THE SUPERMAN OF WRESTLING - By Rock Rims

      It was hot and it was itchy and there was no way I was getting rid of it.  Thankfully, it didn’t require a trip to the free clinic. 

America's Heavyweight Champ

     I was living in East Los Angeles, it was October 31, 1971, and on this Halloween, the highlight for my 3 year old self wasn’t a big bag of candy, it was the fact that I was wearing a lucha libre wrestling mask for my costume.  And it wasn’t just any wrestling mask; it was a replica of the kind that Mil Mascaras wore.  Unlike the following Halloween, where my parents dressed me up as The Devil (complete with a long pitchfork) and dropped me off at a conservative Church function, this Halloween was memorable in a way that wouldn’t require later therapy.

    Halloween has always been a favorite holiday for me and this time was no exception.  The mask seemed to transform me in a way that few other costumes have since, and in addition to the fact that it made me feel empowered, almost like a superhero, I loved the positive attention I received from other trick or treaters.

     It probably wasn’t surprising that I’d feel that way, for the Luchadores of Mexico seemed to be more than just wrestlers.  They did in fact project the image of being true to life superheroes.  For along with the masks they would often wear colorful robes or ring jackets and often capes as well.  And in the case of Mil Mascaras, he was often portrayed as a Superhero type in the movies he starred in, whether he was fighting gangsters, Mummies, or other Supernatural creatures.

     I wonder if he felt the same way when he’d don one of his many colorful masks?  For while Aaron Rodriguez would distinguish himself as an amateur athlete, both as a competitive bodybuilder and as a National level Judo competitor in Mexico, it was as Mil Mascaras that he would reach legendary, perhaps even heroic status.  And while on that Halloween he had only been wrestling in the U.S. for 3 1/2 years, he had certainly already become a hero of mine.

      Initially wrestling under the name Ricardo Duran, Rodriguez would soon adopt the identity of “Mil Mascaras” the Man of a Thousand Masks, debuting in Guadalajara, Mexico in July of 1965.  Larger than many of  his fellow Mexican wrestlers, he competed as a Light Heavyweight and won his first EMLL Mexican National Light Heavyweight title in Mexico City on June 12, 1967 from El Espanto, who had in turn won the title from Lucha Legend El Santo.  Mascaras would win the title yet a second time from El Nazi on October 15, 1967 before eventually vacating the title on March 22, 1968 as he set his sights on wrestling in the United States.

    And I was only one of many who would be grateful that Mascaras always had great ambition.  For when Mil Mascaras arrived in Mike LeBelle’s Southern California territory in the Spring of 1968, he brought with him an exciting repertoire of high flying lucha moves and wrestling holds and counters.  His charismatic presence and wrestling skills combined with his colorful wrestling attire (which included beautiful capes, ring jackets, and an incredible selection of masks) to help him make an immediate impact and attract a huge following.  He was truly a ground breaker, as he would experience success that other masked luchadores, including the Legendary El Santo and Blue Demon, hadn't experienced in the United States. Wrestling in singles matches as well as teaming up with former WWA World Champion Pedro Morales in tag matches, it would only be mere weeks before Mascaras defeated Buddy Austin 2 falls to 1 in a tournament final at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium for the vacant America’s Heavyweight Championship (L.A. area) on June 6, 1968.

     Mascaras would hold the title for 3 months before losing it to El Mongol and leaving the area before returning to L.A. in the early part of 1969.  He quickly resumed his winning ways and regained the title by defeating the Sheik on April 25,1969.  By this time the WWA World Title had been retired for 5 months and the America’s title was now the most prestigious title in the area which was now affiliated with the NWA.  Over the next couple of years he would feud with such wrestling greats as Freddie Blassie, John Tolos, The Sheik, and Black Gordman over the America’s title and Mascaras would hold the belt a total of 5 times.  And in addition to those bouts for the area’s top single’s title, he would also wrestle Dory Funk Jr. to a draw and would also wrestle to a draw with “The Destroyer” Dick Beyer, beginning a friendly yet competitive rivalry.

     Also during that same 2 years Mil Mascaras would be a co-holder of the America’s Tag Team titles, winning it twice with tag partner Alfonso Dantes and a third time with Ray Mendoza from tag team legends Black Gordman and the Great Goliath.  He also rounded out his collection of titles in the area by being a part of the America’s 6 man tag team champions on 3 occasions. 

      Dubbed “The Superman of Wrestling” by LeBelle territory publicist Jeff Walton, Mascaras would capture the hearts and minds of the Los Angeles wrestling fans and would soon capture the attention of wrestling promoters and fans worldwide.  Mascaras continued his International exposure by wrestling and winning his first match in Japan against Kantaro Hoshino on February 19, 1971.  He immediately established himself as an attraction in Japan and went on to tour the country numerous times over the next few decades. While creating a legacy for himself in the Land of the Rising Sun, he also paved the way for other Mexican wrestling stars to regularly tour the country, something that contributed to an ongoing talent exchange that would help evolve the International wrestling scene. While he faced the top Japanese stars like Antonio Inoki, Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta, and Tiger Mask II in single or tag matches, and even challenged NWA World Champion Harley Race in 1980, his most memorable matches in Japan were the ones he had against fellow masked legend “The Destroyer.”

    Picking up right where they left on in L.A., their encounters never failed to captivate the Japanese audience or those who still discover those classic matches on video nearly 40 years later.  The 2 top International masked wrestlers in history put on displays of technical mat wrestling that were memorable not only for fans, but to the participants themselves. 
 

     “He was the best competitor that I ever wrestled,” Beyer said when the Cauliflower Alley Club honored Mascaras in 2006.  “He never gave you anything ‘it’s true’, but I didn’t give him anything either.  You talk about a shoot or half-shoot, and that’s the kind of match that it was.” (1)

      Mil Mascaras was in such demand that he would travel constantly around the world to wrestle, commanding top money as he was a great box office draw.  While he ventured there less frequently, he never neglected his home country of Mexico and one of his returns there included a match with Lou Thesz on July 26, 1975 for the UWA Heavyweight title that resulted in a draw.

     1975 would also see Mascaras winning the IWA heavyweight title, a title that he would successfully defend against such standouts as Ernie Ladd and former WWWF Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff. While in the U.S. he was most popular on the West Coast and in the Southwest, thanks to the sharing of wrestling film among promoters as well as the extensive coverage that Mascaras received in the wrestling magazines, other parts of the U.S. clamored to see the masked star as well. 

    On December 18, 1972, New York’s Madison Square Garden would lift its ban on masked wrestlers allowing Mil Mascaras to make his MSG debut against the Spoiler, whom he defeated with his signature flying bodypress in a little less than 8 minutes. The WWWF and MSG would both play host to Mascaras on several other occasions, including two occasions where Mascaras challenged Superstar Billy Graham for the WWWF Title in what were exciting matches in December of 1977.

    With all of his travel, being constantly on the move to fulfill his many wrestling bookings around the world, we saw less and less of Mascaras in Southern California.  But he would still manage to find his way out to our area a couple of times a year. Those were always highly anticipated events, especially among those fans, who like me, were of Latino Heritage.

     He was the Latino that I could look up to at the time.  In the 70’s most of the Latinos who appeared on television were portrayed as uneducated, often in roles of gardeners and maids and with success just outside of their reach.  And up to that point in real life, the only Latino that the young males in our family looked up to was our Uncle Jessie.  He was muscular and strong and was a good street fighter.  As young kids, we found that appealing and admirable.  It wouldn’t be long however, that I correctly realized that my Uncle Jessie also happened to be a chronic Dumbass who couldn’t keep himself out of jail. 

     Mascaras on the other hand, carried himself with dignity, was almost Regal in his manner (some would say arrogant), was successful at what he did, appeared on television, was strong and muscular, and (in his movies at least) drove kick-ass cars and got hot chicks!  And I didn’t recall ever seeing him being led away in handcuffs.

   So in between his visits to L.A.  I would enjoy the weekly wrestling television broadcasts from the Olympic Auditorium, always enjoying what I witnessed, but always hoping to hear of Mascaras’ next visit.  And when my Stepfather’s supply of the magazines that he kept under his mattress would run low, I always knew that I could go to the hall closet and pull out his “Ring” Boxing magazines and the few Pro Wrestling magazines that he had.  I would enjoy reading about the wrestlers that I was both familiar and unfamiliar with, and also hunt for anything that I could find on Mascaras.

    With such titles as “Mil Mascaras: ‘The Time had come to tell all’ ; What he looks like without his mask”  and "What I look for in a Woman: By Mil Mascaras",  I would be captivated by the words of fiction that were written as well as the pictures of my masked hero.

      And as could be expected, when Mascaras did visit Southern California, the box office ticket sales would dramatically increase wherever he appeared.  The air would be filled with excitement and anticipation, with many fans wearing replica masks as they cheered “The Superman of Wrestling” as he challenged the area’s top heel.

     However, while I was thrilled to watch his matches on television, sadly, I never got to see Mil Mascaras wrestle in person before the LeBelle Wrestling territory closed at the end of 1982 or before the Olympic Auditorium ceased hosting wrestling matches regardless of which promotion was running them.

     I saw less and less of Mascaras over the years, although he appeared on occasion on the undercards of the occasional U.S. promotion televised program.  In the early 80’s at the age of 16, I purchased tickets for a WWF event at the L.A. Sports Arena, mere months before the angles that led up to the very first Wrestlemania were to begin.  With front row seats, The Sports Arena event would be a spectacular and memorable event for my cousin and I, with “Mr. T” in the audience being taunted by the wrestlers, “Dr. D” David Shultz slapping a fan around not long before he did it to John Stossel, and Hulk Hogan would successful defend his World Title against Big John Studd.  But the main attraction that lured me there, causing me to take 3 or 4 buses to get to the venue, was Mil Mascaras participating in a 6 man tag match with the Samoans against WWF Tag Champs Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch, along with manager Lou Albano.  Although Mascaras was in a tag match and would probably spend less than 10 minutes in the ring, it was a thrill to see him in person for the first time!

     Nearly 20 years later, long after I thought the opportunity had passed me by, I had the opportunity to meet Mil Mascaras in person in the Spring of 2004.  I didn’t quite know what to expect, as in the interim, with the advent of the internet, the demise of kayfabe, and my progress from a kid into a mature adult, I had heard different things regarding Mascaras and I wondered if the experience might taint my memories of him. 

     In spite of some of the things that I had heard, he was humble, gracious, friendly, and with a perpetual smile, seemed genuinely honored to hear that he had provided so many with such great memories.  It was a dream come true to meet him and perhaps more importantly, he allowed my fond memories of him to remain intact, and sealed his legend in my eyes.  I would also witness him wrestle in a match a couple of months later, and being just shy of his 62^nd birthday, he looked incredibly fit!

     While famed Southern California venues like the Olympic Auditorium are no longer playing host to wrestling or to Mil Mascaras, his accomplishments in the wrestling world have not ceased.  In 2009 he was inducted into the NWA Hall of fame and in July of 2011 he participated in a match to commemorate the 40^th anniversary of his debut in Japan.  The following year he would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April of 2013.  2 months later, just 1 month shy of his 70^th birthday, Mil Mascaras would defeat rising star Samuray Del Sol.  And just one month before the time of this writing, Mil Mascaras won a match in Japan on April 11, 2013.

     Mil Mascaras… The Man of a Thousand Masks, a Thousand holds, and countless more memorable wrestling moments. - RR

You can view a 1973 match between Mil Mascaras and the Destroyer on my Youtube channel by clicking this link: http://youtu.be/W5pN1r7DxaQ

Mil Mascaras in 6 man tag action at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium: http://youtu.be/-Uodva7IuS0

(1) Race & Hennig go over at Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet- By Greg Oliver - Slam! Wrestling - June 11, 2006  http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/06/11/1625969.html

JAKE "THE SNAKE" ROBERTS: MASTER STORY TELLER

Sport, entertainment, performance, soap opera, spectacle, theater.  These are all ways that Pro Wrestling has been described or can be described, and when it’s performed at its highest level, it’s a combination of all these things. In fact, at that level, it even ventures into the realm of Greek Theater or a moral play, with characters, emotions, and situations that we can all identify with to one extent or another.

     And just as in theater, where there are performers who can draw us into the experience, causing us to leave the world we had inhabited only moments before, so there are performers in Pro Wrestling who’s masterful use of Psychology can be likened to leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that we can easily and willing follow, in expectation of a journey that we won’t soon forget.

     And Jake “The Snake” Roberts was such a master.  He possessed a personal magnetism and presence and combined these with an inherent and developed understanding of the human psyche, knowing just what to say and do to get the desired reaction from the fans.  Jake had that unique gift to gain the fans riveted attention, leaving them hanging onto every word, wondering what he was going to both say and do next.  Now, that’s psychology, that’s genius. 

          In Pro Wrestling, there have always been those who were great on the mic, but were shit in the ring.  The ones who whetted your appetite, making you want to see them either whoop ass on their opponent or have their opponent do that to them.  Yet, their performance in the ring was sometimes anti-climatic, unless their opponent was a great worker who could carry the match.  And when their opponent was less than a stellar performer, you sometimes wished things had ended with the promo.  And then there were those who were great in the ring, but were shit on the mic.  These were the guys who thrilled us with their ringwork, but made us want to reach through the TV screen or from our seat in the audience and knock the microphone out of their hand when they had it.  “Will somebody just give this guy a chair shot already???!!!”

      Jake was one of those rare breeds who had great psychology in both aspects of the game.  While he wasn’t a technical marvel in the ring with an expansive move-set like a Benoit or Guerrero, what moves he did use, were crisp and precise. More importantly, they were used at the right time, yielding the desired effects, physically on his opponents, and emotionally on the viewers. He gave meaning to what he did and when he did it.

    Jake first began his wrestling career in the late 70’s, showing signs of his great potential even early on, as he wrestled in and won titles in various North American territories throughout the late 70’s and early  80’s.  These included Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic, World Class Wrestling in Texas, Stampede Wrestling in Canada, and Georgia Championship Wrestling.  Jake refined his physical and verbal skills in the wrestling game and soon, the World Wrestling Federation would come calling, and eventually, to our great benefit, Jake would answer.  While there are various pros and cons to the expansionism that the WWF undertook in the 80’s, one of the pros had to be that it gave a tremendous worker like Jake Roberts a larger platform and stage on which to perform.  This would allow many more fans who might not have access to the regional television programming that Jake previously appeared on, an opportunity to witness his genius.

     Jake wasted no time in becoming a major player in the WWF, utilizing the skills and talents that he already possessed, and adding a new element:  A Giant Snake named Damien.  With his ominous, dark, and menacing persona, it was no wonder that Jake’s snakes had names like “Damien” and “Lucifer”, for with his ability to tap into his dark side, possibly even his personal demons, he often seemed like the Devil Incarnate. 

     Jake’s promos and actions in and around the ring could stir a variety of emotions in the fans, causing some to feel anger, maybe even indignation, yet strangely enough, causing others to cheer.  Perhaps the promos threatened and maybe even scared us because they reminded us of a darkness or potential darkness that exists in all of us, and reminded us of a place that our thoughts may have journeyed to at one time or another.  For we all possess the potential for both good and bad.  It’s just a matter of degrees as to which each one inhabits our lives, actions, and thoughts.  And perhaps that may have also been a part of Jake’s appeal, the fact that so many could identify with one thing or another that he said or did.  Regardless of what particular emotions, thoughts, and feelings he stirred in us, the almost Universal thought was:  We wanted to watch him.

     And watch him we did, as he engaged in memorable feuds with the likes of the Honky Tonk Man, the great Ricky Steamboat, Andre the Giant, the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, and “Ravishing” Rick Rude.  And while the majority of matches involving John “Earthquake” Tenta were far from classics, what was classic was the angle involving “Earthquake”, Jake, and Jake’s snake “Damien.”  During a confrontation on WWF television between Jake and Earthquake, Jake found himself wrapped up and trapped in the ring ropes, watching helplessly as the 500 lb. Earthquake “squashed” Damien as he lied inside the canvas sack that Jake carried him in.  Jake did such an incredible job of reacting to the heinous act, displaying the kind of anguish, agony, and heartbreak that one would expect to see when someone loses a cherished pet or loved one.  And the camera would then pan the crowd, and these people, some of whom even knew at that point that what they sometimes saw in wrestling wasn’t “reality”, were obviously wondering if what they had in fact just witnessed wasn’t real.  Many had looks of shock and disbelief on their faces, while others also had eyes that were beginning to tear up. They could identify with Jakes’ anguish, loss, his disillusionment that people and life could be so cruel.  Jake didn’t just talk and act out a wrestling program; he talked and acted out life.

    Jake’s career would continue with the WWF until late 1992, and afterwards, he would have stints, some memorable, some not so much, in WCW, ECW, Smokey Mountain Wrestling, and again in the WWF.  One of the stints that was certainly memorable, yet I don’t feel garnered nearly as much recognition as it deserved, was his time in Mexico’s AAA promotion. 

    While recently viewing a DVD compilation “A Snake Slithers into Mexico: Jake Roberts in AAA”, I had a chance to revisit Jake’s great run in Mexico.  What made that run all the more memorable and impressive was the fact that, in not one single match of the half dozen that are part of that compilation, do we hear Jake on the microphone or cutting a promo.  Not once!  Here is one of the greatest “stickmen” in the history of Pro Wrestling, not able to speak Spanish, yet drawing incredible heat and attention from the Mexican fans, without using one of his greatest tools in his bag: The mic.

   And Jake didn’t have to resort to cheap heat tactics either, like tossing tortillas to the crowd or spitting on the Mexican flag.  He did it sheerly by his incredible prescence and work in the ring.  His first appearance in the promotion occurred when he showed up in a ringside seat at a “career vs. career” match between Cien Caras and the man once described as the “Hulk Hogan of Mexico”, Konnan.  A packed house of 48,000 turned up to witness this important match at the inaugural “Triplemania” event on April 30, 1993.  And while much of the attention was obviously directed toward the ring where Cien Caras and Konnan were battling it out, much was also being directed toward Jake.  In fact, such was the magnetism of Jake, that when a second camera would sometimes catch a shot of Jake at ringside, people viewing the match on television would pay more attention to his body language and facial expressions than they would to what was going on in the ring.

     Instigator and agitator that he was, Jake would end up interfering in the match, causing Konnan to lose the 3^rd and final fall of the match, thus forcing him to “retire”.  This would set the stage for an eventual feud between Jake and Konnan, when Konnan would return to the rings in AAA just a short time later.  Even without the use of promos, over the next 13 months, Jake would have the fans of AAA screaming for his blood.  Lucha Libre is the only style of wrestling where the “heels” (“rudos” in Mexico) and “faces” (“technicos” in Mexico) are actually designated.  Jake however, needed no such designation.  With his actions and facial expressions alone, everyone knew his role.

    Whether it was his joining the heel faction known as “Los Gringos Locos”, his physical attacks on “mini” wrestler “Mascarita Sagrada” (who’s about 4 ft. in height), or his physical manhandling of female valets accompanying him to the ring,  Jake knew how to light the fuse under an already emotional Mexican crowd.  And even when the fans where constantly throwing debris into the ring at him, Jake would just stand back, with that devious smile of his spreading across his face.  He had them (us) right where he wanted us.  And we didn’t mind a bit. 

     In most Pro Wrestling organizations, the cage match is the culmination of a feud, the “blow off” match.  And while Jake and Konnan certainly had theirs in front of a rabid crowd in Los Angeles, they would take things one step further.  For in Mexico, the ultimate confrontation is a “Lucha Apuestas” match, where the opponents place their hair or masks on the line.  And on May 27, 1994, thousands packed an arena in Tijuana, Mexico to see the ultimate confrontation between Jake and Konan.  And while Konan won the match and the right to see Jake’s hair removed, Jake was a winner too, as were all those who have witnessed that match.  For again, Jake was able to put us where he wanted us, and we were more than willing to be there.

     Jake once said on a WWF television show “If a man has enough power, he can speak softly…And everyone will listen.”  Jake Roberts both recognized that kind of power and possessed it.  And he made us all want to listen.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to both listen and watch Jake Roberts, I wholeheartedly suggest that you do so.  And if your only experience with viewing and listening to Jake Roberts consists of his WWF/E work, then I highly recommend you look into his work in Mid-Atlantic, Florida, WCCW, Mid-South, and AAA.  For that will give you a more complete look at his incredible and compelling body of work.  And I can’t say enough about what a compelling bio that the WWE produced in “Jake Roberts: Pick your Poison”.  While I feel that they kind of dropped the ball when it comes to the limited match selection on the DVD set, the bio/documentary part is perhaps the best and most moving that I’ve ever seen.

   Everyone has a story to tell, and the ringwork and mic work are only a small fraction of Jake Robert’s story.  Like all of us, he has had to face personal challenges, some of which were very unfortunate and even horrific.  We are all to a great extent, products of our environment, but more so I feel, products of how we have responded to those experiences and situations.  While Jake’s ring wars are over, his greatest battles continue in his personal life, as is the case for many of us.  As human beings, we possess an incredible capacity to achieve, and to overcome adversity and triumph over our short comings and personal demons.  And if anything, throughout his highs and lows, Jake Roberts has proven to be human.  I look forward to hearing that the rest of Jake’s story is a triumphant one, for I know he has the power, and I know that we’d want to listen.