Roberto González Cruz was a Mexican

Mexican people

Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....

 professional wrestler

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

 who wrestled under the name El Solitario. During his career he held both the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship

NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship

The NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship is a currently inactive professional wrestling championship promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance . For the majority of its existence it has been promoted by Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , where it was known as the Campeonato...

 and the NWA World Middleweight Championship

NWA World Middleweight Championship

The NWA World Middleweight Championship is a currently inactive professional wrestling championship, promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance . For the majority of its existence it has been promoted by Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , where it was known as the Campeonato...

. After achieving stardom in Mexico's oldest promotion, Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is a Lucha Libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico...

, Cruz joined the breakaway promotion, the Universal Wrestling Association

Universal Wrestling Association

The Universal Wrestling Association was a Mexican Lucha Libre or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995...

, where he held four more world championships in the early 1980s.

Early life

Cruz came from a working class family and was the youngest of seven children. At the age of twelve, his older brother Jesús, who was also a professional wrestler, began teaching him basic wrestling moves. In 1959, Cruz's brother was killed in the ring while wrestling as Othon Banzica, but rather than becoming deterred, Cruz drew inspiration from his death and dedicated himself to lucha libre. He began training under the tutelage of Joe el Hermoso and made his wrestling debut in 1960 at the age of fourteen.

Professional wrestling career

Cruz was initially billed as being the son of the legendary wrestler El Santo but later changed his name to El Zica II in honor of his deceased brother.

Cruz moved to Tijuana to pursue his career as a luchador but had a difficult time finding regular work as he was young and still small at the time. He continued working local arenas until he began making a name for himself as he grew physically and refined his wrestling skills. Cruz realized that in order to take his career to the next level, he would have to select a more crowd pleasing name and character. He chose the name El Solitario, derived from the popular comic book character El Llanero Solitario (The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....

). He also adopted his now trademark gold and black colored costume and golden mask with a fringe around the eyes representing the Lone Ranger's mask. After the change, promoters and fans took notice of the new dynamic wrestler.

El Solitario

On November 16, 1965, El Solitario faced Panchito Ramirez in Arena Coliseo located in Guadalajara. He would make his debut in Arena Coliseo Mexico City on September 6, 1966, when he defeated Tony Reyna. In 1966, El Solitario defeated and unmasked Águila Tapatía, that was followed by a win over Mano Blanca. He won his first world title when he defeated Occident Welterweight champion Luís González.

El Solitario was now working for EMLL, Mexico's largest promotion company. He was catapulted into stardom within the lucha libre world when he defeated veteran Rey Mendoza in a mask vs hair match on December 13, 1968. A few weeks later, he defeated another legend, Rene Guajardo

René Guajardo

Manuel Guajardo Mejorado , better known as René Guajardo, was a Mexican professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:...

, and also took his hair in another wager match.

El Solitario formed a wrestling trio alongside Dr. Wagner

Dr. Wagner

Manuel González Rivera was a Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador best known under the ring name Dr. Wagner. González made his professional wrestling debut in 1961 and worked the majority of his career for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Empressa Mexicana de Lucha Libre . As Dr...

 and Angel Blanco

Ángel Blanco

José Ángel Vargas Sánchez was a Mexican Luchador or professional wrestler best known under the ring name Angel Blanco. Vargas is the father-in-law of the first Ángel Blanco, Jr. and the father of the current Ángel Blanco, Jr. and Hijo del Ángel Blanco I and II and the grandfather of Horus...

, the group was known as "La Ola Blanca" (The White Wave). He was wrestling as a rudo at this time but when his partners Dr. Wagner and Angel Blanco turned on him, he became one of the most popular tecnicos of his era. It also started a legendary rivalry between himself, Wagner and Blanco. He continued wrestling as an individual during this time, and in 1969, won the NWA Middleweight world title by defeating El Rayo de Jalisco. In 1970, El Solitario won the NWA Light Heavyweight title by defeating Ray Mendoza. In 1972, he unmasked his rival, Angel Blanco, in the ring.

El Solitario was one of the first stars to leave EMLL to join the Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) promotion, which was run by Francisco Flores

Francisco Flores (wrestling promoter)

Francisco Flores is a former Mexican professional wrestling promoter who is most known for his part in creating and running the Universal Wrestling Association from the mid-1970s until the 1990s when it closed down...

 and Ray Mendoza. He won the UWA's first Junior Heavyweight title in 1982. He also toured Japan in 1972, 1979, and 1981, where he would face and team up with premiere stars such as Tiger Mask

Tiger Mask

is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971...

 and Tatsumi Fujinami

Tatsumi Fujinami

is a Japanese professional wrestler who is famous for his gimmick as "The Dragon." He is the one who is credited for inventing the Dragon Sleeper and the Dragon Suplex...

, along with other Mexican wrestlers such as Chavo Guerrero

Chavo Guerrero

Salvador Guerrero III , better known as Chavo Guerrero or Chavo Guerrero, Sr., is a former professional wrestler. He is known for his work in Universal Wrestling Federation , American Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Entertainment and for being the father of third generation wrestler...

 and El Canek

El Canek

Felipe Estrada , known as Canek and El Canek, is a masked Mexican professional wrestler and former Mixed Martial Arts fighter currently performing part time for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. In 1972, he debuted as "El Universitario" at the age of 18. In 1973, he would change his name to Canek, a...

. He was unable to fully exhibit his wrestling skills during his tours, as the junior's division formula in Japan consisted of popular Japanese wrestlers facing off against foreign heels. However, he gained a following outside of Mexico as a result of those tours.

While in Mexico, he remained one of the most popular headlining stars throughout the country. In the early '80s, he formed a short lived trios team with Anibal

Aníbal

Carlos Ignacio Carrillo Contreras was a Mexican Luchador, or professional wrestler known under the ring name Aníbal. Carrillo made his debut in November, 1963, but it would not be until 1965 where he adopted the enmascarado character Aníbal, named after the Carthagenian general Hanibal...

 and Villano III

Villano III

Arturo Díaz Mendoza is a Mexican professional wrestler best known for performing under the stage name Villano III and unmasking a very large number of wrestlers , he is most famous for teaming with one or more of his brothers: Villano I, Villano II, Villano IV, Villano V, Villano VI and Villano VII...

, the group was known as Los Tres Caballeros. He won the NWA Junior Light Heavyweight title in 1980 and 1981. In 1982, he won the NWA Light Heavyweight title. That same year, he participated in El Santo's final career match when he teamed up with legends El Santo, Gory Guerrero

Gory Guerrero

Salvador Guerrero Quesada , better known as Gory Guerrero, was one of the premier Hispanic professional wrestlers in the early days of Lucha Libre when most wrestlers were imported from outside of Mexico. He wrestled primarily in Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre between the 1940s and 1960s...

, and Huracan Ramirez

Huracan Ramirez

Huracán Ramírez was a fictitious character invented for the 1952 Mexican Lucha film of the same name. In the film a young Mexican, whose father is a professional wrestler, decides to follow in his father's footsteps by adopting the secret identity of Huracán Ramírez, a masked luchador, and he...

 to defeat Signo, Negro Navarro, El Texano

El Texano

Juan Conrado Aguilar Jáuregui , better known by his ring name El Texano, was a Mexican professional wrestler...

, and Perro Aguayo

Perro Aguayo

Pedro Aguayo better known as "Perro Aguayo" and El Can de Nochistlan , was a famous Mexican wrestler through 1970s to 1990s. His son also wrestles as Perro Aguayo, Jr. or El Hijo del Perro Aguayo . He is one of the biggest box office attractions in lucha libre history and was the last major rival...

. Perhaps his biggest match took place on December 1, 1985, when he defeated and unmasked Dr. Wagner in a mask vs mask match.

Death

El Solitario had suffered injuries during the latter part of his career, resulting in several infections and illnesses. During a match with Fishman, he re-injured himself and was taken to the hospital while complaining of abdominal pain. His doctors initially misdiagnosed his condition, it was later discovered that he was suffering from internal bleeding that required immediate surgery. On April 6, 1986, at the age of 39, El Solitario died while on the operating table as a result of a cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...

.

Although El Solitario's life was cut short, his professional career spanned over twenty-five years and he is regarded as one of the greatest Mexican professional wrestlers of all-time. He was inducted into the American publication Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...

 in 1996.

His son made his wrestling debut in 1990 as El Hijo del Solitario.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
• La Suástica (Leg trap abdominal stretch)

• Signature moves
• La Filomena (Spin kick)

Championships and accomplishments

• Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre
  Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
  Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is a Lucha Libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico...
  
  
• NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
  NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
  The NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship is a currently inactive professional wrestling championship promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance . For the majority of its existence it has been promoted by Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , where it was known as the Campeonato...
  
   (1 time)
• NWA World Middleweight Championship
  NWA World Middleweight Championship
  The NWA World Middleweight Championship is a currently inactive professional wrestling championship, promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance . For the majority of its existence it has been promoted by Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , where it was known as the Campeonato...
  
   (1 time)

• Universal Wrestling Association
  Universal Wrestling Association
  The Universal Wrestling Association was a Mexican Lucha Libre or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995...
  
  
• UWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
  UWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
  The UWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a now inactive title that was originall promoted by the Mexican lucha libre Professional wrestling) promotion. After the UWA closed in 1995 the title was defended on the Mexican and Puerto Rican independent circuit. The last known champion was Andy...
  
   (1 time)
• UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship
  UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship
  The UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship that was originally promoted by the Mexican lucha libre Professional wrestling) promotion Universal Wrestling Association...
  
   (2 times)
• UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
  UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
  The UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship was a singles professional wrestling championship promoted by the Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling based promotion Universal Wrestling Association from 1975 until the UWA closed in 1995 and since then been defended on the Mexican independent circuit...
  
   (1 time)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
  Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
  The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
  
   (Class of 1996)

Lucha de Apuesta record

Wager	Winner	Loser	Location	Date	Notes
Hair	El Solitario	Karloff Lagarde Karloff Lagarde Carlos de Lucio Lagarde is best known as Karloff Lagarde, a Mexican Luchador, or professional wrestler, who was immensely popular during the 1960s and 1970s...	Unknown	Unknown
Hair	El Solitario	Coloso Colosetti Coloso Colosetti Elio Carlo Colosetti Drazich is a retired Argentiniean professional wrestler who is primarily known under the ring name Coloso Colosetti. Colosetti wrestled primarily in Mexico and Southern California, but also worked in Texas, Asia and Europe...	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...	Unknown
Hair	El Solitario	César Valentino	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...	Unknown
Hair	El Solitario	Alfonso Dantés Alfonso Dantés José Luis Amezcua Díaz was a Mexican professional wrestler who wrestled during the 1960s and 1970s under the ring name Alfonso Dantés . He would later receive the nickname El Tanque for his short but thick build...	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...	Unknown
Mask	El Solitario	Águila Tapatía	Guadalajara Guadalajara Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco... , Jalisco Jalisco Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...	1966
Mask	El Solitario	The White Hand	Guadalajara Guadalajara Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco... , Jalisco Jalisco Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
Hair	El Solitario	Luis González	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...	July 1966
Hair	El Solitario	Ray Mendoza	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Hair	El Solitario	René Guajardo René Guajardo Manuel Guajardo Mejorado , better known as René Guajardo, was a Mexican professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:...	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Hair	El Solitario	David Morgan	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Mask	El Solitario	Ángel Blanco Ángel Blanco José Ángel Vargas Sánchez was a Mexican Luchador or professional wrestler best known under the ring name Angel Blanco. Vargas is the father-in-law of the first Ángel Blanco, Jr. and the father of the current Ángel Blanco, Jr. and Hijo del Ángel Blanco I and II and the grandfather of Horus...	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Hair	El Solitario	Ángel Blanco Ángel Blanco José Ángel Vargas Sánchez was a Mexican Luchador or professional wrestler best known under the ring name Angel Blanco. Vargas is the father-in-law of the first Ángel Blanco, Jr. and the father of the current Ángel Blanco, Jr. and Hijo del Ángel Blanco I and II and the grandfather of Horus...	Guadalajara Guadalajara Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco... , Jalisco Jalisco Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
Mask	El Solitario	El Cardenal	Monterrey Monterrey Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the... , Nuevo León Nuevo León Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
Mask	El Solitario	Atila	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Mask	El Solitario	Destroyer	Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua
Mask	El Solitario	El Audaz	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Mask	El Solitario	Ku Klux Klan	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Hair	El Solitario	Perro Aguayo Perro Aguayo Pedro Aguayo better known as "Perro Aguayo" and El Can de Nochistlan , was a famous Mexican wrestler through 1970s to 1990s. His son also wrestles as Perro Aguayo, Jr. or El Hijo del Perro Aguayo . He is one of the biggest box office attractions in lucha libre history and was the last major rival...	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Mask	El Solitario	Máscara Roja	Unknown
Mask	El Solitario	Bestia Roja	Unknown
Mask	El Solitario	Nakamura	Tijuana Tijuana Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics... , Baja California Baja California Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
Hair	El Solitario	El Faraón El Faraón José Luis Barajas Fernández is a retired Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador as they are called in Spanish. Barajas is best known under the ring name, El Faraón , a ring name and persona he used throughout his career from his debut in 1973 until retiring around the turn of the millennium...	Guadalajara Guadalajara Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco... , Jalisco Jalisco Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
Mask	El Solitario	El Olímpico	Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
Hair	El Solitario	El Signo	Tijuana Tijuana Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics... , Baja California Baja California Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
Mask	El Solitario	Dr. Wagner Dr. Wagner Manuel González Rivera was a Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador best known under the ring name Dr. Wagner. González made his professional wrestling debut in 1961 and worked the majority of his career for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Empressa Mexicana de Lucha Libre . As Dr...	Monterrey Monterrey Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the... , Nuevo León Nuevo León Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...