New Google Doodle Honors Mexican Wrestling Legend El Santo

Google has rolled out a doodle to celebrate what would have been the 99th birthday of El Santo, the enigmatic fighter known for making wrestling one of the most popular sports in Mexico.

Born in 1917, Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta was better known by his nickname “El Santo” (The Saint) and was notorious for never being seen without his distinctive silver fighting mask. It was this mask that allowed him to successfully conceal his identity for most of his life, as he popularized the lucha libre style of wrestling in his home country and beyond.

He became a national figure through his appearances in film and as the subject of many comic books, depicted always with his mask and portraying the spirit of the courageous and heroic luchador. In 1984, El Santo appeared on Contrapunto, a Mexican talkshow, and revealed his true identity by unmasking himself to the audience and viewers. A week later, El Santo died. He was buried, by his own request, in his trademark silver mask.

The Doodle, which is visible across the U.S., Latin America and Indonesia, features El Santo defending cities and fighting off his enemies.