Fray Tormenta

Infobox Wrestler
name=Padre Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez
names= Fray Tormenta


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birth_date=1945
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Fray Tormenta (born Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, 1945) is a Mexican priest who supported an orphanage for twenty-three years by taking up a career in lucha libre. While performing, he wore a mask with red and yellow colors. He is currently retired, but still wears his mask even in his duties as a priest. Fray Tormenta means "Friar Storm" in English.

Biography

Father Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez had long been inspired to become a masked luchador after watching two 1963 Mexican films, "El Señor Tormenta" (Father 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 the age of 22, he became interested in the priesthood and was interred in to the Dominican 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. In need of finances 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, explaining "No one would have taken me seriously as a wrestler had they known I was a priest." [ [http://www.traditioninaction.org/RevolutionPhotos/A180rc_FrayTormenta.htm Brief Biography of Fray Tormenta] ]

In 1991, French film makers upon hearing the inspirational story of Fray Tormenta made a movie loosely based on his life called "L' Homme Au Masque D'Or" (The Man In The Golden Mask) starring actor Jean Reno.

In 2006, American film maker Jared Hess made another film loosely based on the the story of Fray Tormenta called "Nacho Libre" starring Jack Black.

Currently, Fray Tormenta stars as a supporting character in the Mexican comic book series "Místico: El Principe de Plata y Oro" as a mentor to the lucha libre wrestler Místico.

In real life, although Fray Tormenta is retired from professional wreslting he still works at the orphanage as a priest helping children. He has even inspired one of his children to take up his mantle so that the legend of Fray Tormenta can live on. The masked wrestler, whose real name is unknown, calls himself Fray Tormenta Jr.. [http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/06/14/1630776.html]

Characters based on Fray Tormenta

The videogame characters King from "Tekken", Crasher Wake from "Pokémon", Tizoc from "Fatal Fury" and Greco from "Chrono Cross" were inspired by his story, as was the movie "Nacho Libre".

References

External links

* [http://www.luchawiki.org/index.php?title=Fray_Tormenta Fray Tormenta Profile at Luchawiki] .
* [http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/06/14/1630776.html Slam Sports: The Real Nacho Libre]
* [http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066880/index.htm Sports Illustrated article on Fray Tormenta]