Something I truly regretted cutting from the book — this time for rights clearance issues and reproduction quality — was a short feature on real life ring workers who played various zombies, mummies and even El Monje Loco himself.
The early 2000s saw a spat of AAA luchadores in rubber Halloween masks, from devils to clowns to serial killers, but the practice was actually nothing new. Plenty of rubber-masked mummies, Frankensteins , vampires and yes, this “Momia de Guanajuato” scared opponents in the ring, and kids ringside, going back to the 60s.
Oddly enough (and contrary to my editorials in Zombi Mexicano delineating ‘Aztec Mummies’ and Guanajuato zombies) this wrestler’s simulated bandage ring suit is more Egyptian (and Universal Monster) style than the exhumed human-jerky-in-rags seen shambling around the old Mexican zombie flicks.
And there he is in the catacombs! Man that is some creepy shit…
Jon-Paul Luis LeBlanc
Hey Howdy FPU.. We had Benny Rameriz as the Mummy back in the day in Tennesee wrasslin and he did a run down in GulfCoast.. I always wanted to reprise the role and just walk in slow motion trying to grab people while the whole show was going on..to no avail..LOL! I could only pull it off in one or two promotions in Louisiana and maybe a shot or two in Missisippi for any of the older guys to actually “Get It”.. Keep up the great work mahn.. I just love this site..!!
admin
Thanks Paul. There’s a few promotions around the country, and in Japan too, that had mummy-themed wrestlers. Ramirez’s version appeared on all sorts of mag covers in the 60s and 70s with headlines like “This is not a spaceman!”
Too cool!