Mil Mascaras (born as Aaron Rodriguez Arellano) is a semi-retired Mexican professional wrestler or luchadore and an actor. One of the most influential figures in the history of luchadores, he is one of the “Big Three” or the holy trinity of the lucha libre tradition in Mexico alongside El Santo and Blue Demon. He has starred in over 20 movies and his rise to stardom as a luchadore was significantly contributed by his major box-office success.
Recognizing the achievements of Mil Mascaras, WWE inducted him in the WWE Hall of Fame as a part of the Class of 2012.
Mascaras came from a family with a rich wrestling background and is one of lucha libre’s most prominent families. His brothers José and Pablo respectively wrestle as Dos Caras and Sicodélico, José's older son Alberto wrestles as Alberto El Patron, José's younger son Guillermo wrestles as El Hijo de Dos Caras (an identity that Alberto had once used), and Pablo's son Aaron is better known as Sicodelico Jr.
Mascaras made his professional wrestling debut in April 1965 in Guadalajara. He made his debut on the international stage at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1968, where he took on the likes of Ernie Ladd, John Tolos, Black Gordman and Goliath. Mascaras was one of the few luchadores to have played a non-heel role on the international stage, relying heavily on his repertoire of moves and counter moves.
Mascaras began wrestling for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1971, and he developed his best-known feud with American masked wrestler The Destroyer during his time there. He also had an exciting time with the International Wrestling Association in the United States, where he won the World Championship.
Mascaras was only eligible to appear for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), after a ban on masked wrestlers was lifted for him. While at WWF, he feuded with Superstar Billy Graham for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Mascaras also made notable appearances for World Wrestling Council and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the latter featuring his memorable match against Cactus Jack at the Clash of the Champions X: Texas Shootout.
The WWA (Mexico) World Heavyweight Championship was the last title won by Mil Mascaras. WWE inducted him in the WWE Hall of Fame, Class of 2012.
Like with all luchadores, Mil Mascaras never stepped into the ring without his mask and his personal identity is not known. While Mascaras sported many masks, his most prominent one was in black and white featuring a ‘M’ in red, in the middle of the forehead.
As a luchadore, very little is known about Mil Mascaras’ personal life. His net worth is estimated to be around the figure of $1 million.
Alianza Latinoamericana de Lucha Libre
All Japan Pro Wrestling
Commission de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F.
International Wrestling Association (Georgia)
NWA Big Time Wrestling – World Class Wrestling Association
NWA Hollywood Wrestling
Tokyo Gurentai
Tokyo Sports
World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
World Wrestling Association (Mexico)
WWE
Mil Mascaras
52(w)/2(d)/6(l) out of 60 matches
