Rayo de Jalisco Sr.
| Birth name | Máximino Linares Moreno |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 22, 1932 Mexico City, Mexico |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) |
Águila Negra Dr. Curtis El Rayo Mr. Misterio Rayo de Jalisco Tony Curtis |
| Billed from | Jalisco, Mexico |
| Trained by | Tony Sugar |
| Debut | February 1950 |
| Retired | July 30, 1989 |
Máximino "Max" Linares Moreno (born November 22, 1932) is a retired Mexican luchador (professional wrestler), better known under the ring name Rayo de Jalisco ("The Lightning Bolt from Jalisco"). He is considered to be one of the best wrestlers of his generation.
Professional wrestling career
Linares made his wrestling debut in February 1950, under the name "Mr. Misterio". He would later appear in Mexico City under the name "Aguila Negra" ("Black Eagle"). He continued sharpening his skills under the supervision of his brother Tony Sugar, who was also a professional luchador. 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. Success soon followed for Rayo, winning the National Wrestling Alliance Middleweight Championship and Occidente Welterweight Championship.[1][2] 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. Rayo would become the tag team partner of the legendary Blue Demon and was named "The Best Wrestler" of 1963. 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.[3] Rayo is considered a regional hero in the Mexican state of Jalisco. In 1996, he was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. Rayo de Jalisco Sr. was honored by CMLL at their 2013 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show on March XX, 2013, recognizing him for his contributions to wrestling over the years.[4] Jalisco was inducted into the Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) Hall of Fame on August 17, 2014, at Triplemanía XXII.[5]
Film career
Rayo also starred in luchador films along with other famous masked luchadores. His films included; Superzam el Invencible ("Superzam the invincible"; 1971), El Robo de las Momias de Guanajuato ("The Robbery of the Mummies of Guanajuato"; 1972), Vuelven Los Campeones Justicieros ("Becoming the Champions of Justice"; 1972) and El Triunfo de los Campeones Justicieros ("The Triump of the Champions of Justice"; 1974). In the Campeones Justiceros he worked together with a number of lucha libre legends such as Blue Demon, Mil Máscaras, Tinieblas and El Médico Asesino
Personal life
Rayo's son followed in his footsteps and currently wrestles as Rayo de Jalisco Jr. Rayo Jr. married Mitzuki Wong, a professional luchadora. Their son wrestles as "Rayman".
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
Championships and accomplishments
- Asistencia, Asesoría y Administración
- AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2014)[5]
- Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre
- Occidente
- Occidente Welterweight Championship (1 time)[2]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Luchas de Apuestas record
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | Chino Chow (hair) | Unknown | Live event | Unknown | |
| Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | La Máscara (hair) | Unknown | Live event | 1963 | [Note 1] |
| Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | La Bestia (mask) | Mexico City, Mexico | Live event | 1964 | |
| Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | Guerrero Negro (mask) | Unknown | Live event | April 6, 1975 | |
| Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | Mr. Sangre (mask) | Unknown | Live event | April 6, 1975 | |
| Rayo de Jalisco and Huracán Ramírez (masks) | Los Hermanos Muerte (masks) | Unknown | Live event | September 17, 1978 | [3] |
| Blue Demon (mask) | Rayo de Jalisco (mask) | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Live event | July 30, 1989 | [3] |
Notes
- ↑ Not to be mistaken for La Máscara.
References
- General sources
- "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.
- Specific
- 1 2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Mexico: EMLL NWA World Middleweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. pp. 389–390. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- 1 2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 389–402. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- 1 2 3 "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Rayo de Jalisco (in Spanish). Mexico. October 2007. p. 6. Tomo IV.
- ↑ "Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2013 festejará al Rayo de Jalisco". SuperLuchaslanguage=Spanish. February 19, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- 1 2 "Noche de Leyenda en Triplemanía XXII". Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (in Spanish). August 18, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
- ↑ Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Tag Team Titles". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 396–397. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.