Fray Tormenta
Profile
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Biography
Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez was born to José Gutiérrez García and Emilia Benítez on February 5, 1945 in San Agustín Metzquititlán, Hidalgo. He had long been inspired to become a masked luchador after watching two 1963 Mexican films, "El Señor Tormenta" (Mister Storm) and "Tormenta En El Ring" (Storm In The Ring) both of which featured the story of a poor Mexican priest who supported the children of his orphanage by fighting as a lucha libre wrestler at night. At age 22, Gutiérrez, at the time a drug addict and alcoholic, became interested in the priesthood and was inducted into the Piarists Order.
His theological training took him to Rome, and then Spain, and for a while he taught philosophy and history at Roman Catholic universities in Mexico. He later became a secular priest in the Diocese of Texcoco, where he founded an orphanage named "La Casa Hogar de los Cachorros de Fray Tormenta"- In need of money to take care of the children, the father became the masked wrestler known as Fray Tormenta. During that time he never let anyone know of his identity as a priest.
He wouldn’t have been taken seriously as a wrestler if the fans knew he was a priest from the onset, but once his identity was revealed he became all the more popular. He moved up the totem pole of the Mexican wrestling scene, even making appearances in the United States, Canada and Japan. Wrestling gave Benítez the chance to give the kids he looked after a chance at a better future.
Like most poor boys who dream of becoming wrestling champions, Fray Tormenta thought he would earn millions if he became a prizefighter. He endured dislocated arms, a broken nose, three cracked ribs and several mangled fingers, but never made a fortune, in spite of a career that took him to Japan 30 times and to the US 70 times.
Fray Tormenta has appeared in CMLL in recent years, acting as a padrino to debuting devout wrestlers Sagrado and Mistico. Due to Mistico's success, Tormenta is more often associated with him, and has appeared with him on CMLL's TV show. Fray Tormenta plays a big role in Sagrado's purported background; when Sagrado was unable to decide between wrestling and the priesthood, it was Tormenta who pointed him towards CMLL.
The videogame characters King from Tekken, Crasher Wake from Pokémon, Tizoc from Fatal Fury, Leon from F-Zero, and Greco from Chrono Cross were inspired by his story, as was the movie Nacho Libre.
The 2006 US Movie, Nacho Libre, is loosely based on Tormenta's life. Both Fray and the main character of the movie are priests who also become luchadores, but the similarities appear to end there - the movie just uses the concept as a jumping off point to tell its own story. There have been other movies on Fray Tormenta's life, including one from a film company in France.
Although semi-retired from wrestling since 2001, he still wrestled occasionally and still working in the orphanage, Fray Tormenta fought so hard every day to make money for the kids, and his legacy lives on in one of the orphans he cared for.
on January 11, 2011 Tormenta won another Lucha de Apuesta, by defeating Bugambilia, Super Crazy, X-Fly, Bestia 666 and Boy Danger, to win Bugambilia's hair. On July 3, 2011, Tormenta teamed with El Pantera and Solar to defeat Black Terry, Negro Navarro and Scorpio Jr. at IWRG "Festival de las Mascaras" After the match Gutiérrez announced that he had wrestled his final match. On June 20, 2012, Tormenta made an appearance for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), officially giving his blessing to the second incarnation of Místico.
Luchas de apuestas record
| Date | Apuesta | Winner(s) | Loser(s) | Arena and/or Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ??/??/?? | Mask | Fray Tormenta | El Diablo | unknown |
| ??/??/?? | Mask | Fray Tormenta | El Sepulturero | unknown |
| ??/??/?? | Mask | Fray Tormenta | Demonio Arrieta | unknown |
| ??/??/?? | Mask | Fray Tormenta | El Hechicero | unknown |
| ??/??/?? | Mask | Fray Tormenta | Rostro Interceptor | unknown |
| 86/02/07 | Mask | Fray Tormenta | Ormuz | Astropista, Texcoco |
| 87/??/?? | Mask | Fray Tormenta | El Nahual | Arena Los Cachorros |
| 89/??/?? | Mask | Fray Tormenta | Satan | Monterrey N.L.. |
| 90/11/18 | Mask | Fray Tormenta | Hijo de Judas | Arena Pavillón - Nuevo Laredo, Tamps. |
| 11/01/11 | Hair | Fray Tormenta | Bugambilia | Arena Afición Pachuca Hidalgo. |
Notable Feuds
- Luzbel
- Lucifer
- Hijo del Diablo
- Los Temerarios (Shu el Guerrero, Jose Feliciano, Black Terry)
- Satan
- Demonio Arrieta
- Rostro Infernal
- Boy Danger
- Ormuz
- Sepulturero
- Hechicero
- El Nahual
- Hijo de Judas
Fray Tormenta Quotes
- "I became Fray Tormenta out of necessity. I had to support my kids. I thought that a wrestler made as much money as guys like Cassisus Clay/Muhammad Ali. So I decided I would become a luchador and in one year, I'd make a million dollars and I'd build the 'City of Children'... but it was not like that. My first match paid me about $200 pesos or $20. I said to myself, Jesus Christ... after so much training... twenty bucks! But I was hooked and thanks to lucha libre, I accomplished many great things."
- "I became a professional wrestler because I had a cause. If it weren't for my children, there would have been no reason to fight."
- "I designed my own mask and outfit. My mask colours are yellow and red. The yellow represents gold for Divinity and the red represents the blood that Fray Tormenta is willing to shed for his kids."
- "No one would have taken me seriously as a wrestler had they known I was a priest. The fans, the promotors, thought my name of war was a joke, like all the other characters we impersonate in the ring. No one believed there was a real priest concealed behind the mask of Fray Tormenta."
- "The most I was ever paid was 5,000 dollars for a bout in Japan,but I am no longer disappointed, my boys are fed and clothed."
Notable Tag Team Partners
- Santo
- Blue Demon
- Solar
- Eddie Guerrero
- Huracan Ramirez
- Ray Mendoza
- Mistico (Sin Cara)
- El Fantasma
- Villano I
- Villano IV
- Villano V
- Súper Muñeco
- Blackman
- Halcon 78
- Sagrado
Best Tag Team Partners
- Fray Tormenta Jr
- Niño Tormenta
Notable Matches
- Fray Tormenta vs El Lider [74/09/?? Arena La Curva de San Agustín, Estado de México] W - Fray Tormenta Debut
- Fray Tormenta vs Ormuz [86/02/07 Astropista, Texcoco] W - mask vs mask match
- Fray Tormenta vs El Lider [1986 Arena Los Cachorros, Xometla, Estado de México] W
- Fray Tormenta vs Nahual [1987 Arena Los Cachorros, Xometla, Edo. de Mexico] W - mask vs mask match
- Eddie Guerrero & Fray Tormenta vs Konnan & Freddy Krugger [1988 Gimnasio Municipal Josue Neri Santos, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua] W
- Fray Tormenta, Seminarista, Matematico II & Matematico III vs Barba Negra, Bello David, Bello Guerrero & Espiritu Negro [89/08/27 Plaza de Toros Monumental de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon] W
- Fray Tormenta vs Satan [89/09/ ?? Plaza de Toros La Monumental, Monterrey, Nuevo León] W - mask vs mask match
- Blue Panther, El Hijo del Diablo, Negro Casas vs Fray Tormenta, Solar I, Solar II [90/09/09 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] L
- Fray Tormenta vs Hijo de Judas [90/11/18 Arena Pavillón Nuevo Laredo, Tamps] W - mask vs mask match
- Anibal, Fray Tormenta, Solar I vs Black Terry, Jose Luis Feliciano, Shu el Guerrero [91/01/20 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] W
- Fray Tormenta, Kato Kung Lee II, Valente Fernandez vs Angel de la Muerte, Ricky Boy, Scorpio Jr. [91/05/03 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] W
- El Fantasma, Fray Tormenta, Solar I vs El Hijo del Diablo, El Indómito, Kahoz [91/05/31 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] W
- Fray Tormenta, Halcon 78, Valente Fernandez vs Babe Face, Black Power, Engendro [91/06/23 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] W
- Fray Tormenta, Katana, Solar I vs Ángel Mortal, Falcón, Hijo del Diablo [91/09/08 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] W
- Fray Tormenta, Katana, Solar I vs Ángel Mortal, Falcón, Hijo del Diablo [91/09/15 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] W
- Fray Tormenta, Solar I, Valente Fernandez vs Black Terry, El Engendro, Jose Luis Feliciano [92/01/12 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] W
- Fray Tormenta, Tamba, Villano I vs Rostro Infernal, Scorpio Jr., Scorpio Sr. [92/06/28 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] W
- El Coloso, Fray Tormenta, The King vs Kahoz, La Sombra Negra, Negro Navarro [92/07/05 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] W
- Fray Tormenta, Gran Apache, Oriental vs Casandro, Pimpinela Escarlata, Turako [92/10/25 Toreo de Cuatro Caminos, Naucalpan, Estado de México] W
- Brazo de Oro, El Hijo del Solitario, Fray Tormenta vs Guerrero del Futuro, Karloff Lagarde Jr., Violencia [97/12/05 Arena México ] L
- Dr. Wagner Jr. & Satánico vs Brazo de Plata & Fray Tormenta [97/12/12 Arena Coliseo] L - Torneo de Parejas Semifinal
- Fray Tormenta vs Bugambilia [11/01/11 w/ Super Crazy, X-Fly, Bestia 666 & Boy Danger Arena Aficion, Pachuca] W - Final Tournament mask vs hair match
- Fray Tormenta, Pantera, Solar I vs Black Terry, Negro Navarro, Scorpio Jr. [11/07/03 Arena Naucalpan] W
- Pantera, Fray Tormenta & Solar vs Black Terry, Negro Navarro & Scorpio Jr. [11/07/03 Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan de Juarez, Estado de Mexico] W - IWRG Festival de Mascaras
- Fray Tormenta, Mistico, Titán vs Boy Danger, Dragón Rojo Jr., Rey Escorpión [12/12/09 Jardin La Cabana, San Diego, Texcoco, Estado de México]
- Fray Tormenta, Lola Gonzalez, Yakuza vs Coco Azul, La Diabólica, Magia Negra [13/02/24 Arena Lopez Mateos] W - Homenaje a Lola Gonzalez & Fray Tormenta
- Fray Tormenta & Nino Tormenta vs Angel Negro & Farisero [14/09/28 Seminario Conciliar, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua]
Wrestling Career Highlits
- Never lost the mask, Fray Tormenta retained his mask in around 10 luchas de apuestas
- Fray was a legend of lucha libra who's legendary status crossed over the border
- Fray Tormenta won the loyalty of thousands of fans in a career which spanned 40 years
- Through the years Fray has participated in around 4,000 wrestling matches.
- Fray Tormenta wrestled in All Mexico, USA (70 times), Canada and Japan (30 times)
- Filmmakers made a movies loosely based on his life called L'Homme au masque d'or (The Man In The Golden Mask) starring Jean Reno and Nacho Libre, starring Jack Black
- Fray wrestled in IWRG, EMLL (CMLL) and UWA
- Retired in 1998 in the Arena Mexico and returned in 2011
- El Sagrado and Mistico (Sin Cara) was introduced by Fray Tormenta in CMLL, more later On June 20, 2012 Fray introduce a Dragon Lee as the new Mistico (AKA Mistico "la nueva era")
