SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — El Hijo del Santo, one of Mexico’s most beloved wrestlers, is calling it a career after 40 years in the ring.
He is the son of El Santo, perhaps Mexico’s most iconic “lucha libre” wrestler who also made a name for himself in movies and television.
Both father and son are known for wearing a glittering-silver mask.
This week, the son announced a goodbye tour, which includes a match June 20 in Tijuana.
“I’m leaving, physically I feel fine and I’m still agile, this is how I want the public to remember me.”
El Hijo del Santo said he now plans on focusing on projects outside the ring while enjoying things he couldn’t experience due to the rigors of his wrestling career.
“There was a personal conflict between the man behind the mask and the person who wants to enjoy life,” he said. “I’ve travelled a lot, wrestling has given me everything, but there are places where I only know the airport, hotel and arena, I want to travel more and live my life.”
The third generation wrestler, El Santo Jr. will carry on with the family’s tradition in the ring.
“As an athlete and wrestler, he is very well-prepared and is schooled in other disciplines such as olympic wrestling, taekwondo, jiu jitsu and muay thai,” he said. “So far, fans have received him well, he’ll have to find his own style and break down barriers, the name is not enough, it takes a lot to succeed in the ring.”
The Comic-Con Museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park is currently running a Lucha Libre Exhibition called Sangre, Sudor y Mito, (Blood, Sweat, and Myth) featuring the “dazzling, dramatic, and deeply rooted world of Mexican lucha libre.”
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