Cavernario Galindo

Infobox Wrestler
name = Rodolfo Galindo Ramírez
names = Cavernario Galindo, El Cavernas, Ruddy Valentino, and Ruddy Galindo
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weight =
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birth_date = September 27, 1923
birth_place = Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico
death_date = July 19, 1999
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trainer = Diablo Velasco, Yaqui Joe, Jesús Garza
debut = 1938
retired =

Cavernario Galindo (translated into English as Caveman Galindo) (September 27, 1923 - July 19, 1999) was a luchador (the name for a professional wrestler in Mexico) who was active from the 1930s to the 1990s.

Early life

Rodolfo Galindo Ramirez, the man who would grow up to be Cavernario Galindo was born and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico. As a young boy he would survive a car accident that would leave him with noticeable facial scars for the rest of his life. Madigan, Dan, Mondo Lucha a Go-Go: The Bizarre & Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2007, ISBN 9780060855833]

Biography

Galindo made his debut as a wrestler in 1938 at the age of fifteen under the name Ruddy Valentino. He would also wrestle as Ruddy Galindo before taking up the name that made him famous. His slight build combined with his brawler style of fighting made it unlikely that he would find much success in Mexican lucha libre. However, the tenacious Galindo persisted and would eventually become known as one of the toughest rudos in the sport.

A few years into Galindo's career Salvador Lutteroth, the founder and owner of Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre noticed the young brawler and taking note of the young man's ugly appearance that resulted from his facial scars, gave him the gimmick as the animalistic Cavernario Galindo. Madigan, Dan, Mondo Lucha a Go-Go: The Bizarre & Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2007, ISBN 9780060855833] Taking advantage of the opportunity, Galindo played his character for all that it was worth. In the ring his character would bite, claw, and brutally brawl with any opponent he came across to the boos of sold out crowds across Mexico. One particular story, which may be an urban legend, persists to this day, according to some accounts, sometime during the 1940s, Galindo tore a live snake apart with his bare hands and teeth in front of a horrified audience before one of his matches. Madigan, Dan, Mondo Lucha a Go-Go: The Bizarre & Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2007, ISBN 9780060855833]

On July 1, 1949, he defeated Tarzán Lopez in Mexico City to win the only title he'd ever hold during his career, the National Light Heavyweight Title. He successfully defended the title for more than a year until he lost it during December 1950 against Enrique Llanes.

The feud that defined Galindo's career more than any other took place in the 1950s. Gory Guerrero was a handsome and skilled technical wrestler, the exact opposite of Galindo's brawling character, yet they both shared the reputation of being among the toughest luchadores in the ring. Their multiple feuds are seen to this day as being among the bloodiest and most violent in the history of lucha libre. Madigan, Dan, Mondo Lucha a Go-Go: The Bizarre & Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2007, ISBN 9780060855833] Galindo was known for his hoarse speaking voice which was the result of a throat injury he suffered during one of his matches against Guerrero. Galindo also feuded with the top luchadores of his generation, including El Santo, Blue Demon, and Black Shadow.

His popularity lasted for decades and he continued to wrestle until the 1990s, in his seventies. His career only ended when he broke one of his vertebra. He died a few years after this injury on July 19, 1999 at the age of seventy-five. In 1996, he was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

In wrestling

*Signature moves
**La Cavernaria
**Quebradora

Championships and accomplishments

*Mexican National Championship
**Mexican Light Heavyweight Championship
*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards:*Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996) [ [http://www.bodyslamming.com/deceased/cavernariogalindo.html Deceased Superstars - Cavernario Galindo ] ]

Filmography

Galindo starred in several lucha films, usually in a supporting role or as a villain, but sometimes as a zombie or another fictitious character. [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0302148/ Internet Movie Database] ]

*Ruletera, La - 1987

*Leones del ring contra la Cosa Nostra, Los - 1974

*Leones del ring, Los - 1974

*Bestias del terror, Las - 1973
*Santo el enmascarado de plata y Blue Demon contra los monstruos - 1970

*Blue Demon contra cerebros infernales - 1968

*Isla de los dinosaurios, La - 1967

*Mujeres panteras, Las - 1967
*Lobas del ring, Las - 1965

*Fenómenos del futbol, Los - 1964
*Santo en el museo de cera - 1963

*Luchadoras contra el médico asesino, Las - 1963
*Señor Tormenta, El - 1963

*Tigres del ring, Los - 1960

*Última lucha, La - 1959
*Bestia magnifica (Lucha libre), La - 1953

Footnotes