka with waza-ari. In the same year, he took second place at the Tbilisi Grand Slam. At the 2022 World Juniors Championships, which was held in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Sardalashvili took second place. He is a winner of a 2022 Zagreb Grand Prix bronze medal. He participated in the tournament from the second round, where he defeated Tajik Muamadsoleh Kuvatov. Which was followed by the defeat of Brazilian Matheus Takakisa at the next stage. After losing to French Maxim Merlin in the quarterfinals with waza-ari, he defeated Turkmen Hukaberdi Yumaev in the repechage, giving him a ippon. In the fight for the Bronze medal, he defeated the Spanish judoka Francisco Garrigós by ippon. He won one of the bronze medals in the men's 60 kg event at the 2023 World Judo Championships held in Doha, Qatar. Sardalashvili took 5th place at 2024 Summer Olympics.
People
Pantheon has 7 people classified as Mexican wrestlers born between 1917 and 2003. Of these 7, 5 (71.43%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Mexican wrestlers include Alberto Del Rio, Carístico, and Andrade Cien Almas. The most famous deceased Mexican wrestlers include El Santo, and Perro Aguayo Jr.. As of April 2024, 1 new Mexican wrestlers have been added to Pantheon including Giorgi Sardalashvili.
Living Mexican Wrestlers
Go to all Rankings
Alberto Del Rio
1977 - Present
HPI: 40.05
Carístico
1982 - Present
HPI: 37.15
Andrade Cien Almas
1989 - Present
HPI: 30.36
Gran Metalik
1988 - Present
HPI: 25.45
Giorgi Sardalashvili
2003 - Present
HPI: 0.00
