Rayo de Jalisco, Max Linares, passed away earlier today. He was 85.
The Rayo de Jalisco mask, black with a silver lightning mask cutting down the center, is one of the most famous in Mexican wrestling. The wrestler was most successful in the 60s and 70s. He won the NWA Middleweight championship three times in the 60s, when it was one of the three important titles in Mexico. Rayo both teamed and feuded with El Santo during the prior, and followed him into movies in 1970s. Rayo was popular in Guadalajara, where fans believed him to be a homegrown star (though he actually was from Mexico City.) Rayo popularized the reverse tope backward headbutt, something done by the likes of Guerrero Maya now. Rayo de Jalisco wound down in lucha libre in the 80s, losing his mask in 1989 to Blue Demon in a match between two legends of their era.
Rayo de Jalisco’s son wrestles as Rayo de Jalisco Junior. One of his grandsons wrestles as Rayman in both CMLL & AAA, and it’s believed current Guadalajara star Star Black is related to Rayo de Jalisco. Many of Linares’ brothers were also luchadors.
Rayo de Jalisco’s was honored at the 2013 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. Rayo seemed frail at the time but seemed touched by the moment. A year later, Rayo was also added to AAA’s Hall of Fame, but did not appear for that ceremony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcv5xlfxUbM&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMTb6p3W7x4&feature=youtu.be