The Wrestling Observer E-newsletter Corridor of Fame is a great deal of enjoyable to debate and debate, nevertheless it additionally serves an necessary operate: it preserves the names of essentially the most legendary wrestlers in historical past and gives a beginning block for these trying to be taught mentioned historical past. I’m not a voter nor an professional historian by any means, however I try the candidates for the Corridor of Fame yearly to see if I can be taught one thing new. And the extra I’ve regarded into it, the extra I’ve turn into satisfied {that a} important misstep is about to be made: Huracán Ramírez is in grave hazard of dropping off the poll. That is his 15th 12 months, and his voting numbers have hovered at round 30 % for some time. Whereas he won’t stay in rivalry and not using a important push, such a serious identify in lucha libre historical past needn’t go uncared for.
By the standards for the Corridor of Fame, Huracán Ramírez ticks all of the bins:
Drawing Capability
Regardless of turning into a family identify throughout Latin America, the historical past of Huracán Ramírez’s path to stardom is something however simple.
Daniel García Arteaga had first stepped into a hoop as early as 1941 at age 15. He ultimately overcame his extra diminutive stature and established himself as a proficient younger wrestler underneath the identify Chico García. But it surely was not till the Fifties that the Huracán Ramírez identify launched him into the stratosphere. (1) That identify first drew fame from a really profitable 1953 film that includes the titular hero.
In contrast to the blockbusters that includes El Santo that might begin being made a number of years later, the Huracán Ramírez character within the film was utterly fictional. To capitalize on the movie’s success, producer Joselito Rodríguez needed to provide the Huracán Ramírez gimmick to an precise luchador. He first lent the gimmick to Eduardo Bonada, who had performed Ramírez underneath the masks in theatres. But it surely didn’t work out – Bonada didn’t like wrestling underneath a masks. Rodríguez tried lending the gimmick to wrestler after wrestler, none of whom may make it work. He did this so usually that there have been briefly a number of luchadores throughout Mexico with the Huracán Ramírez gimmick – a lot to the chagrin of the native lucha commissions.
Rodríguez lastly held a secret tryout to provide the gimmick to the proper man. That led him to Daniel García, who had performed a smaller function as one of many wrestlers within the unique film. One thing lastly caught, and Daniel would daybreak the Ramírez masks all the way in which till 1987. Over that point, he was in applications with lots of the prime stars in EMLL. His prolonged feud with legend Karloff Lagarde was notably famend. The pair main-evented the 32nd Anniversario for the NWA World Welterweight title, which they fought over a number of instances. That title was essentially the most distinguished of a number of that Ramírez would maintain, as he was at one level a four-belt champion. All that mentioned, whereas Ramírez recorded a handful of principal occasions in Mexico with a minimum of ten thousand followers, he was usually within the semi-main in Enviornment Mexico. He was an enormous star, however he positively wasn’t as persistently on the prime of the cardboard inside EMLL as just a few others.
However Ramírez’s profession was removed from simply EMLL. Most of the most profitable luchadores in that period toured outdoors the promotion, and Ramírez was no completely different. He traveled everywhere in the world, from Japan (the place he wrestled Inoki thrice in brief bouts at age 49) to Canada, the US, and Ecuador. Touring, particularly in South and Central America, shaped a large a part of his profession. Many Apuestas victories from his lengthy checklist come from such nations.
Sadly, we lack the reviews to find out precisely how huge his principal occasions have been in nations like Guatemala, Costa Rica, or Ecuador. Valuable few data exist: there are imprecise accounts of him utterly filling up arenas in Bolivia throughout the Seventies (work from anthropologist Nell Haynes signifies that this might have been the Coliseo Olímpico in San Pedro, with a 7500 capability), nevertheless it’s almost unattainable to trace down something particular and concrete. Phil Lions (anybody voting within the Remainder of the World class must learn his work), data one 1954 tour in Cuba through which somebody named Huracán Ramírez main-evented the Palacio de Los Deportes (capability ~8000) 5 instances, however I’ve no clue if that was García.
Regardless of these limitations, we do have some info on how Ramírez did within the US. He had numerous principal occasions in Los Angeles beginning in 1974. So far as attendance goes, two principal occasions of his have been within the LA Sports activities Enviornment in 1977 in entrance of a claimed 6234 and 5355 folks. He headlined in LA into the Eighties, together with within the Olympic on a number of events.
Extra considerably, one key South American supply on Ramírez is publicly accessible: the archive of the main Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. Whereas we don’t get specific attendance figures, it’s from that paper that we could view a snapshot of how huge a global star Ramírez was:
HURACÁN RAMÍREZ IN BOGOTÁ
The Ramírez character was first marketed in Bogotá in 1956. From March to October the subsequent 12 months, that character was prominently featured and was cited as an idolized favourite within the metropolis. I am uncertain that this was often (if ever) Daniel García and never a distinct Ramírez because the paper marketed the character’s upcoming retirement and unmasking that October. However even when this wasn’t our Ramírez, it might imply that followers in Bogotá noticed the film hero retire and unmask proper in entrance of them. I couldn’t consider a greater technique to bitter followers on any future Huracán Ramírez that may present up.
Effectively, our Huracán Ramírez did present up in 1960, and he was immediately a giant deal. He was in a masks vs hair principal occasion in opposition to El Enfermero (presumably not the extra well-known one – extra on him later) and one other Apuestas principal occasion in opposition to El Fugitivo. Ramírez would headline or be excessive on the cardboard each time he got here to city. He main-evented the Santamaría bullring (capability ~14.5K) in opposition to El Zorro in what was reportedly a hotly anticipated masks vs masks match. This was a “tremendous libre” bout with no referee within the ring and no DQ – each males pledged to struggle till one may not bodily proceed. After successful, Ramírez headlined the identical venue the very subsequent week in opposition to El Judas. Earlier than that bout, the newspaper reported that Ramírez “has turn into, with none doubt, one of many idols of the followers in Bogotá.”
In 1963, a enterprise increase and anticipation of Ramírez’s return on February 2nd prompted the promoter to broaden the same old capability for an area present to a maxed-out 12 thousand followers. Throughout that tour, Ramírez was repeatedly in the principle occasion, together with as soon as within the Santamaría. He headlined as usually as El Médico Asesino, who was on his first tour there. The pair confronted off in a singles contest that March. It was Ramírez’s face on the newspaper advert, as was the case for many of the area reveals. It was additionally in Bogotá that Could the place Ramírez turned the first ever luchador to wrestle knowledgeable boxer.
Even previous his bodily prime, Huracán Ramírez remained an necessary identify. He left EMLL in 1974 to turn into one of many inaugural wrestlers within the newly-formed UWA, the place he helped the fledgling promotion achieve notoriety in its early years. He headlined in opposition to a younger Villano III outdoors of Mexico Metropolis just a few instances, which helped the long run star garner status. He was distinguished in locations like Bolivia and LA on the identical time regardless of being properly into his 40s by that time. The worth of the Huracán Ramírez identify proved resilient for many years, regardless that the unique film didn’t age almost in addition to the blockbusters of El Santo and Blue Demon.
In-Ring Capability
We lack ample footage to judge in-ring means for a lot of luchadores earlier than the Nineties. Within the absence of such footage, we flip to reviews from individuals who have been round to glean extra details about how sure wrestlers have been considered. And if the historic accounts are to be believed, Huracán Ramírez was among the best in-ring performers in Mexico throughout his prime. Historian José Fernández in contrast his distinctive actions and gracefulness to that of Sayama. His Tiger Masks-like smoothness earned him the nickname “The Silk Prince.” He turned generally known as an innovator in high-flying – whereas he didn’t invent the primary model of the hurricanrana, he was the one who popularized the transfer, and he was the primary to transform it into the pinning mixture for which it’s well-known at present.
In a story as outdated as wrestling itself, critics and old-school followers lambasted Ramírez for his unorthodox model. He initially tried to show that he “may wrestle,” switching to extra grounded technical grappling, solely to be informed by promoters that almost all followers have been paying to see him do his loopy strikes. If that doesn’t verify somebody as a cutting-edge employee, I don’t know what does.
Historic Significance
García’s fame as Huracán Ramírez would far surpass the unique movie. His masks ranks among the many hottest ever. The intricate (for the time) white-on-blue design remains to be well known in Mexico, for he turned a family identify – proper under the likes of El Santo and Blue Demon. In truth, he toured so usually and so efficiently in South and Central America that he turned a good larger star in some locations than El Santo himself. This was definitely the case in Bolivia, the place he first gained recognition after volunteering for a charity present after a serious airplane crash in 1969. He met his second spouse, a well-connected embassy official, on that tour, and Bolivia turned his second house. He was beloved amongst followers and should even have educated just a few Bolivian wrestlers together with Rayo de Jalisco. In a 2005 interview for the New York Instances, native Bolivian promoter Juan Carlos Chavez referenced Huracán Ramírez first when itemizing off the all-time greats of lucha libre. The one others he talked about have been Rayo de Jalisco and Blue Demon.
Huracán Ramírez turned so fashionable in wrestling that Joselito Rodríguez began making new Ramírez films in 1962, this time that includes García underneath the masks. Daniel took up the function in theatres 5 instances over the subsequent 12 years. It’s solely pure that he would get paired with one other film star. When El Santo turned face in 1963, Ramírez turned considered one of his common tag companions. The 2 remained shut pals for the remainder of their lives. Ramírez was truly teaming with Santo on the night time the latter had a coronary heart assault, one which in the end compelled him to retire. Ramírez apparently acted rapidly and took steps that saved his buddy’s life.
If saving essentially the most legendary luchador of all time doesn’t add to his significance, contemplate additionally that their opponents that night time have been a sure El Texano, El Signo, and Negro Navarro, who would all capitalize on the expertise and turn into essentially the most hated faction in Mexico. El Santo’s historic retirement match in 1982 was additionally in opposition to Los Misioneros de la Muerte, besides with Perro Aguayo becoming a member of the rudos, and El Solitario and Gory Guerrero becoming a member of Santo and Ramírez. Though that match actually by no means occurs with out Huracán Ramírez, he’s the one one of many eight not presently inducted.
Regardless of residing as much as his heroic gimmick, García didn’t possess the rights to his masks. Joselito Rodríguez had retained the rights to the gimmick, and he had handed these rights on to his son, Juan Rodríguez Mas. Juan and Daniel initially obtained alongside very properly, however then Juan stiffed Daniel out of his share of the earnings from a really profitable Huracán Ramírez comedian ebook. Issues fell aside between the 2. It escalated to the purpose that Juan threatened to provide the Ramírez gimmick to somebody youthful.
In response to authorized threats, García abruptly give up wrestling in 1987. However he wasn’t carried out there. In a shocking transfer scarcely ever seen in lucha libre, he voluntarily unmasked in entrance of followers and reporters, sharing his true identification to the world. On paper, this won’t have been a difficulty for Juan: Bonada had publicly referenced his tenure underneath the masks many years earlier than, and that had by no means stopped Daniel. However García was the Huracán Ramírez. By unmasking, he promised that any future luchador who dawned the Ramírez masks could be a fraud. Rodríguez by no means was capable of substitute him regardless of making an attempt with a number of proficient staff. Many have tried, however to this present day, nobody else has taken up the frilly sea-colored masks and succeeded at any main degree. For all sensible functions, the identify Huracán Ramírez belongs solely to Daniel García Arteaga, even 18 years after his loss of life in 2006. He had taken the gimmick to the grave with him.
The one true Huracán Ramírez had numerous sensible accolades. He was the one who popularized and modernized the hurricanrana. He unmasked Espanto III and El Enfermero, who have been each important stars in EMLL. He was the primary ever luchador to have a labored bout with knowledgeable boxer. Between the ropes, his contemporary model helped advance lucha libre towards what it’s at present. At his top, his identify carried extra weight than all however a pair different luchadores. And whereas some may look down on how he left the enterprise, I don’t. Quite the opposite, the truth that Huracán Ramírez copycats are nonetheless popping as much as this very day, unsuccessfully making an attempt to piggyback off of García’s work, factors to how enduring and distinctive his legacy has turn into. He took a gimmick that had not even been designed for him and made it inseparable from himself for all eternity.
Verdict
Huracán Ramírez must be a straightforward sure.
He was a terrific and distinctive in-ring performer, he was a major draw throughout Latin America, he was an innovator of what turned a typical transfer, he was a film hero, he was a family identify, he had tremendous longevity as a serious star, and his gimmick is replicated on the Mexican indies to this present day. His impression was acknowledged in 1993 by Tremendous Luchas journal, through which he was named the tenth most necessary luchador ever, simply forward of Médico Asesino, Rayo de Jalisco, and Karloff Lagarde. (2)
Regardless of all of this, the decay of time has turn into an enemy to Huracán Ramírez’s legacy. Those that take a fast look at Ramírez’s case for the primary time can simply assume that the film character relatively than the person behind the masks was the actual star. This notion is belied by the truth that the character didn’t catch on long-term with actually each different wrestler to put on the masks, each earlier than and after García. Daniel was the one one to make it work long-term, and he was the one who introduced Huracán Ramírez to his biggest heights.
One other potential downside is the difficulty with instantly verifying Ramírez’s in-ring work and drawing. Just about zero footage exists of his work at present, so voters must belief the accounts of those that noticed him at his finest. However voters did precisely that simply final 12 months with George Kidd, so this isn’t insurmountable. And whereas we lack attendance figures and most reviews of Ramírez outdoors Mexico, the data we do have signifies that he was a notable attract a number of nations.
The most important impediment to Huracán Ramírez is one that isn’t distinctive to him: it is extremely tough for anybody with the majority of their profession occurring earlier than 1970 to get voted in. It is just too far again: digging up info from 60 years in the past is extraordinarily time-consuming when there isn’t a lot that’s simply accessible. It’s not one thing one ought to anticipate each single voter to do independently. The easiest way to get anybody that far again voted in is for one individual or a small group to exit of their technique to advocate for them. Even then, it often takes years to drum up sufficient help. I’ve one month. Think about this write-up a Hail Mary.
I view Huracán Ramírez because the strongest candidate on the Mexico poll this 12 months, however he’s damage by components that don’t have anything to do together with his {qualifications}. If he fails to make the 50 % threshold, he shall be among the many Corridor of Fame’s most obvious omissions. I beseech the voters to rethink his case – they might not get one other likelihood.
(1) There are conflicting dates as to when García first dawned the Ramírez masks. A pair sources declare 1953, however the film had solely simply come out, plus one Chico García was nonetheless often wrestling as late as 1957. Others declare 1959, however Wrestlingdata and Cagematch each file Daniel as Ramírez as early as 1956. It’s potential that he used the gimmick part-time till 1959 – possibly some lucha historians know the reply and might clear this up. In any case, there was one definitive Huracán Ramírez by the tip of the last decade.
(2) See the March 8th 1993 concern of the Wrestling Observer E-newsletter for the complete checklist should you can’t discover the unique journal concern.